cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical simulations of thrombosis

Background: Mathematical approaches for biological events have gained significant importance in development of biomedical research. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is caused by blood clot in veins deeply rooted in the body, resulting in loss of blood, pain, and numbness of the body part associated with that vein. This situation can get complicated and can be fatal, when the blood clot travels to other parts of the body which may result in pulmonary embolism (PE). PE causes approximately 300,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. Materials and Methods: We are trying to propose a computational approach for understanding venous thrombosis using the theory of fluid mechanics. In our study, we are trying to establish a computational model that mimics the venous blood flow containing unidirectional venous valves and will be depicting the blood flow in the veins. We analyzed the flow patterns in veins, which are included with lump like substances. This lump like substances can be clots, tissue debris, collagen or even cholesterol. Our study will facilitate better understanding of the biophysical process in case of thrombosis. Results: The predicted model analyzes the consequences that occur due to the clot formations in veins. Knowledge of Navier-Stokes equations in fluid dynamics along with the computational model of a complex biological system would help in diagnosis of the problem at much faster rate of time. Valves of the deep veins are damaged as a result of DVT, with no valves to prevent deep system reflux, the hydrostatic venous pressure in the lower extremity increases dramatically. Conclusion: Our model is used to determine the effects of an interrupted blood flow as a result of thrombin formation, which might result in disturbed systemic circulation. Our results indicated a positive inverse correlation exists between clots and the flow velocity. This would support medical practitioners to recommend faster curing measures.
A self-regulatory model of adjunctive behavior change.

The purpose of this article is to present a model of adjunctive behavior that describes how multiple levels of change are produced in therapy when only single target behavior is altered. Adjunctive behavior in clinical research and therapy outcome studies is examined, and a self-regulatory model using closed-loop feedback principles is described and illustrated. Application of the model in guiding clinical practice is presented with reference to assessment and selection of target behaviors and development of therapeutic interventions. Clinical strategies derived from the model include self-regulatory techniques for initiating, maintaining, and generalizing therapeutic gains.
Automated Detection of Activity Transitions for Prompting

Individuals with cognitive impairment can benefit from intervention strategies like recording important information in a memory notebook. However, training individuals to use the notebook on a regular basis requires a constant delivery of reminders. In this study, we design and evaluate machine-learning-based methods for providing automated reminders using a digital memory notebook interface. Specifically, we identify transition periods between activities as times to issue prompts. We consider the problem of detecting activity transitions using supervised and unsupervised machine-learning techniques and find that both techniques show promising results for detecting transition periods. We test the techniques in a scripted setting with 15 individuals. Motion sensors data are recorded and annotated as participants perform a fixed set of activities. We also test the techniques in an unscripted setting with eight individuals. Motion sensor data are recorded as participants go about their normal daily routine. In both the scripted and unscripted settings, a true positive rate of greater than 80% can be achieved while maintaining a false positive rate of less than 15%. On average, this leads to transitions being detected within 1 min of a true transition for the scripted data and within 2 min of a true transition on the unscripted data.
The effect of papermill wastewater and organic amendments of sodium accumulation by potted cottonwoods

In this experiment, the impacts of pulp mill effluent irrigation, Fraser cottonwood (Populus deltoides 'Fraser') seedlings, and pulp sludge and manure soil amendments on sodium accumulation and distribution in the soil profile were evaluated during a 6 month greenhouse study. Sludge soil amendments and wastewater irrigation did not reduce stem biomass production of the cottonwood. Increased stem biomass production associated with manure soil amendments resulted in greater total uptake of sodium into stem material. This uptake was 0.002% of wastewater sodium inputs. In containers with seedlings, sodium concentrations were less in the surface horizon and more in the lower horizons than in containers with no seedlings. Infiltration rates and total sodium accumulation in the soil profile were not affected by the presence of Fraser cottonwood or the application of sludge or manure amendments to soil.
Ionic Conduction in Nanoscale Films of Yttrium-Doped Barium Zirconate

Proton conductivity of yttrium-doped barium zirconate grown on MgO(100) using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been explored as a function of film thickness (60~670nm) related to crystal and grain structure in the nano scale. Highly textured thin film (60nm) without significant grain separation showed high ionic conductivity close to the bulk BYZ value while thick polycrystalline samples showed lower values with clear grain and grain boundary formation.
15N NMR of RNA Fragments Containing Specifically Labeled Tandem GA Pairs

15N and 13C NMR have been used to study three specifically labeled RNA fragments that include two tandem GU wobble pairs of different thermal stability and a tetraloop GU pair. The data are also compared to earlier 15N NMR work on an isolated, intrahelical GU pair. The results provide qualitative information on the relative contributions by stacking and hydrogen bonding to chemical shift changes at specific sites in a variety of GU pairs. Chemical shifts for the unpaired guanine amino groups in the isolated and both tandem wobble pairs are all significantly upfield of corresponding paired GC aminos. The guanine amino of the tetraloop is further downfield, as expected for a base paired hydrogen bond donor. Thus, 15N NMR can be diagnostic for the presence of base−base pairing in RNA. Chemical shifts of the guanine N1 in all four GU pairs show significant shielding effects, particularly those of the more stable tandem GU pair. Similar shielding is also seen in the 13C data for the C2 atom of the GU wobble pa...
Finding and retaining the dominant strategy: The second-price, English and ‘sealed offer’ English auctions

Abstract Using experiments in a procurement setting, this study examined the performance abilities of three auctions: the second-price, English, and a new ‘sealed offer’ English. Additionally, to see if dominant strategy learning would be transferred, after fifteen periods with one of the three auctions, all subjects completed a second 15 periods with the second-price auction. The English auction performed best overall. However, only limited learning was found to occur, with some subjects that had adopted the dominant strategy in the English switching in the second-price. Lessons from the new mechanism transferred better, but initial learning of the dominant strategy was slower.
Chemoimmunotherapy of experimental hepatic metastases

Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that particulate glucan is efficacious in the therapy of a syngeneic murine reticulum cell sarcoma (M5706), which specifically metastasizes from its primary site to the liver. The present study was undertaken to examine the therapeutic efficacy of a newly developed soluble glucan, in combination with cyclophosphamide in the treatment of hepatic metastatic disease. Male C57Bl/6J mice were injected subcutaneously on Day 0 with 1 x 10(4) sarcoma cells. Glucan (200 mg per kg i.v.), cyclophosphamide (45 mg per kg i.p.) or glucan and cyclophosphamide were administered beginning on Day 20, when hepatic metastases were evident, and continued at 3-day intervals up to Day 50. Combined therapy with glucan and cyclophosphamide resulted in reduction of hepatic metastatic lesions on Day 36, compared to control. Survival data revealed that the combination of glucan and cyclophosphamide significantly (p less than 0.001) extended median survival time and the time to 100% mortality in an additive fashion, when compared to either therapy alone. Glucan-cyclophosphamide therapy was also effective in decreasing primary tumor weight to a level that was significantly (p less than 0.05) less than when therapy was initiated. In vitro studies revealed that Kupffer cell tumoricidal activity against sarcoma was increased (p less than 0.05) following glucan and cyclophosphamide. Glucan and cyclophosphamide also enhanced bone marrow proliferation and splenocyte response to mitogens in vitro. Additionally, glucan was observed to exert a direct cytostatic effect on sarcoma in vitro.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Characteristics of participants in a free oral, head and neck cancer screening program.

Objective: Early detection of head and neck cancer is associated with improved survival. It is unclear if screening programs successfully target high-risk populations. We sought to determine the characteristics of participants presenting for a free oral, head and neck cancer screening. Materials and Methods: Prospective analysis of 89 participants in a one-day, free oral, head, and neck cancer screening. Results: The majority of participants were female (57%) and not tobacco users (71%) with a mean age of 56 years (range, 23–83). Symptoms associated with head and neck cancer were reported by 59 participants (66%), but only 31 (35%) were aware of an association between symptoms and head and neck cancer. There was no correlation between symptom prevalence and exam findings (r = 0.1161). Ten participants (11%) had findings concerning for neoplasia and were referred for immediate consultation. Demographically, 64 (72%) of participants had attended college and 51 (57%) earned an annual income greater then $30,000. The majority of participants (85%) believed that screening increased their awareness and knowledge of oral and head and neck cancer. Conclusions: Free oral, head and neck cancer screenings increase awareness of oral and head and neck cancer and identify a subset of individuals requiring further evaluation. However, participants do not share characteristics of the population at greatest risk for the development of head and neck cancer based on risk factors and socioeconomic status. These findings suggest that early detection efforts need to be designed to target high-risk populations. Laryngoscope, 2009
A paper chromatographic method for the measurement of pregnanediol in urine.

A new method is described for the assay of urinary pregnanediol, employing enzymatic hydrolysis of pregnanediol glucuronide, ascending paper chromatography, and spectrophotometry. Analysis of absorption spectra, recovery experiments, and replicate assays of urine for pregnanediol establish the sensitivity, specificity and reliability of the method, which was also shown to reflect changing ovarian function during the menstrual cycle.
Biological Boundaries and the Vertebrate Immune System

Biological boundaries are important because of what they reveal about the evolution of a lineage, the relationship between organisms of different lineages, the structure and function of particular subsystems of the organism, the interconnection between an organism and its environment, and a myriad of other important issues related to individuality, development, and evolution. Since there is no single unifying theory for all biological sciences, there are various possible theoretical characterizations of what counts as a biological boundary. Theoretical specificity is crucial for the full characterization of a boundary; to this end, it is useful to begin with general properties (those true of all living system boundaries) and then to compare these to those properties specific to a particular biological boundary. This dual heuristic approach—top-down and bottom-up—can then be repeated to increase the robustness of the boundary characterization. In what follows, I explore both the general structural and functional aspects of biological boundaries and those specific to a biological subsystem, which itself is critical to boundary formation, maintenance, and evolution—the vertebrate immune system. It is a remarkable and sobering regularity of nature that organisms remain whole because their parts are constantly being built up and broken down, and this is no less true of their boundaries. The vertebrate immune system is at the center of this process of biological boundary maintenance and breakdown.
Rates and mechanisms of cloud water deposition to a subalpine balsam fir forest

Abstract A resistance model for deposition of cloud droplets to a balsam fir forest canopy is described. The model accounts for impaction and sedimentation of cloud droplets, as well as evaporation and condensation of cloud water on canopy surfaces. It considers multiple height strata in the canopy, seven canopy component types in each stratum, and three size classes of cloud droplets. The model was tested against field data and was found to predict cloud water deposition rates in good agreement with measured values. Analysis of the model shows that in the windy, subalpine zone of New England for which the model was developed, advected cloud water can be deposited at rates on the order of tenths of a millimeter per hour, with deposition velocities ranging from 1 to 80 cm s−1. Most of the cloud water deposition takes place in the top 3 m of the canopy. Inertial impaction is the dominant deposition mechanism, but sedimentation can be important at low wind speeds and in the interior of the canopy. Increases in wind speed cause increased deposition via impaction and decreased deposition via sedimentation.
The effects of core nucleus and cortical lesions in turtles on reversal and dimensional shifting

Turtles with lesions of the core nucleus of the dorsal ventricular ridge or of the cortex were studied on the postoperative acquisition of a series of visual discrimination problems, which involved reversals and shifts of dimension, from pattern to color and vice versa. The results showed a double dissociation between the effects of the two lesions. Turtles with core nucleus lesions were impaired on the initial problem, a pattern discrimination between horizontal and vertical stripes. Cortically lesioned turtles were not different from sham-lesioned animals on this problem, but they were impaired on pattern reversal, where turtles with core nucleus lesions were unimpaired. Both groups had deficits on a shift from color to pattern, which was a reversal of the initial pattern problem. Both groups performed normally on color discrimination. Turtles with lesions that damaged both the core nucleus and the cortex showed impairments that appeared to be a sum of the deficits caused by each lesion alone. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of the evolution of visual function.
BING: Biomedical informatics pipeline for Next Generation Sequencing

Abstract High throughput parallel genomic sequencing (Next Generation Sequencing, NGS) shifts the bottleneck in sequencing processes from experimental data production to computationally intensive informatics-based data analysis. This manuscript introduces a biomedical informatics pipeline (BING) for the analysis of NGS data that offers several novel computational approaches to 1. image alignment, 2. signal correlation, compensation, separation, and pixel-based cluster registration, 3. signal measurement and base calling, 4. quality control and accuracy measurement. These approaches address many of the informatics challenges, including image processing, computational performance, and accuracy. These new algorithms are benchmarked against the Illumina Genome Analysis Pipeline. BING is the one of the first software tools to perform pixel-based analysis of NGS data. When compared to the Illumina informatics tool, BING’s pixel-based approach produces a significant increase in the number of sequence reads, while reducing the computational time per experiment and error rate (
Benefits of lipid lowering on vascular reactivity in patients with coronary artery disease and average cholesterol levels: A mechanism for reducing clinical events?

Abstract Background The favorable effects of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol on reducing clinical events in patients with coronary disease have been well established. The mechanisms responsible for this benefit, however, have not been fully understood. This study examined the impact of lipid-lowering therapy on endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity in a subgroup of patients after myocardial infarction with average cholesterol levels who participated in the Cholesterol Recurrent Events (CARE) study to determine whether an effect on endothelial function is a viable mechanism for the observed reduction in clinical events. Methods and Results Participants were recruited from among volunteers in the CARE trial at 2 university-based outpatient cardiology clinics. Patients were randomly assigned to provastatin or placebo. Plasma lipids were measured at baseline and semiannually thereafter. During the final 6 months of the trial, vasoreactivity was assessed by change in ultrasound-determined brachial artery diameter in response to blood pressure cuff-induced ischemia (endothelium-dependent) and to nitroglycerin, a direct vasodilator. Differences in response were examined between the 2 randomized groups. The relation between change in LDL-cholesterol from baseline to year 5 and the magnitude of endothelium-dependent vasodilation also was examined. There was significantly greater endothelium-dependent vasodilation observed in the provastatin group compared with the placebo group (13% vs 8%, P = .0002), with no difference between the groups in their response to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator nitroglycerin. The magnitude of the endothelium-dependent vasodilation was significantly correlated with the percent change in LDL-cholesterol from baseline to final visit ( r = 0.49, P = .015). Conclusions These findings indicate that the use of provastatin in patients after myocardial infarction with average cholesterol levels is associated with greater endothelium-dependent vasodilation compared with those who received placebo. The magnitude of this vasodilatory response is correlated to the reduction in LDL-cholesterol. This improvement in endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity may be a likely mechanism, at least in part, for the reduction in recurrent clinical events observed and reported in the CARE study.
Utilizing the laboratory in the poisoned patient

When evaluating an intoxicated patient, there is no substitute for a thorough history and physical examination. Numerous medical shows on television depict a universal toxicology screen that automatically determines the agent causing a patient’s symptoms. Samples cannot be simply ‘‘sent to the lab,’’ however, with the correct diagnosis to a clinical mystery returning on a computer printout. Clues from a patient’s physical examination are generally more likely to be helpful than a ‘‘shotgun’’ laboratory approach that involves indiscriminate testing of blood or urine for multiple agents. When used appropriately, diagnostic tests may be helpful in the management of an intoxicated patient. When a specific toxin or class of toxins is suspected, requesting qualitative or quantitative levels may be appropriate. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry published recommendations for the use of laboratory tests in the evaluation of poisoned patients [1]. Among their recommendations was a list of diagnostic serum tests described as necessary to support a hospital’s emergency department (Box 1). This is an excellent list of diagnostic studies that are generally widely available for application in the emergency department. In a suicidal patient, whose history is generally unreliable, or in an unresponsive patient, for whom no history is available, the clinician may gain further clues as to the cause of a poisoning by responsible diagnostic
Magnetic and optical properties of multifunctional core-shell radioluminescence nanoparticles

When X-rays irradiate radioluminescence nanoparticles, they generate visible and near infrared light that can penetrate through centimeters of tissue. X-ray luminescence tomography (XLT) maps the location of these radioluminescent contrast agents at high resolution by scanning a narrow X-ray beam through the tissue sample and collecting the luminescence at every position. Adding magnetic functionality to these radioluminescent particles would enable them to be guided, oriented, and heated using external magnetic fields, while their location and spectrum could be imaged with XLT and complementary magnetic resonance imaging. In this work, multifunctional monodispersed magnetic radioluminescent nanoparticles were developed as potential drug delivery carriers and radioluminescence imaging agents. The particles consisted of a spindle-shaped magnetic γ-Fe2O3 core and a radioluminescent europium-doped gadolinium oxide shell. Particles with solid iron oxide cores displayed saturation magnetizations consistent with their ∼13% core volume, however, the iron oxide quenched their luminescence. In order to increase the luminescence, we partially etched the iron oxide core in oxalic acid while preserving the radioluminescent shell. The core size was controlled by the etching time which in turn affected the particles' luminescence and magnetic properties. Particles with intermediate core sizes displayed both strong magnetophoresis and luminescence properties. They also served as MRI contrast agents with relaxivities of up to 58 mM−1 s−1 (r2) and 120 mM−1 s−1 (r2*). These particles offer promising multimodal MRI/fluorescence/X-ray luminescence contrast agents. Our core–shell synthesis technique offers a flexible method to control particle size, shape, and composition for a wide range of biological applications of magnetic/luminescent nanoparticles.
Screening of transcriptionally regulated genes following iron chelation in human astrocytoma cells.

Deferoxamine is an effective iron chelator and a potential therapeutic agent for use in minimizing free radical-mediated injury following trauma. Iron chelation may also be an effective means of limiting tumor growth by decreasing bioavailable iron. Deferoxamine can modulate gene expression through manipulation of intracellular iron levels; specifically at the posttranscription level by changing the activity of iron regulatory proteins (IRPs). The effect of iron chelation on the transcription of genes is still unclear, but iron-binding sites on DNA have been reported. Here we investigate the influence of deferoxamine on gene transcription. Two-directional (forward and backward) suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH) was performed on human astrocytoma cells (SW1088) cultured in either standard media or treated for 48 hours with deferoxamine. To restrict the number of false-positive clones, reverse Northern blotting was used to further verify the differentially expressed cDNA clones. Positive clones were sequenced and the mRNAs were re-examined on Northern blots for changes in expression over time of deferoxamine exposure. The results of these analyses have identified both novel and known genes whose expression is influenced by iron chelation. The known genes include a group related to energy production and a group related to protease function. These results provide examples of genes not previously known to be directly influenced by iron availability, and as such may be potential targets for iron chelation therapy.
Appropriate use of regression analysis in marine biology

The Model I linear regression theory is often used in the analysis of data under conditions when the Model II theory is clearly needed. Implications derived from the use of the two theories can differ greatly when there is not a high degree of correlation between the X and Y variables. The geometric mean Model II method is easy to use, and is probably needed in the analysis of most field data, since the X variable in field data is rarely under the control of the investigator.
Viewing the elephant from 200 feet: reconstructing the schizophrenia syndrome.

It was a field-changing clinical insight when German-speaking psychiatrists, most notably Kraepelin, described the clinical syndrome of schizophrenia. Kraeplin, Bleuler and their contemporaries worked in an era before the era of molecular biology and brain imaging. They did the best with the tools of their time, and made many crucial contributions. The series of papers by Keshavan and colleagues provide a valuable introduction to important biological findings about schizophrenia for students and those working in other disciplines, and a trajectory for planning future research and conceptual developments for clinicians and researchers working within the field. The lays out the argument that it is time to move on from the ideas of our “fathers”, and boldly deconstruct and reconfigure our understanding of the causes and boundaries of the schizophrenia syndrome.
Determination of lattice mismatch in NiSi2 overlayers on Si(111)

We determined the perpendicular overlayer mismatch for type A and type B NiSi2 samples of thicknesses ranging from about 200 to 1000 A via bulk x-ray diffraction. An increase in the density of dislocations which are formed to release the strain at the growth temperature leads to an increase in the magnitude of mismatch and strain at room temperature. The results on the thinner type A samples show that the perpendicular overlayer mismatch is found to depend on the overlayer thickness even when no dislocations are present at the interface. This may be due to point defects in the epitaxial NiSi2 layers.
Amino acid sequence alignment of cereal storage proteins

Abstract An alignment is presented of portions of the amino acid sequences of two gliadins and a glutenin from wheat and of a barley hordein. The two gliadins exhibit similarity over much of their sequences. The glutenin is similar in sequence to the gliadins only over a restricted region. Our analysis of the aligned sequences leads us to suggest the word ‘modular’ to describe the architecture of these proteins. The term is intended to connote the joining together, in the course of evolution, of several units (modules) of distinctive character, under a set of rules that allows considerable flexibility in the arrangement of modules within a molecule.
Estimation of mixed linkage β-glucan concentration in oat and barley from viscosity of whole grain flour slurry

The presence of β-glucan from oat (Avena sativa L.) or barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) products in the human diet can lower serum cholesterol. The selection of new oat or barley cultivars with higher β-glucan concentration in the grain is usually limited by the efficiency of the analytical procedure required to measure this component. The utility of flour slurry viscosity as an indirect means of estimating flour β-glucan concentration was investigated. Water at 25°C was added to enzyme-inactivated whole-grain oat flour to form a 23% dry matter mixture, and stirred to form a uniform slurry. Viscosity, as measured with a rotational spindle-type viscometer, increased hyperbolically with time. Viscosity measured 3 h after water addition was exponentially dependent on flour content and was linearly correlated with β-glucan concentration in the flour. The procedure was useful as a screening method for the estimation of β-glucan concentration in preliminary breeding lines of oat and barley. The procedure is effective with enzyme-inactivated (steam-treated) whole or dehulled grain, but the presence of endo-β-glucanases in hulls of oats and barley prevent the application of this procedure with flours of raw whole oats and barleys.
Cryptogenic Stroke—The Appropriate Diagnostic Evaluation

Ischemic strokes are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. They may be due to large artery atherosclerosis, small vessel occlusion, cardioembolism, or other less common mechanisms such as toxins, hypercoagulable disorders, and vasospasm. Each mechanism carries its own risk of recurrence and prognosis. Strokes without an identifiable cause despite a complete work-up are described as cryptogenic. Cryptogenic stroke therefore is a diagnosis of exclusion, and one that should not be arrived at haphazardly. One must complete a thorough, and frequently challenging, stroke work-up prior to this diagnosis. Challenges in determining stroke etiology include the transient nature of precipitating events such as vasospasm or cardiac arrhythmias, variable durations of cardiac monitoring, and unclear significance of certain cardiac structural anomalies. Many consider cryptogenic stroke to be a heterogeneous combination of paroxysmal and occult conditions that create such diagnostic difficulties. The diagnosis of cryptogenic stroke itself carries with it specific outcomes and prognosis. This article will provide an overview of the definition and epidemiology, recommendations for diagnostic evaluation, and risks of recurrence of cryptogenic stroke.
Acoustic and optical borehole-wall imaging for fractured-rock aquifer studies

Imaging with acoustic and optical televiewers results in continuous and oriented 360° views of the borehole wall from which the character, relation, and orientation of lithologic and structural planar features can be defined for studies of fractured-rock aquifers. Fractures are more clearly defined under a wider range of conditions on acoustic images than on optical images including dark-colored rocks, cloudy borehole water, and coated borehole walls. However, optical images allow for the direct viewing of the character of and relation between lithology, fractures, foliation, and bedding. The most powerful approach is the combined application of acoustic and optical imaging with integrated interpretation. Imaging of the borehole wall provides information useful for the collection and interpretation of flowmeter and other geophysical logs, core samples, and hydraulic and water-quality data from packer testing and monitoring.
Surface texture and strength of vitreous carbon–poly(methyl methacrylate) dental implant materials

A study has been carried out on the surface texture and the strength of several dental implant materials composed of vitreous carbon microballoons (6, 24, and 48 wt %)and poly(methyl methacrylate). Two sizes of microballoons were used--particle size less than 100 micrometer and particle size greater than 100 micrometer. Square wafers of the materials (10 X 10 X 1 mm) were studied with the surface sandblasted in half of the specimens. SEM studies revealed a rough porous surface with scattered moderately sized deep cavities in the 6% and 24% specimens with an increase in the number of cavities in the 24% specimens. The 48% specimens revealed a rough, porous surface composed of large shallow craters. Prepared specimens of the materials, processed by a gas-fired air oven and by a microwave oven, were tested for compressive strength and tensile strength using an Instron Universal Testing Machine. Compressive strengths of the various mixtures were similar, but mixtures using VC particle size over 100 micrometer demonstrated somewhat reduced compressive strength. Tensile strengths of the mixutres decreased significantly as the amount of VC increased, with a 20% reduction at 24 wt % and a 45% reduction at 48 wt %.
Effects of strain on structural properties in ordered semiconductors

Abstract Semiconductor alloys of the types A1−xBxC and AC1−xDx can be grown in ordered states for the composition values x = 1 4 , 1 2 , or , 3 4 . The structural properties of five forms of ordered III–V compounds have been investigated using a phenomenological model of strain due to Harrison. Among properties predicted are bond lengths and strain energies in the new compounds. Types of order include layered 1×1 superlattices oriented along the (0,0,1) or (1,1,1) directions, and chalcopyrite, famatinite, and luzonite structures. The strain results imply that if chemical effects favor ordering, the chalcopyrite and famatinite structures should be the most stable forms. The ordered-structure results are also compared directly with EXAFS results for first- and second-neighbor distances in ternary alloys. The alloy Ga1−xInxAs is well described by the family of compounds with an ordering wave vector k = (1,0, 1 2 ) .
Acanthamoeba castellani encephalitis following partially mismatched related donor peripheral stem cell transplantation

We describe a case of Acanthamoeba encephalitis in a 45-year-old Caucasian male with acute myelogenous leukemia, who was 140 days status post partially mismatched related donor peripheral blood stem cell transplant. The patient had been transplanted with a highly T-cell-depleted graft, and was not taking any immunosuppressive drugs, and had no history of graft-versus-host disease. He complained of nausea, vomiting, and occasional episodes of confusion; he also had a chronic cough since transplantation. Physical examination was unremarkable except for orthostatic hypotension. Neurologic examination was within normal limits. Laboratory values including electrolytes, white blood cells and platelet counts were normal. Computed tomographic scan of the brain showed a pansinusitis and a hyperdense lesion along the corona radiata suggestive of a fungal abscess. Magnetic resonance imaging showed multifocal areas with mass effect in the posterior fossa and parietal and occipital lobes. The patient had worsening respiratory failure and died three days after admission. At autopsy, specific immunofluorescent staining identified Acanthamoeba castellani in the brain and lungs.
Getting a Grip on the CTD of Pol II

The first structure of a pre-mRNA processing factor bound to heptad repeats from the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II is revealed in a crystal of capping guanylyltransferase complexed with a four-repeat phosphopeptide.
Porcine growth hormone gene expression from viral promoters in transgenic swine

Abstract The production of porcine growth hormone (pGH) from novel expression vectors containing the promoter/enhancer elements of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) LTR or the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early gene was examined in transgenic swine. Both fusion genes resulted in elevated levels of serum pGH, elevation of insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1), and a pronounced decrease in carcass fat deposition. The two viral promoter/enhancer elements were constitutively active in the transgenic swine throughout the life of the animals. In individual swine, the CMV‐pGH transgene was expressed predominantly in the pancreas while the MLV‐pGH transgene was expressed in a wide variety of tissues. These swine were infertile, had insulin resistance, and demonstrated an accelerated form of osteochondritis dissicans. Our results show that excess pGH produces a phenotype identical to that seen in swine expressing heterologous growth hormones, and provides a baseline for assessing the overall efficien...
SHOCK PHYSICS DATA RECONSTRUCTION USING SUPPORT VECTOR REGRESSION

This paper considers a set of shock physics experiments that investigate how materials respond to the extremes of deformation, pressure, and temperature when exposed to shock waves. Due to the complexity and the cost of these tests, the available experimental data set is often very sparse. A support vector machine (SVM) technique for regression is used for data estimation of velocity measurements from the underlying experiments. Because of good generalization performance, the SVM method successfully interpolates the experimental data. The analysis of the resulting velocity surface provides more information on the physical phenomena of the experiment. Additionally, the estimated data can be used to identify outlier data sets, as well as to increase the understanding of the other data from the experiment.
Antibodies to both terminal and internal B-cell epitopes of Francisella tularensis O-polysaccharide produced by patients with tularemia.

ABSTRACT Francisella tularensis, the Gram-negative bacterium that causes tularemia, is considered a potential bioterrorism threat due to its low infectivity dose and the high morbidity and mortality from respiratory disease. We previously characterized two mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the O -polysaccharide (O antigen [OAg]) of F. tularensis lipopolysaccharide (LPS): Ab63, which targets a terminal epitope at the nonreducing end of OAg, and Ab52, which targets a repeating internal OAg epitope. These two MAbs were protective in a mouse model of respiratory tularemia. To determine whether these epitope types are also targeted by humans, we tested the ability of each of 18 blood serum samples from 11 tularemia patients to inhibit the binding of Ab63 or Ab52 to F. tularensis LPS in a competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Although all serum samples had Ab63- and Ab52-inhibitory activities, the ratios of Ab63 to Ab52 inhibitory potencies varied 75-fold. However, the variation was only 2.3-fold for sequential serum samples from the same patient, indicating different distributions of terminal- versus internal-binding antibodies in different individuals. Western blot analysis using class-specific anti-human Ig secondary antibodies showed that both terminal- and internal-binding OAg antibodies were of the IgG, IgM, and IgA isotypes. These results support the use of a mouse model to discover protective B-cell epitopes for tularemia vaccines or prophylactic/therapeutic antibodies, and they present a general strategy for interrogating the antibody responses of patients and vaccinees to microbial carbohydrate epitopes that have been characterized in experimental animals.
WELCOME TO THE MEN'S CLUB Homosociality and the Maintenance of Hegemonic Masculinity

This study focuses on multiple masculinities conceptualized in terms of sociality, a concept used to refer to nonsexual interpersonal attractions. Through male homosocial heterosexual interactions, hegemonic masculinity is maintained as the norm to which men are held accountable despite individual conceptualizations of masculinity that depart from that norm. When it is understood among heterosexual men in homosocial circles that masculinity means being emotionally detached and competitive and that masculinity involves viewing women as sexual objects, their daily interactions help perpetuate a system that subordinates femininity and nonhegemonic masculinities. Nonhegemonic masculinities fail to influence structural gender arrangements significantly because their expression is either relegated to heterosocial settings or suppressed entirely.
Feature selection for grasp recognition from optical markers

Although the human hand is a complex biomechanical system, only a small set of features may be necessary for observation learning of functional grasp classes. We explore how to methodically select a minimal set of hand pose features from optical marker data for grasp recognition. Supervised feature selection is used to determine a reduced feature set of surface marker locations on the hand that is appropriate for grasp classification of individual hand poses. Classifiers trained on the reduced feature set of five markers retain at least 92% of the prediction accuracy of classifiers trained on a full feature set of thirty markers. The reduced model also generalizes better to new subjects. The dramatic reduction of the marker set size and the success of a linear classifier from local marker coordinates recommend optical marker techniques as a practical alternative to data glove methods for observation learning of grasping.
Stabilization of MIV = Ti, Zr, Hf, Ce, and Th using a selenium bis(phenolate) ligand

We report M(IV) M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Ce, and Th, complexes of a selenium bis(phenolate) ligand, 2,2′-selenobis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol), (H2ArOSeO), 1. Reaction of Ti(NEt2)4 with two equivalents of 1 affords Ti(ArOSeO)2, 2. Salt metathesis of ZrCl4 and HfCl4 with two equivalents of Na2ArOSeO produces Zr(ArOSeO)2(THF), 3, and Hf(ArOSeO)2(THF), 4, respectively. Protonolysis of ThCl[N(SiMe3)2]3 with two equivalents of 1 yields Th(ArOSeO)2(THF)2, 5. Salt metathesis of Ce(OTf)3 and two equivalents of Na2ArOSeO produces [Na(THF)3][Ce(ArOSeO)2], which was oxidized in situ using 0.5 equivalents of I2 to yield the diamagnetic Ce(IV) product, Ce(ArOSeO)2(THF)2, 6. Addition of 2,2′-bipyridyl to 6 forms Ce(ArOSeO)2(bipy), 6a. Each diamagnetic complex was characterized using 1H, 13C, and 77Se NMR and IR spectroscopy and the structures of 2–6a were established with X-ray crystallography. Electrochemical measurements using cyclic voltammetry on complexes 2, 5, and 6 are also reported.
An Examination of Achievement Goals in Learning: A Quasi-Quantitative Approach.

Resumen en: Introduction. The achievement goals framework has been researched and used to explain and account for individuals' learning and academic achievements. Ov...
The Intraflagellar Transport Machinery of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

First discovered in the green alga, Chlamydomonas, intraflagellar transport (IFT) is the bidirectional movement of protein particles along the length of eukaryotic cilia and flagella. Composed of approximately 16 different proteins, IFT particles are moved out to the distal tip of the organelle by kinesin-II and are brought back to the cell body by cytoplasmic dynein 1b. Mutant analysis of the IFT motor and particle proteins using diverse organisms has revealed a conserved and essential role for IFT in the assembly and maintenance of cilia and flagella. IFT is thought to mediate this assembly through the delivery of axonemal precursors out to the distal tip of the growing organelle. Consistent with this model, the IFT particle proteins are rich in protein-protein binding motifs, suggesting that the particles may act as scaffolds for the binding of multiple cargoes. With most of the IFT proteins now identified at the level of the gene, this review will briefly examine both the structure and function of the IFT machinery of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco: integrating science, law, policy, and advocacy.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (hereafter referred to as “the Act”) became law in 2009. One of its key provisions grants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products “for the protection of the public health.”1 Recognizing that the traditional “safe and effective” standard governing drugs and devices was inappropriate for tobacco products, which are inherently lethal, Congress designed the “public health standard … to be a flexible standard that focuses on the overall goal of reducing the number of individuals who die or are harmed by tobacco products.”2 The language is intentionally broad, focusing on protecting the health of the population as a whole. Before the FDA can adopt a tobacco product standard, it must consider the scientific evidence regarding: (1) the risks and benefits of the proposed standard to the entire population, including both users and nonusers of tobacco products; (2) the increased or decreased likelihood that existing users of tobacco products will stop using such products; and (3) the increased or decreased likelihood that those who do not currently use tobacco products, most notably youth, will start to use tobacco products.1 To assist the FDA with these determinations, a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) was established, comprising individuals with expertise ranging from basic to population science. Congress mandated the TPSAC to issue its first report and set of recommendations to the FDA by March 2011 on the impact of menthol on public health, especially on “children, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other racial and ethnic minorities.” The FDA is empowered to ban or reduce menthol in cigarettes if it determines such action would satisfy the public health standard. Given the likely complex impact of product standards on patterns of tobacco use, a transdisciplinary perspective is needed to fully understand how the population will adapt to changes in the regulatory environment. This editorial explores the meaning of the new standard, and specifically how scientific evidence, including 3 articles in this month's Journal,3–5 can help to inform the FDA's consideration of the menthol question.
A MARKOV LANGUAGE LEARNING MODEL FOR FINITE PARAMETER SPACES

This paper shows how to formally characterize language learning in a finite parameter space as a Markov structure. Important new language learning results follow directly: explicitly calculated sample complexity learning times under different input distribution assumptions (inclding CHILDES database language input) and learning regimes. We also briefly describe a new way to formally model (rapid) diachronic syntax change.
Contributions of the American Journal of Physiology to the discovery of insulin

Since its inception in 1898 the American Journal of Physiology has been a leader in diabetes research and has published many key articles on the subject. The Journal first published studies of phlorhizin-induced diabetes in 1898, and after many other contributions went on to publish the first reports of Banting, Best, Macleod, and Collip in 1922 concerning the isolation and purification of insulin (5-8, 13). This review highlights some of these key contributions of the Journal.
Galaxy Collisions: Modeling Star Formation in Different Environments

Starbursts in interacting galaxies are mediated by the dynamical response of the host galaxy to the collisional perturbation. Environmental effects may lead to systematic differences in the nature of the encounter such that the properties of induced starbursts are likely to be different in cluster and field environments. I first discuss these differences in the context of numerical simulations of interacting galaxies, then describe the role of cluster tides in influencing interaction-induced star formation.
Computational analysis of optical field enhancement in disordered nanoscale structures with applications to surface enhanced raman spectroscopy

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive, non-intrusive, chemical characterization technique in which the cross-sections of the Raman scattering channels associated with the vibrational spectrum of chemical analytes adsorbed onto a surface are greatly enhanced. This enhancement is largely an electromagnetic effect, owing to the excitation of surface-plasmon-polaritons in the experimental substrate. While SERS has been employed in the sensing of single molecule concentrations of certain analytes, most substrates have a very low degree of uniformity in their response. One experimental figure employing Au nanocrystal aggregates indicates that < 1% of the constituent clusters produce electromagnetic ‘hot spots’ which lead to SERS activity [1]. Consequently, a significant research effort has been put forth toward the realization of SERS substrates with a much higher density of such ‘hot spots’.
Multi-mode multi-channel fiber dispersion compensation using spatial-spectral holography

A spatial spectral holographic approach to modal multiplexing and dispersion compensation of multiple signals launched into multi-mode fiber is presented.