cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coordinate regulation of ovine adipose tissue gene expression by propionate

The current study examined the acute effects of intravenous propionate infusion on plasma hormones and metabolites and the expression of adipose tissue lipogenic genes. Four yearling rams were assigned to one oftwo groups (saline or propionate infusion) in a crossover design. All sheep were cannulated in both jugular veins and infused with 1.2 M propionate at a rate of 64 micromol x mix(-1) x kg BW(-1) for 30 min. Blood samples were collected at -10, 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, and 120 min after initiation of infusion. Subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were obtained from the tailhead at 0 and 2 h after propionate infusion and analyzed for gene expressions of lipoprotein lipase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, leptin, and uncoupling protein-2 using a nonisotopic ribonuclease protection assay. The partial cDNA of the enoyl reductase region of ovine fatty acid synthase was cloned and sequenced from s.c. adipose tissue of sheep. The deduced amino acid sequence (210 amino acids) was 86% identical to human, 88% identical to rat, 88% identical to mouse, and 72% identical to chicken. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations abruptly increased 5 min after beginning propionate infusion and further increased up until 30 min but were unaffected in saline-infused sheep (P < 0.05). Plasma concentration of NEFA decreased (P < 0.05) during propionate infusion, whereas IGF-I levels were unaltered. The amounts of lipoprotein lipase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and leptin mRNA increased (P < 0.05) in s.c. adipose tissue of propionate-infused sheep compared with those of saline-infused sheep. However, uncoupling protein-2 mRNA decreased (P < 0.05) in propionate-infused sheep. This study demonstrates that an acute nutrient challenge, in the form of i.v. propionate, can stimulate or inhibit the expression of various adipose tissue genes involved with lipogenesis and adipose tissue metabolism.
Composite Fermion Wave Functions for Strongly Correlated Two-Dimensional Electron Systems in High Magnetic Fields

Several striking and unexpected phenomena have been observed in two-dimensional electron-systems (2DES) under the application of a strong transverse magnetic field(B). Fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE)1 is one of them. It has been found that Jastrow wave functions provide a good qualitative and quantitative description of the low-energy physics of this system. The peculiar nature of the problem is that the Jastrow factor is of a very special form: it attaches an even number of vortices to electrons. The bound state of the electron and the vortices acts like a particle, called “composite fermion”.2Most of the intriguing features of the 2DES in highB can be understood straightforwardly in terms of composite fermions. This short note provides an elementary introduction to the composite fermion (CF) theory.
Evidence For Trap-Conversion Induced Instability In Amorphous Silicon

It has been shown recently that there are two distinct types of recovery during annealing of amorphous Silicon after degradation due to light soaking. It has been postulated that the two different kinetics of annealing point to the existence of two different types of states, with perhaps one state being charged dangling bonds and the other state being neutral dangling bonds. To see if two kinds of states exist, in this paper, we study the kinetics of degradation within the first 100 seconds, and also study the entire absorption curve at all degradation times. An analytical model is derived for early time degradation based on the conversion of a D- state into a neutral dangling band by absorption of a light generated ( the trap-to-dangling bond conversion model of Adler) and the experimental data of degradation versus light intensity fit the predictions of the model very well. The model also predicts that the Adler-type negatively charged defect states, which have a negative correlation energy, upon conversion will transform into Do states at a higher energy, and therefore, there should be a decrease in absorption corresponding to states closer to the valence band, and an increase in absorption corresponding to states near the mid-gap. For the films where such D- states are deliberately introduced by using a small oxygen (a donor atom) leak, we see strong evidence for such a behavior in absorption, with a decrease in the 1.3-1.4 eV photon energy range, and an increase in the 1.1 eV photon energy range. The increase in Do corresponds well with the decrease in photo-conductivity, even at the earliest times.
A Norm Functor for Quadratic Algebras

Given commutative, unital rings $A$ and $B$ with a ring homomorphism $A\to B$ making $B$ free of finite rank as an $A$-module, we can ask for a "trace" or "norm" homomorphism taking algebraic data over $B$ to algebraic data over $A$. In this paper we we construct a norm functor for the data of a quadratic algebra: given a locally-free rank-$2$ $B$-algebra $D$, we produce a locally-free rank-$2$ $A$-algebra $\mathrm{Nm}_{B/A}(D)$ in a way that is compatible with other norm functors and which extends a known construction for etale quadratic algebras. We also conjecture a relationship between discriminant algebras and this new norm functor.
Design and Evaluation of Scholarship and Research Orientation Sessions in Academic Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

Objective Evaluate the efficacy of educating academic Advance Pharmacy Practice Experiential (APPE) students on scholarship and research (S&R). We hypothesized that academic APPE students gain more knowledge in scholarship and research in comparison to non-academic APPE students. Methods As a component of academic APPE rotation, all academic APPE students assigned by the office of experiential education per year (the intervention group) (n = 11) attended S&R sessions during the first week of their academic APPE rotation. Student volunteers from the same graduating class were recruited as the control group (n = 12). However, 1 student from the intervention group and 2 students from the control group were excluded from the analysis, leaving 10 students from each group. These sessions were taken in small groups of 1 to 3 once in their assigned rotation. S&R sessions included many topics that were based on a S&R manual. Upon completion of the sessions, a hard copy of a 10-question knowledge-based quiz was given to both groups at the same time. APPE students' knowledge about S&R were assessed via grading the quiz. The anonymity of the quiz was maintained by requesting students only to mention whether they are from intervention group or controlled group. Results While control group averaged 49% ± 4.58 on the quiz, the intervention group averaged 71.5% ± 5.77. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Based on independent sample t-test, students who took the S&R session show significant increase in their quiz score. Conclusion Compared to the control group, S&R sessions helped academic APPE students to gain knowledge on S&R. The students also perceived that S&R sessions increased their interest in S&R.
Reconstruction on 2D Regular Grids

We investigate the problem of broadcasting a bit on a 2D regular grid. Consider a directed acyclic graph with the structure of a 2D regular grid, which has a single source vertex $X$ at layer 0, and $k+1$ vertices at distance of $k\geq 1$ from $X$ at layer $k$ . Every vertex has outdegree 2, the boundary vertices have indegree 1, and the interior vertices have indegree 2. At time 0, $X$ is given a uniform random bit. At time $k\geq 1$ , each vertex in layer $k$ receives bits from its parents in layer $k-1$ , where the bits pass through binary symmetric channels with crossover probability $\delta\in\left(0,\frac{1}{2}\right)$ . Each vertex with indegree 2 then combines its input bits with a common Boolean processing function to produce its output bit. The goal is to reconstruct $X$ with probability of error less than $\frac{1}{2}$ from all vertices at layer $k$ as $k\rightarrow\infty$ . Besides their natural interpretation in communication networks, such stochastic processes can be construed as 1D probabilistic cellular automata (PCA) with boundary conditions on the number of sites per layer. Inspired by the “positive rates conjecture” for 1D PCA, we establish that reconstruction of $X$ is impossible for any $\delta$ provided that either AND or XOR gates are employed as the common processing function. Furthermore, we show that if certain structured supermartingales exist, reconstruction is impossible for any $\delta$ when a common NAND processing function is used. We also provide numerical evidence for the existence of these supermartingales using linear programming.
A Longitudinal Study of Prevalence Ratios for Musculoskeletal Back Injury Among U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Personnel, 2009-2015.

Introduction Medical readiness to deploy is an increasingly important issue within the military. Musculoskeletal back pain is one of the most common medical problems that affects service members. This study demonstrates the associations between risk factors and the prevalence of musculoskeletal back pain among active duty sailors and Marines within the Department of the Navy (DoN). Materials and methods Utilizing the Military Health System Data Repository, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional review of administrative healthcare claim data for all active duty DoN personnel with at least one medical encounter during fiscal years 2009-2015. For each fiscal year, we identified all claims with an ICD-9 code for back pain and calculated prevalence. We compared those with and without back pain across all variables (age, gender, rank, race, body mass index, tobacco use, occupation, and branch of service) using chi-square analysis. Unadjusted and adjusted log-binomial regressions were used to calculate prevalence ratios and examine associated risk factors for back pain. Results The number of active duty subjects per fiscal year ranged from 424,460 to 437,053. The prevalence of back pain showed an upward trend, ranging from 9.99% in 2009 to 12.09% in 2015. Personnel aged 35 years and older had the strongest adjusted prevalence ration (APR) for back pain (APR 2.59; 95% CI, 2.53-2.66). There were also strong associations with obese body mass index (APR 1.76; 95% CI, 1.66-1.86), overweight body mass index (APR 1.29; 95% CI, 1.27-1.32), and tobacco use (APR 1.39; 95% CI, 1.36-1.42). Females were more likely to have back pain than males (APR 1.43; 95% CI, 1.40-1.47) and Marines more likely than sailors (APR 1.39; 95% CI, 1.36-1.42). The occupation with the highest prevalence ratio was healthcare (APR 1.34; 95% CI, 1.29-1.40) when compared to the reference group of combat specialists. Conclusions There was an increasing prevalence of back pain across the DoN from 2009 to 2015. Different occupational categories demonstrate different prevalence of back pain. Surprisingly, combat occupations and aviators were among the groups with the lowest prevalence. Lifestyle factors such as excess body weight and use of tobacco products are clearly associated with increased prevalence. These results could inform military leaders with regard to setting policies that could increase medical readiness.
Placing Bank supervision in the Central Bank : implications for financial stability based on evidence from the global crisis

Although keeping bank supervision independent from macroprudential supervision may ensure more checks and balances, placing bank supervision in the central bank could exploit synergies with macroprudential supervision. This paper studies whether placing microprudential supervision of banks, typically the systemic part of the financial system, under the same roof as financial stability policy, typically entrusted to the central bank, can improve financial stability. Specifically, the paper analyzes whether having bank supervision in the central bank mitigated the likelihood of banking crises during 2007–12. The analysis conditions on crisis indicators commonly found in the early-warning models of banking crises, the quality of microprudential supervision, and the quality of macroprudential supervision. The authors find that countries with deeper financial markets and those undergoing rapid financial deepening can better foster financial stability when they put bank supervision in the central bank.
Adjuvant Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Complete resection of tumor is a critical component of curative treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This holds true for patients with early stage disease as well as more advanced local tumor (WATANABE et al. 1991; McCAUGHAN et al. 1985; GREEN and LILENBAUM 1994). However, despite “curative resection,” the long term survival of these patients is less than satisfactory. They are still at risk for local and distant relapse and the risk for disease recurrence increases with more advanced disease. Based on the 1997 revision of the International Staging System for lung cancer, the 5-year survival rates of 1910 patients managed with definitive surgical treatment were analyzed. It was greater than 65% for stage IA patients. For patients with stages IB, IIA and IIB disease, these rates ranged from 40% to 55%. In selected stage IIIA patients, the rate fell to approximately 25% (MOUNTAIN 1997). This higher than expected survival rate for IIIA disease reflects the more favorable characteristics of stage IIIA patients who were selected for immediate surgery and found amenable to complete resection of disease (Table 6.1). Patients who had clinically evident stage IIIA disease in the same database did poorly, with a 5-year survival of only 13%.
The Role of Accent on the Credibility and Effectiveness of the Salesperson

The study focuses on assessing the impact of a salesperson's accent on people's perception of his effectiveness, including credibility, competence, friendliness, and intentions to buy. One hundred and forty-six students listened to tape recordings of three presenters speaking with Greek-accented English and three presenters speaking with standard American accent. The message was a hypothetical sales pitch for a VCR. The results indicate that, for an American audience, a sales pitch in standard American accent evoked more favorable judgments on all measured dimensions than Greek-accented English.
A computational method for simulating subsurface flow and reactive transport in heterogeneous porous media embedded with flexible uncertainty quantification

[1] In Chen et al. (2013), the fundamental concepts of the modular UQ methodology have been introduced for general multiphysics applications in which each physics module can be independently embedded with its internal UQ method (intrusive or nonintrusive) without losing the global uncertainty propagation property. In the current paper, we extend the modular UQ methodology to subsurface flow and reactive transport applications, which are characterized by high dimensionality in the stochastic space due to spatially random velocity field in randomly heterogeneous porous media. Specifically, we develop a scheme to reduce the dimension of the stochastic space. This is achieved via a doubly nested dimension reduction by applying Karhunen-Loeve expansion to the logarithmic hydraulic conductivity field, followed by Proper Orthogonal Decomposition to the velocity field. This scheme enables the modular UQ framework to handle spatially random models efficiently while maintaining solution accuracy. When compared against sampling-based nonintrusive UQ methods, the modular UQ method demonstrates a similar accuracy at a fraction of computational cost on designed numerical experiments.
Automated behavioral phenotype detection and analysis using color-based motion tracking

The problem of elucidating the functional significance of genes is a key challenge of modern science. Solving this problem can lead to fundamental advancements across multiple areas such starting from pharmaceutical drug discovery to agricultural sciences. A commonly used approach in this context involves studying genetic influence on model organisms. These influences can be expressed at behavioral, morphological, anatomical, or molecular levels and the expressed patterns are called phenotypes. Unfortunately, detailed studies of many phenotypes, such as the behavior of an organism, is highly complicated due to the inherent complexity of the phenotype pattern and because of the fact that it may evolve over long time periods. In this paper, we propose applying color-based tracking to study Ecdysis in the hornworm - a biologically highly relevant phenotype whose complexity had thus far, prevented application of automated approaches. We present experimental results which demonstrate the accuracy of tracking and phenotype determination under conditions of complex body movement, partial occlusions, and body deformations. A key additional goal of our paper is to expose the computer vision community to such novel applications, where techniques from vision and pattern analysis can have a seminal influence on other branches of modern science.
Many αIIbβ3 autoepitopes in chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura are localized to αIIb between amino acids L1 and Q459

Summary. In chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), autoantibodies bind to platelet surface proteins, particularly αIIb, resulting in platelet destruction by the reticulo-endothelial system. In order to better localize the autoepitopes on αIIb, we studied the binding of antibodies to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing either αIIbβ3 or αIIb-αvβ3 chimaeras in which a segment of αIIb (either amino acids L1-Q459, L1-F223 or F223-Q459) was substituted for that portion of αv. We evaluated platelet-associated autoantibodies from 14 ITP patients with αIIb-dependent antibodies. Ten of 14 bound to αIIb (L1-Q459)-αvβ3, showing that autoepitopes were often localized to this region of αIIb. In addition, each of the autoantibodies binding to αIIb (L1-Q459)-αvβ3, also bound to CHO cells expressing either αIIb(L1-F223)-αvβ3 or αIIb(F223-Q459)-αvβ3). In two of the three eluates tested, > 95% of the autoantibody binding to αIIb could be adsorbed using CHO cells expressing any of the three chimaeras, showing that the epitope(s) have contact points on either side of amino acid F223; in the third eluate, only a portion (∼40%) could be adsorbed by the chimaeric cell lines showing that, in this patient, an additional antibody was also present, directed to a site distal to amino acid Q459. The remaining four eluates bound to CHO cells expressing αIIbβ3 but to none of the chimaeras, suggesting that these epitopes are also distal to amino acid Q459. We conclude that the binding of many anti-αIIbβ3 autoantibodies is dependent on the presence of αIIb amino acids L1-Q459.
Adrenal androgen and glucocorticoid dissociation in premenopausal rheumatoid arthritis: a significant correlate or precursor to onset?

Controlled studies of adrenal steroids in premenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have revealed subtle and inconsistent decreases in glucocorticosteroid (GCS) function, but prominent deficiencies of adrenal androgens (AA). Such findings have suggested that hypoandrogenicity may predispose to RA in younger women. However, recent prospective studies of serum cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels before (\({\overline x}\) = 12 yrs) the onset of the disease (pre-RA) offer an alternative perspective. Significant dissociation of serum cortisol and DHEAS levels was found only in the subgroup of premenopausal women who developed RA before age 50. This subgroup alone had significant deficiency in serum DHEAS levels.
The Role of Silicon in Dendritic Polymer Chemistry

During the last two decades, dendritic polymers, particularly dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers, have become one of the fastest growing areas of interest in polymer science [1]. This can be easily seen from the impressive growth in the number of publications on these unique polymers, which soared from less than a dozen in the 1970s, to over 10,000 (in scientific journals and patent literature) by the end of 2007 [2]. At present, new publications continue to appear regularly, and only the future will tell how much further this trend will continue. Of many different reasons that may have caused such a great interest in dendritic polymers, the following seem especially important. First, the natural beauty and symmetry of dendritic, particularly dendrimer, structures is hard to resist and it has certainly inspired many scientists to design novel chemical compositions, architectural arrangements and artistic presentations of these unique molecules. Regardless of whether they are shown as simple schematics, or as elaborate computer-generated 3D images, dendritic structures have great aesthetic appeal, and are very inspirational for creative thinking, further modifications or potential applications (see Fig. 1.1). Second, it has been widely accepted that after traditional linear, crosslinked and lightly branched polymers, dendritic polymers comprise a new class of macromolecular architecture (see Fig. 1.2) which, analogously to the three traditional classes, exhibits its own, unique, architecture-specific properties that are not found in any of the other classes [3, 4]. Among others, such properties include: often unusually low polydispersities and Newtonian flow of dendrimers even at very high molecular weights, encapsulation abilities in host–guest interactions, much smaller hydrodynamic volumes and much more compact molecules than their corresponding linear counterparts, much higher solubilities and much lower viscosities than the corresponding linear polymers of the comparable composition
Why the traditional liberal arts are still relevant to engineering education

Summary form only given as follows. "Everyone in society should develop, learn, discover, create, and invent the most effective and beneficial [problem solving techniques]. In the end, the engineering method is related in fundamental ways to human problem solving at its best." Thus Billy Vaughn Koen, arguing that everyone is at least potentially an engineer. Without denying this claim-or the similar claim that nonengineers in our society would benefit greatly from learning something, even something technical, about engineering-I argue here that the traditional liberal arts, if taught rightly as a basis for lifelong learning, are still the best way to begin the education of creative young would-be engineers. The reason is that engineers, and all other creative problem solvers, need to know how to write, think, and speak clearly; how to use mathematics, including the old techniques of theorem proving as well as new computer techniques, to do so; how to influence or persuade others (especially those with whom they disagree on controversial issues); how to "get carried away" (appropriately but effectively) by the passions and emotions that persuade others; and, finally, how to see the relationship between their studies and what traditional humanists have called "the order of the universe". Since, unfortunately, almost no one in our high schools or colleges today is doing any of this effectively, engineering programs may have to devise their own courses and techniques for doing so.
Inflammation, innate immunity and blood coagulation

Inflammation drives arterial, venous and microvascular thrombosis. Chronic inflammation contributes to arterial thrombotic complications, whereas acute inflammation drives venous thrombosis and microvascular thrombosis. Mechanistically, inflammation modulates thrombotic responses by upregulating procoagulants, downregulating anticoagulants and suppressing fibrinolysis. The inflammatory response can also result in cell apoptosis or necrosis. Products released from the dead cells, particularly histones, propagate further inflammation, tissue death and organ failure. Inhibition of histone mediated cytotoxicity appears to be a new mechanism for protecting against this deadly cascade.
Social Navigation Support for Groups in a Community-Based Educational Portal

This work seeks to enhance a user’s experience in a digital library using group-based social navigation. Ensemble is a portal focusing on computing education as part of the US National Science Digital Library providing access to a large amount of learning materials and resources for education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. With so many resources and so many contributing groups, we are seeking an effective way to guide users to find the right resource(s) by using group-based social navigation. This poster demonstrates how group-based social navigation can be used to extend digital library portals and how it can be used to guide portal users to valuable resources.
Abstract 031: Novel Role of Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation beyond Canonical Inflammation: Coronary Endothelial Injury and Repair

Inflammasomes are intracellular machinery turning on inflammatory response to danger factors. Recent studies reported that activation of inflammasomes also directly produce injurious action on cells or tissues independent of canonical inflammation. The present study hypothesized that activation of endothelial Nlrp3 inflammsome directly induces endothelial dysfunction at early stage of obesity without canonical inflammation yet. It was demonstrated that Nlrp3+/+ mice under 6-week high fat diet (HFD) had increased formation and activation of Nlrp3 inflammasome in coronary arterial endothelium compared to normal diet (ND)-treated mice, as shown by confocal microscopic detection of inflammasome aggregation and active caspase-1 formation. Ultrasound Doppler measurement showed that HFD markedly reduced bradykinin-induced increases in coronary blood flow by 95% in Nlrp3+/+ mice, but only by 45% in Nlrp3-/- mice. Vascular reactivity studies confirmed that HFD impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation to acetylcholine (10-9-10-5 M) in freshly isolated coronary arteries of Nlrp3+/+ mice (maximum dilation: 53±3% vs. 84±3% of ND), but not in Nlrp3-/- mice (maximum dilation: 81±3% vs. 85±2% of ND). Similarly, visfatin (an injurious adipokine) simulates HFD-induced injurious action on endothelial dysfunction in normal Nlrp3+/+coronary arteries, which was attenuated by Nlrp3 gene deletion. In Nlrp3+/+ mice, HFD markedly increased the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in peripheral blood (1.73±0.69% vs. 0.46±0.05% of ND) and adhesion molecule VCAM-1 levels in coronary arterial endothelium. Nlrp3-/- mice fed HFD exibited higher level of circulating EPCs (4.57±1.27% vs. 0.32±0.04% of ND), but similar VCAM-1 expression. Together, these results suggest that endothelial Nlrp3 inflammasome activation in response to obesity or injurious adipokine produces endothelial dysfunction and inhibits EPC mobilization for endothelial repair, which are distinct from its canonical inflammatory responses such as inflammtory cell recruitment and infiltration in the vasculature. It is proposed that Nlrp3 inflammasome activation may trigger endothelial injury resulting in ultimate vascular inflammation and schlerosis.
Bystander effect contributes to the antitumor efficacy of CaSm antisense gene therapy in a preclinical model of advanced pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) is an aggressive malignancy resistant to standard treatment modalities. Previously, we have reported that cancer-associated Sm-like protein (CaSm) contributes to the neoplastic transformation of PC. In this study, we utilized a recently established preclinical model of PC to determine if molecular targeting of CaSm can serve as the basis for a novel PC therapy. In a subcutaneous tumor model, intratumoral administration of an adenoviral vector encoding CaSm antisense RNA (Ad-αCaSm) significantly inhibited Panc02 tumor growth. Furthermore, in a metastatic tumor model, systemic administration of Ad-αCaSm resulted in a significant decrease in the number of hepatic metastases and increased survival time. We assessed the efficiency of in vivo delivery and observed significant levels of vector transduction in tissues containing PC, as well as a bystander effect that was amplifying the efficacy of CaSm gene therapy. This bystander effect was also active in vitro and was shown to be at least partially independent of host-related mechanisms. We conclude that CaSm antisense gene therapy is an effective novel therapy for PC and that the antitumor efficacy is dependent on both direct and bystander mechanisms.
Beyond PT-symmetry: SUSY-mediated real spectra in complex refractive index landscapes

In the presence of gain and loss, supersymmetric transformations facilitate the arbitrary removal of modes from wave-guiding structures. We show how SUSY gives rise to non-PT-symmetric families of complex potentials with entirely real-valued eigenvalue spectra.
The effect of morphine on responses of mediodorsal thalamic nuclei and nucleus submedius neurons to colorectal distension in the rat.

In halothane-anesthetized rats, we characterized the responses of single neurons in the nuclei of medial thalamus (MT), specifically the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) and the nucleus submedius (Sm), to a noxious visceral stimulus (colorectal balloon distension, CRD), and studied the effects of intravenous morphine (Mor) on these responses using standard extracellular microelectrode recording techniques. 62 MD and 46 Sm neurons were isolated on the basis of spontaneous activity. 47 of the MD neurons (76%) responded to CRD, of which 70% had excitatory and 30% had inhibitory responses. 38 of the Sm neurons (83%) responded to CRD, of which 89% had excitatory and 11% had inhibitory responses. Responses of MD and Sm neurons excited by CRD were related significantly to distension pressure (20–100 mmHg), with maximum excitation occurring at 60 and 100 mmHg, respectively. MD neurons inhibited by CRD also had graded responses to graded CRD, with maximum inhibition occurring at 80 mmHg. The responses to noxious (pinch, heat) and nonnoxious (tap, brush) cutaneous stimuli were studied in 59 of the MD and 44 of the Sm neurons isolated. 22 of the MD neurons (37%) studied had cutaneous receptive fields, of which 59% were large and bilateral, 41% were small and usually contralateral receptive fields. 55% of these neurons were nociceptive-specific, 45% responded to both noxious and nonnoxious cutaneous stimulation. 29 of the Sm neurons (66%) studied had cutaneous receptive fields, of which 72% were large and usually bilateral, 14% were small and bilateral, 14% were small and contralateral receptive fields. 90% of these neurons were nociceptive-specific, 10% responded to both noxious and nonnoxious stimulation. No MD or Sm neurons responded exclusively to nonnoxious cutaneous stimulation. Mor (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg IV) attenuated MD and Sm neuronal excitatory responses to CRD in a dose-dependent fashion, abolishing evoked activity with a dose of 0.5 mg/kg (p<0.05) and 1 mg/kg (p<0.05), respectively. Naloxone (0.4 mg/kg IV) reversed the effects of Mor. Mor and naloxone had no effects on spontaneous activity. These data support the involvement of MD and Sm neurons in visceral nociception, and are consistent with a role of Sm in affective-motivational, and MD in both sensory-discriminative and affective-motivational aspects of nociception.
CD22 as a target of passive immunotherapy.

CD22 is a 135-kd B-cell restricted sialoglycoprotein present in the cytoplasm of virtually all B-lineage cells but expressed on the B-cell surface only at mature stages of differentiation. In humans, the vast majority of IgM(+)IgD(+) B cells express cell-surface CD22, while in lymphoid tissues CD22 expression is high in follicular mantle and marginal zone B cells and weak in germinal center B cells. In B-cell malignancies, CD22 expression ranges from 60% to 80% depending on the histological type and on the assays used. The function of the CD22 molecule is uncertain, although recent studies have suggested roles for the molecule both as a component of the B-cell activation complex and as an adhesion molecule. CD22-deficient mice have a reduced number of mature B cells in the bone marrow and circulation; the B cells have a shorter lifespan and enhanced apoptosis, thus indicating a key role of this antigen in B-cell development/survival. After binding with its natural ligand(s) or antibodies, CD22 is rapidly internalized; this provides a potent costimulatory signal in primary B-cell and proapoptotic signals in neoplastic B cells. Preclinically CD22 has been shown to be an effective target for immunotherapy of B-cell malignancies using either "naked" or toxin-labeled or radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies. Clinical trials in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (both indolent and aggressive disease) are now ongoing with a humanized naked anti-CD22 antibody (epratuzumab, Amgen Inc, thousand Oaks, CA and Immunomedics Inc, Morris Plains, NJ) used as single agent or in combination with other monclonal antibodies (ie, rituximab) and/or chemotherapy. Preliminary data from these studies showed these approaches to be effective and well-tolerated.
The Malleability of Spatial Ability Under Treatment of a FIRST LEGO League-Based Robotics Simulation:

A stratified random sample of volunteer participants (N = 75) aged 9 to 14 was drawn from 16 public school districts’ gifted programs, including as many females (n = 28) and children from groups traditionally underrepresented in gifted programs (n = 18) as available. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental (n = 38) and a control group (n = 37) for an intervention study. All participants took the Cognitive Abilities Test (Form 6) Verbal Battery and the Project TALENT Spatial Ability Assessments. The experimental group participated in a simulation of the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition for 20 hr total over five consecutive days. All participants took the spatial measure again. Experimental males evidenced significant and meaningful gains in measured spatial ability (Cohen’s d = .87). Females did not evidence significant gains in measured spatial ability. This may be due to sampling error, gender differences in prior experience with LEGO, or differences in facets of spatial ability in the...
Adaptive MIMO radar detection algorithm in a spatially correlated clutter environment

In recent years, multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) radar systems have captured the attention of many researchers. At the very beginning, these works focused on increasing the signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR) by transmitting coherent signals. In 2004, a new concept called spatial diversity was introduced for MIMO radar, which achieved the same objective using widely separated transmitters and/or receivers and independent transmitted signals. This technology dramatically enhances the detection probability and accuracy in estimating direction of arrival (DOA) by efficiently constraining target scintillations and collecting more information carried in distinguishable signals. Moreover, since the transmitted signals are independent in MIMO radar, considerable mechanisms such as beamforming technologies and coherent processing, can be developed and applied to improve its performance. However, MIMO radar detection performance in a spatially correlated clutter environment does not get adequate attention that it deserves. Therefore, in this paper, received signals considered include reflections from the target, K-distributed clutter, and thermal noise. Moreover, beamforming technology and coherent processing are applied to estimate the reflectivity of and distinguish between target and clutter reflections. As a result, when echoes from target and clutter are unresolvable, the detection problem can be formulated as a two hypotheses test. According to the Bayesian approach, we develop the ratio test for this situation. In addition, we observe that if highly correlated information is utilized by adaptively modifying clutter local mean power probability density function (PDF), the uncertainty of clutter local mean power decreases and detection performance can be further improved. Last, we also compare the power based detection algorithm with the ratio test. Even though the power based detection algorithm has advantage in simple computation, its comparable performance is achieved only when number of transmitters is large.
"A Certain Rude Honesty": John Bates Clark as a Pioneering Neoclassical Economist

John Bates Clark (1847–1938), the most eminent American economist of a century ago, was, in his own day, caricatured as an apologist for laissez-faire capitalism (Veblen 1908).1 The caricature has shown staying power, a measure, perhaps, of the relative paucity of scholarship on Clark and his work. Recent Clark research signals a welcome attempt at a more accurate portrait (Morgan 1994; Henry 1995; Persky 2000). But some revisionists would remake Clark the apologist for capital into Clark the Progressive exemplar. Robert Prasch (1998, 2000), for example, depicts Clark as a Progressive paragon, which groups him with the great reformers of Progressive-Era political economy—Social Gospelers such as Richard T. Ely and his protege John R. Commons, labor legislation activists such as Clark’s junior colleague Henry Rogers Seager
Lung function in infants after repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Background/Purpose Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is initially characterized by severe restrictive lung defect and low lung compliance, but survivors have relatively few abnormalities later in life. We studied the changes in lung growth and function in infants after the repair of CDH. Methods Retrospective analysis of pulmonary function tests was performed during the first 24 months of life in 56 infants (33 male and 23 female) after repair of CDH. Lung function (functional residual capacity [FRC], respiratory system compliance [ C rs ] and resistance [ R rs ], and maximum expiratory flow rate at FRC [ V ′ maxFRC ]) were compared among 4 different ages (0-3, 4-6, 7-12, and 13-24 months). Results All indices of lung function (mean ± SD of z scores) were abnormal during the first 6 months of life but were almost normalized by 24 months ( P C rs , from −0.87 ± 0.4 to 1.84 ± 1.75; R rs , from 2.85 ± 2.71 to −0.23 ± 2.03, and V ′ maxFRC , from −1.63 ± 0.4 to −0.09 ± 0.94. There was significant correlation ( P Conclusions Lung growth and function gradually normalize between 6 and 24 months of life after repair of CDH.
On the stability of three-dimensional compressible nonparallel boundary layers

A compressible linear stability theory is presented for three-dimensional nonuniform boundary layers. The amplitude, phase, and wavenumber equations which govern the motion of the disturbance are obtained by using the method of multiple scales. Group velocity trajectories are used to identify the disturbance growth direction. The spatial stability theory is applied to the flow on a laminar flow control supercritical sweptback wing of infinite span. Three different methods are used to calculate the absolute maximum logarithmic amplitude ratio N. In the front crossflow instability region, the method of maximum spatial growth rate predicts large difference in N compared with the method of fixed wavelength and the method of fixed spanwise component of wavelength. This difference decreases in the middle streamwise instability region, and almost vanishes in the rear crossflow instability region. Compressibility of the medium reduces N by about 15% in both the front and rear regions, and by about 40% in the middle region of the wing. Nonuniformity of the medium has large effects specially in the rear region.
Elastic and inelastic scattering of K+ from 6Li and 12C

Abstract Cross sections for inelastic scattering of 635 and 715 MeV/ c K + from 12 C are compared with DWIA calculations in order to check for possible density-dependent effects on K + -nucleon cross sections within nuclei. New fits to 715 MeV/ c K + scattering spectra from 6 Li give elastic and inelastic cross sections and permit an evaluation of the density dependence of these effects. The same DWIA methods are also used to estimate quadrupole non-central contributions to elastic K + scattering from the 1 + ground state of 6 Li, and these are found to be very small.
Investigation of host-to-activator energy transfer and surface losses in SrY2O4:Eu3+ under VUV excitation

Abstract We have completed a study of the optical properties of SrY 2 O 4 :Eu 3+ under vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) excitation. Reflectance measurements on the undoped material yield a calculated band gap of about 6.1 eV. Studies on the doped material indicate that Eu 3+ occupies the Y(1) and Y(2) sites in this host. Host-to-activator energy transfer calculations indicate a preference for transfer to Eu 3+ at the Y(2) site. Modeling of the transfer efficiency data leads us to estimate that about 35% of absorbed radiation is lost to the surface under excitation near the band edge.
Material hardship and 529 college savings plan participation: the mitigating effects of Child Development Accounts.

Experience of material hardship can adversely affect a family’s ability to make long-term investments in children’s development. We examine whether material hardship is associated with one indicator of such investments: participation in a tax-advantaged college savings plan (529 plan). Data for this study come from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment, an intervention that offers Child Development Accounts with financial incentives to encourage the accumulation of college savings for children from the time of their birth. Results show that material hardship is negatively associated with 529-plan participation, and this association varies by treatment status. At all levels of material hardship, treatment-group mothers are more likely to hold accounts than control-group mothers. These findings suggest that CDAs can be a useful policy tool to support families’ financial preparation for college.
Patterns of growth in weight among infants in a rural Western Samoa village

The growth records of 55 infants from the village of Sale'a'aumua, Western Samoa, have been analyzed to describe patterns of growth in weight from birth to oneyear of age. This group of infants is unusual in that they are living in a lesser developed setting, but they also have mothers with substantial energy stores. The Samoan children equal or exceed the NCHS 50th percentile of weight up to the age of nine months, after which time they average on or below the NCHS median. Rates of weight gain of the Samoan infants during the first semester of life are high relative to other developing nations and also relative to developed countries. After the first semester of life, the Samoan velocities generally fall below U.S. values. The decrease in weight gain velocities is most pronounced among the Samoan boys after nine months of age. These results are similar to those found in a 1952 survey of children in American Samoa and reflect a first semester pattern of growth that is similar to or greater than that found...
Optimizing outcomes in the patient with acute decompensated heart failure

Heart failure (HF) and episodes of acute decompensated HF (ADHF) continue to pose a substantial clinical challenge in the United States and represent a significant source of morbidity, mortality, and health care resource use. Recent therapeutic advances have shifted ADHF treatment paradigms from diuretic management with or without inotrope use to therapy where intravenous vasodilators are the central component, above a background of diuretics. This shift in treatment has resulted in more rapid symptomatic improvements as well as in decreases in overall morbidity and mortality. Elevated left ventricular filling pressure has become an important clinical target for resolution during ADHF, as this parameter most closely correlates with degree of symptoms, extent of ischemic complications, and the deleterious neurohormonal activation in response to ADHF. Therapies that lead to rapid improvements in left ventricular filling pressure, including the use of nesiritide, a recombinant analog of B-type natriuretic peptide, have been shown to provide rapid symptomatic relief, but effects on long-term morbidity and mortality are as yet unclear. In addition to new treatments, new technologies--including assays based on cardiac biomarkers and techniques such as impedance cardiography for noninvasive monitoring of hemodynamic parameters--are contributing to improvements in care that will ultimately reduce the sizeable clinical and economic burden that HF represents.
Between the Summits: What Americans Think About Media Ethics

An inventory of major studies between 1986 and 2006 indicates the public has continuing and in some cases increasing concerns about specific ethical practices in the mass media industries. While some concerns such as deception, invasion of privacy, advertising saturation, and excessive violence apply to multiple channels of communication, others are medium specific. For example, the public's primary anxieties about the Internet include fraud, spam, and the availability of pornography to children, while the primary concerns about telephone have included telemarketing and wiretapping. Overall findings suggest several substantial and escalating concerns such as the erosion of press credibility and trust in the media at large. These findings proved consistent with a recent national poll commissioned for the second U.S. Media Ethics Summit conference.
Characterization and cross-species amplification of 16 microsatellite loci in Spergularia echinosperma (Caryophyllales: Caryophyllaceae)

Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci are described for Spergularia echinosperma, an endangered plant endemic to Central Europe. Based on 51 individuals, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 5, and the observed and expected heterozygosities were both 0.00–0.17. The markers can be valuable tool to conservation genetics of this species across its distributional range.
Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 phosphorylates and positively regulates PAX3-FOXO1 in human alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cells.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is an aggressive childhood muscle sarcoma with a 5-year survival rate of less than 30%. More than 80% of ARMSs harbor a PAX3-FOXO1 fusion transcription factor. However, expression of PAX3-FOXO1 in muscle cells alone is not sufficient and requires the loss of function of Ink4a/ARF to promote malignant proliferation of muscle cells in vitro or initiate ARMS tumor formation in vivo. This prompted us to examine the signaling pathways required to activate the function of PAX3-FOXO1 and to explore the functional interaction between the Ink4a/ARF and PAX3-FOXO1 signaling pathways. Here we report that inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) by fascaplysin (a small molecule selective inhibitor of Cdk4/cyclin D1 that we identified in a screen for compounds that inhibit PAX3-FOXO1) led to inhibition of the transcriptional activity of PAX3-FOXO1 in ARMS cell line Rh30. Consistent with this finding, activation of Cdk4 enhanced the activity of PAX3-FOXO1. In vitro kinase assays revealed that Cdk4 directly phosphorylated PAX3-FOXO1 at Ser430. Whereas fascaplysin did not affect the protein level of PAX3-FOXO1, it did increase the cytoplasmic level of PAX3-FOXO1 in a portion of cells. Our findings indicate that Cdk4 phosphorylates and positively regulates PAX3-FOXO1 and suggest that inhibition of Cdk4 activity should be explored as a promising avenue for developing therapy for ARMS.