cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanostructured adsorbents for hydrogen storage at ambient temperature: high-pressure measurements and factors influencing hydrogen spillover

Hydrogen storage is the crucially missing link to a future hydrogen economy. There have been intense efforts in developing nanostructured adsorbent materials for hydrogen storage during the last decade. Storage at ambient temperature is particularly desirable. New approaches include boron- and nitrogen-substituted carbons, metal–organic frameworks, and, in particular, metal-assisted storage. The metal-assisted approach, which exploits the well-documented hydrogen spillover phenomenon, has shown considerable promise. This review provides insights and understanding of hydrogen storage on the new adsorbent materials and offers possible future directions for further developments. Keys to accuracy and reproducibility in high-pressure hydrogen uptake measurements are also discussed.
New set of time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations for dirty superconductors near T c

A critical reexamination is given to the microscopic derivation of a set of time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations, for dirty superconductors near T/sub c/ (not assuming gaplessness), by Kramer and Watts-Tobin and by Schoen and Ambegaokar. The following improvements are first made: (i) A more general representation is used for the retarded 2 x 2 Green's function G/sup R/, valid in an arbitrary magnetic field; (ii) A ''static approximation'' for G/sup R/ is removed; (iii) An approximate gauge invariance is converted to an exact one, by some small changes in the equations for the order parameter and the charge density, in a way consistent with the approximation used. (iv) The simplifications of the collision integrals, based on a ''mutilated-collision-operator'' approximation, are shown to be also a direct consequence of the smallness of 1-T/T/sub c/. The set of equations is then tested against a local-charge-conservation law. A small violation is found, which leads to the discovery of an inconsistency in the truncation procedure used. Several new contributions are then found which leads to a new set of TDGL equations. This contains all the above improvements, and also satisfies a local-charge-conservation law essentially exactly. At least some of the new contributions are shownmore » to be important in the energy range of the order of the gap frequency.« less
A new sub-sampling method for analysis of air samples collected with the Andersen single-stage sampler

A protocol for bioaerosol collection was developed that provides not only accurate predictions of fungal concentration, but also improves species recovery. Random transfer of a subset of 50 of the 400 impaction points from Andersen single-stage bioaerosol sampling plates results in subcultures that are accurate predictors of fungal concentration (CFU/m3), when compared to duplicate untouched Andersen plates. A linear regression model was developed to estimate CFU/m3 from the colonies counted on the Random-50 plates. The random transfer to five plates (“Random-50” plates), allows large numbers of fungi to be recovered and identified, including slow-growing fungi that otherwise would be masked by fast-growing fungi.
Diffusion of Thyroglobulin in the Lumen of the Rat Thyroid Follicle

Autoradiographs of thyroidal organic radioiodine were made 1 hr after an injection of radioiodide and also at various times during the equilibration of rat thyroidal iodine with mI-labeled dietary iodine. Most follicular lumens were homogeneously labeled, but in some lumens organic radioiodine was restricted to the peripheral region of the colloid, producing an autoradiographic image in the shape of a ring. The incidence of follicles with a ring autoradiograph was high 1 hr after an injection of radioiodide but fell to a low level after 1 day of equilibrium labeling; however, an occasional animal killed up to 16 days after the start of equilibrium labeling had a relatively high incidence of ring autoradiographs. Some lumens had a ring autoradiograph even after 99 days of equilibrium labeling; this implies marked limitation of diffusion of radioiodoprotein in the colloid. In some lumens there was a homogeneous distribution of organic radioiodine in relatively low concentration throughout except for a narro...
Dissolution Thermochemistry of Alkali Metal Dianion Salts (M2X1, M = Li+, Na+, and K+ with X = CO32–, SO42–, C8H82–, and B12H122–)

The dissolution Gibbs free energies (ΔG°diss) of salts (M2X1) have been calculated by density functional theory (DFT) with Conductor-like Polarizable Continuum Model (CPCM) solvation modeling. The ...
Genome-wide approaches reveal EGR1-controlled regulatory networks associated with neurodegeneration.

Abstract Early growth response gene 1 (Egr1) is a member of the immediate early gene (IEG) family of transcription factors and plays a role in memory formation. To identify EGR1 target genes in brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) model mice — APP23, we applied chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by high-throughput DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq). Functional annotation of genes associated with EGR1 binding revealed a set of related networks including synaptic vesicle transport, clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), intracellular membrane fusion and transmission of signals elicited by Ca2 + influx. EGR1 binding is associated with significant enrichment of activating chromatin marks and appears enriched near genes that are up-regulated in the brains of APP23 mice. Among the putative EGR1 targets identified and validated in this study are genes related to synaptic plasticity and transport of proteins, such as Arc, Grin1, Syn2, Vamp2 and Stx6, and genes implicated in AD such as Picalm, Psen2 and App. We also demonstrate a potential regulatory link between EGR1 and its newly identified targets in vivo, since conditions that up-regulate Egr1 levels in brain, such as a spatial memory test, also lead to increased expression of the targets. On the other hand, protein levels of EGR1 and ARC, SYN2, STX6 and PICALM are significantly lower in the brain of adult APP mice than in age-matched wild type animals. The results of this study suggest that EGR1 regulates the expression of genes involved in CME, vesicular transport and synaptic transmission that may be critical for AD pathogenesis.
Sex differences in fighting and defense induced in rats by shock and d-amphetamine during morphine abstinence

Abstract Male and female rats were injected with morphine while a control group received water injections. Four days following the final morphine injection, the animals received d -amphetamine and then were tested for their reaction to a stuffed leather glove. Drugged animals, while not showing a higher incidence of attack, did show increased escape tendencies when compared to controls. Both drugged and control animals were then shocked in the presence of either a same or different sexed conspecific. Nine measures of aggressive behavior were recorded from the pairs. Factor analysis of the nine intercorrelated measures produced two orthogonal aggressive factors — one indicative of defensive-threat behavior and one relating to actual fighting. Male-male pairs under morphine abstinence plus d -amphetamine scored significantly higher than the other groups on the fighting factor while drugged male-female pairs scored significantly higher on the defensive-threat factor. Although the fighting exhibited in this study was essentially restricted to male pairs under the drugged condition, evidence is presented suggesting that the agonistic behavior observed is not the species typical intermale aggression.
Response of mouse melanoma cells to melanocyte stimulating hormone

WE have recently described a mouse melanoma cell line which responds to melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) with dramatic increases in tyrosinase activity and melanin content, as well as changes in cellular morphology and growth characteristics1–3. The increase in pigmentation following exposure to MSH is shown in Fig. 1. Cyclic AMP or dibutyryl cyclic AMP may be substituted for MSH in eliciting these responses; consistent with other work suggesting that MSH acts through cyclic AMP in the control of pigmentation in vertebrates4–7. In our previous studies we used non-synchronised mouse melanoma cells grown in monolayer culture. Martin et al.8 have shown that synchronised mouse HTC cells respond to corticosteroids with increased tyrosine amino transferase synthesis in the late Gl and early S periods of the cell cycle; similarly, Buell and Fahey9 have shown, using a synchronised human lymphoid cell line, that immunoglobulins G and M are expressed in late Gl and S. We wished to investigate the effects of MSH on tyrosinase activity and endogenous cyclic AMP levels in synchronised cells to determine if there is a particular hormone-sensitive phase of the melanoma cell cycle. We report here that melanoma cells responded maximally to MSH with increased tyrosinase activity and cyclic AMP content during the G2 phase.
Interfacial reactions in titanium/SCS fiber composites during fabrication

The objectrive of the study was to determine the effect of titanium concentration and different pyrocarbon fiber coatings on the morphology and the extent of fiber-matrix reactions in Ti/SiC composites fabricated by rapid infrared forming (RIF). It is found that the extent of fiber-matrix reactions in Ti/SiC composites fabricated by the RIF technique is noticeably affected by both an increase in Ti content and by the processing temperature. Uncoated SiC fibers extensively react with the titanium alloy matrix at 1200 C, whereas no reaction occurs when coated SiC fibers are used.
Morphology, flow regimes, and filtering rates of Daphnia, Ceriodaphnia, and Bosmina fed natural bacteria.

Body size is the best overall indicator of the abilities of the cladocerans Daphnia magna, D. parvula, Ceriodaphnia lacustris and Bosmina longirostris to filter natural bacteria (<1.0 μm). However, species differences exist which cannot be inferred from differences in size, behavior, or morphology alone. The relationship between filtering rate (FR in ml animal-1h-1) and body length (L in mm) for the cladocerans studied can be described by the power function: [Formula: see text] In D. parvula, algal filtering rates are higher and increase more rapidly with increasing body size than do bacterial filtering rates which are 26 to 33% of algal rates. This suggests that different processes may be involved in the capture of these ultrafine particles and that ultrafine particle capture efficiency decreases with increasing body size within a species. Weight specific filtering rates (in μl μg dry wt-1h-1) have a strong negative relationship to body size and show species specific differences. Appendage beat rates intersetular distances, setule diameter, appendage, area, % open space on the filtering appendage, Reynolds number, and boundary layer thickness do not provide simple predictions of bacterial filtering rates for the cladocerans studied. Filtering rates on cultured laboratory bacteria and algae may not indicate filtering rates on natural bacterioplankton because of differences in bacterial size, motility, and surface properties. Uptake of ultrafine particles may be enhanced by the presence of larger, more readily filtered particles through a "piggybacking" phenomenon.
Isotopic evidence for the contemporary origin of high-molecular weight organic matter in oceanic environments

Abstract Previous work has suggested that apparent old 14C ages for oceanic DOC are the result of mixing of different organic carbon fractions. This report provides direct evidence for a contemporary 14C age of a high-molecular-weight (HMW) fraction of colloidal organic carbon (≥10 kD). Colloidal organic matter, COM10 (from 10 kDaltons (kD) to 0.2 μm), isolated from the upper water column of the Gulf of Mexico and the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) region, generally has a contemporary age (i.e., younger than a few decades), while COM1 (from 1 kD to 0.2 μm), is apparently old: 380–4500 y b P. Thus, BMW COM10 (3–5% of DOC) from the upper water column is derived from living particulate organic matter (POM) and cycles rapidly, while a significant fraction of low-molecular-weight (≤1 kD) DOM is likely more refractory, and cycles on much longer time scales. The presence of pigment biomarker compounds in COM1 from the upper water column points to selected phytoplankton species as one of the sources of COM. Terrestrial carbon as another source of COM is suggested from the inverse correlation between Δ14C and δ13C values, as well as the increasing δ13C values with increasing salinity. 234Th-derived turnover times of COM10 and COM1 from both the Gulf of Mexico and MAB are consistently short, 1–20 and 3–30 days, respectively. These short residence times support the hypothesis that 14C ages of colloidal fractions of DOC are the result of COM fractions being a mixture of several endmembers with fast and slow turnover rates.
DNA methylation of RASSF1A, HIN-1, RAR-β, cyclin D2 and twist in in situ and invasive lobular breast carcinoma

Little is known about epigenetic silencing of genes by promoter hypermethylation in lobular breast cancers. The promoter methylation status of 5 cancer-related genes (RASSF1A, HIN-1, RAR-β, Cyclin D2 and Twist) was evaluated in 2 types of lobular cancers, in situ (LCIS) and invasive lobular carcinomas (ILC) (n = 32), and compared to ductal in situ (DCIS) and invasive (IDC) breast cancers (n = 71). By using methylation-specific PCR (MSP), 100% of ILC and 69% of LCIS cases were found to have 1 or more hypermethylated genes among the panel of 5 genes (compared to 100% IDC and 95% of DCIS). Two or more hypermethylated genes were detected per tumor in 79% of invasive and 61% of in situ lobular carcinomas compared to 81% of IDC and 77% of DCIS. By contrast, DNA from nearly all normal reduction mammoplasty tissues (n = 8) was unmethylated for the 5 genes. The methylation profiles of lobular vs. ductal carcinomas with respect to RASSF1A, Cyclin D2, RARβ, and Hin-1 genes were similar, suggesting that gene silencing by promoter hypermethylation is likely to be important in both groups of diseases. Distinctly different, Twist was hyper- methylated less often in ILC (16%, 3/19 cases) than in IDC (56%, 15/27 cases) (p = 0.01). These results suggest that these 2 types of tumors share many common methylation patterns and some molecular differences. Additional studies might lend further understanding into the etiology and clinical behavior of this tumor type. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Managing Medical Technology: Lessons for the United States from Quebec and France

Important modifications to technology assessment, diffusion, adoption, and utilization must take place if the United States is to better employ medical technology and save resources so as to assure access for the uninsured and underinsured. The United States can learn from other health systems that are more successful in achieving these goals. The author selects for comparison the health systems of France and Quebec. The discussion focuses on the differences between the three systems in the management of medical technology on a range of policy-relevant dimensions, including health system structure, attitudes about planning versus market competition, government regulation, the balance between decentralization and centralization, the needs of the individual and those of the society, linkages between technology assessment and policy-making, and the importance of medical technology assessment for medical practice. Seven specific recommendations are made for better managing medical technology in the United States, drawing on what can be observed from the experiences of Quebec and France.
Real indentation hardness of nano-polycrystalline cBN synthesized by direct conversion sintering under HPHT

Abstract The hardness characteristic of nano-polycrystalline cBN synthesized by direct conversion sintering was thoroughly investigated using Vickers and Knoop indenters. It was found that nano-polycrystals consisting of smaller cBN grains increase the elastic recovery of indentations during unloading of the indenters and the diagonal of Vickers indentations and the minor diagonal of Knoop indentations significantly decrease in length. Thus, if a Vickers indenter is used, the apparent hardness value increases, making it impossible to perform an accurate evaluation, e.g. incorrect Vickers hardness values in excess of 80 GPa were obtained from nano-polycrystalline cBN with a grain size of 50 nm or less. On the other hand, it was verified that a Knoop indenter ensures an accurate hardness evaluation even if the constituent grains are fine because its major diagonal length which is used for measurement is less susceptible to elastic recovery. In an accurate evaluation of the hardness of different types of nano-polycrystalline cBN using a Knoop indenter, the hardness of each type of cBN was around 45 GPa, and there was no clear Hall–Petch relationship between hardness and grain size without a slight bell-like correlation. These results suggest that reported hardness values higher than 80 GPa of similar nano-polycrystalline cBN evaluated using a Vickers indenter are incorrect values caused by elastic recovery occurring at the indentation.
Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Uptake and Release of Calcium by the Endoplasmic Reticulum

OVER the past decade the concept has been developed that Ca++ is a mediator of the so-called excitation-contraction coupling in muscle contraction and that the ‘calcium pump’ of the endoplasmic reticulum is responsible for relaxation1–6. According to this concept the electrical excitation of muscle membrane releases Ca++ from the endoplasmic reticulum and the released Ca++ in turn triggers myofibrils to contract. Relaxation then occurs when the released Ca++ is again taken up by the endoplasmic reticulum. However, as yet, no experimental evidence is available which directly supports the concept that following membrane excitation there is a release of Ca++. In this communication, experimental results are presented which provide direct evidence in support of the concept that electrical stimulation releases stored Ca++ from the endoplasmic reticulum and that the cessation of electrical stimulation is followed by re-uptake of Ca++ by this system.
Longitudinal course of obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients with anxiety disorders: a 15-year prospective follow-up study.

Abstract Background Although obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is typically described as a chronic condition, relatively little is known about the naturalistic, longitudinal course of the disorder. The purpose of the current study was to examine the probability of OCD remission and recurrence as well as to explore demographic and clinical predictors of remission. Methods This study uses data from the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Disorders Research Program, which is a prospective, naturalistic, longitudinal study of anxiety disorders. Diagnoses were established by means of a clinical interview at study intake. One hundred thirteen Harvard/Brown Anxiety Disorders Research Program participants with OCD were included in the study; all had a history of at least 1 other anxiety disorder. Assessments were conducted at 6-month and/or annual intervals during 15 years of follow-up. Results Survival analyses showed that the probability of OCD remission was .16 at year 1, .25 at year 5, .31 at year 10, and .42 at year 15. For those who remitted from OCD, the probability of recurrence was .07 at year 1, .15 by year 3, and by year 5, it reached .25 and remained at .25 through year 15. In predictors of course, those who were married and those without comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) were more likely to remit from OCD. By year 15, 51% of those without MDD remitted from OCD compared to only 20% of those with MDD. Conclusions In the short term, OCD appears to have a chronic course with low rates of remission. However, in the long term, a fair number of people recover from the disorder, and, for those who experience remission from OCD, the probability of recurrence is fairly low.
The art of stained glass: metaphor for the art of nursing

The art of stained glass: metaphor for the art of nursing The aesthetic is a way of knowing the meaning of and the meaning in the art of nursing. The art of creating stained glass offers a personal metaphor for nursing's essence; the art of caring. Both arts aim to fulfil the potential of their subjects to achieve a harmony that goes beyond their individual components. Stained glass artistry and caring in nursing require technical expertise, yet technical skill and knowledge are not the substance of either art. Both transcend space and time, and the art of stained glass and the art of nursing are influenced by the artist's/nurse's personal, social and cultural history. Just as die artisan transforms the glass and lead and is transformed in the creative moment, so does the caring transaction transform both patient and nurse. This personal reflection explores the nature of caring in nursing as mirrored by the author's work with stained glass.
Review of Recent Experiments in Light Baryon Spectroscopy

This paper reviews recent experimental results from CLAS, GRAAL, and Bonn. It also highlights recent work in extracting properties of N* resonances with the least model dependence. Finally, interesting progress in polarized targets is presented.
Innovation and learning during implementation: a comparison of user and manufacturer innovations

Abstract Implementation of a technology often requires solving complex problems. While the suppliers may expect these problems to occur, the users may be in a better position to both identify the exact nature of these problems and to solve them through their own innovations. In a detailed field-based study of the residential construction industry, I find that user-builders, rather than component manufacturers, are the developers of almost all of the innovations ( n = 34) researched in depth. Using their expertise, the users quickly created low-cost, unique solutions to problems that appeared on-site, which were equivalent in cost and value to later manufacturer products. User-builders were also the exclusive source of innovations that concerned the integration of components. Manufacturers commercialized few user innovations, and excluded those that involved the connection of components. The prevalence of the user innovations and the lack of manufacturer commercialization indicates a de facto design partnership between users and manufacturers. The complementarity of learning-by-doing and user innovation during implementation has implications for the planning and management of the technology development process.
SpeedTracer: a Web usage mining and analysis tool

SpeedTracer, a World Wide Web usage mining and analysis tool, was developed to understand user surfing behavior by exploring the Web server log files with data mining techniques. As the popularity of the Web has exploded, there is a strong desire to understand user surfing behavior. However, it is difficult to perform user-oriented data mining and analysis directly on the server log files because they tend to be ambiguous and incomplete. With innovative algorithms, SpeedTracer first identifies user sessions by reconstructing user traversal paths. It does not require “cookies” or user registration for session identification. User privacy is protected. Once user sessions are identified, data mining algorithms are then applied to discover the most common traversal paths and groups of pages frequently visited together. Important user browsing patterns are manifested through the frequent traversal paths and page groups, helping the understanding of user surfing behavior. Three types of reports are prepared: user-based reports, path-based reports and group-based reports. In this paper, we describe the design of SpeedTracer and demonstrate some of its features with a few sample reports.
Gender differences in pain

I n their Focus article, Drs. Fillingim and Maixner have reviewed data on gender differences in responsiveness to experimental noxious stimuli, interpreted those data as indicating that women are more sensitive to noxious stimuli than men, and proposed a model of how a range of biological and psychological factors might contribute to these gender-associated differences in pain sensitivity. The model is intriguing and is well grounded in the animal literature on sex differences in pain transmission and pain modulation systems. However, because the authors' stated motivation for assessing gender-related differences in pain responsiveness is that certain pain conditions (e.g., migraine headache, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorder pain) are more prevalent in women than in men, and that persons with these predominantly female pain conditions exhibit enhanced sensitivity to laboratory pain procedures, additional perspectives from clinical and epidemiologic pain research may be relevant. Specifically, this commentary will introduce an epidemiologic approach to the issue of gender differences in pain that may be useful for exploring alternative interpretations of the data presented and identifying strengths and weaknesses of the model proposed. Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of diseases or conditions in populations. '° The science of epidemiology is grounded in three important perspectives: the population perspective, the ecological perspective, and the developmental perspective. Elsewhere, we have presented an extensive discussion of the application of these perspectives to the study of pain: This article focuses 'more specifically on what these three perspectives have to offer in terms of
Three-dimensional swirling flows in a tall cylinder driven by a rotating endwall

The onset and nonlinear dynamics of swirling flows in relatively tall cylinders driven by the rotation of an endwall are studied numerically. These flows are distinguished from the more widely studied swirling flows in shorter cylinders; the instability in the taller cylinders is direct to three-dimensional flows rather than to unsteady axisymmetric flows. The simulations are in very good agreement with recent experiments in terms of the critical Reynolds number, frequency, and azimuthal wavenumber of the flows, but there is disagreement in the interpretation of these flows. We show that these flows are indeed rotating waves and that they have the same vorticity distributions as the flows measured using particle image velocimetry in the experiments. Identifying these as rotating waves gives a direct connection with prior linear stability analysis and the three-dimensional flows found in shorter cylinders as secondary instabilities leading to modulated rotating waves.
The Quest For ‘Economic Relevance’ by US Research Universities

Universities in the United States for at least the last century have made positive contributions to the economic weal, whether through their intrinsic mission of teaching and research or through special arrangements for service activities. In recent years there has been heightened awareness of the special role of academic research among policymakers at the state and federal levels and within universities themselves. Especially since 2000, explicit measures have been taken to enhance contributions of university research to economic development for the sake of national, local, or institutional gains. The aim of this paper is to identify and analyze this current trend and particularly how it has affected research universities. The term ‘economic relevance’ is used deliberately here to capture the multiple elements involved — university expertise, human capital formation, and direct participation in commercial markets — as well as their often indirect links to economic activity.
New 30-valent M protein-based vaccine evokes cross-opsonic antibodies against non-vaccine serotypes of group A streptococci.

Abstract Our previous studies have shown that recombinant multivalent vaccines containing amino-terminal M protein fragments from as many as 26 different serotypes of group A streptococci (GAS) evoked opsonic antibodies in animals and humans. In the present study, we constructed a new 30-valent vaccine containing M protein peptides from GAS serotypes prevalent in North America and Europe. The vaccine was immunogenic in rabbits and evoked bactericidal antibodies against all 30 vaccine serotypes of GAS. In addition, the vaccine antisera also contained significant levels of bactericidal antibodies against 24 of 40 non-vaccine serotypes of GAS. These results indicate that the potential efficacy of the new multivalent vaccine may be greater than predicted based on the “type-specific” M peptides represented.
Sea ice optical properties in the Bohai Sea measured by MODIS-Aqua

During the winter in later 2009 and early 2010, the Bohai Sea experienced its worst sea ice event in four decades. Sea ice optical properties are derived from MODIS-Aqua measurements using the SWIR atmospheric correction algorithm. The radiance feature of the sea ice in the Bohai Sea shows a strong dependence on ice types. For months of December, January, and February during the winter of 2009-2010, the average sea ice albedo in the Bohai Sea reached about 9.3%, 13.4%, and 12.6%, respectively. A regional sea ice detection algorithm has been developed for monitoring sea ice in the Bohai Sea. During the 2009- 2010 winter, the sea ice covered about 5427, 27414, and 21156 km 2 for the three winter months, while average values of sea ice coverage between 2002-2010 are about 2735, 11119, and 10287 km 2 , respectively. Anomalously large sea ice event in the Bohai Sea during 2009-2010 winter is attributed to the dominance of a high air pressure system in the northern China and widespread air temperature drops in January and early February of 2010.
Variations in the heme oxygenase-1 microsatellite polymorphism are associated with plasma CD14 and viral load in HIV-infected African-Americans

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an anti-inflammatory enzyme that maintains homeostasis during cellular stress. Given previous findings that shorter length variants of a HO-1 promoter region GT(n) microsatellite polymorphism are associated with increased HO-1 expression in cell lines, we hypothesized that shorter variants would also be associated with increased levels of HO-1 expression, less inflammation and lower levels of inflammation-associated viral replication in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects. Healthy donors (n = 20) with shorter GT(n) repeats had higher HO-1 mRNA transcript in peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (r = -0.38, P = 0.05). The presence of fewer GT(n) repeats in subjects with untreated HIV disease was associated with higher HO-1 mRNA levels in peripheral blood (r = -0.41, P = 0.02); similar observations were made in CD14(+) monocytes from antiretroviral-treated subjects (r = -0.36, P = 0.04). In African-Americans, but not Caucasians, greater GT(n) repeats were correlated with higher soluble CD14 levels during highly active antiretroviral therapy (r = 0.38, P = 0.007) as well as higher mean viral load off-therapy (r = 0.24, P = 0.04). These data demonstrate that the HO-1 GT(n) microsatellite polymorphism is associated with higher levels of HO-1 expression and that this pathway may have important effects on the association between inflammation and HIV replication.
Renal disease in the elderly: the role of the renal biopsy.

The causes of renal disease in the young and the elderly vary in their frequency. There are many indications for renal biopsy in older patients, with the nephrotic syndrome (NS) being the most common, followed by acute renal failure. Biopsy does not carry a greater risk for older patients, but there is a greater risk of complications when there is coexistent renal insufficiency. Interpretation of the renal biopsy in elderly patients may be more complex because of changes associated with aging or intercurrent disease—arteriolar sclerosis and global sclerosis. A prospective study is needed to determine the exact prevalence of renal insufficiency, NS, and other renal diseases in noninstitutionalized elderly individuals and to determine the role of renal biopsy in making these determinations.
Effect of hypercapnic acidemia on anisotropic propagation in the canine ventricle.

BACKGROUNDImpulse propagation in the ventricle depends on both sodium channel availability and cell-to-cell coupling through gap junctions. Sodium channel block has been shown to depress conduction velocity (theta) more longitudinal (LONG) to than transverse (TRANS) to fiber orientation. Because exposure to CO2 produces intracellular acidosis and decreased gap junction conductance in vitro, we tested the hypothesis that increased PCO2 would result in preferential depression of transverse conduction in vivo.METHODS AND RESULTSIn anesthetized dogs, when atrial pH was reduced to 6.70 +/- 0.04 by increasing the fraction of inhaled CO2 to 40%, theta TRANS fell from 0.23 +/- 0.04 to 0.19 +/- 0.02 m/s (-16 +/- 8%, P < .03), while theta LONG was unchanged (-3 +/- 7%, P = NS). In contrast, with the same degree of acidemia produced by HCl infusion, only theta LONG fell (-8 +/- 7%), coincident with a rise in serum K+.CONCLUSIONSThe observed effect of CO2 on propagation in the intact heart is consistent with its prev...
The tumour suppressor gene maspin is differentially regulated in cytotrophoblasts during human placental development.

Abstract Identification of factors that play a role in regulating the highly invasive ability of human placental cells throughout gestation will contribute to a better understanding of this unique developmental process. The aims of this study were to determine whether the tumour suppressor gene maspin is present in the human placenta and plays a putative role in the regulation of cytotrophoblast invasion during placental development. The data showed that the expression of maspin mRNA was maximum in term placentae compared to the first and second trimester tissues, and absent in the HTR-SVneo (immortalized extravillous cytotrophoblast), JEG-3 and JAR (choriocarcinoma) cell lines. Maspin protein, detected by Western blot analysis, was twofold higher in the second trimester and 4.4-fold higher in the third trimester compared to the first trimester. Maspin immunohistochemical staining was localized in cytotrophoblasts with increased and more diffuse staining in the second and third trimesters. Corresponding to the period of maximum maspin expression, cytotrophoblasts isolated from term placentae had significantly lower invasive ability as compared to first and second trimester cytotrophoblasts ( P 0.03). Further, addition of recombinant maspin significantly decreased cytotrophoblast invasion in vitro by 40–50 per cent in all three trimesters of gestation. This study provides the first evidence of the temporal expression of maspin during human gestation and suggests a putative role for maspin in regulating the invasive activity of cytotrophoblasts at term. The down-regulation of maspin expression may be critical at the time of implantation and early placental development, whereas upregulation of maspin may serve as a signal for the end of cytotrophoblast invasion and gestation.
Biogenic emissions of CO2 and N2O at multiple depths increase exponentially during a simulated soil thaw for a northern prairie Mollisol

Abstract The fate of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) belowground is important to current and future climate models as soils warm in northern latitudes. Currently, little is known about the sensitivity of microbial respiration to temperature changes at depths below 15 cm. We used whole-core (7.6 cm dia. × 90 cm) laboratory incubations to determine if temperature response quotients ( Q 10 ) for CO 2 and N 2 O varied with depth for undisturbed prairie while plants were senescent and clipped at the surface. We collected intact soil cores from an undisturbed prairie in central North Dakota and uniformly subjected them to freezing (5 to −15 °C) and thawing (−15 to 5 °C). We measured rates of CO 2 and N 2 O emissions at 5 °C temperature increments at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 cm depths. During freezing, active and sterilized core emissions occurred only between 0 and −10 °C. During thawing, a simple first-order exponential model, E = αe βT , fit observed CO 2 and N 2 O emissions ( R 2 = 0.91 and 0.99, respectively). Parameter estimates for β were not significantly different across depths for CO 2 and for N 2 O ( Q 10 = 4.8 and 13.7, respectively). Parameter estimates for α (emissions when temperature is 0 °C) exponentially declined with depth for both gases for similar depth-response curves. Stepwise regressions of soil properties on α parameter estimates indicated emissions of CO 2 and N 2 O at 0 °C during thawing were positively correlated ( R 2 > 0.6) with soil porosity. Results indicate pedogenic properties associated with depth may not necessarily influence temperature response curves during thawing but will affect emissions at 0 °C for both CO 2 and N 2 O.
Atrial fibrosis helps select the appropriate patient and strategy in catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: a DE-MRI guided approach.

MRI for AF Patient Selection and Ablation Approach. Introduction: Left atrial (LA) fibrosis and ablation related scarring are major predictors of success in rhythm control of atrial fibrillation (AF). We used delayed enhancement MRI (DE-MRI) to stratify AF patients based on pre-ablation fibrosis and also to evaluate ablation-induced scarring in order to identify predictors of a successful ablation. Methods and Results: One hundred and forty-four patients were staged by percent of fibrosis quantified with DE-MRI, relative to the LA wall volume: minimal or Utah stage 1; 35%. All patients underwent pulmonary vein (PV) isolation and posterior wall and septal debulking. Overall, LA scarring was quantified and PV antra were evaluated for circumferential scarring 3 months post ablation. LA scarring post ablation was comparable across the 4 stages. Most patients had either no (36.8%) or 1 PV (32.6%) antrum circumferentially scarred. Forty-two patients (29%) had recurrent AF over 283 ± 167 days. No recurrences were noted in Utah stage 1. Recurrence was 28% in Utah stage 2, 35% in Utah stage 3, and 56% in Utah stage 4. Recurrence was predicted by circumferential PV scarring in Utah stage 2 and by overall LA wall scarring in Utah stage 3. No recurrence predictors were identified in Utah stage 4. Conclusions: Circumferential PV antral scarring predicts ablation success in mild LA fibrosis, while posterior wall and septal scarring isneeded for moderatefibrosis. This may help select theproper candidate and strategy in catheter ablation of AF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 16-22, January 2011) atrial fibrillation, atrial remodeling, catheter ablation, magnetic resonance imaging
Naturalism, actualism, and ontology

Dans le cadre du dossier de la revue «Philosophical perspectives» (12, 1998, pp. 489-509) consacre au naturalisme et a l'actualisme, l'A. critique a la fois la these actualiste selon laquelle il n'existe aucun objet qui n'existe pas actuellement, et la these naturaliste selon laquelle tout ce qui existe appartient a une description scientifique du monde. Developpant un exemple deontique, l'A. etudie les quatre strategies possibles en reponse aux conditionnelles materielles, quantifiees et universelles qui constituent un obstacle a l'actualisme: celle des conditionnelles strictes, des conditionnelles nomiques, des lois souples et des contrefactuels. L'A. interroge egalement les reponses naturalistes de M. Devitt, T. Horgan
Development of a scale to measure individuals’ ratings of peace

Background: The evolving concept of peace-building and the interplay between peace and health is examined in many venues, including at the World Health Assembly. However, without a metric to determine effectiveness of intervention programs all efforts are prone to subjective assessment. This paper develops a psychometric index that lays the foundation for measuring community peace stemming from intervention programs. Methods: After developing a working definition of ‘peace’ and delineating a Peace Evaluation Across Cultures and Environments (PEACE) scale with seven constructs comprised of 71 items, a beta version of the index was pilot-tested. Two hundred and fifty subjects in three sites in the U.S. wer es tudied using af ive-pointLikert scale to evaluate the psychometric functioning of the PEACE scale. Known groups validation was performed using the SOS-10. In addition, test-retest reliability was performed on 20 subjects. Results: The preliminary data demonstrated that the scale has acceptable psychometric properties for measuring an individual’s level of peacefulness. The study also provides reliability and validity data for the scale. The data demonstrated internal consistency, correlation between data and psychological well-being, and test-retest reliability. Conclusions: The PEACE scale may serve as a novel assessment tool in the health sector and be valuable in monitoring and evaluating the peace-building impact of health initiatives in conflict-affected regions.
Younger Dryas environments and human adaptations on the West Coast of the United States and Baja California

On the Pacific Coast of the United States and Baja California, the Younger Dryas was one component of dynamic Late Pleistocene and Holocene environmental changes. Changing climate, sea level rise, and shifting shorelines created ecological challenges for ancient coastal peoples and daunting challenges for archaeologists searching for early coastal sites. This paper reviews the evidence for ecological change in this ‘West Coast’ region, including shoreline changes that may have submerged or destroyed archaeological sites from this time period. Examining the regional record of human occupation dating to the Younger Dryas, well-dated coastal sites are limited to California’s Northern Channel Islands and Isla Cedros off Baja California. A small number of fluted points found in coastal areas may also date to the Younger Dryas, but their context and chronology is not well defined. Review of the implications of these two data sets considers whether the early but discontinuous Younger Dryas archaeological record from the West Coast might result from a migration of maritime peoples from Northeast Asia into the Americas.
The (pro)renin receptor and body fluid homeostasis

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has long been established as one of the major mechanisms of hypertension through the increased levels of angiotensin (ANG) II and its resulting effect on the sympathetic nerve activity, arterial vasoconstriction, water reabsorption, and retention, etc. In the central nervous system, RAS activation affects body fluid homeostasis through increases in sympathetic nerve activity, water intake, food intake, and arginine vasopressin secretion. Previous studies, however, have shown that ANG II can be made in the brain, and it could possibly be through a new component called the (pro)renin receptor. This review intends to summarize the central and peripheral effects of the PRR on body fluid homeostasis.
Implementing Sustainable Development through Problem-Based Learning: Pedagogy and Practice

This paper presents an approach for implementing sustainability within a university environment, and for helping students become more effective problem solvers and professionals. In a ''Sustainable Urban Development'' course, taught by the writer, students develop projects to make their campus and community more sustainable. In the process, students learn how to analyze sustainability, work with decision makers, and put classroom knowledge into practice. Further, through this course's emphasis on problem-based learning, students acquire critical cognitive skills and professional skills as they tackle complex, interdisciplinary, and real-world problems. Systematic evaluations of the course offer useful lessons. One is how to create synergies. For instance, while students benefited from hands-on experience with sustainability, the university benefited from students' work. Another is how to demonstrate and quantify benefits from sustainability, which is vital to gaining support. Yet another is how to enable students to learn from both successful and unsuccessful attempts to implement ideas. Courses such as this can create important bridges between theory and application, and between education and professional practice.
Work in progress - spreadsheet implementation programming project course

Development of a course and textbook focusing on implementation of a spreadsheet program is proposed. The semester-long course will be suitable as a senior elective or graduate course for students with a background in C programming, Unix, and data structures. It will bring together aspects of compiler construction, parser design using Flex and Bison, parse trees, linked lists, function tables, function callbacks, symbol tables, and functional programming. The emphasis will be on the computational internals, so the spreadsheet will operate in ldquobatchrdquo mode, with simple text output, and a separate backend processor will be used to create a web-based GUI.
The Global Turn Lessons From Southern Labor Scholars and Their Labor Movements

For too long U.S. labor sociology has been reluctant to explore the world. By taking a global turn, we have much to learn from labor scholars and labor movements in the Global South—much to learn about our own peculiarities, about the possibilities and obstacles to building links across national boundaries, and about the implications of “globalization” for both labor organizing and labor studies. In particular, the public turn taken by scholars in the Global South toward their own labor movements holds lessons for a collaboration that is always fraught from both sides. These are just some of the issues raised by the essays in this issue that examine the history of labor sociologies and labor movements in Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and South Korea.
National factor effects on firm competitiveness and innovation

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to investigate how national-level characteristics such as country wealth, a floating exchange rate and European Union (EU) membership influence firm-level perceptions of competition and firm-level innovation. Greater understanding of these relationships can promote more effective policymaking as well as add to the existing academic conversation regarding national factors and firm competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach – The authors’ data consist of a panel of 27 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia from 2002 to 2009 with a total of nearly 27,000 firms from the World Bank Enterprise Survey. The authors utilize a multinomial logistic regression to estimate firm-level perceptions of both domestic and foreign competition upon decisions to introduce new products and manage new product costs. The authors then estimate the probability of innovation (introduction of a new product/service, obtaining international quality certification) using a logi...
Cooperation, association, and contest:

Contest in sport occurs when at least two units (individuals or teams) compete under specific rules and agreements, for superiority in a nonrepresentative skill or strategy. The competitors are defined as equal at the beginning of the contest, and unequal at the end: one is the winner or gets the higher rank. In regard to the reward, which can be set by an outside party or organization as well as by the opponents themselves, a sport contest is a zero-sum game-what one side wins, the other loses. The reward ranges from a very low payoff in the form of recognition in a play group to a high payoff, e.g., prestige, or money in professional sports. At this point I do not want to open up a conceptual discussion whether a sport contest should be regarded as conflict or competition. While a broad conception of conflict would also include a sport contest, on a more limited basis one might point to the fact that a sport contest has a highly regulated formal structure, an agreed-upon outcome within a mutually accepted order, whereas this is not necessarily so in other forms of conflict (cf. Coser, 1956). A legal conflict or a war is by and large final after a settlement, whereas a sport contest settles a rivalry or championship only for a certain period of time; it is in a way