cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human alveolar bone cells interact with ProRoot and tooth-colored MTA.

Abstract The cellular response to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is important for the repair and regeneration of periradicular tissues. The purpose of this study was to analyze the response of human alveolar bone cells to MTA. A human alveolar bone chip was obtained from an oral surgical procedure and explant cultures harvested after 3 to 4 weeks of outgrowth in α-minimum essential medium supplemented with fetal calf serum. Cells in early passage were seeded onto preset ProRoot (gray) MTA, tooth-colored (white) MTA, and MTA prepared with local anesthetic solution. Scanning electron microscopy showed cells were attached and spread out onto MTA within 24 hours, and proliferated to form a matrix-like layer within 7 days. Cell attachment and cell-surface interactions with the gray and white MTA, and with the MTA prepared with local anesthetic were comparably propagated for 14 days. The surgically derived human alveolar bone cells provided a clinically relevant model that demonstrated the capacity of both ProRoot and tooth-colored MTA to support cell attachment, proliferation, and matrix formation.
Task-Induced Fatigue and Collisions in Adult Drivers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective. This study compares collision involvement between adult drivers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and control participants in a simulation experiment designed to enhance the effects of fatigue. Because the effects of ADHD include difficulties in maintaining attention, drivers with ADHD were hypothesized to be more susceptible to the effects of fatigue while driving. Methods. Data are drawn from a validated driving simulation study, portions of which were focused on enhancing the effects of fatigue. The simulator data are supplemented with written questionnaire data. Drivers with ADHD were compared with controls. Results. The self-report data indicated that drivers with ADHD were more likely to report having been involved in an accident within the previous five years. Simulation data showed that time of day of participation in the experiment were significantly related to likelihood of collision, and that these effects were further exacerbated by ADHD status. Participants with ...
Effects of Deformation-Induced Constraint on High-Cycle Fatigue in Ti Alloys with a Duplex Microstructure

The effects of the deformation behaviors of individual phases in Ti alloys with a duplex microstructure containing a mixture of primary α grains and lamellar α + β colonies have been analyzed by applying the finite-element method (FEM) to the relevant microstructure. The softer primary α grains and the harder lamellar α + β colonies are treated as distinct microstructural units with different constitutive properties. The FEM results indicate that the softer (primary α) phase, which reaches yielding first, tends to concentrate both the plastic strain and the hydrostatic stress, whose magnitudes depend on the volume fraction of the primary α grains and the load levels. The insight from the FEM analyses has been used to modify the linear relation between alternating stress and mean stress in a Haigh or modified Goodman diagram by incorporating a microstructure-induced hydrostatic stress term, leading to a set of bilinear relations for high-cycle fatigue (HCF) failures of Ti alloys with a duplex microstructure. The applicability of the micromechanical approach to treating the mean stress effects in HCF failure of Ti-6Al-4V with various duplex microstructures is elucidated by comparison against experimental data in the literature.
Competition and recency in a hybrid network model of syntactic disambiguation

The competitive attachment model of human parsing is a hybrid connectionist architecture consisting of a distributed feature passing method for establishing syntactic relations within the network, and a numeric competition mechanism for resolving ambiguities, which applies to all syntactic relations. Because the approach employs a uniform mechanism for establishing syntactic relations, and a single competition mechanism for disambiguation, the model can capture general behaviors of the human parser that hold across a range of syntactic constructions. In particular, attachment and binding relations are similarly processed and are therefore subject to the very same influences of disambuguation and processing over time. An important influence on the competitive disambiguation process is distance within the network. Decay of numeric activation, along with distributed feature passing through the network structure, has an unavoidable effect on the outcome of attachment and binding competitions. Inherent properties of the model thus lead to a principled explanation of recency effects in the human parsing of both attachment and filler/gap ambiguities.
Evaluation of donor corneal endothelial viability with the vital stains rose bengal and evans blue.

Two vital staining techniques, one employing rose bengal and the other Evans blue, are proposed for clinical assessment of donor corneal endothelial viability prior to keratoplasty. Both dyes selectively stained devitalized endothelial cells. Corneal perfusion studies after staining demonstrated that both stains are nontoxic to functioning endothelial cells. These staining techniques provide simple, accurate, and safe methods for evaluation donor tissue prior to corneal grafting.
Morbidity and Management conference: An approach to quality improvement in brain injury rehabilitation

BACKGROUND: Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement (QI) are an ongoing focus of all brain injury rehabilitation programs, but it is difficult to consistently include the entire rehabilitation team in QI activities and to focus on issues that cross the continuum of care. In addition, recent reports have provided a renewed emphasis on reduction of medical errors and improving the overall quality of care for individuals with chronic conditions. Rehabilitation Medicine has a long history of working as a coordinated multidisciplinary team caring for complex patients with chronic conditions and is in a position to be a leader in QI activities. DESIGN: We have modified the traditional Morbidity and Mortality conference to include a multidisciplinary case discussion to identify system issues with quality of care. SETTING: This is completed in a nonpunitive format that does not assign individual blame. CONCLUSION: This Rehabilitation Morbidity and Management Conference is an important addition to the QI activities of our program.
Do multiple object tracking and letter identification use the same visual attention resource

Humans can track 3–5 independently moving objects among identical moving distractors (multiple object tracking). This has been taken as a demonstration of simultaneous parallel attention. Does this distributed attention facilitate letter identification, or do tracking and letter identification employ separate attentional resources? Eight participants tracked 2, 3, or 4 out of 8 disks for 5–10 seconds. Two trial types were randomly intermixed. On tracking probe trials, one disk turned white and participants made a 2AFC target-distractor discrimination. On letter probe trials, preand post-masked letters were flashed on one target and three distractors locations for 80 ms. Participants made a 13AFC decision about the letter presented on the target disk (possible letters: ABCDEHLNSTXYZ). Tracking accuracy was good: .92, .88, and .82 for 2, 3, and 4 targets, respectively. Letter accuracy was .69, .55 and .45. We used data from 2-target trials to predict letter accuracy for 3 and 4 targets using two models. The separate resource model assumes that not all tracked objects are attended but any letter flashed on an attended object is perfectly identified. Conversely, the unlimited unified resource model assumes that all tracked objects are attended but that letters flashed on attended objects are not perfectly identified. The separate model estimated 1.3 items simultaneously attended, predicting letter identification accuracy of .48 (3 targets) and .38 (4 targets), significantly underpredicting performance. The unified model estimated letter identification accuracy for letters on attended targets to be .71, predicting letter identification accuracy of .65 (3 targets) and .62. (4 targets), significantly overpredicting performance. The best explanation for the data is an (admittedly ad hoc) limited capacity unified resource model in which all tracked items are attended but the probability of identifying a letter on a tracked object declines as the number of tracked items increases.
Analyte matrix excitation investigations in the high-voltage spark discharge using an echelle/CCD system

The matrix dependence of analyte excitation in the high-voltage spark discharge has been investigated. The analyte excitation distributions of Fe(I), Mo(I), and Cu(I) have been measured. The large wavelength range of a custom echelle/CCD system was exploited for these determinations. The analyte excitation within the high-voltage spark on a time-integrated basis was determined to be independent of both sample matrix and sampled species.
5-Endo-Dig Electrophilic Cyclization of α-Alkynyl Carbonyl Compounds: Synthesis of Novel Bicyclic 5-Iodo- and 5-Bromofuranopyrimidine Nucleosides

5-Endo-dig electrophilic cyclization of 5-alkynyl-2‘-deoxyuridines with N-iodosuccinimide or N-bromosuccinimide in acetone at room temperature gives 3-(2‘-deoxy-β-d-ribofuranosyl)-5-halo-2,3-dihydrofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-ones that usually precipitate from the reaction mixture (86−74%).
Selective Separation of Praseodymium(III) by Di-(2-Ethylhexyl) Phosphoric Acid Using the Complexing Agent

It is a main problem that environment can be polluted by discharge of wastewater containing NH4+, Ca2+ and Na+, when rare earths (REs) are extracted in a saponiﬁed system using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA). Pointing to this problem, the selective separation of Pr(Ⅲ) by liquid–liquid extraction using D2EHPA in the presence of a complexing agent of lactic acid (LA) has been studied. Results are shown that the maximum of separation factor (β) between Pr/Ce is 2.04 and extraction selectivity is also enhanced when compared with that of D2EHPA–HCl system. The thermodynamic function △H is determined as exothermically driven. The cation exchange mechanism is discussed by IR spectra. Thus, the results suggest that highly selective separation and extraction of Pr(Ⅲ) from a Pr/Ce solution is possible, providing a simple and environment-friendly complexing method for extraction-separation rare earths, and promoting the sustainable development in rare earths practices.of Pr(Ⅲ) from a Pr/Ce solution is possible, providing a simple and environment-friendly complexing method for extraction-separation rare earths, and promoting the sustainable development in rare earths practices.
Aesthetic preference and lateral dominance.

Summary.-Aesthetic references For photographs with the main focal content either to the left or right of the photograph's center were examined in right- and lefthanded subjects. Verbal responses or manual responses were required. In one experiment with 261 introductory psychology student-subjects, left-handers more often preferred photographs with the more important part on the left ("left-geared") than did right-handers. Exp. 2, involving 84 right-handed student subjects, showed that left-geared photographs presented on the left side were preferred more often than leftgeared photographs presented on the right side, and left-geared photographs presented on the left side were more often chosen when a left-handed manual response was required. Interactions between handedness, position of the stimulus, language hemisphere, and response mode make it extremely difficult to ascertain whether the right hemisphere is really more involved in aesthetic decisions. Several studies have examined the relationship between lateral organization and aesthetic preference. Nelson and MacDonald (1971) confirmed the observations of Woelfflin (1932; cited by Nelson & MacDonald, 1971) and Gaffron (1950) that lateral organization is important for aesthetic appreciation. However, studies have yielded some conflicting results which may be related to the type of response requirement (verbal or manual). Most right-handers are left-hemisphere speech dominant, while some left-handers are right-hemisphere speech dominant or have bilateral speech localization (Bryden, 1987). Regardless of handedness, the right hemisphere tends in most individuals to be superior in visual-spatial information processing. These differences in localization may well interact with differential priming of the hemispheres (Brody, 1987) by a verbal or manual response requirement to determine aesthetic preference. Using verbal responses, Swartz and Hewitt (1970) found that righthanders preferred paintings with the main focal content to the right of center ("right-geared"), which could indicate left-hemisphere dominance, significantly more often than left-handers. Using split-brain subjects and chimeric faces, Levy, Trevarthen, and Sperry (1972) reported that the righthanders in their experiment chose stimuli in the right visual field (left hemisphere) when a verbal response was required, but "switched sharply" (p. 72) to stirnull In the left visual field (right hemisphere) when no language was required. According to Gaffron (1950), the well-known speech dominance of the left hemisphere in normal right-handers is shown by "simple experiments
Obstructive Lung Diseases: COPD, Asthma, and Many Imitators

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disorder that occurs in 10% to 15% of people who smoke, an estimated 16 million Americans. Asthma is also common. Spirometry is generally used to detect early COPD in smokers and to evaluate patients with respiratory symptoms. Although COPD and asthma account for most obstructive lung diseases, a broad spectrum of other disorders, including bronchiectasis, upper airway lesions, bronchiolar diseases, and some interstitial lung diseases, are associated with airflow obstruction. These less common forms of obstructive lung diseases are often misdiagnosed because of their uncommon occurrence and poor recognition. We describe the heterogeneous spectrum of disorders that can present with evidence of airflow obstruction and outline a diagnostic approach to obstructive lung disease.
Sensor-based motion planning in three dimensions for a highly redundant snake robot

A strategy is described for real-time motion planning for a highly redundant snake-like robot manipulator operating in a three-dimensional (3D) environment filled with unknown obstacles of arbitrary shape. The robot consists of many (say 30 or 50) links serially connected by universal joints (such a joint allows a 3D rotation of one link relative to the other). The robot's sensors allow it to sense objects in the vicinity of any points of its body. The task is to move the robot's tip point (its head) from its starting position to a specified target position, collision-free for the whole robot's body. To achieve the efficiency necessary for real-time computation, an iterative procedure is proposed which makes use of a unit motion for a single link based on the tractrix curve. This choice also results in automatically achieving a motion that is 'natural' (in that the joint displacements tend to 'die out' in the direction from head to tail) as well as locally optimal.
Patterns and determinants of public shelter utilization among homeless adults in New York City and Philadelphia

Administrative data on public shelter utilization among homeless adults from New York City (1987–1994) and Philadelphia (1991–1994) are analyzed to identify the relative proportion of shelter users by length of stay and rate of readmission, and to identify the characteristics that predict an exit from shelter. Survival analyses reveal that half of adult shelter users will stay fewer than 45 days over a two-year period (combined stays), and that approximately one half of men and one third of women will experience a readmission within two years of the first admission. Results also document the size and relative resource consumption of a long-term sheltered population, finding that 18.2 percent of New York shelter users stay 180 days or more in their first year, consuming 53.4 percent of the system days for first-time shelter users. Discrete-time logistic hazard regression analyses reveal that, in general, being older, of black race, having a substance abuse or mental health problem, or having a physical disability, significantly reduces the likelihood of exiting shelter. In both cities, people entering shelter in later years are staying longer, although individuals have shorter episodes on subsequent admissions. The implications of this study for the analysis and management of emergency shelter system utilization are discussed.
Peer Victimization and Academic Adjustment Among Early Adolescents: Moderation by Gender and Mediation by Perceived Classmate Support

BACKGROUND: This study examined the moderating role of gender and the mediating role of perceived peer support in the association between peer victimization and academic adjustment. METHODS: Data were obtained from adolescents in grades 7 and 8 in the US 2005/2006 Health Behavior in School-aged Children study (N = 3436; mean age = 13.6 years). RESULTS: The magnitude of correlation between victimization and academic adjustment was −.155 for males and −.337 for females. After controlling for the socio-demographic variables, victimization had a significantly stronger influence on academic adjustment in females than in males. For both genders, perceived classmate support was negatively associated with peer victimization and positively associated with academic adjustment. Classmate support mediated the association between victimization and academic adjustment in males and was a partial mediator for females. CONCLUSION: These results provide support for efforts reducing victimization of female adolescents and fostering peer support in the school setting.
Androgen receptor-associated protein complex binds upstream of the androgen-responsive elements in the promoters of human prostate-specific antigen and kallikrein 2 genes

An increasing number of proteins which bind to hormone-dependent nuclear receptors and mediate their effects on gene expression are being identified. The human prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and kallikrein 2 (KLK2) genes are regulated by the androgen receptor (AR). Using electrophoresis mobility shift assays (EMSA), a common nuclear protein(s) which binds upstream of the androgen-responsive elements (AREs) in the PSA and KLK2 promoters was identified. Binding occurred between bp -539 and -399 and bp -349 and -224 in the PSA and KLK2 promoters respectively, which were shown previously to be necessary for AR-mediated transactivation. Glutathione S-transferase (GST)-AR fusion proteins were constructed to determine whether the AR interacted directly with this protein or protein complex. Specific interactions were observed with AR fusion proteins containing the DNA binding domain. EMSA supershift experiments and GST-AR pull-down experiments followed by Western blotting identified a Fos-related protein(s) of approximately 40 kDa as part of this complex. Competition experiments with a double-stranded oligonucleotide containing an AP-1 binding site demonstrated that DNA binding was not mediated by AP-1. These results indicate that a Fos-containing protein complex distinct from AP-1 binds upstream of the AREs in the PSA and KLK2 promoters, interacts with the AR and may participate in regulation of these two androgen-responsive genes.
Microarray analysis of somatostatin receptor 5-regulated gene expression profiles in murine pancreas.

Background We previously demonstrated that somatostatin receptor type 5 (SSTR5) gene ablation results in alterations in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism, accompanied by morphologic alterations in the islets of Langerhans. The underlying mechanism(s) by which SSTR5 exerts its cellular functions remain(s) unknown. We hypothesized that SSTR5 mediates the inhibitory effect of somatostatin (SST) on insulin secretion and islet proliferation by regulating a specific set of pancreatic genes.
‘Chasing the Elusive Pill’: YMCA Men, the Paris Baseball League and Making Baseball French, 1919–1925

American Baseball was introduced in France in the late nineteenth century, to little appeal. During the First World War, American soldiers immediately began playing the sport for recreation in France, but it was YMCA men in the new Foyers du Soldat, rest and relaxation huts, who truly re-introduced baseball to the French. After the war, Americans in Paris created an amateur league that perpetuated baseball, but the sport still did not resonate with but a minority ofthe French, despite great efforts. It was only in 1924, in the wake of the Olympics, that the French took organisational control of baseball, winning government recognition and establishing firm roots for the sport by making baseball nominally French.
Retinal transplantation of neural progenitor cells derived from the brain of GFP transgenic mice.

Abstract Neural progenitor cells isolated from the brains of neonatal GFP transgenic mice were grafted to the retina of RCS rats and rds and B6 mice. Expression of GFP and differentiation markers was evaluated at 1–4 weeks post-transplantation. Grafted cells maintained transgene expression throughout the 4-week period. At 1 week there was widespread migration of GFP + cells within the host retina and at 2 weeks evidence of neuronal differentiation (as shown by both marker expression and cell morphology), although integration at 4 weeks was limited to syngeneic recipients. Because brain-derived neural progenitor cells exhibit both neuronal and astrocytic differentiation in diseased and normal host retina, these cells provide a useful tool for studies of retinal regeneration.
Early mortality in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: We systematically reviewed observational studies of early mortality post-antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in Asia Africa and Central and South America as defined by the World Bank to summarize what is known. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Studies published in English between January 1996 and December 2010 were searched in Medline and EMBASE. Three independent reviewers examined studies of mortality within one year post-ART. An article was included if the study was conducted in a LMIC participants were initiating ART in a non-clinical trial setting and were >/=15 years. Fifty studies were included; 38 (76%) from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) 5 (10%) from Asia 2 (4%) from the Americas and 5 (10%) were multi-regional. Median follow-up time and pre-ART CD4 cell count ranged from 3-55 months and 11-192 cells/mm(3) respectively. Loss-to-follow-up reported in 40 (80%) studies ranged from 0.3%-27%. Overall SSA had the highest pooled 12-month mortality probability of 0.17 (95% CI 0.11-0.24) versus 0.11 (95% CI 0.10-0.13) for Asia and 0.07 (95% CI 0.007-0.20) for the Americas. Of 14 (28%) studies reporting cause-specific mortality tuberculosis (TB) (5%-44%) wasting (5%-53%) advanced HIV (20%-37%) and chronic diarrhea (10%-25%) were most common. Independent factors associated with early mortality in 30 (60%) studies included: low baseline CD4 cell count male sex advanced World Health Organization clinical stage low body mass index anemia age greater than 40 years and pre-ART quantitative HIV RNA. CONCLUSIONS: Significant heterogeneity in outcomes and in methods of reporting outcomes exist among published studies evaluating mortality in the first year after ART initiation in LMIC. Early mortality rates are highest in SSA and opportunistic illnesses such as TB and wasting syndrome are the most common reported causes of death. Strategies addressing modifiable risk factors associated with early death are urgently needed.
The U.S. use of military intervention to promote democracy: Evaluating the record

Given the foreign policy priority that the Clinton administration has placed on the “enlargement” of the democratic community, a relevant question is whether military intervention is an effective instrument for achieving such a purpose. This research explores the impact of American interventions since 1945 on the political systems of the targets. What happens when U.S. presidents pursue “pro‐liberalization policies” through military interventions? Merging several inventories of interventionary actions, we examine what sorts of interventions are associated with liberal changes in the nature of the targets’ political regimes.
Eta Model storm-relative winds associated with tornadic and nontornadic supercells

Abstract A conceptual model for sustained low-level mesocyclones is tested as a tornado forecast tool with observations and forecasts from the operational Eta Model. In the conceptual model, a balance between low-level storm inflow and outflow allows the development of a persistent low-level mesocyclone along the rear flank of a supercell thunderstorm, owing largely to the strength of the midlevel storm-relative winds. The present work draws on this conceptual model to identify preferred ranges of low- (model surface level), middle- (500 mb), and upper-level (250-mb) storm-relative wind speeds for 131 supercells, from gridded Eta Model fields. The observations reveal that the 500-mb storm-relative wind speed has a distinct lower bound of approximately 8 m s−1 for the tornadic supercells, while differences between surface-level and 250-mb storm-relative wind speeds for tornadic and nontornadic supercells are much less pronounced. The storm-relative wind speeds are also compared to the bulk Richardson numbe...
Biomechanical comparison of a proximal humeral locking plate using two methods of head fixation

Hypothesis Locking plates have emerged as the implant of choice for stabilization of proximal humeral fractures. The biomechanical properties of a locked plating system using smooth pegs vs threaded screws for fixation of the humeral head were compared to test the hypothesis that there would be no biomechanical difference between pegs and threaded screws. Materials and methods Sixteen pairs of fresh frozen cadaveric humeri were randomized to have a surgical neck gap osteotomy stabilized with a locked plate using threaded screws (n = 8) or smooth pegs (n = 8). The intact contralateral humerus served as a control. Each specimen was tested with simultaneous cyclic axial compression (40 Nm) and torsion (both ±2 Nm and ±5 Nm) for 6000 cycles. All specimens were loaded to failure. Interfragmentary motion and load-displacement curves were analyzed to identify differences between the groups. Our data were then compared to previously published forces across the glenohumeral joint to provide evidence based recommendations for postoperative use of the shoulder. Results There was a statistically significant difference between test specimens and their paired control ( P Discussion There is no biomechanical difference between locked smooth pegs and locked threaded screws for proximal fragment fixation in an unstable 2-part proximal humeral fracture model. Conclusion Our study contributes to the published evidence evaluating forces across the glenohumeral joint and suggests that early use of the affected extremity for simple activities of daily living may be safe. Use of the arm for assisted ambulation requiring a crutch, cane, walker, or wheelchair should be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Rapid universal solublization and analysis of bacterial spores using a simple flow-through ultrahigh-temperature capillary device

Rapid identification of viral and bacterial species is dependent of the ability to manipulate biological agents into a form where they are directly analyzed. Many of these species of interest, such as bacterial spores, are inherently hearty and very difficult to lyse or solubilize. Standard protocols for spore inactivation include, chemical treatment, sonication, pressure and thermal lysis. While these protocols are effective for the inactivation of these agents they are less well suited for sample preparation for analysis using capillary electrophoresis techniques. In order to overcome this difficulty we fabricated a simple capillary device to perform thermal lysis of vegatative bacterial cells and bacterial spores. Using an ethylene glycol buffer to super heat bacterial spores we were able to perform rapid flow through lysis and solubilzation of these agents. This device was then coupled to a sample preparation station for on-line fluorescamine dye lableling and buffer exchange for direct analysis using a miniaturized capillary electrophoresis instrument. Using this integrated device were we enabled to perform sample lysis, labeling and protein fingerprint analysis of vegatative bacterial cells, bacterial spores and viruses in less than 10 minutes. The described device is simple, inexpensive and easily integratable with various microfluidic devices.
Hole migration is the major pathway involved in alkali-labile lesion formation in DNA by the direct effect of ionizing radiation.

Electron transfer via nucleobase hole migration has been extensively studied in recent years. Holes are produced in DNA via the direct effect of γ-radiolysis. However, the contribution of this path...
Chimpanzee Bipedalism: Cineradiographic Analysis and Implications for the Evolution of Gait

Bipedal chimpanzees reorient the pelvis to achieve an upright posture but retain the same pattern of femoral flexion and extension as in quadrupedal walking. Major differences from human gait are the abducted, relatively more flexed excursion of the femur and the timing of pelvic tilt, which raises during the swing phase. The femoral head morphology in the fossil hominid Australopithecus robustus is evidence of an approximately vertical excursion of the femur in contrast to the adducted pattern of modern man and the abducted pattern of chimpanzees.
Dynamics of Endogenous Catecholamine Release from Brain Fragments of Male and Female Rats

A continuous flow perifusion system was used to measure the in vitro release rate, and percent release of endogenous norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) from rat brain fragments. Catecholamines (CA) were measured simultaneously in effluent fractions and in tissue fragments following perifusion using a modified radioenzymatic assay. Employing this perifusion system allows not only quantification of endogenous release, but also permits study of the dynamics of the release process. To validate the system, NE and DA release were measured in effluent from medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) and caudate nucleus (CN) fragments under various temperature and ionic conditions. K+-stimulated release (60 mM KCl), but not the basal release rate, is temperature and calcium dependent. Marked regional differences are seen in the parameters considered. DA release rate from the CN in male rats was 30 times greater than from the MBH. The percent of DA release was 2.5 times greater and there was a 3 times greater final tissue concentration of DA in the CN than in the MBH. Although the release rate of NE from CN fragments was higher than that of the MBH, it did not reach statistical difference. However, the percent of NE release from the CN was close to 4 times greater than the percent release from the MBH, and final tissue concentrations of NE were 87.9 pg/ mg in the CN compared to 1,240 pg/mg in the MBH (postperifusion values). In a group of female rats, only the percent release of NE from the MBH was significantly different from that of similar tissue from male rats. However, the release rate and percent release of DA from the MBH of female rats were significantly lower than that of male rats. It appears that under this in vitro condition there are marked regional and sex differences in the metabolism of CA between the CN and the MBH fragments of male and female rats. Implications of these findings are briefly discussed.
Investigation and evaluation of two new non-planar ladder derived delay lines

Ladder lines comprise simple, mechanically rigid, and easily fabricated periodic structures. Planar ladders have a limited bandwidth. Two new non-planar ladder-derived delay lines, the X-line and the skew-bar line are discussed. The X-line may be considered as two intersecting planar ladder lines, while the skew-bar line is a twisted planar ladder line. ωβ-diagrams have been measured revealing two pass bands for the X-line. In addition, the effect of various parameters such as the angle between adjacent bars, the period, and the ratio of the beam aperture and the bar length have been studied.
Fluorogenic Tagging Methodology Applied to Characterize Oxidized Tyrosine and Phenylalanine in an Immunoglobulin Monoclonal Antibody

Purpose Metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) of proteins is of primary concern in the development of biotherapeutics as it represents a prominent degradation pathway with potential undesired biological and biotherapeutic consequences.
IDENTIFICATION OF TRANSIENT STABILITY REGIONS BY UTILIZATION OF LOCAL ENERGY FUNCTION MEASURES

ABSTRACT This investigation utilizes the individual machine energy function of [1] to develop stability measures suitable for power system transient stability analysis. Local (energy function of a machine) stability measures based on kinetic energy and potential energy of a particular, the critical, machine are shown to determine the region of stability accurately. The region of stability determined by local energy function stability measures are shown to be larger than the region of stability determined by global (energy function of the entire system) transient energy function. Region of stability determined by the local transient energy functions are compared to the regions determined by global transient energy function on a 17-generator test system.
Developmental differences in endplate response to P-type calcium channel blockade in the rat diaphragm

Abstract Endplate potentials (epps) were recorded intracellularly from single diaphragm fibers of newborn (7–10 days, n =11) and older (24–30 days, n =11) rats in the presence of 100 nM ω -agatoxin IVA, a P-type Ca 2+ channel blocker. The muscle was stimulated via the phrenic nerve for 1 s at 40 Hz. In both age groups epp amplitude decreased with ω -agatoxin, however the decrease was greater in the older group (mean=60% of control vs. 40% of control in the younger group). A larger number of fibers in the older group (84% vs. 54% in the young) showed a≥50% decrease in epp amplitude. These data suggest that although P-type Ca 2+ channels are present in the immature presynaptic nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junction, functional maturation of these channels occurs with development. This may contribute to the susceptibility to neuromuscular transmission failure in the newborn diaphragm.
Design and synthesis of conformationally constrained glucagon-like peptide-1 derivatives with increased plasma stability and prolonged in vivo activity.

A series of conformationally constrained derivatives of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were designed and evaluated. By use of [Gly8]GLP-1(7–37)-NH2 (2) peptide as a starting point, 17 cyclic derivatives possessing i to i + 4, i to i + 5, or i to i + 7 side chain to side chain lactam bridges from positions 18 to 30 were prepared. The effect of a helix-promoting α-amino-isobutyric acid (Aib) substitution at position 22 was also evaluated. The introduction of i to i + 4 glutamic acid−lysine lactam constraints in c[Glu18-Lys22][Gly8]GLP-1(7–37)-NH2 (6), c[Glu22-Lys26][Gly8]GLP-1(7–37)-NH2 (10), and c[Glu23-Lys27][Gly8]GLP-1(7–37)-NH2 (11) resulted in potent functional activity and receptor affinities comparable to native GLP-1. Selected GLP-1 peptides were chemoselectively PEGylated in order to prolong their in vivo activity. PEGylated peptides [Gly8,Aib22]GLP-1(7–37)-Cys(PEG)-Ala-NH2 (23) and c[Glu22-Lys26][Gly8]GLP-1(7–37)-Cys(PEG)-Ser-Gly-NH2 (24) retained picomolar functional potency and avid receptor bi...
Global DNA methylation and risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults: the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) study.

Objective The association between hepatic global DNA methylation measured using pyrosequencing technology and the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis was examined in the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) study. PDAY is a bi-racial investigation of the natural history of atherosclerosis and its risk factors involving 3013 individuals aged 15–34 years who underwent autopsy after dying of unrelated causes in 1987–1994.
Mineralization of 2-chloro- and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl by Pseudomonas sp. strain UCR2

Pseudomonas sp. strain UCR2 was isolated from a multi-chemostat mating experiment between a chlorobenzoate-degrader, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain JB2, and a chlorobiphenyl-degrader, Arthrobacter sp. strain B1Barc. Strain UCR2 differed from either of the parental organisms in that it grew on both 2-chloro- and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl with concomitant release of chloride. Phenotypic typing by the BiologTM system indicated that strain UCR2 shared greater similarity with strain JB2 (88%) than strain B1Barc (3%). In DNA: DNA hybridization experiments, genomic DNA from strain UCR2 hybridized with both strain JB2 and strain B1Barc, with the former pairing yielding a much stronger signal than the latter. In contrast, no hybridization whatsoever was observed when the parental organisms strains JB2 and B1Barc were probed against each other.
CULTURAL TWINS AND NATIONAL OTHERS: ALLEGORIES OF INTRALATINO SUBJECTIVITIES IN U.S. LATINO/A LITERATURE

This essay traces various literary and scholarly articulations of what I call intralatino subjectivities. First, I examine the power dynamics, identifications and divergences in the interactions and encounters between two latinos of different national origin, and secondly, the identity negotiations and complexities of the intralatino/a subject, that is, the subject that has two or more different Latino national identities, such as the MexiRican. By tracing these discourses of representation in various scholarly texts, I examine the way in which these intralatino/a sites have been represented both as utopian cultural spaces and as sites of complicated and contradictory cultural borrowings and influences. A detailed reading of two novels, Memory Mambo by Achy Obejas, and Mothertongue by Demetria Martinez, proposes that these two fictional texts are allegorical explorations of intralatino/a relations. A reading of these two novels from the point of view of the colonial analogies between groups serves well in...
Beyond the Feminine: Intersectionality and Hybridity in Talk Shows

This essay analyzes the assumption often expressed or implied in feminist scholarship that the talk show is a feminine and even feminist genre. Tracing the origins of this trend to feminist televis...
Application of the Cell-Free Turkey Herpesvirus Vaccine by the Aerosol Route for the Prevention of Marek’s Disease in Chickens

Abstract In field trials approximately 300,000 birds were vaccinated against Marek’s disease (MD) by aerosol spray with 1,000 to 5,000 PFU of cell-free HVT vaccine per chick. Chicks were sprayed in the trays of the hatchers which still contained dust and down after hatching. Prior to spraying, the incoming and outgoing air ducts were closed. The chicks were sprayed for 12–15 min. with HVT in 250 to 300 ml. of diluent, and after completion of spraying the chicks remained in constact with the aerosol for approximately for 10 minutes. In birds vaccinated by aerosol spray the incidence of MD ranged from 0.0% to 24.4%; while the incidence of MD in birds vaccinated by subcutaneous inoculation varied from 0.02 to 23.9%. In trial 1 the incidence of MD in birds vaccinated by aerosol spray was essentially the same as those vaccinated by subcutaneous inoculation; whereas, the incidence of MD (Trial 2 and 3) was higher in birds vaccinated by aerosol as compared to chickens vaccinated by subcutaneous inoculation.
The need for better insulin therapy

Insulin replacement therapy corrects a core defect of diabetes pathophysiology. Since its introduction as a therapeutic modality almost 100 years ago, insulin therapy has undergone remarkable changes in purity and ability to provide more physiologic control of blood glucose levels. With glucose-lowering potential limited only by risks of hypoglycaemia, which remains the major limitation in our ability to achieve glycaemic goals, insulin replacement therapy remains a cornerstone of therapy. Major progress in reducing the risks of hypoglycemia has occurred with the development of insulin analogs. This review article briefly chronicles the evolution of insulin replacement strategies, highlighting both challenges in pharmaceutical development and patient acceptance, underscoring achievements, as well as denoting what improvements are still needed.
Study of Solar-Assisted Thermoelectric Technology for Automobile Air Conditioning

An analytical study was conducted to determine the feasibility of employing solar energy assisted thermoelectric (TE) cooling technology in automobile air conditioners. The study addressed two key issues -- power requirements and availability of thermoelectric materials. In this paper a mathematical model was developed to predict the performance of TE air conditioners and to analyze power consumption. Results show that the power required to deliver a cooling capacity of 4 kW (13,680 Btu/h) in a 38 C (100 F) environment will be 9.5 kW electric. Current TE modules suitable for air conditioning are made of bismuth telluride. The element tellurium is expected to be in short supply if TE cooling is widely implemented for auto air conditioning; some options available in this regard were studied and presented in this paper. The photovoltaic (PV) cells, assumed to cover the roof area of a compact car can only generate about 225 W. However, this is more than enough to power a fan to provide air ventilation to the car interior which significantly reduces the peak cooling load when the car is parked in bright sunlight.
Tumor perfusion in relation to the rapid growth phase and necrosis: studies on the Walker carcinoma in the rat testicle.

Abstract To examine relationships between tumor growth and perfusion, Walker 256 carcinoma was implanted into the rat testicle. Studies were performed daily from injection through the rapid growth period, which began on the 3rd day and peaked on the 7th, and, through the development of central tumor necrosis, which evolved from the 7th through the 14th day. Blood flow, measured with radioactive microspheres, began to increase on the second day and testicular mass demonstrated a measurable increase on the third day. Blood flow increase occurred earlier and progressed more rapidly than did testicular mass, resulting in an estimated peak tumor-perfusion rate of 4–5 ml/g/min, considerably in excess of the requirements of most metabolically active tissues. Blood flow began to fall after the 4th day, despite a continued progressive increase in mass, but necrosis did not become apparent until the 7th day. Measurements of tissue pressure within the testicle revealed a sharp increase on the 5th day, which probably reflected the influence of increasing mass within a relatively noncompliant capsule and may well account for the fall in blood flow at that time, through compression of the sinusoidal vessels. We conclude that the early increase in perfusion probably reflects the development of a blood supply which is not under the usual constraints and control. The fall in blood flow probably reflects local mechanical factors which may account for some of the reported differences in tumor growth in various locations.
Electric Field Analysis of Complex Electrode System for Use in Electrical Measurements

For effective use in electrical measurements, such as electroluminescence, capacitance and conduction current the dimensions of the electrode system are optimized and subsequently field values at key points in an axi-symmetric electrode system are simulated as a function of clearances between low voltage and guard electrodes. Since the electrode system is axi-symmetric, electric field distribution around the circular corners has been analyzed with the help of two-dimensional BEM solver. The configurations simulated, results, analyses and configurations for an optimal design are presented. These results are useful in the design of planar junctions with better breakdown characteristics and optimal utilization.
Iron-silicate fractionation within ordinary chondrite groups

Abstract A comparison of recent bulk chemical analyses of fresh, well-classified ordinary chondrites reveals that the unequilibrated H-3 and LL-3 chondrites tend to be iron-poor relative to equilibrated H- and LL-group chondrites (types 4–6). A more complex relationship in the L-group suggests that it consists of two chemical subgroups, in each of which iron is deficient in the lower petrologic types. The available data suggest that the chondrite parent bodies accreted inhomogeneously.
Determining the level of inquiry in teachers' questions

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if an instrument, originally designed to classify levels of teachers' questions on the basis of logical operations, could be utilized to measure the level of inquiry present in a classroom discussion and to determine if the inquiry questioning behavior of the teacher influenced student achievement. The results of the study show that the modified classification scheme could accurately and reliably measure the inquiry level of teachers' classroom questions. The data also indicated that teachers who ask a greater proportion of high inquiry questions cause a greater change in students as measured by an achievement examination.
Separation of diastereoisomers of DuP 105, a novel oxazolidinone antibacterial agent, by supercritical fluid chromatography on a Chiralcel OD column

Oxazolidinones are a novel class of synthetic, orally-active antibacterial agents. DuP 105, which is representative of this class of compounds, is synthesized as a racemic mixture of two diastereoisomers. To ensure lot-to-lot consistency, separation and quantitation of these diastereoisomers is essential. Separation by reverse phase LC has not been achieved. This paper presents a supercritical fluid chromatography method using a Chiralcel OD column to resolve these diastereoisomers. A retention mechanism is briefly elaborated, based on the effects of temperature, pressure, percent modifier and type of modifier on resolution.
Governing big data: principles and practices

As data-intensive decision making is being increasingly adopted by businesses, governments, and other agencies around the world, most organizations encountering a very large amount and variety of data are still contemplating and assessing their readiness to embrace "Big Data." While these organizations devise various ways to deal with the challenges such data brings, the impact and importance of Big Data to information quality and governance programs should not be underestimated. Drawing upon implementation experiences of early adopters of Big Data technologies across multiple industries, this paper explores the issues and challenges involved in the management of Big Data, highlighting the principles and best practices for effective Big Data governance.
Prediction of Periventricular Leukomalacia Occurrence in Neonates Using a Novel Unsupervised Learning Method

Prior work has documented that Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers can be powerful tools in predicting clinical outcomes of complex diseases such as Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL). A preceding study indicated that SVM performance can be improved significantly by optimizing the supervised training set used during the learning stage of the overall SVM algorithm. This preliminary work, as well as the complex nature of the PVL data suggested integration of the active learning algorithm into the overall SVM framework. The present study supports this initial hypothesis and shows that active learning SVM type classifier performs considerably well and outperforms normal SVM type classifiers when dealing with clinical data of high dimensionality.Copyright © 2014 by ASME