cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen production by the naked active site of the di-iron hydrogenases in water.

We explored the reactivity of the active center of the [FeFe]-hydrogenases detached from the enzyme and immersed in acidified water by first-principles Car−Parrinello molecular-dynamics simulations...
Nursing informatics competencies: assessment of undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

Aims and objectives To report the informatics competencies of students in selected undergraduate and graduate nursing programmes, to examine whether informatics competencies differed between the different programmes and to suggest competency-based applications that will strengthen informatics courses and informatics-related content throughout the curricula. Background Nursing students in undergraduate and graduate nursing programmes have different educational backgrounds and different practice experience. Thus, their informatics preparation is apt to be varied, and nursing curricula must reflect this variation while advancing students towards informatics proficiency. However, studies on informatics competency assessment in these nursing students are scarce. Design A descriptive survey design. Methods Data were collected from 289 nursing students using a 30-item Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies Scale via an email sent to students using a LISTSERV mailing list. The email embedded link to the Internet survey package, SurveyMonkey, which included the Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies Scale and demographic questions along with an online consent form. Results Students in both programmes were competent in three subscale areas: basic computer knowledge and skills, clinical informatics attitude, and wireless device skills. Graduate students reported slightly higher mean competency scores than did undergraduate students in three subscales: clinical informatics role, clinical informatics attitude and wireless device skills. Conclusions Findings indicate specific topics for nurse educators to consider when designing informatics curricula. The comparison of undergraduate and graduate students indicates similarities in informatics competencies in terms of areas where students were competent and small mean score differences. Further studies are suggested to examine whether there are differences in informatics competencies between undergraduate and graduate students. Relevance to clinical practice These results assist nurse educators in determining specific areas of informatics content that need greater focus and inclusion in the design of better nursing educational programmes. Examples of integrating competencies into existing curriculum or informatics courses are suggested.
Is quinine effective and safe in leg cramps

Muscle cramp is a recurrent and painful condition and a common complaint among elderly subjects and patients treated with hemodialysis. It is commonly nocturnal and can disturb a good night's sleep. No specific cause can be identified; therefore, therapy is mostly symptomatic. Quinine sulfate, an antimalarial drug, is widely used as an effective therapy for idiopathic leg cramps. Several double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies have questioned the effectiveness of quinine in leg cramps; whereas other studies have shown significantly more benefit with use of quinine in reducing the frequency and severity of cramps compared with placebo or vitamin E. The mechanism of this beneficial effect is obscure, however. Quinine appears to decrease the excitability of the motor end plate, thereby reducing the muscle contractility. Most patients consider quinine beneficial for their leg cramps, which is difficult to refute by scientific data. More important, cramp is a subjective symptom, therefore difficult to measure objectively. Consequently, scientific studies designed to prove or disprove the effectiveness of quinine can be subject to flaws. Further, a dosage of 200 to 300 mg of quinine every night has not been shown to cause significant side effects. Nevertheless, quinine should be used in a small dose and cautiously, especially in the elderly and patients with renal failure, and should be avoided in patients with liver disease.
Dissociation of the Effects of Vincristine on Stimulated Insulin Release and the Pancreatic β-Cell Microtubular Structures in the Intact Rat

We have recently shown that in the intact rat, at 10 min after vincristine treatment, glucose-induced insulin release and glucose tolerance were potentiated, but at 60 and 120 min after vincristine treatment, glucose- induced insulin release and glucose tolerance were significantly impaired. The present study further evaluated the mechanisms of these observations by examining the in vivo effect of vincristine on (1) the pancreatic β-cell microtubular structures and (2) insulin release in response to arginine, an insulin secretogogue other than glucose. In the first series of studies, the pancreases were removed from the rats at 60 and 120 min after vincristine (0.15 mg/kg; i.v.) or vehicle (control) administration for electron microscopy. Morphometric analysis revealed that the number of β- cell microtubules was similar in the vincristinetreated and the control rats. Furthermore, the mean microtubular length in vincristine-treated rats was also similar to that observed in the control rats. In the next series of studies, at 10, 60, or 120 min after vincristine (0.15 mg/kg; i.v.), insulin levels in response to an i.v. arginine pulse were similar in the vincristinetreated and in the control rats at all time intervals between 2 and 30 min. A parallel study once again demonstrated that glucose-induced insulin release and glucose tolerance were significantly impaired at 120 min after vincristine treatment. These findings indicate that (1) In the intact rat, inhibition of glucose-induced insulin release by vincristine occurs in the absence of any demonstrable changes in the β-cell microtubular structure; and (2) even though vincristine inhibits glucose-induced insulin release, it has no effect on arginine-induced insulin release. Therefore, in the intact rat, the inhibition of glucose-induced insulin release by vincristine may be mediated via mechanisms other than microtubular disruption.
An experimental study of charge diffusion in the undepleted silicon of X-ray CCDs

We have experimentally studied the diffused electron clouds formed by X-ray photons interacting within the undepleted bulk of silicon beneath the depleted region of an X-ray CCD. Usually, such events are spread over multiple pixels and are often rejected in data analysis because of incomplete charge collection in the undepleted bulk. An unusual CCD clocking mode where every 100 sequential rows were summed in the serial register allowed us to reduce the charge distribution to a one-dimensional (1-D) representation without losing any information, resulting in a dramatically simplified analysis and improved signal/noise ratio. We have shown that events from the undepleted bulk can be used for retrieving information regarding the energy of the corresponding X-ray photon. In our study, the Mn K/sub /spl alpha// and K/sub /spl beta// lines emitted by the radioactive Fe/sup 55/ source could be clearly separated. Such an analysis can markedly improve the sensitivity of partially depleted CCDs at higher energies. By averaging many events that originate at the same distance from the surface of the device, we were able to extract the shape of the charge cloud after the completion of the diffusion process. The results were found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
National Science Foundation Workshop on Future Research Directions in Testing of Electronic Circuits and Systems: executive summary of workshop report

A two-day meeting, sponsored by National Science Foundation, was held in Santa Barbara, California on May 12 and 13, 1998 to discuss the academic research topics and education issues in testing of electronic circuits and systems. The goals of the meeting were (1) to identify emerging and mature research areas within the VLSI testing field, in order to help focus the field on research necessary to develop algorithms and techniques for testing VLSI circuits and systems designed using future technologies, (2) to address issues related to increasing the impact of the VLSI test field on education in electrical and computer engineering, and (3) to identify models and mechanisms for enhancing the interaction, collaboration and data-sharing between industry and academia. Four working groups were formed in the meeting: two groups focusing on the identification of emerging and mature research topics, one on industry and university interaction/collaboration, and one on test education. A brief summary of a report containing findings and recommendations from these four working groups is presented.
Mechanical and Fire Properties of Styrenic Polymer Nanocomposites Based on an Oligomerically – Modified Clay

Styrenic polymer clay nanocomposites were made through melt blending the polymer with an oligomerically-modified clay. Polymers used in this study are polystyrene (PS), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate the structure of the nanocomposites. Intercalated nanocomposites were formed for PS and HIPS by this method while delaminated nanocomposites were formed for SAN and ABS. The thermal stability and fire properties were evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis and cone calorimetry, respectively. Nanocomposite formation has a small effect on the thermal stability while the reduction in peak heat release rate is comparable with other nanocomposites. Tensile testing showed that the nanocomposites had enhanced Young's modulus, which means the plasticizing effect from the oligomer was suppressed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Linking Ecological and Social Sustainability within the Curriculum

As sustainability curricula are designed and implemented within institutions of higher education, there is an opportunity to truly integrate and connect the ecological and social in a manner that shifts students’ worldviews and resulting behaviors. Those who teach about either ecological or cultural issues know that these are challenging topics to bring to the classroom. Both invoke strong emotional and psychological responses. Interestingly, the ecological and social spheres are often viewed as distinct and separate. Yet when the patterns are deeply unraveled, it is clear that every instance of large-scale oppression of peoples has always been linked to the oppression of the Earth. These are not arbitrary associations and by learning to see their interrelatedness, students can develop deeper compassion for diversity and living systems as well as the complex thinking skills needed for worldview transformation.
VIBRIOS (VIBRIO JEJUNI, N.SP.) ASSOCIATED WITH INTESTINAL DISORDERS OF COWS AND CALVES.

A number of vibrios obtained from the small intestines of calves fed feces from spontaneous diarrhea in cows, natural intestinal disorders of calves, experimentally induced infections of calves, and cultures obtained from Dr. Theobald Smith have been studied. From the close morphological resemblance, similarities in motility, position and number of flagella, tinctorial properties, and the tendency to fragmentation in older cultures, as well as the narrow nutritive requirements, we are led to regard them as a closely allied group and we propose the name Vibrio jejuni. Immunologically as judged by agglutination the organisms have been divided into two groups, the smaller representing two strains originating from diarrhea in cows and the larger comprising one from this source and many from the calf disease. The larger group can be subdivided by means of agglutination absorption into cultures which do not contain the complete antigenic complex and others which do so. Certain freshly isolated vibrios when injected into rabbits incite definite reactions terminating in a localization in the small intestine accompanied by catarrhal inflammation.
Recently Recovered Specimens of North American Eocene Omomyids and Adapids and Their Bearing on Debates about Anthropoid Origins

Most recent reviews of primate evolution recognize that modern primates can be divided into two monophyletic suborders, the Strepsirhini (lemuriforms and lorisiforms) and the Haplorhini (tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans). It is also accepted by most researchers that the radiation of modern primate taxa dates to at least the beginning of the Eocene. The earliest occurring animals that appear to be seeded within this radiation belong to the families Adapidae and Omomyidae, the Eocene euprimates (Hoffstetter, 1974; Szalay and Del-son, 1979; Covert, 1986; MacPhee and Cartmill, 1986; Martin, 1986; Wible and Covert, 1987; and Szalay et al., 1987).
Lipid functions in cytochrome bc complexes: an odd evolutionary transition in a membrane protein structure

Lipid-binding sites and properties were compared in the hetero-oligomeric cytochrome (cyt) b 6 f and the yeast bc 1 complexes that function, respectively, in photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport. Seven lipid-binding sites in the monomeric unit of the dimeric cyanobacterial b 6 f complex overlap four sites in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii algal b 6 f complex and four in the yeast bc 1 complex. The proposed lipid functions include: (i) interfacial–interhelix mediation between (a) the two 8-subunit monomers of the dimeric complex, (b) between the core domain (cyt b , subunit IV) and the six trans membrane helices of the peripheral domain (cyt f , iron–sulphur protein (ISP), and four small subunits in the boundary ‘picket fence’); (ii) stabilization of the ISP domain-swapped trans-membrane helix; (iii) neutralization of basic residues in the single helix of cyt f and of the ISP; (iv) a ‘latch’ to photosystem I provided by the β-carotene chain protruding through the ‘picket fence’; (v) presence of a lipid and chlorophyll a chlorin ring in b 6 f in place of the eighth helix in the bc 1 cyt b polypeptide. The question is posed of the function of the lipid substitution in relation to the evolutionary change between the eight and seven helix structures of the cyt b polypeptide. On the basis of the known n-side activation of light harvesting complex II (LHCII) kinase by the p-side level of plastoquinol, one possibility is that the change was directed by the selective advantage of p- to n-side trans membrane signalling functions in b 6 f , with the lipid either mediating this function or substituting for the trans membrane helix of a signalling protein lost in crystallization.
OSGAR: A Scene Graph with Uncertain Transformations

An important problem for augmented reality is registration error. No system can be perfectly tracked, calibrated or modeled. As a result, the overlaid graphics are not aligned perfectly with objects in the physical world. This can be distracting, annoying or confusing. In this paper, we propose a method for mitigating the effects of registration errors that enables application developers to build dynamically adaptive AR displays. Our solution is implemented in a programming toolkit called OSGAR. Built upon OpenSceneGraph (OSG), OSGAR statistically characterizes registration errors, monitors those errors and, when a set of criteria are met, dynamically adapts the display to mitigate the effects of the errors. Because the architecture is based on a scene graph, it provides a simple, familiar and intuitive environment for application developers. We describe the components of OSGAR, discuss how several proposed methods for error registration can be implemented, and illustrate its use through a set of examples.
Reintroduction of continuous negative pressure ventilation in neonates: two-year experience.

Continuous negative pressure ventilation utilizes subatmospheric pressure around the thorax to improve oxygenation. It has not been routinely used since the mid-1970s. We treated 37 infants with the combination of continuous negative pressure (CNP) and intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV), after failing to attain a Pa of ≥50 torr on IMV alone. Lung diseases included pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) due either to meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) or other causes (non-MAS). All infants had evidence of severe parenchymal pulmonary disease, or pulmonary artery hypertension resulting in persistent hypoxemia and hypotension. In the PIE group, CNP was started later in the course of the disease, and both positive pressure and oxygen were maintained for a longer period. The group of infants with non-MAS PAH required CNP and positive pressure ventilation for the shortest period of time. The infants with PIE also had a greater incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). In addition, three patients with PIE died. In the non-MAS patients with PAH, no complications and no deaths occurred. The response to CNP was a rapid improvement in oxygenation in all groups with the greatest increase of Pa in the non-MAS PAH infants: from 30 torr prior to the initiation of CNP to 140 torr within 30 minutes. No significant changes in pH or Pa occurred in any group. Significant decreases in ventilator rate, mean airway pressure (Paw) and FI in peak inspiratory pressure were possible by 12 hours of CNP. CNP and Paw were decreased from −5 cm H2O and 12.8 cm H2O prior to initiation of CNP to −1 cm H2O and 5.0 cm H2O at 72 hours of treatment. FI at 72 hours was decreased to a mean of 0.57. Combined CNP and IMV ventilator therapy improved oxygenation with lessened Paw in infants with refractory hypoxemia due to MAS and PAH and in larger infants with RDS. While we cannot advocate the routine use of CNP, it would appear to have a role in the management of infants who have failed conventional ventilator therapy. Pediatr Pulmonol 1990; 8:245-253.
Celebrating Personal Relationships

Like the articles published in other issues of Volume 14 of Personal Relationships, those published in this issue collectively reflect my editorial team’s commitments to theory development, contextualized research, and the journal’s interdisciplinary and international mission. The articles appear in the order in which they were submitted.
Phase noise optimization of a self-cascode VCO by changing the capacitor ratio and substrate bias

This paper reports a low-voltage low-power self-cascode VCO with a phase noise optimization technique. Self-cascode structure with capacitive feedback network provides better phase noise performance without degrading the voltage headroom. Phase noise performance of the proposed VCO has been optimized by an optimum selection of capacitor ratio. Fabricated in a 0.18-µm RF CMOS process, the oscillator can work with a supply voltage of 1.0 V, with an operating frequency of 1.30 GHz while providing a phase noise of −114.48 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset and an output power of −22.27 dBm. Measurement results indicate that an optimum substrate bias ensures the minimization of phase noise.
Spermatogenesis in animals as revealed by electron microscopy. VII. Spermatid differentiation in the crab, Eriocheir japonicus.

Testes of Eriocheir japonicus were fixed in buffered (pH 7.2) 1 per cent osmium tetroxide and thin sections of the methacrylate-embedded tissue were studied with the electron microscope. Spermatozoa from the vasa deferentia and spermatids from the testes were examined in smear preparations and sections. The most useful stainings proved to be the Feulgen, Unna-Pappenheim, and PAS reactions. The present paper covers one of the late stages of spermatogenesis. At the late stage of differentiation of the spermatid, the nucleus shows a concave disc-like contour in longitudinal sections and the karyoplasm is finely alveolar in appearance. A vesicle with a fibrillar or granular content appears situated between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. In an advanced spermatid, a large vacuole develops between the nucleus and this vesicle. As development of the spermatid proceeds, the cytoplasm is sloughed off. Thus, the advanced spermatid consists of an ovoid vesicle surrounded by a flattened nuclear disc. The former corresponds to the "capsule" or the "head," and the latter to the "pseudopodia." Concurrently with the sloughing off of the cytoplasm, a lamellar structure appears at the periphery of the head. It is composed of thin plates imbricated like the leaves of an onion. Each plate consists of triple layers, two dense layers separated by a lighter space. Each layer measures about 7 mµ in diameter. At the distal pole of the head, a depression develops into a tubule which reaches the proximal pole of this structure. The lumen of the tubule is occupied by a dense substance part of which arises from the limiting membrane of the vacuole. The dense material begins to fill the tubule from the distal towards the proximal end. It finds its way till the middle of the tubule, leaving its proximal half unfiled. Thus, the proximal portion of the mature sperm head has a straight tubule whlich opens on its surface. The latter is covered by a dense membrane about 60 mµ in width. Cytochemical analysis reveals that the pseudopodia contain DNA, and the head a carbohydrate component as well as PNA. The classical concept that the head becomes the male pronucleus after fertilization can no longer be accepted on the basis of the cytochemical analysis. The present study came to no definite conclusions concerning the functional significance of the head.
Structural dynamics analysis using an unsymmetric block Lanczos algorithm

A method for reducing the order of a dynamical model of a large structure with arbitrary damping is developed analytically and demonstrated. A Lanczos algorithm is described which can reduce square unsymmetric system matrices to block-tridiagonal form, and a procedure for defining the reduced-order model from the right and left Lanczos vectors is outlined. Results for sample problems involving the 8-DOF FEM model of a beam-rotor assembly subjected to random and stepped external forces are presented in extensive graphs and briefly characterized.
Aquatic and terrestrial stressors in amphibians: A test of the double jeopardy hypothesis based on maternally and trophically derived contaminants

Amphibians with biphasic life histories occupy aquatic and terrestrial habitats at different times in their lives, leading to a double jeopardy of contaminant risk in both habitats. The present study examines individual and interactive effects of mercury exposure to terrestrial adults and aquatic larvae on fitness-related traits of American toads, Bufo americanus. Eggs from reference mothers or contaminated mothers were allowed to hatch and larvae were fed diets of either no added Hg or 2.5 or 10 mg/g total Hg (dry wt). Both dietary and maternal Hg had adverse effects on developing larvae, but there was no interaction between these factors. Dietary Hg had a marginal effect of decreased survival with increasing Hg in the diet. Animals from Hg-exposed mothers weighed 14% less than those from reference mothers, and size at metamorphosis was directly correlated with hopping performance. Animals from Hg-exposed mothers also took longer to complete metamorphosis and had 2.5 times the prevalence of spinal malformations compared with those from reference mothers. Results of the present study demonstrate that amphibians do indeed face a double jeopardy of contaminant exposure stemming from terrestrial and aquatic environments, because both exposure pathways adversely affected developing offspring. The present study also demonstrates that all possible routes of exposure over an organism's life history must be examined to provide a comprehensive picture of the ecological consequences of habitat contamination. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2277-2284. # 2011 SETAC
Habitat and species differences in prevalence and intensity of Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea: Capsalidae) on sympatric Caribbean surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae).

Abstract We quantified Neobenedenia melleni from the skin of Caribbean surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) from June through October 2005 and 2007. Prevalence, or mean intensity of infection, or both, varied significantly among the 3 species, and among sites and between years for the most heavily infected species, blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus). Among 6 sites sampled, no more than 12% of ocean surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus) were infected, compared with 10 to 100% of A. coeruleus. The prevalence of infection among doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus), collected at only 1 of the sites, was intermediate between the other 2 species (46%). Mean intensity (range) of infection for the few infected A. bahianus was 1 (1) to 3 (1–8), compared with 1.3 (1–2) to 14.3 (1–59) for A. coeruleus, and 2.5 (1–8) for A. chirurgus. Expected abundance of N. melleni on A. coeruleus from shallow bay sites was greater than for those from non-bay sites. Higher infections on A. coeruleus may be attributable to differences in habitat use...
Growth and Distribution in the Market Economies of East Asia

Who benefits how much from economic development? Three approaches to measuring the income distribution effects of growth are described and contrasted, and the experiences of various countries are classified accordingly. Seven books analyzing patterns of change in income distribution in Asia are reviewed. Although some of the authors feel that “getting the prices right” in a market economy with a minimum of government interference is the way to achieve growth and distributional goals, a better conclusion is that synergism between policy and initial conditions explains the presence or absence of equitable growth.
Contrast Dependence and Differential Contributions from Somatostatin- and Parvalbumin-Expressing Neurons to Spatial Integration in Mouse V1

A characteristic feature in the primary visual cortex is that visual responses are suppressed as a stimulus extends beyond the classical receptive field. Here, we examined the role of inhibitory neurons expressing somatostatin (SOM+) or parvalbumin (PV+) on surround suppression and preferred receptive field size. We recorded multichannel extracellular activity in V1 of transgenic mice expressing channelrhodopsin in SOM+ neurons or PV+ neurons. Preferred size and surround suppression were measured using drifting square-wave gratings of varying radii and at two contrasts. Consistent with findings in primates, we found that the preferred size was larger for lower contrasts across all cortical depths, whereas the suppression index (SI) showed a trend to decrease with contrast. We then examined the effect of these metrics on units that were suppressed by photoactivation of either SOM+ or PV+ neurons. When activating SOM+ neurons, we found a significant increase in SI at cortical depths >400 μm, whereas activating PV+ neurons caused a trend toward lower SIs regardless of cortical depth. Conversely, activating PV+ neurons significantly increased preferred size across all cortical depths, similar to lowering contrast, whereas activating SOM+ neurons had no systematic effect on preferred size across all depths. These data suggest that SOM+ and PV+ neurons contribute differently to spatial integration. Our findings are compatible with the notion that SOM+ neurons mediate surround suppression, particularly in deeper cortex, whereas PV+ activation decreases the drive of the input to cortex and therefore resembles the effects on spatial integration of lowering contrast.
Formación de la imagen monárquica e intervencionismo regio: los comienzos del reinado de Alfonso XIII (1902-1910)

This article describes the creation of King Alfonso XIH's image during the first years of his reign. Several factors were at work in the process: criticism of the parliamentary regime and demands for a stronger executive, the influence of the court, the king´s education and his personality, and the projection of his figure as a national symbol above political disputes. The article also analyses how his image contributed to increasing his intervention in political affairs, how it helped to put a brake on proposals for democratising the regime and, especially, how it played a role in breaking the system of rotation between parties, dominant in the preceding years.
Video orbits of the projective group a simple approach to featureless estimation of parameters

We present direct featureless methods for estimating the eight parameters of an "exact" projective (homographic) coordinate transformation to register pairs of images, together with the application of seamlessly combining a plurality of images of the same scene, resulting in a single image (or new image sequence) of greater resolution or spatial extent. The approach is "exact" for two cases of static scenes: (1) images taken from the same location of an arbitrary three-dimensional (3-D) scene, with a camera that is free to pan, tilt, rotate about its optical axis, and zoom, or (2) images of a flat scene taken from arbitrary locations. The featureless projective approach generalizes interframe camera motion estimation methods that have previously used a camera model (which lacks the degrees of freedom to "exactly" characterize such phenomena as camera pan and tilt) and/or which have relied upon finding points of correspondence between the image frames. The featureless projective approach, which operates directly on the image pixels, is shown to be superior in accuracy and the ability to enhance the resolution. The proposed methods work well on image data collected from both good-quality and poor-quality video under a wide variety of conditions (sunny, cloudy, day, night). These new fully automatic methods are also shown to be robust to deviations from the assumptions of static scene and no parallax.
Phospho-ΔNp63α/Rpn13-dependent regulation of LKB1 degradation modulates autophagy in cancer cells

Oxidative stress was shown to promote the translocation of Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) to cytoplasm and trigger the LKB1-AMPK-tuberin pathway leading to a down-regulation of mTOR and subsequently inducing the programmed cell death II (autophagy). Cisplatin was previously found to induce the ATM-dependent phosphorylation of ΔNp63α in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells. In this study, phosphorylated (p)-ΔNp63α was shown to bind the ATM promoter, to increase the ATM promoter activity and to enhance the ATM cytoplasmic accumulation. P-ΔNp63α protein was further shown to interact with the Rpn13 protein leading to a proteasome-dependent degradation of p-ΔNp63α and thereby protecting LKB1 from the degradation. In SCC cells (with an altered ability to support the ATM-dependent ΔNp63α phosphorylation), the non-phosphorylated ΔNp63α protein failed to form protein complexes with the Rpn13 protein and thereby allowing the latter to bind and target LKB1 into a proteasome-dependent degradation pathway thereby modulating a cisplatin-induced autophagy. We thus suggest that SCC cells sensitive to cisplatin-induced cell death are likely to display a greater ratio of p-ΔNp63α/non-phosphorylated ΔNp63α than cells with the innate resistant/impaired response to a cisplatin-induced cell death. Our data also suggest that the choice made by Rpn13 between p-ΔNp63α or LKB1 to be targeted for degradation is critical for cell death decision made by cancer cells in response to chemotherapy.
Collinear-track altimetry in the Gulf of Mexico from SEASAT: Measurements, models, and surface truth

Abstract : From 17 September to 10 October 1978 SEASAT made collinear passes over the Gulf of Mexico. Altimeter data for eight, three-day repeat passes over the eastern Gulf were examined using an arc-segment fitting technique to determine the mesoscale temporal variability of the sea surface. The pattern of sea height variability was then compared with sea height data generated by a numerical model of the Gulf (Hurlburt and Thompson, 1980) from the simulation of a complete cycle of Loop Current intrusion and shedding of an anticyclonic eddy. The model data was found to match that from the SEASAT altimeter when an anticyclonic eddy separated from the Loop Current and the Loop began to repenetrate into the eastern Gulf. Analysis of sparse ground truth data from ship-of-opportunity XBT's, satellite infrared imagery of the Loop Current boundary, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, also from SEASAT, tend to confirm the circulation patterns deduced from the altimeter data and the numerical model. (Author)
Optical Detection of Lead and Potassium Ions Using a Quantum-Dot-Based Aptamer Nanosensor

Quantum-dot (QD) based nanosensors can be used to detect a wide range of molecules. This study examined a nanosensor comprised of thrombin binding aptamer (TBA) with 700NC InGaP QD on the 5 $^{\prime}$ terminus and an Au nanoparticle quencher on the 3 $^{\prime}$ terminus. Both ${\rm K}^{+}$ and ${\rm Pb}^{2+}$ bind to TBA, resulting in a conformational change that brings the Au quencher closer to the QD. Photoluminescence measurements indicated a decrease in fluorescence corresponding to an increase in either ${\rm K}^{+}$ or ${\rm Pb}^{2+}$ concentration. For healthy blood serum ${\rm K}^{+}$ concentrations (3.5–5 mM), the beacon exhibited 15–17% quenching efficiency. ${\rm Pb}^{2+}$ concentration of 0.48 $\mu{\rm M}$ , the threshold for toxicity in serum, yielded 14% quenching. The beacon's ability to detect changes in ion levels in a critical range of concentrations can make it an effective diagnostic tool.
Factive scientific understanding without accurate representation

This paper analyzes two ways idealized biological models produce factive scientific understanding. I then argue that models can provide factive scientific understanding of a phenomenon without providing an accurate representation of the (difference-making) features of their real-world target system(s). My analysis of these cases also suggests that the debate over scientific realism needs to investigate the factive scientific understanding produced by scientists’ use of idealized models rather than the accuracy of scientific models themselves.
MIXING IN A MONO-DISPERSE GRANULAR BED SUBJECT TO VERTICAL OSCILLATIONS

Intentional and unintentional vibrational mixing of granular materials occurs in many.industrial operations. To study the degree of mixing resulting from vibrations, two-dimensional discrete element computer simulations of a mono-disperse granular material subject to vertical, sinusoidal oscillations are performed. The degree of mixing is quantified using a mixing index and diffusion coefficient. The simulation results indicate that mixing increases with decreasing frequency for a fixed acceleration amplitude and increasing amplitude for a fixed frequency. When plotted against oscillation velocity amplitude, the mixing index and diffusion coefficient data follow S-shaped curves. The simulations show that greater mixing occurs between the upper and lower halves of the bed than between the left and right halves. The simulations also indicate that the presence of kink convection cells results in enhanced mixing throughout the bed.
Societies Beyond Oil: Oil Dregs and Social Futures

John Urry. London, UK: Zed, 2013. viii and 296 pp. $26.95 paper (ISBN 978-1-78032-168-4); $96.00 cloth (ISBN 978-1-78032-169-1); £14.99 electronic (ISBN 978-1-78032-171-4).Oil, like other raw mater...
Activation of Constitutive Androstane Receptor (CAR) in Mice Results in Maintained Biliary Excretion of Bile Acids Despite a Marked Decrease of Bile Acids in Liver

Activation of Constitutive Androstane Receptor (CAR) protects against bile acid (BA)-induced liver injury. This study was performed to determine the effect of CAR activation on bile flow, BA profile, as well as expression of BA synthesis and transport genes. Synthetic CAR ligand 1,4-bis-[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP) was administered to mice for 4 days. BAs were quantified by UPLC-MS/MS (ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). CAR activation decreases total BAs in livers of male (49%) and female mice (26%), largely attributable to decreases of the 12α-hydroxylated BA taurocholic acid (T-CA) (males (M) 65%, females (F) 45%). Bile flow in both sexes was increased by CAR activation, and the increases were BA-independent. CAR activation did not alter biliary excretion of total BAs, but overall BA composition changed. Excretion of muricholic (6-hydroxylated) BAs was increased in males (101%), and the 12α-OH proportion of biliary BAs was decreased in both males (37%) and females (28%). The decrease of T-CA in livers of males and females correlates with the decreased mRNA of the sterol 12α-hydroxylase Cyp8b1 in males (71%) and females (54%). As a response to restore BAs to physiologic concentrations in liver, mRNA of Cyp7a1 is upregulated following TCPOBOP (males 185%, females 132%). In ilea, mRNA of the negative feedback regulator Fgf15 was unaltered by CAR activation, indicating biliary BA excretion was sufficient to maintain concentrations of total BAs in the small intestine. In summary, the effects of CAR activation on BAs in male and female mice are quite similar, with a marked decrease in the major BA T-CA in the liver.
Is surgical morbidity decreased with minimally invasive lobectomy

Non-small cell lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite recent advances in molecular characterization and targeted and adjuvant therapies, surgical resection remains the mainstay of curative treatment. Minimally invasive video-assisted thoracic surgery techniques, in particular video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy, are being increasingly utilized and championed over traditional thoracotomy approaches in the treatment of localized non-small cell lung cancer for the reported benefits of lower operative morbidity, accelerated postoperative recovery, and oncological equivalence. This article reviews the available literature comparing surgical outcomes of minimally invasive versus traditional open lobectomy with an emphasis on differences in surgical morbidity.
Rydberg-wave-packet evolution in a frozen gas of dipole-dipole-coupled atoms

We have studied the evolution of Rydberg wave packets in the presence of interatomic dipole-dipole interactions in a frozen Rb gas. Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are first laser excited to $ns$ Rydberg eigenstates. A picosecond THz pulse further excites them into coherent superposition states involving the initial-level and neighboring $np$ states. A second, identical, time-delayed THz pulse probes the wave-packet dynamics. As the wave packets evolve they are influenced by dipole-dipole interactions, predominantly pairwise excitation-exchange processes of the form $|s\ensuremath{\rangle}|p\ensuremath{\rangle}\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}|p\ensuremath{\rangle}|s\ensuremath{\rangle}$. The coherent electronic evolution of the ensemble dephases due to the variation in dipole-dipole coupling strength between atom pairs in the MOT. The experimental results are in good agreement with numerical calculations that simulate the interactions between nearest neighbors in a frozen gas.
Matching properties of conductive silver paste for LTCC inner electrode

The silver thick film was cofired with optimized glass frits formulations and MgSiO3-CaSiO3 green chip,the effects of different glass frits formulations on the microstructure,thermal properties,adhesion,linear expansion and electrical conductivity of prepared thick films were discussed.The matching performance of the silver paste with the substrate was studied.The results show that sintered thick films formulated by glass frits of SiO2-Al2O3-B2O3-CaO-Li2O are smooth,uniform and dense.The more content of Li2O in the glass frit,the lower the coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE) is.The lowest CTE is 18.482×10–6℃–1 when the mass fraction of Li2O is 6%.When the mass fraction of Li2O in the glass frit is 2%,the thick film presents the fine matching performance and favorable conductivity with the sheet resistance of 3.02 m?/□.
Curative Effect of Anaphylactoid Purpura Treated with Cimetidine

Objective To examine the effect of Cimetidine treatment on anaphylactoid purpura,and to provide a theoretical basis for its clinical applications.Methods In this study,64 cases with anaphylactoid purpura were divided into two groups including cimetidine group and adrenal corticosteroids group,and we evaluated the differences in their efficacys.Results Cimetidine treatment was significantly higher than adrenal corticosteroids treatment on anaphylactoid purpura(100% and 69.6%,P0.01).Conclusion Cimetidine could have reflected a superior efficacy in the treatment on anaphylactoid purpura,and may be selected as preferred drugs for anaphylactoid purpura in clinical application.
A Pharmacist-Physician Collaboration to Optimize Benzodiazepine Use for Anxiety and Sleep Symptom Control in Primary Care.

Introduction Benzodiazepines are prescribed inappropriately in up to 40% of outpatients. The purpose of this study is to describe a collaborative team-based care model in which clinical pharmacists work with primary care providers (PCPs) to improve the safe use of benzodiazepines for anxiety and sleep disorders and to assess the preliminary results of the impact of the clinical service on patient outcomes. Methods Adult patients were eligible if they received care from the academic primary care clinic, were prescribed a benzodiazepine chronically, and were not pregnant or managed by psychiatry. Outcomes included baseline PCP confidence and knowledge of appropriate benzodiazepine use, patient symptom severity, and medication changes. Results Twenty-five of 57 PCPs responded to the survey. PCPs reported greater confidence in diagnosing and treating generalized anxiety and panic disorders than sleep disorder and had variable knowledge of appropriate benzodiazepine prescribing. Twenty-nine patients had at least 1 visit. Over 44 total patient visits, 59% resulted in the addition or optimization of a nonbenzodiazepine medication and 46% resulted in the discontinuation or optimization of a benzodiazepine. Generalized anxiety symptom severity scores significantly improved (-2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): -3.57 to -0.43). Conclusion Collaborative team-based models that include clinical pharmacists in primary care can assist in optimizing high-risk benzodiazepine use. Although these findings suggest improvements in safe medication use and symptoms, additional studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
Ex-Post Mitigation Strategies for Breaches of Non-Financial Data

As the financial sector has gotten better at dealing with data breaches of payment card information, criminals have increasingly switched their focus to other targets. But the shift of large-scale data breaches to increasingly target non-financial data (that is, data other than payment card numbers and bank account credentials) has rendered long-standing strategies for mitigating the damage of these breaches ineffective. This paper explores avenues of ex-post defense and damage mitigation that apply to emerging types of data breaches that target non-financial data, including medical records, personal communications, and personnel records. The central research questions it aims to answer are: How do the costs of non-financial data breaches differ from those of financial data theft, and in the aftermath of breaches of non-financial data, what has been and can be done to protect victims from harm even after their data has been stolen? To answer this question, we analyze case studies of three organizations targeted in breaches of non-financial data reported in 2014 and 2015: the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Sony, and the health insurance company Anthem. We review the different ex-post mitigation strategies undertaken following each incident and discuss the reasons certain types of harm — including identity theft and fraud — provide many more opportunities for ex-post mitigation than other types of harm, such as humiliation and espionage. For each of these classes of harm, we discuss how defenders may try to limit the extent of those harms using mechanisms that fall into five broad categories of ex-post mitigation strategies: (1) limiting the value of stolen information to criminals, (2) drawing attention to the theft and thereby limiting the longevity of stolen information, (3) shifting or limiting liability and insulating specific classes of victims from harm, (4) limiting the spread or transfer of stolen data, and (5) identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the perpetrators.
The maximin fitness function for multi-objective evolutionary computation: application to city planning

A new fitness function, known as the maximin fitness function, is presented for multi-objective genetic algorithms. This fitness function directs genetic algorithms towards final generations that are both close to the universal Pareto front and diverse. The performance of a genetic algorithm with the maximin fitness function as well as with the traditional Pareto-ranking fitness function is compared on a real-world test problem from city planning.
Measurement and analysis system for the identification of shielded neutron sources

Accurate identification of radioactive materials is essential in areas such as nuclear nonproliferation, international safeguards, nuclear material control and accountability, and national security. Recently, a new application of a technique that acquires neutron pulse-height spectra using a liquid scintillation detector, a digitizer, and an optimized pulse shape discrimination technique was proposed. The method can be used for accurate identification of neutron sources such as Cf-252, Am-Be, and Am-Li. All these sources were investigated in combination with several shielding blocks made of polyethylene and lead. From the results it is apparent that source identification is possible by the data inspection of the measured pulse-height distributions. The general slope of the distributions can be used for the source identification, and all sources tested can be accurately identified. All measured pulse-height distributions were also compared to distributions simulated with the MCNP-PoliMi code and very good agreement was achieved.
Simulation of Lift Tab/Ramp Contact During Load/Unload

The lift tab/ramp interface in a hard-disk drive is investigated during load/unload. The von Mises stress on the ramp and the lift tab is determined as a function of the ramp profile, the friction coefficient, and the lateral motion of the lift tab. A step function like stress increase was observed, where the slope of the ramp changes discontinuously. A large reduction in stress can be obtained if the slope discontinuity is eliminated. Comparing simulation results with experimental wear results, we observe that maximum wear debris generation occurs at the location of largest maximum von Mises stress.