cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Taste Receptor Cell Responses to the Bitter Stimulus Denatonium Involve Ca2+ Influx Via Store-Operated Channels

Previous studies in rat and mouse have shown that brief exposure to the bitter stimulus denatonium induces an increase in [Ca2+]i due to Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores, rather than Ca2...
Widespread transcription of a Qa region gene in adult mice.

The mouse MHC class I family includes genes encoded in four regions: H-2K, H-2D, Qa and Tla. While K/D genes are well characterized, relatively little is known about Qa or Tla genes. We have studied the transcription of a B10.P Qa region gene. DNA sequence comparisons of the transmembrane region, supported by Southern blot analysis of cosmid and genomic DNAs from BALB/c and C57BL/10, demonstrate the lambda 3a gene corresponds to Q4p. In both Northern blots and RNA protection experiments using probes derived from the 3' noncoding region, we found that Q4, like the H-2K and H-2D genes, is widely transcribed in B10.P tissues. These data demonstrate for the first time widespread transcription of a Qa gene.
Market orientation of state enterprises during NEP

IN conjunction with economic reforms in the communist bloc, we observe a revived interest in the New Economic Policy. It is being recognized that the Soviet experiment in market socialism, roughly I921-27, was not merely a policy of transition but a well-defined workable system.1 As we compare the industrial organization of the NEP model with that of other economic systems tried under communist regimes, one feature stands out: state enterprises and, indeed, the entire productive network, had to function in the context of a market. This was true despite extensive and increasing constraints imposed by the new regime in the form of explicit laws and regulations. Even the structurechanging macroeconomic policies and the commitment to planning subsumed the market orientation of individual productive units in the system. Several studies have attempted to analyse the allocative process from the standpoint of an enterprise in different variants of socialism. Most notably, B. Ward has done pioneering work on the behaviour of the firm in the Yugoslav version of market socialism, and has analysed the implications of worker management on output, pricing, and allocative efficiency.2 For command economies, the modus operandi of socialized enterprises has received some attention in the West, and is becoming of considerable interest to the reform-minded economists of the com-
The effects of climatic variability on radial growth of two varieties of sand pine (Pinus clausa) in Florida, USA

Total ring, earlywood, and latewood master chronologies were derived for six stands (three of each of the two varieties) of sand pine (Pinus clausa) spanning the geographic breadth of the species extant range in Florida, USA. Climate/growth correlations, ana- lysis of extreme growth years, and multiple regression models were developed to relate growing season (current and lagged) monthly temperature and precipitation with interannual variability in sand pine growth increments. Four research hypotheses were evaluated: (1) Sand pine growth is more sensitive to variation in precipitation than variation in temperature. (2) Sand pine growth variation is linked to El Nino-Southern Oscillation warm- vs. cold-phase events. (3) Climate/growth relations are stronger for the peninsular (Ocala; P. c. var. clausa) variety of sand pine than the panhandle (Choctawhatchee; P. c. var. immuginata) variety. (4) Climatic signals are stronger for coastal populations (vs. inland) for both varieties. Precipitation (especially in the winter/spring season of current-year growth) was more strongly linked to sand pine growth than temperature, earlywood growth was significantly greater in warm-phase El Nino-Southern Oscillation years in four of the six stands, and climate/growth relationships were stronger in coastal populations. We found no consistent inter-varietal contrasts in the strength of climatic signals, although climate/growth relationships were distinctive in the two inland pan- handle stands, where canopy/understory interactions may partially obscure expression of climatic influence. We found greater sensitivi- ty to temperature in inland panhandle stands (especially in latewood series), but consistently strong growth response to precipitation in the other four stands (especially in earlywood and total ring series). Our findings extend the evidence for ENSO influence on terrestrial biophysical phenomena in Florida. sand pine / dendroclimatology / El Nino-Southern Oscillation / Florida
GRIP Strength Norms for Elderly Women

As part of community health screenings, the grip strength of 113 independently ambulatory women (M age=75.2 +/- 7.3 yr.) was measured. Norms derived from the measurements are presented and compared with (a) norms reported for similar procedures about 20 years ago and (b) values for disabled women.
Correlation of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-3 Messenger RNA With Protein Expression in Primary Breast Cancer Tissues: Detection of Higher Levels in Tumors With Poor Prognostic Features

Background: The insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding proteins (IGFBPs) regulate the actions of the IGFs by influencing interactions between the IGFs and the IGF receptors. IGFBP-3, one of the six known species of IGFBPs, is the predominant IGFBP in serum and is expressed by breast cancer cells. Compared with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive samples, ERnegative breast cancer cell lines and tumors express higher levels of IGFBP3. Therefore, expression of IGFBP-3 may be relevant in breast cancer biology, although it is unknown whether IGFBP-3 levels correlate with other breast cancer prognostic factors besides ER status. It is also not known how different methods used to measure IGFBP-3 in breast cancer correlate. Purpose: We measured IGFBP-3 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in breast tumors by different methods to test how these methods compare and to investigate the relationship between IGFBP-3 and breast cancer prognostic factors. Methods: We analyzed 40 human breast tumors and examined IGFBP-3 expression by ligand blot analysis, immunoblot analysis, immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), and ribonuclease protection assay. Another set of 40 breast tumors, selected according to ER and progesterone receptor (PR) status, S phase, and ploidy, was analyzed by IRMA. Results: In 26 (65%) of 40 samples in which RNA could be isolated, IGFBP-3 mRNA levels correlated with IGFBP-3 levels measured by IRMA (two-sided; P = .0001) but not with IGFBP-3 levels measured by ligand blot or immunoblot. Protein levels were highly correlated among all protein assays. Because the IRMA was more sensitive and accurate than the ligand blot and immunoblot assays, we used IRMA to examine IGFBP-3 levels in an additional 20 primary breast tumors with poor prognostic features (ER and PR negativity, high S phase, and aneuploidy) and in 20 tumors with good prognostic factors (opposite features). IGFBP-3 levels were threefold higher in tumors with poor prognostic features (mean ± standard deviation = 32.8 ± 25.2 versus 11.8 ± 9.7 ng/mg; two-sided; P = .003). Conclusions: These Findings suggest that in human breast cancer, IGFBP-3 mRNA and protein levels are correlated and higher levels of IGFBP-3 are detectable in tumors with poor prognostic features. Implications: IGFBP-3 may be involved in the regulation of breast cancer cell growth. [J Natl Cancer Inst 1996;88:601-6]
Phase Behavior of a Structurally Constrained Organic-Inorganic Crystal: Temperature-Dependent Infrared Spectroscopy of Silver n-Dodecanethiolate

Using temperature-dependent Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, we probe the molecular level, chain-structural dynamics associated with solid−solid transitions between 25 and 250 °C in a layered inorganic−organic silver dodecanethiolate, AgS(CH2)11CH3. Spectroscopic evidence presented here establishes two major transitions: the transition occurring at ∼130 °C is characterized by an abrupt, but fully reversible, change in the chain conformational order from an initial all-trans state to the one characterized by mixed or partial chain disorder. The observation of this phase transition is consistent with the previous predictions of a rapid and drastic change in the structural motif from an initial bilayer to the final micellar state. The second transition at about 190 °C, which is consistent with the previous assignment of micellar amorphous transition, is furthermore irreversible and represents thermal degradation of the material. Implications of these results for the general family of chain mo...
Mastocytic enterocolitis: increased mucosal mast cells in chronic intractable diarrhea.

Abstract Context.—In some adult patients with chronic intractable diarrhea, the diagnosis remains elusive even after detailed evaluations, and colonic or duodenal biopsy specimens may appear unremarkable on routine hematoxylin-eosin staining. Objectives.—To assess the concentration of mast cells in colonic or duodenal biopsy specimens by immunohistochemical analysis for mast cell tryptase from patients with chronic intractable diarrhea and to evaluate their response to drugs affecting mast cell function. Design.—Mast cells per high-power field were assessed in biopsy specimens from 47 patients with chronic intractable diarrhea, from 50 control subjects, and from 63 patients with other specific diseases that cause chronic diarrhea (inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, collagenous colitis, and lymphocytic colitis). Patients with chronic intractable diarrhea who had more than 20 mast cells per high-power field were administered drugs affecting mast cell mediator function and release. Results.—The mean...
Successful combined percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty and coronary angioplasty in two critically III patients

This report describes combined aortic balloon valvuloplasty and coronary angioplasty in two critically ill patients with aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease.
Partial Purification and Characterization of Biological Effects of a Lipid Toxin Produced by Mycobacterium ulcerans

Organisms in the genus Mycobacterium cause a variety of human diseases. One member of the genus, M. ulcerans, causes a necrotizing skin disease called Buruli ulcer. Buruli ulcer is unique among mycobacterial diseases in that the organisms at the site of infection are extracellular and there is little acute inflammatory response. Previous literature reported the presence of a toxin in the culture supernatant of M. ulcerans which causes a cytopathic effect on the mouse fibroblast cell line L929 in which the adherent cells round up and detach from the tissue culture plate. Here we report partial purification of a lipid toxin from the culture supernatant of M. ulcerans which is capable of causing the cytopathic effect on L929 cells. We also show that this cytopathic effect is a result of cytoskeletal rearrangement. The M. ulcerans toxin does not cause cell death but instead arrests cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle.
Pulse-power integrated-decay technique for the measurement of thermal conductivity

A pulse-power integrated-decay technique for the measurement of thermal conductivity of biological tissues is presented. A self-heated thermistor probe is used to deliver heat and also to measure the temperature response. Three-dimensional finite element analyses are used in this paper to design and optimize the technique. The thermal conductivity measurements from the computer simulations were in close accordance with the experimental data. An empirical calibration process, performed in glycerol and agar-gelled water, provides accurate thermal conductivity measurements. An accuracy analysis evaluated multiple experimental protocols using three solutions of known thermal properties. The results indicate that the thermal decay technique protocol had better accuracy than the constant temperature heating techniques. In vitro measurements demonstrate the variability of tissue thermal conductivity, and the need to perform direct measurements for tissues of interest. The factors that may introduce error in the experimental data are (i) poor thermal/physical contact between the thermistor probe and tissue sample, (ii) water loss from tissue during the course of experimentation and (iii) temperature stability.
Covalent modification of cell surfaces with TLR agonists improves & directs immune stimulation

We present a primary example of a cell surface modified with a synergistic combination of agonists to tune immune stimulation. A model cell line, Lewis Lung Carcinoma, was covalently modified with CpG-oligonucleotides and lipoteichoic acid, both Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. The immune-stimulating constructs provided greater stimulation of NF-κB in a model cell line and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells than the components unconjugated in solution.
MINOCYCLINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

The use of antibiotics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is certainly not a new practice 71,75 but one which has received renewed attention over the last few years because of the publication of several well-conducted studies on the use of minocycline for the treatment of this disease. 43,57,63,82 Despite these publications, rheumatologists in general remain skeptical about the possible beneficial effects of this treatment modality and many are reluctant to prescribe minocycline even to patients who would like to be treated with it. 62 Perusal of the most recent editions of rheumatology textbooks, the recently released Primer on Rheumatic Diseases , and an RA monograph 6,39,40,60,61 published after three major recent studies were completed, demonstrates the extent of this bias, as antibiotics in general, and minocycline in particular, are barely mentioned among the accepted or standard drugs currently available for the treatment of RA. Likewise, minocycline was not included as a treatment option in an algorithm for the treatment of various forms of RA recently developed by a highly selected group of American rheumatologists. 53 It is appropriate to critically examine the published literature on the efficacy of minocycline in patients with RA. The available data pertaining to this antibiotic in RA is now concisely reviewed. The use of this or other antibiotics for the treatment of other rheumatic disorders is not included. The reader is referred to available current literature on the subject. 2,3,8,9,33,42,49,52,67
State Intervention and Holy Violence: Timgad/Paleostrovsk/Waco

The following investigation considers three different historical cases that involved the siege of a dissident Christian community by the armed forces of the state. It is an exercise in comparative history. The incidents concerned are the siege of the Donatist basilica at Timgad in the year 419 by the forces of the late Roman state, the siege of dissident monasteries in seventeenth-century Muscovy in the year 1687-88 by forces of Romanov Muscovy, and the modern-day siege of the Branch Davidian site at Mount Carmel near Waco, TX, in 1993. These cases are investigated in order to delineate some of the common and diverging elements in the armed involvement of premodern and modern states in religious conflicts. The description and analysis is focused on the nature of the difference between premodern and modern states in their response to demands that they undertake coercive action against targeted religious groups. A particular concern of the paper is with the different ways in which structural salience-the jumping of violence from one level of the state to the next-happens, and how.
Cold Hardiness of the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract A classical biological control agent, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), is having both beneficial and detrimental impacts in North America. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cold hardiness of H. axyridis in North America. Supercooling points and survival at subzero temperatures of field-collected and insectary-reared H. axyridis were examined. The mean (±SE) supercooling points for eggs and pupae (i.e., nonfeeding stages) were −27.0 ± 0.18°C and −21.3 ± 0.52°C, respectively. The mean supercooling points for larvae and adults (i.e., feeding stages) were −14.17 ± 0.33 and −11.9 ± 0.53°C, respectively. Sex and color morph (i.e., red: f. succinea versus black: f. spectabilis) had no effect on the supercooling point of H. axyridis adults. Mean supercooling points of H. axyridis adults from Minnesota and Georgia were significantly lower during winter months than summer months. The mortality of H. axyridis increased significantly after individuals were exposed to temperatures below the mean supe...
Delirium after surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement is associated with increased mortality

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and clinical significance of postoperative delirium (PD) in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
SemSense: Automatic construction of semantic indoor floorplans

Availability of semantic-rich indoor floorplans; where places are labeled with their business names or categories; enables ubiquitous deployment of a wide range of indoor location-based services. In this paper, we present SemSense: a crowdsourcing-based system for automatic enrichment of indoor floorplans with semantic labels. SemSense exploits phone sensors data collected from users during their normal check-ins to location-based social networks (LBSNs) and combines them with data extracted from the LBSNs databases to associate a venue name with its location on an unlabeled floorplan. At the core of SemSense are different modules for handling incorrect location estimates, fake check-ins, as well as increasing the coverage of indoor venues by means of a novel category inference technique. Our experimental evaluation of SemSense using different Android phones in four malls in two cities shows that it can achieve a high semantic labeling accuracy of 87% using a relatively small number of check-ins at each venue in the presence of up to 50% erroneous check-ins. In addition, the proposed coverage extension technique leads to more than 27% enhancement in the places coverage ratio compared to the current LBSNs.
THE KINETICS OF THE REACTION WHICH TAKES PLACE BETWEEN IODOACETIC ACID AND GLYCINE.

1. The kinetics of the reaction which takes place between glycine and iodoacetic acid was studied by means of the polarographic method. 2. On the basis of kinetic equations, evidence was obtained that ( a ) The reaction proceeds in two steps in which the hydrogens of the amino group are consecutively replaced by the acetyl radicals, the velocity constants being in the ratio 2:1. ( b ) Only the anionic form of glycine is able to react since the velocity constants at any pH are proportional to the concentration of glycine anion. ( c ) The reaction is of the ionic type, showing a positive salt catalysis, which, according to Bronsted9s hypothesis, involves the primary and the secondary salt effects. 3. The fact that only the glycine anion is able to react was explained as being due to the existence of an unbonded pair of electrons on the nitrogen in the NH 2 group. The NH 3 + group, however, in which these electrons are shared by H + , must, therefore, be inactive.
The effects of microabrasion on demineralization inhibition of enamel surfaces

Microabraded enamel acquires a highly polished surface of mineralized tissue. The purpose of this study was to determine if microabraded enamel surfaces are more resistant to demineralization. Twenty extracted permanent incisors were used in the experiment. Four treatment modalities were investigated: (1) microabrasion in conjunction with a topical fluoride treatment, (2) topical fluoride treatment, (3) microabrasion, and (4) no treatment. All surfaces, following their respective treatment regimen, were stored in artificial saliva for 2 months and then exposed to an artificial caries system for 5 days. Teeth treated with microabrasion followed by a 4-minute application of 1% neutral topical sodium fluoride exhibited significantly less enamel demineralization when subjected to an artificial caries challenge than did teeth that underwent microabrasion alone, topical fluoride treatment alone, or no treatment at all.
Thoracic irrigation prevents retained hemothorax: a pilot study.

Abstract Background Upward of 20% of patients undergoing thoracostomy tube (TT) placement develop retained hemothorax (HTx) requiring secondary intervention. The aim of this study was to define the rate of secondary intervention in patients undergoing prophylactic thoracic irrigation. Methods A prospective observational trial of 20 patients who underwent thoracic irrigation at the time of TT placement was conducted. Patients with HTx identified on chest x-ray were included. After standard placement of a 36-French TT, the HTx was evacuated using a sterile suction catheter advanced within the TT. Warmed sterile saline was instilled into the chest through the TT followed by suction catheter evacuation. The TT was connected to the sterile drainage atrium and suction applied. TTs were managed in accordance with our standard division protocol. Results The population was predominantly (70%) male at median age 35 years, median ISS 13, with 55% suffering penetrating trauma. Thirteen (65%) patients underwent TT placement within 6 h of trauma with the remainder within 24 h. Nineteen patients received the full 1000-mL irrigation. The majority demonstrated significant improvement on postprocedure chest x-ray. The secondary intervention rate was 5%. A single patient required VATS on post-trauma day zero for retained HTx. Median TT duration was 5 d with median length of stay of 7 d. No adverse events related to the pleural lavage were noted. Conclusions Thoracic irrigation at the time of TT placement for traumatic HTx may decrease the rate of retained HTx.
Repeal Roth Retirement Plans to Increase National Savings

Roth IRA or 401(k) plans provide a tax exemption for profits generated under the plans. As much as $6,000 a year may be contributed to a Roth IRA, and as much as $22,000 a year may be contributed to a Roth 401(k). The author’s proposal would repeal the Roth plans to increase national savings. Roth plans have an ambiguous effect on private savings, because they can be funded with the addition or continuation of debt and because taxpayers reduce their savings in response to tax exemption for target avings, including savings for retirement. Roth plans also reduce federal revenue. Congress allowed taxpayers to convert to Roth plans starting in 2010, and it scored the conversions as producing federal revenue. A conversion from a regular plan to a Roth plan, however, is just a form of federal borrowing. Current cash to the government is offset by required revenue losses in the future. When taxpayers convert, they expect tax rates to go up or they have access to extraordinary returns, and the conversions are then an expensive and wasteful form of federal debt — unbudgeted and out of control.The proposal is made as a part of the Shelf Project, a collaboration among tax professionals to develop proposals to raise revenue. The Shelf Project is intended to raise revenue without a VAT or a rate hike in ways that will improve the fairness, efficiency, and rationality of the tax system. Now is the time for congressional staff work to be done to prevent the impending revenue crisis.
On the Use of Recursive Evaluation of Derivatives and Padé Approximation to Solve the Blasius Problem

The Blasius problem is one of the well-known problems in fluid mechanics in the study of boundary layers. It is described by a third-order ordinary differential equation derived from the Navier-Stokes equation by a similarity transformation. Crocco and Wang independently transformed this third-order problem further into a second-order differential equation. Classical series solutions and their Pade approximants have been computed. These solutions however require extensive algebraic manipulations and significant computational effort. In this paper, we present a computational approach using algorithmic differentiation to obtain these series solutions. Our work produces results superior to those reported previously. Additionally, using increased precision in our calculations, we have been able to extend the usefulness of the method beyond limits where previous methods have failed.
Aging and Insulin Secretion

Aging in mammals has often been associated with decreased insulin secretion and a subsequent deterioration in the ability to maintain glucose homeostasis. However, recent studies have demonstrated that factors such as disease, obesity, and physical activity more closely reflect diminished insulin secretion rather than aging per se. Thus, the purpose of this article is to review recent studies of how biological aging, i.e. the process independent of disease states such as type II diabetes, may affect insulin secretion. To this end, this review will address the impact of aging on insulin secretion in terms of in vivo and in vitro assessment, as well as possible age-related alterations in the hormonal and neural regulation of insulin secretion. Finally, this review describes some evidence that alterations in the functional heterogeneity of the beta-cell population may represent a means by which the endocrine pancreas is able to maintain appropriate insulin secretion during senescence.
Recombination-Independent Recognition of DNA Homology for Repeat-Induced Point Mutation (RIP) Is Modulated by the Underlying Nucleotide Sequence

Haploid germline nuclei of many filamentous fungi have the capacity to detect homologous nucleotide sequences present on the same or different chromosomes. Once recognized, such sequences can undergo cytosine methylation or cytosine-to-thymine mutation specifically over the extent of shared homology. In Neurospora crassa this process is known as Repeat-Induced Point mutation (RIP). Previously, we showed that RIP did not require MEI-3, the only RecA homolog in Neurospora, and that it could detect homologous trinucleotides interspersed with a matching periodicity of 11 or 12 base-pairs along participating chromosomal segments. This pattern was consistent with a mechanism of homology recognition that involved direct interactions between co-aligned double-stranded (ds) DNA molecules, where sequence-specific dsDNA/dsDNA contacts could be established using no more than one triplet per turn. In the present study we have further explored the DNA sequence requirements for RIP. In our previous work, interspersed homologies were always examined in the context of a relatively long adjoining region of perfect homology. Using a new repeat system lacking this strong interaction, we now show that interspersed homologies with overall sequence identity of only 36% can be efficiently detected by RIP in the absence of any perfect homology. Furthermore, in this new system, where the total amount of homology is near the critical threshold required for RIP, the nucleotide composition of participating DNA molecules is identified as an important factor. Our results specifically pinpoint the triplet 5'-GAC-3' as a particularly efficient unit of homology recognition. Finally, we present experimental evidence that the process of homology sensing can be uncoupled from the downstream mutation. Taken together, our results advance the notion that sequence information can be compared directly between double-stranded DNA molecules during RIP and, potentially, in other processes where homologous pairing of intact DNA molecules is observed.
Effect of New Fertilization Technology on Yield and Quality of Japonica Rice in Cold Region

Comparison of the new fertilization techniques and the conventional fertilization procedure(CK)was studied by Longjing 18 in Xinhe village in Qiqihar city.The results showed that the application amount in the new fertilizer technology was 22% less than the CK,while an increase of 634.5 kg·hm-2 and increase production rate of 6.1% were produced.Compared to the conventional fertilization,the processing quality of rice cooking and eating quality traits of the new fertilization techniques were not significantly different.Therefore,the new fertilization techniques can not only increase yield,but also has no obviously effect on quality.
Clinical observation of Magnesium sulfate on 46 cases of bronchiolitis

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect and safety of magnesium sulfate on bronchiolitis.Methods:92 children with bronchiolitis were randomly divided into the treatment group(n=46) and the control group(n=46) .Two groups received routine therapy,while the control group was treated with aminophylline,the treatment group was treated with magnesium sulfate.Results:The resolution time of clinical wheezing and hospitalize were obviously shortened in the treatment group compared with the control group(P0.01) .The improving rate of treatment group was significantly higher than that of control group,the figures were 76.1% and 45.7%,P0.01.The total effectiveness rate of treatment group was higher than that of control group too,the figures were 93.5% and 73.9%,P0.05.Treatment group had few side reaction occurred.Conclusion:Magnesium sulfate is cheap and have effect in the treatment of bronchiolitis,it has few side reaction and can be widely used in clinic.
Oxidation of Indene in Liver Microsomes

The oxidation of indene to trans-1,2-dihydroxyindane in liver preparations in vitro has been demonstrated. The reaction was mediated by liver microsomes of rats and rabbits in the presence of NADPH-generating systems. The oxidizing activity of the microsomes was markedly enhanced after pretreatment of the animals with phenobarbital. No cis-1,2-dihydroxyindane was found by methods which could have detected it at a level 0.5% of that of the trans-diol present in the reaction product. The cis-diol was not converted to its trans-isomer in the assay system. Indene epoxide was hydrated to trans-1,2-dihydroxyindane in the same in vitro system.
A Content Analysis of Prime Time Commercials: A Contextual Framework of Gender Representation

For this content analysis we recorded a sample of 1,337 prime time commercials from the 3 major networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) in 1998. There were 5,473 primary and secondary characters identified. Each character was coded for gender, age, acting role, and product being advertised. The findings were then compared to Bretl and Cantor (1988), the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 population statistics, and Mediamark Research and Simmons syndicated marketing services. The commercials' producers cast their female and male characters much the same way as was done in the 1980s. Although women make most purchases of goods and services, they are still underrepresented as primary characters during most prime time commercials except for health and beauty products. Women are still cast as younger, supportive counterparts to men, and older women are still the most underrepresented group. Television commercials perpetuate traditional stereotypes of women and men.
Design of Warped Stretch Transform.

Time stretch dispersive Fourier transform enables real-time spectroscopy at the repetition rate of million scans per second. High-speed real-time instruments ranging from analog-to-digital converters to cameras and single-shot rare-phenomena capture equipment with record performance have been empowered by it. Its warped stretch variant, realized with nonlinear group delay dispersion, offers variable-rate spectral domain sampling, as well as the ability to engineer the time-bandwidth product of the signal’s envelope to match that of the data acquisition systems. To be able to reconstruct the signal with low loss, the spectrotemporal distribution of the signal spectrum needs to be sparse. Here, for the first time, we show how to design the kernel of the transform and specifically, the nonlinear group delay profile dictated by the signal sparsity. Such a kernel leads to smart stretching with nonuniform spectral resolution, having direct utility in improvement of data acquisition rate, real-time data compression, and enhancement of ultrafast data capture accuracy. We also discuss the application of warped stretch transform in spectrotemporal analysis of continuous-time signals.
Deterritorialising Allegorical Realism: Witi Ihimaera’s The Trowenna Sea

Witi Ihimaera, New Zealand’s ‘pre-eminent Māori writer’ (Kennedy xii), published his first collection of short stories in 1972, making his the longest career of the six authors examined in this book. His oeuvre includes — among other work — historically informed novels, historiographic metafiction, and more traditional historical realism, as he engages with New Zealand’s colonial past and the experiences of Māori during 150 years of Pakeha domination. In an August 2002 interview he was asked to discuss his role as a Māori writer, and likened himself to ‘a modern Ulysses’, or Maui — ‘prefer[ring] a comparison with a hero from my own history’ (Meklin et al. 362). In a striking formulation, he suggested that his goal as a writer was ‘to locate or fix a Māori destination for all Māori who negotiate their lives through the postcolonial constructs of a universal reality and a hybridized world’ (362). ‘By advocating for this Māori destination’, he continued, by interrogating the processes that have sought to subjugate it, by prosecuting the primary imperatives that have endeavoured to marginalize it, I like to think I am fixing its center so that others who might not know where it is — like my daughters or Māori children of the future — can find it. (363) Ihimaera’s self-representation thus invokes many of the classical themes of postcolonial literary criticism, as he draws on the language of subjugation, marginalisation, and hybridisation to depict himself as a figure of resistance.
Deregulation and Competition as Control

The transfer of publicly owned businesses and assets to the private sector has become the main element in popular thinking about privatization. However, liberalization or the creation of alternative providers or suppliers in the marketplace, through the elimination of controls on individual action and the encouragement of new and more varied market entrants, has been consistently pursued. Liberal critics of privatization often call for more deregulation, particularly the promoting of product and service competition (Beesley, 1992, p. 15). Yet, these critics fail to appreciate the extent to which the Thatcher governments pursued liberalization and came to recognize the weakness of simply reducing barriers to entry. Instead, the government’s actively provided incentives for entry into competitive markets. Thus, in addition to property ownership and regulation, competition constitutes a distinctive means of indirectly influencing the way participants coordinate their actions.
Applications for directional modulation on a digital phased array

Whereas traditional beamforming concepts for phased arrays transmit the same signal content in all directions, shaped in magnitude by the array factor and element patterns, a phased array system employing directional modulation presented here forms a signal in a desired direction through spatial combination using a solution of randomized phase weights applied across the array. In a radar system application, these randomized phased weights are applied over many time segments of a radar pulse compression waveform. Matched filters trained on the spatially varying signal projected in a particular direction respond preferentially to the signals in these directions, while partial orthogonality with respect to the signal in other directions allows for directionally dependent responses to reflected returns from a target. Effective transmit patterns for these matched filter banks are shown. Additionally, coupling on the array as a function of scan angle and the randomized phase weights is characterized.
Solvent Polarity Governs Ion Interactions and Transport in a Solvated Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid

We explore the influence of the solvent dipole moment on cation–anion interactions and transport in 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl), [BMIM+][Tf2N–]. Free energy profiles derived from atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show a correlation of the cation–anion separation and the equilibrium depth of the potential of mean force with the dipole moment of the solvent. Correlations of the ion diffusivity with the dipole moment and the concentration of the solvent were further demonstrated by classical MD simulations. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering experiments with deuterated solvents reveal a complex picture of nanophase separation into the ionic liquid-rich and solvent-rich phases. The experiment corroborates the trend of concentration- and dipole moment-dependent enhancement of ion mobility by the solvent, as suggested by the simulations. Despite the considerable structural complexity of ionic liquid–solvent mixtures, we can rationalize and generalize the trends governing ...
On the plastic driving force of grain boundary migration: A fully coupled phase field and crystal plasticity model

Abstract Dislocations stored in heavily deformed materials play an important role in driving microstructure evolution. Here, we developed a full coupling model that concurrently couples the phase field method with crystal plasticity finite element analysis to study grain boundary (GB) migration under a plastic driving force. In our model, we describe multiple active grains in GB regions with crystal plasticity theory and use a weighted sum of their properties (i.e., stress and elastic/plastic potentials, etc.) to evaluate the plastic driving force for GB migration. The model can qualitatively capture the absorption of dislocations by mobile GBs through re-initialization of slip system resistances of newly active grains. A finite element based preconditioned Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov approach is used to simultaneously solve all the nonlinear partial differential equations for the coupled physics models. Determining model parameters and validation of the model are accomplished by simulating copper bicrystals and comparing the results to available experiments. This model provides a useful tool for effectively simulating GB migration in metals undergoing large plastic deformation. All the developments have been implemented in the MOOSE/MARMOT simulation package.
The association of toxicities and outcomes with circulating endothelial cells (CEC) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts) treated with bevacizumab (Bev).

e19012 Background: Bev in combination with chemotherapy (CT) is a standard treatment for pts with stage IV NSCLC. However, there are no established biomarkers to improve benefit-to-risk profile of therapy. CEC are a marker of vascular turnover. We hypothesized CEC may be associated with treatment outcome/toxicity. Methods: Stage IV NSCLC pts were treated with Bev along with CT of choice per clinician. CEC were measured at baseline and after 2 cycles of Bev-containing therapy. CellSearch (Veridex, New Jersey) was used to capture and quantify CEC via immunomagnetic and immunofluorescence techniques. CEC were enumerated as nucleated, CD146+/CD105+/CD45- cells in 4 mL of blood. For comparison, baseline CEC were also collected in 3 other groups; healthy subjects, stage I-III NSCLC, and advanced solid tumor pts. Chi-square tests and non-parametric methods were used to assess associations between CEC and pt/disease characteristics, toxicity, and proportional hazards models were used for comparisons of progressio...
Neuroimaging practices in very low birth weight neonates

Objective: Cranial ultrasound (CUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to detect brain injury in very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates. Our study attempts to determine the abnormalities found on physician-selected MRI compared to CUS findings and whether any infant characteristic can predict new MRI-detected abnormalities. Methods: Radiology reports of neonates admitted between 2010 and 2014, with birth weights between 501 and 1500 g, were retrospectively reviewed. We excluded infants who died or were transferred and those with a major congenital malformation. Reports were individually reviewed for pertinent positive findings. In addition, various perinatal and maternal characteristics were collected from the electronic medical record. Receipt of MRI and MRI findings were compared with respect to perinatal and maternal characteristics. Results: Out of the 605 VLBW neonates evaluated for the study, 94 infants received MRI. Among the infants with MRI, 43 (46%) had significant findings and 17 (18%) had new significant findings not found by CUS. The MRI did not detect any new intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and ventriculomegaly or cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Infants who had lower gestational age, longer length of stay, lower birth weight, and who had severe IVH, PVL, severe retinopathy of prematurity, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia had significantly higher odds of receiving MRI. Findings from MRI (exclusive or nonexclusive) were not significantly associated with any perinatal characteristic. Conclusions: Although routine use cannot be recommended, physician-selected MRI has a relatively high detection rate of exclusive findings and can potentially increase detection rate.
Bubble nucleation in magmas: A dominantly heterogeneous process?

Abstract Bubble nucleation is at the heart of magma ascent and degassing. Nucleation kinetics control how easily a magma exsolves its volatiles, and thereby its explosivity close to the surface. Homogeneous nucleation (i.e. without assistance from crystal substrates or other phases) often requires attainment of large supersaturation pressures (ΔPN > 100 MPa, the change in pressure required for onset of nucleation), while heterogeneous nucleation on pre-existing crystals can occur at significantly lower values (ΔPN
A Parallel Method for Earth Mover’s Distance

We propose a new algorithm to approximate the Earth Mover’s distance (EMD). Our main idea is motivated by the theory of optimal transport, in which EMD can be reformulated as a familiar $$L_1$$ type minimization. We use a regularization which gives us a unique solution for this $$L_1$$ type problem. The new regularized minimization is very similar to problems which have been solved in the fields of compressed sensing and image processing, where several fast methods are available. In this paper, we adopt a primal-dual algorithm designed there, which uses very simple updates at each iteration and is shown to converge very rapidly. Several numerical examples are provided.
Endothelin-1 Enhances Eicosanoids-Induced Coronary Smooth Muscle Contractility and [Ca2+]I by Activating a Protein Kinase C-Sensitive Ca2+ Entry Pathway

P151 Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary vasospasm by enhancing the coronary vasoconstrictor response to vasoactive eicosanoids; however, the cellular mechanisms involved are unclear. We investigated whether physiological concentrations of ET-1 enhance prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α )-induced coronary smooth muscle contraction by increasing [Ca 2+ ] i and the Ca 2+ mobilization mechanisms of coronary vasoconstriction. Single smooth muscle cells were freshly isolated from the left anterior descending coronary artery of castrated male pigs and labeled with the Ca 2+ indicator fura-2 or with antibodies to specific protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms. In Hank’s solution (1 mM Ca 2+ ), ET-1 (30 pM) caused a small increase in cell contraction (9%) and [Ca 2+ ] i (106±5 nM). PGF 2α (10 -7 M) increased cell contraction to 11% and [Ca 2+ ] i to 121±7 nM. In cells pretreated with ET-1 (30 pM) for 30 min, PGF 2α (10 -7 M) significantly increased cell contraction to 32% and [Ca 2+ ] i to 217±8 nM. Membrane depolarization by 24 mM KCl, which stimulates Ca 2+ entry from the extracellular space, caused 12% cell contraction and increased [Ca 2+ ] i to 152±6 nM. In cells pretreated with ET-1, KCl significantly increased cell contraction to 34% and [Ca 2+ ] i to 306±8 nM. In Ca 2+ -free Hank’s, caffeine (10 mM), which stimulates Ca 2+ release from intracellular stores, caused cell contraction (9%) and a transient increase in [Ca 2+ ] i (417±14 nM). ET-1 did not significantly affect the caffeine contraction or [Ca 2+ ] i . ET-1 caused significant translocation of α-PKC from the cytosol to the cell membrane, suggesting activation of the isoform. The PKC inhibitor Go6976 (10 -6 M) completely inhibited the ET-1 induced α-PKC translocation and the enhancement of PGF 2α − and KCl-induced cell contraction and [Ca 2+ ] i . Thus, ET-1 enhances PGF 2α -induced coronary smooth muscle contractility and [Ca 2+ ] i by enhancing Ca 2+ entry from the extracellular space, but not Ca 2+ release from intracellular stores. The results suggest that the enhancement of PGF 2α -induced Ca 2+ entry by ET-1 involves activation and translocation of α-PKC isoform.
Behavioral Screening Tests: Past, Present, and Future

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews behavioral screening methods and many of the issues surrounding their development and application. Behavioral screening tests are used to evaluate the functional status of an organism and the effects a chemical has on that functional status. Although functional assessments are now well established and widely used, their inclusion in toxicity testing evolved gradually. Early testing for toxicity was confined largely to a search for obvious effects: death, tumors, reproductive deficits, and birth defects. The prime characteristic of these early studies was postmortem evaluations of the structural integrity of organ systems. This chapter presents some preliminary remarks regarding terminology and the purpose of screening, followed by some historical antecedents to contemporary screening research. The chapter also describes screens that are used in neurotoxicology research, along with their general attributes and criteria for evaluating their utility. The chapter also covers quantitative analyses and interpretation, and incorporation of screening tests into a tiered-testing strategy, the topics that have not received much attention previously.
Breaking the Law of Small Numbers

See Article by Sax et al > I always avoid prophesying beforehand because it is much better to prophesy after the event has already taken place . > > —Winston Churchill Over 50% of all hospital admissions originate from the emergency department (ED), supporting the popular belief that the ED admits too many patients. Although the ED is the source of most admissions,1 the truth is most patients seen in the ED actually go home. Of 141 million annual visits to EDs in the United States, only 12.6% result in admission.2 When it comes to acute heart failure (AHF), however, the perceived reality is in fact true. The ED admits ≈85% of patients who present with AHF, accounting for ≈80% of the >1 million AHF hospitalizations per year.3,4 Many patients with AHF clearly require acute care; but is it truly 8 of every 10 patients? What do the data tell us? Unfortunately, little. Despite countless assertions that more patients with AHF should be sent home, supporting evidence is lacking.5,6 The most robust data come from our Canadian colleagues7,8; perhaps, we should simply extrapolate their data to the US setting. However, this highlights the surprising paucity of US data on outcomes of patients discharged from the ED with AHF. If we do extrapolate, current data suggest that patients discharged from the ED have worse outcomes than hospitalized patients!7 Our clinical gestalt to discriminate high from low risk seems poor. Unlike chest pain and the rule-out risk-scores or risk-stratification instruments for acute coronary syndromes, no universally accepted tools exist for AHF.9 Several promising ED-based AHF risk instruments have been proposed both outside and within the United States8,9 but are not ready for prime time. They either (1) have …