cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caffeine down-regulates β adrenoreceptors in rat forebrain

Abstract We studied the influence of caffeine treatment (50 mg/kg for 3 doses) on catecholamine utilization and adrenergic receptor binding in female rats. Caffeine enhanced the reduction in forebeain norepinephrine levels following α -methyl- p -tyrosine without altering the reduction in dopamine levels. Caffeine reduced the apparent number of β receptors in forebrain as measured by the B max for [ 3 H]dihydroalprenolol binding. No changes in α 1 or α 2 receptor binding, as measured with [ 3 H]prazosin and [ 3 H]clonidine, respectively, were noted. These data show that caffeine selectively increases the rate of norepinephrine utilization in rat forebrain and that this is associated with a small, but significant, reduction in β receptor density in this brain area.
COMING TO TERMS WITH LATERALITY

Abstract This commentary highlights the large and diverse vocabulary that is currently being used to describe human laterality. Although using some terms interchangeably appears reasonable, use of particular descriptors may warrant special attention in light of scope and context. Specific awareness is drawn to application of the terms specialization, lateralization, asymmetry, and dominance.
Numerical solution to the shearing flow of granular materials between two plates

Abstract We study the shearing flow of granular materials between two horizontal flat plates where the top plate is moving with a constant speed. The constitutive relation used for the stress is based on the continuum model proposed by Rajagopal and Massoudi (DOE Report, DOE/PETC/TR-90/3, 1990). The material coefficients such as viscosity and normal stress coefficients are based on the model of Boyle and Massoudi (Int. J. Eng. Sci 28 (1990) 1261). The governing equations are non-dimensionalized and the resulting system of non-linear differential equations is solved numerically using finite difference technique.
Orientation dependence of nitrogen supersaturation in austenitic stainless steel during low-temperature gas-phase nitriding

Abstract A hardened surface layer was produced on 316L austenitic stainless steel via low-temperature gas-phase nitriding. The effects of nitriding temperature, nitrogen activity and processing time were systematically studied. Concentration–depth profiling by Auger electron spectroscopy revealed very high levels (up to 25 at.%) of interstitial nitrogen in solid solution. This causes a lattice parameter expansion of up to 10% at the alloy surface. X-ray diffractometry revealed that the expansion – and thus the level of nitrogen supersaturation – strongly depends on the crystallographic orientation. We attribute this effect to the elastic anisotropy of austenite, exacerbated by a nitrogen-induced paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition.
Cardiac Failure in Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and Rescue with Extracorporeal Life Support

Extrarenal involvement manifesting in the cardiovascular system is a rare but potentially fatal complication of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Current treatment is aimed at cardiovascular supportive measures while awaiting organ recovery. However, there are cases in which this recovery never occurs, and patients succumb secondary to heart failure. We report two cases of severe cardiac failure in children in the acute phase of HUS and the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to support one patient to cardiac recovery. Clinicians should be aware of this potentially life-threatening cardiac involvement and should consider the use of ECMO for potentially salvageable children with HUS.
Hyperthermia induced by morphine administration to the VTA of the rat brain: an effect dissociable from morphine-induced reward and hyperactivity.

Abstract Morphine action at opiate receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the rat brain has been implicated in the production of increased locomotor activity and in morphine's rewarding properties. In the present experiments, bilateral administration of morphine (18 μg tapped into the tips of 28 gauge cannulae) into the VTA resulted in an increase in body temperature in rats. This effect was both reversed and blocked by a systematic injection of the opiate receptor blocker, naloxone, suggesting that it was due to morphine action at opiate receptors. The neuroleptic, pimozide, injected systemically four hours prior to morphine administration completely blocked the increased locomotor activity but had no effect on the hyperthermia. These data demonstrate that the hyperthermia was not brought about by the increased physical activity. Furthermore, these results suggest that while morphine-induced reward and increased locomotor activity may be mediated by an interaction of morphine and the ascending mesolimbic dopamine system, the hyperthermia is not. In an additional experiment, the effect of systemic inhections of the central neurotransmitter receptor antagonists, scopolamine, phenoxybenzamine, and methergoline, on the hyperthermia induced by morphine in the VTA was investigated. Only the serotonin antagonist, methergoline, attenuated the hyperthermia.
Toll like receptor-9 agonists stimulate prostate cancer invasion in vitro.

BACKGROUND Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) recognizes microbial DNA. In addition to immune cells, TLR9 expression has been detected in various cancer cells. We showed recently that TLR9 agonistic CpG-oligonucleotides (CpG-ODNs) induce matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13)-mediated invasion in TLR9-expressing (TLR9+) breast cancer cells. We investigated here TLR9 expression and function in human prostate cancer (CaP) cells. METHODS TLR9 expression was detected with Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Invasion was studied with Matrigel-assays. MMP-13 was assayed with ELISA. RESULTS Human CaP cell lines and clinical samples exhibit various levels of TLR9 expression. Treatment of TLR9+, but not TLR9− CaP cells with CpG-ODNs or bacterial DNA increased their invasion, which was inhibited with chloroquine. CpG-ODN-treatment also increased MMP-13 activity and neutralizing anti-MMP-13 antibody prevented CpG-ODN-induced invasion in TLR9+ CaP cells. Estradiol up-regulated TLR9 expression in LnCaP cells. CONCLUSIONS TLR9-mediated invasion may represent a novel mechanism through which infections promote prostate cancer. Prostate 67: 774–781, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Warranty-based method for establishing reliability improvement targets

Modern day competition in manufacturing requires producers to rely heavily on continuous quality improvement methods to remain competitive. Reliability being a significant element of quality is the primary means for making design and process improvements. Current reliability allocation methods to establish improvement goals focus on cost reduction but do not necessarily give due consideration to the relative impact of component cost. A method is presented that uses warranty burden rates as a weighting factor to develop component improvement goals. A sample application is given to illustrate application of the method.
Zwitterion Modulation of O2-Evolving Activity of Cyanobacterial Photosystem II

Photosystem II (PSII) is the only enzyme in nature that can catalyze the challenging catalytic photooxidation of H2O into four protons, four electrons, and O2. Slowing down turnover of the O2-evolving complex (OEC) is a plausible approach to gain mechanistic information on the reaction. However, modulating the kinetics of the reaction without perturbing the active site is a challenge. In this study, it is shown that the steady-state activity of cyanobacterial PSII is inhibited by small zwitterions, such as glycine betaine and β-alanine. We show that the binding of zwitterions is nondenaturing, is highly reversible, and results in the decrease of the rate of catalytic turnover by ∼50% in the presence of excess zwitterion. Control measurements of photoinduced electron transfer in O2-inactive PSII show that the inhibition by zwitterions is the result of a specific decrease in the rate of catalytic turnover of the OEC. Recovery of activity upon addition of an exogenous proton carrier (HCO3−) provides evidence...
The Vapnik-Chervonenkis Dimension: Information versus Complexity in Learning

When feasible, learning is a very attractive alternative to explicit programming. This is particularly true in areas where the problems do not lend themselves to systematic programming, such as pattern recognition in natural environments. The feasibility of learning an unknown function from examples depends on two questions: 1. Do the examples convey enough information to determine the function? 2. Is there a speedy way of constructing the function from the examples? These questions contrast the roles of information and complexity in learning. While the two roles share some ground, they are conceptually and technically different. In the common language of learning, the information question is that of generalization and the complexity question is that of scaling. The work of Vapnik and Chervonenkis (1971) provides the key tools for dealing with the information issue. In this review, we develop the main ideas of this framework and discuss how complexity fits in.
Closely spaced object resolution using a quantum annealing model

One of the challenges of automated target recognition and tracking on a two-dimensional focal plane is the ability to resolve closely spaced objects (CSO). To date, one of the best CSO-resolution algorithms first subdivides a cluster of image pixels into equally spaced grid points; then it conjectures that K targets are located at the centers of those sub-pixels and, for each set of such locations, calculates the associated irradiance values that minimizes the sum of squares of the residuals. The set of target locations that leads to the minimal residual becomes the initial starting point to a non-linear least-squares fit (e.g. Levenberg-Marquardt, Nelder-Mead, trust-region, expectation-maximization, etc.), which completes the estimation. The overall time complexity is exponential in K . Although numerous strides have been made over the years vis-`a-vis heuristic optimization techniques, the CSO resolution problem remains largely intractable, due to its combinatoric nature. We propose a novel approach to address this computational obstacle, employing a technique that maps the CSO resolution algorithm to a quantum annealing model which can then be programmed on an adiabatic quantum optimization device, e.g., the D-Wave architecture.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Ionization of the Carbon Acids 4′‐Substituted 2‐Phenyl‐1,3‐indandiones

The ionization kinetics of 1,3‐diketone carbon acids are slow relative to those of classical acids and bases. The ionization kinetics of three 4′‐substituted 2‐phenyl‐1,3‐indandiones, 4′‐chloro‐, 4′‐methoxy‐, and 2‐phenyl‐1,3‐indandione itself, were studied at 25° and ionic strength 0.1 using stopped‐flow spectrometry and a pH jump technique. A log k′obs‐pH profile for the approach to the ionization equilibrium was consistent with a reaction scheme postulated earlier for the ionization of another carbon acid, phenylbutazone. The percent enol versus diketo form of the acids and the pKaenol and pKadiketo were calculated from the kinetic data. Hammett plots of the various kinetic and equilibrium constants supported a mechanism for acid deprotonation consistent with proton abstraction being the predominant process when very weak bases such as water were the proton acceptors. Desolvation effects and the work required to get the two reacting molecules together in the correct configurations predominated when the proton abstraction was by stronger proton acceptors.
Multivariate optimization of a high brightness dc gun photoinjector

We have conducted a multiobjective computational optimization of a high brightness, high average current photoinjector under development at Cornell University. This injector employs a dc photoemission electron gun. Using evolutionary algorithms combined with parallel computing resources, the multivariate parameter space of the photoinjector was explored for optimal values. This powerful computational tool allows an extensive study of complex and nonlinear systems such as the space-charge dominated regions of an accelerator, and has broad areas of potential application to accelerator physics and engineering problems. In the present case, the optimized injector is simulated to deliver beam of very high quality (e.g., a rms normalized emittance of 0.1 mm mrad for 0.1 nC, and 0.7 mm mrad for 1 nC bunches). The field strengths of the active elements of the injector are moderate and technically practical. The relevance of these results to various novel linac-based accelerator proposals is pointed out.
Knickzone propagation in the Black Hills and northern High Plains: A different perspective on the late Cenozoic exhumation of the Laramide Rocky Mountains

Geomorphic research in the Black Hills and northern High Plains poses an intriguing hypothesis for the Cenozoic evolution of this salient of the Laramide Rockies. Most recently, geologists have appealed to late Cenozoic epeirogenic uplift or climate change to explain the post-Laramide unroofing of the Rockies. On the basis of field mapping and the interpretation of long-valley profiles, we conclude that the propagation of knickzones is the primary mechanism for exhumation in the Black Hills. Long profiles of major drainages show discrete breaks in the slope of the channel gradient that are not coincident with changes in rock type. We use the term knickzones to describe these features because their profiles are broadly convex over tens of kilometers. At and below the knickzone, the channel is incising into bedrock, abandoning a flood plain, and forming a terrace. Above the knickzone, the channel is much less incised, resulting in a broad valley bottom. Numerous examples of stream piracy are documented, and in each case, the capture is recorded in the same terrace level. These observations are consistent with migrating knickzones that have swept through Black Hills streams, rearranging drainages in their wake. We demonstrate there are two knickzone fronts associated with mapped terraces. Preliminary field evidence of soil development shows that these terraces are time transgressive in nature. Our data strongly suggest that knickzone propagation must be considered a viable mechanism driving late Cenozoic fluvial incision and exhumation of the northern High Plains and adjacent northern Rocky Mountains.
Cooperation and Coordination in an International Intervention: The Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Kosovo

In international interventions that encompass peacekeeping, democratic transition, and institution building, one organization cannot do it all. In Kosovo several organizations---the United Nations (UN), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the militaries (KFOR), and an international police force---formed a temporary network organization, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), in which they worked together cooperatively at every level to pursue the goals of the mission. This research, based on fieldwork in Kosovo with all the organizations in UNMIK, investigates how well the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) refiected the organizational structure and design of the mission. What does this experience tell us about the use of ICTs in an interorganizational setting? What does it tell us about information transfer and knowledge sharing in a temporary network organization that comprises organizations of diverse structure and culture? The information and communication infrastructure of UNMIK is examined to discover how well it met the organizational requirements of both the participating hierarchies in the mission and the emerging network organization. The question in Kosovo was whether the introduction and use of new technologies helped the organizations move from a hierarchical structure and culture to a more collaborative one.
Collisionless magnetic reconnection dynamics with electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility

Collisionless magnetic reconnection dynamics is considered by including the effects of electron inertia as well as parallel electron compressibility. A fluid treatment is adopted for both electrons and ions. Collisionless plasma dynamics properties near a two-dimensional X-type magnetic neutral line in the steady state are explored. The effects of electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility on the hyperbolicity (or lack thereof) of the magnetic field lines in the neutral layer are discussed. A unified linear tearing-mode formulation incorporating both electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility is given. The parallel-electron-compressibility branch is shown to couple in general to the electron-inertia branch in the presence of resistivity. A sufficient condition for linear stability in the Lyapunov sense for steady states of this collisionless plasma system signifying current confinement is deduced. Bounds on the equilibrium current gradient are shown to constitute sufficient conditions for nonlinear stability in the Lyapunov sense for steady states via nonlinear bounds for a suitable perturbation norm.
Treatment options for lupus nephritis: what lessons have we learned from the LUNAR study?

The LUNAR trial is a large, placebo-controlled randomized clinical study that compared ritux
Spread of an introduced parasite across the Hawaiian archipelago independent of its introduced host

SUMMARY 1. Co-introductions of non-native parasites with non-native hosts can be a major driver of disease emergence in native species, but the conditions that promote the establishment and spread of nonnative parasites remain poorly understood. Here, we characterise the infection of a native host species by a non-native parasite relative to the distribution and density of the original non-native host species and a suite of organismal and environmental factors that have been associated with parasitism, but not commonly considered within a single system. 2. We examined the native Hawaiian goby Awaous stamineus across 23 catchments on five islands for infection by the non-native nematode parasite Camallanus cotti. We used model selection to test whether parasite infection was associated with the genetic diversity, size and population density of native hosts, the distribution and density of non-native hosts, land use and water quality. 3. We found that the distribution of non-native C. cotti parasites has become decoupled from the non-native hosts that were primary vectors of introduction to the Hawaiian Islands. Although no single intrinsic or extrinsic factor was identified that best explains parasitism of A. stamineus by C. cotti, native host size, population density and water quality were consistently identified as influencing parasite intensity and prevalence. 4. The introduction of non-native species can indirectly influence native species through infection of co-introduced parasites. Here, we show that the effects of ‘enemy addition’ can extend beyond the range of non-native hosts through the independent spread of non-native parasites. This suggests that control of non-native hosts is not sufficient to halt the spread of introduced parasites. Designing importation regulations to prevent host–parasite co-introductions can promote native species conservation, even in remote areas that may not seem susceptible to human influence.
Implementation Of Adaptive Filtration For Digital Chest Imaging

Previous work has demonstrated the potential for adaptive filtration in processing digital chest images. The technique uses the histogram of the image to determine the pixels (and regions) in which edge enhancement is applied. This paper extends that work by investigating the choice of parameters used in selectively enhancing the mediastinum. The image is separated into its low and high frequency components by convolution with a square kernel. The effect of kernel size was studied with a choice of 17 x 17 mm, which was found to be sufficient to include the frequencies of interest. A serious deficiency in previous implementations of this technique is the existence of ringing artifacts at the juncture of the lung and mediastinum. These result in part from the use of a step function to specify the low frequency image intensity above which high frequencies are amplified. By replacing this step with a smoother (cosine) function, the artifact can be removed. Finally, the amplification constant was examined in light of its effect on both structure and noise in the image.
Higher Prevalence of Pharyngeal than Nasal Staphylococcus aureus Carriage in Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Sensitive detection of Staphylococcus aureus colonization is important for epidemiologic studies, infection control, and decolonization measures. We examined the sensitivity of nasal and pharyngeal sampling for S. aureus colonization in 331 children admitted to intensive care units. Pharyngeal screening was more sensitive than nasal screening (92.6% versus 63.1%, P < 0.0001).
An Assessment of the Utility of Suicide Prediction

Efforts to predict a future event assume varying levels of confidence depending on its base rate and the error rate of the prediction instrument. Most researchers working with suicide prediction instruments seem tacitly to assume they will be able to predict a future suicide most of the time. Applying basic decision theory on a neuropsychiatric hospital population indicates that researchers using a prediction schedule will be unlikely to predict a future suicide beyond a 20% level of efficiency. Contrary to the general clinical view, eliminating false negatives was shown to be more practical than eliminating false positives in increasing the efficiency of a predictive schedule.
The Rickettsial OmpB β-Peptide of Rickettsia conorii Is Sufficient To Facilitate Factor H-Mediated Serum Resistance

Pathogenic species of the spotted fever group Rickettsia are subjected to repeated exposures to the host complement system through cyclic infections of mammalian and tick hosts. The serum complement machinery is a formidable obstacle for bacteria to overcome if they endeavor to endure this endozoonotic cycle. We have previously demonstrated that that the etiologic agent of Mediterranean spotted fever, Rickettsia conorii, is susceptible to complement-mediated killing only in the presence of specific monoclonal antibodies. We have also shown that in the absence of particular neutralizing antibody, R. conorii is resistant to the effects of serum complement. We therefore hypothesized that the interactions between fluid-phase complement regulators and conserved rickettsial outer membrane-associated proteins are critical to mediate serum resistance. We demonstrate here that R. conorii specifically interacts with the soluble host complement inhibitor, factor H. Depletion of factor H from normal human serum renders R. conorii more susceptible to C3 and membrane attack complex deposition and to complement-mediated killing. We identified the autotransporter protein rickettsial OmpB (rOmpB) as a factor H ligand and further demonstrate that the rOmpB β-peptide is sufficient to mediate resistance to the bactericidal properties of human serum. Taken together, these data reveal an additional function for the highly conserved rickettsial surface cell antigen, rOmpB, and suggest that the ability to evade complement-mediated clearance from the hematogenous circulation is a novel virulence attribute for this class of pathogens.
Applying Social Marketing in Health Care: Communicating Evidence to Change Consumer Behavior

Social marketing uses commercial marketing strategies to change individual and organizational behavior and policies. It has been effective on a population level across a wide range of public health and health care domains. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of social marketing in changing health care consumer behavior through its impact on patient-provider interaction or provider behavior. Social marketers need to identify translatable strategies (e.g., competition analysis, branding, and tailored messages) that can be applied to health care provider and consumer behavior. Three case studies from social marketing illustrate potential strategies to change provider and consumer behavior. Countermarketing is a rapidly growing social marketing strategy that has been effective in tobacco control and may be effective in countering pharmaceutical marketing using specific message strategies. Informed decision making is a useful strategy when there is medical uncertainty, such as in prostate cancer screening and treatment. Pharmaceutical industry marketing practices offer valuable lessons for developing competing messages to reach providers and consumers. Social marketing is an effective population-based behavior change strategy that can be applied in individual clinical settings and as a complement to reinforce messages communicated on a population level. There is a need for more research on message strategies that work in health care and population-level effectiveness studies.
Increasing Perceived Efficacy for Teaching Mathematics: An Exploratory Study

This study explores pre-service early childhood teachers’ efficacy for teaching mathematics. Thirty-eight participants completed the short form of the Teacher Efficacy Scale and the Teacher Beliefs Scale before and after they conducted a clinical interview with a child around a mathematical topic. Results indicated a significant increase in Personal Teaching Efficacy as well as significant changes in beliefs about early childhood mathematics.
Self-control in pigeons under the Mischel paradigm.

Walter Mischel studied self-control in preschool children in the following manner: if the child waited for an interval to end, he or she received the more preferred of two reinforcers; if the child responded to terminate the interval by ringing a bell, the less preferred reinforcer was given. We used an analogous procedure to study self-control in pigeons: if the bird waited for a trial to end, it received the more preferred reinforcer; if the bird terminated the trial by pecking a key, the less preferred reinforcer was given. We explored the effects on self-control of a number of variables analogous to those studied by Mischel and co-workers, e.g., presence versus absence of reinforcers, of alternative responses, and of stimuli during the wait interval; prior experience of the subjects; and test paradigm. The results obtained with pigeons paralleled the results obtained by Mischel with human children.
Mutation analysis of disease causing proteins

Usually, a disease is caused by different types of mutation in proteins. These mutations could be any of or combination of missense/nonsense, splicing, regulatory, small deletions, small insertions, small indels, gross deletions, gross insertions/duplications, complex rearrangement, repeat variations, etc. In the present study, we explore the mutation pattern of nucleotide and amino acid in disease-causing proteins based on missense and nonsense mutations only. Some diseases are caused due to mislocalization of proteins to a location other than the target and this happens due to changes or mutation in targeting signals. In our study, we divided the disease causing proteins into two groups: Group-1 is composed of proteins that cause disease due to mislocalization and Group-2 is composed of proteins that cause disease without changing their localization. Proteins in Group-1 are called mislocalized proteins and those in Group-2 are called non-mislocalized proteins. Our results show that in both categories (mislocalized and non-mislocalized), 32% to 35% mutations happen to nucleotides C and G and 15% to 18% mutations happen to nucleotides A and T. This means that nucleotides C and G are more prone to be mutated by other nucleotides; nucleotides A and T are less prone to be mutated. In case of amino acid mutation, R is the most prone to be mutated by other amino acids in both mislocalized (15% of total mutation) and non-mislocalized (14% of total mutation) proteins. Our results also show that there is no correlation between hydrophobicity and number of mutation happen to an amino acid.
Mode Biases of Urban Transportation Policies in China and Their Implications

Urban transportation in China has experienced several major eras. The automobile is soon going to invade every corner of urban China with increasing taxi services and private automobile ownership at explosive rates. This paper reviews both retrospective and perspective analyses of urban transportation system and related policies. The retrospective examination of urban transportation development helps to understand why some policy makers in the major cities encourage or gear their infrastructure system toward private automobiles. However, a perspective analysis reveals that the private automobile may not be suitable as the predominant mode of urban transportation in China. Despite all the comfort and convenience the automobile provides, it will not serve the best interest of the commuting public in major metropolitan areas of China in terms of land use and affordability. The high density of the population, concentration of employment in specific areas, and clusters of residential locations, especially in those large metropolitan areas, will support mass transit service. The authorities should aggressively promote multimodal transportation systems that are anchored by transit services such as bus and rail, supplemented by paratransit such as jitneys and taxis. Private automobiles should be restricted to a small portion of urban commuting traffic.
Hydrogen and oxygen isotope values in hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is a widely used oxidizer with many commercial applications; unfortunately, it also has terrorist-related uses. We analyzed 97 hydrogen peroxide solutions representing four grades purchased across the United States and in Mexico. As expected, the range of hydrogen (δ(2)H, 230‰) and oxygen (δ(18)O, 24‰) isotope values of the H(2)O(2) solutions was large, reflecting the broad isotopic range of dilution waters. This resulted in predictable linear relationships of δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of H(2)O(2) solutions that were near parallel to the Meteoric Water Line (MWL), offset by the concentration of H(2)O(2) in the solution. By grade, dilute (3 to 35%) H(2)O(2) solutions were not statistically different in slope. Although the δ(2)H values of manufactured H(2)O(2) could be different from those of water, rapid H(2)O(2)-H(2)O exchange of H atoms eliminated any distinct isotope signal. We developed a method to measure the δ(18)O value of H(2)O(2) independent of dilution water by directly measuring O(2) gas generated from a catalase-induced disproportionation reaction. We predicted that the δ(18)O values of H(2)O(2) would be similar to that of atmospheric oxygen (+23.5‰), the predominant source of oxygen in the most common H(2)O(2) manufacturing process (median disproportionated δ(18)O=23.8‰). The predictable H-O relationships in H(2)O(2) solutions make it possible to distinguish commercial dilutions from clandestine concentration practices. Future applications of this work include synthesis studies that investigate the chemical link between H(2)O(2) reagents and peroxide-based explosive products, which may assist law enforcement in criminal investigations.
Genetic Q-Fuzzy Based Intelligent Control for Mobile Robot Navigation

This paper deals with the design and optimization of a Fuzzy Logic Controller that is used in the obstacle avoidance and path tracking problems of mobile robot navigation. The Fuzzy Logic controller is tuned using reinforcement learning controlled Genetic Algorithm. The operator probabilities of the Genetic Algorithm are adapted using reinforcement learning technique. The reinforcement learning algorithm used in this paper is Q-learning, a recently developed reinforcement learning algorithm. The performance of the Fuzzy-Logic Controller tuned with reinforcement controlled Genetic Algorithm is then compared with the one tuned with uncontrolled Genetic Algorithm. The theory is applied to a two-wheeled mobile robot’s path tracking problem. It is shown that the performance of the Fuzzy-Logic controller tuned by Genetic Algorithm controlled via reinforcement learning is better than the performance of the Fuzzy-Logic controller tuned via uncontrolled Genetic Algorithm.© 2004 ASME
Development of the Multicultural Therapy Competency Inventory-Client Version

This study reports the development of a thirty-two item instrument to assess clients’ perceptions of their therapists’ multicultural competence that can be used in couple, family and individual therapy. This instrument was developed through three phases: item generation and theme development, client feedback and evaluation of interrater reliability, and pilot and validity testing. We used Winsteps (Linacre in Winsteps Computer Program Version 3.21. MESA Press, Chicago, 2001) software to scale the measurement data to the Rasch Rating Scale Model, and evaluate the dimensionality, rating scale use, item fit, person fit, reliability and precision. We also created norms to interpret the measure. Preliminary data support the reliability and validity of the Multicultural Therapy Competency Inventory-Client Version (MTCI-CV). Additionally, we found that positive client perceptions of therapist cultural competence (on the MTCI-CV) significantly contribute to the probability of clients expressing satisfaction and goal attainment in therapy.
Gastric Fundic Gland Adenocarcinoma With Chief Cell Differentiation

A previously healthy sixty-six year old Caucasian man was referred for an outpatient upper endoscopy and colonoscopy for mild iron deficiency anemia. He had episodic heartburn for which he occasionally took calcium carbonate. He denied any weight loss. His family history was positive for colon cancer in his mother at age 74. He had a twenty pack year tobacco history but quit one year ago. His colonoscopy identified two small tubular adenomas. On upper endoscopy, his esophagus and duodenum appeared normal. On retroflexion in the stomach, there was an irregular 7mm erythematous polypoid lesion in the fundus (Figure 1). Image enhanced endoscopy with narrow band imaging identified increased vascularity and a gyrus-like mucosal pit pattern (Figure 2). Band EMR was performed after initial biopsy revealed dysplasia and the polypoid lesion was removed en bloc. Histologic examination (hematoxylin and eosin stain, Figure 3) revealed well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma with chief cell differentiation arising from oxyntic mucosa and invading into the superficial submucosa (arrows). Mucosal and deep resection margins were clear of carcinoma and there was no lymphovascular or perineural invasion. The patient did well post procedure and will undergo a repeat upper endoscopy within six months. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 While gastric adenocarcinoma is not an uncommon cancer worldwide, gastric adenocarcinoma with chief cell differentiation is a recently described rare epithelial neoplasm of the stomach with unique clinicopathologic characteristics. Unlike conventional types of gastric adenocarcinoma, which typically present with advanced, including metastatic, disease, gastric adenocarcinoma with chief cell differentiation may be a locally curable entity. The initial description in the literature was a case series of twelve Japanese patients.1 More recently, a second case series identified ten additional patients, two of whom were Caucasian.2 Like our patient, all reported patients to date had a solitary polyp, and in the majority, the polyp was located in the gastric fundus. Invasion limited to the submucosa was seen in the initial case series in the majority of patients, but was not identified in the second series, although in that study, specimens examined were superficial biopsy samples only and the submucosa was not evaluated. In both studies, none of the patients developed tumor recurrence or metastasis, leading authors to question if the term oxyntic gland polyp is more appropriate for this lesion, rather than gastric adenocarcinoma with chief cell differentiation. Regardless of the nomenclature, our case highlights that this rare variant of gastric adenocarcinoma may occur in non-Asian patients and emphasizes the utility of narrow band imaging and the importance of endoscopic mucosal resection, given the possibility of submucosal invasion and the ability to achieve curative resection of this rare and unique type of gastric neoplasm.
Alterations in antioxidant/oxidant gene expression and proteins following treatment of transformed and normal colon cells with tellurium compounds

The current study evaluated the potential of TeCl4 and DPDT to accumulate within cells and cause oxidative stress. HO-1, antioxidant gene expression and protein alterations were studied.
Archaeozoological Evidence of the Spotted Skunk in Illinois

East of the Mississippi River, the spotted skunk ( Spilogale ) is known to occur in Georgia, South Carolina, all of the Gulf Coast states, and northward in the Appalachians to south-central Pennsylvania. No spotted skunks have been collected north of the Ohio River, but on the basis of hearsay Howell (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 23:23-24, 1910) reported them in southern Illinois from Golconda and in southern Indiana from New Harmony, and Hahn (33d Ann. Rept, Dept. Geol. and Nat. Res. of Indiana, 1909) reported them from Knox …
Between the Brown and the Red: Nationalism, Catholicism, and Communism in Twentieth-Century Poland: The Politics of Boleslaw Piasecki . By Mikolaj Stanislaw Kunicki. Ohio University Press Polish and Polish-American Studies Series. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2012. xxix + 266 pp. $39.96 cloth; $28.95 paper.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Between the Brown and the Red: Nationalism, Catholicism, and Communism in Twentieth-Century Poland: The Politics of Boleslaw Piasecki . By Mikolaj Stanislaw Kunicki . Ohio University Press Polish and Polish-American Studies Series. Athens : Ohio University Press , 2012. xxix + 266 pp. $39.96 cloth; $28.95 paper.Book Reviews and NotesPolitical biography has fallen out of fashion, so Mikolaj Stanislaw Kunicki's fascinating biography of Boleslaw Piasecki is a welcome reminder of how the genre can provide insight into larger political issues. Between the Brown and the Red is also a reminder of the pitfalls of biography, which inevitably struggles to balance the role of the individual with the whirlwind of complex social, cultural, and political forces. While Kunicki is not always successful in striking this balance, the merits of this book far outweigh its shortcomings.Kunicki recounts the career of the Polish right-wing nationalist, sometime fascist, sometime communist, and always Catholic Boleslaw Piasecki. He was a remarkable--and despicable--political opportunist whose public career began in far right student movements of the 1930s and ended with his elevation to Poland's Council of State in the 1970s. As Kunicki convincingly asserts, Piasecki's story reveals "the persistence of the right and of the pluralistic rather than totalitarian nature of East European communism" (181).Piasecki's success came from his ability to position himself as a broker between the Catholic Church, the communist government, and, perhaps, Soviet influence. Piasecki was a devout Catholic, but his relationship with his Church was a contentious one. As the founder and leader of PAX, a lay-Catholic organization that championed an alliance between the Catholic Church and Poland's communist government, Piasecki struggled to retain influence with both institutions. When he championed communism, most notably in his 1956 book Essential Issues , he alienated the Catholic Church and barely avoided excommunication. Without his Catholic credentials, he equally risked losing influence with the Party, which tolerated his Catholicism precisely because it valued his influence with the Church. As he scrambled to retain influence in both worlds, his life became a metaphor for the struggle to balance nationalist, Catholic, and socialist forces in Poland.Piasecki's survival, and his persistent political influence for over forty years, is a testament to both his political savvy and his execrable opportunism. …
Studies on mechanism of ascites produced by pertussis vaccine.

SummaryRats sensitized and challenged intraperitoneally with pertussis vaccine developed severe ascites. However, pertussis vaccine that had been heated for 1 hour at 100°C neither sensitized rats for subsequent challenge nor elicited ascites in adequately sensitized rats. Unheated pertussis vaccine caused lesions in omentum, lymph nodes and spleen, and excessive gain in weight. These were not observed in animals injected with heated vaccine. Sensitization for production of ascites by pertussis vaccine was transferred passively to normal rats by intraperitoneal injection of lymph node cells but not serum obtained from sensitized rats. The results suggest that ascites elicited by pertussis vaccine resembles the delayed type of hypersensitivity and is not related to endotoxin.
Dimensions of Structure in Effective Organizations: Some Empirical Evidence'

A study of 19 manufacturing organizations revealed structural differences between relatively high and low performing organizations. Cluster analyses of the correlations among eleven measures of str...
Subsynchronous voltage modulation strategy exclusively for mitigating subsynchronous oscillation

Subsynchronous voltage modulation strategy for voltage source inverter (VSI) in parallel with system is presented, which is exclusively for subsynchronous oscillation (SSO) mitigation use. Approximate electrical damping provided by the strategy for suppressing subsynchronous resonance (SSR) induced by fixed series capacitor (FSC) is formulated by complex torque coefficient approach. The analysis result demonstrates that when the phase difference between system voltage of access point and subsynchronous voltage output of VSI satisfies some condition, VSI can provide positive electrical damping. And the related elements which influence the size of this positive electrical damping are analyzed. The controller of VSI is designed by dq transformation, which can mitigate SSO and maintain voltage on DC side of inverter by decoupled control. The simulation result with the methods of test signal and time domain simulation reveals that the subsynchronous voltage modulation strategy based on VSI in parallel can damp SSO effectively.
Infection status of HIV,syphilis,HCV among MSM and their behavioral characteristics in Zunyi city

[Objective]To understand the infection status of HIV,syphilis and HCV among MSM,and AIDS,venereal diseases related high risk behaviors,and provide evidence for developing AIDS control strategies and interventions.[Methods]By using cross-sectional study,the MSM living in urban was investigated by questionnaire.The blood samples were collected for HIV,syphilis and HCV laboratory testing.[Results]A total of 109 cases of MSM were investigated,the infection rate of HIV,syphilis and HCV was 10.09%,0.92% and 0.92%.The AIDS awareness rate was 96.33%.In the recent 6 months,the proportion of condom use for every homosexual buggery was 20.51%;that for every heterosexual intercourse was 7.70%.[Conclusion]The "knowledge-behavior separation" among MSM population is serious,condom usage rate is low.Therefore,it is necessary to further strengthen the behavioral interventions and control sexual transmission of AIDS and STD.
Whose tumor is this? FISHing for the answer

Errors in tissue handling and accessioning during procurement as well as in the laboratory occasionally occur; rarely these errors may result in specimen misidentification and therefore misdiagnosis. Tissue "pick-ups" or "floaters" are difficult to avoid in large, busy histology laboratories. While misidentification problems can usually be sorted out based on clinical history, they are occasionally problematic. We report two misidentified cases that presented to the Gastrointestinal Pathology Division at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a novel method that was used to correctly solve the problem.
Emerging Adults’ Expectations and Preferences for Gender Role Arrangements in Long-Term Heterosexual Relationships

Using vignettes as a data collection tool, the main purpose of this randomized, mixed-method study was to examine U.S. emerging adults’ (N = 451) expectations and preferences for five different gender role relationship (GRR) types: (a) male-head/female-complement, (b) male-senior/female-junior partner, (c) partner-equal, (d) female-senior/male-junior partner, and (e) female-head/male-complement. Respondents’ perceptions about their personal satisfaction if they were in such GRRs in the future also were examined, as were their perceptions of the effects of marital status and parental status of couples in the various GRR vignettes. Married couples were projected to have greater satisfaction than cohabiting couples, but couples with and without children were viewed similarly. Quantitative results suggest that emerging adults project egalitarian GRRs to be the most satisfying relationship type. Projected couple satisfaction and anticipated personal satisfaction were not dependent on couples’ marital or parental status. Qualitative results generally supported the quantitative findings, in that dual-career couple relationships were projected to be the most satisfying. Educators as well as premarital and marriage counselors may be able to use this information to help emerging adults consider and prepare for future relationships. Work/family policymakers also could use this information to tailor workplace and social policies to better reflect emerging adults’ views about GRRs in their future relationships.
Torchless: Asymmetry in a Shared Screen Dungeon Crawler

Torchless is a procedurally generated competitive dungeon crawling game where players have distinct asymmetric roles while sharing the same screen. Utilizing asymmetry, Torchless explores the relationship between players by experimenting with available information, player power, and player objectives.
Maintenance of Genome Integrity: How Mammalian Cells Orchestrate Genome Duplication by Coordinating Replicative and Specialized DNA Polymerases

Precise duplication of the human genome is challenging due to both its size and sequence complexity. DNA polymerase errors made during replication, repair or recombination are central to creating mutations that drive cancer and aging. Here, we address the regulation of human DNA polymerases, specifically how human cells orchestrate DNA polymerases in the face of stress to complete replication and maintain genome stability. DNA polymerases of the B-family are uniquely adept at accurate genome replication, but there are numerous situations in which one or more additional DNA polymerases are required to complete genome replication. Polymerases of the Y-family have been extensively studied in the bypass of DNA lesions; however, recent research has revealed that these polymerases play important roles in normal human physiology. Replication stress is widely cited as contributing to genome instability, and is caused by conditions leading to slowed or stalled DNA replication. Common Fragile Sites epitomize “difficult to replicate” genome regions that are particularly vulnerable to replication stress, and are associated with DNA breakage and structural variation. In this review, we summarize the roles of both the replicative and Y-family polymerases in human cells, and focus on how these activities are regulated during normal and perturbed genome replication.
Growth Reduction of Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) Seedlings Caused by Interaction with a Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid (Sudex)

Growth of Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) seedlings was significantly reduced when co-cultivated with living sudex (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench × Sorghum sudanese (P.) Stapf. cv. FFR 201) and when sudex leaf material was incorporated into the growing medium. The reduction in redbud growth could not be reversed with increased fertilizer rates. Increasing the amount of fresh ordried sudex incorporated into the medium reduced redbud seedling growth in a linear manner. Sudex leaf material placed on the soil surface as a mulch had no effect on redbud growth.