cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caveolar compartmentation of caspase-3 in cardiac endothelial cells

Endothelial cell apoptosis is intimately involved in the balance between blood vessel growth and regression and is promoted by numerous stimuli including angiostatin and endostatin, reactive oxygen species (ROS) released during inflammatory processes, and chronic use of drugs of abuse such as cocaine. Apoptosis is characterized by many biological signalling events, including the activation of caspases. Caveolar domains have been hypothesized to mediate apoptotic signalling. We have addressed this hypothesis in cardiac endothelial cells and here we show that caspase-3 proenzyme (32 kDa) and its activated counterpart (17 kDa) co-purify with low-density, caveolin-enriched microdomains and that caspase-3 can be localized with caveolae in intact cells using fluorescent microscopy. Disruption of caveolae results in temporal and spatial changes in enzyme activity. While caspase-3 has been associated with mitochondrial, cytosolic, and high-density regions, the co-purification of activated caspase-3 and caveolar domains reported here suggests the possibility that sarcolemmal caspase-3 may be targeted to plasma-membrane associated substrates.
Retrieving Unfamiliar Faces: Towards Understanding Human Performance

Face image retrieval is to find from a dataset all images containing the same person in the query image. Automatic face retrieval has seen fast development in recent years, although humans still appear to be the better performer on this task. This paper reports a study towards understanding human performance on retrieving unfamiliar faces. Wild Web face images are utilized in the study, and two experiments are designed to assess human performance and behavior on the retrieval task. The experiments help to identify a set of important features and also to understand how human behaved when facing the task of retrieving unfamiliar faces. Such observations/conclusions may provide guidelines for improving existing automated algorithms.
Skeletal muscle necrosis secondary to parathion

Abstract Twenty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were given daily ip injections of parathion for 2 weeks and sacrificed at regular intervals. The parathion induced histological evidence of skeletal muscle necrosis similar to lesions produced by paraoxon. The skeletal muscle necrosis is believed to be due to excessive acetylcholine. Adaptation is rapidly developed, this may be the result of progressive refractoriness of the end plate.
Systems Engineering Cost Estimation for Space Systems

The applicability of COSYSMO, a systems engineering cost model, is explored in the context of space systems through the analysis of two main assumptions. First, the WBS elements of the model are mapped to a prototypical WBS for space systems. Second, the life cycle phases assumed in the model are mapped to the phases outlined in the latest National Security Space acquisition policy. Through the analysis of these assumptions, the applicability of COSYSMO to space systems can be improved. Moreover, techniques for performing partial estimation of systems engineering by systems engineering activity and life cycle phase are provided to further the applicability of COSYSMO to space systems.
Electro-Mechanical Diode Performance and Scaling for Cross-Point Non-Volatile Memory Arrays

The performance and scaling behavior of an electro- mechanical diode non-volatile memory cell design is presented. Prototype electro-mechanical diodes are demonstrated to operate with relatively low set/reset voltages and excellent retention characteristics, and are multi-time programmable. Scaling to sub-20 nm feature size is projected. Due to its simplicity, this new cell design is attractive for implementation of compact (4F2) cross-point memory arrays.
Children's Singing Accuracy as a Function of Grade Level, Gender, and Individual versus Unison Singing

First through fifth graders' vocal pitch accuracy was examined as a Junction of grade level, gender, and the presence or absence of a unison accompanying voice. Subjects (N = 169) were tested indiv...
Clinical outcomes, angiographic patency, and resource utilization in 200 consecutive off-pump coronary bypass patients

Abstract Background . This retrospective study compared clinical outcomes and resource utilization in patients having off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) versus conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Angiographic patency was documented in the OPCAB group. Methods . From April 1997 through November 1999, OPCAB was performed in 200 consecutive patients, and the results were compared with those in a contemporaneous matched control group of 1,000 patients undergoing CABG. Patients were matched according to age, sex, preexisting disease (renal failure, diabetes, pulmonary disease, stroke, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, previous myocardial infarction, and primary or redo status. Follow-up in the OPCAB patients was 93% and averaged 13.4 months. Results . Hospital death (1.0%), postoperative stroke (1.5%), myocardial infarction (1.0%), and re-entry for bleeding (1.5%) occurred infrequently in the OPCAB group. There were reductions in the rates of transfusion (33.0% versus 70.0%; p p = 0.067) in the OPCAB group compared with the CABG group. Angiographic assessment of 421 grafted arteries was performed in 167 OPCAB patients (83.5%) prior to hospital discharge. All but five were patent (98.8%) (93.3% FitzGibbon A, 5.5% FitzGibbon B, 1.2% FitzGibbon O). All 163 internal mammary artery grafts were patent. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting reduced postoperative hospital stay from 5.7 ± 5.3 days in the CABG group to 3.9 ± 2.6 days ( p p Conclusions . Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting reduces hospital cost, postoperative length of stay, and morbidity compared with CABG on cardiopulmonary bypass. Off-pump coronary bypass grafting is safe, cost effective, and associated with excellent graft patency and clinical outcomes.
Effects of pyridoxine on dreaming: a preliminary study.

Szrmmary.-The effect of pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6) on dreaming was invchr~~~red in a placebo, double-blind study to examine various claims that Vitamin B-6 ulcreAses dream vividness or the ability to recall dreams. 12 college students participated in all three treatment conditions, each of which involved ingesting either 100 mg B-6, 250 mg B-6, or a placebo prior to bedtime for a period of five consecutive days. The treatment conditions were completely counterbalanced and a two-day wash-out period occurred benveen the three five-day trearment blocks. Morning self-reports indicated a significant difference in dream-salience scores (this is a composite score containing measures on vividness, bizarreness, emotionality, and color) between the 250-mg condition and placebo over the first three days of each treatment. The data for dream salience suggests that Vitamin B-6 may act by increasing cortical arousal during periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. An hypothesis is presented involving the role of B-6 in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. However, this first study needs to be replicated using the same procedures and also demonstrated in a sleep laboratory before the results can be considered certain.
Increasing Finance, Improving Schools

Much debate from many political sides has ensued to raise attention to the struggle state legislatures face over school finance issues. This study examines the changes in academic achievement, before and after increases in funding occur, to show that money does matter. The uniqueness of this study is that it examines per pupil funding and academic achievement test scores, Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), not at the aggregated school district level, but at the neighborhood school level. Using data from Dallas County public schools, we are able to see that even within school districts, as resources increase, achievement improves.
Quantum spin fluctuations for a distorted incommensurate spiral

Quantum spin fluctuations are investigated for the distorted incommensurate spiral state of a geometrically frustrated triangular-lattice antiferromagnet. With increasing easy axis anisotropy, the average reduction of the spin amplitude by quantum fluctuations is suppressed but the spiral also becomes more distorted. Quantum fluctuations enhance both the wave vector of the distorted spiral and the critical anisotropy above which it undergoes a first-order transition into a collinear state. An experimental technique is proposed to isolate the effects of quantum fluctuations from the classical distortion of the spiral. This analysis is applied to the elliptical spiral state of doped CuFeO${}_{2}$.
A Particular Difference: European Identity and Civilian Targeting

Recent scholarship has found identity variables to be insignificant predictors of civilian targeting in war. Drawing on the European origins of the law of war, this article argues that previous scholarship has neglected the one specification of ‘identity’ that is most theoretically justified for understanding civilian targeting: whether a European state is fighting a non-European state. This article replicates and extends three recent statistical analyses – Downes; Valentino, Huth and Croco; and Morrow – of civilian targeting by including a variable capturing whether a European state fought a non-European state. The study finds that civilian targeting, and non compliance with the law of war more generally, is significantly more likely in European v. non-European dyads than in other types of dyads.
High-order nonlinear solver for multiple roots

A method of order four for finding multiple zeros of nonlinear functions is developed. The method is based on Jarratt's fifth-order method (for simple roots) and it requires one evaluation of the function and three evaluations of the derivative. The informational efficiency of the method is the same as previously developed schemes of lower order. For the special case of double root, we found a family of fourth-order methods requiring one less derivative. Thus this family is more efficient than all others. All these methods require the knowledge of the multiplicity.
100-K superconducting phases in the Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O system.

Two superconducting phases, ${\mathrm{Tl}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{10+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ (2223) and ${\mathrm{Tl}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ca}}_{1}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}$${)}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ (2122), both with onset ${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{c}}$ near 120 K and zero resistivity at 100 K, have been isolated from samples in the Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O system. The new 2223 superconductor has a 5.40\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5.40\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}36.25-A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{3}$ pseudotetragonal unit cell. The 2122 superconductor, which appears to be structurally related to ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CaSr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$, has a 5.44\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5.44\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}29.55-A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{3}$ pseudotetragonal subcell. The 2223 phase is probably related to 2122 by the addition of extra calcium and copper layers.
Real-time analysis of composite magnetic nanoparticle disassembly in vascular cells and biomimetic media

The fate of nanoparticle (NP) formulations in the multifaceted biological environment is a key determinant of their biocompatibility and therapeutic performance. An understanding of the degradation patterns of different types of clinically used and experimental NP formulations is currently incomplete, posing an unmet need for novel analytical tools providing unbiased quantitative measurements of NP disassembly directly in the medium of interest and in conditions relevant to specific therapeutic/diagnostic applications. In the present study, this challenge was addressed with an approach enabling real-time in situ monitoring of the integrity status of NPs in cells and biomimetic media using Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Disassembly of polylactide-based magnetic NPs (MNPs) was investigated in a range of model biomimetic media and in cultured vascular cells using an experimentally established quantitative correlation between particle integrity and FRET efficiency controlled through adjustments in the spectral overlap between two custom-synthesized polylactide–fluorophore (boron dipyrromethene) conjugates incorporated in MNPs. The results suggest particle disassembly governed by diffusion–reaction processes with kinetics strongly dependent on conditions promoting release of oligomeric fragments from the particle matrix. Thus, incubation in gels simulating the extracellular environment and in protein-rich serum resulted in notably lower and higher MNP decomposition rates, respectively, compared with nonviscous liquid buffers. The diffusion–reaction mechanism also is consistent with a significant cell growth-dependent acceleration of MNP processing in dividing vs. contact-inhibited vascular cells. The FRET-based analytical strategy and experimental results reported herein may facilitate the development and inform optimization of biodegradable nanocarriers for cell and drug delivery applications.
Heterotrophic CO2 fixation by a bleached Euglena.

Abstract The distribution of carbon atoms from three carbon sources, bicarbonate, acetate, and succinate, has been determined in Euglena gracilis var bacillaris (streptomycin bleached) following 3 hr incubation. The distribution of carbon from bicarbonate is unaffected by the presence of acetate or succinate and is divided about equally between lipid and protein (40 per cent and 35 per cent respectively) with 15 per cent in paramylon and the balance divided equally between perchloric acid soluble components and RNA. This distribution is markedly different from that observed for photosynthetically fixed CO 2 in E. gracilis strain z [2] in which 42 per cent of the CO 2 carbon appears in paramylon in the same time period. The C-2 carbon of acetate is distributed principally in protein (65 per cent) and fat (15 per cent), while that of succinate is the reverse with approximately 25 per cent in protein and 40 per cent in fat. The use of a 5 per cent CO 2 -95 per cent air wash during incubation does not affect the distribution of the C-2 carbon of acetate, but it does influence both the amount of succinate taken up and the distribution of the C-2 carbon by increasing the perchloric soluble and protein fractions at the expense of the fat, RNA, and paramylon fractions making the distribution similar to that observed for the carbon from CO 2 . There is a marked difference in the distribution of labeled carbon in the subcellular components of Euglena when different labeled carbon sources are used. This distribution of C-2 carbon from succinate is affected by the use of 5 per cent CO 2 -95 per cent air during incubation. When carbon from bicarbonate is fixed in Euglena there is a major component found at a density of 1.25 that is not observed with the other carbon sources. The incorporation of CO 2 by homogenates of Euglena has been demonstrated and both the insoluble and soluble components of the homogenate are required for maximal fixation.
Effects of Zr on the high strain rate superplasticity of 2124 Al

Many years ago, Nieh and Wadsworth, reported an observation that a 0.6wt%Zr-modified 2124 Al alloy, which has a fine grain size of about 1[mu]m, behaved superplastically at 475 C at high strain rates ([approximately] 10[sup [minus]1]s[sup [minus]1]). The present paper is an extension of the above study, demonstrating the effects of Zr additions to an Al alloy on superplastic strain rates. The deformation properties of a 2124 Al alloy containing 0.6wt%Zr have been characterized. As a result of the Zr addition, the alloy has a relatively fine grain size ([approximately] 1[mu]m). At relatively low strain rates (< 10[sup [minus]2]s[sup [minus]1]), the fine-grained 2124-0.6Zr alloy behaves like conventional coarse-grained alloys, i.e., it deforms by a dislocation climb mechanism at elevated temperatures (approximately 425-500 C). At high strain rates, however, the 2124-0.6Zr alloy exhibits superplasticity, similar to that observed in SiC whisker reinforced 2124 Al composites. The maximum tensile elongation is about 500%, recorded at 475 C, and at a strain rate of 3.3 [times] 10[sup [minus]1]s[sup [minus]1]. The high strain rate phenomenon is consistent with the general trend observed in aluminum-based alloys, namely, an increased strain rate for optimal superplastic flow with a decrease in grain size.
Targeted coupon distribution using social networks

We propose to exploit online social networks in order to reveal user preferences such that goods and services might be targeted appropriately. We consider goods and services that are consumed periodically, and a user model where users could buy different numbers of goods at a marked ("high") price and at a discounted ("low") price. The problem is to identify users who are interested in the good, and to discount them sufficiently that the entire demand is realized, but not so much that revenue is compromised. Using techniques from "backpressure routing" used for control of multihop communication networks, we develop a multi-hop coupon forwarding scheme in which users are incentivized to forward the right number of coupons to appropriate neighbors such that the above target is achieved. We also develop a simple delay-based heuristic algorithm that also shows a near-optimal performance.
Monte Carlo simulation of x-ray scatter based on patient model from digital breast tomosynthesis

We are developing a breast specific scatter correction method for digital beast tomosynthesis (DBT). The 3D breast volume was initially reconstructed from 15 projection images acquired from a GE prototype tomosynthesis system without correction of scatter. The voxel values were mapped to the tissue compositions using various segmentation schemes. This voxelized digital breast model was entered into a Monte Carlo package simulating the prototype tomosynthesis system. One billion photons were generated from the x-ray source for each projection in the simulation and images of scattered photons were obtained. A primary only projection image was then produced by subtracting the scatter image from the corresponding original projection image which contains contributions from the both primary photons and scatter photons. The scatter free projection images were then used to reconstruct the 3D breast using the same algorithm. Compared with the uncorrected 3D image, the x-ray attenuation coefficients represented by the scatter-corrected 3D image are closer to those derived from the measurement data.
Russian drama and theatre in education: Perestroika and Glasnost in Moscow theatres for children and youth

Russian theatre for young audiences has had a long tradition of professional, state subsidised theatre, with a strong educational function specifically for young people. The primary task of the tiuz (teatr iunogo zritelia, theatre of the young spectator) was to contribute to the ideological and aesthetic education for future Soviet citizens. To that end, each theatre consisted of an artistic and an education division, which, ideally, shared the power and jointly decided the repertory. Also involved were the communist party division of each theatre and the Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment, which had the final say over the repertory and production. The repertory was directed towards three rigidly observed age groups (children, adolescents, and youth), each with its own mandatory plays. The educational section was headed by an ‘experienced pedagogue’ whose task was to maintain close links with the schools and other educational institutions and to guide the students in their artistic tastes and overall w...
Non-CPMG Fast Spin Echo with full signal.

The standard Fast Spin Echo sequence used in MR imaging relies on the CPMG condition. A consequence of this condition is that only one component of the transverse magnetization can be measured. To counter this, some phase modulation schemes (XY, MLEV.) for the pulse train have been proposed, but they are useful only over a very restricted range, close to pi, of the refocusing pulse rotation angle. Some other solutions not relying on phase modulation have also been suggested, but they destroy one half the available signal. Revisiting the phase modulation approach, J. Murdoch ("Second SMR Scientific Meeting," p. 1145, 1994) suggested that a quadratic phase modulation could generate a train of classical echoes. We show here that indeed a quadratic phase modulation has a very suitable property: after an adequate change of frame, the dynamic of the system composed of all the protons situated in one pixel can be seen as stationary. If the parameter of the quadratic phase modulation is well chosen, it is then possible to put the dynamic system in a combination of two suitable states and obtain a signal identical to the signal of a classical spin echo, at least for nutation of the refocusing pulse higher than, approximately, two radians.
Effects of Deicing Salts on the Clogging of Stormwater Filter Media and on the Media Chemistry

AbstractStormwater filter media (SFMs) play a vital role in decreasing flooding and preventing urban contaminants from polluting surface and ground waters. The infiltration rate of a SFM is a governing factor in the hydrological and environmental performance of the stormwater management systems. This paper describes the effect of a common deicing salt (sodium chloride) in reducing the infiltration capacity of two types of SFMs, which were prepared using a clayey silty sand, one with compost and another without compost. This paper also describes the effect of sodium chloride application in the release of zinc, calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and sulfur from the SFM, and whether their release was accelerated or reduced from the SFM with compost. Laboratory constant-head infiltration tests were conducted using sodium chloride (as the deicing salt) at concentrations of 150 and 1,200 mg/L. After conducting the tests for comparable cumulative pore volumes of infiltration, soil only SFM ex...
Novel use of a manual therapy technique and management of a patient with peroneal tendinopathy: A case report

Peroneal tendinopathy is an uncommon but underappreciated source of lateral hindfoot pain and dysfunction. There is a paucity of literature describing optimal intervention for those suffering with pain secondary to peroneal tendinopathy. The purpose of this case report is to describe the evaluation and treatment incorporating manual therapy and therapeutic exercise for a patient diagnosed with peroneal tendinopathy. The patient was a 50 year-old female with a history of chronic lateral ankle pain and whose presentation was consistent with peroneal tendinopathy. Despite attempts to improve pain and function with over-the-counter orthotics, manual therapy to a hypomobile talocrural joint, and strengthening of the peroneal tendons, successful response was not reported until a lateral calcaneal glide was added. Improvement in impairments (pain, talocrural dorsiflexion, unilateral heel raises, and Star Excursion Balance Test) and function (Lower Extremity Functional Scale and Global Rating of Change), were observed over a course of eight visits. The patient was able to return to work and her recreational work out routine without limitations. In conclusion a successful physical therapy intervention for a patient with peroneal tendinopathy included a unique manual therapy technique, the lateral calcaneal glide, in conjunction with other manual therapy techniques and a structured home exercise program.
Half-Time Honors Work in French: Theory, Practice, Results

Author's Summary— A short account of a tutor's experience with various types of Honors Work in French over a period of nineteen years, with special reference to the half-time program.
Calibration of paramagnetic thermometers using superconductive fixed points

Abstract A new method for calibration of paramagnetic materials is described. The technique consists of fitting the temperature-dependent mutual inductance of a coil set surrounding a paramagnetic material to a Curie Law using the superconductive transitions of several elements as thermometric fixed points. As a particular demonstration of this technique, the paramagnetic salt, cerous magnesium nitrate, was calibrated using the superconductive transitions of aluminium, zinc, and cadmium. The temperature scale obtained in this way was used in a study of the superconductive properties of iridium.
Yeast Cox11, a protein essential for cytochrome c oxidase assembly, is a Cu(I)-binding protein.

Cox11 is a protein essential for respiratory growth and has been implicated in the assembly of the CuB site of cytochrome c oxidase. In the present study, we demonstrate that Cox11 is a copper-binding protein. The soluble C-terminal domain of Cox11 forms a dimer that coordinates one Cu(I) per monomer via three thiolate ligands. The two Cu(I) ions in the dimer exist in a binuclear cluster and appear to be ligated by three conserved Cys residues. Mutation of any of these Cys residues reduces Cu(I) binding and confers respiratory incompetence. Cytochromec oxidase activity is reduced in these mutants. Thus, the residues important for Cu(I) binding correlate with in vivo function, suggesting that Cu(I) binding is important in Cox11 function.
Ligand affinity: multivalency counterbalances PEGylation.

In the drug delivery area, PEGylation has been used mainly to minimize protein adsorption to nanoparticle surfaces to extend plasma circulation half-lives. It has been understood that PEGylation reduces the drug bioefficacy, but the longer blood circulation resultsin anoverall increase in the drug activity. Receptor ligands are frequently conjugated to the distal ends of PEG chains for targeting cell recognition and for controlling the particle fate such as receptor-mediated cell uptake [1]. Although this strategy is frequently used in the field of nanomedicine [2], it is often overlooked that the attachment of a ligand to a polymer strand can severely affect its affinity to the receptor’s binding pocket. This phenomenon, which is widely known from many macromolecular drugs [3], has often been neglected for ligands that are attached to PEGylated nanoparticles. In this issue, Professor Goepferich and his team investigated the extent to which PEGylation altered a ligand’ sa ffinity and to what degree the multivalency of nanoparticles compensated for the affinity loss [4]. A small non-peptide antagonist for the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1), a receptor recently investigated for targeted drug delivery [5], was conjugated to a linear PEG molecule or PEGylated nanoparticles. PEGylation of the ligand led to a 600-fold affinity decrease. Conversely, whentheligandwasboundto thesurface of PEGylatednanoparticlesits high nanomolar affinity was regained. Because ligands grafted on nanoparticles can undergo multiple binding to several cell surface receptors simultaneously, the nanoparticle counterbalanced the affinity loss caused by PEGylation. Because of nanoparticle’s multivalency, a very large amount of free ligand was needed to displace the nanoparticles from the cell surface. The findingsbytheGoepferichteamhavetwomajorimplicationsfor active nanoparticle targeting: First, targeting ligands should be selected from a library of PEGylated ligands, and the selected ligand should have the lowest affinity loss upon PEGylation. This way, the affinity loss that results from the attachmentto thenanoparticle PEG coronacan be minimized. Second, if a ligand suffers from loss of affinity due to the attachment to the PEG strand, high nanoparticle avidity is absolutely necessary to establish strong interactions to the target cell. In the study by the Goepferich team, the surface grafting of PEGylated ligands were able to regain the high affinity, but this may not happen for other systems. In fact, different ligands at different surface density, and different PEG length may have different outcomes. Overall, a more in-depth characterization of nanomaterials seems mandatory to understand the intricate molecular interactions at the nano-bio interface. The effect of PEGylation has never been straightforward, and further advances in the PEGylation technology can be made only through better understanding of the impacts of PEGylation in each case.
The Urban Picturesque: An Aesthetic Experience of Urban Pedestrian Places

A major goal in contemporary urban design is to encourage pedestrian activity. Questions regarding the effectiveness of some pedestrian-oriented design proposals illustrate a need for more research in the pedestrian experience of urban places. In order to continue a constructive discussion of this topic, historically persistent, picturesque concepts of urban form were combined with recent ideas of environmental aesthetics from several disciplines in the form of a 'theory'. Once developed, the theory was explored through field studies incorporating the reactions and reflections of several individuals in a selective variety of urban settings in Dresden, Germany. The reactions and reflections were recorded through a combination of cognitive mapping and on-site interviews. The results, though limited, are supportive of some aspects of urban design aesthetics, but raise questions regarding the relationship of aesthetics and pedestrian behaviour.
Nuclease-resistant composite 2', 5'-oligoadenylate-3', 5'-oligonucleotides for the targeted destruction of RNA : 2-5A-Iso-antisense

A new modification of 2-5A-antisense, 2-5A-iso-antisense, has been developed based on a reversal of the direction of the polarity of the antisense domain of a 2-5A-antisense composite nucleic acid. This modification was able to anneal with its target RNA as well as the parental 2-5A-antisense chimera. The 2-5A-iso-antisense oligonucleotide displayed enhanced resistance to degradation by 3'-exonuclease enzyme activity such as that represented by snake venom phosphodiesterase and by that found in human serum. 2-5A-Iso-antisense was able to effect the degradation of a synthetic nontargeted substrate, [5'- 32 P]pC 11 U 2 C 7 , and two targeted RNAs, PKR and BCR mRNAs, in a cell-free system containing purified recombinant human 2-5A-dependent RNase L. These results demonstrated that the novel structural modification represented by 2-5A-iso-antisense provided a stabilized biologically active formulation of the 2-5A-antisense strategy.
Esophagectomy after anti-reflux surgery

Objective There are few data on whether prior fundoplication has an impact on subsequent esophageal resection and reconstruction. The aim of this study is to review our experience with patients undergoing esophagectomy after previous fundoplication. Methods Medical records were reviewed of all patients undergoing esophageal resection from 1988 to 2008 at the Mayo Clinic. Patients with a fundoplication before esophagectomy were compared with a matched control group who had esophagectomy alone. Results There were 2313 esophageal resections, and 80 patients had undergone at least 1 previous anti-reflux surgery. Indications for esophagectomy were benign stricture/perforation in 41 patients, cancer in 28 patients, and dysplasia in 11 patients. The surgical approach was Ivor Lewis in 38 patients, left thoracoabdominal in 29 patients, transhiatal in 10 patients, and McKeown in 3 patients. The conduit used was stomach in 70 patients, jejunum in 6 patients, and colon in 3 patients; 1 patient had a diversion and cervical esophagostomy only. Operative mortality occurred in 3 patients (3.7%). Postoperative complications occurred in 50 patients (62.5%), including anastomotic leak in 17 (21.5%). Sixteen patients (20%) required reoperation for complications. Complication, anastomotic leak, and reoperation rates were significantly higher in patients with anti-reflux surgery before esophagectomy compared with matched controls. Conclusion Esophagectomy after prior anti-reflux surgery is challenging, but the stomach is usually a suitable conduit for esophageal replacement. Patients with a history of anti-reflux surgery who undergo esophagectomy are at significantly increased risk for postoperative complications, anastomotic leak, and need for reoperation.
Generalized theory of fatigue crack propagation: Part I — derivation of thresholds

Abstract An energetic analysis of the fatigue crack propagation process has been carried out and it was found that there is a critical effective stress intensity range, ΔK°eff, below which it is energetically unfavorable for a crack front to move continuously normal to itself. It is proposed instead that, below this critical ΔK°eff, the crack front can advance through the lateral motion of ledge-like perturbations on its front in the manner of the low driving force motion of interphase and grain boundaries in phase transformations. Expressions for this critical stress intensity range are derived for noncrystallographic crack fronts and crack fronts suspected to be strongly constrained by crystallographic factors. The magnitudes of these critical stress intensities are discussed with regard to experimentally observed threshold stress intensity ranges.
Family Therapy for Drug Abuse: Review and Updates 2003-2010.

Just 15 years ago, Liddle and Dakof (Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 1995; 21, 511) concluded, based on the available evidence, that family therapy represented a "promising, but not definitive" approach for the treatment of drug problems among adolescents and adults. Seven years later, Rowe and Liddle (2003) review described considerable progress in this specialty with encouraging findings on adolescent-focused models based on rigorous methodology, as well as advances with adult-focused family-based treatments. The current review brings the field up to date with highlights from research conducted in the intervening 7 years, cross-cutting issues, recommendations for new research, and practice implications of these findings. Adolescent-focused family-based models that attend to the ecology of the teen and family show the most consistent and strongest findings in recent studies. Adult-focused models based on behavioral and systems theories of change also show strong effects with drug abusers and their families. The overarching conclusion is that family-based models are not only a viable treatment alternative for the treatment of drug abuse, but are now consistently recognized among the most effective approaches for treating both adults and adolescents with drug problems.
Clorsulon pharmacokinetics in sheep and goats following oral and intravenous administration.

Clorsulon was measured in plasma and urine of sheep and goats after administration of a single intravenous (i.v.) and after a single oral dose of 7 mg/kg. A three-compartment model with elimination occurring from the central compartment was determined to best describe the i.v. data, whereas a one-compartment model with a single exponential absorption phase best described the oral plasma data. The bioavailability of orally administered clorsulon was approximately 55% in goats and 60% in sheep. Peak plasma concentrations occurred at 14 h and 15 h after oral administration in goats and sheep, respectively. Absorption from the gastro-intestinal tract effectively prolonged the elimination of clorsulon by increasing the elimination half-life from 17 to 28 h in sheep and from 12 to 23 h in goats for the i.v. and oral routes, respectively. In both goats and sheep, approximately 50% of the i.v. dose was recovered in urine as parent drug at 48 h after administration, whereas 41% and 30% of the dose was recovered after oral administration for goats and sheep, respectively. The elimination rate constant (kel) in goats was nearly twice as large as the value determined in sheep, and the urea under the i.v. plasma curve in goats was only 63% of the value in sheep indicating that goats are more effective in their capacity to eliminate clorsulon than are sheep. These differences in drug disposition between sheep and goats may account for the reduced efficacy of clorsulon reported in goats.
Online image databases: usability and performance

The Promenade image retrieval system is described in terms of its design, development and architecture. Design, development and implementation issues are discussed in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. A preliminary usability study is presented and the data respiting from the preliminary study are analysed and discussed. Efficiency in terms of response time due to network delays, database processing, application processing and image characteristics and display is discussed. Response time results from 40 queries made to the image database are presented and discussed. The results of these studies demonstrate where improvements in the system need to be made in order to improve usability and response time.
A Comparative Study of Root Coverage Using Acellular Dermal Matrix With and Without Enamel Matrix Derivative

Background: The aim of this study was to compare root coverage using acellular dermal matrix (ADM) with and without enamel matrix derivative (EMD) on the percentage of root coverage, probing attachment level, and the amount of keratinized tissue in the treatment of localized recession.Methods: Eighty-two contralateral sites in 14 patients with ≥2 mm of Miller Class I or III buccal tissue recession were treated. Forty-one test sites were treated with coronally advanced flap (CAF) using ADM in conjunction with EMD, whereas 41 control sites were treated with CAF using ADM alone. A split-mouth design was used for this study with 82 sites. Patients were followed for 3 and 6 months. A paired t test was conducted with the subject as the unit of analysis.Results: Based on paired t tests, both groups had significant improvement in the percentage of root coverage, probing attachment levels, and increased keratinized tissue. Only keratinized tissue in the test group demonstrated a statistically significant greater i...
Cross sectional dimensions of wood pulp fibers from softwood fiber counts

There are, on the average, about 300 fibers or tracheids per centimeter in both the tangential and radial directions in cross sections of softwoods when the counts are made over complete annual rings with the extremes varying from about 200 fibers per centimeter for redwood to about 400 fibers per centimeter for Alaska yellow cedar. Fiber widths, including half of surrounding middle lamella, range from about 50 μm for redwood to 25μm for Alaska yellow cedar, averaging about 33 μm. Average lumen widths vary but slightly with changes in the specific gravity of the wood whereas the double cell wall thickness varies directly with the specific gravity. Effects of pulping to different pulp yields on the fiber dimensions are calculated with the use of two newly developed equations. The theoretical thickness of completely collapsed pulp fibers is equal to their double cell wall thickness. Complete collapse rarely if ever occurs as it requires double fractures of the cell wall. In practice, collapse of fibers is incomplete so their thickness is usually two or more times the theoretical minimum.
Rationalizations for State Violence in Chinese Politics: The Hegemony of Parental Governance*

This article asks why the Chinese state consistently resorts to violence when faced with domestic dissent. It concludes that both dissenters and state elites contribute to state violence by subscribing to the Confucian discourse of parental governance. Dissenters typically utilize moral suasion to argue for reform, while state elites respond with moral outrage. Underlying both discourses is the presumption that state-society relations reflect Confucian parent-child relations: i.e. filial children-subjects appealing for recognition from their benevolent but firm parent-officials. But filial piety inherently favours the authority of the parent-state over its children-subjects. Thus state elites feel justified in 'rectifying' dissenters whenever they question the ruling order. This deep-rooted source of Confucian hegemony must be addressed when considering democratization in China. Otherwise, 'democracy' in China will simply translate into '(authoritarian) business as usual'. For empirical evidence, this paper focuses on four protest movements from China's recent past: the Hundred Days' Reform of 1898, the May Fourth Incident of 1919, the March Uprising of 1947, and the Pro-Democracy Movement of 1989.
Differences in self-reported residential location by race, income and education: implications for epidemiologic surveys

This cross-sectional study examined associations between socio-demographic characteristics and the likelihood of providing residential location information during a telephone health survey. Participants in the Marion County Adult Obesity Survey, 2005, were asked to provide the nearest intersecting streets to their residence. We used logistic regression to investigate associations between geocoding outcomes and age, sex, race, educational attainment and household income. Not providing residential location information that enabled geocoding of a street intersection was associated with Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 0.30; 95% CI 0.22–0.41), black race (OR, 0.40; 95% CI 0.32–0.50), household income less than 200% of the federal poverty level (OR, 0.64; 95% CI 0.52–0.79) and older age. Differential associations exist between sociodemographics and providing residential location information. Although research aims are often better served by data that allows precise identification of a study subject's residence, subpopu...
More Than “Just the Facts”?: Portrayals of Masculinity in Police and Detective Programs Over Time

Despite television's capacity for socialization effects, quantitative research on the depiction of masculinity is scant. The current study employs content analysis methodology to examine several attributes of masculinity among major male characters in televised police and detective programs over time. Within a sample of 210 major male characters from 24 top-rated programs airing between the 1950s and the turn of the millennium, the analysis finds some movement across the decades toward more emotional expressiveness and less stoicism, although the latest decade examined, the 1990s, reverses the trend. Levels of physical aggression remained fairly consistent across the decades examined. Characters of color, who were severely underrepresented in the sample across all decades examined, were no more likely to be presented as “bad guys” compared to White characters, but did differ in terms of their lesser tendency to be shown in romantic relationships or to express affection.
Microphysics of aqueous droplets in clouds and fogs as applied to PM-fine modeling

Clouds and fogs transform atmospheric gases through gas- and liquid-phase chemistry, and cause the production of PM-fine aerosols. The aqueous-phase concentrations of pollutants in the clouds and fogs depend on gas-phase concentrations, their solubility, and mass transfer rates. Therefore, it is important to study cloud microphysics and dynamics to understand in what portions of an aerosol size distribution oxidation occurs during a supersaturation event, when and how it occurs, and as a result understand why chemical composition depends on droplet size. The growth rate of individual cloud condensation nuclei to cloud droplets is governed by the mass transfer equation which is traditionally expressed in terms of first moment change, i.e., rate of change of cloud droplet diameters. Since droplet aqueous chemistry is directly related to the liquid water mass, the third moment more fully elucidates their growth behavior. By viewing cloud activation in these terms, it is observed that some sections of the aerosol size distribution trade water thus limiting the time that a section may experience the aqueous chemistry. Three characteristic times explain the trading of water between different sections during the cloud's lifetime, and why transport to particles is fast or slow in different distributions.
Cadmium Regulates the Expression of the CFTR Chloride Channel in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal ranked seventh on the Priority List of Hazardous Substances. As a byproduct of smelters, cadmium is a prevalent environmental contaminant. It is also a major component of cigarette smoke, and its inhalation is associated with decreased pulmonary function, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ion channels, including the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), play a central role in maintaining fluid homeostasis and lung functions. CFTR is mostly expressed in epithelial cells, and little is known about the effect of cadmium exposure on lung epithelial cell function. We show that exposure to cadmium decreases the expression of the CFTR protein and subsequent chloride transport in human airway epithelial cells in vitro. Impairment of CFTR protein expression was also observed in vivo in the lung of mice after intranasal instillation of cadmium. We established that the inhibitory effect of cadmium was not a nonspecific effect of heavy metals, as nickel had no effect on CFTR protein levels. Finally, we show that selected antioxidants, including alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), but not N-acetylcysteine, can prevent the cadmium-induced suppression of CFTR. In summary, we have identified cadmium as a regulator of the CFTR chloride channel present in lung epithelial cells. Future strategies to prevent the deleterious effect of cadmium on epithelial cells and lung functions may benefit from the finding that alpha-tocopherol protects CFTR expression and function.
Affect-management and habit mechanisms in the modification of smoking behavior

Abstract The present study contrasted two major models of why people smoke. Tomkins' affect management model implies that positive and negative affect smokers may need to find alternate affect-management strategies to substitute for cigarettes in order to quit smoking. Hunt and Matarazzo's overlearning model suggests that treatment approaches directed toward the extinction of the overlearned smoking habit should be most effective. In order to decide between these models relationships between measures of habit in smoking, affect-management reasons for smoking and subjects' reliance on various self-control techniques were considered. A factor analysis of the 33 subjects in two smoking modification programs who were abstinent at follow-up revealed that their use of two of the self-control techniques—muscle relaxation and thought stopping—was positively related to indices of their smoking habit, but not to affect-management reasons for smoking. As predicted, no relationships were found between use of self-control techniques and either affect-management or habit for the 65 subjects who were not abstinent at follow-up.
Self‐concept clarity and responsiveness to false feedback

We examined the extent to which people high and low in helpful and honest self‐concept clarity use labeling to guide decisions about their behavior. High helpful self‐concept clarity participants in Experiment 1 who received feedback indicating they were helpful were more likely to assist a confederate who dropped some pamphlets than were those not receiving this feedback. Low helpful self‐concept clarity participants showed no change in behavior as a result of the labeling. A similar pattern was found in Experiment 2 when participants received feedback indicating they were high in honesty and then presented with an opportunity to admit they received too many credits for their participation. In a partial replication of the first experiment, high helpful self‐concept clarity participants in Experiment 3 rated themselves as more helpful after receiving the feedback, but low helpful self‐concept clarity participants did not. The pattern across all three experiments suggests people with a clear, well‐articula...