cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of eosinophil density change and leukotriene C4 generation by nedocromil sodium.

Abstract Nedocromil sodium (NS) has been shown to inhibit the late asthma response to inhaled antigen and to control symptoms in chronic asthma; in both processes the eosinophil is thought to be an important contributor. To understand the antiinflammatory actions of NS in asthma, its effects on three eosinophil functions were evaluated: (1) change in cell density during in vitro culture, (2) synthesis of leukotriene C 4 (LTC 4 ), and (3) generation of superoxide anion. In these studies normal density (>1.095 gm/ml) purified human peripheral blood eosinophils were cultured for 24 hours in 50% conditioned medium from cow pulmonary arterial endothelial cells. After incubation, 45.2% ± 8.0% of the eosinophils had a density less than 1.085 gm/ml. In the presence of NS (10 μmol/L), only 32.0% ± 7.5% became less dense ( p = 0.0393). In contrast, NS had no effect on changes in cell density after a 20-minute exposure of eosinophils to functional activators N -formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (0.1 μmol/L) or platelet activating factor (0.1 μmol/L). Furthermore, calcium ionophore-activated LTC 4 secretion was found to be significantly inhibited by NS (3.8 ± 0.6 ng/ml vs 2.4 ± 0.3 ng/ml with 1 μmol/L NS or 1.7 ± 0.6 ng/ml with 10 μmol/L NS, p
Perinatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke alters cell signaling in a primate model: Autonomic receptors and the control of adenylyl cyclase activity in heart and lung

Abstract Perinatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is known to have adverse effects on respiratory function in conjunction with changes in autonomic responses. In the current study, Rhesus monkeys were exposed to ETS during late gestation and in the early neonatal period. Hearts and lungs were examined for changes in β-adrenergic and m2-muscarinic cholinergic receptors, and for alterations in adenylyl cyclase activity. Whereas there were no changes in the heart, there was robust induction of adenylyl cyclase in the lung; previous work with prenatal nicotine exposure in rodent models has shown that adenylyl cyclase induction is associated with a shift towards predominance of cholinergic over adrenergic responses. These data indicate that perinatal ETS exposure evokes changes in cells signaling that they are selective for the lung and that may ultimately reflect adverse effects at the level of physiological function.
The market for credit default swaps: new insights into investors' use of accounting information?

The market for credit default swaps has developed into a well-functioning, global multi-trillion dollar market, wherein investors price and transfer corporate financial instruments on the basis of credit risk. This paper first summarizes the structure and growth of the market. Next, I introduce theory and evidence on how investors price credits risk and explain how the quality of financial statement information plays a unique role in the determination of credit spread. I then review the nascent empirical accounting literature on this topic. This review sheds light on several accounting research questions that might be understood better in the setting of the credit default swap market. The final section summarizes suggestions for future work.
Development of an optrode for intramural multisite optical recordings of Vm in the heart.

Introduction: Optical mapping of transmembrane potential (Vm) is an important tool in the investigation of impulse propagation in the heart. It provides valuable information about spatiotemporal changes of Vm that cannot be obtained by other techniques, but it presently is limited to measurements from the heart surfaces. Therefore, the goal of this work was to develop a technique for intramural multisite optical measurements of Vm using fiberoptic technology. Methods and Results: An optrode, a bundle of thin optical fibers, was developed for measuring intramural optical signals at multiple sites in the heart. The optrode consisted of seven fibers with diameter of 225 μm arranged in a hexagonal pattern that were used to deliver excitation light to the myocardium, to collect the emitted fluorescence, and to project the light onto a 16 × 16 array of photodiode detectors. Rabbit hearts were stained with the Vm-sensitive dye RH-237. Fluorescence was excited using a 100-W Hg lamp. Intramural action potentials were recorded at multiple sites separated by 2 mm inside the left ventricle. Signal-to-noise (RMS) ratio was 21.2 ± 12 (n = 7) without averaging or ratiometry and with negligible cross-talk (<1.9%) between the neighboring photodiodes. The size of the recording area for an individual fiber was estimated at approximately 0.8 mm. Conclusion: These data demonstrate feasibility of multisite transmural measurements of Vm without signal averaging and ratiometry. This technique might become useful in studies of transmural impulse conduction during arrhythmias and defibrillation. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 1196-1202, November 2003)
A New Acoustic Model for Valveless Pulsejets and Its Application to Optimization Thrust

Due to its simplicity, the valveless pulsejet may be an ideal low cost propulsion system. In this paper, a new acoustic model is described, which can accurately predict the operating frequency of a valveless pulsejet. Experimental and computational methods were used to investigate how the inlet and exhaust area and the freestream velocity affect the overall performance of a 50 cm pulsejet. Pressure and temperature were measured at several axial locations for different fuel flow rates and different geometries. Computer simulations were performed for exactly the same geometries and fuel flow rates using a commercial CFD package (CFX) to develop further understanding of the factors that affect the performance of a valveless pulsejet. An acoustic model was developed to predict the frequency of these valveless pulsejets. The new model treats the valveless pulsejet engine as a combination of a Helmholtz resonator and a wave tube. This new model was shown to accurately predict geometries for maximum thrust. The model was further extended to account for the effect of freestream velocity. Evidence is provided that valveless pulsejet generates the highest thrust when the inherent inlet frequency matches the inherent exhaust frequency.
Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 mosaicism

Trisorny 18 mosaicism was found in multiple primary cultures of amniotic fluid cells and subsequently confirmed by chromosome analysis of several tissues derived from the aborted fetus. The overall frequency of the minority cell line was 25 per cent in the amniotic fluid cultures and 28 per cent in the fetal tissues although much intertissue variations were noted.
THE SCORE ON MEDICARE REFORM : MINUS THE HYPE AND HYPERBOLE

With charges and countercharges about impending Medicare reforms at a feverish pitch, the substantive issues in the debate have become increasingly obscured. This highly charged climate has left most Americans confused about the consequences of the proposed changes and needlessly fearful about the future of a program that, by most measures, has been immensely popular with older adults and their families. With Medicare's trust fund facing insolvency by the year 2002 and pressure on the federal budget from the costs of Medicare Part B, which covers physicians' and outpatient services and is primarily funded directly from general revenue, the Republican . . .
OUR SHRINKING EARTH

The author focuses on how changes in the world are affecting membership to the Academy of Management. The author states that the Academy is becoming an international organization with spontaneous increases in non-U.S. membership. He comments that the world is shrinking, partly due to the development of management schools across the globe, and also the advent of the Internet which has allowed telecommunications to connect people from many diverse locales and allows for global collaboration. He states that dialectic processes are important for intellectual development and suggests that ideological differences assist in intellectual development.
Detecting malicious morphological alterations of ECG signals in body sensor networks

Body Sensor Network (BSN) -- a network of body-worn wireless health monitoring sensors -- have a tremendous potential to remove the space and time restrictions on health management. Given the importance of the data BSNs collect for improved health outcomes, securing the data from unauthorized tampering is essential. A compromised (or externally influenced) sensor in a BSN may generate erroneous patient data leading to, among other things, wrong diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, we present a novel approach to address the problem of detecting maliciously induced morphological alterations in the ECG signal (i.e., inducing changes to its shape). Our approach works by correlating the ECG signals with synchronously measured arterial blood pressure (ABP) signal measured using a distinct (and un-compromised) sensor. Initial analysis of our system demonstrates promising results, with 99.75% accuracy in detecting ECG signal morphological alterations for healthy patients with normal sinus rhythms.
Stereoselective formation and hydration of benzo[c]phenanthrene 3,4- and 5,6-epoxide enantiomers by rat liver microsomal enzymes.

Abstract The K-region 5,6-epoxides, formed in the metabolism of benzo[c]phenanthrene (BcPh) in the presence of an epoxide hydrolase inhibitor 3,3,3-trichloropropylene 1,2-oxide (TCPO) by liver microsomes from untreated, phenobarbital-treated, 3-methylcholanthrene-treated, and polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclor 1254)-treated rats of the Sprague-Dawley and the Long-Evans strains, were found by chiral stationary phase high-performance liquid chromatography analyses to be enriched (58–72%) in the 5S,6R enantiomer. In the absence of TCPO, the metabolically formed BcPh trans-5,6-dihydrodiol was enriched (78–86%) in the 5S,6R enantiomer. The major enantiomer of the BcPh 3,4-epoxide metabolite was found to be enriched in the 3S,4R enantiomer which undergoes racemization under the experimental conditions. The major enantiomer of the 5,6-dihydrodiol metabolite was elucidated by the exciton chirality circular dichroism (CD) method to have a 5S,6R absolute stereochemistry. Absolute configurations of enantiomeric BcPh 5,6-epoxides were determined by CD spectral analyses of the enantiomeric methoxylation products derived from each of the two BcPh 5,6-epoxide enantiomers. Optically pure BcPh 5S,6R-epoxide was enzymatically hydrated exclusively at the C6 position to form an optically pure BcPh 5S,6S-dihydrodiol. However, optically pure BcPh 5R,6S-epoxide was hydrated at both C5 and C6 positions to form a BcPh trans-5,6-dihydrodiol with a (5S,6S):(5R,6R) enantiomer ratio of 32:68.
Scattering from planar defects in metals

Abstract The scattering of electrons by stacking faults is formulated for both h.c.p. and f.c.c. structures using orthogonalized-plane-waves and time dependent perturbation theory. For highenergy electrons (several times the Fermi energy) ordinary diffraction is obtained, with transition amplitudes first-order in the lattice potential. This scattering is not specular. At lower energies, corresponding to the Fermi energy in polyvalent metals, only electrons with large angles of incidence are diffracted to this order. Electrons with small angles of incidence are scattered only to higher order in the potential and only into the specularly reflected state. At still lower energies, corresponding to the Fermi energy in monovalent metals, all electrons are subject only to higher-order specular scattering. Stacking faults in zinc are treated in detail. The calculation of the second-order transition rate for normally incident electrons shows that it is more important to take into account the interaction of the band structure with the defect scattering than to go to second order in the scattering by the defect potential alone. This latter contribution may be written in terms of residues at complex wave-numbers corresponding to Tamm waves originating at the stacking fault. Cross sections are obtained for several incident directions to illustrate first-order non-specular transitions, second-order specular transitions, and the scattering of band states at the zone faces.
CAD-based reconstruction of 3D polycrystalline alloy microstructures from FIB generated serial sections

This paper develops a robust CAD-based methodology for simulating 3D microstructures of polycrystalline metals using crystallographic input data on sections created by a focused ion beam (FIB)-scanning electron microscopy (SEM) system. The method is able to construct consistent polycrystalline microstructures with control on the resolution necessary for meaningful computational analysis in microstructure-property estimation. The microstructure simulation methodology is based on a hierarchical geometrical representation using primitives used in CAD modeling. It involves steps of data cleanup, interface point identification, polynomial and NURBS function-based parametric surface segments construction, generalized cell decomposition, geometric defeaturing, and gap and overlap removal. The implementation of the entire procedure described above is performed with the aid of user-programming facilities of a commercial CAD package Unigraphics NX3. The microstructure simulation algorithm is validated using various error criteria and measures for an extracted microstructure of a nickel superalloy.
Paramagnetic Cu(II) for probing membrane protein structure and function: inhibition mechanism of the influenza M2 proton channel.

Paramagnetic Cu(II) ions enhance nuclear spin relaxation in a distance-dependent fashion and can be used as a structural probe of proteins. Cu(II) can also serve as a functionally important ligand in proteins. Here we investigate the structural basis of Cu(II) inhibition of the influenza M2 proton channel through Cu(II)-induced paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE). 13C T1 relaxation rates of the central residues of the transmembrane (TM) domain of M2 are significantly enhanced by Cu(II), and pronounced spectral broadening is observed for the proton-selective residue, His37. These data yielded quantitative distances of 13C spins to the Cu(II) center and identified the Cu(II) binding site to be Ne2 of His37. This binding site is surrounded by four imidazole rings from the top and four indole rings of Trp41 from the bottom, thus explaining the high affinity of Cu(II) binding. Bound at this location, Cu(II) can inhibit proton currents by perturbing histidine–water proton exchange, preventing histidine co...
Longitudinal Influence of Paternal Distress on Children’s Representations of Fathers, Family Cohesion, and Family Conflict

A parent’s distress is known to color children’s experiences of their families. Studies, however, have rarely focused on the levels of distress experienced by fathers, and in particular, as they affect the emotional experiences of their children. We examine the impact that fathers’ experience of distress throughout their children’s early years has on children’s emerging narrative representations of father-child relationships and of family conflict and cohesion. In this longitudinal investigation, fathers of young children reported their distress on two occasions in relation to self, the marital relationship, and the family climate. Fathers also concurrently reported on their children’s temperament, specifically negative emotionality. Children responded to story stem beginnings about challenging situations in the family and their narratives were scored for dysregulated negative-disciplinary and positive parental behaviors of fathers, family conflict themes, and family harmony themes. It was hypothesized that children of more distressed fathers would represent greater dysregulated fathering and higher levels of family conflict, and lower levels of positive fathering and family harmony than children of less distressed fathers. Further, the study examined whether this effect was mediated through the fathers’ reports of their children’s negative emotionality. Results partially supported the hypothesized direct and indirect effects. Children’s narratives of negative-disciplinary fathering and family conflict were more common in boys when fathers reported greater distress, and temperament ratings fully mediated this effect. However, their narratives of positive fathering and family harmony were not significantly affected. That positive family features were preserved in children’s narratives even in the face of greater father distress suggests that families may be able to build resilience to internalized distress through these positive narrative features.
Does increasing the beer tax reduce marijuana consumption

Previous studies suggest that alcohol and marijuana are economic substitutes, so recent policies restricting the availability of alcohol have led to an increase in the amount of marijuana consumed. Using micro-level data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to estimate individual demand equations for alcohol and marijuana, this research finds that alcohol and marijuana are economic complements, not substitutes. Further, this research finds that increases in the federal tax on beer will generate a larger reduction in the unconditional demand for marijuana than for alcohol in percentage terms.
Stealing science's clothes

Conjuring Science: Scientific Symbols and Cultural Meanings in American Life. By Christopher P. Tourney. Rutgers University Press: 1996. Pp. 197. $47 (hbk); $16.95 (pbk).
Predicted Efficiency of a Low-Temperature Nanofluid-Based Direct Absorption Solar Collector

Due to its renewable and nonpolluting nature, solar energy is often used in applications such as electricity generation, thermal heating, and chemical processing. The most cost-effective solar heaters are of the "flat-plate" type, but these suffer from relatively low efficiency and outlet temperatures. The present study theoretically investigates the feasibility of using a nonconcentrating direct absorption solar collector (DAC) and compares its performance with that of a typical flat-plate collector. Here a nanofluid-a mixture of water and aluminum nanoparticles—is used as the absorbing medium. A two-dimensional heat transfer analysis was developed in which direct sunlight was incident on a thin flowing film of nanofluid. The effects of absorption and scattering within the nanofluid were accounted for. In order to evaluate the temperature profile and intensity distribution within the nanofluid, the energy balance equation and heat transport equation were solved numerically. It was observed that the presence of nanoparticles increases the absorption of incident radiation by more than nine times over that of pure water. According to the results obtained from this study, under similar operating conditions, the efficiency of a DA C using nanofluid as the working fluid is found to be up to 10% higher (on an absolute basis) than that of a flat-plate collector. Generally a DAC using nanofluids as the working fluid performs better than a flat-plate collector, however, much better designed flat-plate collectors might be able to match or outperform a nanofluids based DAC under certain conditions.
The degradation of hydroxyl-L-lysine in liver via its phosphate ester

Abstract From an incubation mixture of rat liver extract and 5-hydroxy-L-lysine, two products were isolated and identified as O-phosphohydroxylysine and 2-aminoadipate. The formation of the phosphate ester of hydroxylysine was dependent upon the presence of ATP or GTP. O-phosphohydroxylysine was converted to 2-aminoadipate in the presence of pyridoxal-5-phosphate and NAD+ or NADP+. On the basis of these findings and supporting data from in vivo experiments, the liver degradation of hydroxy-L-lysine is postulated to proceed by a reduction at C5 and oxidation at C6 via a phosphate ester to give 2-aminoadipic semialdehyde and subsequent oxidation to 2-aminoadipate.
Applications of Shannon Information and Statistical Estimation Theory to Inverse Problems in Imaging

We apply statistical information and estimation theories to derive fundamental Bayesian bounds on image recovery from noisy data for two highly simplified imaging problems, namely single-pixel source localization and a two-pixel correlated image.
Comment on “The self as a problem”: alternative conceptions of the multiple self

Abstract A recent article by Moldoveanu and Stevenson [J. Socio-Econ. 30 (2001) 295] viewed the “multiple self” as a problem, resulting in conflict and incoherence in the cognitive processes of the individual. The present Comment suggests that a multiple self can be conceptualized as analogous to a small group which may result in better and more rational decisions than a single individual. A multiple self may, therefore, fit the concept of economic man better than a unified self.
Epidemiology and risk factors for infections in myelodysplastic syndromes

We conducted a case-control study to describe the epidemiology and risk factors for infections requiring hospitalization in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Of 497 patients identified, 103 patients developed 201 episodes of infection. The probability of acquiring an infection 1 year from date of MDS diagnosis was 15% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12-18%). Patients developing infections had decreased survival compared to those who did not (P = 0.007). Significant risk factors for infection were higher risk MDS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.7-4.1, P < 0.0001), nadir absolute neutrophil count <500/mL (HR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.2-2.7, P < 0.007), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.4-4.9, P < 0.003), history of other malignancy (HR 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3-3.1, P < 0.003), and autoimmune disease (HR 2.9, 95% CI = 1.4-6.0, P < 0.005). Age, nadir platelet count <20,000/mL, diabetes mellitus, and MDS treatment were not significant risk factors. Pneumonia was the most common infection, and bacteria the predominant pathogens.
The Gender of Child Discourse: Same‐Sex Peer Socialization Through Language Use in a Taiwanese Preschool

Language, as both a system of meaning and a form of social action, is central to any analysis of social reproduction. Gender emerges as a major category in social reproduction and is therefore implicated in language and speech. Although scholars of language and gender studies generally have not used a post-structuralist theoretical approach, I argue for such a phenomenological and interactive perspective, which takes gender as a socially and culturally constructed set of symbols that subjects produce and transform in daily interactions in specific contexts. This research is an ethnographic study of language and peer sex role socialization in a Mandarin Chinese speaking preschool and is based on fieldwork carried out in 1984 in Taibei, Taiwan, the Republic of China. Videotapes of naturally occurring conversations among same-sex peer groups of three- to six-year-old boys and four- to eight-yearold girls in a variety of settings are examined to show the discursive means by which these Chinese girls' and boys' interests and behaviors are reflexively organized and reproduced. Through verbal and nonverbal interaction, boys create a childish masculine ethos that centers on action, competition, and aggression, punctuated with onomatopoeia and mild vulgarity, and that is organized and expressed discursively through loud, terse, direct forms of speech. Whereas girls create a feminine ethos that centers on the construction and maintenance of quasi-familial social relations or on authoritarian roles based on teacher models, and that is organized and expressed discursively through coy, affected, and indirect forms of speech.
Prostate Cancer Laterality Does Not Predict Prostate-Specific Antigen Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy

Objectives To evaluate biologic behaviors of unilateral cancers compared with bilateral cancers on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Methods Analysis included demographic, clinical, and pathologic parameters of 1184 men who underwent RP for clinically localized prostate cancer at our institution between 2002 and 2006. Final pathologic assessment was performed with particular attention to laterality and percentage of tumor involvement, along with other routine parameters. On the basis of percentage of tumor involvement, all cancer foci were ranked as 5% or less, 5.01% to 10%, 10.01% to 15%, or greater than 15%. Statistical analysis was performed with univariate and multivariate methods. Results Overall, 19.2% of 1184 patients had completely unilateral cancers. Prostate-specific antigen recurrence was revealed in 164 of 1184 patients (13.9%) at a mean (± standard deviation) follow-up of 2.7 ± 2.4 years. Among men who had recurrence, 26 of 227 (11.5%) had unilateral tumors and 138 of 957 (14.4%) had bilateral disease ( P = 0.25). The most common characteristics associated with PSA recurrence of unilateral tumors in the Cox model were diagnostic PSA level, prostate weight, and pathologic Gleason score ( P Conclusions Unilateral or bilateral prostate cancer did not predict PSA recurrence in men receiving radical prostatectomy. In contrast, baseline PSA level and pathologic Gleason score strongly predicted PSA recurrence.
Experimental Study of Ice Electrolysis under UV Irradiation

The type of photocharge carriers in ice was determined by means of an electrolysis technique. It was suggested earlier1 that irradiation of ice by UV light above 6.5 eV generates positive H3O+ ions, neutral OH• radicals, solvated electrons es-, D defects, and vacancies of water molecules according to the “autoionization” reaction. Is the photoconductivity (PC) observed purely “protonic”, due to motion of H3O+ ions and D defects, or does it have an additional electron component related to the motion of solvated electrons es- or their analogies? The presence of the electron component should not produce any additional gas release near the electrodes during an electrolysis process and for that reason can be easily detected as a deviation from Faraday's law of electrolysis. We found that the amount of gas released per coulomb of charge flow is the same with or without the UV light. Therefore, the UV light does not change the composition (the proportion) of mobile charge carriers in ice, and in 25% of our tests...
Consistency of video detection activation and deactivation times between day and night periods

Video detection has become an increasingly popular technology for vehicle detection at signalized intersections. Among the potential disadvantages of this technology is the tendency of video detectors to activate early at night due to headlight reflection on the pavement. This early activation results in a dramatic increase in the length of the effective vehicle detection zone. This observed variation in the effective length of the vehicle detection zone that varies by ambient lighting condition and camera placement presents a very serious impediment for traffic engineers to design vehicle extension intervals that operate consistently during day, night, and transition periods. Further, the stochastic variation in the length of the vehicle detection zone length has the potential to create driver expectancy issues. Tables are included that report the observed average and range of detection zone length variations for 16 observed video cameras that were extensively calibrated by the manufacturer at the test site. The paper concludes by recommending near-side placement of video detection devices to reduce the stochastic variation in detection zone length.
Surgical and Psychological Stressors Differentially Affect Cytolytic Responses in the Rhesus Monkey

Four experiments were conducted in aged rhesus monkeys to investigate how physical and psychological stressors influence the lymphocyte cytolytic responses against two target cell lines. An initial analysis of the lytic activity of various cell subsets against K562 and RAJI target cell lines suggested that both CD3+CD8+ and several CD3- subsets were responsible for lysis of the K562 cells. The RAJI cell line, in contrast, was killed primarily by CD3-subsets. To explore the implications of this differential mediation of lysis, cytolytic activity was evaluated after a physical challenge (surgery), a psychological disturbance (social separation), and in vitro incubation of lymphocytes with cortisol. The minor surgical procedure-laparoscopic examination-resulted in a significant decrease in lymphocyte cytolytic responses against both target cells 1 week postsurgery. In contrast, psychological disturbance elicited by changes in social relations caused a dual response, differentially affecting the lysis of either K562 or RAJI cells, dependent upon the type of behavioral reaction. Incubation of lymphocytes with cortisol in vitro indicated that lysis of both targets could be affected by corticosteroids, but the high concentration required (10(-6) M) suggested that the in vivo inhibition of cytotoxicity may not have been mediated by adrenocortical activation. Overall, the results highlight the value of utilizing multiple target cell systems in the analysis of cytolytic activity, especially in studies using nonhuman primates.
Toward a Meta-Model for Computational Engineering

Geometric modeling and finite element analysis have matured in recent decades. Both methods are used extensively in engineering design. However, the link between geometric modeling, physical modeling and finite element analysis is currently cumbersome, error-prone, and ad-hoc. Topological domain modeling provides the missing link. In this paper, we propose a combined topological modeling and finite element modeling method that allows not only topological modeling, but also promotes geometric and physical modeling, by providing a topological base space for the definition of finite element meshes, fields, and the definition and solution of boundary value problems. We call the method the Constructive Topological Domain Method (CTDM). In this method, Primitive Topological Domains (PTDs), each possessing a natural coordinate space, are combined in multiple n-dimensional Cartesian coordinate spaces, called charts, using generalizations of Boolean set operations, to create Constructed Topological Domains (CTDs) capable of acting as the base spaces of fiber bundles. The charts are glued together to create an atlas, within which the CTD is defined. The fiber of the bundle may describe, in addition to geometry, physical fields like density, stress, and temperature. Finite element meshes may be defined upon each of the PTDs from which the CTD is constructed, enabling the definition and solution of boundary value problems, thus avoiding the difficult and messy problem of creating a single finite element mesh to represent the entire CTD. A modified finite element method, to handle the individually meshed PTDs, is described. The boundary conditions may be specified as analytical or as finite element-based fields upon each of the PTDs. The CTDM appears to be a promising approach to robust mathematical and computational modeling of physical objects. Simple examples are presented.
“Benefit of the Doubt”: African-American Civil War Veterans and Pensions

Laws that provided pensions for Union army veterans were putatively color-blind, but whites and African Americans experienced the pension system differently. Black veterans were less likely to apply for pensions during the program's early years. Yet, no matter when they applied, they encountered two stages of bias, first from examining physicians and then, far more systematically, from Pension Bureau reviewers. The evidence suggests that pension income reduced mortality among African-American veterans, underscoring the tangible results of justice denied.
Investigating poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) activation in obesity associated DNA damage and pro- inflammatory senescence

Obesity has increased at an alarming rate over the past three decades. It is likely to be caused by increased caloric intake combined with genetic predisposing factors and is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disorders. Obesity is linked to chronic inflammation, which was proposed as a cause for insulin resistance and T2D. However, the molecular mechanism of obesity driven T2D still lacks knowledge and thus is inaccessible to therapeutic intervention. In our research, we are exploring the molecular mechanism underpinning this association and aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for the rapidly growing population of obese individuals living with diabetes. The obese state creates a microenvironment within the adipose tissue that is susceptible to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Accumulated ROS causes oxidation of macromolecules such as DNA. Oxidative DNA damage encompasses a variety of DNA lesions such as DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) including non-telomeric and telomeric DSBs. Broken or dysfunctional telomeres have been hypothesized as a cause of cellular senescence, a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest observed in aging illnesses and even in obesity with accumulation of senescent adipocytes. A major player in detecting and defending against accumulation of oxidative DNA damage is PARP-1. PARP-1 activation has been shown to be associated to diabetes and obesity. We are exploring the role of PARP-1 in ROS-induced senescent and inflamed adipocytes by using a combination of biochemical, molecular and cell biological assays in primary human and mice adipocytes treated with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a source of ROS.
A solution technique for indirect boundary integral equation in planar elasto-plastic problems

Abstract A scheme for solving planar elasto-plastic problems using the indirect boundary element approach is presented. The area integrals over the plastic region contains singularities of the order of (1/r). The usual approach in evaluating these integrals is to extract the singularity contribution analytically and evaluate the Cauchy's principal value numerically. In the present paper the area integrals which assume a linear plastic strain distribution are evaluated analytically over triangular cells. The form of analytical expressions is such that the singularity contribution comes out automatically without the usual need of neglecting the cell (area) containing the singularity. It should be pointed out that the region over which the plastic strain is assumed linear, need not be a triangle. This is especially useful when the general form of the elasto-plastic boundary is known a priori, e.g. axisymmetric problems. Good accuracies have been obtained for number of problems. Two examples are included, namely the elasto-plastic deformation of a circular disc with a hole and a square. The circular disc is especially illustrative of the power of the method as the problem is solved in Cartesian coordinates.
Bioreactor culture of Picea mariana Mill. (black spruce) and the species complex Picea glauca-engelmannii (interior spruce) somatic embryos. Growth parameters

Somatic embryo cultures of Picea mariana and the species complex P. glauca-engelmannii were each grown in 7.5-l-capacity mechanically-stirred bioreactors containing 61 medium (LP, von Arnold and Eriksson) with 30 mm sucrose. Growth of both species occurred with no observable signs of shear stress due to mechanical agitation. Growth kinetics were analysed using an array of parameters (settled culture volume, packed culture volume, osmolarity, conductivity, pH). These were compared with fresh weight, dry weight, and somatic embryo number in order to determine what parameters were highly correlated with growth and embryo number. Increasing the sucrose concentration from 30 mm to 60 mm resulted in an increase in biomass and total number of somatic embryos. For P. mariana a maximum dry weight of 6.3 gl−1 and 3076 embryos ml−1 occurred in LP medium with 60 mm sucrose after 10–12 days of culture. For P. glauca-engelmannii a maximum dry weight of 4.3 gl−1 and 2278 embryos ml−1 occurred in LP medium with 60 mm sucrose after 6–8 days culture. For all sucrose concentrations, fresh weight, dry weight and embryo number were closely correlated with packed culture volume and conductivity for P. mariana, and settled culture volume, packed culture volume and conductivity for P. glauca-engelmannii.
Effects of Poverty and Maternal Depression on Early Child Development

Researchers have renewed an interest in the harmful consequences of poverty on child development. This study builds on this work by focusing on one mechanism that links material hardship to child outcomes, namely the mediating effect of maternal depression. Using data from the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey, we found that maternal depression and poverty jeopardized the development of very young boys and girls, and to a certain extent, affluence buffered the deleterious consequences of depression. Results also showed that chronic maternal depression had severe implications for both boys and girls, whereas persistent poverty had a strong effect for the development of girls. The measures of poverty and maternal depression used in this study generally had a greater impact on measures of cognitive development than motor development.
Cysteamine and naloxone attenuate aspartic acid-induced depression of ventilation

Aspartic acid (580 mg/kg, SC) causes a long-lasting depression of ventilation in adult male, but not female rats. The purpose of these experiments was to determine if the aspartic acid-induced depression of ventilation in awake male Sprague-Dawley rats is a consequence of the release of endogenous opioids or somatostatin. These neuromodulators have been shown to cause depression of ventilation. Pretreatment of male rats with the opioid antagonist naloxone (5 mg/kg) 10 min prior to aspartic acid attenuated the drop of ventilation from -138.6 +/- 26.9 ml/min to -63.4 +/- 16.6 ml/min (p < 0.01) by affecting both tidal volume and frequency of breathing. Naloxone administered prior to saline had no effect on ventilation. In another experiment, cysteamine (100 mg/kg), a somatostatin depleter, injected SC 2 h before aspartic acid administration also attenuated depression of ventilation by affecting frequency of breathing. Cysteamine alone, compared to saline, had no effect on ventilation over 24 h. These results suggest that aspartic acid acts by releasing endogenous opioids and somatostatin.
Time Styles and Waiting in Crowded Service Environments

ABSTRACT This study examines the moderating impact of consumers' time styles on their emotional reactions and evaluations of waiting time in crowded and non-crowded environments. A quasi-experimental design was used to test our hypotheses. Our results indicate that waiting in a crowded environment results in negative emotions. In addition, people who scored high on economic time style reported significantly less satisfaction with their choice of airlines when they waited in crowded conditions. These results extend the literature on crowding and waiting time, and add to our understanding of consumer emotions in service environments.
The Silent Treatment

igns and symptoms are the meat and potatoes of medicine. For example, the conventional clinical diagnosis of ischemia is based on the recognition of some combination of objective manifestations (signs) and subjective complaints (symptoms). The syndrome of silent myocardia! ischemia represents and interesting variation on this theme. Here, the term ischemia refers to’ a variety of observations, such as electrocardiographic ST depression or reversible scintigraphic hypoperfusion, that are consistent with-but not by themselves diagnostic of-true myocardial ischemia, while the term silent indicates the absence of symptoms at times when the patient manifests one or more of these observations. Because the clinical significance of this syndrome is still unresolved,Q I shall set forth some reasonable axioms regarding the relation between signs and symptoms, and shall then see where they lead with respect to the diagnosis and prognosis of silent ischemia. The sigri axiom: The worse the signs suggestive of true myocardial ischemia, the higher the risk of subsequent coronary everits. This means that risk is a monotonic function of the magnitude and extent of the conventional signs of ischemia. As a resujt, the rate of change of risk with respect to these signs (the derivative of the “sign function”) is always positive, thereby justifying our clinical concerns regarding the recent conversion of a previously normal stress test, or the early onset of ST depression with exercise. The symptom axiom: Similarly, the worse the symptoms suggestive of true myocardial ischemia, the
Intensification of amphetamine-induced excitation by methysergide, a serotonergic receptor blocker.

Methysergide, a serotonergic receptor blocker, was studied to determine its effects against d-amphetamine-induced excitation as measured by convulsions elicited by handling in mice. Significant intensification (p<0.01) of the action of d-amphetamine was observed in mice. These results indicate that reduction in serotonergic activity in the central nervous system enhances excitation induced by d-amphetamine.
Outline wizard: presentation composition and search

Presentation material is a commonly-performed task. Yet current tools provide inadequate support - search tools are unable to return individual slides, and the linear model employed by presentation creation tools lacks structure and context. We propose a novel method for presentation creation, implemented in a tool called Outline Wizard, which enables outline-based composition and search. An Outline Wizard user enters a hierarchically-structured outline of a presentation; using that structure, the tool extracts user requests to formulate contextual queries, matches them against presentations within a repository, taking into account both content and structures of the presentations, and presents the user with sets of slides that are appropriate for each outline topic. At the heart of Outline Wizard is an outline-based search technique, which conducts content search within the context derived from the hierarchical structures of both user requests and presentations. We present a heuristic outline-extraction technique, which is used to reverse engineer the structures of presentations, thereby making the structures available for our search engine. Evaluations show that the outline extraction technique and outline-based search both perform well, and that users report a satisfying experience when using Outline Wizard to compose presentations from libraries of existing material.
Indicators of Acculturation Related to Somali Refugee Women’s Birth Outcomes in Minnesota

We investigated the effect of indicators of acculturation among Somali refugee women’s birth outcomes. Data were extracted from medical records of 584 Somali women delivering infants at a Midwestern hospital between 1993 and 2006. Bivariate analyses measured relationships between independent factors and the dependent variables of gestational age and birthweight. Structural equation modeling (SEM) determined the fit between factors hypothesized to reflect acculturation and the data. Significant increases noted over time were substance use/exposure, interpreter use, body mass index, hemoglobin levels, gestational diabetes and preterm birth. Bivariate analyses showed significance between prenatal care utilization and both preterm birth and gestational age. SEM results indicated a moderate to good fit between the hypothesized model and available data. Factors hypothesized to reflect acculturation and effect birth outcomes among Somali women are increasing but did not account for increased preterm birth. Further investigation is warranted to identify and truncate further disparate birth outcomes.
From Ethnography to Metaphor: Recent Films from David and Judith MacDougall

and essential, timeless humanity, but a politically significant representation of Aboriginal people struggling to define themselves in a white world. Preserving the agency of these people as active subjects is more than a theoretical commitment. The active identity and dependency of Aboriginal people is presented just as they act toward the camera and us: as the film represents them to an outside audience, so do they attempt to incorporate it and us into their discourse, values, and purposes. What we see, consequently, is a complex political act-the assertion of who they are in an essentially hegemonic situation. There are many voices here, some deeply ironic. In representing the struggle for transmitting and preserving Aboriginal values, the films index what they are clearly supporting; in documenting the transmission for us as part of the audience, they help accomplish Aboriginal goals. But the films offer a terrible, tragic vision, just as they rightly celebrate the creativity and energy of Aboriginal continuity and action. The tragedy is the ultimate lack of Aboriginal control of the conditions of their life. In this, they are to some extent a metaphor for all of us. And yet there is hope, as we see some continuity of an Aboriginal vision and sensibility despite enormous changes.
Stressful or traumatic life events, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and HIV sexual risk taking among men who have sex with men.

Abstract The present study assessed the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in response to stressful or traumatic life events and their impact on HIV risk behaviors and associated psychosocial variables among men who have sex with men (MSM). Participants (n=189; 60% HIV-infected) who were recruited by notices posted in a community health clinic and via a modified respondent-driven sampling technique completed a behavioral assessment survey. Sixty percentage of participants screened positive for having PTSD symptoms using the startle, physiological arousal, anger, and numbness screening instrument. After controlling for race, sexual self-identification, and HIV status, multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that screening in for having PTSD symptoms was significantly associated with having engaged in unprotected anal (insertive or receptive) sex in the past 12 months, over and above any effects of whether or not a traumatic/stressful event occurred during the year (adjus...
Hybrid algorithm for robust, real-time source localization in reverberant environments

The location of an acoustical source can be found robustly using the steered response pattern-phase transform (SRP-PHAT) algorithm. However SRP-PHAT can be computationally expensive, requiring a search of a large number of candidate locations. The required spacing between these locations is dependent on sampling rate, microphone array geometry, and source location. In this work, a novel method is presented that calculates a smaller number of test points using an efficient closed-form localization algorithm. This method significantly reduces the number of calculations, while still remaining robust in acoustical environments.