cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of flexible, free-standing, energetic thin films

Abstract This study uses blade casting methods for the synthesis of flexible, free-standing energetic films. Specifically, films include aluminum (Al) and (MoO 3 ) powder thermites combined with potassium perchlorate (KClO 4 ) and silicone binder. In addition to this base composite, carbon fiber fabric reinforcement fabric has been incorporated to improve the structural integrity of the film. All films were cast at 1 mm thickness with constant percent solids to ensure consistent rheological properties. The films were ignited and flame propagation was recorded with a high speed camera. The results show that the energy propagation of the films increases with increasing mass percent KClO 4 . The inclusion of carbon fiber fabric reinforcement fabric in the energetic film decreased the flame speed by 30% but maintained stable and steady energy propagation. The strengths of the films were tested to determine the effects of the carbon fiber fabric reinforcement fabric on the mechanical properties of the films. The non-reinforced film, failed upon initial loading of approximately 2.27 kg while the reinforced film maintained a load of 72.3 kg. While this method of synthesis allows manufacture of a flexible free-standing energetic film, the composition and rheology of the mixed slurry have potential as an extrusion cast energetic for additive manufacturing of energetic materials.
Predicting Nurses' Turnover: The Aversive Effects of Decreased Identity, Poor Interpersonal Communication, and Learned Helplessness.

Through a social identity theoretical lens, this study examines how nurses’ identification with their working small group, unit, or floor, nursing role (e.g., staff ER nurse, nurse practitioner), and nursing profession relate to nurses’ interaction involvement, willingness to confront conflict, feelings of learned helplessness, and tenure (employment turnover) intentions. A cross-sectional survey (N = 466) was conducted at a large, quaternary care hospital system. Structural equation modeling uncovered direct and indirect effects between the five primary variables. Findings demonstrate direct relationships between nurse identity (as a latent variable) and interaction involvement, willingness to confront conflict, and tenure intentions. Feelings of learned helplessness are attenuated by increased nurse identity through interaction involvement and willingness to confront conflict. In addition, willingness to confront conflict and learned helplessness mediate the relationship between interaction involvement ...
Multidimensional multiresolution analysis of array ECG signals during PTCA procedures

To obtain a more complete picture of cardiac electrical activity, data is acquired from an array of electrodes on the torso surface during a clinical procedure in which a balloon is inflated in an artery to clear obstructions. The goal is to analyze the data and extract features which reveal the occurrence and location of the balloon inflation, and to relate these features to underlying physiological changes. A multidimensional time and space wavelet transform is applied to the data to enable extraction of relevant features. Both scaling and wavelet coefficients contain useful information. >
The identification of recreational counties in nonmetropolitan areas of the USA.

Nonmetropolitan counties in the USA with significant concentrations of recreational activity are identified using a combination of quantitative and contextual indicators. The 285 counties identified as recreational encompass 12 percent of the nonmetropolitan counties and 15 percent of the 1990 nonmetropolitan population. Population growth in such counties has consistently exceeded that in other nonmetropolitan areas as well as that in metropolitan areas. Net migration accounted for most of the population growth in such counties during the 24 years considered. The revenue and expenditure patterns of local governments in recreational counties differs from those elsewhere suggesting significant policy concerns.
Chapter 3 Charge delocalization in (n, 0) model carbon nanotubes

Publisher Summary Carbon nanotubes are long cylindrical structures composed of hexagonal rings of carbon atoms. These rings can have various orientations with respect to the tube axis. This chapter reviews the remarkable capacities of some (n, 0) model nanotubes for charge delocalization and transmission of electronic effects. When nanotubes are prepared, they are generally capped at both ends. To facilitate various applications, these caps are often removed. The chapter focuses upon the important role that the curvatures of the model nanotubes play in determining their electrostatic potentials. A curvature has two general consequences, regardless of composition or structure: (1) the inner surfaces are always more positive (or less negative) than the outer, and (2) a second factor, which makes the outer surfaces more negative (or less positive), arises from the effects of the curvature upon the covalent bonds between the atoms.
Tobacco use and external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer: Influence on biochemical control and late toxicity.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to examine the effect of tobacco use on disease control and late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity in men undergoing external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer. METHODS In total, 633 men with known tobacco history at consultation underwent definitive EBRT between 1988 and 2008. Tobacco use was defined as positive (current or prior) or negative (never). The median EBRT dose was 74 gray (Gy). In univariate analysis, tobacco use and other prognostic factors were compared with disease control and toxicity. Multivariable analysis included tobacco use and the covariates that were associated with outcome on univariate analysis (P < .1). RESULTS The rate of 5-year freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF) was 76% for current smokers, 81% for prior smokers, and 87% for never smokers (P < .02). Risk group, the percentage of involved cores, and EBRT dose ≥74 Gy were associated with FFBF (all P < .01). On multivariable analysis, smoking was not associated with FFBF (P = .19). Factors that were associated with late grade ≥2 genitourinary toxicity on univariate analysis included positive tobacco history, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and EBRT dose ≥74 Gy (all P < .05). Prior transurethral resection of the prostate (P < .01) and current smoking status (P = .06) were associated with grade ≥3 toxicity. On multivariable analysis, a positive tobacco history was associated with grade ≥2 toxicity (hazard ratio, 1.45; P < .02), and current smoking status was associated with grade ≥3 toxicity (hazard ratio, 3.02; P < .05). Tobacco use was not associated with late gastrointestinal toxicity. CONCLUSIONS In men who are receiving EBRT for prostate cancer, tobacco use may be associated with higher rates of late grade ≥2 toxicity, and current smokers may have higher rates of late grade ≥3 genitourinary toxicity. Cancer 2013;119:2807–2814. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Writing Greek Law: Writing and Written Laws

Although writing makes no appearance in the poems of Homer and Hesiod, when these poems assumed their final form ca. 700, writing was already widespread in the Greek world. Our earliest examples of writing, scratched or painted on pottery, come from around 750 or a little earlier. Whether this means that writing was introduced not long before this date, or two or three centuries earlier is a matter of debate. For our purposes, the exact date is of little importance. We can only use the material we have, and since none of the inscriptions from the first century of our evidence is legal in nature, we can be fairly confident that whatever the date of the invention of the alphabet, the Greeks did not begin writing laws before ca. 650. As we noted earlier (Introduction) after the collapse of Bronze-Age civilization in the twelfth century, a new kind of writing emerged, an alphabetic script that developed from a Phoenician alphabetic script, with the important innovation that the Greeks added signs for vowels, which were lacking in the Near-Eastern alphabets of the time. This innovation made the Greek script easier to read than the consonant alphabets of the Near East (see most recently B. Powell 2002).
Discussion by Walter Liggett

The author describes applications to astronomy of a variety of established statistical methods for censored data, concludes that such applications are improvements over past practice, and raises the issue of the appropriate use of established and innovative statistical methods in astronomy. The issue of appropriateness is the focus of this discussion. There is little question that an astronomer can do much worse than using established statistical methods. However, the issue of which methods are entirely appropriate is more difficult and leads to examination of the basis for judging a method appropriate, that is, for judging when the assumptions underlying the method are satisfied. In many cases of censored data, the underlying assumptions cannot be verified without additional information. For example, the censored data alone are not adequate for verification of the assumptions of the Kaplan-Meier estimator (Tsiatis 1975). Such inadequacies in the data result in qualification of the conclusions drawn from astronomical data. From the astronomy viewpoint, such qualification might be quite different from the qualification encountered in other applications of censored data methods.
Peroneus Brevis is a More Effective Evertor than Peroneus Longus

A primary function of the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis is to provide the eversion moment necessary to balance the opposing inversion moments. Surgeons often deal with the loss of or need to sacrifice one of these tendons. This study compares the evertor mechanisms of the peroneus brevis and peroneus longus muscle. This is accomplished in a cadaver model in which the performance of each of the muscle tendons during early heel rise of gait is assessed utilizing the same tendon loads in each so that force is not a variable. Six fresh-frozen cadaver foot-ankle specimens were studied during a simulated early heel rise phase of the gait cycle. The study compared the effect of the peroneus brevis and peroneus longus by separately applying the same load to the each of the tendons. At the talonavicular joint, the peroneus brevis loaded condition externally rotated the navicular 2.1 degrees more than when the peroneus longus was loaded. At the subtalar joint, the peroneus brevis loaded condition resulted in 0.9 degrees more calcaneus valgus relative to the talus than was present during the peroneus longus loaded condition. The experimental data support the hypothesis that the peroneus brevis tendon mechanism is more effective than is the peroneus longus mechanism in rotating the navicular externally and the calcaneus into valgus. This has clinical implications for assisting surgeons in trying to preserve evertor function.
Nanowire-based 2-D and 3-D XoY electronics

The ability to deposit single crystalline materials on any substrate holds much promise for the fabrication of high-performance, low-cost flexible devices. This approach is called X-on-Y (XoY), where X stands for an arbitrary semiconductor and Y stands for an arbitrary substrate. To this end, we have multiple techniques for deposition of nanomaterials on arbitrary substrates. These techniques can be divided into two categories: three dimensional growth/assembly techniques [1–3] and two dimensional assembly techniques [4–8]. For fabrication of 3-D structures, we use a templated nanomaterial growth technique. Specifically, we use anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as the growth template. This allows us to control the size of the individual nanostructures as well as the spacing between adjacent nanostructures, as shown in Fig. 1. Alternatively, for 2-D assembly, we use a nanomaterial transfer process, where the nanostructures are first grown on a convenient growth substrate, and then deterministically placed on a substrate of choice using photolithography in conjunction with a printing process (Fig. 2). Here, we discuss the 3-D and 2-D assembly techniques, utilizing specific examples to illustrate the potential of these methods for the fabrication of high performance devices on arbitrary substrates.
Satellite microwave and in situ observations of the Weddell Sea ice cover and its marginal ice zone

The radiative and physical characteristics of the Weddell Sea ice cover and its marginal ice zone are analyzed using multichannel satellite passive microwave data and ship and helicopter observations obtained during the 1983 Antarctic Marine Ecosystem Research. Winter and spring brightness temperatures are examined; spatial variability in the brightness temperatures of consolidated ice in winter and spring cyclic increases and decrease in brightness temperatures of consolidated ice with an amplitude of 50 K at 37 GHz and 20 K at 18 GHz are observed. The roles of variations in air temperature and surface characteristics in the variability of spring brightness temperatures are investigated. Ice concentrations are derived using the frequency and polarization techniques, and the data are compared with the helicopter and ship observations. Temporal changes in the ice margin structure and the mass balance of fresh water and of biological features of the marginal ice zone are studied.
Carbon nanotube proximity influences rice DNA

Abstract The uptake of carbon nanotubes (CNT) influences the output of plants, potentially through interactions between the DNA and CNTs. However, little is known about the changes in the plant DNA due to CNT proximity. We report changes in rice plant DNA in the proximity of single walled CNT (SWCNT) using molecular dynamics simulations. The DNA experiences breaking and forming of hydrogen bonds due to unzipping of Watson–Crick (WC) nucleobase pairs and wrapping onto SWCNT. The number of hydrogen bonds between water and DNA nucleobases decreases due to the presence of SWCNT. A higher number of guanine–cytosine (Gua–Cyt) WC hydrogen bonds break as compared to adenine–thymine (Ade–Thy), which suggests that Gua and Cyt bases play a dominant role in DNA–SWCNT interactions. We also find that changes to non-WC nucleobase pairs and van der Waals attractive interactions between WC nucleobase pairs and SWCNT cause significant changes in the conformation of the DNA.
Age-related changes in the efficacy of crystalloid cardioplegia.

Abstract Recent work has shown that multi-dose St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegia solution (STHC) may not provide reliable protection of the neonatal myocardium. We have used an isolated working heart model to study the age-related development of this observation. Sets of eight hearts from 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-week-old rabbits were subjected to 90 min of ischemia at 10°C. STHC was infused at 30-min intervals in a dose of 10 ml/kg. There were no differences in the preservation of ATP stores during ischemia among the groups. The percentage recovery of preischemic mean aortic pressure, left atrial pressure, and heart rate were not different among groups, but the percentage recovery of aortic flow (AF) (expressed as means ± standard error of the mean) was significantly lower in the 2- and 4-week hearts (44.1 ± 8.2 and 66.2 ± 7.7%) than in the 6- and 8-week hearts (93.0 ± 6.4 and 97.6 ± 4.7%). We have confirmed that the use of multi-dose STHC impairs recovery of ventricular function in the neonatal rabbit heart. This effect, however, diminishes rapidly as the immature animal develops and is not present by 6 weeks of age. Additional experimentation is necessary to identify those aspects of the developing myocardium that account for these observations.
Planar polarization of the denticle field in the Drosophila embryo: Roles for Myosin II (Zipper) and Fringe

Epithelial planar cell polarity (PCP) allows epithelial cells to coordinate their development to that of the tissue in which they reside. The mechanisms that impart PCP as well as effectors that execute the polarizing instructions are being sought in many tissues. We report that the epidermal epithelium of Drosophila embryos exhibits PCP. Cells of the prospective denticle field, but not the adjacent smooth field, align precisely. This requires Myosin II (zipper) function, and we find that Myosin II is enriched in a bipolar manner, across the parasegment, on both smooth and denticle field cells during denticle field alignment. This implies that actomyosin contractility, in combination with denticle-field-specific effectors, helps execute the cell rearrangements involved. In addition to this parasegment-wide polarity, prospective denticle field cells express an asymmetry, uniquely recognizing one cell edge over others as these cells uniquely position their actin-based protrusions (ABPs; which comprise each denticle) at their posterior edge. Cells of the prospective smooth field appear to be lacking proper effectors to elicit this unipolar response. Lastly, we identify fringe function as a necessary effector for high fidelity placement of ABPs and show that Myosin II (zipper) activity is necessary for ABP placement and shaping as well.
Ion-Pair Extraction of Pharmaceutical Amines IV: Influence of Anion on Enthalpic, Entropic, and Free Energy Changes Resulting from Phase Transfer

Studies on the influence of temperature on the distribution ratio of pharmaceutical ammonium species paired with various anions and between aqueous and organic phases have permitted determination of thermodynamic parameters associated with these extractive processes. Unlike transfer of uncharged solute molecules, ion-pair transfers involving inorganic anions appear to be largely entropically controlled. The process of movement from water to chloroform of dextromethorphanium halides, for example, involves material increase in ordering. The entropic change associated with the chloride corresponds to −29.7 e.s.u., that for bromide to −17.6 e.s.u. These compare with +10.7 e.s.u. for the free base and +7 to +10 e.s.u. for benzyl alcohol, phenol, and aniline. Less polar organic phases tend to lead to less negative entropic changes. In addition to the halides, data are provided for picrate, trichloroacetate, and several perfluorocarboxylate systems.
The effect of tension on the latent time of the grastrocnemius muscle

Data were collected from 45 normal male subjects relative to the effect of tension on the latent time of the gastrocnemius muscle. Ten records were made from each subject under normal conditions and a like number were made under each experimental condition.
A Review of Cardiac Autonomic Measures: Considerations for Examination of Physiological Response in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is responsible for multiple physiological responses, and dysfunction of this system is often hypothesized as contributing to cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses in children. Research suggests that examination of ANS activity may provide insight into behavioral dysregulation in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), however, there is wide variability in samples, methods, and measures reported. The purpose of this review is to describe frequently reported cardiac ANS measures; discuss theoretical models linking ANS measures with neurological structures; and synthesize pediatric literature using ANS measures on typical and ASD samples. Such a synthesis will provide researchers with a foundation for the use of ANS cardiac methods and measures in ASD research.
The use of continuous infusion of factor concentrates in the treatment of hemophilia.

Bolus Infusion of clotting factor concentrates remains the most common approach to the treatment or prevention of bleeding in patients with hemophilia. Although successful use of continuous infusion of such concentrates has been reported by several groups, this alternative treatment method has not achieved widespread popularity. We report here our experience in one hemophilia center with the use of continuous infusion of factor VIII and factor IX concentrates in 13 patients, 11 with hemophilia A, and 2 with hemophilia B. All patients were treated successfully for bleeding episodes (e.g., hemarthroses, intracranial, or gastrointestinal bleeding) or for surgical procedures (appendectomy, thoracotomy, etc.). Three patients with low titer factor VIII inhibitors were treated successfully with constant infusion therapy, requiring a mean dose of factor VIII concentrate 2.3 fold (8.20 u/kg/h) higher than that of the patients without inhibitors (3.63 u/kg/h) to maintain a circulating plasma level of factor VIII of 1 u/ml. The use of constant infusion of clotting factor concentrates is safe, efficacious, and more convenient than bolus therapy of factor concentrates and should be considered for hospitalized hemophilia patients requiring replacement therapy.
Organic pesticides modify lipid-lipid and lipid-protein domains in model membranes. A laser Raman study.

The effect of hexachlorocyclohexane (all isomers) on the thermal transition properties of phospholipid liposomes was determined by Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectra of liposomes with and without the presence of hexachlorocyclohexanes were recorded in the C-H stretching region which shows three major bands around 2850, 2880 and 2930 cm−1. Thermal transition properties were estimated from plots of I2880I2850 and or I2930I2850 vs. temperature, where I represents the intensity of the respective band. Our data on phospholipid liposomes reveal that δ- and γ-hexachlorocyclohexanes drastically reduce and broaden the main thermal transitions of phospholipids at toxic level concentrations. These effects are more pronounced in liposomes containing 18 or more carbon atom long acyl chains. α- and β-isomers at similar concentrations show a minimum effect on the thermal transition properties of phospholipids. Raman analysis of phospholipid liposomes containing melittin, interestingly, reveal that the δ-isomer unlike the γ-isomer strongly alters the transition properties of boundary lipids. These data suggest that the effect of hexachlorocyclohexanes on the thermal transition properties of membranes is stereo specific and that the δ-isomer preferably disrupts the lipid-protein domains. Results are explained on the basis of the dynamic flexibility owing to the equatorial and axial chlorine atoms of various hexachlorocyclohexane isomers.
Renal sodium pump regulation in deoxycorticosterone salt hypertension in the rat.

The renal sodium pump participates in sodium homeostasis and has been predicted to have a role in salt dependent forms of hypertension. However, the status of the renal sodium pump in volume-dependent hypertension is unclear. We assessed the renal sodium pump and its activity in the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt model in rats, a model of volume-dependent hypertension. Sprague-Dawley rats on ad libitum diet were compared with four groups of litter mates receiving high or low salt diets, with or without DOCA administration. The renal sodium pump evaluation included measurement of hydrolytic activity, ouabain binding capacity and affinity, sodium activation, active pump units (determined by phosphoenzyme level), dephosphorylation rate, and isoform specific molecular expression. Intrinsic enzyme properties, including sodium and ouabain affinities, as well as turnover rate per sodium pump, were identical among the five groups. In contrast, the combination of DOCA and high salt intake (DOCA high salt) produced marked, significant increases in hydrolytic activity, ouabain binding capacity, phosphoenzyme level, and α1-isoform expression. DOCA low salt animals showed much smaller but significant increases in pump number. We conclude that DOCA and volume expansion may each alter renal sodium pump regulation, but volume expansion is clearly dominant. Increased renal sodium pump activity in DOCA high salt animals would, if unmitigated, favor sodium reabsorption and may contribute to hypertension.
Pulmonary and cardiovascular implications of drug addiction.

Abstract One hundred thirteen patients were seen with pulmonary or cardiovascular complications secondary to intravenous drug abuse. More than 60% of these patients had such pulmonary problems as pulmonary edema, recurrent septic pulmonary emboli, asymptomatic hilar adenopathy, or pneumonia. Twelve patients were treated for bacterial endocarditis; 6 subsequently required valve replacement. Vascular complications included complete venous occlusion of the hand, transient arterial insufficiency, and mycotic aneurysm secondary to intraarterial injections of narcotics.
Serotonin and Whisking

Rhythmic whisker movements, called "whisking," are produced by a brainstem central pattern generator (CPG) that uses serotonin to induce periodic firing in facial motorneurons. During active touch, motor cortex could regulate whisking frequency by controlling the rate of firing of the serotonergic neurons.
Properties and mechanisms of spontaneous activity in the embryonic chick hindbrain.

Spontaneous activity regulates many aspects of central nervous system development. We demonstrate that in the embryonic chick hindbrain, spontaneous activity is expressed between embryonic days (E) 6–9. Over this period the frequency of activity decreases significantly, although the events maintain a consistent rhythm on the timescale of minutes. At E6, the activity is pharmacologically dependent on serotonin, nACh, GABAA, and glycine input, but not on muscarinic, glutamatergic, or GABAB receptor activation. It also depends on gap junctions, t-type calcium channels and TTX-sensitive ion channels. In intact spinal cord-hindbrain preparations, E6 spontaneous events originate in the spinal cord and propagate into lateral hindbrain tissue; midline activity follows the appearance of lateral activity. However, the spinal cord is not required for hindbrain activity. There are two invariant points of origin of activity along the midline, both within the caudal group of serotonin-expressing cell bodies; one point is caudal to the nV exit point while the other is caudal to the nVII exit point. Additional caudal midline points of origin are seen in a minority of cases. Using immunohistochemistry, we show robust differentiation of the serotonergic raphe near the midline at E6, and extensive fiber tracts expressing GAD65/67 and the nAChR in lateral areas; this suggests that the medial activity is dependent on serotonergic neuron activation, while lateral activity requires other transmitters. Although there are differences between species, this activity is highly conserved between mouse and chick, suggesting that developmental event(s) within the hindbrain are dependent on expression of this spontaneous activity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2009
Efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug monotherapy in children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Purpose Treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is one of the most challenging tasks faced by pediatric rheumatologists. Traditionally, many pediatric rheumatologists have used a “pyramid” approach, starting with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) monotherapy prior to the initiation of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologic agents. Despite the widespread use of NSAID monotherapy, the likelihood of response to this regimen has not been well characterized. In addition, some clinicians have recently begun to advocate for the use of biologic agents as first-line therapy for all patients with sJIA, despite the risks of patient discomfort, infection, and malignancy that may be associated with their use. The goals of this study are (1) to determine the frequency of clinical response to NSAID monotherapy in sJIA, and (2) to identify factors that predict that response.
STATISTICAL STUDIES OF THE NATURE OF THE INFECTIOUS UNIT OF VACCINE VIRUS

A method has been described by which it is possible to estimate the number of particles of vaccine virus which are required to cause infection in the rabbit skin. The method consists essentially in performing a series of intradermal inoculations in rabbits of suitably diluted virus suspensions. The percentage of inoculations at each dilution giving rise to lesions is observed, and the data are subjected to appropriate statistical analysis. Several strains of vaccine virus, differing in their characteristics, have been studied with the following results. Infection with the New York City Board of Health virus appears to follow the injection of a single particle of virus. The same is true for the strain derived from it but cultured in a chick embryo-Tyrode solution medium for a prolonged period. This strain, as has been noted, has largely lost its ability to cause extensive necrosis in the rabbit skin, and causes generalized infection only exceptionally. From the results here reported, it appears that other factors are responsible for the altered character of the lesion than the ability of the virus to establish a foothold in the animal organism. In this respect the cultured appears to be the equal of the original passage virus. Similarly the Noguchi strain of virus is apparently capable of infecting, if a single virus particle is properly introduced.
TGF-α and oral carcinogenesis

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) has been shown to be consistently expressed by tumours of epithelial origin, particularly squamous and renal carcinomas. Epithelial tumours are often found to concurrently express the receptor to TGF-alpha, namely epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), at elevated levels. The simultaneous expression of TGF-alpha and EGFR by the carcinoma cells is thought to trigger the autocrine growth pathway, resulting in uncontrolled proliferation. Similar observations of elevated TGF-alpha/EGFR expression have been detected in oral squamous carcinomas from human and animal sources. By RNA blotting analyses, elevated levels of TGF-alpha/EGFR expression have been consistently observed with malignant human and hamster oral cancers. Interestingly, by use of cellular localisation techniques of in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry, we have shown that there is another, previously unnoticed, cellular source of TGF-alpha at oral tumour sites. Eosinophils are a major cellular source of this growth factor in oral cancer and their presence is tightly associated with malignant oral epithelium. Furthermore, transformed oral epithelium in vivo has been shown to be associated with elevated levels of EGFR expression. Thus quantitative changes in TGF-alpha and EGFR levels in the microenvironment of oral tumours have been observed in vivo. With the hamster oral cancer model, the stage is therefore set to elucidate the cellular and molecular contributions of TGF-alpha and EGFR in the process of oral cancer development.
Climatic structure of the wind fields in the Black-Sea region

For the Black-Sea region, we perform the dynamic reanalysis of the data on atmospheric circulation for the period 1958–2001 by using the HadRM3P model with a space resolution of 25 km. We estimate the mean climatic atmospheric fields of vorticity and divergence of the wind velocity and study their space structure and seasonal variability. The climatic estimates of the annual course of vorticity of the wind velocity over the sea are presented. The obtained large annual average values of vorticity of the velocity reveal the predominant role played by the wind action in the generation not only of the seasonal variability but also of the mean cyclonic circulation of waters in the Black Sea.
Hypoalbuminemia is a poor predictor of survival after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in elderly patients with dementia.

Hypoalbuminemia is a poor predictor of survival after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in elderly patients with dementia
Heuristic layout algorithms for network management presentation services

It has been shown that the general activity of managing a complex network can be made more tractable by providing the operator with a rich, user-friendly set of presentation services. The problem of converting the logical description of a large computer network to a pictorial representation, assuming that computer networks in general can be represented by undirected graphs, translates to finding algorithms that will be able to process a suitable description of a general graph structure and produce a reasonable picture of it on a presentation medium. An approach is presented that uses the divide-and-conquer principle: a preprocessing step called heuristic clustering is used to partition a large network into logical groups, and a multiphase placement algorithm is used to produce coordinates for the nodes. The algorithms used for clustering and node placement are described, with emphasis on the heuristics that have been used in each step. >
Growth: With or Without Scale Effects?

December 15, 1998 -- Version 1.0 The property that ideas are nonrivalrous leads to a tight link between idea-based growth models and increasing returns to scale. In particular, changes in the size of an economy's population generally affect either the long-run growth rate or the long-run level of income in such models. This paper provides a partial review of the expanding literature on idea-based models and scale effects. It presents simple versions of various recent idea-based growth models and analyzes their implications for the relationship between scale and growth. Prepared for the AEA Meetings, January 3, 1999. Forthcoming in the AER Papers and Proceedings, May 1999.(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
A de novo transcriptome of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, to identify candidate transcripts for diapause preparation.

Many temperate insects survive the harsh conditions of winter by undergoing photoperiodic diapause, a pre-programmed developmental arrest initiated by short day lengths. Despite the well-established ecological significance of photoperiodic diapause, the molecular basis of this crucial adaptation remains largely unresolved. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), represents an outstanding emerging model to investigate the molecular basis of photoperiodic diapause in a well-defined ecological and evolutionary context. Ae. albopictus is a medically significant vector and is currently considered the most invasive mosquito in the world. Traits related to diapause appear to be important factors contributing to the rapid spread of this mosquito. To generate novel sequence information for this species, as well as to discover transcripts involved in diapause preparation, we sequenced the transcriptome of Ae. albopictus oocytes destined to become diapausing or non-diapausing pharate larvae. 454 GS-FLX transcriptome sequencing yielded >1.1 million quality-filtered reads, which we assembled into 69,474 contigs (N50 = 1,009 bp). Our contig filtering approach, where we took advantage of strong sequence similarity to the fully sequenced genome of Aedes aegypti, as well as other reference organisms, resulted in 11,561 high-quality, conservative ESTs. Differential expression estimates based on normalized read counts revealed 57 genes with higher expression, and 257 with lower expression under diapause-inducing conditions. Analysis of expression by qPCR for 47 of these genes indicated a high correlation of expression levels between 454 sequence data and qPCR, but congruence of statistically significant differential expression was low. Seven genes identified as differentially expressed based on qPCR have putative functions that are consistent with the insect diapause syndrome; three genes have unknown function and represent novel candidates for the transcriptional basis of diapause. Our transcriptome database provides a rich resource for the comparative genomics and functional genetics of Ae. albopictus, an invasive and medically important mosquito. Additionally, the identification of differentially expressed transcripts related to diapause enriches the limited knowledge base for the molecular basis of insect diapause, in particular for the preparatory stage. Finally, our analysis illustrates a useful approach that draws from a closely related reference genome to generate high-confidence ESTs in a non-model organism.
Flow Injection Analysis and Liquid Chromatography for Multifunctional Chemical Analysis (MCA) Systems

The large class sizes of first-year chemistry labs makes it challenging to provide students with hands-on access to instrumentation because the number of students typically far exceeds the number of research-grade instruments available to collect data. Multifunctional chemical analysis (MCA) systems provide a viable alternative for large-scale instruction while supporting a hands-on approach to more advanced instrumentation. This study describes how the capabilities of MCA systems are extended to introduce liquid chromatography (LC) and flow injection analysis (FIA) in undergraduate laboratories. A semi-micro plastic cuvette with a Teflon tubing insert is fashioned as the flow cell for a MCA absorbance–fluorescence detector. Two MCA systems, Vernier and MeasureNet, are used in two unique experiments demonstrating the detection of salicylate in aspirin tablets by FIA and the LC separation of a mixture of riboflavin and fluorescein. Both instruments, composed of a syringe pump, T-injection valve, and the MC...
Novel mechanisms and signaling pathways of esophageal ulcer healing: the role of prostaglandin EP2 receptors, cAMP, and pCREB

Clinical studies indicate that prostaglandins of E class (PGEs) may promote healing of tissue injury e.g., gastroduodenal and dermal ulcers. However, the precise roles of PGEs, their E-prostanoid (EP) receptors, signaling pathways including cAMP and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and their relation to VEGF and angiogenesis in the tissue injury healing process remain unknown, forming the rationale for this study. Using an esophageal ulcer model in rats, we demonstrated that esophageal mucosa expresses predominantly EP2 receptors and that esophageal ulceration triggers an increase in expression of the EP2 receptor, activation of CREB (the downstream target of the cAMP signaling), and enhanced VEGF gene expression. Treatment of rats with misoprostol, a PGE1 analog capable of activating EP receptors, enhanced phosphorylation of CREB, stimulated VEGF expression and angiogenesis, and accelerated esophageal ulcer healing. In cultured human esophageal epithelial (HET-1A) cells, misoprostol increased intracellular cAMP levels (by 163-fold), induced phosphorylation of CREB, and stimulated VEGF expression. A cAMP analog (Sp-cAMP) mimicked, whereas an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (Rp-cAMP) blocked, these effects of misoprostol. These results indicate that the EP2/cAMP/protein kinase A pathway mediates the stimulatory effect of PGEs on angiogenesis essential for tissue injury healing via the induction of CREB activity and VEGF expression.
Polarization of electron beams in high energy storage rings Part II. Series expansion with tune modulation

Abstract A modified formulation of perturbation theory to calculate the spin resonances in high energy storage rings is described. It combines the features of series expansions in powers of the orbital oscillation amplitudes and tune modulation techniques, to treat higher order spin resonances, especially the higher order synchrotron sideband resonances. The new method converges much faster than a direct series expansion for all the resonances, and can deal with strong tune modulation (tune modulation index greater than unity) without requiring extremely high degrees of spin integrals.
Comparison of linear and nonlinear seismic drift histories for midrise steel frames

The linear and nonlinear seismic responses for two midrise office buildings of five- and 24-storeys were generated by two independent research groups using three commercial analysis packages, ABAQUS, SAP90 and DRAIN-2DX. The results indicate that a variability of up to 25% occurred between the independent research groups' seismic responses. Originally, these models and analyses were generated for the purpose of aiding in the development of load histories for the seismic testing of architectural glass at the University of Missouri-Rolla. The independent researchers were provided with the same structures, accelerograms and basic modelling assumptions and were directed to perform both linear and nonlinear seismic analyses. The variability in the results is of interest since it is indicative of the differences that may be seen between two independent consulting firms' analyses. The linear analysis results using ABAQUS and SAP90, the nonlinear analysis results using ABAQUS and DRAIN-2DX and the linear and nonlinear results using ABAQUS and DRAIN-2DX are compared and contrasted.
“Incondite things”: Experimentation and the romantic essay

(1987). “Incondite things”: Experimentation and the romantic essay. Prose Studies: Vol. 10, Women's Prose of the Romantic Period and Related Essays, pp. 196-206.
The Inheritance of Sexual Maturity, Rate, and Persistence of Laying in the Domestic Fowl

Abstract IT HAS been determined by Knox, Jull, and Quinn (unpublished data) that in a flock of Rhode Island Red pullets and a flock of White Leghorn pullets, each containing approximately 900 birds, the three most significant characters determining the total number of eggs laid during the first year of laying are sexual maturity, rate of laying, and persistence of production. Broodiness was also found to be important in Rhode Island Reds. The pullets were hatched during the breeding seasons of 1928, 1929, and 1930, and during their first laying year were given as nearly identical conditions as it was possible to maintain from the standpoint of housing, feeding, and environmental conditions. The first year of laying embraced 365 days from the date the first egg was laid in the case of each pullet. There was no selection of the pullets, the only records omitted being those of birds that died.
Approximating the test statistic distribution and ALROC in signal-detection tasks with signal location uncertainty

In medical imaging, signal detection is one of the most important tasks. It is especially important to study detection tasks with signal location uncertainty. One way to evaluate system performance on such tasks is to compute the area under the localization-receiver operating characteristic (LROC) curve. In an LROC study, detecting a signal includes two steps. The first step is to compute a test statistic to determine whether the signal is present or absent. If the signal is present, the second step is to identify the location of the signal. We use the test statistic which maximizes the area under the LROC curve (ALROC). We attempt to capture the distribution of this ideal LROC test statistic with signal-absent data using the extreme value distribution. Some simulated test statistics are shown along with extreme value distributions to illustrate how well our approximation captures the characteristics of the ideal LROC test statistic. We further derive an approximation to the ideal ALROC using the extreme value distribution and compare it to the direct simulation of the ALROC. Using a different approach by defining a parameterized probability density function of the data, we are able to derive another approximation to the ideal ALROC for weak signals from a power series expansion in signal amplitude.
South Atlantic interbasin exchange

The exchange of mass and heat between the South Atlantic and the neighboring ocean basins was estimated using hydrographic data and inverse methods, in order to gain information on the links between the deep-water formation processes occurring within the Atlantic and the global thermohaline circulation. Results demonstrate that the global thermohaline cell associated with the formation and export of North Atlantic deep water (NADW) is closed primarily by a 'cold water path' in which deep water leaving the Atlantic ultimately returns as intermediate water entering the basin through Drake Passage. This conclusion conflicts with the suggestion by Gordon (1986) that the global thermohaline circulation associated with the formation of NADW is closed primarily by a 'warm water path', in which the export of NADW is compensated by an inflow of warm Indian Ocean thermocline water south of Africa.
Parameter fine-tuning for robots

Fine-tuning the parameters of robots is a time-consuming and costly procedure, so that many commercial robot companies cannot afford to do it and the physical capability of robots is not fully realized. Autotune, a computer procedure that automatically tunes parameters of feedback compensators for robot arms in order to circumvent manual tuning and maximize capability, is outlined. Simulation and test results show that this autotuning is robust and efficient. Some practical implementation issues are discussed. >
Effects of mode of presentation and number of categories on estimates of proportion by 4-year-olds.

Two studies of 4-yr.-old Ss were concerned with the effects of mode of presentation (simultaneous versus successive) and number of categories on estimates of proportion. Exp. I compared simultaneous and successive presentations, using two categories of elements. The results indicate that 4-yr.-old children are fairly accurate in their estimates and are able consistently to discriminate proportions differing by .20 but are unable to differentiate those differing by .10. These results replicate fairly well an earlier study by Ginsburg (1967). There was no significant difference in estimates of proportion as a result of mode of presentation. In Exp. II the 13 4-yr.-old children performed at about a chance level on a 3-category simultaneous task.