cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential discrimination of appropriate pathways by regenerating identified neurons in Helisoma.

Pathway selection by two different identified neurons (neuron 4 and neuron 5) in the pond snail Helisoma was studied by intracellular injection of the fluorescent dye, Lucifer Yellow CH. The axonal projections of these neurons in normal animals are remarkably constant. Axons of neuron 4 and 5 share a common nerve, the esophageal trunk (ET), which bifurcates to form the gastric nerve (GN) and the salivary nerve (SN). Neuron 5's axon traverses the GN and “avoids” the SN; neuron 4's axon traverses the SN and “avoids” the GN. On rare occasions when neuron 4 enters the GN it may make right angle turns, leave the gastric nerve cylinder, and extend directly to its target, the salivary glands. Anomalously located neuron 4 somata also may extend axons to their correct targets via unusual routes. Following ET crush both neurons 4 and 5 regenerate. Sprouts from neuron 5 encountering the bifurcation of the ET basically recapitulate the normal neuron 5 axonal projection. In contrast, neuron 4 sprouts indiscriminately into “correct” and “incorrect” branches of the ET. These experiments indicate that pathway selection by growing neurites can be differentially and specfically regulated for different neurons of the same nerve trunk. The fidelity of different regenerating neurons for selecting nerves which normally contain their axons differs. Though the mechanism of pathway selection cannot yet be identified, the regenerate axonal projections cannot be accounted for by direct guidance of sprouts by the surviving distal axon segments, as has been reported for some identified neurons in the leech.
Identification of bone morphogenetic proteins and their receptors in human breast cancer cell lines: importance of BMP2.

The most frequent site of breast cancer metastasis is bone suggesting that some breast cancers express proteins that facilitate this process. We evaluated whether a highly metastatic breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, and a less metastatic breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, contain bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP). Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) demonstrated that MDA and MCF-7 cells contain mRNAs for BMP receptors IA, IB and II. RT-PCR indicated the presence of mRNAs for BMPs 2 and 3 but not 4 and 7 in breast cells. Using a RT-PCR strategy with molecular beacons, we found that the mRNA for BMP2 in MDA cells was decreased by 75% after a sublethal dose of radiation. An ELISA using an antibody specific for BMP2 demonstrated that BMP2 protein was reduced after radiation of MDA cells. The mRNA for BMP2 was expressed to a lesser extent in MCF-7 cells than MDA cells and was not altered after radiation treatment of MCF-7 cells as demonstrated by molecular beacon RT-PCR. Recombinant human BMP2 decreased the proliferation of MDA cells to a greater extent than MCF-7 cells. These results expand the number of tissues that contain BMPs and demonstrate the effect of this signalling pathway of the growth state of these tissues.
The active phase of iron catalysts for acetonitrile synthesis

Abstract In situ Mossbauer spectroscopy has been used to examine the active phase of two different reduced 4% Fe/SiO 2 catalysts for acetonitrile synthesis from CO, H 2 , and NH 3 . The Fe 0 -containing, silica-supported catalyst starts with a finite initial activity and displays a maximum in activity with time that tracks the amount of the e′-Fe 2.2 C phase, indicating it as the active phase of the catalyst. The silica-supported catalyst containing Fe 2+ only starts with a low activity and slowly rises to a stable activity but shows little change in the bulk structure of the catalyst. In this case, much of the change occurs on the surface of the catalyst and could not be monitored with Mossbauer spectroscopy. An increase in the reducibility of iron with time was confirmed, however, with H 2 desorption experiments. For reduced 11.9% Fe/carbon, also known to have e′-Fe 2.2 C as the active phase for acetonitrile synthesis, spectra collected at cryogenic temperatures after 3 and 10 min of reaction indicate the following order in carbide formation: Fe 0 →e′→χ→θ. Transient mass spectrometry used to monitor the product stream in the first 5 min of reaction indicates that carbide formation precedes product formation. Reactions carried out over rereduced, postreaction 11.9% Fe/carbon indicate large-scale sintering during the first cycle of reaction. Mossbauer studies also show a rapid rearrangement of the bulk structure of the rereduced used catalyst when it is reintroduced to the reaction environment.
Atopic dermatitis and nutrition

Atopic dermatitis, a chronic disease with no cure, currently affects almost one-fifth of the population of industrialized nations. Treatment can be challenging for physicians and patients alike. Children are commonly affected, making it even more difficult to find safe therapeutic options, especially in severe disease. Interest in diet and nutrition has increased during the last few years. Nutritional interventions are both intriguing and accessible for many patients. Given the recent expansion of the field of nutrition in the realm of medicine and in popular culture, it is important for the dermatologist to be knowledgeable about the risks and benefits of nutritional interventions. This contribution reviews the current literature on the role of nutrition in atopic dermatitis, from dietary restriction to dietary supplementation, from traditional interventions such as vitamins and minerals to the emerging fields of probiotics and essential fatty acids, and from the prenatal period through infancy and adulthood.
Intramolecular Proton Transfer in Mono- and Dihydrated Tautomers of Guanine: An ab Initio Post Hartree−Fock Study

The results of an ab initio post Hartree−Fock study of the molecular structures, relative stabilities, and mechanisms of intermolecular proton transfer in isolated, mono- and dihydrated guanine complexes are reported. The geometries of the local minima and transition states were optimized without symmetry restrictions by the gradient procedure at the HF and the MP2 levels of theory and were verified by energy second derivative calculations. The standard 6-31G(d) basis set was used. The single point calculations have been performed at the MP4(SDQ)/6-31G(d)//MP2/6-31G(d) and the MP2/6-311++G(d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d) approximations. All values of total energies have been corrected for zero point energy contributions scaled by a factor of 0.9. The post Hartree−Fock ab initio theory predicts the height of the proton transfer barrier for monohydrated guanine complexes to be approximately two times lower for the tautomeric oxo−hydroxo reactions and approximately three times lower for the reverse hydroxo−oxo reactions ...
Methodological challenges in research on sexual risk behavior: I. Item content, scaling, and data analytical options.

Investigation of sexual behavior involves many challenges, including how to assess sexual behavior and how to analyze the resulting data. Sexual behavior can be assessed using absolute frequency measures (also known as counts) or with relative frequency measures (e.g., rating scales that range from never to always). We discuss these 2 assessment approaches in the context of research on HIV risk behavior. We conclude that these 2 approaches yield nonredundant information and, more important, that only data yielding information about the absolute frequency of risk behavior have the potential to serve as valid indicators of HIV contraction risk. However, analyses of count data may be challenging because of non-normal distributions with many outliers. Therefore, we identify new and powerful data analytical solutions that have been developed recently to analyze count data and discuss limitations of’acommonly appliedmethod(viz., analysis of covariance using baseline scores as covariates).
Parents' Attitudes Toward Chinese–English Bilingual Education and Chinese-Language Use

Abstract This study surveyed 86 parents who enrolled their children in a Chinese–English bilingual preschool in San Francisco. The participants were asked their opinions on bilingual education, the reasons for sending their children to a Chinese–English bilingual school, their attitudes toward bilingual education, their use of Chinese and English, and their expectations for their children and the language environment at home. It was found that parents strongly support Chinese–English bilingual education and understood the purpose and underlying principles of bilingual education. Although there were some differences between the English-dominant and Chinese-dominant parents' responses, the major reasons parents enrolled their children in Chinese–English bilingual school were the practical advantages of being bilingual (e.g., better career opportunities), positive effects on self-image, and development of skills enabling effective communication within the Chinese-speaking community. The majority of the paren...
The Liberal Education of STEM Majors

Liberal arts colleges produce a disproportionate number of PhDs in the sciences (National Science Foundation 2008), and knowledgeable observers praise the “cross-training” of these colleges' scienc...
Generalized interaction coefficients.

Abstract In order to predict first and second order free energy interaction coefficients, Guggenheim's(1) Quasi-Chemical Approximation of a lattice model for binary solutions is extended to multicomponent ones. The predicted values of eii and eii are in reasonably good agreement with the measured values for a number of metallic systems, but the limited number of appropriate experimental results, and the relative imprecision of these results, prevent a wholly satisfactory appraisal of the reliability of the quasi-chemical theory in predicting the second order interaction coefficients, ρ. It is apparent, however, that the model may assess the possible size of these coefficients and be of aid in correlating experimental data. Several examples are given of the use of the model in predicting the second order cross-product coefficients, ρj,ki.
The Shared Fortunes of Congress and Congressmen: Members May Run from Congress, but They Can't Hide

Political scientists frequently decry the so-called legislature-legislator dichotomy, whereby appraisals of individual congressmen are thought to be independent of those characterizing the congressional institution. In reality, the supporting evidence cited by proponents of the idea is insufficient; neither substantial disparities between the overall positivity of the two evaluations, nor differences in the way they are structured, foreclose the possibility of direct interevaluation linkage. We find in this study that judgments of Congress's performance indeed serve as strong predictors of members' reputations from 1978 to 1986. However, any temptation to read into these results confirmation that an important ideal of democratic accountability is successfully being realized in this country must be tempered by the accompanying discovery that ironically, it is constituents with lower levels of cognitive sophistication who are more prone to link together personal assessments of Congress and their own legislator.
Demo: spanning an underlay over a host WPAN cluster

A prototype for WPAN slicing and virtualization is showcased in this demo, where we form a contiguous wireless PAN "underlay" spanned over two neighboring IEEE 802.15.4 mote networks.
Predicting tropical insect herbivore abundance from host plant traits and phylogeny

Phylogenetic ecology has identified patterns of diversity in communities that may find explanation in trophic interactions, and yet there have been few attempts to directly relate such patterns among trophic levels. Density-dependent processes involving pests and pathogens, for example, have been invoked to account for plant community phylogenetic patterns, but relatively little is known about how plant relatedness might affect community structure at other trophic levels. We examined the degree to which the abundance of herbivores in a rain forest community is explained by the phylogeny and functional traits of host plants. We destructively sampled all stems ! 5 cm diameter in two 1-ha plots of New Guinea primary and secondary lowland forest to test predicted relationships between herbivore abundance and plant resources. We analyzed per-tree caterpillar and leaf miner abundance, total leaf biomass (kg), percentage of immature foliage, specific leaf area (cm 2 /g), leaf nitrogen content (percentage of dry mass), and presence of exudates in the context of a plant community phylogeny estimated from DNA barcodes. Apart from nitrogen content and exudates, neither plant resources nor herbivore abundance showed evidence of phylogenetic signal in our community sample. The plant traits we measured could account for only 30% and 16% of variation in caterpillar and leaf miner abundance, respectively, among individual trees. Leaf biomass was a stronger predictor of herbivore abundance than either resource quality (leaf nitrogen content) or palatability (percentage of immature foliage, specific leaf area). The primary importance of resource quantity was also observed at the plant species level in analyses of species means and phylogenetic generalized least-squares regression. Plant relatedness did not account for much variation in herbivore abundance, but significant effects of exudates and leaf nitrogen content on caterpillar abundance illustrate how conserved traits at one trophic level may influence community-wide patterns at another.
Safety and Efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy for the Treatment of Agitation and Aggression in Patients With Dementia

Objectives Noncognitive behavioral disturbances including agitation and aggression frequently accompany the cognitive symptoms of dementia accounting for much of dementia's morbidity, yet treatment options are currently limited. The authors examine the safety and efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for agitation and aggression in dementia patients. Design Retrospective systematic chart review. Setting McLean Hospital's geriatric neuropsychiatry unit. Participants Sixteen patients with a diagnosis of dementia treated with ECT for agitation/aggression during 2004–2007. Measurements Clinical charts were rated on the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale as the primary outcome, the Clinical Global Impression scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning pre- and post-ECT. Results 16 patients of mean age 66.6 ± 8.3 years were studied. Their average overall and pre-ECT lengths of stay were 59.7 ± 39.7 days and 23 ± 15.7 days, respectively. Patients received a mean of 9 ECT treatments, mostly bilateral. Patients showed significant reductions in their total Pittsburgh Agitation Scale scores from baseline after ECT (from 11.0 ± 5.0 to 3.9 ± 4.3 [ F = 30.33, df = 1, 15, p F = 112.97, df = 1, 15, p F = 5.73, df = 1, 13, p=0.32]). Only one patient, in whom ECT was discontinued following 11 bilateral treatments, showed no improvement. Eight patients showed transient postictal confusion, which typically resolved within 48 hours. Two patients showed more severe postictal confusion that required modification of treatment. Conclusions These results suggest that ECT is an effective and safe treatment for agitation and aggression in dementia. Further prospective studies are warranted.
Factors contributing to extended activity times during the provision of wheeled mobility devices.

Purpose: A secondary analysis was performed on data from a recent time-motion study documenting the type and duration of activities performed during the provision of wheeled mobility and seating devices. The objective of this analysis was to report factors that were most associated with activities having extended durations. Method: Activities were categorized as occurring during the visit-preparation, pre-delivery, delivery or follow-up phases of equipment provision. Extended activities were defined as activities at or exceeding the 75th percentile, corresponding to activities exceeding 37.5 min. Logistic regression and Odd Ratio calculations were used to identify factors that were associated with extended encounters with clients. Results: Extended activities were more likely to be associated with Group 4 power chairs, ultra-lightweight wheelchairs and seating systems comprised of a combination of technologies, such as those with postural supports or using made-to measure or custom-molded techniques. Conc...
National TV broadcasting and the rise of the regulatory state

Using historical, theoretical and empirical arguments, this paper puts forth the notion that it was the rise of US national TV networks in the late 1960s that led to the expansion of federal social regulation and a simultaneous decline of federal economic regulation in the 1970s. The paper argues that national TV networks changed the relative position of national versus local and regional producers and sellers of goods and services. Instead of preferring state and local social regulation, the emerging national firms preferred federal social regulation. Since national markets were emerging, the same national firms lobbied for regulatory reform in transportation and communication services. The rise of national markets associated with national TV networks also stimulated a demand for mergers and consolidations. Data describing these various phenomena are provided in the paper.
Phospholipase, galactolipase and acyl transferase activities of a lipolytic enzyme from potato

Abstract Characterization of reaction products showed that an enzyme (lipolytic acyl hydrolase) isolated from potato tubers could act on endogenous substrates as a galactolipase (E.C. 3.1.1.26), lysophospholipase (E.C. 3.1.1.5) or a ‘phospholipase B’ but not as a lipase (E.C. 3.1.1.3). The affinity of the enzyme for methanol as acyl acceptor (acyl transferase activity) was higher than its affinity for water (acyl hydrolase activity). The nomenclature of acyl hydrolases in plants is discussed.
Kinship and nonrelative foster care: the effect of placement type on child well-being.

This study uses a national sample of 1,215 children, ages 6–17, who spent some time in formal kinship or nonrelative foster care to identify the effect of placement type on academic achievement, behavior, and health. Several identification strategies are used to reduce selection bias, including ordinary least squares, change score models, propensity score weighting, and instrumental variables regression. The results consistently estimate a negative effect of kin placements on reading scores, but kin placements appear to have no effect on child health, and findings on children's math and cognitive skills test scores and behavioral problems are mixed. Estimated declines in both academic achievement and behavioral problems are concentrated among children who are lower functioning at baseline.
Two Distinct Isoforms of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Are Associated with Human Delayed Kidney Graft Function

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a frequent complication of renal transplantation, particularly in the setting of transplantation of kidneys derived from deceased donors and expanded-criteria donors. DGF results from tubular epithelial cell injury and has immediate and long term consequences. These include requirement for post-transplantation dialysis, increased incidence of acute rejection, and poorer long-term outcomes. DGF represents one of the clearest clinical examples of renal acute ischemia/reperfusion injury. Experimental studies have demonstrated that ischemia/reperfusion injury induces the synthesis of the full length secreted isoform of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (FL-MMP-2), as well as an intracellular N-terminal truncated MMP-2 isoform (NTT-MMP-2) that initiates an innate immune response. We hypothesized that the two MMP-2 isoforms mediate tubular epithelial cell injury in DGF. Archival renal biopsy sections from 10 protocol biopsy controls and 41 cases with a clinical diagnosis of DGF were analyzed for the extent of tubular injury, expression of the FL-MMP-2 and NTT-MMP-2 isoforms by immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization, and qPCR to determine isoform abundance. Differences in transcript abundance were related to tubular injury score. Markers of MMP-2-mediated injury included TUNEL staining and assessment of peritubular capillary density. There was a clear relationship between tubular epithelial cell expression of both FL-MMP-2 and NTT-MMP-2 IHC with the extent of tubular injury. The MMP-2 isoforms were detected in the same tubular segments and were present at sites of tubular injury. qPCR demonstrated highly significant increases in both the FL-MMP-2 and NTT-MMP-2 transcripts. Statistical analysis revealed highly significant associations between FL-MMP-2 and NTT-MMP-2 transcript abundance and the extent of tubular injury, with NTT-MMP-2 having the strongest association. We conclude that two distinct MMP-2 isoforms are associated with tubular injury in DGF and offer novel therapeutic targets for the prevention of this disorder.
Thermal decomposition of Ni(II) and Fe(III) acetates and their mixture

The thermal decomposition of the ferric and nickel acetate salts has been followed. It was found that the heating rate affects the decomposition steps. For a heating rate of 1 K min−1 the product is either Fe2O3 or NiO. For a higher heating rate the suboxides are obtained and reoxidized again on further heating. The decomposition of the mixed salt is an overlap of the DTA for the separate salts but the decomposition reactions are shifted to lower temperatures.
Sequence Independent Lifting for Mixed Integer Programs with Variable Upper Bounds

We investigate the convex hull of the set defined by a single inequality with continuous and binary variables with variable upper bound constraints. We extend the traditional flow cover inequality, and show that it is valid for a restriction of the set in which some variables are fixed. We also give conditions under which this inequality is facet-defining and, when it is not, we show how it can be lifted to obtain valid inequalities for the entire set using sequence independent lifting. In general, computing the lifting function is NP-hard, but under an additional restriction on the cover we obtain a closed form. Finally, we show how these results imply and extend known results about the single node fixed charge flow polyhedron.
Lifetime-aware multicast routing in wireless ad hoc networks

One of the main design constraints in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) is that they are energy constrained. Hence, routing algorithms must be developed to consider energy consumption of the nodes in the network as a primary goal. In MANETS, every node has to perform the junctions of a router. So if some nodes die early due to lack of energy and/or the network becomes fragmented, then it will not be possible for other nodes in the network to communicate with each other. This paper presents a lifetime-aware multicast routing algorithm that maximizes the ad hoc network lifetime by finding routing solutions that minimize the variance of the remaining energies of the nodes in the network. Extensive simulation results are provided to evaluate the performance of the new routing algorithm compared to a number of different metrics and in comparison to a variety of existing multicast routing algorithms.
The folklore of pregnancy.

The similarity of attitudes towards pregnancy and childbirth was investigated in two studies. Study 1 examined the attitudes towards the preference of the sex of first- and second born children among 1169 college students, who were not yet parents, in four samples, from 1978 to 1986. Five percent of the men and 9–2% of the women preferred Girl-Girl; 21.4% of men and 12.7% of women, Boy-Boy; 14.8% of the men and 29–2% of the women Girl-Boy, and 51.7% of the men and 426% of the women Boy-Girl. The same pattern of differences between the groups appeared over the 8-yr. period. Study 2 compared five ethnic groups on five categories of attitudes and superstition related to pregnancy and childbirth and found significant differences among the groups based upon the groups' patterns of immigration to the United States—the longer the ethnic group as a whole had been in the United States the lower the index of folklore. Rank order of the five categories of superstition was consistent among all of the ethnic groups su...
Superpulse CO2 laser treatment of facial syringomata

Eight patients with facial syringomata have been treated with the superpulse CO2 laser and followed for periods up to 3 years. Superpulse capability allows satisfactory photovaporization of overlying skin and exposure and liberation of the underlying cyst. Healing was satisfactory with minimal scarring and no persistence or recurrence of syringomata in five of eight cases.
Monte Carlo study shows no significant difference in second cancer risk between 6- and 18-MV intensity-modulated radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the photon and neutron out-of-field dose equivalents from 6- and 18-MV intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and to investigate the impact of the differences on the associated risk of induced second malignancy using a Monte Carlo model. Methods and materials A Monte Carlo model created with MCNPX was used to calculate the out-of-field photon dose and neutron dose equivalent from simulated IMRT of the prostate conducted at beam energies of 6 and 18 MV. The out-of-field dose equivalent was calculated at the locations of sensitive organs in an anthropomorphic phantom. Based on these doses, the risk of secondary malignancy was calculated based on organ-, gender-, and age-specific risk coefficients for a 50-year-old man. Results The Monte Carlo model predicted much lower neutron dose equivalents than had been determined previously. Further analysis illuminated the large uncertainties in the neutron dose equivalent and demonstrated the need for better determination of this value, which plays a large role in estimating the risk of secondary malignancies. The Monte Carlo calculations found that the differences in the risk of secondary malignancies conferred by high-energy IMRT versus low-energy IMRT are minimal and insignificant, contrary to prior findings. Conclusions The risk of secondary malignancy associated with high-energy radiation therapy may not be as large as previously reported, and likely should not deter the use of high-energy beams. However, the large uncertainties in neutron dose equivalents at specific locations within the patient warrant further study so that the risk of secondary cancers can be estimated with greater accuracy.
Analytic upscaling of a local microphysics scheme. Part I: Derivation

In large-scale simulations of the atmosphere, microphysical processes occur on smaller scales than the grid-box size. If the processes are nonlinear, and the variability within a grid box is large, then ignoring the subgrid variability leads to inaccuracy. To avoid this inaccuracy, local microphysical formulas, valid at a point in space, may be upscaled to a large grid box. This may be done by integrating the local microphysical formula over the probability density function (PDF) that represents spatial subgrid variability. This paper will upscale local formulas proposed by Khairoutdinov and Kogan, which constitute a complete microphysics scheme for drizzle in marine stratocumulus. It is tractable to upscale this scheme because all formulas in it are power laws. The marginal PDFs will be assumed to have either a normal mixture or log-normal functional form. In Part II of this pair of papers, the upscaled formulas are implemented interactively in a single-column model and tested for a drizzling marine stratocumulus case. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Identifying DNA splice sites using hypernetworks with artificial molecular evolution

Identifying DNA splice sites is a main task of gene hunting. We introduce the hyper-network architecture as a novel method for finding DNA splice sites. The hypernetwork architecture is a biologically inspired information processing system composed of networks of molecules forming cells, and a number of cells forming a tissue or organism. Its learning is based on molecular evolution. DNA examples taken from GenBank were translated into binary strings and fed into a hypernetwork for training. We performed experiments to explore the generalization performance of hypernetwork learning in this data set by two-fold cross validation. The hypernetwork generalization performance was comparable to well known classification algorithms. With the best hypernetwork obtained, including local information and heuristic rules, we built a system (HyperExon) to obtain splice site candidates. The HyperExon system outperformed leading splice recognition systems in the list of sequences tested.
Time‐Resolved FTIR Emission Spectroscopy of Transient Radicals

Fourier Transform spectroscopy with 10 - 8 second time resolution for recording IR emission spectra has been developed as an efficient means for detecting previously unknown vibrational modes of transient radicals. 193 nmphotodissociation of a precursor molecule is used to generate vibrationally excited radicals, from which IR emission is recorded with time and spectral resolution. Assignment of the spectra is performed using information obtained through multiple precursors, isotopic substitution, time dependence of emission intensity, theoretical calculations, and 2-dimensional cross-spectra correlation analysis. The radicals vinyl, cyanovinyl, and OCCN have been studied with many vibrational modes identified.
LAGRANGIAN CONSTRUCTION OF THE (gln, glm)-DUALITY

We give a geometric realization of the symmetric algebra of the tensor space together with the action of the dual pair (gln, glm) in terms of lagrangian cycles in the cotangent bundles of certain varieties. We establish geometrically the equivalence between the (gln, glm)-duality and Schur duality. We establish the connection between Springer's construction of (representations of) Weyl groups and Ginzburg's construction of (representations of) Lie algebras of type A.
Cost minimization analysis of different growth hormone pen devices based on time-and-motion simulations

Numerous pen devices are available to administer recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rhGH), and both patients and health plans have varying issues to consider when selecting a particular product and device for daily use. Therefore, the present study utilized multi-dimensional product analysis to assess potential time involvement, required weekly administration steps, and utilization costs relative to daily rhGH administration. Study objectives were to conduct 1) Time-and-Motion (TM) simulations in a randomized block design that allowed time and steps comparisons related to rhGH preparation, administration and storage, and 2) a Cost Minimization Analysis (CMA) relative to opportunity and supply costs. Nurses naive to rhGH administration and devices were recruited to evaluate four rhGH pen devices (2 in liquid form, 2 requiring reconstitution) via TM simulations. Five videotaped and timed trials for each product were evaluated based on: 1) Learning (initial use instructions), 2) Preparation (arrange device for use), 3) Administration (actual simulation manikin injection), and 4) Storage (maintain product viability between doses), in addition to assessment of steps required for weekly use. The CMA applied micro-costing techniques related to opportunity costs for caregivers (categorized as wages), non-drug medical supplies, and drug product costs. Norditropin® NordiFlex and Norditropin® NordiPen (NNF and NNP, Novo Nordisk, Inc., Bagsvaerd, Denmark) took less weekly Total Time (p < 0.05) to use than either of the comparator products, Genotropin® Pen (GTP, Pfizer, Inc, New York, New York) or HumatroPen® (HTP, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana). Time savings were directly related to differences in new package Preparation times (NNF (1.35 minutes), NNP (2.48 minutes) GTP (4.11 minutes), HTP (8.64 minutes), p < 0.05)). Administration and Storage times were not statistically different. NNF (15.8 minutes) and NNP (16.2 minutes) also took less time to Learn than HTP (24.0 minutes) and GTP (26.0 minutes), p < 0.05). The number of weekly required administration steps was also least with NNF and NNP. Opportunity cost savings were greater in devices that were easier to prepare for use; GTP represented an 11.8% drug product savings over NNF, NNP and HTP at time of study. Overall supply costs represented <1% of drug costs for all devices. Time-and-motion simulation data used to support a micro-cost analysis demonstrated that the pen device with the greater time demand has highest net costs.
Serum-stimulated α1 type IV collagen gene transcription is mediated by TGF-β and inhibited by estradiol

We examined the hypothesis that fetal calf serum (FCS) stimulates murine mesangial cell α1 type IV collagen (COL4A1) gene transcription by increasing autocrine production of transforming growth fac...
IEEE Micromouse for mechatronics research and education

IEEE Micromouse is a university level competition in which student teams build small robots capable of exploring, mapping, and racing through a small maze. Building a successful micromouse involves the design and construction of the hardware, control, sensor and system integration, microcontroller integration, and development of computer algorithms for mapping and route planning. Beyond the technical skills, team members also learn team work, time management, and communication skills. Micromouse gives students the ability to learn these valuable skills and, more importantly, gain some experience, thus giving them an edge in a very competitive job market. With the motivation we have gained as winners of the IEEE NW Area Micromouse Competition for the past four years in a row, in this paper we aim to describe the important technical aspects and the required continuous improvements to the system in terms of design, controls, and computer algorithms for a better, faster autonomous robot We also show how a micromouse program can be beneficial, especially for undergraduate research and education in robotics and mechatronics.
Potential role of the EPEC translocated intimin receptor (Tir) in host apoptotic events

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a well-ordered process that allows damaged or diseased cells to be removed from an organism without severe inflammatory reactions. Multiple factors, including microbial infection, can induce programmed death and trigger reactions in both host and microbial cellular pathways. Whereas an ultimate outcome is host cell death, these apoptotic triggering mechanisms may also facilitate microbial spread and prolong infection. To gain a better understanding of the complex events of host cell response to microbial infection, we investigated the molecular role of the microorganism Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in programmed cell death. We report that wild type strain of EPEC, E2348/69, induced apoptosis in cultured PtK2 and Caco-2 cells, and in contrast, infections by the intracellularly localized Listeria monocytogenes did not. Fractionation and concentration of EPEC-secreted proteins demonstrated that soluble protein factors expressed by the bacteria were capable of inducing the apoptotic events in the absence of organism attachment, suggesting adherence is not required to induce host cell death. Among the known EPEC proteins secreted via the Type III secretion (TTS) system, we identified the translocated intimin receptor (Tir) in the apoptosis-inducing protein sample. In addition, host cell ectopic expression of an EPEC GFP-Tir showed mitochondrial localization of the protein and produced apoptotic effects in transfected cells. Taken together, these results suggest a potential EPEC Tirmediated role in the apoptotic signaling cascade of infected host cells.
Hans Mommsen with Manfred Grieger, Das Volkswagenwerk und seine Arbeiter im Dritten Reich. Duesseldorf: ECON, 1996. 1055 pp. DM 78 cloth.

The name Volkswagen most readily conjures up images of the ubiquitous Beetle of the 1950s and 1960s, that symbol of postwar prosperity and mass consumption in Germany, of new leisure and mobility in the US, and of European competition with the once-dominant American automobile industry. But the Volkswagen automobile firm did not originate in the post–World War Two economic miracle. Rather, it was a creation of the Nazi regime and was intimately implicated in its consumerist fantasies, war economy, and slave labor policies. Hans Mommsen with the aid of Manfred Grieger has explored the Nazi origins and wartime practices of Volkswagen and its guiding figures, above all Ferdinand Porsche. This richly detailed investigation is a major contribution to our understanding of Nazi labor exploitation and the complicity of business in encouraging, designing, and implementing forced-labor practices. It is also a challenging argument about the irrationalities and inefficiencies of the fascist war economy and a complex illustration of the convoluted German path to mass consumption. The book illustrates how inextricably linked economics and politics were in the Third Reich for business as well as government, how closely modernity and antimodernity coexisted in the Nazi economy, and how complex the lines of continuity and discontinuity between the Third Reich and the Federal Republic are.
The Major Current Interpretations of the Principle of Free and Informed Consent

While the first chapter of this study focused primarily on the historical origins of informed consent and its second on the articulation of this concept in human-rights documents, the purpose of this chapter is to trace the issue of informed consent throughout the Magisterial teaching of the Roman Catholic Church (first section) and its treatment in relevant philosophical and theological literature (second section). This will provide grounds for comprehensive analyses of proxy consent. Space limitations require that the second section include only the most representative and recognized authors. Thus, the virtue ethics applied to the medical realm by Edmund Pellegrino and David Thomasma will be contrasted with the four-principle approach characteristic of Tom Beauchamp and James Childress, enriched by psychological insights provided by Ruth Faden. The account of Paul Ramsey, rooted in the biblical notion of covenant and classic for the topic, will open the section, while the analyses of Germain Grisez, grounded in Catholic theology and emphasizing the weight of conscience, will close it. Furthermore, the contributions of authors such as Benedict Ashley, Kevin O’Rourke, Robert Veatch, Jessica Berg, Paul Appelbaum, Charles Lidz, Lisa Parker, and Robert Levine will be recognized as appropriate throughout this section.
Some thoughts on the use and misuse of statistical inference

The abuse of techniques of statistical inference resulting from inadequate attention to the relationship between the model used and the real world problem being addressed, and inappropriate interpretation of conclusions in the light of that relationsip, are discussed. The basic principle underlying all statistical inference is that we attempt to distinguish between alternatives by comparing observed behavior with that predicted by predictive models of those alternatives. The use of predictive models which do not describe the behavior of the alternatives between which we wish to distinguish is a clear violation of that principle. The principle is illustrated in a discussion of sampling from an urn. The technique of causal inference through partial correlation analysis is discussed as an example of the violation of this principle. On the surface this technique appears to have wide applicability in analyses in support of policy studies, but further examination shows its applicability to be somewhere between highly questionable and totally specious.
Allies On the Road to Victory: Coalition Formation Between The Suffragists and The Woman's Christian Temperance Union

Social movement organizations frequently enter into coalitions with other movement groups. Yet few movement scholars have investigated the circumstances that foster coalition work. This article analyzes both the contextual and organizational factors that spurred coalitions between women's suffrage organizations and Woman's Christian Temperance Unions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as they worked to win voting rights for women. We find that circumstances that threatened the goals of these organizations led to coalitions, while political opportunities did not produce coalition work. In addition, organizational resources and ideologies also influenced the likelihood of the emergence of a coalition.
Vahid Brown and Don Rassler. Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973–2012

Seemingly out of nowhere, a new terrorist threat emerged in 2007. Straddling the Afghan-Pakistan border, the Haqqani network has since become known as a key funder, organizer, facilitator, and perp...
Talking Your Book: Social Networks and Price Discovery

We study how professional investors use social networks to impound price-relevant information into asset prices. Exploiting novel data from an online social network that facilitates information sharing among fund managers, we find that long (short) recommendations released into the private network generate cumulative abnormal returns of 3.61% (-4.90%) over a twenty-day window. These results suggest that social networks play a direct role in facilitating the price discovery process.
Ultrasonic micromotors

Initial work is presented on an ultrasonic micromotor. Small polysilicon blocks were both translated and rotated using traveling flexural waves in thin membranes. The acoustic wavelength was typically 100 mu m. The interdigital transducer voltage was typically 5 V; motion was observed at as low as 1.5 V. The acoustic wave power was about 1 mW. Linear motion quickly moved the blocks off of the 3-mm by 8-mm membrane region, but rotational motion was quite stable. Three possible mechanisms for energy transfer from the acoustic wave to the blocks were examined. Preliminary results in air and in vacuum indicate that a fluid boundary layer is responsible for the energy transfer. >
Remote tumor effects on lactic dehydrogenase of mouse muscle fibers with different glycolytic--oxidative metabolic potentials.

AbstractThe total lactic dehydrogenase (LD) activity and the isoenzyme pattern were studied in muscles of mice during the progressive growth of a distally transplanted methylcholanthrene-induced tumor. The thigh muscles as a group (a mixture of fibers with different oxidative-glycolytic metabolic potentials), the gastrocnemius muscle (primarily glycolytic), the soleus muscle (predominantly oxidative), the heart (purely oxidative), and the diaphragm (primarily oxidative) were evaluated. The total LD activity increased in muscles with a high glycolytic metabolic potential. In such muscles a significant increase of the muscle type and a significant decrease of the heart type of LD were observed. After 3 weeks of tumor growth the tumor was resected, and the LD activity and isoenzyme distribution returned toward normal values 2 weeks later.
Antiviral agents for treating influenza

The new neuraminidase inhibitors zanamivir and oseltamivir are important additions to the treatment of influenza, being the first class of agents active against both influenza A and influenza B. The decision to use these agents rather than amantadine or rimantadine, which are effective only against influenza A, should be based on the age of the patient, antiviral activity, side effect profile, ease of administration, drug interactions, and cost. All of these agents are effective only when started within 24 to 48 hours of onset of symptoms. To avoid inappropriate use of these agents, treatment should be continued only in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of influenza. Although effective in decreasing symptoms, none of these agents prevent pneumonia or hospitalization secondary to influenza.
Evidence for inversion of 0+ phonon states and gamma softness in Ba-134

The $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectra of $^{134}\mathrm{La}$ have been studied by $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-singles and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ Ge(Li) spectroscopy. The $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray decay of the low lying ${0}^{+}$ levels has been used to suggest that, because of softness toward $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ deformation, the lowest ${0}^{+}$ excited state in $^{134}\mathrm{Ba}$, with $B(E2;{0}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\frac{{2}_{2}^{+}}{{0}^{+}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}_{1}^{+})=28$, arises from the $N=3$ phonon state. This is shown to be qualitatively consistent with calculations of transitional nuclei.
Analysis on Data of Children Injury Cases in the Surveillance Hospitals of Dalian City in 2009

Objective To understand the conditions of injury among the children aged 0～14 in Dalian city,provide a scientific basis for intervention measures.Methods Data of first visit injury patients in 3 top hospitals in 2009 in Dalian were analyzed.Results 1186 cases of children injuries were reported in 2009 in 3 hospitals.The ratio of boys to girls was 2.29:1.The leading injury cases were accidental tumbles/falls(43.59%),hit by blunt objects (19.90%),hit by knife/sharp objects(12.06%),motor vehicle traffic accidents(9.70%) and animal injury(8.52%).The injury location were in school and public places(27.49%),at home(24.20%),on the road(22.18%),in sports and sports facilities(2.87%),in trade and service establishment(1.60%).Injury events were leisure activities(55.82%),in sports(14.25%),on transportation(3.88%),on study(3.54%) and others(2.61%).The nature of injury were contusion(42.16%), stab and open wound(33.98%),sprain(9.61%),fracture(8.78%).The major injured body parts were arm(32.88%),head(29.26%),lower limb(28.50%), trunk(4.38%) and more sites hurts(2.70%).91.40%of the injuries belonged to unintentional injuries.8.01%of the injuries belonged to intentional injury, suicide0.17%.Minor,moderate and serious injuries accounted for 84.65%,14.50%,and 0.84%.89.04%were cured and went home;observation/ hospitalization/referral accounted for 10.29%,only 0.17%died.Conclusion Most of the children injury were caused by accidental tumbles/falls and hit by blunt objects,therefore multi-departments cooperation and pertinent preventive measures should be taken.
The formation of ribonucleic acid in yeast: Hybridization of high molecular weight RNA species to yeast DNA

Abstract Hybridization in solution was used to investigate the sequence homology between DNA and several high molecular weight species of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. In agreement with others, about 1.3 and 0.7% of the DNA was found to be homologous respectively to the 26S and 17S ribosomal RNA components. Yeast ribosomal RNA is transcribed from a satellite with a buoyant density slightly higher (1.703) than main yeast DNA (1.698). The experiments indicate that the satellite contains some DNA other than that homologous to ribosomal RNA. Other experiments showed that the RNA synthesized in the presence of cycloheximide is a transcript of at least 20% of the genome.
Synthesis and Reactions of Iodolactams.

Consecutive treatment of the ω-unsaturated carboxamides (I) with trimethylsilyl triflate (II) and iodine leads to the formation of the iodolactams (IV).