cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature Measurement Validity For Dual Spectral-Band Radiometric Techniques

The measurement of the temperature of objects by remote means is important in science, industry, and other areas. A technique often employed is ratio radiometry, in which the temperature of the object is related to the ratio of the radiometric signals derived from each of two measurement spectral bands. A lingering question as to whether this technique is valid for determining temperature is answered. Although the technique is generally valid, certain spectral-band pairs can produce ambiguous results, namely, the same ratio can be obtained by looking at two objects, each at a particular, yet different temperature. Ambiguities occur only for spectral-band arrangements in which one spectral band is completely contained within the other. Examples are presented to illustrate this finding.
Indocyanine Dyes Approach Free Rotation at the 3′ Terminus of A-RNA: A Comparison with the 5′ Terminus and Consequences for Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Cyanine dyes are widely used to study the folding and structural transformations of nucleic acids using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The extent to which FRET can be used to extrac...
H-Beam Operation of TrdE IUCF Stripper Loop

The design and development using a 0.62 MeV molecular hydrogen beam for injection of a low energy proton storage ring to enhance the brightness and vary the rf microstructure of the beams from the IUCF cyclotrons were previously reported.1,2 The performance of the device, called a "stripper loop", is limited by the stripping properties of the H2+ ion and by the resulting low energy (0.31 MeV) of the circulating proton beam. However, peak bean intensity gains of nearly 6 were obtained. Larger beam intensity gains are predicted when the stripper loop is injected with 0.62 MeV H- ions. In recent development studies using an H- beam for injection, brightness gains of nearly 11 were obtained for proton beam energies of 180 and 200 MeV with pulse periods of about 2 ?S. The modifications required to inject H- ions into the stripper loop and the results of the beam development studies are presented and compared with theoretical predictions.
Evidence of surface cleaning during electric field assisted sintering

The cleaning of nanoparticles from surface oxides or contaminants is critical during the initial stages of spark plasma sintering (SPS). However, so far only indirect evidence has suggested the occurrence of surface cleaning. In situ transmission electron microscopy was used to replicate the processing conditions during SPS to directly observe surface cleaning. Dielectric breakdown was discovered to lead to surface cleaning. Electrothermal depletion of surface oxides is obtained through defect formation, electron trapping and local field enhancement.
Adult-worn child carriers: a potential risk for injury

Objectives—To examine and describe types of injuries associated with adult-worn child carriers and illustrate the need for careful use of these products by parents. Methods—A literature search for the terms infant carriers, backpack carriers, infant slings, baby carriers, and baby slings was conducted. Information was also obtained and tabulated from the three Consumer Product Safety Commission databases: the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), the In-Depth Investigations File, and the Injury/Potential Injury Incident File. Results—No reports of injuries were found in the medical literature. In the NEISS database, 51 injuries were reported between January 1990 and September 1998. Of these injuries, 38 (74.5%) were head traumas and eight (15.7%) were facial trauma. Of the 51 injuries, 11 (22%) required hospitalization. Conclusions—Based on the data presented in this paper, injuries associated with the use of adult-worn child carriers appear to come from three general sources: product appropriateness and design, product condition, and product use. It is important for health care providers to assist in the dissemination of information regarding the safe use of these products to parents in an effort to prevent injuries.
Individual Differences in the Cortisol Responses of Neglected and Comparison Children

Neglected children's acute hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) reactivity in response to a laboratory visit was contrasted with that of a comparison group. The authors examined initial salivary cortisol response upon entering the laboratory and its trajectory following a set of tasks designed to elicit negative self-evaluation in 64 children (30 with a history of neglect and 34 demographically matched comparison children). Neglected, but not comparison, children showed higher initial cortisol responses. The cortisol response of both groups showed a decline from the sample taken at lab entry, with neglected children's cortisol exhibiting steeper decline. The groups, however, did not differ in their mean cortisol levels at 20 and 35 min post-task. The results are interpreted in terms of the meaning of initial responses as a "baseline" and as evidence for neglected children's heightened HPA-axis reactivity as either a reflection of differences in home levels or the consequence of stress/anxiety associated with arrival at the laboratory. Language: en
Fabrication of Highly-ordered and Densely-spaced Silicon Nano-needle Arrays for Bio-sensing Applications

In this work, we report a success in fabricating highly-ordered and densely-packed array of silicon nano-needles that are vertically aligned, straight and long, meeting many of the requirements for biomolecular sensing and integration with silicon electronics. Yet, we show that they can be fabricated with a relatively simple and non-lithographic method. In this approach the array of nano-needles of high uniformity in length and diameter are made out of silicon by reactive ion etching (RIE) through either an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane or an array of metallic nano-dot caps that are evaporated on a silicon wafer using an AAO membrane as mask. The AAO membrane itself is formed non-lithographically via anodization of pure aluminum foil and contains an array of highly-ordered and highly-uniform nano-pores. By using the AAO membrane either directly as an etching mask or as an evaporation mask to deposit metallic nanodots which in turn serve as an etching mask, deep and high aspect-ratio etching is possible to allow the formation of the nanoneedles in a Si substrate.
Generalization of the Gibbsian relation for dilute systems

The Gibbsian relation is of fundamental importance to the thermodynamics of nonequilibrium systems. In this paper, we shall present an analytical derivation and several generalizations of this relation for dilute, nonequilibrium and certain highly nonequilibrium, systems. Our analysis will beindependent of the collision dynamics, because it will be based on the general kinetic equation witharbitrary collision integrals. Consequently, our analysis can provide athermodynamic derivation and several generalizations of the Gibbsian relation. Our distribution functions can also admit some arbitrary, nonequilibrium and highly nonequilibrium, forms. With the help of the generalized Gibbsian relation and a fundamental axiom to be postulated, the entropy production rates and the generalized forces and fluxes will be studied for our highly nonequilibrium systems. The second law of thermodynamics will be postulated and verified in specific cases. Onsager's reciprocity relations will be discussed.
Expression and Regulation of mRNA for Inhibin/Activin α- and βA-Subunits in the Granulosa Layer of the Two Largest Preovulatory Follicles during the Hen Ovulatory Cycle ☆

Abstract In order to understand the role of inhibin and activin in regulating follicular development in the hen, the steady-state mRNA levels of inhibin/activin α- and β A -subunits in the granulosa layer of the largest (F 1 ) and second largest (F 2 ) follicles of the hen were investigated at 4-hr intervals throughout the ovulatory cycle. In addition, because it was hypothesized that luteinizing hormone (LH) regulated β A -subunit expression, the effect of in vivo administration of ovine LH (oLH) on the expression of these subunits during the early- and mid-ovulatory cycle was examined. Northern blot analysis, using 32 P-labeled cDNA probes of chicken inhibin/activin α- and β A -subunits and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, internal control), revealed that in the F 1 follicle, the relative level of β A -mRNA ( n = 3) was low at 23.5 hr and increased ( P P 2 follicle, β A -mRNA was maintained at a basal level throughout the sampling period except for a brief increase ( P A -subunit, inhibin α-mRNA was abundantly expressed with no significant variations throughout the ovulatory cycle in either the F 1 or the F 2 follicle. When oLH was injected at 18 hr before ovulation, 200 but not 100 or 50 μg/kg ( n = 3 hens per dose) significantly ( P A -mRNA level in the F 1 follicle by 2 hr after injection compared to the control (saline). The experiment was repeated at 12 hr before ovulation and both 100 and 200 but not 50 μg/kg oLH significantly ( P A -subunit mRNA with no significant difference between 100 and 200 μg/kg oLH. In contrast to the β A -subunit, inhibin α-subunit mRNA was abundantly expressed and not affected by oLH treatment. Our data indicate that the expression of inhibin/activin β A - but not α-subunit mRNA is developmentally regulated in the granulosa layer of the two largest follicles during the hen ovulatory cycle. In addition, LH may participate, directly or indirectly, in negative regulation of the β A -subunit.
On an “arithmetic” functor

It is shown that for the values of to be noetherian it suffices that all five arguments be noetherian (the ground ring, the local algebras over it, and the modules over these).Bibliography: 5 titles.
Suppression of endogenous hydrocortisone with dexamethasone

A newly developed high-pressure liquid chromatographic method was used to study the optimum dosage regimen needed to suppress endogenous hydrocortisone. Nine volunteers were randomly placed in three groups. Each group received 1 mg of dexamethasone at 11 pm (Treatment A), 2 mg of dexamethasone at 11 pm (Treatment B), or 1 mg at 11 pm and an additional 1 mg at 6 am the following day (Treatment C). Analysis of multiple blood samples obtained the day before and the day after drug administration showed suppression in all three groups. Although the duration and extent of this suppression varied, adequate suppression to permit bioavailability studies was observed for Treatments B and C.
Electrostatic effects on the rates of DNA-catalyzed reactions☆

Abstract Diol-epoxide metabolites of many genotoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are hydrolyzed to tetraols in a detoxification reaction. The hydrolysis reaction has both spontaneous and acid-catalyzed components; moreover, the reaction rate increases in the presence of DNA. The best studied of these diol epoxide metabolites are the trans 7,8 diol-9,10 epoxides of benzo[a]pyrene: anti -BPDE, the proximate carcinogen, in which the oxirane ring is anti with respect to the 7-hydroxyl group, and its syn diastereomer, syn -BPDE. Jerina and coworkers have studied the kinetics of the hydrolysis of syn - and anti -BPDE as a function of pH and DNA concentration and have measured the equilibrium constant for the formation of a noncovalent complex with DNA. They constructed a two-state model in which the diol epoxide is either free or statically bound: the free fraction is hydrolyzed with the same kinetics as it exhibits in solution without DNA; the bound diol epoxide reacts at faster rates. In this model, the dependence of the observed hydrolysis rates on both DNA concentration and pH is explained by using the rate constants, k 0 and k H , for reactions of the free diol epoxide, the rate constants, k cat 0 and k cat H , for the bound molecule, and the binding constant, K eq . The present work uses an acidic-domain interpretation of the two-state model to explain the catalytic effect of DNA on the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of syn - and anti -BPDE. Postulating that the rate enhancement is a result of acidic domains at the DNA surface, we assumed the relationship k cat H = k H [H + ] b , where [H + ] b is the hydrogen ion concentration near the bound molecule. Using numerical solutions to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, the pH dependence of acidic domains at the surface of the polyelectrolyte, DNA, was calculated. Energy-minimization calculations were used to estimate the conformations of diol epoxide-DNA intercalation complexes. Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) calculations on these structures yielded hydrogen-ion concentrations near the epoxide group consistent with the k cat H /k H ratio over a range of added-salt concentrations. The results strongly suggest that DNA catalysis of diol-epoxide hydrolysis is a polyelectrolyte effect. The mechanisms and rate constants observed for the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis in the absence of DNA are consistent with the increase in the rate constant induced by DNA. It may be concluded that the catalysis is primarily an effect of the acidic domains in the surface grooves of the nucleic acid.
Modification of the PARC Navier-Stokes Code to predict rocket engine nozzle performance

The PARC2D Navier-Stokes Code was modified to compute the performance parameters for rocket engine nozzles. The perfect gas code was applied to the SSME engine nozzle for inviscid, laminar and turbulent flow. Inviscid computations compare well with Rocketdyne computations. Performance degradation due to the boundary layers is very reasonable. Application of the code to nontraditional nozzle geometries and to low Reynolds nozzles is demonstrated. Modification of the code for equilibrium H2/O2 chemistry is described. Thermodynamic and equilibrium constants are determined from statistical mechanics and the transport properties from exact kinetic theory, using collison integrals determined from appropriate intermolecular potentials. The equilibrium code was used to compute the SSME flowfield. Modifications of the flowfield due to the change of composition are described.
Predicting gangrenous cholecystitis

Background Gangrenous cholecystitis (GC) is often challenging to treat. The objectives of this study were to determine the accuracy of pre-operative diagnosis, to assess the rate of post-cholecystectomy complications and to assess models to predict GC.
The Effect of Herbicide on the Re-Establishment of Native Grasses in the Blackland Prairie

ABSTRACT: The Blackland Prairie of east-central Texas, the southernmost tip of the once vast North American Tallgrass Prairie, now covers only 1% of its original 6.8 million hectares. Thus, there is considerable interest in restoration and re-establishment of this endangered ecosystem. In a randomized complete block field experiment conducted near San Marcos, Texas, we tested the effectiveness of the post-emergent herbicide imazapic on weed control, establishment, and growth of four C4 warm-season grasses native to the Blackland Prairie (Andropogon gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Bouteloua curtipendula). Treatment with three different levels of imazapic (0.07, 0.092, and 0.138 kg ai/ha) all significantly increased seedling density of native grasses, and low-to-medium levels of imazapic increased seedling shoot growth and flowering relative to water controls. End-of-season aboveground biomass of native grasses also increased with imazapic treatment while that of broadleaf species...
Hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer in Texas: a case for enzootic stability.

Although antibodies to viruses in both the epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and bluetongue virus (BTV) serogroups have been reported from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Texas (USA), there are few reports of hemorrhagic disease (HD) in these populations. To understand the extent and diversity of exposure to the North American EHDV and BTV serotypes in these deer populations, we serologically tested 685 white-tailed deer collected from November 1991 through March 1992 throughout their range in Texas. Overall, 574 (84%) of deer had antibodies to EHDV or BTV Prevalence estimates varied according to ecological region, from 57% in the Gulf Prairies to 100% in the northwest Edwards Plateau. Based on serum neutralization tests, the deer had evidence of previous exposures to multiple EHDV and BTV serotypes, with evidence of exposure to two to five serotypes detected in each ecological region. The apparent lack of HD in relation to this high antibody prevalence cannot be explained, but may ...
Interphyletic Competition Among Marine Benthos

synopsis. Marine benthic environments are of two basic types: hard substrata and sedi? ments. Organisms living in these habitats are morphologically and taxonomically diverse. Nevertheless, they can be subdivided into a limited number of functional groups according to the different ways they use and alter the substratum. Each functional group is polyphyletic and includes many trophic modes. Two groups, tube builders in sediments and sheet-like animals on hard substrata, are examined in detail. Factors most important in competition between members of different functional groups are often not the same as for competition between members of the same functional group. In both situations there is more evidence for competition between distantly related taxa than between closely related forms.
Digital pupillometry and centroid shift changes after cataract surgery

Purpose To compare postoperative changes in apparent photopic and mesopic pupil size and centration in relation to cornea reflection landmarks after cataract surgery. Setting LaserVision.gr Clinical and Research Eye Institute, Athens, Greece. Design Prospective consecutive case study. Methods Pupils were imaged for pupil size and corneal vertex location before and 1-month after cataract surgery. Digital analysis of pupil images was used to determine the Cartesian coordinates (nasal–temporal, horizontal axis, superior–inferior, vertical axis) of the first Purkinje reflection point (approximating the corneal intersection of the visual axis [corneal vertex]) to the pupil geometric center (approximating the corneal intersection of the line of sight [corneal apex]). Pupil size changes were measured, and the correlation between vertex-to-apex shift changes and postoperative pupil centroid shift was evaluated. Results The study evaluated 40 eyes. The pupil size (diameter) change corresponded to a relative reduction of −9.8% for photopic pupils and −9.1% for mesopic pupils; the difference was statistically significant ( P = .045 and P = .011, respectively). Also, there was a reduction in the centroid shift (all eyes) from a mean of 0.12 mm preoperatively to 0.05 mm postoperatively as a result of the postoperative minus temporal horizontal difference between the corneal vertex and the apex. Conclusions Cataract extraction surgery appears to affect pupil size and centration. Specifically, a smaller pupil and less temporal shift were recorded. These data may have clinical relevance in targeted intraoperative intraocular lens centration. Financial Disclosure Dr. Kanellopoulos is a consultant to Alcon Surgical, Inc., Wavelight Laser Technologie AG, Allergan, Avedro, Inc., and i-Optics Corp. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Signaling Pathways in Murine Dendritic Cells That Regulate the Response to Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Vectors That Express Flagellin

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vectors that express heterologous antigens have shown promise as vaccines in preclinical studies. The efficacy of VSV-based vaccines can be improved by engineering vectors that enhance innate immune responses. We previously generated a VSV vaccine vector that incorporates two enhancing strategies: an M protein mutation (M51R) that prevents the virus from suppressing host antiviral responses and a gene encoding bacterial flagellin (M51R-F vector). The rationale was that intracellular expression of flagellin would activate innate immune pathways in addition to those activated by virus alone. This was tested with dendritic cells (DCs) from mice containing deletions in key signaling molecules. Infection of DC with either M51R or M51R-F vector induced the production of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-6 and increased surface expression of T cell costimulatory molecules. These responses were dramatically reduced in DCs from IPS-1(-/-) mice. Infection with M51R-F vector also induced the production of IL-1β. In addition, in approximately half of the DCs, M51R-F vector induced pyroptosis, a proinflammatory-type of cell death. These responses to flagellin were ablated in DCs from NLRC4(-/-) mice but not Toll-like receptor 5-deficient (TLR5(-/-)) mice, indicating that they resulted from inflammasome activation. These results demonstrate that flagellin induces additional innate immune mechanisms over those induced by VSV alone.
ER Biogenesis: Self-Assembly of Tubular Topology by Protein Hairpins

The structure of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) depends on members of the reticulon and DP1/Yop1p families. Two of these proteins are sufficient to form tubular membrane networks from pure phospholipid vesicles, thus revealing a new paradigm of ER morphogenesis.
Germacranolides from Melampodium americanum and Melampodium pilosum

Abstract Chemical analysis of Melampodium americanum yielded, besides the known melampodinin A, four new melampolides, melampodinin B, melampodinin C, 9-des
Equity effects of alternative assignments of global environmental rights

Abstract Through a thought experiment in which members of different generations trade with each other in a virtual market, we examine the effects of alternative assignments of global environmental rights on prices, interest rates, and the global distribution of income. The model is “semi-calibrated” to current and projected levels of the output of produced goods and to present and future quantities of global environmental goods. Income classes in each country are disaggregated to the quintile level. Multiple equilibria are possible for some rights assignments, with implications for intergenerational equity. The model projects bounds on the degree of future economic inequality depending on how the environmental rights are assigned. A policy that assigns the environmental rights in such a way as to leave the present-day distribution of income unchanged while moving in the direction of equal per capita endowments of environmental rights can result in future inequality comparable to today's average within-country inequality.
Genetics of Plant-Pathogen Interactions Specifying Plant Disease Resistance

Understanding the mechanistic basis of why a certain pathogen causes disease in one host plant and not in another has long intrigued and motivated plant pathologists. Plants, in nature, are generally resistant to most pathogens. The ability of a pathogen to cause disease in a host plant is usually
Magnetic resonance imaging of fetal cerebellar development.

In the last few years fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as a second level technique in the evaluation of fetal brain anomalies. It has been demonstrated that MRI is highly accurate in illustrating the morphologic changes of developing brain and fetal brain abnormalities being a useful procedure when ultrasonography is inconclusive or doubtful. Starting from the 19–20 weeks gestational age (GA), MRI can reliably depict fetal brain anatomy and locating pathology, offering a robust and reliable tool in the assessment of fetal CNS diseases. In this review bothin vivo MRI quantitative and qualitative data about fetal cerebellar development are presented and compared with ultrasonography data. Fetal cerebellar development is gradual, steady, and largely comparable to the development of the supratentorial brain. Archicerebellar (flocculo-nodular lobe) and paleocerebellar (vermis) structures develop first, whereas neocerebellum (cerebellar hemispheres) develop slowly and largely after birth.
Certificate of need legislation and the dissemination of robotic surgery for prostate cancer.

Purpose: The uncertainty about the incremental benefit of robotic prostatectomy and its higher associated costs makes it an ideal target for state based certificate of need laws, which have been enacted in several states. We studied the relationship between certificate of need laws and market level adoption of robotic prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: We used SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results)-Medicare data from 2003 through 2007 to identify men 66 years old or older treated with prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Using data from the American Health Planning Association, we categorized Health Service Areas according to the stringency of certificate of need regulations (ie low vs high stringency) presiding over that market. We assessed our outcomes (probability of adopting robotic prostatectomy and propensity for robotic prostatectomy use in adopting Health Service Areas) using Cox proportional hazards and Poisson regression models, respectively.Results: Compared to low stringency market...
The Process and Product of System Design

Given that user involvement is important in system design, this study addresses the as yet unexplored question of how a user should be involved in the system design process. Two radically different processes of interaction between a systems designer and a manager were compared in an information system design exercise. In one interaction process, the designer conducted a traditional interview of the manager. He asked questions, analyzed data and made suggestions. In the alternative interaction process, there was an initial sharing of information and mutual suggestions, followed by a critique of each other's suggestions. The study found that for this ill-structured problem: The alternative interaction process produced higher quality designs with important implementation advantages. The two interaction processes produced designs which used different types of organization control strategies. These results may be due to a problem finding contingency---different processes of interaction may help to define different problems, and thereby produce different, but equally rational, solutions. For the management of organization design, the process of interacting with users has important implications for the quality of the resulting design, the type of organization control strategy employed, and the subsequent implementation of the system.
Hydrodynamic Loading of Vibrating Micro-Cantilevers

The hydrodynamic loading on silicon microcantilevers vibrating in different fluids close to (finite gap) and away from (infinite gap) a surface is analyzed numerically. Analytical techniques available to predict the hydrodynamic loading are restricted to simple cantilever geometries in fluids of infinite extent and are inaccurate for the higher modes of vibration. In this paper a finite element model developed in ADINA 8.1 (a fluid-structure interaction software, [1]) is used to overcome the shortcomings of the analytical models. Selective modal excitation of the cantilever in a fluid yields the corresponding modal frequency and damping factor. The numerical model benchmarks favorably with previously published experimental and analytical results. Detailed numerical analyses are performed in ADINA for variable gap lengths for a rectangular microcantilever for the first and second bending modes and the first torsional mode. Different cantilever geometries are also investigated. The results expose the physics of dissipation in the surrounding fluid and are expected to be of immediate interest to the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and microcantilever biosensor communities.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Use of mobile assessment technologies in inpatient psychiatric settings

Mobile electronic devices (i.e., PDAs, cellphones) have been used successfully as part of research studies of individuals with severe mental illness living in the community. More recently, efforts have been made to incorporate such technologies into outpatient treatments. However, few attempts have been made to date to employ such mobile devices among hospitalized psychiatric patients. In this article, we evaluate the potential use of such devices in inpatient psychiatric settings using 33 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. Employing an Experience Sampling Method approach, we provide support for the feasibility of using such devices, along with examples of potentially clinically-relevant information that can be obtained using such technologies, including assessment of fluctuations in the severity of psychotic symptoms and negative mood in relation to social context, unit location, and time of day. Following these examples, we discuss issues related to the potential use of mobile electronic devices by patients hospitalized at inpatient psychiatric settings including issues related to patients' compliance, assessment schedules, questionnaire development, confidentiality issues, as well as selection of appropriate software/hardware. Finally, we delineate some issues and areas of inquiry requiring additional research and development.
Performance analysis of a ferrite based fractional horsepower permanent magnet assisted SynRM for fan and pump applications

One of the major industrial applications of electric machines is driving fans and pumps. According to the pump and fan affinity laws decreasing the speed of the load can reduce the power consumption on the load significantly. Therefore, variable speed drive offers reduction in energy consumption of the induction motor driving these types of loads. As an alternative, permanent magnet synchronous machines can be used for this application to get the benefit of higher efficiency. In this paper, the performance of a permanent magnet assisted synchronous reluctance machine (PMa-SynRM) is studied for driving fan type load. The effect of using different amount of the permanent magnet in this machine is studied using experimental results. In addition, the performance of the PMa-SynRM is compared with a standard general purpose induction machine for the same loading condition. This paper presents the comparison of the energy consumption and performance of the machines under fan load operating on certain typical duty cycles.
A testbed for large mobile social computing experiments

We present a testbed for mobile social computing that can be used to perform research in security, privacy and context-awareness policies and mechanisms appropriate for a wide range of applications. We compare several mobile platforms and present the rational for our design choices and reasons we chose Android as the primary smartphone for the testbed. We also discuss some of the experiments that can be conducted using this testbed.
Bullying in global organizations: A reference point perspective

Abstract Why does bullying occur in an organization? How will the globalization of an organization facilitate the process and encourage bullying to occur in that organization? What can be done to reduce the level/impact of bullying in an organization that is in transition? These are the focal questions addressed in this paper. Reference Point Theory (RPT) is applied to the bullying phenomena in an effort to illustrate the various reference points that can be used by the bully, the bullied, ‘others’ in the global organizations, as well as the management of the organization. The divergent reference points used by individuals in the organization can encourage bullying to occur and make attempts to reduce the resulting conflict much more difficult to implement. The paper develops a process to reduce the level of bullying during the transition to global organization and to limit the impact of bullying events that do occur in the organization.
Translational regulation of protein synthesis, in response to light, at a critical stage of Volvox development

Summary In Volvox cultures synchronized by a light-dark cycle, juveniles containing presumptive somatic and reproductive cells are produced during the dark, but their cells do not differentiate until after the lights come on. The pattern of protein synthesis changes rapidly after the lights come on. Action spectra and effects of photosynthesis inhibitors indicate that this protein synthetic change is not simply a consequence of renewed flow of energy from illuminated chloroplasts. Actinomycin, at a level adequate to block the response to heat shock, has virtually no effect on the response of the same cells to light; furthermore, RNAs isolated from unilluminated and illuminated juveniles yield indistinguishable in vitro translation products. We conclude, therefore, that this effect of light is exerted almost exclusively at the translational level, generating one of the most striking examples of translational regulation yet described.
BREAST SILICONE IMPLANTS AND RISK OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

The uncertain safety of breast implants has been a major controversy of late, both in the lay press and in the scientific literature. A case-control study had been performed in the Philadelphia metropolitan area during 1985-1987 to investigate potential risk factors for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A total of 219 eligible cases who met the American Rheumatism Association criteria for SLE were identified from the medical practices of cooperating rheumatologists in the area; 195 (89%) of these were enrolled in the study. Friends of the cases, matched to the cases on sex and age (+/- 5 years) served as controls. For the current investigation, conducted during June 1992 through September 1992, we attempted to re-contact each of these individuals. Using a short telephone interview, we asked each subject to provide information on any surgery that they may have had prior to the index date, i.e. the year of diagnosis of SLE in the cases and the same year for the age-matched friend controls. Specific questions were asked about plastic surgery in general and breast implants in particular. 148 (75.9%) of the 195 SLE cases being sought and 111 (77.6%) of the 143 controls being sought agreed to be re-interviewed for this study. Only 1 (0.8%) out of 133 female SLE cases reported having had a breast implant, 8 years prior to the diagnosis of SLE. This compared to 0 out of the 100 female friend controls (Fisher exact one-tailed p-value = 0.57).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
BEND6 is a nuclear antagonist of Notch signaling during self-renewal of neural stem cells

The activity of the Notch pathway revolves around a CSL-class transcription factor, which recruits distinct complexes that activate or repress target gene expression. The co-activator complex is deeply conserved and includes the cleaved Notch intracellular domain (NICD) and Mastermind. By contrast, numerous CSL co-repressor proteins have been identified, and these are mostly different between invertebrate and vertebrate systems. In this study, we demonstrate that mammalian BEND6 is a neural BEN-solo factor that shares many functional attributes with Drosophila Insensitive, a co-repressor for the Drosophila CSL factor. BEND6 binds the mammalian CSL protein CBF1 and antagonizes Notch-dependent target activation. In addition, its association with Notch- and CBF1-regulated enhancers is promoted by CBF1 and antagonized by activated Notch. In utero electroporation experiments showed that ectopic BEND6 inhibited Notch-mediated self-renewal of neocortical neural stem cells and promoted neurogenesis. Conversely, knockdown of BEND6 increased NSC self-renewal in wild-type neocortex, and exhibited genetic interactions with gain and loss of Notch pathway activity. We recapitulated all of these findings in cultured neurospheres, in which overexpression and depletion of BEND6 caused reciprocal effects on neural stem cell renewal and neurogenesis. These data reveal a novel mammalian CSL co-repressor in the nervous system, and show that the Notch-inhibitory activity of certain BEN-solo proteins is conserved between flies and mammals.
Delivery of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor as a Chemotactic Factor for Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Bone-Mimetic Electrospun Scaffolds

The recruitment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a vital step in the bone healing process, and hence the functionalization of osteogenic biomaterials with chemotactic factors constitutes an important effort in the tissue engineering field. Previously we determined that bone-mimetic electrospun scaffolds composed of polycaprolactone, collagen I and nanohydroxyapatite (PCL/col/HA) supported greater MSC adhesion, proliferation and activation of integrin-related signaling cascades than scaffolds composed of PCL or collagen I alone. In the current study we investigated the capacity of bone-mimetic scaffolds to serve as carriers for delivery of an MSC chemotactic factor. In initial studies, we compared MSC chemotaxis toward a variety of molecules including PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, BMP2, and a mixture of the chemokines SDF-1α, CXCL16, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES. Transwell migration assays indicated that, of these factors, PDGF-BB was the most effective in stimulating MSC migration. We next evaluated the capacity of PCL/col/HA scaffolds, compared with PCL scaffolds, to adsorb and release PDGF-BB. We found that significantly more PDGF- BB was adsorbed to, and subsequently released from, PCL/col/HA scaffolds, with sustained release extending over an 8-week interval. The PDGF-BB released was chemotactically active in transwell migration assays, indicating that bioactivity was not diminished by adsorption to the biomaterial. Complementing these studies, we developed a new type of migration assay in which the PDGF-BB-coated bone-mimetic substrates were placed 1.5 cm away from the cell migration front. These experiments confirmed the ability of PDGF-BB-coated PCL/col/HA scaffolds to induce significant MSC chemotaxis under more stringent conditions than standard types of migration assays. Our collective results substantiate the efficacy of PDGF-BB in stimulating MSC recruitment, and further show that the incorporation of native bone molecules, collagen I and nanoHA, into electrospun scaffolds not only enhances MSC adhesion and proliferation, but also increases the amount of PDGF-BB that can be delivered from scaffolds.
Effect of Coal Moisture on Burnout and Nitrogen Oxide Formation

Abstract Near-exit measurements of NO, HCN, NH;1 and coal burnout an: reported for a highmoisture,subbituminous pulverized coal fired with air in a laboratory combustor. Test variableswere coal moisture level, stoichiometric ratio and swirl number for the secondary inlet air stream.Data arc also reported for the undried coal wherein gas-char samples were obtained from throughoutthe combustor. Concentrations of major gas species, clcmcn tal composition of the char, gasmixture fraction and N-pollutant concentrations are reported. Effects of coal moisture on burnoutwere negligible and only small decreases in NO levels wereobserved when coal was dried. Resultscan be used for evaluation of predictive models.
Bacteriophage T4 Proteins Replicate Plasmids with a Preformed R Loop at the T4 ori(uvsY) Replication Origin In Vitro

Bacteriophage T4 DNA replication proteins catalyze complete unidirectional replication of plasmids containing the T4 ori(uvsY) replication origin in vitro, beginning with a preformed R loop at the position of the origin R loop previously identified in vivo. T4 DNA polymerase, clamp, clamp loader, and 32 protein are needed for initial elongation of the RNA, which serves as the leading-strand primer. Normal replication is dependent on T4 41 helicase and 61 primase and is strongly stimulated by the 59 helicase loading protein. 59 protein slows replication without the helicase. As expected, leading-strand synthesis stalls prematurely in the absence of T4 DNA topoisomerase. A DNA unwinding element (DUE) is essential for replication, but the ori(uvsY) DUE can be replaced by other DUE sequences.
A staging system for brain stem gliomas

Intrinsic brain stem neoplasms are almost invariably malignant, and irrespective of radiation treatment and chemotherapy, are associated with a very abbreviated survival. It is possible that occasional long-term survival is the result of a radiation-sensitive low-grade astrocytoma. It is suggested that a primary staging system may separate poor-risk and good-risk patient populations and that this classification may be important in assessing future therapeutic options.
Optimizing in vitro culture conditions leads to a significantly shorter production time of human dermo-epidermal skin substitutes

Autologous dermo-epidermal skin substitutes (DESS) generated in vitro represent a promising therapeutic means to treat full-thickness skin defects in clinical practice. A serious drawback with regard to acute patients is the relatively long production time of 3–4 weeks. With this experimental study we aimed to decrease the production time of DESS without compromising their quality. Two in vitro steps of DESS construction were varied: the pre-cultivation time of fibroblasts in hydrogels (1, 3, and 6 days), and the culture time of keratinocytes (3, 6, and 12 days) before transplantation of DESS on nude rats. Additionally, the impact of the air–liquid interface culture during 3 days before transplantation was investigated. 3 weeks after transplantation, the macroscopic appearance was evaluated and histological sections were produced to analyze structure and thickness of epidermis and dermis, the stratification of the epidermis, and the presence of a basal lamina. Optimal DESS formation was obtained with a fibroblast pre-cultivation time of 6 days. The minimal culture time of keratinocytes on hydrogels was also 6 days. The air–liquid interface culture did not improve graft quality. By optimizing our in vitro culture conditions, it was possible to very substantially reduce the production time for DESS from 21 to 12 days. However, pre-cultivation of fibroblasts in the dermal equivalent and proliferation of keratinocytes before transplantation remain crucial for an equilibrated maturation of the epidermis and cannot be completely skipped.
Rapid dendritic spine stem shortening during one-trial learning: The honeybee's first orientation flight

Our initial study of honeybees using the rapid Golgi method showed that dendritic spines on calycal interneurons had shorter stems due to spine head enlargement in bees with greater cumulative experience. This study sought to determine if spine stem shortening could be induced rapidly during the first orientation flight, a one-trial place learning event. Newly emerged bees were reared in a small broodless hive with a virgin queen and allowed to take their first orientation flight at 6 and 8 days of age. Spine profiles of 5 flyers and 5 non-flyers were traced in large scale using light microscopy and a modified camera lucida. Overall spine length and stem length were measured on these tracings using a digitizing tablet. Additional measurements of maximum spine head width, profile area, and perimeter were made using computer image analyses. Examining group differences in spine stem length as a function of overall spine length, our results revealed a clear association between rapid spine stem shortening and the first orientation flight lasting several minutes. This effect, however, was restricted to only the long spines. Flight-induced stem shortening was accompanied by elongated swelling of the spine head without an appreciable expansion of the spine perimeter.
Public and Partisan Opinions of the Speaker of the House

Using polling data from 1982 to 2009, I develop a model of public opinion toward the Speaker of the House. I show that, in addition to economic and institutional factors, the speaker's ideology and events associated with the speaker's responsibilities in office affect the public's opinion toward this congressional leader. I also examine the partisan differences in the formation of public opinions about the speaker. I find that minority party partisans are more likely to have negative evaluations of the speaker when the speaker has more ideologically extreme views which lead to higher levels of polarization. In addition, members of different parties weigh economic and institutional factors differently in their evaluations of the speaker.
A Mammalian Homolog of Drosophila Tumorous Imaginal Discs, Tid1, Mediates Agrin Signaling at the Neuromuscular Junction

Motoneuron-derived agrin clusters nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in mammalian muscle cells. We used two-hybrid screens to identify a protein, tumorous imaginal discs (Tid1), that binds to the cytoplasmic domain of muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), a major component of the agrin receptor. Like MuSK, Tid1 colocalizes with AChRs at developing, adult, and denervated motor endplates. Knockdown of Tid1 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in skeletal muscle fibers dispersed synaptic AChR clusters and impaired neuromuscular transmission. In cultured myotubes, Tid1 knockdown inhibited AChR clustering, as well as agrin-induced activation of the Rac and Rho small GTPases and tyrosine phosphorylation of the AChR, without affecting MuSK activation. Tid1 knockdown also decreased Dok-7-induced clustering of AChRs. Overexpression of the N-terminal half of Tid1 induced agrin- and MuSK-independent phosphorylation and clustering of AChRs. These results demonstrate that Tid1 is an essential component of the agrin signaling pathway, crucial for synaptic development.
The effect of endocervical gland involvement on the cure rates of patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia undergoing cryosurgery

Abstract Several authors have reported an increased failure rate using cryotherapy when the endocervical clefts or glands were involved in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Over a period of 5 years, November 1973 to November 1978, 248 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), satisfactory colposcopy, and colposcopically directed biopsy were treated with cryosurgery. Of the 248 patients, 160 patients had adequate follow-up. The failure rate was 16.3% (26160). Sixty-three (39.4%) of the 160 patients had gland involvement. Of those patients with gland involvement, there was a failure rate of 27% (17 of 63 patients). The evidence suggests that the presence of gland involvement in patients with CIN adversely affects cure by cryosurgery. The degree of severity of CIN among patients who failed therapy was not a significant factor.
A randomized trial of a mailed intervention and self-scheduling to improve osteoporosis screening in postmenopausal women

Guidelines recommend bone density screening with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in women 65 years or older, but <30% of eligible women undergo DXA testing. There is a need to identify a systematic, effective, and generalizable way to improve osteoporosis screening. A group randomized, controlled trial of women ≥65 years old with no DXA in the past 4 years, randomized to receive intervention materials (patient osteoporosis brochure and a letter explaining how to self-schedule a DXA scan) versus usual care (control) was undertaken. Outcome of interest was DXA completion. Of 2997 women meeting inclusion criteria, 977 were randomized to the intervention group. A total of 17.3% of women in the intervention group completed a DXA, compared to 5.2% in the control group (12.1% difference, p < 0.0001). When including only those medically appropriate, we found a difference of 19% between the two groups (p < 0.0001). DXA receipt was greater in main clinic patients compared to satellite clinic patients (20.9% main clinic versus 10.1% satellite clinic). The cost to print and mail the intervention was $0.79 per patient, per mailing. The number of women to whom intervention needed to be mailed to yield one extra DXA performed was 9, at a cost of $7.11. DXA scan completion was significantly improved through use of a mailed osteoporosis brochure and the availability for patients to self-schedule. This simple approach may be an effective component of a multifaceted quality improvement program to increase rates of osteoporosis screening. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.