cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The etching of cellulose nitrate plastic

Abstract The mechanism of etching of a cellulose nitrate track detector employing camphor as plasticizer has been studied. It was found that nitrocellulose itself is rapidly degraded by common hydroxide etchants to soluble, non-polymeric species. Camphor, on the other hand, is not attacked by the etchants nor is it soluble in them to any great extent. Thus, as etching proceeds a layer of camphor builds up at the surface. This layer is the principal factor governing the nature of the etching for a given set of conditions. Differences in reactivity of the alkali hydroxides are explained in terms of their differing solubilities in organic media. Studies of this type are aimed toward a more fundamental understanding of the bulk and track etch processes.
The permeable university: Academic life in an age of special interests

Universities, like other institution, are both governed and managed. The processes of govermance within American universities have changed dramatically in recent years. To a significant degree, both the causes and the nature of the changes track changes in the larger surrounding political environment. In the final analysis, the future success of universities rests on the ability of university presidents to play the kind of leadership role that the national policy requires of the President of the United States.
High-speed polyimide-planarized vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Oxide-confined, polyimide-planarized 850 nm vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) with excellent high-speed performance were fabricated and characterized. The reproducible, simple process provides good metal adhesion to photodefined polyimide offering low capacitance without implantation or semi-insulating substrates. Microwave measurements are used to extract parameters for a physically based equivalent circuit for the VCSEL.
Biomatériaux de réparation de la peau et de l'os en chirurgie plastique

Resume La mise au point de nouveaux tissus exige une approche qui associe la biologie du developpement, la biologie cellulaire et moleculaire a la medecine clinique, a la biochimie, a l’immunologie, a l’ingenierie, et aux sciences des materiaux. Tandis que de nombreux chercheurs essaient de reproduire des structures endogenes pour creer de nouveaux tissus, de nombreuses barrieres doivent etre surmontees pour creer des tissus complexes, vascularises, specifiques du patient pour une utilisation de remplacement et de reparation. Bien que la mise au point de tissus a composants multiples exige la mise en œuvre de nombreuses idees, dans un souci de clarte nous limiterons cette revue aux developpements recents de l'application des structures bioresorbables naturelles et synthetiques. Ici, nous mettons en valeur des biomateriaux potentiellement utiles aux chirurgiens plasticiens qui sont actuellement utilises ou ont ete developpes pour etre utilises pour des remplacements et des reparations de la peau et des os.
INITIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN STRANGERS AND ACQUAINTANCES A Multivariate Analysis of Factors Affecting Choice of Communication Partners

In a large-scale field experiment, data were collected on proximity, demographic and attitudinal similarities, and frequency of interaction of strangers and acquaintances in a situation of free choice. The results of the log linear analysis show that while previous acquaintance and proximity have a strong effect on frequency of interaction, demographic and attitudinal similarities have only a small effect. All these factors together do not account for the observed frequencies of interaction. Future models of early periods of interaction must utilize other factors in addition to those common in research on interpersonal attraction.
Polynomial psychophysics of group risk perception

Abstract The Coombs and Huang (1970) distributive theory of perceived risk is reinterpreted as a more robust statistical hypothesis to describe central tendencies of noisy replicates drawn from a homogeneous population. Barron's (1976) sample of 13 business faculty rank-order responses are pooled to obtain a replicated complete 3 × 3 × 3 design which is analyzed by a new stochastic conjoint measurement (SCJM) approach to axiomatic data analysis. SCJM implements statistical analogues of the deterministic Krantz and Tversky (1971) diagnostics for error-free data. SCJM diagnosis based on a series of one-sided nonparametric two-cell comparisons at the α = 0.04 level supports the hypothesis of interaction between the expected-value and number-of-plays attributes of gambles yet contradicts Barron's odd-even effects hypothesis. SCJM diagnosis with two-cell α
Effect of OCT volume scan density on thickness measurements in diabetic macular edema

To evaluate the impact of reducing B-scan frame-sampling density on retinal thickness measurements using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME). We retrospectively collected OCT data for 64 eyes of 43 patients undergoing imaging for DME using the Cirrus HD-OCT 512 × 128 macular cube protocol. For each case, raw OCT data were imported into the 3D-OCTOR software, and retinal thickness maps were generated using all 128 B-scans and for lower densities of B-scans ranging from every other scan to only four scans (every 30-s B-scan). Maps were generated before and after manual correction of retinal boundary segmentation errors. The foveal central subfield (FCS) and total macular volume (TMV) values were used to compare thickness maps of varying densities. The mean difference in FCS retinal thickness and TMV increased as the B-scan density was reduced, particularly when the density was reduced to fewer than 16 B-scans over 6 mm. At a density of 16 B-scans, the mean absolute difference in FCS thickness was 2.43 μm (0.79%), with a maximum of 10.1 μm (4.09%). At this density, the mean difference in TMV was 0.012 mm3 (0.13%), with a maximum difference of 0.04 mm3 (0.47%). Manual correction of OCT segmentation errors resulted in a difference in FCS thickness of ≥10 μm in only 12.5% of cases, with a maximum difference of 115.7 μm. A minimum of 16 equally spaced B-scans appear necessary to generate retinal thickness measurements similar to those produced using all 128 B-scans in eyes with DME. Manual correction of segmentation errors appeared to have a clinically meaningful effect in a small minority of cases. These results may have implications for the design of SD-OCT imaging and grading protocols in clinical trials of DME, particularly when using multiple SD-OCT instruments that acquire varying numbers of B-scans.
Exciton binding energy in quantum wells

Variational calculations are presented of the ground exciton state in quantum wells. For the GaAs-GaAlAs system, the results obtained from a trial wave function not separable in spatial coordinates are shown to be valid throughout the entire well-thickness range, corresponding in the thin and thick limits to two- and three-dimensional situations, respectively. For the InAs-GaSb system, in which electrons and holes are present in spatially separated regions, the exciton binding is substantially reduced. In the limit of thin wells, the binding energy is only about one-fourth of the two-dimensional value.
Coalescence of Single Photons Emitted by Disparate Single-Photon Sources: The Example of InAs Quantum Dots and Parametric Down-Conversion Sources

Single photons produced by fundamentally dissimilar physical processes will in general not be indistinguishable. We show how photons produced from a quantum dot and by parametric down-conversion in a nonlinear crystal can be manipulated to be indistinguishable. The measured two-photon coalescence probability is 16%, and is limited by quantum-dot decoherence. Temporal filtering to the quantum-dot coherence time and accounting for detector time response increases this to 61% while retaining 25% of the events. This technique can connect different elements in a scalable quantum network.
In Search of Lost Space: Stan Douglas's Archaeology of Cinematic Darkness*

OCTOBER 139, Winter 2012, pp. 151–182. © 2012 October Magazine, Ltd. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. You enter a dark space—a gallery or, perhaps, a cinema. Railroad tracks, telegraph poles, and mountainous landscapes unfurl before you through cinematic projection. Or rather, as soon as you have properly lost your bearings, you are projected through the landscape by means of the cinematic ensemble. Thomas Edison’s turn-of-the-century film catalogue described the film as follows:
Tyrosine Phosphorylated Proteins in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

An aberrantly expressed and highly active abl tyrosine kinase (p210bcr-abl) appears critical for the development and pathogenesis of chronic myelogenous-leukemia (CML). CML cells and cell lines each displayed a similar spectrum of phosphotyrosyl proteins. Analysis of these proteins by glycerol-gradient ultracentrifugation showed that many apparently existed as multimeric complexes. Confirming this, several of these proteins co-immunoprecipitated, along with the p210bcr-abl, with antibody to abl. Included were co-precipitating proteins identified as the p120 ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP) and the p62 protein that binds both to GAP and to a number of other tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins having peptide regions homologous to the second domain of src. Because p62, ras GAP and ras are involved in growth-factor and oncogene activation of cells, this pathway may also play an important role in CML.
Epistatic Models Improve Prediction of Performance in Corn

To be useful, adding epistasis to a prediction model must increase predictive power. The objectives of this study were to determine i) using partial least squares (PLS) techniques, whether the ability to predict performance can be increased by including epistasis in a prediction model; ii) whether relaxing the probability of preselecting a marker or interaction to include in the PLS analysis from 0.001 to 0.01 to 0.05 would increase predictive power; and iii) whether the proportion of variability accounted for could be raised to a level useful in breeding. Data for protein, oil, starch, and grain yield were obtained from 500 S 2 lines from the crosses of Illinois High Oil × Illinois Low Oil and of Illinois High Protein × Illinois Low Protein corn (Zea mays L.) strains. Lines per se and testcrosses were evaluated for oil, protein, and starch, and only testcrosses for grain yield. Adding epistasis to a model signifi cantly increased predictive power, as did increasing the probability level for inclusion of signifi cant markers and epistatic effects in the PLS analysis from 0.001 to 0.01 to 0.05. With epistasis in the model and P = 0.05, correlations of predicted and observed means were high enough to suggest they could be useful in breeding.
The Hsp90 Inhibitor, 17-AAG, Prevents the Ligand-Independent Nuclear Localization of Androgen Receptor in Refractory Prostate Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND Androgen receptor (AR) is the key molecule in androgen-refractory prostate cancer. Despite androgen ablative conditions, AR remains active and is necessary for the growth of androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells. Nuclear localization of AR is a prerequisite for its transcriptional activation. We examined AR localization in androgen-dependent and androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells. METHODS AND RESULTS We demonstrate increased nuclear localization of a GFP-tagged AR in the absence of hormone in androgen-refractory C4-2 cells compared to parental androgen-sensitive human prostate cancer LNCaP cells. Analysis of AR mutants impaired in ligand-binding indicates that the nuclear localization of AR in C4-2 cells is truly androgen-independent. The hsp90 inhibitor, 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), inhibits basal PSA expression and disrupts the ligand-independent nuclear localization of AR at doses much lower than required to inhibit androgen-induced nuclear import. CONCLUSIONS Hsp90 is a key regulator of ligand-independent nuclear localization and activation of AR in androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells. Prostate 67: 509–520, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mechanisms of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal induced pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling

In recent years, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) has emerged as an important second messenger in cell cycle signaling. Here, we demonstrate that 4-HNE induces signaling for apoptosis via both the Fas-mediated extrinsic and the p53-mediated intrinsic pathways in HepG2 cells. 4-HNE induces a Fas-mediated DISC independent apoptosis pathway by activating ASK1, JNK, and caspase-3. Parallel treatment of 4-HNE to HepG2 cells also induces apoptosis by the p53 pathway through activation of Bax, p21, JNK, and caspase-3. Exposure of HepG2 cells to 4-HNE leads to the activation of both Fas and Daxx, promotes the export of Daxx from the nucleus to cytoplasm, and facilitates Fas−Daxx binding. Depletion of Daxx by siRNA results in the potentiation of apoptosis, indicating that Fas−Daxx binding in fact is inhibitory to Fas-mediated apoptosis in cells. 4-HNE-induced translocation of Daxx is also accompanied by the activation and nuclear accumulation of HSF1 and up-regulation of heat shock protein Hsp70. All these effects of 4...
Computer science seminars on pedagogical techniques and methods for evaluation

Interdisciplinary subject matter appropriate for computer professionals who will participate in the design of computer-based learning systems is discussed. Broad issues of computer-managed instruction are mentioned, but the potential contribution of computer techniques is assumed to be much greater in the direct use of computers in instruction and this type of use is emphasized. Primarily, computer Professionals should be prepared to suggest techniques that will permit more imaginative uses of computers than those appropriate for workbooks or memory drums. Promising pedagogical techniques derived from a variety of disciplines and used successfully in computer-based learning systems are discussed. These techniques are roughly classified as drill and practice, tutoring, and dialogue on one dimension and as simulation, gaming, optimization, and student control on another dimension. The interdependence of these pedagogical techniques with evaluations of instructional effectiveness and with computer techniques associated with timesharing, formal language processing, natural language processing, information structuring, and varieties of terminal devices is emphasized and explicated.
“Don't Call Me a Student-Athlete”: The Effect of Identity Priming on Stereotype Threat for Academically Engaged African American College Athletes

Academically engaged African American college athletes are most susceptible to stereotype threat in the classroom when the context links their unique status as both scholar and athlete. After completing a measure of academic engagement, African American and White college athletes completed a test of verbal reasoning. To vary stereotype threat, they first indicated their status as a scholar-athlete, an athlete, or as a research participant on the cover page. Compared to the other groups, academically engaged African American college athletes performed poorly on the difficult test items when primed for their athletic identity, but they performed worse on both the difficult and easy test items when primed for their identity as a scholar-athlete. The unique stereotype threat processes that affect the academic performance of minority college athletes are discussed.
Superlinear primal-dual affine scaling algorithms for LCP

We describe an interior-point algorithm for monotone linear complementarity problems in which primal-dual affine scaling is used to generate the search directions. The algorithm is shown to have global and superlinear convergence with Q-order up to (but not including) two. The technique is shown to be consistent with a potential-reduction algorithm, yielding the first potential-reduction algorithm that is both globally and superlinearly convergent.
A Galacturonic Acid–Containing Xyloglucan Is Involved in Arabidopsis Root Hair Tip Growth

Root hairs provide a model system to study plant cell growth, yet little is known about the polysaccharide compositions of their walls or the role of these polysaccharides in wall expansion. We report that Arabidopsis thaliana root hair walls contain a previously unidentified xyloglucan that is composed of both neutral and galacturonic acid–containing subunits, the latter containing the β-d-galactosyluronic acid-(1→2)-α-d-xylosyl-(1→ and/or α-l-fucosyl-(1→2)-β-d-galactosyluronic acid-(1→2)-α-d-xylosyl-(1→) side chains. Arabidopsis mutants lacking root hairs have no acidic xyloglucan. A loss-of-function mutation in At1g63450, a root hair–specific gene encoding a family GT47 glycosyltransferase, results in the synthesis of xyloglucan that lacks galacturonic acid. The root hairs of this mutant are shorter than those of the wild type. This mutant phenotype and the absence of galacturonic acid in the root xyloglucan are complemented by At1g63450. The leaf and stem cell walls of wild-type Arabidopsis contain no acidic xyloglucan. However, overexpression of At1g63450 led to the synthesis of galacturonic acid–containing xyloglucan in these tissues. We propose that At1g63450 encodes XYLOGLUCAN-SPECIFIC GALACTURONOSYLTRANSFERASE1, which catalyzes the formation of the galactosyluronic acid-(1→2)-α-d-xylopyranosyl linkage and that the acidic xyloglucan is present only in root hair cell walls. The role of the acidic xyloglucan in root hair tip growth is discussed.
The Psychology of Names: An Empirical Reexamination1

Four studies were conducted to examine how a first name might impact the way a person is perceived when varying amounts of information about the person are available. In Study 1, first names that are used more often today than in the past (young-generation names) were preferred to first names that have never been used often (not-common names), which in turn were liked more than first names that were used more often in the past than they are today (old-generation names). In Study 2, these names were evaluated in the context of resumes and personal ads. Old-generation names received the least favorable reactions, but inconsistencies were obtained between the other two classifications of names. Study 3 suggested that the results of the first 2 studies cannot be attributed to the use of a college-age sample. Study 4 demonstrated that people tend to infer a variety of characteristics from these three classifications of names. Results are discussed with respect to first-impression formation and ageism.
215GHz CMOS signal source based on a Maximum Gain Ring Oscillator topology

This paper introduces a Maximum Gain Ring Oscillator (MGRO) topology that maximizes the power gain achieved by the active devices using appropriately designed passive matching networks to maximize the frequency of oscillation. A design methodology is provided along with guidelines for the design of the passive matching network. In the absence of passive losses, the topology can oscillate at the f max of the active devices. In the presence of passive loss, the losses can be taken into account in a closed-form fashion to maximize oscillation frequency. Based on this topology, an oscillator operating at approximately 107.5GHz is implemented using the 56-nm body-contacted devices of IBM's 45nm SOI CMOS technology (f max is about 200GHz). The second harmonic of this oscillation is extracted using a load-pull-optimized, extraction network. This topology can be generalized for the extraction of any harmonic from MGROs with different number of stages. The oscillator generates −14.4dBm of power at 216.2GHz while drawing 57.5mW of DC power. The modeling of 45nm SOI devices for millimeter-wave design is also described.
Statistical model applied to motor evoked potentials analysis

Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) convey information regarding the functional integrity of the descending motor pathways. Absence of the MEP has been used as a neurophysiological marker to suggest cortico-spinal abnormalities in the operating room. Due to their high variability and sensitivity, detailed quantitative studies of MEPs are lacking. This paper applies a statistical method to characterize MEPs by estimating the number of motor units and single motor unit potential amplitudes. A clearly increasing trend of single motor unit potential amplitudes in the MEPs after each pulse of the stimulation pulse train is revealed by this method. This statistical method eliminates the effects of anesthesia, and provides an objective assessment of MEPs. Consequently this statistical method has high potential to be useful in future quantitative MEPs analysis.
Shifting Paradigm on Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin and a Natural Model for Enterococcus faecalis Septicemia

ABSTRACT The Bt toxin is widely used in agriculture both as a spray and in transgenic plants, yet its precise mode of action against lepidopterans is poorly understood. The study by Mason et al. [ mBio 2(3):e00065-11, 2011] revealed that Bt toxin enables an inhabitant of the midgut, Enterococcus faecalis, to enter the hemolymph of larvae and cause septicemia, leading to death.
Spatially asymmetric response to moving patterns in the visual cortex: Re-examining the local sign hypothesis

One of the most fundamental functions of the visual system is to code the positions of objects. Most studies, especially those using fMRI, widely assume that the location of the peak retinotopic activity generated in the visual cortex by an object is the position assigned to that object-this is a simplified version of the local sign hypothesis. Here, we employed a novel technique to compare the pattern of responses to moving and stationary objects and found that the local sign hypothesis is false. By spatially correlating populations of voxel responses to different moving and stationary stimuli in different positions, we recovered the modulation transfer function for moving patterns. The results show that the pattern of responses to a moving object is best correlated with the response to a static object that is located behind the moving one. The pattern of responses across the visual cortex was able to distinguish object positions separated by about 0.25 deg visual angle, equivalent to approximately 0.25 mm cortical distance. We also found that the position assigned to a pattern is not simply dictated by the peak activity-the shape of the luminance envelope and the resulting shape of the population response, including the shape and skew in the response at the edges of the pattern, influences where the visual cortex assigns the object's position. Therefore, visually coded position is not conveyed by the peak but by the overall profile of activity.
Pressure-Induced Sequential Orbital Reorientation in a Magnetic Framework Material

Pressure has been applied to manipulate the structure-property relationship of the copper(II)-based coordination network CuF{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}(pyz) (pyz=pyrazine). The elongated Jahn-Teller axis was found to switch sequentially from the NCuN ( 3.1 GPa; see picture). This orbital reordering leads to a drastic change in the magnetic properties, whereby the magnetic structure changes from two-dimensional to one-dimensional above 0.9 GPa.
Identifiability of harmonic parameterization in N dimensions

In 1911, Caratheodory et al. published a result that is a cornerstone of line spectra (harmonic) analysis and modern parametric harmonic retrieval. This result was later popularized by Pisarenko, and is widely known in the spectral analysis community as "Caratheodory's parameterization". The uniqueness part of Caratheodory's result specifies the condition under which one can uniquely recover the frequencies (spectral lines) in a finite sum of one-dimensional harmonics, given a finite set of measurements. The multidimensional case is of interest in a variety of problems, including joint multiuser/multipath carrier offset, angle, and delay estimation, yet the associated model identifiability problem has not been thoroughly addressed. This is the subject of the main theorem in this paper. The proof relies on a previous result regarding the uniqueness of low-rank decomposition of N-way arrays.
Modulation of pulmonary endothelial endothelin B receptor expression and signaling: implications for experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome.

The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) results from intrapulmonary vasodilation in the setting of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. In experimental HPS, pulmonary endothelial endothelin B (ETB) recept...
On the energy-coupling sites inParacoccus denitrificans

Cell-free preparations fromParacoccus denitrificans grown aerobically under autotrophic and heterotrophic conditions catalyzed succinate- and ascorbate-linked ATP-dependent NAD+ reduction. The succinate-linked NAD+ reduction was sensitive to rotenone and indicated the participation of coupling site 1. The ascorbate-linked, energy-driven, reversed electron flow was sensitive to antimycin A or 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide and rotenone, thus indicating the mediation of coupling sites 2 and 1. The aerobic oxidation of three ascorbate equivalents was required to reduce one NAD+ equivalent in the autotrophic system, while no NAD+ reduction coupled to ascorbate oxidation occurred in the heterotrophic system unlessN,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) was present. In the later case, the oxidation of 24 equivalents of reduced TMPD was required to support the reduction of each equivalent of NAD+ These results indicated that, while there was an efficient energy-coupling at site 3 in the autotrophic system, the heterotrophic system appeared to posses a very weak or inefficient terminal energy-coupling site.
Whose War Is It Anyway? Ken Burns' The War and American Popular Memory

Since the US launched military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq during the first decade of the twenty-first century, it seems that nearly everyone has had something to say about the Second World ...
A mathematical observer study for evaluation of a model-based compensation method for crosstalk in simultaneous dual isotope SPECT

We have previously developed a model-based method to compensate for the crosstalk in simultaneous acquisition of Tc-99m stress and Tl-201 rest myocardial perfusion SPECT. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of this method in terms of a defect detection task using a mathematical Channelized Hoteling Observer (CHO) study. In this study we also optimized the iteration number in reconstruction of Tl distributions. A population of male and female NCAT phantoms were used to realistically model variation in patients. Both defect-free and defect-present data of Tc and Tl were simulated using the SimSET/PHG codes and our newly developed and validated angular response function (ARF) method to mimic simultaneous acquisition and separate acquisition. Poisson noise was modeled at clinically realistic levels. The Tl data were reconstructed using filtered backprojection (FBP) and ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithms for up to 20 iterations with and without the model-based crosstalk compensation (MBC). CHO methodology and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were applied to short axis Tl images to obtain ROC curves and area under ROC curves (AUC). The AUC values were compared with those from separately acquired data reconstructed using FBP and OSEM algorithms. The results show that a relatively small number of iteration (/spl sim/3) is optimal for the postreconstruction filtering cutoff frequency of 0.16 pixel/sup -1/ used in this study. Also, the AUC values obtained with the MBC were significantly better than those without crosstalk compensation and those with the FBP reconstruction method applied to the separately acquired data.
Sales and science: changing patterns of pharmaceutical and medical device advertising in peer reviewed urology publications, 1975-2000.

Purpose: The effects of advertising on urological practice are controversial. We studied patterns of pharmaceutical and medical device marketing in peer reviewed urological journals in 1975 and 2000.Materials and Methods: Pharmaceutical and medical device advertising in 1 European and 2 American peer reviewed urological journals were evaluated in 4 randomly selected issues of each journal published in 1975 and 2000, respectively. Advertising quantity and the qualitative characteristics of each advertisement were analyzed.Results: We analyzed 574 advertisements in 24 issues. Advertising decreased between 1975 and 2000 based on the number of pages per issue (55.3 to 31.9, p = 0.04), number of advertisements per issue (30.4 to 17.4, p = 0.0098) and the ratio of advertising-to-scientific pages (0.399 to 0.151, p = 0.0016). Mean advertisement length was stable at 1.8 pages. The top 3 advertisers in 1975 were Eaton, Roche and Warner compared with Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Merck in 2000. Advertising for antibiotic...
Failure and Success in Fisheries Management in the Gulf of Maine

: Pam Puntenney is contributing editor of “Views on Policy,” the AAA Committee on Public Policy column in Anthropology News. Keywords: ecology and environment, natural resource management, public policy
Role for epithelial Na+channels and putative Na+/H+ exchangers in salt taste transduction in rats

The effects of the epithelial Na+ channel antagonists amiloride and benzamil and the Na+/H+ exchange antagonist 5-(N,N-dimethyl)-amiloride (DMA)-Cl on the integrated responses of the chorda tympani nerve to 30, 75, 150, 300, and 500 mM concentrations of NaCl, KCl, and NH4Cl were assessed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Based on evidence from other systems, 1 and 25 microM amiloride and benzamil were chosen to selectively inhibit epithelial Na+ channels and 1 microM DMA was chosen to selectively inhibit Na+/H+ exchange. When added to stimulating salt solutions, amiloride, benzamil, and DMA were each effective in inhibiting responses to all three salts. The degree of inhibition varied with drug, salt, and salt concentration, but not drug dose. Amiloride suppressed NaCl responses to a greater degree than KCl and NH4Cl responses, whereas DMA suppressed NH4Cl responses to a greater degree than NaCl and KCl responses. In all but one case (25 microM amiloride added to KCl), drug suppression of taste nerve responses decreased with an increase in salt concentration. The present results suggest that 1) epithelial Na+ channels in rat taste receptor cells may play a role in KCl and NH4Cl taste transduction; 2) a Na+/H+ exchange protein may be present in taste receptor cells, representing a putative component, in addition to epithelial Na+ channels, in salt taste transduction; and 3) salt taste detection and transduction may depend on the utilization of a combination of common and distinct transcellular pathways.
Personalized Course Sequence Recommendations

Given the variability in student learning, it is becoming increasingly important to tailor courses as well as course sequences to student needs. This paper presents a systematic methodology for offering personalized course sequence recommendations to students. First, a forward-search backward-induction algorithm is developed that can optimally select course sequences to decrease the time required for a student to graduate. The algorithm accounts for prerequisite requirements (typically present in higher level education) and course availability. Second, using the tools of multiarmed bandits, an algorithm is developed that can optimally recommend a course sequence that both reduces the time to graduate while also increasing the overall GPA of the student. The algorithm dynamically learns how students with different contextual backgrounds perform for given course sequences and, then, recommends an optimal course sequence for new students. Using real-world student data from the UCLA Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, we illustrate how the proposed algorithms outperform other methods that do not include student contextual information when making course sequence recommendations.
Do physicians underrecognize obesity

OBJECTIVES A physician's advice is among the strongest predictors of efforts toward weight management made by obese patients, yet only a minority receives such advice. One contributor could be the physician's failure to recognize true obesity. The objectives of this study were to assess physicians' ability to recognize obesity and to identify factors associated with recognition and documentation of obesity. METHODS Internal medicine residents and attending physicians at three academic urban primary care clinics and their adult patients participated in a study using recognition and documentation of patient obesity as the main measures. RESULTS A total of 52 physicians completed weight assessments for 400 patients. The mean patient age was 51 years, 56% were women, 77% were Hispanic, and 67% had one or more obesity-related comorbidity. There were 192 (48%) patients, of whom 66% were correctly identified by physicians as being obese, 86% of those with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35, but only 49% of those with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 (P < 0.0001). Fewer obese Hispanic patients were identified than were non-Hispanic patients (62% vs 76%; P = 0.03). No physician characteristics were significantly associated with recognition of obesity. Physicians documented obesity as a problem for 51% of patients. Attending physicians documented obesity more frequently than did residents (64% vs 43%, odds ratio 2.5, 95% confidence interval 1.3-4.6) and normal-weight physicians documented obesity more frequently than overweight physicians (58% vs 41%, odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.0-4.0). Documentation was more common for patients with a BMI ≥ 35 and for non-Hispanics. Documentation was not more common for patients with obesity-related comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS Physicians have difficulty recognizing obesity unless patients' BMI is ≥ 35. Training physicians to recognize true obesity may increase rates of documentation, a first step toward treatment.
TDF-FTC before and after sex reduced HIV infection but increased GI, renal events in men who have sex with men.

Source Citation Molina JM, Capitant C, Spire B, et al; ANRS IPERGAY Study Group. On-demand preexposure prophylaxis in men at high risk for HIV-1 infection. N Engl J Med. 2015;373:2237-46. 26624850
Oliver Stone’s unmanning of Alexander the great in Alexander (2004)

When the film Gladiator hit the big screen in 2000, its financial success began a revival of the sword-and-sandals epic that had been defunct since the last major classical-era film, Anthony Mann’s The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), spurring production of stories ranging from the fall of Troy to the battle of Thermopylae to the conquests of Alexander the Great.1 While Gladiator, Troy (2004), and 300 (2007) tend to share a common patriarchal characterization of the male protagonist as a hero who is strong, active, and above all, heterosexual, Oliver Stone’s film Alexander (2004) presents the Macedonian general as excessively emotional, under the sway of his overbearing mother, and, unlike the male leads in the other films, sexually ambiguous: bisexual if not homosexual. Ancient epic films, in general, often use the male lead to represent a powerful standard of masculinity through the main characters’ familial and/or sexual relationships, their agency, moral fortitude, and the “safe” hetero-sexualizing of their bodies.
John locke’s continuing influence on organization theory and behavior entering the 21st century

This article is about John Locke who was a British philosopher that profoundly influenced the founders of the United States, the principles upon which the United States was established, and the American system of administration. Many influential leaders in America today acknowledge that the government is Lockeian, which is only the beginning of the continuing importance of Locke for the 21st century. While Locke pre-dated the formal study of organizational theory and behavior many of his ideas directly influence those fields--particularly his ideas on education and economy
Abstract 5071: Expression and cellular distribution of Profilin1/VASPp157and cofilin1/VASPp239is altered by docosahexaenoic acid and suppresses cancer cell migration and survival

The major risk factor for cancer associated death is uncontrolled metastasis and longer cancer cell survival. Mechanisms associated with actin binding protein-mediated actin dynamics and subcellular distributions are not well defined. Secondary messengers (cAMP and cGMP)differentially phosphorylate actin binding proteins like VASP and are associated with actin remodeling in cancer cells. We tested the hypothesis that differential phosphorylation of VASP precipitates association with two additional actin binding proteins, profilin1 and cofilin1. Furthermore, we speculate that the associations of VASP with profilin1 or cofilin1 are causing changes in subcellular location of the protein complexes. Briefly, non-invasive lung epithelial (MLE12) and cancer (A549) cells were treated with 8-Br-cAMP and/or DHA for 6h and 24h. Actin binding proteins (profilin1, cofilin1, VASP, VASP p157 and VASP p239 ) expressions were analyzed by western blot in cell lysate. Wound assay and transwell apparatus were used to study cell migration. Confocal analysis was performed to analyze F-actin content and actin binding proteins at the wound leading edges and in human lung cancer biopsy samples. Flow cytometry, using ki-67, and cleaved-caspase-3 antibodies were performed to study proliferation and cell viability. Our data indicate an association between profilin1/VASP p157 and cofilin1/VASP p239 and changes in the relative cytoplasmic/nuclear distribution of these protein complexes that coincide with the invasive potential of the cell line or tissue. Additional studies showed that docosahexaenoic acid, inhibited cancer cell migration and viability and altered the expression and cellular distribution of profilin1/VASP p157 and cofilin1/VASP p239 . In summary, profilin1/VASP p157 and cofilin1/VASP p239 protein complex expression and subcellular distribution could serve as novel, new areas of research, as biomarkers of disease progression, and/or as innovative therapeutic targets against metastasis. Citation Format: Mehboob Ali, Kathryn M. Heyob, Lynette K. Rogers. Expression and cellular distribution of Profilin1/VASP p157 and cofilin1/VASP p239 is altered by docosahexaenoic acid and suppresses cancer cell migration and survival. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5071.
Oncologic outcomes and patient-reported quality of life in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive transoral robotic surgery versus definitive chemoradiation.

Summary Objective It has been postulated that treatment outcomes are similar between transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and definitive chemoradiation (CRT) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC). We compared oncologic and quality of life (QOL) outcomes between definitive CRT and definitive TORS. Materials and methods An observational comparison study was performed on 92 patients treated with TORS ± adjuvant therapy and 46 patients treated with definitive CRT between July 2005 and January 2016. The Kaplan Meier method was used for survival analyses, and the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare QOL scores between groups. Results All patients had T0-T2 and N0-N2 disease, although CRT patients had higher clinical staging ( p p p = 0.025, p = 0.017, p = 0.011). Among TORS patients, adjuvant therapy was associated with worse QOL in the saliva domain at 6, 12, and 24 months ( p p p = 0.007), and taste domain at 6 and 12 months ( p = 0.067, p = 0.008). Conclusion Definitive CRT and definitive TORS offer similar rates of locoregional control, overall survival, and disease-free survival in patients with early stage OPSCC. TORS resulted in significantly better short and long-term saliva-related QOL, whereas adjuvant therapy was associated with worse saliva and taste-related QOL compared to TORS alone.
Wind Pressures on Buildings-Probability Densities

By use of available statistics of building sites describing wind magnitude and direction, calculation of the recurrence interval for peak pressures may be performed if the probability distribution of pressure fluctuations is assumed, e.g., a Gaussian distribution. To perform the analysis adequately, the statistics of pressure fluctuations and their relationship to the governing physical parameters must be known. Fluctuating pressure data have been obtained on a scale model of an actual structure placed in a wind tunnel which simulated the characteristics of the atmospheric wind. The data were analyzed to obtain the probability distribution of the pressure fluctuations. The results show a remarkable similarity in probability distribution for large areas of the structure. In regions of positive pressure, the pressure distribution can be represented adequately by a Gaussian relationship. In regions of negative pressure, deviations from a Gaussian distribution are significant and can lead to a substantial underestimation of peak pressures if that distribution were assumed.
Rapid Encapsulation of Cell and Polymer Solutions with Bubble‐Triggered Droplet Generation

The generation of monodisperse droplets with microfluidics is valuable for applications ranging from material science to single cell analysis. However, conventional methods for forming droplets are limited in throughput, particularly when the fluids have low interfacial tension or high viscosity, like biological or polymer fluids. Rapid emulsification of biological and polymer fluids using bubble-triggered droplet generation is demonstrated. In addition to making droplets over tenfold faster than conventional drop makers with equivalent monodispersity, bubble-triggering can form droplets smaller than the nozzle, allowing droplets of the desired size to be generated in large channels that are robust against clogging.
Social workers: agents of change or agents of oppression?

This article presents our experiences teaching an undergraduate-level ‘introduction to social work’ course, and an undergraduate senior-level ‘macro practice’ course. Together, we hold a combinatio...
A New Spectrum License for Old Circumstances: A Retrospective Look at the Nextel Interference Proceedings

In this paper, we apply an idea few are familiar with to a situation resolved over a decade ago. Why? We consider the idea of a spectrum license with certain traditional features, but where the regulator retains an option to modify parameters of the license in pre-specified ways over time. For example, the regulator may guarantee access to a particular spectrum bandwidth but retain the option to change the center frequency within a specified band with appropriate notice. The intent of this licensing structure is to provide flexibility for the regulator and certainty for the licensee that does not always exist under current licensing approaches. In this paper, we examine, retrospectively, the application of this license-with-an-option feature to the case of Nextel Communications interfering with public safety communications in the 800 MHz band. This issue initially surfaced in 1999 and took until 2004 to reach agreement on a resolution. Implementation of the accord took nearly four years more. The resolution required several proposals by the FCC and others and over 2,200 filings by interested parties. The duration and rich variety of concerns covered by the proceedings provide the opportunity to examine a new idea in the context of an old problem. Despite the historical perspective, the underlying spectrum management issues remain as relevant as ever, and we examine the application of the new license concept looking forward as well as backward. Our license proposal is intended to provide flexibility and certainty to a variety of situations, including (1) changes in technology, demand, or use; (2) coexistence between multiple services, and; (3) efficient use of spectrum over time. These were central issues in the Nextel interference proceedings but re-surfaced in recent cases such as the LightSquared proposal, and even current debates over spectrum sharing with public safety. Spectrum issues such as allocation and allotment, assignment, service rules, and compliance and enforcement continue as contentious management issues, even as the situations and applications evolve. We suggest that existing fixed licensing models are sub-optimal, and in some cases are themselves the source of inflexibility and artificial scarcity. In this paper we contribute, via a case study, further development of a license model that augments existing approaches across a wide range of governance models and assignment strategies. This license capitalizes on the present trends toward spectrum sharing and more efficient use of existing spectrum and advances a model that assists with these goals.
Social Support for Exercise and Dietary Habits among College Students.

An assessment inventory (the Friend/Peer Support-Health Eating Physical Activity Scale-FPS-HEPAS) was developed to measure social influence patterns of college student physical activity and food consumption habits. Principal components analysis of 50 items with two referent sets (friends and peers) produced two scales with common factors: encouragement to exercise, avoidance of high fat/salty foods, support for dieting and/or exercise to lose weight, and criticism about exercise behavior. The Friend Support scale also included a factor relating to criticism of eating foods high in fat or salt. The Peer Support scale included two subscales relating to exercising together and food intake to gain weight. Overall, females reported receiving greater support for their diet and exercise actions than did males. They reported getting more encouragement to exercise, practice good dietary habits, and watch their weight from friends and peers than did males. Gender differences in terms of composition of friends and peers also were found. Females received significantly higher levels of support for exercise, good dietary habits, weight loss, and higher criticisms about their exercise habits when their peer groups were at least half or mostly all male. By contrast, male students report their highest levels of support when their peers were mostly or all female.
Promoting Health Equity

This chapter details not only the work to make health equity a part of Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations, but also broader system-wide operational and policy changes that promote health equity. Like the rest of the nation, Oregon has an inconsistent history of mitigating the drivers and consequences of health inequity. Yet, work within the last decade deepened awareness of the diverse communities across the state and brought a renewed focus on their health concerns, increased those communities’ access to the people and places where health policy is developed and led to health equity being a key part of Oregon’s Health System Transformation. Lessons learned include the importance of having both strong community relationships and legislative champions and as well as the need for strong financial incentives to advance equity within health care organizations.
Why the Paradigm Fails

Faced with protecting threatened Bighorn Sheep habitat yet accommodating energy exploration in Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest, Forest Supervisor Steve Mealey summarized his dilemma with these words: We face some tough decisions. The law asks bureaucrats to do things we don’t know how to do sometimes. But that doesn’t take us off the hook. (High Country News, November 29, 1983, p. 4) Mealey, like all agency decision-makers, must balance the many competing interests with a stake in national forest management, and then render a decision. How he might successfully do so, however, has never been adequately prescribed.