cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2849: Shc1 as a potential metastasis driver gene of breast cancer

In the US, women diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer have a 5-year survival rate of approximately 98.8%. However, if women develop metastases the survival rate drops to 27.4%, highlighting the need for a better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate and drive metastasis. Somatically acquired mutations that drive metastasis were originally hypothesized by Nowell in the 1970s; however, to date few candidate metastasis driver mutations have been identified and the role of these mutations in metastasis are not well-understood. Using the PyMT genetically engineered mouse model of luminal metastatic breast cancer, previous work by our group performed whole exome sequencing on pairs of matched primary tumor and metastatic tissues from 65 mice. Analysis of this sequencing data identified recurrent metastasis-specific mutations in members of the Ras signaling pathway. One of the members was the SHC Adaptor Protein 1 (Shc1). Five PyMT animals carried different nucleotide substitutions within the same proline 561 codon that falls within the SH2 domain, suggesting an activating role in metastasis. Furthermore, changing this proline mutation to another amino acid could induce a critical change to the Shc1 protein structure and its function. To investigate the role of Shc1 in breast cancer metastasis, CRISPR was performed engineer Shc1 P561 mutations for in vitro and in vivo assays using a series of mouse mammary cancer cell lines and allograft mouse models. Preliminary evidence suggests the P561 mutations have a role in metastasis. Future experiments will address the consequences of the P561 mutation on Shc1 binding partner interactions and downstream signaling and its effects on breast cancer metastasis. Citation Format: Megan Majocha, Kent Hunter, Christina Ross. Shc1 as a potential metastasis driver gene of breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2849.
Determining Kalman Filter Input Noises Using PES Pareto

One of the key questions that befalls anyone about to design a Kalman Filter is the question of determining the noise inputs. As methodical and systematic as Kalman filter design is, it is wholly dependent upon the choice of noise source values, and these are usually ad-hoc. On the other hand, the PES Pareto Methodology [1] provides a systemic method for modeling and measuring broadband noises in a feedback loop. As with the old Reece's Cup commercials, it seems that one might want to know if these two techniques can be combined, so that we obtain well quantified process and sensor noise estimates based upon our PES Pareto based measurements. That is the subject of this paper.
Robotic off-pump totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass in the current era: report of 544 patients.

OBJECTIVES Robotic off-pump totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) is the least invasive form of surgical coronary revascularization. It has proved to be highly effective and safe. Its benefits are well-established and include fewer complications, shorter hospital stay and quicker return to normal activities. TECAB has undergone 2 decades of technological advancement to include multivessel grafting, a beating-heart approach and successful completion in multiple patient groups in experienced hands. The aim of this report was to examine outcomes of robotic off-pump TECAB at our institution over 7 years. METHODS Data from 544 patients undergoing TECAB between July 2013 and August 2020 were retrospectively examined. The C-Port Flex-A distal anastomotic device was used for the majority of grafts (70%). Yearly follow-up was conducted. Angiographic early patency data were reviewed for patients undergoing hybrid revascularization. RESULTS The mean age was 66 years, with 1.7% mean STS risk. Fifty-six percentage had multivessel TECAB. There was 1 conversion to sternotomy, and 46% extubation in the Operating Room (OR). Mortality was 0.9%. Early graft patency was 97%. At mid-term follow-up at 38 months, cardiac mortality was 2.7% and freedom from major adverse cardiac events was 92.5%. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that robotic beating-heart TECAB in the current era is safe and effective with excellent outcomes and comparable early angiographic patency to standard coronary artery bypass grafting surgery when performed frequently by an experienced team. This procedure was completed in our hands both with and without an anastomotic device. Longer-term studies are warranted.
The Linguistic Environments of Digital Games: A Discriminant Analysis of Language Use in Game Mechanics

This study quantitatively measures the variation in language derived from a targeted set of digital game mechanics. Mechanics refer to the design elements of a game that make up the overall gameplay experience, determining player actions and the degree of language interaction. A corpus was compiled by extracting the language files from two popular commercial games, Fallout 4 and Skyrim, using “modification” software. The extracted language files were organized into three register categories following the register analysis framework detailed in Biber and Conrad (2019). The three categories include one spoken (dialogue trees) and two written registers (quest objectives and quest stages), which are common mechanics in many modern commercial games. Comparing results from three discriminant analyses, the findings indicate that statistical models cannot distinguish between the two games’ linguistic environments at the level of the game; however, when considering the linguistic environments at the level of game mechanics, the model has high precision in accurately identifying the texts’ game mechanic register categories. The results provide empirical evidence that digital game-based language learning (DGBLL) research designs could benefit from targeting specific design aspects and game mechanics rather than generalizing results at the level of genre or game title.
Effect of the zirconia-titania catalyst modification and CO2/CH4 ratios on CO2 coupling reaction with methane

Abstract The CO2 utilization for coupling reaction with methane for the production of C1 building block chemicals was studied. The influence of surface oxides of zirconia-titania catalysts and CO2/methane gas ratios were investigated to promote methane activation and coupling with CO2 for the production of value-added chemicals of acetic acid, ethane and ethylene. The synthesized catalysts by three impregnation methods assisted by microwave irradiation, exhibited different nanoscale crystal sizes and were characterized by various techniques of XRD, TEM, BET, NH3-TPD and H2-TPR. The anatase and tetragonal phases of ZrO2/TiO2 framework were identified and the synthesized catalysts showed an increase of surface acidity with distinct H2 reduction patterns for each catalyst as result of Zr oxide interaction with Ti oxide. Methane activation was observed and the coupling reaction produced ethane and ethylene and was affected via modified catalysts. Despite ongoing reaction, CO2 coupling reaction formulated acetic acid and consumed methyl surface species over catalyst then dimerized to form ethane and ethylene. It was found that the obtained products from CO2 coupling were altered by the variation in methane dissociation due to changing CO2/methane ratios, at which higher CO2/methane ratio (90%:10%) showed the highest methane dissociation and CO2 coupling reaction.
Witnessing traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder: Insights from an animal model

It is becoming increasingly recognized that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be acquired vicariously from witnessing traumatic events. Recently, we published an animal model called the "Trauma witness model" (TWM) which mimics PTSD-like symptoms in rats from witnessing daily traumatic events (social defeat of cage mate) [14]. Our TWM does not result in any physical injury. This is a major procedural advantage over the typical intruder paradigm in which it is difficult to delineate the inflammatory response of tissue injury and the response elicited from emotional distress. Using TWM paradigm, we examined behavioral and cognitive effects in rats [14] however, the long-term persistence of PTSD-like symptoms or a time-course of these events (anxiety and depression-like behaviors and cognitive deficits) and the contribution of olfactory and auditory stress vs visual reinforcement were not examined. This study demonstrates that some of the features of PTSD-like symptoms in rats are reversible after a significant time lapse of the witnessing of traumatic events. We also have established that witnessing is critical to the PTSD-like phenotype and cannot be acquired solely due to auditory or olfactory stresses.
Proteomic Analysis of the Pericyte Derived Extracellular Matrix

Pericytes (PC) line the post capillary venules and deposit extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that provide vascular integrity during angiogenesis and regulatory signals during inflammation. Here we describe the characterization of soluble and structural ECM proteins that are deposited by PC. ECM components in PC-derived ECM were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed via liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry LC/MS–MS, while Western blot analysis was used to confirm the presence of commonly investigated matrix proteins. Functional annotation was used to categorize specific types of proteins, including structural collagens, glycoproteins, proteoglycans, ancillary angiogenic and inflammatory proteins. Further, the functional ability of PC derived ECM to support endothelial cell tubule formation, neutrophil adhesion, polarization and chemotaxis were evaluated. Our findings indicate that PC ECM is compositionally distinct to smooth muscle cell (SMC) ECM, and functionally supports vasculogenesis and neutrophil adhesion as well as SMC ECM. While differences in neutrophil polarization and cell ruffling were seen between PC ECM and SMC ECM adherent neutrophils, no difference in migratory velocities were observed. This first characterization of PC derived ECM provides insight into its potential use as a component of implantable engineered scaffolds and for investigations of basic cellular response to the microvascular basement membrane.
Characterization of a Phospholipase C β2-Binding Site Near the Amino-terminal Coiled-coil of G Protein βγ Subunits

In previous work (Sankaran, B., Osterhout, J., Wu, D., and Smrcka, A. V. (1998) J. Biol. Chem.273, 7148–7154), we showed that overlapping peptides, N20K (Asn564–Lys583) and E20K (Glu574–Lys593), from the catalytic domain of phospholipase C (PLC) β2 block Gβγ-dependent activation of PLC β2. The peptides could also be directly cross-linked to βγ subunits with a heterobifunctional cross-linker succinimidyl 4-[N-maleimidomethyl]-cyclohexane-1-carboxylate. Cross-linking of peptides to Gβ1 was inhibited by PLC β2 but not by αi1(GDP), indicating that the peptide-binding site on β1 represents a binding site for PLC β2 that does not overlap with the αi1-binding site. Here we identify the site of peptide cross-linking and thereby define a site for PLC β2 interaction with β subunits. Each of the 14 cysteine residues in β1 were altered to alanine. The ability of the PLC β2-derived peptide to cross-link to each βγ mutant was then analyzed to identify the reactive sulfhydryl moiety on the β subunit required for the cross-linking reaction. We find that C25A was the only mutation that significantly affected peptide cross-linking. This indicates that the peptide is specifically binding to a region near cysteine 25 of β1 which is located in the amino-terminal coiled-coil region of β1 and identifies a PLC-binding site distinct from the α subunit interaction site.
Official Sponsor versus Regular Program Advertiser Television Strategies for the Sydney Olympic 2000 Games

Abstract This case study concentrates on the broadcast network TV advertising in the U.S. during the Sydney 2000 Olympics, utilizing traditional descriptive content analysis to discover how advertisers made use of their sponsorship association with the Games. Olympic sponsorships typically involve a multi-year commitment with a broad spectrum of activities, including extensive on-site promotion. The Sydney Games were half a continent away from U.S. audiences and advertising during the televised coverage was a critical tool for sponsors to communicate their involvement to audiences. Issues to be addressed include how sponsors leveraged ties to the event and what they did to set themselves apart from regular program advertisers (RPAs) who also ran ads during coverage of the games (i.e., Olympic specific ads and/or logo identification). The research cannot ascertain the effectiveness of an Olympic sponsorship, but it does reveal what sponsors of the Sydney Games did to maximize the impact of their advertisin...
The bromodomain: a chromatin-targeting module?

It has recently been demonstrated that bromodomains — motifs found in several eukaryotic transcription factors — bind to acetyl-lysine, a modification of histones that is important for transcription. This finding suggests that the regulatory effects of histone acetylation may be exerted by bromodomain-containing proteins.
Neoproterozoic rifting in the southern Georgina Basin, central Australia: Implications for reconstructing Australia in Rodinia

[1] A system of northwest striking Neoproterozoic rift basins underlies Paleozoic strata in the southern Georgina Basin of central Australia. Normal faults bounding these rift basins were selectively reactivated during the mid-Paleozoic Alice Springs Orogeny and are now expressed as high-angle reverse faults that invert the preexisting rift basins. Exhumed and eroded rift basin remnants are present in the hanging wall of the Oomoolmilla, Lucy Creek, Tarlton, and Toomba reverse faults, and rift basins may be preserved in the subsurface beneath the Toko Syncline and Burke River Structural Belt. Rift basin fill indicates two periods of extension: a major rift-forming episode between approximately 700 and 650 Ma (coeval with Sturtian glacial deposits) and a second episode of extension at approximately 600 Ma (coeval with Marinoan glacial deposits). This northwest striking rift system in central Australia supports results from other regions, indicating that the Neoproterozoic continental margin of Australia consisted of northwest striking rift segments offset by northeast striking transform faults. Such a configuration is geometrically incompatible with a Laurentian continental margin consisting of northeast striking rift segments and conflicts with reconstructions such as SWEAT and AUSWUS that match Australia with western Laurentia in the Rodinia supercontinent.
Factors Affecting Deoxycholate Inactivation and Mg++ Reactivation of Bacillus megaterium KM Membrane Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (Reduced Form) Oxidase

Decay of the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase of Bacillus megaterium KM membranes was prevented by storage in 10% (v/v) glycerol or 0.4% bovine serum albumin. Differential rates of solubilization of components of the oxidase system by 0.4% deoxycholate was demonstrable at 4 C. The amount of Mg ++ necessary for maximal oxidase reactivation increased with increasing amounts of deoxycholate-inactivated oxidase. Mg ++ activation of deoxycholate-inactivated oxidase was partially temperature-dependent. Maximal activation was observed at 37 C, but only partial activation took place at 4 C. A small amount of deoxycholate was required for Mg ++ activation of deoxycholate-inactivated oxidase. Two p H optima were found for Mg ++ activation of deoxycholate-inactivated oxidase, p H 5.3 and 7.3. Significant amounts of activation of the inactive oxidase occurred in the absence of Mg ++ with an optimum at p H 5.0, with essentially no Mg ++ -independent activation demonstrable at p H 7.0.
A 5 V-only 256 kbit CMOS flash EEPROM

The authors describe a 256-kbit flash EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory) device which requires only 5 V for program, erase, and read operations and has performance and cost comparable to that of the recently reported dual-power-supply flash EEPROMs, which require 12 V for programming and erase and 5 V for read. The memory cell consists of a floating-gate transistor and a merged-pass-gate transistor. The process is array-contactless EEPROM (ACEE), with buried source/drain for the bit lines with a tunnel oxide module and a 20-V CMOS module. The program and erase operations employ the Fowler-Nordheim current tunneled through 100-AA oxide when the proper electrical voltages are applied to the selected bit. The device and technology parameters are summarized. >
Memristors: The fourth fundamental circuit element

Memristors are a class of passive two-terminal circuit elements that maintain a functional relationship between the time integrals of current and voltage. This function, called memristance, is similar to variable resistance. Memristor theory was formulated and named by Leon Chua in a 1971 paper. Chua deduced the existence of memristors from the mathematical relationships between the circuit elements. The four circuit quantities (charge, current, voltage, and magnetic flux) can be related to other in six ways. Two quantities are covered by basic physical laws, and three are covered by known circuit elements (resistor, capacitor, and inductor). Based on this realization, Chua proposed the memristor purely for the mathematical aesthetics of it, as a class of circuit element based on a relationship between charge and flux. This paper discusses the memristor. The history, invention, present status, and future application of the memristor will be covered. Memristors are the fourth fundamental element of circuit design.
Intermolecular epistasis shaped the function and evolution of an ancient transcription factor and its DNA binding sites

Complexes of specifically interacting molecules, such as transcription factor proteins (TFs) and the DNA response elements (REs) they recognize, control most biological processes, but little is known concerning the functional and evolutionary effects of epistatic interactions across molecular interfaces. We experimentally characterized all combinations of genotypes in the joint protein-DNA sequence space defined by an historical transition in TF-RE specificity that occurred some 500 million years ago in the DNA-binding domain of an ancient steroid hormone receptor. We found that rampant epistasis within and between the two molecules was essential to specific TF-RE recognition and to the evolution of a novel TF-RE complex with unique derived specificity. Permissive and restrictive epistatic mutations across the TF-RE interface opened and closed potential evolutionary paths accessible by the other, making the evolution of each molecule contingent on its partner's history and allowing a molecular complex with novel specificity to evolve.
Expression and regulation of catecholaminergic traits in primary sensory neurons: relationship to target innervation in vivo

Catecholaminergic (CA) phenotypic characteristics have recently been detected in adult sensory neurons, demonstrating that CA expression in the periphery extends beyond the sympathoadrenal axis. Consequently, we may now determine whether common principles underlie CA phenotypic organization in functionally and embryologically diverse populations of peripheral neurons. To begin defining sensory transmitter regulation, the present study examined the relationship of CA expression to sensory target innervation in cranial nerve ganglion cells of the adult rat. Retrograde labeling combined with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry indicated that 80–90% of CA sensory neurons in the glossopharyngeal petrosal ganglion project peripherally in the carotid sinus nerve (CSN). Most of these cells innervate a single target, the carotid body, revealing a striking correlation between CA expression and the pattern of sensory target innervation. Furthermore, CSN transection resulted in a transient marked decrease in TH catalytic activity and immunoreactivity within 1 week. Activities returned to normal by 3 weeks. Thus, axotomy reversibly decreased sensory TH, reproducing effects observed with central CA neurons (Ross et al., 1975), but differing in certain aspects from observations with sympathetic CA neurons (Cheah and Geffen, 1973; Kessler and Black, 1979). To determine whether disruption of axonal transport itself decreased TH in petrosal neurons, colchicine cuffs were placed around the intact CSN. Colchicine blockade reproduced the effects of axotomy, suggesting that deranged transport, and not axonal damage per se, altered TH. Finally, we studied the role of sensory projections to the CNS by examining petrosal TH after glossopharyngeal nerve rhizotomy. In contrast to sequelae of peripheral axotomy, rhizotomy did not alter TH, suggesting that projections to the periphery predominate in regulation of sensory TH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Measurement of emissions from air pollution sources. 4. C1-C27 organic compounds from cooking with seed oils.

The emission rates of gas-phase, semivolatile, and particle-phase organic compounds ranging in carbon number from C_1 to C_(27) were measured from institutional-scale food cooking operations that employ seed oils. Two cooking methods and three types of seed oils were examined: vegetables stir-fried in soybean oil, vegetables stir-fried in canola oil, and potatoes deep fried in hydrogenated soybean oil. The emission rates of 99 organic compounds were quantified, and these include n-alkanes, branched alkanes, alkenes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkenoic acids, carbonyls, aromatics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and lactones. Carbonyls and fatty acids (n-alkanoic and n-alkenoic acids) make up a significant portion of the organic compounds emitted from all three seed oil cooking procedures. The compositional differences in the organic compound emissions between the different cooking operations are consistent with the differences in the organic composition of the various cooking oils used. The distribution of the n-alkanoic acids between the gas and particle phases was found to be in good agreement with gas/particle partitioning theory. The relative importance of emissions from commercial deep frying operations to the total emissions of C_(16) and C_(18) n-alkanoic acids in the Los Angeles urban area was estimated using the available information and is estimated to account for approximately 7% of the total primary emissions of these acids. Additional emissions of these n-alkanoic acids from stir-frying and grill frying operations are expected. Estimates also indicate that seed oil cooking may make up a significant fraction of the emissions of lighter n-alkanoic acids such as nonanoic acid.
Fluid assisted assembly of one-dimensional nanoparticle array inside inorganic nanotubes

We report a general method to assemble nanoparticle arrays inside inorganic nanotubes by introducing a nanoparticle solution into the nanotube nanochannels. We demonstrate that the size matching between nanotubes and nanoparticles may be used to form one-dimensional nanoparticle assemblies of variable sizes and configurations. Dark field scattering spectroscopy studies show large splitting of the resonance energy of the gold nanoparticle assembly under illumination with light with longitudinal or transverse polarization, indicating strong interparticle plasmon resonance coupling.
Dimensions of intercultural effectiveness: An exploratory study

Abstract The present study investigated some of the major dimensions of intercultural effectiveness. Based upon a review of the literature, 24 “abilities” thought to be important for intercultural effectiveness were generated. Fifty-three subjects who had reported functioning effectively in other cultures rated these abilities in terms of their importance in facilitating intercultural effectiveness. Factor analysis of the data yielded three dimensions of intercultural effectiveness: (1) the ability to deal with psychological stress; (2) the ability to communicate effectively; and (3) the ability to establish interpersonal relationships. Results of the study were then related to previous work on intercultural effectiveness.
Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis by Cucumber Chromatin: Developmental and Hormone-induced Changes

When intact etiolated 2-day cucumber (Cucumis sativus) embryos were treated with indoleacetic acid (IAA), gibberellin A(7) (GA(7)), or kinetin, chromatin derived from the embryonic axes exhibited an increased capacity to support RNA synthesis in either the presence or the absence of bacterial RNA polymerase. An IAA effect on cucumber RNA polymerase activity was evident after 4 hours of hormone treatment; the IAA effect on DNA template activity (bacterial RNA polymerase added) occurred after longer treatments (12 hours). GA(7) also promoted template activity, but again only after a prior stimulation of endogenous chromatin activity. After 12 hours of kinetin treatment, both endogenous chromatin and DNA template activities were substantially above control values, but longer kinetin treatments caused these activities to decline in magnitude. When chromatin was prepared from hypocotyl segments that were floated on a GA(7) solution, a GA-induced increase in endogenous chromatin activity occurred, but only if cotyledon tissue was left attached to the segments during the period of hormone treatment.Age of the seedling tissue had a profound influence on the chromatin characteristics. With progression of development from the 2-day to the 4-day stage, the endogenous chromatin activity declined while the DNA template activity increased.
Supporting reverse execution for parallel programs

Parallel programs are difficult to debug because they run for a, long time and two executions may yield different results. Reverse execution, is a simple and powerful concept that solves both these problems. We are designing a tool for debugging parallel programs, called Recap, that provides the illusion of reverse execution using checkpoints and event recording and playback. During normal execution, Recap logs the results of system calls and shared memory reads: as well as the times that asynchronous events (signals) occur. Recap periodically checkpoints the state of a process by forking and suspending a new process. To reverse execute to a certain point in time, Recap continues the nearest checkpoint process forward in a self-contained environment, simulating all events using the log. We are implementing Recap as part of a larger environment for parallel program development.
Folk judgments of causation

Abstract Experimental studies suggest that people’s ordinary causal judgments are affected not only by statistical considerations but also by moral considerations. One way to explain these results would be to construct a model according to which people are trying to make a purely statistical judgment but moral considerations somehow distort their intuitions. The present paper offers an alternative perspective. Specifically, the author proposes a model according to which the very same underlying mechanism accounts for the influence of both statistical and moral considerations. On this model, it appears that ordinary causal judgments are quite different from the sorts of judgments one might find in the systematic sciences.
Protection from Experimental Asthma by an Endogenous Bronchodilator

Mechanisms that protect against asthma remain poorly understood. S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), an endogenous bronchodilator, is depleted from asthmatic airways, suggesting a protective role. We report that, following allergen challenge, wild-type mice exhibiting airway hyperresponsivity have increased airway levels of the enzyme GSNO reductase (GSNOR) and are depleted of lung S-nitrosothiols (SNOs). In contrast, mice with genetic deletion of GSNOR exhibit increases in lung SNOs and are protected from airway hyperresponsivity. Our results indicate that endogenous SNOs, governed by GSNOR, are critical regulators of airway responsivity and may provide new therapeutic approaches to asthma.
Inhibition of feature extraction with multiple instances of the target feature in different orientations

Analyses of alphabetic confusion matrices have produced feature lists defined in terms of confusability of characters thought to contain them. Identical shapes of low confusability (e.g., b, d, p, q) therefore share few or no features. Several researchers have observed mutual inhibition of feature extraction with simultaneously presented confusable shapes. Mutual inhibition observed in the current experiments provides a basis for a definition of features in terms of orientation-independent structural relationships. In the first experiment, four alphanumeric characters were each confused with one other character in this same set; however, when another set was formed by reorienting some of these same shapes to become different characters (e.g., 6 to 9), these confusions disappeared. In the second experiment, characters within each set were exposed parafoveally in pairs to different groups of subjects. If members of a pair were similar in shape (disregarding orientation), identification accuracy was poorer than if they were not. Similar shapes in the same orientation were not signficantly more mutually inhibiting than similar shapes in different orientations.
Institutions, Exchange Relations, and the Emergence of New Fields: Regulatory Policies and Independent Power Production in America, 1978–1992:

This paper analyzes how a new field, independent (or non-utility) power production, was created by a federal mandate that electric utilities purchase power from private generating sources and how t...
Receptor-targeted iron oxide nanoparticles for molecular MR imaging of inflamed atherosclerotic plaques

In a number of literature reports iron oxide nanoparticles have been investigated for use in imaging atherosclerotic plaques and found to accumulate in plaques via uptake by macrophages, which are critical in the process of atheroma initiation, propagation, and rupture. However, the uptake of these agents is non-specific; thus the labeling efficiency for plaques in vivo is not ideal. We have developed targeted agents to improve the efficiency for labeling macrophage-laden plaques. These probes are based on iron oxide nanoparticles coated with dextran sulfate, a ligand of macrophage scavenger receptor type A (SR-A). We have sulfated dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (DIO) with sulfur trioxide, thereby targeting our nanoparticle imaging agents to SR-A. The sulfated DIO (SDIO) remained mono-dispersed and had an average hydrodynamic diameter of 62 nm, an r_1 relaxivity of 18.1 mM^(−1) s^(−1), and an r_2 relaxivity of 95.8 mM^(−1) s^(−1) (37 °C, 1.4 T). Cell studies confirmed that these nanoparticles were nontoxic and specifically targeted to macrophages. In vivo MRI after intravenous injection of the contrast agent into an atherosclerotic mouse injury model showed substantial signal loss on the injured carotid at 4 and 24 h post-injection of SDIO. No discernable signal decrease was seen at the control carotid and only mild signal loss was observed for the injured carotid post-injection of non-sulfated DIO, indicating preferential uptake of the SDIO particles at the site of atherosclerotic plaque. These results indicate that SDIO can facilitate MRI detection and diagnosis of vulnerable plaques in atherosclerosis.
Teaching Social Studies in the 21st Century: A Research Study of Secondary Social Studies Teachers' Instructional Methods and Practices.

Abstract Social studies students are inundated with pedagogy in which exposure to factual information is overwhelmingly the paramount means to success. Students are often encouraged to regurgitate facts as a means to demonstrate academic understanding. Passive learning dominates social studies curriculum despite the abundance of research calling for engaged learning. Therefore, the major purpose of this study, as based on a survey research method, was to examine what methods and practices teachers use to teach social studies in the 21st century. In sum, 281 secondary social studies teachers from across the United States completed a 35-question Likert-style survey regarding their teaching practices. Provisional conclusions are reached and discussed.
Implicit Attitudes Toward Arab-Muslims and the Moderating Effects of Social Information

Three studies examined the relative valence and strength of implicit attitudes toward Arab-Muslims using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) while exploring the moderation of such implicit effects. Studies have suggested that repeated exposure to information associating members of a social group (e.g., Arab-Muslims) with evaluative attributes (e.g., terrorism) might create automatic attitudes toward them. Consistent with this notion, the IAT results indicated strong implicit preference for White over Arab-Muslim, whereas the magnitude of such a bias was substantially diminished when assessed by explicit measures (Study 1). It is also interesting to note that participants exhibited implicit preference for Black over Arab-Muslim when measured by the IAT, whereas no difference was found between the 2 groups in stimulus familiarity and in explicit attitudes (Studies 2 and 3). However, such implicit effects were moderated when participants were exposed to positive information about Arab-Muslims (Study 3). Theo...
ROLE OF REFRIGERANT MIXTURES AS ALTERNATIVES TO CFCS.

Abstract Refrigerant mixtures may provide some solutions to the problem of the very limited number of fluids which have suitable properties to provide alternatives to CFCs. Mixing of refrigerants allows the adjustment or tuning of the most desirable properties of the mixture by varying the molar fraction of the components. There are three categories of mixtures which can be used as working fluids: azeotropes, near-azeotropes and zeotropes. Azeotropes are usually binary and have long been used in the refrigeration industry; it is unlikely that new combinations will now be found. Near-azeotropes have a much greater potential for development, but under leakage conditions may alter their composition and properties. Near-azeotropes have the most potential as drop-in alternatives to CFCs. Zeotropes have potential for improvements in energy efficiency and capacity modulation, but, as they require hardware design changes can only be considered in new system designs. However, with the long-term concerns about global warming, energy efficiency, and therefore the use of zeotropes, will probably have a great influence on the refrigeration industry.
Phosphorus appetite in sheep: dissociating taste from postingestive effects.

We hypothesized that lambs discriminate the postingestive effects of P and associate those effects with feed flavor to modify feed choices. Three predictions were tested based on this hypothesis: 1) lambs will modify preference for arbitrary flavors eaten during intraruminal infusions of NaH2PO4, 2) changes in preferences are more specific than changes in osmotic load induced by salts of Na; and 3) preference for P is inversely related to the concentration of inorganic P in blood. Thirty lambs were depleted of P by the offer of a P-deficient diet, allocated to 3 groups (10 lambs/group), and conditioned during 3 periods as follows: During conditioning period 1, lambs in each of 3 groups ate a poorly nutritious feed (grape pomace), flavored differently for each group, while water was infused into the rumen. During conditioning periods 2 and 3, lambs again ate grape pomace, with 2 new flavors now paired with infusion of an aqueous solution (126 mmol) of NaCl (conditioning period 2) or NaH2PO4 (conditioning period 3), rather than with water. After conditioning, all lambs were offered a choice of the 3 flavors during preference tests immediately after conditioning (period 1) and every 3 wk thereafter (periods 2, 3, and 4). During period 1, when serum inorganic P levels were greatest, lambs preferred flavors paired with water > NaCl > NaH2PO4 (P NaCl (period 2, P = 0.10; period 3, P = 0.05). Lambs preferred flavors paired with water > NaH2PO4 in period 2 (P 0.05). During period 4, lambs preferred flavors paired with NaCl > NaH2PO4 (P < 0.10). The estimate of the slope for the linear relationship between intake of flavors paired with NaH2PO4 and serum inorganic P was negative (P < 0.0001), whereas estimates of the slopes for the relationships between intake of flavors paired with NaCl or water and serum inorganic P were not different from 0. Thus, preference for P was inversely related to the concentration of serum inorganic P. Our results suggest lambs discriminated among the postingestive effects of NaH2PO4, NaCl, and water and associated those effects with specific flavors. Lambs avoided flavors paired with NaH2PO4 during periods of P replenishment, and they increased preference for those flavors during periods of P need.
Histochemical demonstration of beta-glucosaminidase activity during sequential molar development in the swiss albino mouse.

Using the Hayashi method, the distribution of glucosaminidase was studied throughout sequential molar development. Conspicuous activity was observed in certain cellular components of the stellate reticulum and dental papilla. The outer enamel epithelium, stratum intermedium and ameloblasts displayed less intense reactions.
Hypercholesteremia and nicotinic acid: A long-term study

Abstract Nicotinic acid, in doses of 1.5 to 6 gm. a day by mouth, has been administered to sixty-six persons with hypercholesteremia. A direct dose-response relationship was demonstrated. Eighty per cent of the fifty-one persons treated for at least one year, whose mean pretreatment value for plasma cholesterol was 327 mg. per 100 ml., had a mean value of less than 250 mg. per 100 ml. for plasma cholesterol during the three month interval of optimal response. The hypocholesteremic effect of nicotinic acid was sustained with continued treatment and was associated with a decrease of fatty acids and of the ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid in the plasma. Although subjective improvement in respect to symptoms of coronary and peripheral arterial insufficiency was noted by many persons during treatment with nicotinic acid, objective evidence of improvement in regard to clinical signs of atherosclerosis was lacking, and death from the complications of atherosclerosis occurred in eleven persons during or after treatment. Side effects, particularly gastrointestinal irritation and cutaneous flushing, abnormal results in tests of hepatic function and carbohydrate tolerance, occurrence of hyperuricemia and, more rarely, of jaundice, have been associated with use of large doses of nicotinic acid. The mechanism by which this substance decreases plasma lipids or causes many of the side effects noted is unknown. The continued careful use of this agent in the investigative treatment of hypercholesteremia is warranted and may ultimately provide insight into the possible value of lowering elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood as a means of treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis.
Structural influences on intensity correlation interferometry

Using a single focal parabolic reflector of an intensity interferometer(II) system is simulated. The extent that focal properties amongst a parabolic reflector can change the statistics of the light at a detector is analyzed. Recent technological advances have increased the speed and sensitivity of photon detectors, developed large scale precision optics, and incorporated multi-spectral imaging techniques which have led the way to reexamine the usefulness of II for scientific measurements. A ray tracing algorithm is used to examine how the statistical variations of simulated monochromatic stellar light changes from the source to the detector. Changing the position of the detector from the focal plane and changing the surface profile of the mirror develops a metric to understand how the varying scenario’s affects the statistics of the detected light. Photon streams are evaluated for light distribution, time of flight, and statistical changes at a detector. This research and analysis is used as a tool to develop a metric to quantify how structural perturbation effect the statistics of photon stream detections inherent in II instrumentation and science.
Fe 15 + dielectronic recombination and the effects of configuration interaction between resonances with different captured electron principal quantum numbers

Dielectronic recombination (DR) of Na-like Fe${}^{15+}$ forming Mg-like Fe${}^{14+}$ via excitation of a $2l$ core electron has been investigated. We find that configuration interaction (CI) between DR resonances with different captured electron principal quantum numbers $n$ can lead to a significant reduction in resonance strengths for $n\ensuremath{\geqslant}5$. Previous theoretical work for this system has not considered this form of CI. Including it accounts for most of the discrepancy between previous theoretical and experimental results.
First-order, structural transformations in metallic glasses

Magnetic evidence is presented for a first-order, structural transformation in the local order of a cobalt-base metallic glass. The transformation is centered at ${T}_{0}=180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ C and shows a scan-rate-dependent thermal hysteresis of $\ensuremath{\Delta}T=100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ C. A critical volume for nucleation of the transformation is estimated to contain approximately 200 atoms. The transformation appears in samples which show no microcrystallites greater than 30 \AA{} and vanishes in samples with appreciable crystallinity. The observations are discussed in terms of model clusters of icosahedral, trigonal, and octahedral symmetry.
Natural weathering and laboratory oxidation of bituminous coals: Organic and inorganic structural changes

Abstract The compositional and structural changes to selected bituminous coals during natural weathering (outcropping) and low-temperature laboratory oxidation were determined. The volatile matter contents of the oxidized coals were higher than those of the corresponding fresh coals. Lower carbon and hydrogen contents, higher oxygen contents and therefore lower heating values were characteristic of the crop and laboratory-oxidized coals. The sulphur contents of the crop coals were significantly lower than those of the laboratory-oxidized and fresh coals, due primarily to the oxidation of pyrite in the crop coals. Changes in the organic structure of the coals upon natural weathering and laboratory oxidation, as shown by diffuse reflectance and 13 C n.m.r. spectroscopy, were similar in nature but different in magnitude. One structural difference between the laboratory-oxidized and naturally weathered coals was the formation of ester groups in the former, whereas acid functional groups were the predominant species formed in the latter. Important structural differences in the inorganic phases between the fresh and crop coals were due to oxidation of pyrite, leaching of calcite, and incorporation of some ion-exchangeable metal cations such as calcium in the crop coals. No such differences were observed in the composition of the ash from the fresh and laboratory-oxidized coals.
Wave-induced sediment transport and onshore sandbar migration

The 25-m onshore migration of a nearshore sandbar observed over a 5-day period near Duck, NC, is simulated with a simplified, computationally efficient, wave-resolving single-phase model. The modeled sediment transport is assumed to occur close to the seabed and to be in phase with the bottom stress. Neglected intergranular stresses and fluid–granular interactions, likely important in concentrated flow, are compensated for with an elevated (relative to that appropriate for a clear fluid) model roughness height that gives the best fit to the observed bar migration. Model results suggest that when mean-current-induced transport is small, wave-induced transport leads to the observed onshore bar migration. Based on the results from the simplified phase-resolving model, a wave-averaged, energetics-type model (e.g., only moments of the near-bottom velocity field are required) with different friction factors for oscillatory and mean flows is developed that also predicts the observed bar migration. Although the assumptions underlying the models differ, the similarity of model results precludes determination of the dominant mechanisms of sediment transport during onshore bar migration.
Ocular Flora and Their Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in the Midwest: A Prospective Study of Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery

Purpose To determine the spectrum of conjunctival flora and the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of patients undergoing cataract surgery at a Midwestern university. Design Prospective in vitro laboratory investigation of a patient cohort. Methods Conjunctival cultures were obtained from patients undergoing cataract surgery at a single ambulatory center on the day of surgery before the instillation of any ophthalmic medications. Isolates and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were identified using standard microbiological techniques. Results A total of 183 eyes were cultured, yielding 225 isolates. Twenty-seven eyes (14.8%) showed no growth. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the most commonly isolated organisms (74.8%). Overall susceptibility was highest for gentamicin (94%), which was also true of the CNS isolates (95.0%). A total of 64.5% of CNS isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin; 30.1% of CNS isolates were resistant to ≥3 classes of antibiotics; 46.6% of CNS isolates were oxacillin-resistant, and they were more resistant to antibiotics than their oxacillin-sensitive counterparts ( P P Conclusions Our cohort harbored organisms with similar rates of antibiotic resistance as elsewhere in the country, including oxacillin resistance; however, the rate of fluoroquinolone resistance was less than in other reports. A surprisingly large proportion of different CNS strains from the same eye harbored different antibiotic susceptibility profiles. Our in vitro results, along with those of other investigators, should prompt further dialogue regarding antibiotic of choice for perioperative surgical prophylaxis in ophthalmic surgery.
The Maryville meteorite - A 1983 fall of an L6 chondrite

The Maryville chondrite fell on January 28, 1983 in eastern Tennessee. Compositions of olivine (Fa 24.5), orthopyroxene (Fs 20.8), plagioclase (An 10.6), along with the bulk composition and siderophile concentrations, indicate L-group classification. The presence of highly equilibrated minerals, strongly recrystallized matrix, and the development of large, clear plagioclase grains suggest petrologic type 6 classification. Subsequent to metamorphism the meteorite was subjected to high transient pressures that converted some feldspar to glass, deformed the silicates, and caused small amounts of melting to occur. The effects of this shock event correspond to shock facies 'd' or 'e'.
A synthetic approach towards neplanocin A: Preparation of the optically active cyclopentene moiety from D-ribose

Abstract D (−)-ribose has been converted to the chiral 2-cyclopenten-1-one derivative 13 which has the correct stereochemistry and appropriate functionalities for the construction of neplanocin A.