cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ileum ultrastructure and function in diapause European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis☆

Abstract Large doses of ammonium acetate (500 μg) were injected into the haemocoel of diapause European corn borer larvae, and the ultrastructure of the ileal epithelium was studied at intervals of from 15 min to 48 hr after treatment. The resulting visible effects included the presence of numerous large granules, many cytoplasmic vacuoles, dilated sacs at the base of microvilli, mitochondria with large vacuoles and thick membranes, proliferation of both microvilli and basal infoldings, numerous dense plaques on the cytoplasmic surfaces of microvillar membranes, proliferation of vesicles of agranular endoplasmic reticulum within microvilli, increased numbers of microtubules, and a very large amount of flocculent material in the cytoplasm near the basal cell membranes and in the spaces between the basal infoldings. Within 48 hr after treatment, the cells appeared to be approximately similar to those of untreated insects. It seemed evident that the ammonium acetate greatly stimulated cellular activity. Ileal cells of borers that had been deprived of water for about 2 weeks usually displayed only weak autofluorescence, which correlated with the finding of few small granules and membranous whorls in the cytoplasm. Rod-shaped mitochondria were present in the cytoplasmic regions of the cells and at the bases of the microvilli. There were but few vesicles, microtubules, plaques of dense material, and little flocculent substance. Small cytoplasmic vacuoles were present, and both microvilli and basal infoldings were shortened and reduced. These findings suggested that partial dehydration was accompanied by a reduction of cell activity. Partially dehydrated insects that were given large amounts of water through the anus showed distinct signs of increased activity in the ileum. Granules and whorls of membranes appeared to form rapidly and to be transported through the cell. Large dilated sacs formed at the bases of the microvilli. The microtubule population increased; apparently normal mitochondria could be seen in both cytoplasm and within the microvilli, even to their apices; microvilli and basal infoldings nearly doubled in length; and vesicles and microvillar plaques were again conspicuous. A marker protein, horseradish peroxidase, was administered to diapause borers through the anus into the rectum and ileum. Shortly after treatment, the protein was seen adhering to the intima and to the tips of the microvilli. It was later visible in vesicles and in distinct layers surrounding the microtubules. These results suggest that horseradish peroxidase was taken up at or near the tips of the microvilli, transported through the cells along the microtubules, and was either eventually metabolized by the cells themselves or was secreted into the haemolymph via the basal infoldings.
Impulsivity and suicidality: The mediating role of painful and provocative experiences

Abstract Background Multiple studies have reported a link between high levels of impulsivity and suicidal behavior. Joiner's (2005) explanation for this link is that impulsive individuals have a greater tendency to experience painful and provocative events that habituate them to fear and pain, which leads to an acquired capability for engaging in suicidal behavior. Methods Study 1 tested Joiner's (2005) hypothesis in a sample of 182 undergraduate students who completed self-report questionnaires on impulsivity, frequency of painful and provocative events, and acquired capability for suicide. In addition to self-report, pain tolerance (an aspect of acquired capability for suicide) was measured with a pressure algometer. Study 2 sought to replicate our findings from Study 1 in a sample of 516 clinical outpatients using a multi-faceted measure of impulsivity. Results Consistent with prediction, product of coefficients tests for mediation (MacKinnon et al., 2002) revealed that impulsivity has an indirect relationship with acquired capability for suicidal behavior, and that this relationship is mediated by painful and provocative events. Limitations Data from our studies are cross-sectional in nature, which does not allow for conclusions about the temporal ordering of our variables. In addition, self-report was used to measure most variables. Future research may benefit from a longitudinal design and the inclusion of other modes of assessment (e.g., behavioral measures of impulsivity). Conclusions Our findings suggest that the link between impulsivity and suicidal behavior occurs because impulsive people tend to have a greater capability for suicidal behavior, which they have acquired through experiencing painful and provocative events.
Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Patients With High Risk Testicular Cancer

Purpose: In patients with testicular cancer the percent of embryonal carcinoma and lymphovascular invasion in the primary tumor have been identified as risk factors for occult metastatic disease. We reviewed differences between primary and post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in patients at high risk.Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection at our institution from 1993 to 2006 were identified and the clinical charts were reviewed. A total of 247 patients with orchiectomy specimens containing greater than 30% embryonal carcinoma were identified and perioperative data were obtained.Results: Of 247 patients 133 (53%) had greater than 30% embryonal carcinoma, including 76 (57%) with combined lymphovascular invasion. Median followup was 3.49 years. Of the patients 76 (57%) and 57 (43%) underwent primary and post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, respectively, of whom most received bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin. Positive lymph ...
Energy transfer between photosystem II and photosystem I in chloroplasts.

A model for the photochemical apparatus of photosynthesis is presented which accounts for the fluorescence properties of Photosystem II and Photosystem I as well as energy transfer between the two photosystems. The model was tested by measuring at −196 °C fluorescence induction curves at 690 and 730 nm in the absence and presence of 5 mM MgCl2 which presumably changes the distribution of excitation energy between the two photosystems. The equations describing the fluorescence properties involve terms for the distribution of absorbed quanta, α, being the fraction distributed to Photosystem I, and β, the fraction to Photosystem II, and a term for the rate constant for energy transfer from Photosystem II to Photosystem I,kT(II→I). The data, analyzed within the context of the model, permit a direct comparison of α andkT(II→I) in the absence (−) and presence (+) of Mg2+:α/−α+= 1.2andk/−T(II→I)k+T(II→I)= 1.9. If the criterion thatα + β = 1 is applied absolute values can be calculated: in the presence of Mg2+,a+ = 0.27 and the yield of energy transfer,φ+T(II→I) varied from 0.065 when the Photosystem II reaction centers were all open to 0.23 when they were closed. In the absence of Mg2+,α− = 0.32 andφT(II→I) varied from 0.12 to 0.28. The data were also analyzed assuming that two types of energy transfer could be distinguished; a transfer from the light-harvseting chlorophyll of Photosystem II to Photosystem I,kT(II→I), and a transfer from the reaction centers of Photosystem II to Photosystem I,kt(II→I). In that caseα/−α+= 1.3,k/−T(II→I)k+T(II→I)= 1.3 andk/−t(II→I)k+(tII→I)= 3.0. It was concluded, however, that both of these types of energy transfer are different manifestations of a single energy transfer process.
Fault Control of Subsidence, Houston, Texasa

Land subsidence increases the area in the Texas Coastal Zone which will be inundated by marine waters from hurricane flooding. Storm surge from a Carla-sized hurricane in 1976 would flood at least 25 square miles (65 km2) more land than Hurricane Carla did in 1961. Land subsidence in Harris and Galveston Counties results primarily from ground-water production. The two-county area is interlaced with active surface faults with topographic escarpments and surface faults with no topographic escarpments that control drainage patterns and create subtle photographic linear patterns. Ground-water production activates these faults by differential compaction of the aquifer. The faults appear to be partial hydrologic barriers that compartmentalize land subsidence into several individual basins.
Vacuum of the quantum Yang-Mills theory and magnetostatics☆

Abstract It is argued that since in asymptotically free Yang-Mills theories the quantum ground state is not controlled by perturbation theory, there is no a priori reason to believe that individual orbits corresponding to minima of the classical action dominate the Euclidean functional integral. To examine and classify the vacua of the quantum gauge theory, we propose an effective action in which the gauge field coupling constant g is replaced by the effective coupling g (t), t = ln [ F μν a ) 2 μ 4 ] . The vacua of this model correspond to paramagnetism and perfect paramagnetism, for which the gauge field is Fμνa = 0, and ferromagnetism, for which (Fμνa)2 = λ2, i.e. spontaneous magnetization of the vacuum occurs. We show that there are no instanton solutions to the quantum effective action. The equations for a point classical source of color spin are solved, and we show that the field infrared energy becomes linearly divergent in the limit of spontaneous magnetization. This implies bag formation, and an electric Meissner effect confining the bag contents.
Reconstitution and engineering of apoptotic protein interactions on the bacterial cell surface.

The interactions between pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 class of proteins control whether a cell lives or dies, and the study of these protein–protein interactions has been an area of intense research. In this report, we describe a new tool for the study and engineering of apoptotic protein interactions that is based on the flow cytometric detection of these interactions on the surface of Escherichia coli. After validation of the assay with the well-studied interaction between the Bak(72–87) peptide and the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL, the effect of both increasing and decreasing Bak peptide length on Bcl-xL binding was investigated. Previous work demonstrated that the Bak(72–87) peptide also binds to the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, albeit with lower binding affinity compared to Bcl-xL. Here, we demonstrate that a slightly longer Bak peptide corresponding to amino acids 72–89 of Bak binds Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 equally well. Approximate binding affinity calculations on these peptide–protein complexes confirm the experimental observations. The flow cytometric assay was also used to screen a saturation mutagenesis library of Bak(72–87) variants for improved affinity to Bcl-xL. The best variants obtained from this library exhibit an apparent Kd to Bcl-xL 4-fold lower than that of wild-type Bak(72–87).
Radiation windows as indicators of an astronomical influence on the Devil's Hole chronology

Orbitalexplanationsofpaleoclimaticrecordstraditionallyfocusondailyinsolationat ;60&N. We exemplify how insolation at different latitudes and different times of day can explain the timing of the Devil’s Hole d 18 O record. We combine winter tropical noontime insolation (associated with the source-region for wintertime precipitation) and summer extra-tropicalnoontimeinsolation(producingnoontimeheattowarmterrestrialsurfaces). Periodsoflowwinterandhighsummerinsolationarecalled“radiationwindows”andyield drier-warmer conditions in the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes. When radiation windows are compared with the DH-11 record, the apparent contradiction with Milankovitch (Winogradetal.,1992)mayberesolved.Themiddle-latitudecontinentalclimatesignal,as recordedbyDH-11,tendstowardacoolingstateuntilinterruptedbyatermination.Inevery instance where the DH-11 record is warming before a radiation window, a termination occurs. If radiation windows occur with antecedent cooling, then there is a complex response of warming with a variable lag effect. Yet, there are no cases where cooling follows a radiation window.
Tradeoffs for Achieving a Sense & Avoid Capability for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The Sense & Avoid (S&A) function for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) involves interactions between functions distributed among the aircraft, ground and communications. Certain tradeoffs among these subsystems could have significant impact on cost, size, weight and power. Several of these are described, together with the process now underway to develop community standards expected to assist with certification and operational approvals.
Channel waveguides in thin film BaTiO/sub 3/ for a low voltage TE/TM converter

Summary from only given. To fabricate a planar waveguide, singly charged helium ions are implanted at energy of 700 keV. The sample is tilted 5/spl deg/ to avoid channeling. Channel waveguides have been formed by etching the implanted planar waveguide with diluted HF. Guided modes are observed in CCD. For precision design of the TE/TM mode converter, the mode shape of such a waveguide is simulated by beam propagation method.
A tale of two social networking sites: How the use of Facebook and Renren influences Chinese consumers' attitudes toward product packages with different cultural symbols

Chinese individuals in the U.S. use Facebook and Renren for cultural learning purposes.Chinese individuals' use of Facebook reflects their orientation toward American cultures.Chinese individuals' use of Renren reflects their orientation toward Chinese cultures.The use of Facebook and Renren is associated with people's language proficiency.The use of Renren affects people's evaluations of product packages with cultural symbols. Culture influences people's information processing and attitude formation. This study examined the effects of using social networking sites from a cultural perspective, based on the culture learning model in the acculturation literature. A total of 251 Chinese individuals residing in the U.S. participated in the experiment. They were randomly assigned to one of four product package conditions with different cultural symbols (either American cultural symbols or Chinese cultural symbols, or both, or neither). Their usage intensity of two social networking sites, U.S.-based Facebook and China-based Renren ("the Facebook of China"), was measured. It was found that participants' usage intensity of Facebook and Renren reflected their cultural orientation, language proficiency, and length of stay in the U.S. It was also discovered that more intensive Renren usage led to more favorable attitudes toward packages carrying Chinese cultural symbols. However, participants' willingness to pay for the products with different packages was not affected by their usage intensity of social networking sites, due to the country-of-origin effect.
Effects of exercise on soleus in severe burn and muscle disuse atrophy

Abstract Background Muscle loss is a sequela of severe burn and critical illness with bed rest contributing significantly to atrophy. We hypothesize that exercise will mitigate muscle loss after burn with bed rest. Materials and methods Male rats were assigned to sham ambulatory (S/A), burn ambulatory (B/A), sham hindlimb unloading (S/H), or burn hindlimb unloading (B/H). Rats received a 40% scald burn or sham and were ambulatory or placed in hindlimb unloading, a model of bed rest. Half from each group performed twice daily resistance climbing. Hindlimb isometric forces were measured on day 14. Results Soleus mass and muscle function were not affected by burn alone. Mass was significantly lower in hindlimb unloading (79 versus 139 mg, P versus 115 mg, P versus 77 mg, P versus 31 g, P versus 148 g, P versus 22 N/cm 2 , P versus 8 g, P versus 7 N/cm 2 , P versus hindlimb (69%, P = 0.03) and no exercise (73%, P = 0.002). Conclusions Hindlimb unloading is a significant factor in muscle atrophy. Exercise increased the soleus muscle mass, twitch, and specific force in this model. However, the fatigue index decreased with exercise in all groups. This suggests exercise contributes to functional muscle change in this model of disuse and critical illness.
Pattern reconfiguration in swarms-convergence of a distributed asynchronous and bounded iterative algorithm

Swarms are physical realizations of self-organizing distributed robotic systems (DRS). This paper provides a rigorous analysis of swarm behavior and introduces a new methodology for using swarms to solve DRS pattern reconfiguration problems. The authors introduce the linear swarm model and show that it is an iterative method for asynchronously solving linear systems of equations under physically relevant constraints. The main result of the paper is a proof of a sufficient condition for the asynchronous convergence of a linear swarm to a synchronously achievable configuration. This is important since a large class of DRS self-organizing tasks can be mapped into reconfigurations of patterns in swarms.
Sound Policy Trumps Politics: States Should Expand Medicaid

By virtue of the Supreme Court's decision on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states may reject the law's expansion of Medicaid without losing all Medicaid funding from the federal government. The Court's ruling potentially permits a range of Medicaid options for states, including some that may be very attractive from state officials' political perspectives. In the context of the presidential campaign, the uncompensated care problem, and their concerns about costs of expansion, state officials are weighing their options, and some have already pledged to opt out of expansion. We argue that despite the politics, expansion is in fact good for patients, providers, and taxpayers, and states should therefore comply.
An Analysis of Prepaging

Prepaging is advocated as a technique to reduce the excessive page traffic due to the changes in the phases of execution of a program. Common prepaging techniques are surveyed. It is advocated that the phase transition behavior cannot be adequately predicted based either on the spatial contiguity or on the observation of the past behavior. Prepaging advice generated by the programmer or the compiler is presented as a technique for the prediction of the phase transition behavior. To simplify the generation of the prepaging advice, the processes of the extraction of the phase transition behavior and the scheduling of the page transfers are decoupled. This, in turn, dictates the need for controlled prepaging, which is discussed next. A performance comparison of a sequential prepaging scheme and a user-aided prepaging scheme is carried out. The relative space-time product is presented as a measure of the effectiveness of a prepaging scheme. The effect of prepaging on system throughput is studied using a cyclic queuing model.
Pre- and post-fertilization maternal provisioning in livebearing fish species and their hybrids (Poeciliidae: Poeciliopsis)

Summary 1. Viviparous organisms vary greatly in their level of post-fertilization maternal provisioning and extensive provisioning (including very complex placentas) has evolved dozens of times in vertebrates. Through the use of species representing transitional states we aim to explore and develop empirically supported hypotheses that explain how such a complex trait has evolved. 2. In this study, we investigated the life histories and patterns of post-fertilization maternal provisioning in naturally occurring, all-female, hybrids between Poeciliopsis monacha , a viviparous species that produces large eggs and nourishes its embryos via stored yolk (lecithotrophy) and P. lucida , which produces small eggs and nourishes its embryos after fertilization via a follicular placenta (matrotrophy). Hybrids can be diploid or triploid, leading to different levels of gene dosage from the parental species. 3. We found that the extent of superfetation and average brood size of the hybrids did not differ significantly from their sexual parental species even though the latter was much lower in the hybrids. Moreover, the allodiploid, P. monacha-lucida , has intermediate sized eggs, whereas the allotriploid, P. monacha-monacha-lucida , produces eggs of similar size to those of P. monacha . The degree of post-fertilization maternal provisioning was unrelated to genomic dosages, with wild-caught hybrids being lecithotrophic, as seen in the maternal species ( P. monacha ). 4. Our results with naturally occurring P. monacha-lucida hybrids differed from those obtained with laboratory-synthesized hybrid clones, which were either lecithotrophic or weakly matrotrophic. Consequently, we propose two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses to explain why lecithotrophic clones might be favoured in the wild. One hypothesis suggests that lecithotrophic hybrids minimize competition with the matrotrophic paternal sexual species from which they require sperm to reproduce. Alternatively, we propose that natural selection has eliminated matrotrophic hybrids that suffer from intergenomic conflict in the degree of post-fertilization maternal provisioning. 5. We have thus identified an empirical system and developed testable hypotheses that will help elucidate the selective pressures that caused the evolution of post-fertilization maternal provisioning and potentially provide an opportunity to explore how epigenetic factors (e.g., intergenomic conflict) might influence this complex trait.
Design optimization of L-C filters

L-C filters are commonly used to reduce the output ripple of DC power supplies. They can be a significant factor in the size, weight or cost of equipment. When high values of attenuation are required, several series L-C sections may be used. The question arises for a given performance in terms of attenuation: what should the number of sections be and what relation should they have to each other such that the over-all size, weight or cost is optimum? The energy storage in the inductor, L, and capacitor, C, in an L-C section can be related to the attenuation performance characteristics. It is also possible to relate the size, weight or cost of the L and C component to the energy storage and thereby obtain the size, weight or cost of a given section in terms of the attenuation. The attenuation of a given section is determined in relation to the break frequency of the section. An equation for the total size, weight, or cost of a section can be expressed in terms of the break frequency and the respective specific size, weight or cost of the component L and C. This equation can be used to determine the optimum relation between L and C to achieve minimum size, weight or cost. Similarly it is possible to mathematically express the size, weight or cost of a series of L-C sections when given the required total attenuation at a given frequency. Using this equation it is possible to determine analytically the optimum number of sections and the optimum relation between the sections. Curves, tables and equations are given to aid in optimizing a design using size, weight or cost as the basis criterion.
Learning with Whom to Share in Multi-task Feature Learning

In multi-task learning (MTL), multiple tasks are learnt jointly. A major assumption for this paradigm is that all those tasks are indeed related so that the joint training is appropriate and beneficial. In this paper, we study the problem of multi-task learning of shared feature representations among tasks, while simultaneously determining "with whom" each task should share. We formulate the problem as a mixed integer programming and provide an alternating minimization technique to solve the optimization problem of jointly identifying grouping structures and parameters. The algorithm mono-tonically decreases the objective function and converges to a local optimum. Compared to the standard MTL paradigm where all tasks are in a single group, our algorithm improves its performance with statistical significance for three out of the four datasets we have studied. We also demonstrate its advantage over other task grouping techniques investigated in literature.
Carbothermal Reduction of Silica

Silicon carbide, silicon nitride or silicon monoxide may be produced by carbothermal reduction of silica depending on conditions. The mechanism for the reduction of silica involves a chain reaction, gas-solid scheme. Both silica and carbon surfaces are involved. An explanation for the role of iron as a catalyst is given.
Harvest-related edge effects on prey availability and foraging of hooded warblers in a bottomland hardwood forest

Abstract The effects of harvest-created canopy gaps in bottomland hardwood forests on arthropod abundance and, hence, the foraging ecology of birds are poorly understood. I predicted that arthropod abundance would be high near edges of group-selection harvest gaps and lower in the surrounding forest, and that male Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina) foraging near gaps would find more prey per unit time than those foraging in the surrounding forest. In fact, arthropod abundance was greater >100 m from a gap edge than at 0–30 m or 30–100 m from an edge, due to their abundance on switchcane (Arundinaria gigantea); arthropods did not differ in abundance among distances from gaps on oaks (Quercus spp.) or red maple (Acer rubrum). Similarly, Hooded Warbler foraging attack rates were not higher near gap edges: when foraging for fledglings, attack rate did not differ among distances from gaps, but when foraging for themselves, attack rates actually were lower 0–30 m from gap edges than 30–100 m or >100 m from a ga...
Microsoft and the Tax Reform Act of 1986

Students analyze an employer and an employee's preferences for nonqualified stock options versus incentive stock options. The employer is Microsoft because it issued large amounts of incentive stock options prior to its initial public offering (IPO), which occurred shortly before the Tax Reform Act of 1986 dramatically changed tax rates.
Specific Heat of Four Rare-Earth Compounds Between 0.4° and 5°K

We have measured the specific heat of lanthanum and holmium ethylsulfate (LaES and HoES) and of lutetium and gadolinium iron garnet (LuIG and GdIG) by means of a cryostat using liquid 3He or 4He. The sample, in the form of single crystals or a sintered block, is attached to a support which is made up of a quartz frame and thin copper strips in order to have a low specific heat. This support can be brought in contact with the helium refrigerator by means of a heat switch. Two carbon resistors are used: a Speer 450-Ω resistor covers the region from 0.35° to 0.9 °K, and a 40-Ω (math)W Allen-Bradley is used at higher temperatures. The resistor operating below 0.9°K is calibrated by means of the vapor pressure of liquid 3He and the susceptibility of three single crystals of cerium magnesium nitrate which obeys Curie’s law in this temperature region. The samples are cooled from room temperature entirely by means of the heat switch and without any helium exchange gas. This is to prevent adsorption of the gas on the specimen, in particular on the sintered samples, which have been found to be porous.
Abstract 140: Effect of Transendocardial Autologous Cardiac Stem Cells and Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Reduce Infarct Size and Restore Cardiac Function in a Heart Failure Swine Model

Background: A cell combination of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and c-kit+ cardiac stem cells (CSCs) improves left ventricular (LV) performance to a greater degree than MSCs alone in post myocardial infarction swine. To advance the development of cell combination therapy, we administered autologous swine cells, and tested the hypothesis that transendocardial autologous CSCs/MSCs produces greater improvement of performance than MSCs in a rigorous model of heart failure due to post infarct LV remodeling. Methods: Gottingen mini-swine (n=28) underwent LAD coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion, and allowed to undergo LV remodeling for 90 days. Autologous MSCs were amplified from bone marrow and CSCs from right ventricular biopsies in each swine, and injections of either CSC/MSC combo (1M/200M, n=7), MSCs (200M, n=7), or placebo (Plasmalyte, n=6) were injected to the infarct-border zone via the NOGA system. Cardiac MRI and pressure volume loops were obtained before and after therapy. Results: Both cell groups had substantially reduced scar size (Combo –37.2.9± 5.4% vs MSCs –38.8±7.5% vs placebo −7.2±6.3, P=0.0001) and increased viable tissue (Combo +30.9±7% vs MSCs +41.8±10.5% vs placebo +7.7±4.5, P<0.0001) relative to placebo. Ejection Fraction (EF) improved only in the Combo group (Combo +7.0±2.8 vs MSCs +3.4±1.3 vs placebo +1.2±1.6 EF units, P=0.04). Accompanying this EF restoration was a substantial improvement in the Combo group in stroke volume (Combo +47.2±11.1% vs MSCs +32.6±12.0% vs placebo +10.8±4.5, P<0.0001), cardiac output (Combo +35.9±7.6% vs MSCs 41.9±26.5% vs placebo −16.4±6.6%, P=0.01) and diastolic strain rate (Combo +18.9±8.6% vs MSCs 14.0±8.8% vs placebo −14.9±9.5%, P=0.03). Conclusions: Combination cell therapy and MSCs alone dramatically reduce scar size in a swine model of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy. In contrast, combination therapy has much greater impact on functional recovery, increasing EF to [near normal] levels. These findings illustrate that interactions between ckit+ CSCs and MSCs result in substantial enhancement in cardiac performance, establish the safety of autologous cell combination strategies, and support the development of an advanced second generation cell therapeutic product.
Effect of a Novel Antifolate, Nα-(4-Amino-4-Deoxypteroyl)-Nδ-Hemiphthaloyl-L-Ornithbsfe (PT523), On Growth of H35 Rat Hepatoma and HEPG2 Human Hepatoma Cells

Structural modifications of folic acid have generated various derivatives that act at different target sites. Well-known examples include the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor methotrexate (MTX),1–3 the thymidylate synthase inhibitor 2-desamino-2-methyl-N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid,4,5 and the glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase inhibitor 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid.6,7 More recently, folate analogues containing ornithine in place of glutamate have been synthesized as inhibitors of folylpolyglutamate synthetase.8,9 These ornithine-containing analogues showed weaker activity than the corresponding glutamate-containing analogues on cell growth presumably because of inefficient transport across the cell membrane.9,10 In contrast, a novel derivative of an ornithine-containing antifolate, Nα-(4-amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-Nδ-hemiphthaloyl-Lornithine (PT523), exhibits potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity.11
A framework for developing a domain specific business intelligence maturity model

A framework was developed for creating a domain specific BI maturity model.A case study of the framework was instantiated within a healthcare organization.The framework confirmed the need for a healthcare specific BI maturity model.The framework can be replicated for BI maturity models for any complex domain. The implementation of electronic health records has resulted in a rapid accumulation of data. Healthcare organizations can use business intelligence (BI) technologies to leverage the data and improve operational and clinical efficiency. Approaches to understanding BI readiness are needed for organizations to develop an overall BI strategy. While there are a number of BI maturity models, they are often generic and do not meet the industry specific requirements. This research proposes a framework for developing a domain specific BI maturity model. The research further demonstrates the efficacy of the framework by applying it to the development of a BI maturity model in healthcare. The results indicate that the framework is able to address the needs of a domain specific BI maturity model, and guide the development of such model that proved acceptable to expert practitioners in the field.
Exogenous growth hormone stimulates somatotropic axis function and growth in neonatal pigs

We studied the effects of exogenous porcine growth hormone (pGH) administration on circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentration, IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP), tissue growth, and p...
Novel Processing of Structural Epoxy for Shielding and Structural Applications

In this study we investigate the shielding effectiveness of a structural epoxy against high energy protons. To study the influence of material texture on its radiation shielding effectiveness we induced orientations in the epoxy using a high magnetic field of 15 T, and exposed it to proton beams of energy 6 MeV-15 MeV. The micro structures of the samples were characterized using ESEM microscopy. The effect of the radiation on the mechanical properties of the samples was measured using nanoindentation tests. The findings of this study can lead to an optimal processing path for multifunctional epoxy that can be utilized as structural and shielding component in future space missions.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The Role of Certain Organic Sulfur Compounds as Preventive Antioxidants. II. Activity as Peroxide Decomposers and Effect of Bases

Abstract The results of this study of the activity of certain organic sulfur compounds as peroxide decomposers provides considerable insight to the mechanisms by which they function as preventive antioxidants. First, it is clearly evident that sulfides, disulfides, and their initial oxidation products are not the actual preventive antioxidants but rather the source from which the active materials are obtained. Thus, the sulfoxides and thiolsulfinates, formed in the initial reactions of sulfides and disulfides with hydroperoxides, serve as sources of sulfenic acid and thiosulfoxylic acid, which, together with their reaction products, are the real peroxide decomposers. It has also been demonstrated that sulfenic acid is the most effective peroxide decomposer, and that the acidic product of the initial reaction with hydroperoxide is also an effective peroxide decomposer. This product and the thiosulfoxylic acid from thiolsulfinate react with hydroperoxide by a catalytic mechanism which destroys many moles of...
A Proof of the Corner Conditions in the Calculus of Variations

(1936). A Proof of the Corner Conditions in the Calculus of Variations. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 68-70.
Amino Acid Supplementation of Turkey Breeder Rations

Abstract Beltsville Small White turkey hens (60) were randomized into four groups of 15 hens each, weighed and placed in individual laying cages. Immediately after lighting to initiate production, they were placed on a practical type turkey breeder diet calculated to contain 18.26% protein, 2893 Cal. M.E./kg., 3.13% Ca, 0.80% available P, 1.04% arginine, 0.86% lysine, 0.50% methionine & cystine and 0.24% tryptophane. Amino acids were added to this diet as follows: (1) none; (2) 0.1% lysine; (3) 0.05% methionine and (4) 0.1% lysine & 0.05% methionine. Lysine (0.1%) had no effect on reproductive performance when added to the basal ration or to the ration containing additional methionine. Methionine addition (0.05%) improved production significantly (P ≤ .005), improved feed efficiency, and increased egg size.
Challenges in recruitment to a randomized controlled study of cardiovascular disease reduction in sleep apnea: an analysis of alternative strategies.

Study objectives A challenge in conducting randomized controlled trials of sleep apnea is the timely recruitment of participants to active and control arms. This study assesses the costs and efficiencies of alternative recruitment methods. Design Analysis of recruitment data from the Best Apnea Intervention in Research planning study. Setting Sleep clinics and cardiology practices. Participants One hundred forty-eight individuals with an apnea-hypopnea index > 15 and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors randomized from a pool of more than 30,000 potentially eligible patients. Interventions Comparisons: (1) modes of recruitment: face-to-face (F2F) recruitment versus mail-based recruitment (MBR); (2) recruitment source (sleep versus cardiology clinics). Measurements and results Recruitment yield was defined as the ratio of the number of subjects randomized to the number of screened records. Recruitment costs were estimated based on staff time. Of the 148 randomized subjects, 25 were recruited from sleep clinics using F2F recruitment and 123 were recruited from cardiology using a F2F (n = 35) or MBR (n = 88) strategy. F2F recruitment yields were 0.17% and 0.30% for sleep versus cardiology sources, respectively (P = 0.04). A comparison of F2F to MBR showed recruitment yields of 1.11% and 0.90% and costs per randomized subject of $2,139 and $647, respectively. Conclusions Large resources may be needed to meet the recruitment goals of sleep apnea intervention trials. Recruitment source and mode influence efficiencies. For a trial comparing active versus sham continuous positive airway pressure in patients with CV risk factors, recruiting from cardiology was more efficient than from sleep clinics. MBR was three times less costly than F2F recruitment.
KLinux:Hybrid real-time open-source Linux operating system

The development of multimedia applications and high-speed networks has significantly increases the application requirements.Many applications not only have strict real-time requirements,but also require a wide variety of system services.However,Linux limits speeds when a wide range of applications are used.The performance of open-source Linux systems was analyzad to develop a hybrid realtime Linux operating system(KLinux).The kernel architecture design emphasizes hybrid real-time scheduling and fault handling.Tests show that these improvements effectively enhance the real-time capability of the Linux kernel.Task scheduling is increased by 253%,context switching by 177% and CPU speed by 255%.KLinux also allows real-time and non-real-time applications to coexist,so it can handle most applications.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in children:a report of 2 cases and literature review

Objective To improve recognition of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome(PRES) in children.Methods Two children with PRES admitted to children's hospital were included.Clinical data were retrospectively studied and related literatures were reviewed.Results The primary diseases of the two patients are systemic lupus erythematosus and nephritic syndrome,respectively.They all developed an acute onset of headache,visual changes,consciousness disturbance,hypertension and seizures.Cranial MRI showed bilateral parietal,temporal and occipital cortical or subcortical lesions with hypointensity on T1-weighted imaging and hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging.Clinical symptoms resolved soon and radiographic recovery occurred within 14 to 21 days with prompt anti-hypertension treatment and supportive care.Among the mechanisms which might contribute to the development of PRES,acute elevated blood pressure seems to be the most important factors in these two cases.Prompt anti-hypertension treatment usually can reverse the PRES lesion.Conclusions It is important to improve cognition of PRES in children.Delayed treatment can cause permanent neurological impairment.Doctors should be alert to this syndrome.Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are very important.
Triangular Torts and Fiduciary Duties

When a professional is negligent in providing services to her client or patient, third parties are sometimes harmed. “Triangular torts,” as we call them, are negligence claims brought against professionals by such third parties. One common example involves a father suing a therapist for inducing his daughter to have false memories of childhood abuse, thereby causing him emotional harm. Another involves a nephew suing a lawyer for incorrectly drafting his aunt’s will, thereby causing him financial loss. Despite the general decline of privity limits on negligence liability, courts frequently reject triangular tort claims, ruling that professionals do not owe duties of care to third parties. In this chapter, we explain when such rulings are warranted — and when they are not. The answer turns on whether the recognition of a duty of care to the third party is consistent with the professional’s fiduciary duty of loyalty to the client or patient.
Abstract B34: CD56+ immune cell infiltration is decreased in benign breast lobules with fibrocystic changes

Introduction: CD56+ lymphocytes (a defining marker of natural killer cells) have a predominantly cytotoxic phenotype and a hypothetical role in breast tumor immunosurveillance. Here we investigate whether CD56+ staining density varies in nonmalignant breast lobules according to confirmed breast cancer risk factors- age, and histologic features of fibrocystic change and lobular involution. Methods: Archived breast tissue samples were obtained from 94 women with benign breast disease (BBD). The sample set was selected as a nested case-control study (47 cases, 47 controls) from within a large BBD cohort; cases were those who developed breast cancer subsequent to their benign breast biopsy; controls were matched to cases on age at biopsy, year of biopsy, and length of breast cancer free follow-up at least as long as the time-to-cancer in the matched case. Up to 10 representative lobules in each sample were characterized by HE 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr B34.
Importance sampling applied to a robust signal detector

Tins paper considers recently developed theoretical, closed form re-sults which permit the detailed analysis of a popular robust signal detector for nominally Laplace i.i.d. noise. Although the the...
The Standard Deviational Ellipse; An Updated Tool for Spatial Description

(1971). The Standard Deviational Ellipse; An Updated Tool for Spatial Description. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography: Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 28-39.
STEADY-STATE MODEL OF OPTICAL BISTABILITY

This chapter describes the Bonifacio–Lugiato model of optical bistability. It describes nonlinear properties of a two-level atom subjected to a coherent field. From the boundary conditions of the light interacting with the etalon and from the saturation equations of a homogeneously broadened two-level system, an inequality that must be satisfied for bistability to occur is derived. A trade-off between cavity finesse and absorption is found. The Szoke et al. model of absorptive bistability is analytic. The model of purely dispersive bistability can be extended to include many more details such as standing-wave effects, nonlinear absorption, medium complexities such as many transitions on and off resonance, and inhomogeneous broadening. Hybrid Fabry–Perot resonator with electrical feedback to an intracavity electro-optic phase shifter is used to produce electrical instabilities or to stabilize the intensity of a light beam. In dispersive bistability, the Fabry–Perot peak is shifted relative to fixed absorber and laser frequencies. In increasing absorption bistability, the absorption is shifted relative to the fixed laser frequency. Multi-stability cannot occur for increasing absorption bistability, although kinks involve multiple spatial states. Increasing absorption optical bistability might also be called photodarkening bistability or self-induced darkness bistability or self-induced opaqueness bistability.
Perception of Psycho-Social School Environment, Personal Growth Initiative and Fear of Failure among EAMCET Aspirants

The objective of the present study is to investigate whether there is a relationship between perception of psycho-social school environment, personal growth initiative and fear of failure in intermediate students. The study also aimed to observe whether there are gender differences between students going to colleges (viz. with EAMCET coaching and without EAMCET coaching) in terms of psycho-social school environment, personal growth initiative and fear of failure in intermediate students. The School Environment Inventory (Misra, 1984), the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (Robitschek et al., 2012) and the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (Conroy et. al., 2002) were administered on 300 intermediate students (150 boys and 150 girls) selected through a non-probability purposive sampling technique to measure the perception of psycho-social school environment, personal growth initiative and fear of failure respectively. The results indicated significant gender differences between the students going to colleges with coaching and the students going to colleges without coaching with respect to perception of psycho-social school environment and personal growth initiative (p 0.05). Among students going to colleges with coaching negative correlations were observed between rejection, fear of experiencing shame and embarrassment and personal growth initiative, moreover in this group, creative stimulation, cognitive encouragement and permissiveness (p<0.05) were positively correlated with using resources and negatively correlated with fears of important others losing interest (p<0.05). Also personal growth initiative was positively correlated with fears of upsetting important others and cognitive encouragement (p<0.05) in students going to colleges without coaching. The present study reiterates that perception of school environment by students is of paramount importance in promoting or hindering the student’s personal growth initiative and subsequently their fear of failure.
Interactively Applying the Variational Method to the Dihydrogen Molecule: Exploring Bonding and Antibonding

In this work we are going to present how an interactive platform can be used as a powerful tool to allow students to better explore a foundational problem in quantum chemistry: the application of the variational method to the dihydrogen molecule using simple Gaussian trial functions. The theoretical approach for the hydrogen atom is quite straightforward, however, the level of complexity increases considerably for the dihydrogen molecule. Although, as shown in this work, it is possible to obtain an analytical expression for the dihydrogen molecule variational integral by “pen-and-paper”, this expression cannot be completely appreciated without the proper tools. In this work the “dry” analytical equations were implemented into an interactive platform that allows the students to visualize results (like probability densities and meaningful graphs), play with parameters, and thus gain a deeper understanding of the problem itself. Having an interactive environment is also important as a way of minimizing compl...
Real world utilization and impact of the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator in a community setting.

Abstract Introduction The wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) is used in patients at risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) but not immediate candidates for intracardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantation. Methods We performed a single center retrospective study of patients prescribed WCD upon hospital discharge from January 2002 to October 2015. Clinical characteristics were obtained from the hospital electronic database and device data from Zoll LifeVest database. Results Of 140 patients, 62% were men, 85.9% were African-American and mean age was 58.2 ± 15.5 years. Ischemic cardiomyopathy was present in 45 (32%) and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in 64 patients (46%). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) was 0.28 ± 0.4. WCD was worn for 7657 patient-days (21 patient-years), with each patient using WCD for median of 43 days (IQR: 7–83 days), and daily mean use 17.3 ± 7.5 h. There were a total of 6 (4.2%) WCD shocks of which 2 (1.4%) were appropriate (one for VT, one for VF) and 4 (2.8%) were inappropriate (2 had supraventricular tachycardia, 2 had artifact). Two patients who received appropriate shocks were African-American with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (EF Conclusions In a predominantly minority, community setting, WCD compliance is high and use is effective in aborting SCD. However, inappropriate shocks do occur. A significant proportion of patients did not ultimately require ICD implantation suggesting this may be a cost-effective strategy in patients at risk of SCD.