cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A quantitative description of the intestinal epithelium of the mouse.

The use of combined cell kinetic, tritiated thymidine labeling and liquid scintillation counting techniques has permitted quantification of several intestinal epithelial cell parameters. Wet weight and/or whole intestinal values for the following were obtained in C57B1/6 mice. Crypts/mg wet weight of intestine numbered 855 in the duodenum (D), 892 in the jejunum (J) and 1164 in the ileum (I). Crypts were subdivided into proliferative cells with the following values being obtained: 1.6 × 105/mg (D), 1.6 × 105 (J) and 1.7 × 105 (I), and for nonproliferative cells, 1.1 × 105/mg (D), 1.1 × 105 (J) and 1.2 × 105 (I). A cell cycle analysis permitted the proliferative cells to be further subdivided, and the numbers of cells in G1, S, and G2 + M were determined. Division of the total number of proliferative cells by the mean cell generation time provided a value of 1.4 × 107 cells/hour for the cell production rate in the entire intestine. Division of cell production rate/mg by crypts/mg gave values for cell production rate/crypt of 15.2 cells/crypt/hour (D), 14.6 (J) and 11.2 (I). Epithelial cells per villus (J) numbered 3025, and there were 3.1 × 105 villous epithelial cell per milligram of jejunum. Division gave a value of 102 villi/mg (J). Dividing crypts/mg by villi/mg gave a value of 8.7 crypts/villus (J). Mean cell transit time from crypt to villus apex was 43.1 hours (D), 41.8 hours (J) and 42.6 hours (I).
TRACE HYDROGENATION OF BUTTEROIL AT LOW TEMPERATURES

SUMMARY— The present investigation describes a process of selective trace hydrogenation of butteroil at low temperatures using palladium catalyst. Butteroil was selectively trace hydrogenated at low temperatures, in some instances in a semisolid state. The hydrogenated product had a remarkable flavor stability and without appreciable increase in trans-isomers and melting point. The hydrogenated butteroil also retained most of its desirable flavor and color.
Effective exchange rates for exports in Pakistan

Summary Effective exchange rates for exports in Pakistan can be calculated which take into account the major export incentive measures in operation and their divergent treatment of specific exports. This quantification of export policies into an overall measure of the implicit (effective) foreign exchange rate structure permits an evaluation of the impact of export promotion measures on foreign exchange earning capacity. The major export incentive schemes were found to provide the highes’ subsidies to those exports with the highest total import components and the lowest relative earnings of net foreign exchange. Thus de velopment policy in some cases failed adequately to encourage these producers with relatively higher levels of domestic value‐added to export their products.
Maternal serum markers, characteristics and morbidly adherent placenta in women with previa.

Maternal serum markers, characteristics and morbidly adherent placenta in women with previa
Postnatal ACTH and corticosterone: Effects on reproduction in mice

At birth, male and female mice were selected at random and injected subcutaneously with either 1 IU ACTH/0.05 ml saline, 0.5 IU ACTH/0.05 ml saline, 300 micrograms corticosterone acetate/0.05 steroid suspending vehicle or 0.05 ml saline vehicle alone on Postpartum Days 1 through 3. ACTH (0.5 IU) significantly lengthened the estrus cycle of female progeny and reduced the weights of litters born to them. Corticosterone significantly reduced the proportion of females inseminated as well as the proportion giving birth. Corticosterone also reduced one parameter of sexual receptivity. Both ACTH (1 IU) and corticosterone significantly increased some masculine copulatory behaviors in male offspring in adulthood. Thus neonatal administration of glucocorticoids and ACTH may disrupt normal development of reproductive functioning in male and female mice.
International innovations in home care

The six countries included in this overview are engaged in an active process of developing responsive home care programs. They are experimenting with new approaches in administration, coordination, client assessments, personnel training, methods of service delivery and personnel practices. Although the results of these experiments may not be always transferable to other countries, many particular innovations should be examined for the sake of dissemination and adaptation.
The activation of Factor IX by tissue factor-Factor VII in a bovine plasma system lacking Factor X.

The activation of Factor IX by tissue factor-Factor VII has been studied in a bovine plasma system under conditions that minimize the activation of Factor VII. The plasma was defibrinated, then passed twice through a column of anti-Factor X coupled to Sepharose in order to lower the Factor X level below its limit of assay (ca. 5 ng/ml), and once through an anti-Factor IX column to remove Factor IX. Varying levels of tritium-labelled Factor IX were then added back to the plasma, permitting measurement of its activation upon the addition of tissue factor and Ca2+. Despite the absence of significant levels of Factor X in the system, the course of Factor IX activation was initially characterized by some upward curvature, which suggested activation of the plasma Factor VII during the incubation. In order to obtain linear activation of Factor IX three proteolytic inhibitors were added to the system: 1) a Factor Xa inhibitor, 1,2-bis-(5-amidinobenzimidazole)-ethane, 2) aprotinin, and 3) heparin. Under these conditions the apparent Km of non-activated Factor VII (+ tissue factor) on Factor IX was 17.3 +/- 2.5 nM (SE), and the maximum velocity was 0.12 nM/min. In parallel experiments the plasma Factor VII was activated by first treating the plasma with Factor Xa for 30 seconds before the addition of inhibitors and the final addition of substrate. Under these conditions the maximum velocity rose to 4.2 nM/min, and the Km increased to 53.3 +/- 6.0 nM (SE). This change in the Km is highly significant (P < 0.002), and indicates that the activation of Factor IX by nonactivated plasma Factor VII cannot be due only to traces of Factor VIIa in the plasma. At least in part, activation of Factor IX in the presence of tissue factor is suggested to be a result of the action of Factor VII itself.
Democratic African Socialism: An Account of African Communal Philosophy

We have thought it necessary to write this paper in order to define the basis of the concepts and philosophy of democratic African socialism. It has been necessary because of the prevailing misinterpretation and suspicion of this philosophy as seen in the eyes of many people outside the continent of Africa, who, as we conjecture, have held the view that the philosophy is but a blueprint of communist ideology transplanted into the continent of Africa. We are aware of this view because time and again many people outside Africa, and we mean those of the western hemisphere, have been heard calling it “socialism in Africa,” which to us in Africa would indicate a mere transfer of the same from one hemisphere to that of Africa. We dismiss this terminology as completely untrue because in fact “socialism in Africa” and African socialism are two different concepts. The former is nothing more than a borrowed philosophy whilst the latter means that which is itself indigenous carrying with it the African heritage with, of course, some modification to march with the world's transition. However, we do accept the fact that our views are not conclusive as we do not officially represent any one government in Africa, but notwithstanding, this is almost the same view we have heard many African leaders such as Jomo Kenyatta express in various circles. Therefore, the explanations expressed here are designed to dispel suspicion and misinterpretation. The expression “democratic African socialism” is actually meant to convey the African roots of a system that is itself African in its characteristics. In other words, “African socialism” is a term describing an African political, economic, and social system that is positively African (see Markowitz 1967). Precisely, the whole system is based on African traditions.
A Herd of Cats, but No Talking Dogs

For biologists wanting to see their cells, Methods in Cellular Imaging is just the right resource. Edidin and McCaffery point out the strengths and weaknesses of the book. With coverage of both the classic technologies and emerging techniques, the book serves as a useful reference tool and resource for novices as well as experts.
Comparison of 5766 Vertebral Compression Fractures Treated With or Without Kyphoplasty

Background The majority of the 700,000 osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) that occur annually in the United States affect women. The total treatment costs exceed $17 billion and approximate the total costs of breast cancer ($13 billion) and heart disease ($19 billion). Balloon-assisted percutaneous vertebral augmentation with bone cement (kyphoplasty) reportedly reduces VCF-related pain and accelerates return of independent functional mobility. Kyphoplasty may decrease overall cost of VCF treatment costs by reducing use of posttreatment medical resources.
Internal and environmental effects on folding and dimerization of the Alzheimer's β amyloid peptide

Amyloid deposits are a hallmark of many diseases. In the case of Alzheimer's disease a turn between 21Ala and 30Ala, stabilized by a salt bridge between 22Glu/23Asp and 28Lys, may nucleate folding and aggregation of the Aβ peptide. In the present paper we test this hypothesis by studying how salt bridge and turn formation vary with intrinsic and environmental changes, and how these changes effect folding and aggregation of the Aβ peptide.
Coral and macroalgal exudates vary in neutral sugar composition and differentially enrich reef bacterioplankton lineages

Coral and macroalgal exudates vary in neutral sugar composition and differentially enrich reef bacterioplankton lineages
A quadratic lower bound for the permanent and determinant problem over any characteristic ≠ 2

In Valiant's theory of arithmetic complexity, the classes VP and VNP are analogs of P and NP. A fundamental problem concerning these classes is the Permanent and Determinant Problem: Given a field F of characteristic ≠2, and an integer n, what is the minimum m such that the permanent of an n x n matrix X=(xij) can be expressed as a determinant of an m x m matrix, where the entries of the determinant matrix are affine linear functions of xij's, and the equality is in F [X]. Mignon and Ressayre (2004) [11] proved a quadratic lower bound m=Ω(n2) for fields of characteristic 0. We extend the Mignon-Ressayre quadratic lower bound to all fields of characteristic ≠2.
Variable fitness costs for pyrethroid resistance alleles in the house fly, Musca domestica, in the absence of insecticide pressure

Resistance to pyrethroids is caused by mutations in the voltage-sensitive sodium channel (Vssc) and enhanced metabolic detoxification by CYP6D1 in the house fly, Musca domestica. We investigated if there was a fitness cost associated with resistance alleles by performing a competition study with multiple Vssc and CYP6D1 alleles under laboratory conditions in the absence of insecticides. The kdr1 haplotype is significantly favored over the kdr2, super-kdr and susceptible v3 haplotypes. The initial frequencies of kdr2, super-kdr and v3 declined and remained low through the course of the experiment. The v5 and v6 haplotypes did not change from their initial frequency and were considered to be neutral. Genotypes containing either kdr2 or v3 became increasingly rare despite being the most frequent genotypes at the initiation of the experiment. Heterozygotes containing kdr1 and kdr1/kdr1 homozygotes accounted for the majority of genotypes after the F1. The susceptible v5 and v6 haplotypes were mostly found as heterozygotes with kdr1, and any combination of v5 and v6 did not exceed 5% at any generation. This suggests that kdr1 carries a fitness advantage and kdr2, super-kdr and v3 are at a fitness disadvantage under the environmental conditions of this experiment. The frequency of the resistant CYP6D1v1 allele increased over the course of the experiment, but did not deviate significantly from HWE. Thus, there is no fitness cost for the CYP6D1v1 allele under these conditions. These results are compared to previous research on field collected populations, and the impact of the fitness advantage of an insecticide resistance allele on insecticide resistance evolution and management is discussed.
13.56 MHz polymer rectifier by printing processes

Printed electronics have attracted increasing attentions in recent years due to its flexible format, easy process and potentially low cost features. Achieving good performance organic Schottky diode as the key component of a rectifier for printed RFID applications became a critical task. The electrical performances of an organic Schottky diode electrical can be improved by inserting an intermediate layer between the semiconductor and electrode surfaces. This interface plays an important role in improving rectification ratio and lifetime of a polymer diode. In this work, a 13.56MHz rectifier based on a polymer Schottky diode will be demonstrated and a wireless energy transmission built on flexible substrates will be proposed.
The advantages of the 30-cm flexible sigmoidoscope over the 60-cm flexible sigmoidoscope.

To determine the optimal length of the flexible fiberoptic sigmoidoscope we performed a randomized, blinded comparison study of the standard 60-cm instrument with a prototype 30-cm instrument with identical design features. Ninety-six male patients referred for symptom evaluation underwent examination with both instruments in random order by different examiners; positive examinations were followed by colonoscopy or surgery. Performance of the 30-cm sigmoidoscope compared with the 60-cm instrument revealed that the former was significantly more likely to yield a complete examination (74 vs. 32 examinations, p
Prolonged changes in plasma concentrations of catecholamine metabolites following a single infusion of an MPTP analog

The magnitude and duration of effects of a single intravenous injection of 4'-amino MPTP, an analogue of the dopamine neurotoxin, MPTP, on plasma levels of catechols and normetanephrine were examined in conscious dogs. Plasma samples were collected prior to treatment with intravenous saline or 4'-amino MPTP.2HCl (22.5 mg/kg) and at weekly intervals for six weeks following treatment. Saline treatment had no effect on plasma levels of any of the measured compounds. Following 4'-amino MPTP, plasma DHPG fell to 14% of the pre-injection value and remained decreased for the full 6-week test period, with partial recovery by week 6 to 42% of the pre-injection value. Plasma DOPAC levels fell to 28% of pre-injection values 1 week after treatment with 4'-amino MPTP and showed no evidence of recovery during the 6-week test period. Plasma DOPA fell to 58% of the pre-injection level, while concentrations of the catecholamines NE, EPI, and DA were generally unaffected. The plasma concentration of the O-methylated NE metabolite, normetanephrine, was also unchanged by 4'-amino MPTP treatment. There were no differences in the concentrations of DA, NE or EPI within the adrenal medulla between saline and 4'-amino MPTP treated groups. This pattern of changes in plasma levels of catechols, which is consistent with presynaptic inhibition of MAO within sympathetic terminals, may be a useful indicator of exposure to MPTP-like neurotoxins.
The reaction of uranium oxides with dinitrogen pentoxide

UO/sub 3/ reacts with N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ (liquid) containing N/sub 2/O/sub 4/ to give a mixture of UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ (?) N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ and UO/ sub 2/(NO/sub 3//sub 2/ (?) 2 NO/sub 2/. This reaction is erratic; many times only a partial conversion of the oxide is attained. A procedure for preparing NO/ sub 2/free N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ by the oxidation of NO/sub 2/ by ozone is described; this procedure is more satisfactory than the dehydration of HNO/sub 3/ by P/sub 2/ O/sub 5/(?) CCl/sub 4/ as a solvent for the UO/sub 3/-N/sub 2/O i system apparently yields mixtures of UO/sub 3/-UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ and UO/ sub 3/ - UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ (?) N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ and/or UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/; s imilarly, 100% HNO/sub 3/ as solvent reacts completely with UO/sub 3/ to yield mixtures of UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ (?) N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ and UO/ sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ (?) 2H NO/sub 3/. The mole excess of N/sub 2/O/sub 5/ used does not affect the product obtained as in the preparation of Th(NO/sub 3/) / sub 4/ (?) 2N/sub 2/O/sub 5/. UO/sub 3/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ (?)xN/sub 2/O/sub 5/, where x = 0.99 to 1.09,more » may be prepared by the reaction of UO/sub 3/ with solid N/ sub 2/O/sub 5/, provided that the particle size of the oxide is small (pass 325 mesh) and the mixture is vigorously stirred. UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3//sub 2/ (?) N/ sub 2/O/sub 5/ may be thermally decomposed to UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/, and its thermal stability is less than that of UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)i (?) 2NO/sub 2/. (auth)« less
Coming into Focus: The Treatment of African-Americans in Post Civil War United States History Survey Texts.

During the past two decades, the coverage of African Americans in United States history survey texts has improved in both quantity and quality. Yet our analysis of fourteen textbooks reveals that a significant portion of the African-American historical experience remains beyond the boundaries of these texts., Although ample coverage is given to African Americans from 1865 to 1877 and from 1954 to 1970 (the first and second Reconstruction periods), they receive far less attention in discussions of the periods from 1877 to 1954 and from 1970 to the present. Textbooks also inadequately discuss black community building; color, gender, and class differentiation within the African-American community; the centrality of AfricanAmerican nationalism; the significance of radical thought and action; and the continuity of the Black freedom movement. (The term Black freedom movement en-
Chemisorption and decomposition reactions of oxygen-containing organic molecules on clean Pd surfaces studied by UV photoemission

Abstract We have used uv photoeinission (primarily at a photon energy hv = 40.8 eV) to study chemisorption and decomposition reactions of small oxygen-containing organic molecules on clean polycrystalline Pd surfaces at 120 and 300 K. These molecules include methanol (CH 3 OH), dimethyl ether (CH 3 OCH 3 ) formaldehyde (H 2 CO), acetaldehyde [H(CH 3 )CO], and acetone [(CH 3 ) 2 CO]. Chemisorption bonding of these molecules to the Pd surface occurs primarily through the lone-pair orbitais associated with the oxygen atoms, as evidenced by chemical bonding shifts of these orbitais toward larger electron binding energy relative to the other adsorbate valence orbitals. At 300 K all the molecules studied decompose on the surface, resulting in chemisorbed CO. Since chemisorbed (as well as condensed) phases of some of these molecules (CH 3 OH and H(CH 3 )CO) are observed at low temperature, the decomposition to CO is a thermally-activated reaction. The observed orbital shifts associated with chemisorption bonding are used to make rough estimates of interaction strengths and chemisorption bond energies (within the framework of Mulliken's theory of electron donor-acceptor complexes as applied to chemisorption by Grimley). The resulting heats of chemisorption are consistent with the observed surface reactions.
Diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of glioma Five new things

As the profession of neurology becomes increasingly subspecialized, it becomes more and more difficult for general neurologists to feel comfortable with every category of disease. At no time is this felt more keenly than when an imaging procedure has been performed on a patient for a seizure, headache, or focal neurologic complaint and a brain tumor is discovered. In contrast to consulting with a patient with a movement disorder or neuromuscular disease, there is no time to craft the discussion and discuss a differential diagnosis. As with demyelinating disease or stroke, the scan result dictates an immediate conversation with the patient, but in contrast to those disorders this takes place from the perspective of a provider who understands that the eventual outcome for the patient is likely to be guarded. How to give that message with tact, candor, and some optimism could be the sole topic of this article but, instead, we focus on 5 new ideas that are changing the management of brain tumor patients in the hopes that these points might prove useful during those times. In his pioneering work “Death Foretold,” Dr. Nicholas Christakis1 says “prognosis gives diagnosis its affective component, striking fear in patients and physicians alike.” There has traditionally been a lot of therapeutic nihilism about the treatment of glioblastoma, but that is now changing. Previously believed to be one homogeneous group of tumors based on clinicopathologic and histologic assessments, we are now finding that subgroups exist within these tumors that one day may allow us to better predict which chemotherapy option is best for each individual patient. In addition, this begins to explain how some of our patients with glioblastoma multiforme have lived 10 years when others die of their disease in 2–3 months. The cell of origin of the glioblastoma has never …
Neuropeptide-Y Neurons Projectioning to the Medial Septum-Diagonal Band Do Not Have Access to Fenestrated Capillaries in the Rat Brain

Abstract The aims of this study were to (1) determine the localization of neuropeptide-Y (NPY)-containing perikarya which project to the medial septum-diagonal band (MSDB), a brain region rich in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) producing perikarya, and (2) determine if NPY neurons have access to fenestrated capillaries as well. Fluorescent retrograde tracing after microinjection of fluororuby (FR) into the MSDB, and peripheral injection of fluorogold (FG), was used in combination with immunofluorescence for NPY. Injection of FR into the MSDB resulted in retrograde labeling of neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) and brainstem nor-adrenergic cell groups A1 and A2, as well as other regions. The largest populations of NPY neurons were located in the ventromedial ARC and several of these perikarya contained FR indicating that they project to the MSDB. Defined cell groups in the areas A1 and A2 of the brainstem also contained large numbers of NPY neuron perikarya, and several of these contained FR. In addition, we observed isolated incidences of FR-labeled NPY perikarya in the amygdala and hippocampus. A small population of NPY neurons in the ARC contained FG, indicating that they are in contact with fenestrated capillaries and hence are neuroendocrine cells; however, none of these neurons contained FR. We suggest that NPY neurons in the ARC modulate GnRH function via innervation of the MSDB and LH release via release into fenestrated capillaries of the hypophysial-portal system.
INHALATION ADMINISTRATION OF ALL-TRANS-RETINOIC ACID FOR TREATMENT OF ELASTASE-INDUCED PULMONARY EMPHYSEMA IN FISCHER 344 RATS

A past study demonstrated that all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) treatment by intraperitoneal injection in a rat model of elastase-induced emphysema caused tissue regeneration as evidenced by a decrease in alveolar size and lung volume and an increase in alveolar number. We postulated that treatment with this retinoid by nose-only inhalation exposure would be a more efficient means of targeting damaged lung tissue. Emphysema was induced in male Fischer 344 rats by intratracheal instillation of pancreatic elastase (0.5 IU/g body weight). Four weeks after elastase instillation, animals were treated once daily, 4 days/week, for 3 weeks by exposing them nose-only to aerosolized ATRA (target concentration-time of 3000 or 15,000 mg-min/m3) or by injecting them intraperitoneally with ATRA in cottonseed oil (0.5 or 2.5 mg/kg). Based on estimates of particle deposition in the respiratory tract, inhalation doses were chosen to be consistent with injected doses. Lungs were fixed by inflation with formalin (constant pressure for 6 hours followed by >48 hours of immersion) and were embedded in paraffin. Sections were evaluated by histopathology and stereology. Inhalation exposure to ATRA at both aerosol concentrations caused significant elevations of ATRA in the lung, whereas only the high-dose injection treatment was associated with an elevation of lung ATRA. The mean ATRA concentration from lungs of rats in the high-dose inhalation exposure groups as measured by liquid chromatography--mass spectrometry was approximately 12-fold greater than that of high-dose injection-treated rats. Elastase instillation caused increased lung volumes, irregular alveolar air space enlargement, and fragmentation and attenuation of alveolar septa. Neither inhaled nor injected ATRA reduced the enlarged lung volumes associated with this emphysema model. Stereology demonstrated that alveolar air space enlargement in ATRA-treated rats was similar to that in sham-treated emphysematous animals. Thus, while inhalation treatment caused greater levels of the drug in lung tissue in comparison to that of injection-treated animals, treatment with ATRA by either route of administration did not cause a reversal of lung tissue damage in this model of elastase-induced emphysema.
Design Transaction Management

A design transaction is a sequence of operations mapping a consistent version of an object into a new version. We describe a mechanism, based on version checkout and change files, that supports controlled sharing and is resilient to crashes in a network of workstations and database servers.
Size-dependent spectroscopy and photodynamics of some II-VI semiconductor nanocrystallites (quantum dots)

The relaxation dynamics of photoexcited CdSe nanocrystallites (quantum dots) are dominated by the surface. Surface electronic properties of CdSe nanocrystallites have been probed using low temperature fluorescence line narrowing and time resolved luminescence. We find that the surface structure creates a random potential for the hole with a size dependent barrier for site to site hopping.
A Prospective Cohort Study of Rectal Cancer Risk in Relation to Active Cigarette Smoking and Passive Smoke Exposure

Purpose The present investigation prospectively examined active cigarette smoking and household passive smoke exposure and the risk of developing rectal cancer. Methods Cigarette smoking data were collected on all household members during two private censuses in Washington County, Maryland. These two cohorts were followed up, one cohort from 1963–1978 and the other from 1975–1994 for first-time diagnoses of rectal cancer. We identified 148 and 169 rectal cancer cases in the 1963 and 1975 cohorts, respectively. Relative risks were estimated by means of Poisson regression models. Results In men, the adjusted relative risks (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between current smoking and rectal cancer were 3.1 (1.2–7.8) in the 1963 cohort and 1.8 (0.9–3.7) in the 1975 cohort; the corresponding aRRs in women were 0.9 (0.5–1.8) and 1.6 (0.9–3.8) in the 1963 and 1975 cohorts, respectively. In nonsmokers, household passive smoke exposure was strongly associated with rectal cancer among men in the 1963 cohort (aRR = 5.8; 1.8–18.4) but not the 1975 cohort (aRR = 1.1; 0.2–5.0). In women, household passive exposure was not strongly associated with rectal cancer in either cohort. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that active cigarette smoking may contribute to rectal cancer risk, but inconsistencies in the findings preclude drawing strong, clear-cut inferences.
English-Major Community College Presidents: A Narrative Inquiry

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to discover how six community college presidents who were undergraduate English majors construct the stories of their academic and professional journeys. Findings were synthesized using three themes—boundaries, connections, and transformations—as an interpretative framework. The selected presidents crossed boundaries, made connections to ideas and people, and transformed their thoughts and actions as found in the descriptions of their academic and professional experiences. Data analyses determined that the content and context the presidents’ stories uncovered relationships between their experiences, their beliefs about higher education’s purpose, and their understanding of the community college mission.
Contrast in Aberrant MicroRNA Expression in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Is MicroRNA-146 All We Need?

In the current issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, the article by Tang et al (1) describes their initial experiments comparing RNA samples from isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls by microRNA (miRNA) profiling of 156 miRNA species. The majority of data presented follow up on the finding that microRNA-146 (miR-146) was underexpressed in SLE. The apparent interest in miR-146 is partly because it is a known negative regulator of the type I interferon (IFN) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) signaling pathway. Thus, underexpression of miR-146 clearly may contribute to the disease activity of SLE because the elevated IFN is believed to correlate with disease activity. Since IFN plays a critical role in the development of lupus in animal models and since the development of lupus in non–rheumatic disease patients following treatment with IFN has been reported, miR-146 may also contribute to the development of disease. The miRNA are ~22-nucleotide noncoding RNA molecules that function in the posttranscriptional regulation of ~30% of messenger RNAs (mRNA) by binding to their 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR), thus targeting them for degradation or translational repression. Currently, miRNA are known to regulate cellular processes such as apoptosis, differentiation, cell cycle, and immune functions. To date, the miRNA sequence database lists over 800 predicted miRNA.
A mid-Caradocian (453 Ma) drawdown in atmospheric pCO2 without ice sheet development?

Abstract Previous workers have recognized a positive δ 13 C excursion during the mid-Caradocian in Laurentian and Baltic platform carbonates. This study documents the mid-Caradocian Guttenberg excursion (GICE) in the Kullsberg Limestone in central Sweden. Significantly, we observed increases in both δ 13 C and δ 18 O unlike most previous studies of GICE which only observed increased δ 13 C marine values. Brachiopods from the lower Kullsberg Limestone reflect pre-excursion conditions having more negative δ 13 C (0–1‰) and δ 18 O (− 4‰ to − 6‰) values compared with least-altered marine cement from the upper Kullsberg Limestone, which have more positive δ 13 C (2.1–3.6‰) and δ 18 O (− 1.8‰ to − 3.6‰) values. Least-altered marine cements from the Kullsberg Limestone include: columnar calcite, first-generation equant calcite, and translucent fibrous calcite (from earliest to latest in timing of formation). Kullsberg seawater during the δ 13 C excursion event likely decreased in temperature by up to 15 °C with an approximate ≈1‰ increase in δ 18 O H 2 O attributable to increased salinity during the mid-Caradocian. The results of this study are consistent with multiple independent approaches to characterize the composition of the Ordovician atmosphere/hydrosphere systems. Specifically, results of this study are consistent with formation of abiotic calcite at moderately low paleotemperatures during the GICE excursion of 10–17 °C and Ordovician atmospheric pCO 2 values of
Improved tropospheric ozone profile retrievals using OMI and TES radiances

[1] We perform a study for characterizing the vertical resolution of tropospheric ozone profile retrievals from the combination of simulated ultraviolet (UV) and thermal infrared (TIR) observations that are representative of the EOS Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES). Under the low thermal contrast conditions used for this simulation, we find that estimating ozone profiles by combining UV and TIR radiances results in a factor of two or more improvement in the ability to resolve boundary layer ozone, as compared with either instrument alone. In addition, there is a substantial improvement in the vertical resolution of ozone in the free troposphere (between 20% and 60%) as compared to the TES vertical resolution. This study points towards the importance of combining multiple spectral regions for dramatically improving the sounding of tropospheric trace gases.
Towards systematic functional characterization of cancer genomes

Whole-genome approaches to identify genetic and epigenetic alterations in cancer genomes have begun to provide new insights into the range of molecular events that occurs in human tumours. Although in some cases this knowledge immediately illuminates a path towards diagnostic or therapeutic implementation, the bewildering lists of mutations in each tumour make it clear that systematic functional approaches are also necessary to obtain a comprehensive molecular understanding of cancer. Here we review the current range of methods, assays and approaches for genome-scale interrogation of gene function in cancer. We also discuss the integration of functional-genomics approaches with the outputs from cancer genome sequencing efforts.
Relation of Age With Symptom Severity and Quality of Life in Patients With Fibromyalgia

Abstract Objective To examine the relation of age with symptom severity and quality of life (QOL) in patients with fibromyalgia, and to compare physical and mental health of our female patients with those of the US female general population. Patients and Methods We studied 978 patients with fibromyalgia from May 1, 2001 through April 30, 2004, and divided them into age groups of young (≤39 years), middle-aged (40-59 years), and older (≥60 years). They completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the Short Form-36 Health Status Questionnaire (SF-36). Standardized SF-36 physical and mental health summary scores were compared with those of the US female general population of similar age. One-way analysis of variance and post hoc paired t test analyses were performed to detect differences across age groups. Results Pairwise comparison found young and middle-aged patients having worse fibromyalgia symptoms in all subscales except the anxiety subscale compared with older patients ( P ≤.01). Similarly, these young and middle-aged patients had worse QOL in the SF-36 mental component summary, as well as SF-36 general health perceptions, vitality, social functioning, and mental health index, compared with older patients (all P Conclusion Our study shows that symptom severity and QOL differ across age groups in patients with fibromyalgia, with young and middle-aged patients having poorer QOL and worse fibromyalgia symptoms than do older patients. QOL in physical health was reduced more than in mental health, particularly in young patients, compared with the general population.
Further Remarks on Stochastic Damage Evolution of Brittle Solids Under Dynamic Tensile Loading

This article illuminates some general features and provides elementary interpretations of the deformation, damage, and failure of brittle solids characterized by very low fracture energy. The dynamic response of these materials is determined to a large extent by stochastic and random factors. The investigation emphasis is on the moderate-to-extremely high rate range (10 s-1, 1 × 109 s-1), explored under practically identical in-plane stress conditions. The statistical approach is based on repeated particle dynamics simulations for different physical realizations of micromechanical disorder of a 2D brittle discrete system. The proposed strategy is computationally intensive, which necessitates simplicity of the laws governing the interparticular interaction. Based on the simulation results, an expression is proposed to model the mean tensile strength dependence on the strain rate. The linearity of the rate dependence of the stress-peak macroscopic response parameters is observed and discussed.
Tissue-induced ultrasonic wavefront distortion

A quantitative description of wavefront distortion due to tissue inhomogeneities is desirable in order to assist in the development of aberration correction procedures for medical ultrasound imaging. A through-transmission in vitro measurement procedure was used to estimate the ultrasonic wavefront distortions of five different tissue types: bovine liver, porcine liver, bovine skin and bovine muscle for two different orientations (sound direction parallel and perpendicular to fiber orientation). Water and Dow Corning 710 were used for distortionless references. Known thickness tissue samples were vacuum packed in a thin plastic bag at the time of acquisition and were measured in a 20/spl deg/C degassed water tank. Each sample was positioned perpendicular to the beam axis, immediately adjacent to a PVDF membrane hydrophone which was positioned in the 3 MHz circular transducer's focal region to receive the ultrasonic signals that propagated through the tissue sample. For each tissue sample, a total of 625 individual waveforms (25/spl times/25 rectangular grid in 1 mm steps) were collected. Three classes of calculations were performed to evaluate tissue inhomogeneities: correlation coefficient between two waveforms, arrival time shift between two waveforms, and the insertion loss for each waveform relative to water. Each was evaluated as a function of two waveform spatial location configurations. One was typical of phased array imaging (linear distance along each data row) and the other was based in eight waveform separation distances through the sample (1 to 5.66 mm). Results show that waveform distortion increased as a function of spatial location separation for the tissue samples and was significantly greater for the tissue samples compared to the reference materials.
Programming with exceptions in JCilk

JCilk extends the serial subset of the Java language by importing the fork-join primitives spawn and sync from the Cilk multithreaded language, thereby providing call-return semantics for multithreaded subcomputations. In addition, JCilk transparently integrates Java's exception handling with multithreading by extending the semantics of Java's try and catch constructs, but without adding new keywords. This extension is "faithful" in that it obeys Java's ordinary serial semantics when executed on a single processor. When executed in parallel, however, an exception thrown by a JCilk computation causes its sibling computations to abort, which yields a clean semantics in which the enclosing cilk try block need only handle a single exception.The exception semantics of JCilk allows programs with speculative computations to be programmed easily. Speculation is essential in order to parallelize programs such as branch-and-bound or heuristic search. We show how JCilk's linguistic mechanisms can be used to program the "queens" puzzle and a parallel alpha-beta search. We have implemented JCilk's semantic model in a prototype compiler and runtime system, called JCilk-I. The compiler implements continuations in a novel fashion by introducing goto statements into Java. The JCilk-I runtime system shadows the dynamic hierarchy of cilk try blocks using a "try tree", allowing the system to chase down side computations that must be aborted. Performance studies indicate that JCilk's exception mechanism incurs minimal overhead, contributing at most a few percent on top of the cost for a spawn/return.
In vitro model of intestinal crypt abscess. A novel neutrophil-derived secretagogue activity.

Abstract In order to model crypt abscesses, a histological finding which correlates with disease activity in intestinal inflammation, human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were layered onto monolayers of the human intestinal epithelial cell line T84, a crypt-like epithelium which is capable of Cl- secretion. Such PMN-epithelial interaction had no substantial effect on monolayer integrity or function. However, when PMN were stimulated by conditions including those present naturally in the human colonic lumen, monolayers responded with a bumetanide-sensitive short circuit current (Isc) indicative of Cl- secretion, the basis of secretory diarrhea. This Isc response was induced by a neutrophil-derived secretagogue (NDS), which was only active when applied to the luminal surface of monolayers and did not require PMN-epithelial contact. NDS activity is resistant to boiling, acid, and trypsin and passes a 500 nominal mol wt cutoff filter. NDS activity is not secondary to the respiratory burst products O2- or H2O2 and does not appear to be a myeloperoxidase product. We speculate NDS elicited Cl- secretion may contribute to the secretory diarrhea seen in patients with intestinal inflammation and crypt abscesses.
A cost/benefit model for dynamic resource sharing

The use of multicomputer clusters composed of cheap workstations connected by high-speed networks is common in modern high-performance computing. However, operating system research in such environments has lagged. Our research aims at enhancing the functionality of the operating system by providing management functions that allow dynamic resource sharing and performance prediction in a clustered environment supporting distributed shared memory and multi-threading. Central to this approach is the development of a parametric cost model that can predict the performance ramifications of policy choices and allow applications and middleware to adapt to the computing environment and achieve better performance.
Net-Centric Communication and Control for a Heterogeneous Unmanned Aircraft System

This paper presents a net-centric communication, command, and control architecture for a heterogeneous unmanned aircraft system comprised of small and miniature unmanned aircraft. An integrated system was developed using a bottom-up design approach to reflect and enhance the interplay between networked communication and autonomous aircraft coordination. The advantages of the approach are demonstrated through a description of the unmanned system that resulted from using this design process. First, the hardware system is described, including both small and miniature unmanned aircraft along with their respective avionics systems. Second, a network architecture is described that seamlessly combines the miniature aircraft's IEEE 802.15.4 components with IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) components on the small aircraft. Integration of intravehicle communication and service discovery is also described. Third, a hierarchical control architecture is presented that uses the network architecture to coordinate the small and miniature aircraft at several layers in the control hierarchy. Hardware in the loop demonstrations are performed to validate the capabilities of the heterogeneous unmanned aircraft system.
A Relative Cost Framework of Demand for External Assurance of XBRL Filings

ABSTRACT: There has been much discussion in the academic literature and in the XBRL community on the role of audit firms in providing assurance services for XBRL filings, especially now that the use of XBRL has been mandated in the United States. This paper presents the development of a framework of the demand for external assurance of XBRL filings predicated on two relative cost arguments. First, that in the absence of a mandate for XBRL filings to be assured by an external auditor, a manager will compare the cost of obtaining external assurance against the cost of obtaining confidence on the filings internally. Second, managers will be reluctant to pay more for external assurance on an XBRL filing than they paid to prepare it. The former is called the external cost relative to internal cost comparison, and the latter the external cost relative to preparation cost comparison. Based on our relative cost framework, it is predicted that there will only be a role for externally provided assurance of XBRL fil...
Plasminogen Activator and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor in Human Preovulatory Follicular Fluid

To evaluate the roles of plasminogen activator (PA) and PA inhibitor (PAI) in human ovulation, we obtained follicular fluid and granulosa cells from individual preovulatory follicles of patients undergoing gamete intrafallopian tube transfer. The follicular fluid samples (n = 25) were analyzed for total tissue-type PA antigen, PA enzyme activity by fibrin autography, PAI activity, PAI type 1 (PAI-1) antigen, and PAI-1 mRNA. The follicular fluid of preovulatory follicles contained low levels of total tissue-type PA antigen (<1 ng/mL). Fibrin autography experiments indicated little or no detectable PA activity associated with free or unbound PA. The results of the PAI activity assay and PAI-1 antigen determination support the concept of a relative abundance of PAI compared with PA. Hybridization analysis was used to measure the relative amounts of granulosa cell PAI-1 mRNA. The levels of PAI-1 mRNA correlate with follicular fluid PAI concentrations in individual follicles. Taken together, these results supp...
An inducible 70 kDa-class heat shock protein is constitutively expressed during early development and diapause in the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus

The annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus inhabits ephemeral ponds in regions of northern South America, where they survive the periodic drying of their habitat as diapausing embryos. These diapausing embryos are highly resistant to a number of environmental insults such as high temperature, dehydration, anoxia, and increased salinity. Molecular chaperones are known to play a role in stabilizing protein structure and function during events of cellular stress. Relative levels of heat shock protein (Hsp)70 were measured in developing and diapausing embryos of A. limnaeus using quantitative Western blots. An inducible or embryo-specific form of Hsp70 is expressed during embryonic development in A. limnaeus and is elevated during diapause II in this species. Constitutive expression of Hsp70 during development may afford these embryos protection from environmental stresses during development more quickly than relying on the induction of a classic heat shock response.
Intersensor Collaboration in Distributed Quantization Networks

Several key results in distributed source coding offer the intuition that little improvement in compression can be gained from intersensor communication when the information is coded in long blocks. However, when sensors are restricted to code their observations in small blocks (e.g., one) or desire fidelity of a computation applied to source realizations, intelligent collaboration between sensors can greatly reduce distortion. For networks where sensors are allowed to "chat" using a side channel that is unobservable at the fusion center, we provide asymptotically-exact characterization of distortion performance and optimal quantizer design in the high-resolution (low-distortion) regime using a framework called distributed functional scalar quantization (DFSQ). The key result is that chatting can dramatically improve performance even when intersensor communication is at very low rate. We also solve the rate allocation problem when communication links have heterogeneous costs and provide a detailed example to demonstrate the theoretical and practical gains from chatting. This example for maximum computation gives insight on the gap between chatting and distributed networks, and how to optimize the intersensor communication.
All-Polyethylene Tibial Components in Obese Patients Are Associated With Low Failure at Midterm Followup

Background In the United States, the obese population has increased markedly over the last four decades, and this trend continues. High patient weight places additional stress on TKA components, which may lead to increased polyethylene wear, osteolysis, radiolucencies, and clinical failure. Metal-backed tibial components and all-polyethylene tibial components in the general population have comparable osteolysis and failure, but it is unclear whether these components yield similar osteolysis and failure in obese patients.