cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of cytochrome P450 2E1 in protein nitration and ubiquitin-mediated degradation during acetaminophen toxicity.

It is well established that following a toxic dose of acetaminophen (APAP), nitrotyrosine protein adducts (3-NT), a hallmark of peroxynitrite production, were colocalized with necrotic hepatic centrilobular regions where cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is highly expressed, suggesting that 3-NT formation may be essential in APAP-mediated toxicity. This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between CYP2E1 and nitration (3-NT formation) followed by ubiquitin-mediated degradation of proteins in wild-type and Cyp2e1-null mice exposed to APAP (200 and 400 mg/kg) for 4 and 24 h. Markedly increased centrilobular liver necrosis and 3-NT formation were only observed in APAP-exposed wild-type mice in a dose- and time-dependent manner, confirming an important role for CYP2E1 in APAP biotransformation and toxicity. However, the pattern of 3-NT protein adducts, not accompanied by concurrent activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), was similar to that of protein ubiquitination. Immunoblot analysis further revealed that immunoprecipitated nitrated proteins were ubiquitinated in APAP-exposed wild-type mice, confirming the fact that nitrated proteins are more susceptible than the native proteins for ubiquitin-dependent degradation, resulting in shorter half-lives. For instance, cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD1) levels were clearly decreased and immunoprecipitated SOD1 was nitrated and ubiquitinated, likely leading to its accelerated degradation in APAP-exposed wild-type mice. These data suggest that CYP2E1 appears to play a key role in 3-NT formation, protein degradation, and liver damage, which is independent of NOS, and that decreased levels of many proteins in the wild-type mice (compared with Cyp2e1-null mice) likely contribute to APAP-related toxicity.
Functional Autonomy of Land and Sea Orientation Systems in Sea Turtle Hatchlings

Sea turtle hatchlings emerge from underground nests on oceanic beaches and immediately confront two separate problems in orientation. First they must locate the ocean and crawl to it; then they must orient offshore while they swim out to sea in a migration lasting several days. Visual cues guide hatchlings from the nest to the sea (1, 2) but little is known about the cues used by turtles in the ocean. Nevertheless, the crawl across the beach has long been considered essential to swimming orientation because hatchlings released offshore without a crawl reportedly fail to orient seaward (3, 4). Here we report that hatchling leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles released offshore consistently swam toward approaching waves and oceanic swells. Wave tank experiments confirmed that swimming hatchlings oriented into waves. A crawl across the beach was not a prerequisite for wave orientation in either the field or lab, indicating that hatchling sea turtles possess two separate orientation systems, each based on different sensory cues and capable of functioning autonomously. The first guides hatchlings on land to the sea; the second, based on wave detection, functions during the ocean migration. In five field experiments with green turtles and five others with leatherbacks, we monitored the swimming orientation of hatchlings released at various distances offshore near Fort Pierce, Florida. A total of 45 green turtle and 48 leatherback hatchlings were tested. All experiments were conducted between July and September in 1988 and 1989. Hatchlings were obtained from nests deposited on beaches in the Fort Pierce area. Nests were checked daily
Elective transcervical superior mediastinal lymph node dissection for advanced laryngeal and level 4 N3 squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: To review our results with elective superior mediastinal lymph node dissections in patients with advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) and overt level 4 adenopathy. Study Design: Retrospective review. Methods: We searched operative case logs for all patients treated with an elective superior mediastinal dissection by the senior author (Y.D.) during a 7-year period. Charts were reviewed for demographic information, prior treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and pathologic results. Results: Fifty-six patients who underwent elective superior mediastinal lymph node dissection for advanced laryngeal SCCA and overt level 4 adenopathy were reviewed, and superior mediastinal disease was present in 15 of 56 (26.8%) patients. Superior mediastinal nodes were positive in 11 of 42 (26.2%) patients with advanced laryngeal SCCA and 4 of 14 (28.6%) patients with N3 SCCA involving level 4. Patients with SCCA receiving prior chemotherapy and radiotherapy had a significantly higher rate of positive superior mediastinal nodes (10/21 patients, 47.6%) compared with patients without prior therapy (5/35 patients, 14.3%, P = .01, Fisher's exact test). There were no stomal recurrences in 42 patients treated for advanced laryngeal cancer. Conclusions: Elective transcervical superior mediastinal dissection was positive in 26.8% of patients with advanced laryngeal cancer or N3 disease in level 4. A transcervical superior mediastinal dissection may be safely performed without a sternotomy.
TRPV4 mediates hypotonicity-induced ATP release by the thick ascending limb.

Extracellular ATP is an autocrine/paracrine factor that regulates renal function. Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) 4 is a cation channel that mediates release of autocrine/paracrine fa...
The Effect of Measurement of the Contralateral Hip if the Spine Is Not Included in the Bone Mineral Density Analysis

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine if measurement of the contralateral femora has an effect on osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment classification if the spine is not included in the bone mineral density (BMD) scan. The method used was the T-score discordance from the dual femur BMD scans of 537 women (mean age: 61.2 yr; standard deviation: 10.5; age range: 32–90 yr) who were evaluated to determine if inclusion of the contralateral hip in the BMD study made a difference in clinical diagnosis and treatment classification when the spine was not included in the BMD scan. Clinical diagnosis and treatment classification was based on the lowest T-score at each hip of three femur sites: the neck, the trochanter, and the total femur. The results of the diagnosis classification (i.e., normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis) differed in the right versus the left femora in 28% of subjects at one or more sites, and in 14%, 15%, and 10% of subjects at the neck, trochanter, and total femur, respectively. Diagnosis discordance increased in subjects who were aged 65 yr and older. Treatment classification (T≥−1.5; T
Text in 3D: some legibility results

3D user interfaces for productivity applications often display object labels or whole documents in arrangements where the text is rotated instead of screen aligned. Rotating a document sideways saves screen real estate while allowing inspection of the document's content. This paper reports on an initial reading speed study of text rotated around a vertical axis and manipulated in size. We found that with sufficient rendering quality small text can be substantially rotated before reading performance suffers, and large text legibility is nearly unaffected by rotation. The empirically derived guidelines we present are the first published for 3D text and important for the design of 3D information visualizations.
The genetic architecture of seed composition in soybean is refined by genome-wide association scans across multiple populations.

Soybean oil and meal are major contributors to world-wide food production. Consequently, the genetic basis for soybean seed composition has been intensely studied using family-based mapping. Population-based mapping approaches, in the form of genome-wide association (GWA) scans, have been able to resolve loci controlling moderately complex quantitative traits (QTL) in numerous crop species. Yet, it is still unclear how soybean’s unique population history will affect GWA scans. Using one of the populations in this study, we simulated phenotypes resulting from a range of genetic architectures. We found that with a heritability of 0.5, ∼100% and ∼33% of the 4 and 20 simulated QTL can be recovered, respectively, with a false-positive rate of less than ∼6×10−5 per marker tested. Additionally, we demonstrated that combining information from multi-locus mixed models and compressed linear-mixed models improves QTL identification and interpretation. We applied these insights to exploring seed composition in soybean, refining the linkage group I (chromosome 20) protein QTL and identifying additional oil QTL that may allow some decoupling of highly correlated oil and protein phenotypes. Because the value of protein meal is closely related to its essential amino acid profile, we attempted to identify QTL underlying methionine, threonine, cysteine, and lysine content. Multiple QTL were found that have not been observed in family-based mapping studies, and each trait exhibited associations across multiple populations. Chromosomes 1 and 8 contain strong candidate alleles for essential amino acid increases. Overall, we present these and additional data that will be useful in determining breeding strategies for the continued improvement of soybean’s nutrient portfolio.
Discrete bandwidth visual feedback increases structure of output as compared to continuous visual feedback in isometric force control tasks.

Abstract Background Performance variability measures provide a partial picture of force control ability. Nonlinear analyses can reveal important information related to the randomness and complexity of the data, providing a more complete picture of the physiological process. Methods We investigated the effects of visual feedback on the structure and performance of the force output from isometric force control tasks. Twelve young volunteers completed isometric force control tasks using two types of visual feedback: discrete bandwidth (±4% maximal voluntary contraction) and continuous line matching. We determined force signal variability (standard deviation), self-similarity (fractal dimension), and complexity (approximate entropy). Analyses of variance (feedback × muscle group × force level) were conducted and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Findings The force signal in discrete bandwidth feedback, compared to continuous line matching, had significantly a higher standard deviation ( P = .000): 2.18 N m (SD 1.98) vs. 0.99 N m (SD 0.91); lower fractal dimension ( P = .000): 1.07 (SD 0.04) vs. 1.16 (SD 0.04); and lower approximate entropy ( P = .000): 0.12 (SD 0.07) vs. 0.26 (SD 0.09). Interpretation The greater self-similarity (lower fractal dimension) and greater regularity (lower approximate entropy) of the discrete bandwidth, compared to the continuous line matching, may indicate a process that required more kinesthetic (intrinsic) feedback to modulate force. Clinicians may choose to employ visual feedback paradigms that target the use of intrinsic feedback during rehabilitation. Discrete bandwidth feedback may be useful for delineating impairments in motor skill and measuring outcomes of intervention programs.
Epicurus: ‘Live Hidden!’

Epicurus, though popularly and indeed nominally associated with a doctrine advocating the procurement of rather expensive pleasure, lived very simply in his garden with a circle of friends. The 14th of his Sovran Maxims or Cardinal Tenets (kuriai doxai), as collected by Diogenes Laertius, reads: ‘When tolerable security against our fellowmen is attained, then on a basis of power sufficient to afford support and of material prosperity arises in most genuine form the security of a quiet private life withdrawn from the multitude’ R. D. Hicks, the translator, gives, as an alternative to ‘power sufficient to afford support’, ‘power to expel’, but on either reading, we are to think of Epicurus's garden, both the real place and the conceptualized, or tropologized, topos of wisdom and earthly felicity, as enclosed and exclusive. This enclosure, exclusivity, and—what is also implied—abstention of its inmates from participation in the affairs of state are given apophthegmatic expression in ‘Live hidden!’ We contemplate this adage, or slogan, from an enormous cultural distance and, for most of us, ‘Live hidden!’ is much more likely to trigger secondary reflections about the relations between ethics and politics, private and public, perfection of self and improvement of the world, than it is to constitute an actual, or potential, piece of advice we might think about whether, and how, to follow.
Attenuation of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension by simvastatin

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) have been shown to improve multiple normal endothelial cell functions and inhibit vascular wall cell proliferation. We hypot...
Multi-Scale Full-Spectrum k-Distribution Method for Radiative Transfer in Inhomogeneous Gas Mixtures With Wall Emission

The multi-scale full-spectrum k-distribution (MSFSK) method has become a promising method for radiative heat transfer in inhomogeneous media. In this paper an original distribution scheme is proposed to extend the MSFSK’s ability in dealing with boundary wall emission. This scheme pursues the overlap concept of the MSFSK method and requires no changes in the original MSFSK formulation. A boundary emission overlap coefficient is introduced and two approaches of evaluating the coefficient are outlined. The distribution scheme is evaluated and the two approaches are compared by conducting sample calculations for radiative heat transfer in strongly inhomogeneous media using both the MSFSK method and the line-by-line method.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Compact cactus-shaped Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) monopole on organic substrate

The implementation of a novel cactus-shaped monopole antenna that demonstrates an easily controllable return loss and omni-directional radiation patterns in frequency range from 2.9 GHz up to 12 GHz that exceeds the designated ultra wide band (UWB) range is discussed in this paper. The effect of the geometry characteristics on the return loss behavior is briefly explained. The proposed prototype antenna is fabricated on 225 mum thick Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) with overall board dimensions of 28 mm times 32 mm.
Effects of motivational interviewing training on mental health therapist behavior

This study examined the effectiveness of training community mental health therapists in motivational interviewing (MI) adapted to treat clients with co-occurring disorders. Ten therapists with high caseloads of culturally diverse clients in two different community mental health settings fulfilled all study requirements. MI training consisted of a two-day didactic and experiential workshop followed by eight biweekly small group supervision (coaching) sessions. Using an interrupted time series design, 156 randomly selected therapy sessions involving 28 clients were coded for assessment of therapist fidelity to MI at multiple points in time, both pre- and post-training. Employing hierarchical linear modeling analysis, significant improvement in MI skill was observed after training on five of six key therapist ratings, and on the sole client rating (client change talk) that was examined. Importantly, the present study demonstrates training-related proficiency in motivational interviewing using: (a) a representative sample of mental health therapists from the community; (b) a protocol emphasizing adherence to a mental health treatment regimen as well as management of substance use behavior for clients with co-occurring disorders; (c) repeated random observations of therapy sessions; (d) measurement of training-related changes in clinician skills and self motivational statements by clients. Findings of this effectiveness study compared favorably with efficacy literature on MI training.
Continuous distributed counting for non-monotonic streams

We consider the continual count tracking problem in a distributed environment where the input is an aggregate stream that originates from k distinct sites and the updates are allowed to be non-monotonic, i.e. both increments and decrements are allowed. The goal is to continually track the count within a prescribed relative accuracy e at the lowest possible communication cost. Specifically, we consider an adversarial setting where the input values are selected and assigned to sites by an adversary but the order is according to a random permutation or is a random i.i.d process. The input stream of values is allowed to be non-monotonic with an unknown drift -1≤μ=1 where the case μ = 1 corresponds to the special case of a monotonic stream of only non-negative updates. We show that a randomized algorithm guarantees to track the count accurately with high probability and has the expected communication cost O(min√k/(|#956;|e), √k n/e, n}), for an input stream of length n, and establish matching lower bounds. This improves upon previously best known algorithm whose expected communication cost is Θ(min√k/e,n]) that applies only to an important but more restrictive class of monotonic input streams, and our results are substantially more positive than the communication complexity of Ω(n) under fully adversarial input. We also show how our framework can also accommodate other types of random input streams, including fractional Brownian motion that has been widely used to model temporal long-range dependencies observed in many natural phenomena. Last but not least, we show how our non-monotonic counter can be applied to track the second frequency moment and to a Bayesian linear regression problem.
Time course inhibition of gastric and platelet COX activity by acetylsalicylic acid in humans

Aspirin causes peptic ulcers predominately by reducing gastric mucosal cyclooxygenase (COX) activity and prostaglandin synthesis. Because aspirin circulates for only a few hours, we hypothesized that aspirin's inhibitory effect on gastric COX activity must be prolonged. We performed a placebo-controlled experiment in healthy humans to determine the duration of inhibition of aspirin on gastric mucosal COX activity (PGE(2) and PGF(2alpha) synthesis rates). Recovery of gastric COX activity after stopping aspirin was slow and linear. Seventy-two hours after 325-mg aspirin, gastric COX activity was still reduced by 57% (P < 0.001). Duration of inhibition of gastric COX activity was estimated to be 7-8 days after 325-mg aspirin and 5 days after 81-mg aspirin. Recovery of gastric prostaglandin synthesis after 325-mg but not after 81-mg aspirin occurred at slower rates in subjects with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis than in those with normal histology. In conclusion, aspirin inhibits gastric COX activity for much longer than predicted from its pharmacokinetic profile, explaining why aspirin at widely spaced intervals is ulcerogenic.
Adaptive grid PIC capability for dusty plasma studies

We have developed an innovative Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code for dusty plasma studies. The main novelty is that our code couples a grid generation/adaptation strategy to the standard PIC algorithm. This is beneficial for two reasons. First, without an adaptive grid, standard PIC codes model curved surfaces using a stair-stepping technique, which highly distorts the shapes of small (relative to the plasma Debye length) grains. This can become quite problematic in simulations of small grains, as is often the case in space and astrophysical applications, or when calculating forces on the grain surface. Our grid generation strategy conforms to objects of arbitrary shape and solves this problem. Second, we will be able to adapt our computational mesh in time as required by the physics of the simulation. These two features allow us to simulate more complicated physical structures much more accurately.
EFFECT OF CHEMICAL PRETREATMENT ON X-RAY POWDER DIFFRACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF CLAY MINERALS DERIVED FROM VOLCANIC ASH

The effects of NaOAc removal of carbonates, HzOz removal of organic materials, and sodium citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (SCBD) removal of iron oxides upon the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) characteristics of clay minerals present within weathered volcanic ash deposits were examined. All pre- treatments of samples derived from the Ae and Bhf horizons containing volcanic ash resulted in dramatic increases in XRD peak intensities, while the treatment of IIC-horizon samples resulted in subdued XRD peak intensities. Also, the chemical treatments produced an apparent increase in the amount of expandable clay minerals within the Ae horizon, due probably to the hydrolysis and removal of interlayer A1 z+ when H~O~ and SCBD were used. Hence, poorly ordered and pedogenicaUy modified vermiculite or vermiculite/ montmorillonite interstratifications became "weathered" by H + attack and AP § removal in a manner sim- ilar to the natural processes which take place in the acid and eluvial A horizon. In addition, possible XRD peak modification due to the dilution of crystalline clay concentrations 'by amorphous clay-size material appeared to be subordinate to the laboratory-induced chemical alteration of the weathered clay minerals.
Cholestasis confers resistance to the rat liver mitochondrial permeability transition

Abstract Background & Aims: Bile salts can cause hepatocyte death by inducing the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT). However, the slow progression of human cholestatic liver diseases suggests that hepatocytes adapt to resist the MPT. Bcl-x, a protein, and increased mitochondrial cardiolipin, a membrane lipid, elevate the threshold for the MPT. Our aims were to determine if liver mitochondria become resistant to the MPT during cholestasis and, if so, if the resistance is mediated by Bcl-x and/or increased cardiolipin. Methods: Hepatocytes and liver mitochondria were obtained from bile duct–ligated (BDL) rats and sham-operated rats (control). Results: After addition of glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC), the magnitude of the MPT was reduced in mitochondria from BDL rats vs. controls. Although Bcl-x L was not increased, mitochondrial cardiolipin content was significantly greater in BDL rats vs. controls. Cell viability was also increased in hepatocytes from BDL rats vs. controls after treatment with GCDC. Feeding BDL rats a fatty acid–deficient diet prevented the increase in mitochondrial cardiolipin content; mitochondria and hepatocytes from these rats were susceptible to the MPT and hepatocellular death by GCDC. Conclusions: These data suggest that an increase in mitochondria cardiolipin content occurs during cholestasis as an adaptive phenomenon to resist cell death by the MPT. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;115:693-701
Mechanism of S-T Segment Alteration During Acute Myocardial Injury

Electrocardiograms recorded with a direct-coupled amplifier and recordings of intramyocardial and intracellular potentials were used to determine the nature of the S-T segment shift after myocardial injury. Immediately after coronary artery ligation in the dog, both true S-T and T-Q changes are produced. Lack of responsiveness to the activation wave in the injured area does not account for the initial change in the S-T segment. Changes in the intracellular action potential can be correlated with the electrocardiographic changes. Immediately after injury, cells in the injured area usually repolarize more rapidly than normal cells and this change is significantly correlated with S-T segment shifts. A decrease in resting potential, generally oc curring later than the action potential changes, is similarly correlated with T-Q segment changes.
PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY IN LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION AND PRODUCTION: DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES

PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY IN LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION AND PRODUCTION: DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES. Niels O. Schiller and Antje S. Meyer (Eds.). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2003. Pp. 355. $123.20 cloth.This collection offers various psycholinguistic perspectives on the link between the processes of speech comprehension and production. Some authors in this collection approach the topic by reviewing how well existing models deal with the comprehension-production relationship; others propose new approaches, including ones that show compatibility with evidence from neuroimaging studies. The final two of the nine papers address the topic from a SLA standpoint.
Communication between the cytoskeleton and the nuclear envelope to position the nucleus

In most eukaryotic cells, the nucleus is localized to a specific location. This highlight article focuses on recent advances describing the mechanisms of nuclear migration and anchorage. Central to nuclear positioning mechanisms is the communication between the nuclear envelope and the cytoskeleton. All three components of the cytoskeleton—microtubules, actin filaments and intermediate filaments—are involved in nuclear positioning to varying degrees in different cell types. KASH proteins on the outer nuclear membrane connect to SUN proteins on the inner nuclear membrane. Together they transfer forces between the cytoskeleton and the nuclear lamina. Once at the outer nuclear membrane, KASH proteins can interact with the cytoskeleton. Nuclear migrations are a component of many cellular migration events and defects in nuclear positioning lead to human diseases, most notably lissencephaly.
Time from consent to cesarean delivery during labor

Objective The objective of the study was to describe the time from consent to incision (consent time) when informed consent (IC) for cesarean delivery (CD) is obtained during labor and identify risk factors for especially short consent times. Study Design The study was a retrospective chart review of 90 cases of CD during labor. Medians and interquartile ranges for times were reported. Multivariable linear and logistic regressions were used to adjust for confounders. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare consent time among women undergoing CD for fetal heart rate (FHR) indications with other women. Results The median consent time was 48 minutes (interquartile range, 25–72); 28.9% of patients delivered less than 30 minutes after consent. When adjusted for potential confounders, the odds of delivering less than 30 minutes after consent were 4.7 times higher (95% confidence interval, 1.4–15.2, P = .01) among women who underwent CD for FHR indications than for women who underwent CD for other indications. Conclusion This study demonstrates that when IC for CD is obtained during labor, consent time is brief, particularly among women undergoing CD for FHR indications. Although time is not necessarily a proxy for quality, an especially short consent time is likely to reduce the quality of the conversation and limit a patient's opportunity to understand and recall information. Additional research regarding the optimal approach to IC for CD in labor is needed; however, this study suggests that the practice of obtaining IC at the time the decision for CD is reached is unlikely to provide optimal time for a complete IC discussion.
Realizability issues for iso-g(2) processes

Iso-g (2) processes in the equilibrium regime concern density-dependent interactions that identically cancel the usual density variation of many-body pair correlation functions. This paper considers the formal density expansion for effective pair potentials with this iso-g (2) property, showing how successive terms in that expansion can be determined iteratively. Explicit results through second density order have been obtained for two types of ‘target’ pair correlation functions: (a) a unit step function (hard core), and (b) unity augmented by an origin-centred Gaussian profile with numerical multiplier A. For the unit step function and the −1 ≤ A 0, the terminal density diverges to infinity while the effective pair interaction series is non-convergent, though possibly valid as an asymptotic expansion.
A representative validation of a neural 3G admission control through rules extraction

The proposal of new mechanisms and systems of call admission control has as objective the ensuring quality of service (QoS) for mobile networks. These mechanisms are evaluated through simulators, presenting some computational limitations. Recently, CAC-RD (Call Admission Control based on Reservation and Diagnosis) has been proposed as a new mechanism to simulate 3G UMTS networks, but a computational resources limitation was found. As example, to simulate 600 s of traffic with a limit of 1100 users, the simulation spent approximately 19 hours. This prevents a more real simulation in the presence of greater number of users. Recently, to surmount these limitations, the authors have presented CAC-RDNN (CAC-RD Neural Network), a new approach based on neural networks to represent quantitatively the CAC-RD, but it was verified that the new representation fails when qualitative aspects are evaluated. In this paper, the qualitative analysis of the mathematical representation of CAC-RDNN is evaluated. Results showed that CAC-RDNN reflects CAC-RD modules behavior in both quantitative and qualitative aspects, being able to simulate real networks.
Lifetime evaluation of large format CMOS mixed signal infrared devices

New large scale foundry processes continue to produce reliable products. These new large scale devices continue to use industry best practice to screen for failure mechanisms and validate their long lifetime. The Failure-in-Time analysis in conjunction with foundry qualification information can be used to evaluate large format device lifetimes. This analysis is a helpful tool when zero failure life tests are typical. The reliability of the device is estimated by applying the failure rate to the use conditions. JEDEC publications continue to be the industry accepted methods.
Testing messages to reduce smokers’ openness to using novel smokeless tobacco products

Introduction Tobacco manufacturers’ aggressive promotion of new smokeless tobacco products such as snus warrants a timely and effective public health response. This study tested potential countermarketing messages to discourage current and former smokers from becoming dual users of smokeless tobacco and cigarettes. Methods In a pretest-post-test experiment, 1836 adult current and recently former smokers from a national sample were randomised to view one of six antismokeless tobacco ads followed by a snus ad, to view a control ad followed by a snus ad; or to view two control ads. Perceived effectiveness of ads and actual changes in attitudes and openness to snus were compared across groups using analyses of variance. Results Some ads that were perceived as most effective did not change attitudes or openness to trying snus, and conversely, some ads not perceived as effective changed attitudes and openness to snus. Ads portraying the negative health effects of smokeless tobacco were perceived as most effective, but ads with antitobacco industry themes significantly decreased favourable attitudes toward snus. Responses to ads were different for smokers who had ever used smokeless tobacco: for this group health effects and humorous/testimonial ads were effective. Conclusions Measures of perceived effectiveness of antitobacco ads need to be augmented with measures of actual effectiveness to assess countermarketing messages. Some of the developed ads, such as ads with anti-industry themes, were effective for the overall population of smokers whereas humorous/testimonial and health effects ads were particularly effective in changing attitudes of past users of smokeless tobacco.
Power network analysis using an adaptive algebraic multigrid approach

In this paper, we introduce an efficient analysis method for the power network of general topology. The new approach is based on algebraic multigrid (AMG) method that can avoid the slow convergence of basic iterative methods. An innovative adaptive coarsening and error-smoothing scheme is employed to further speed up the performance, taking advantage of the spatial variation of power supply noise. Experimental results show that our method is more than 100 times faster than SPICE3.
Education for Alienation - or for Self-determination

I suppose I have to admit that I could have used Paulo Freire's terms and said 'Education for Domination - or Education for Liberation' since most people acquainted with cross-cultural education and education in developing societies would know them. And I certainly do have to admit, that there is not much that I have to say that is particularly novel -in education. But what I am sure is new in Australia is the deliberate, conscious and-consistent effort to apply, these ideas in practice, in the area of cross-cultural education, in all facets of, the curriculum for an educational institution. And so I can give one guarantee about what I say: it may be verbose, and it may even sound abstract, but in the Aboriginal Community College we are trying to do it - and with some success.
Predicting Aircraft Approach Speeds for Enhancing Airport Capacity

Today, standards for aircraft arrival separation over the runway threshold must be satisfied regardless of the approach speeds of aircraft as they cross the landing threshold. Aircraft landing speeds vary widely. If expected aircraft speeds could be predicted to some accuracy, more efficient procedures and standards could perhaps be developed. This paper describes examples of airport capacity enhancement concepts that utilize the ability to predict expected aircraft landing speeds. It describes factors that affect aircraft landing speeds such as aircraft weight, design, environmental factors, airline guidance, and individual pilot judgment. It presents an analysis of Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) data gathered from an airline as related to the ability to predict aircraft approach speeds, to illustrate the possibility of applying this knowledge to concepts of increasing airport capacity. Finally it provides an outline of the main components of the operational implications of using such a method of predicting and utilizing landing speeds.
Biomechanical assessment of finger function in prosthetic joint design.

SUMMARY Biomechanical analysis of the hand helps provide the basis for designing prosthetic replacements for finger joints. Analysis of the finger as a free body in equilibrium provides information for the forces and moments about each of the joints. The present data suggest that, for design purposes, the interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints may be treated as monaxial joints, although the metacarpophalangeal joint has three degrees of constrained motion. Mathematical analysis of the tendon excursion and joint position relationships allows further understanding of the delicate finger motion. The resultant forces and moments at the joint may be estimated from simple free-body analysis. These resultant forces and moments may then be broken down to obtain the joint surface contact forces and the joint constraint forces by solving a set of simultaneous equations. The joint constraint forces usually consist of various components, depending on the anatomic structures of the joint. These analyses will help in the selection of proper materials for bearing pressures and will allow design of prosthetic constraints sufficient to resist the translatory and rotatory forces in the joint and to provide sufficient range of motion for the joint and tendons so that the normal motion of the finger can be restored. Application of the moment equations further suggests adjustment of the moment arms of various tendons with respect to the joint center and the alignment of the joint center of rotation for improving joint activities.
Analysis on Regenerative Pseudo-Noise Ranging for Spacecraft

Regenerative PN(Pseudo Noise) ranging is realized through regenerating uplink PN ranging signals and re-modulating it onto the downlink carrier.This brings about substantial SNR(Signal-to-Noise Ratio) gain for ranging signals.The gain can be used to enhance ranging accuracy or shorten acquisition time,or even to allocate more power to the telemetry signal.The paper introduces regenerative PN ranging from three aspects,ranging codes,acquisition time and mutual interference between ranging signals and telecommand/telemetry signals.
The Cyclical Nature of Fiscal Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Historically, fiscal policy in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been procyclical. Governments have raised taxes and cut spending in bad times and have expanded the size of the government in good times. Procyclical access to external borrowing and political economy distortions (e.g., common pool problems and asymmetric information) have been mentioned as culprit. The main goal of this article is to document the cyclical properties of fiscal policy in SSA and to test whether the cyclical stance can be influenced by structural and policy features of the economy, namely, institutional quality, policy space, resource abundance and state fragility among others. This article complements the existing literature on SSA by: (i) using an indicator of institutional quality that better captures economic institutions supporting policy frameworks and (ii) testing jointly the influence of structural and policy factors affecting the cyclicality of fiscal policy. Using annual information for 128 countries from 1970 to 2013, this article finds that stronger institutions and ample policy space do help to reduce the degree of procyclicality of fiscal policy for the majority of countries in the region. These findings call for African policymakers to: (i) deepen institutional reforms that will help them deliver sustainable and countercyclical responses and (ii) replenish liquidity and policy buffers in good times so as to be prepared for bad ones.
Repeat sternotomy after reconstruction of the pericardial sac with glutaraldehyde-preserved equine pericardium

The risk of repeat sternotomy is higher than that of the initial sternotomy, especially if the pericardial sac was left open at the first intervention. In 200 consecutive patients with a pericardial defect after open heart operations, the pericardium was closed with a glutaraldehyde-preserved equine pericardial patch. Precardiac adhesions at reoperation were assessed in four groups of patients on a scale of 6, ranging from 0 (no adhesions) to 5 (calcified or ossified adhesions). Group I comprised 13 patients in whom the pericardium was left open at the first operation and an equine pericardial patch was implanted at reoperation. Group Ia included the first five Group I patients who underwent reoperation less than 1 year (early reoperation) after the initial procedure. Group Ib included the other eight patients of Group I, who underwent reoperation more than 1 year (late reoperation) after the first procedure. Group II comprised nine patients who were reoperated on after reconstruction of the pericardial sac with a glutaraldehyde-preserved equine pericardial patch. After a mean follow-up of 20.2 months, the incidence of patch-related complications was 1%. Statistical analysis shows less severe adhesions on reoperation in Group II patients (pericardial defect patched) than in Group I patients (pericardial defect left open): mean grade of adhesions 1.6 +/- 0.9 (Group II) versus 3.2 +/- 0.6 (Group I), p less than 0.001. Precardial adhesions with the pericardium left open were similar in patients having early and late reoperations: mean grade of adhesions 3.0 +/- 0.7 (Group Ia) versus 3.4 +/- 0.5 (Group Ib), no significant difference. Therefore, the glutaraldehyde-preserved equine pericardial patch can be considered a suitable material for primary closure of the pericardial sac in patients with inadequate autologous pericardium.
Phase II trial of Fluorouracil, Leucovorin and Interferon-α

Recent reports of randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the combination of Folinic acid (LV) and Fluorouracil (5-FU) may have superior therapeutic value compared to 5-FU alone [1, 2]. The biochemical basis is the enhanced inhibition of DNA synthesis by the binding of 5-Fluoro-Deoxyuridine monophosphate to thymidilate synthetase in the presence of 5, 10 Methylene Tetrahydrofolate [3].
Endoscopic or Minimally Invasive Debridement of Walled-Off Pancreatic Necrosis?

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis comprises 10–15 % of acute pancreatitis cases but is associated with significant mortality of around 15 % that further increases up to 30 % if the necrotic tissue becomes infected. Historically, open surgical debridement has been the most common intervention but over the last two decades various minimally invasive modalities have been developed including percutaneous, endoscopic, laparoscopic, retroperitoneal debridement or combinations of the above. Due to constantly evolving nature of minimally invasive techniques and lack of consensus definition of the collections in the past, there is a lack of prospective data comparing the different interventions. Our understanding of the pancreatic fluid collections has improved and a standardized classification of pancreatic and peripancreatic fluid collections was recently proposed in the form of revised Atlanta Classification in 2012. Now conclusive evidence exists that minimally invasive techniques are associated with lower morbidity and mortality compared to open surgical debridement. Amongst the minimally invasive techniques, endoscopic debridement is associated with lower morbidity compared to laparoscopic or retroperitoneal approaches though mortality benefit is not clear and long-term outcomes data is lacking. Step up approach allows for more aggressive interventions only in patients failing conservative therapy or percutaneous drainage and hence can prevent aggressive and morbidity associated debridement procedures in a fraction of symptomatic walled-off necrosis patients.
Pulmonary Arteries: Surgical Point of View

Surgical repair of the pulmonary artery (PA) branches encompasses many different clinical scenarios and technical challenges. Branch PA stenosis can occur either primarily or following a previous attempt at surgical repair. In cases of complex congenital heart disease (CHD) requiring reoperations or staged palliation, surgical patch angioplasty is often needed and may prove challenging. Aside from elective indications, surgical PA plasty is necessary following complications of percutaneous stent implantation such as PA dissection or rupture, stent migration, suboptimal stent expansion, stent thrombosis, stent restenosis, airway compression, and inhibition of PA growth. The main challenge in PA surgery is to obtain a spatially pleasing reconstruction in three dimensions.
Putting the Community Back into Prevention: Think Locally, Act Globally

Prevention in the new millennium will solidify promising techniques while reaffirming the applicability of contextual approaches at a community-wide level. Because effective prevention goes beyond affecting individuals (Levine, 1998), we must look at the broader social systems and institutions within the community that influence people’s lives. At the same time, however, overambitious efforts (such as broad-based preventive interventions administered in a general way) may neglect the contexts within the community that can enhance the intervention’s impact. When we say “think locally,” we mean that the community is the appropriate level from which to view a prevention effort. It is at the community level that we can attend to the circumstances that make a setting unique while still allowing a vantage point from which to watch the various subsystems (e.g., government, schools, law enforcement, etc.) interact. It is through an understanding of the interaction of these subsystems that we have the opportunity to tailor interventions to the unique contexts of each environment. We agree with the premise that “preventive interventions must contribute to normative change” within the community (Levine, 1998, p. 190). If we are to effect change, we must look at the variety of systems that influence the behavior of individuals within the community. By “act globally,” we mean that prevention efforts must be creative and comprehensive in their approach to changing community norms. Multiple community systems may need to be affected to make for more effective prevention. Interventions that send consistent overlapping and redundant messages have more power and permanence.
Comparison of the discriminative stimulus and response rate effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and synthetic cannabinoids in female and male rats.

Abstract Background Women report greater sensitivity to the subjective effects of Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Similarly, female rodents tend to be more sensitive to some pharmacological effects of THC and synthetic cannabinoids. This study examined sex differences in discriminative stimulus and response rate effects of THC and synthetic cannabinoids in rats. Methods A cumulative dosing THC discrimination procedure was utilized to evaluate sex differences in the discriminative stimulus effects of THC and three synthetic cannabinoids: CP47,497, WIN55,212-2, and JWH-018. Sex differences in the effects of these four compounds and a degradant of A-834735 on response rates also were assessed in a food-reinforced discrete dosing procedure. Results Females required a lower training dose than males for acquisition of the discrimination. Further, THC was more potent at producing rimonabant-reversible discriminative stimulus and response rate effects in females. While synthetic cannabinoids were more potent in producing THC-like effects than was THC in female rats, greater discrepancies were observed in male rats. Similar sensitivity to the response rate-decreasing effects induced by most, but not all (A-834735 degradant), synthetic cannabinoids was seen in both sexes. Conclusions This study represents one of the first direct comparisons of sex differences in THC discrimination. Females were more sensitive to THC’s effects, which may be related, in part, to sex differences in THC metabolism. Synthetic cannabinoids were more potent than THC in both sexes, but were considerably more so in male than in female rats. Future research should emphasize further characterization of sex differences in cannabinoid pharmacology.
Adaptive Control to a Dry Etch Process by Microcomputer

Abstract Dry etch processes are relatively new in manufacturing of solid state components. Standard equipment, however, is normally not prepared for more complex control requirements. It was, therefore, the goal to show in a pilot installation that Adaptive Control is able to solve development demands concerning working point variations during one run and to help the process engineer to investigate a new tool. For this purpose a dry etch equipment has been interfaced to a microcomputer which contains a real time controlling system with included adaptive control methods. Four nonlinear process variables have been adaptively controlled with a Selftuning Regulator and a Recursive Least Squares estimation method combined with a deadbeat controller. The starting fluctuation of the model parameters and their behaviour after setpoint changes are' being shown. Experiences gained with this microcomputer based system will be discussed. It will also be shown that development time can be saved by using such a system.
Hypotheses about the Psychodynamic Theory of Adult Development

Psychoanalysis has not formulated a comprehensive theory of normal adult development. Sophisticated and detailed with regard to childhood and adolescence, the theory is sparse for the remainder of the life cycle, in part because the developmental framework has not been applied fully to the study of the adult. Usually adulthood is characterized as a lengthy, stable phase of life in which developmental processes play a relatively minor role.