cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative phosphorylation in Phormia regina larvae

Abstract Oxidative phosphorylation was shown to occur in the mitochondria isolated from Phormia regina larvae. The P O ratios obtained were similar to adult preparations. In addition, these reactions were shown to be catalysed by β-OH butyrate. Oxidative phosphorylation reactions in preparations from the thoracic muscle of adult Phormia regina have been well documented ( Sacktor , 1953; Lewis and Slater , 1954). In contrast to the information available on adult preparations, little is known concerning the presence of these reactions in the larvae of the blowfly. Oxidative phosphorylation was shown to occur in the larvae of this insect. Of particular interest was the fact that this process occurred in the presence of β-OH butyrate contrary to published results with adult preparations.
How parrots talk: insights based on CT scans, image processing, and mathematical models

Little is known about mechanisms of speech production in parrots. Recently, however, techniques for correlating vocal tract shape with vowel production in humans have become more sophisticated and we have adapted these techniques for use with parrots. We scanned two grey parrot heads with intact vocal tracts. One specimen, 'Oldbird' was fixed with its beak propped open; the second 'Youngbird' was fixed with its beak closed. Using VIDA software, we (1) established that differences in tongue and larynx positioning resulted from opening or closing the beak; and (2) obtained lengths and area functions for the trachea, glottis, pharynx, mouth, and choana for both specimens and esophageal length and area functions for the first specimen. We entered lengths and area functions into a 1D wave propagation model to determine the natural formant frequencies associated with an open versus closed beak. We also determined how manipulating lengths and area functions could affect formant frequency and relative intensity. Finally, by comparing observed grey parrot vowel formant, we predict how the parrot uses its vocal tract to produce speech.
A novel stereo- and enantioselective synthesis of trans-9-alkyl-2-benzyl-5-methyl-6,7-benzomorphans

The first stereo- and enantioselective syntheses of trans-9-alkyl-2-benzyl-5-methyl-6,7-benzomorphans (12) are described. The addition of alkyl magnesium halides to (R)-2-naphthyl-4-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidine (7) followed by treatment with iodomethane and quenching with acid gave (1S,2S)-2-alkyl-1-methyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalenecarboxaldehyde (10). Homologation of 10 followed by reductive amination using benzylamine gave (1S,2S)-trans-2-alkyl-1-benzylaminoethyl-1-methyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (11). Mercuric acetate-assisted cyclization of 11 followed by LAH reduction afforded (1S,5S,9R)-12.
Endoscopic treatment of gastric varices: Use of band ligation, cyanoacrylate glue and novel therapies

Gastric varices are found in a significant number of patients with portal hypertension. There are several endoscopic treatment options for gastric varices, but none have gained widespread use among endoscopists. Rubber band ligation of gastric varices has been used with success in several small case series of patients. Detachable snare ligation has also been used, but experience with this technique is limited. Thrombin injection offers a potential treatment option, but it too requires further investigation. Adhesive injection therapy shows much promise in providing successful variceal obliteration in a cost effective manner. Complications, as described with each of these endoscopic methods, require that great care be taken even in the hands of the most experienced endoscopist when treating gastric varices.
Dynamics of coupled thalamocortical modules

We develop a model of thalamocortical dynamics using a shared population of thalamic neurons to couple distant cortical regions. Behavior of the model is determined as a function of the connection strengths with shared and unshared populations in the thalamus, either within a relay nucleus or the reticular nucleus. When the coupling is via the reticular nucleus, we locate solutions of the model where distant cortical regions maintain the same activity level, and regions where one region maintains an elevated activity level, suppressing activity in the other. We locate and investigate a region where both types of solutions exist and are stable, yielding a mechanism for spontaneous changes in global activity patterns. Power spectra and coherence are computed, and marked differences in the coherence are found between the two kinds of modes. When, on the other hand, the coupling is via a shared relay nuclei, the features seen with the reticular coupling are absent. These considerations suggest a role for the reticular nucleus in modulating long distance cortical communication.
Investigation of the axial heterogeneity of the retention factor of carbamazepine along an supercritical fluid chromatography column. I – Linear conditions

Abstract The retention behavior of carbamazepine eluted in SFC was studied by changing the back pressure between 100 and 200 bar and the volumetric flow rate between 0.5 and 5 mL/min. Carbamazepine was eluted under linear conditions from a silica column with 90:10% (V/V) mixtures of supercritical carbon dioxide and methanol at 310 K. The retention factor of carbamazepine decreases by 20% when the pressure drop along the column increases from 1 to 28 bar and the outlet pressure increases from 100 to 200 bar. The variation of the retention factor at low pressure drops (below 15 bar) is negligible (a few percent) but it is significant (exceeding 20%) for pressure drops larger than 15 bar. Under these latter conditions, the variation of the equilibrium constant along the column is significant at high pressure drops. Because the adsorption parameters depend on the local pressure, the extension of dynamic methods from LC to SFC should be made cautiously for the determination of adsorption isotherms. Our results suggest that the flow rate applied during the course of dynamic method measurements should be kept small. The determination of the adsorption parameters from measurements carried out at high flow rates might not be as accurate as it is when the column is axially uniform.
Cycling into future: Mass cytometry for the cell-cycle analysis

Progress in the development of instrumentation and new methodologies is a driving force for advancement in biology and medicine. By offering a possibility to assess cell heterogeneity and identify individual cells or cell subpopulation having different properties, combined with multiparametric analysis, the cytometric methodologies are of particular value. Compared with the early means to interrogate individual cells by microspectrophotometry and autoradiography developed in 50s and 60s of the past century, the introduction and advances of flow cytometry during the last four decades revolutionized the way of cell analysis and contributed to the immense growth of our knowledge in many disciplines of cell and molecular biology. It had also found important clinical applications advancing diagnosis and treatment of many diseases (1). Analytical capabilities of exploring individual cells were further enriched by the development of imaging cytometry instrumentation, such as provided by laser scanning cytometry and imaging flow cytometry. Progressive improvements in flow and imaging cytometry led to unprecedented expansion of our knowledge of regulatory mechanisms in normal and diseased cells. Particularly, fruitful were applications of these methodologies in revealing mechanisms of cell proliferation as related to a multitude of molecules, signaling pathways and events controlling the cell-cycle progression (1).
Diagnosis, work-up and management of blunt cardiac injuries

Blunt cardiac injury has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, some of them quite severe. Its definition varies throughout the literature. The purpose of this review is to describe the epidemiology, screening, diagnosis and management of blunt cardiac injury. Blunt cardiac injury complicates up to 30% of severe blunt force trauma. It can be classified into electrical and structural abnormalities. Screening modalities include electrocardiogram and cardiac enzymes. Serial negative electrocardiograms and troponins can safely rule out blunt cardiac injury. A transthoracic echocardiogram should be performed if persistent dysrhythmia or hypotension. All dysrhythmias should be treated. Patients with structural abnormalities rarely survive. In conclusion, blunt cardiac injury is prevalent after significant blunt trauma. The appropriate screening modalities should be employed and any abnormality to be treated.
Apparent Directional Permeability Coefficients for Drug Ions: In Vitro Intestinal Perfusion Studies

The in vitro absorption kinetics for nine drugs were followed using a perfusion apparatus. Identical perfusion runs were made on everted and noneverted segments of the same rat intestine so that the ratio of directional permeability constants (reported as everted rate to noneverted rate) could be calculated. Both negatively and positively charged drug ions (including the quaternary ammonium compound pralidoxime chloride) exhibited permeability coefficient ratios around 1.3, while completely unionized drugs showed the expected ratio of 1.0. In light of the similarity in the ratio of permeability constants for drug ions and sodium ions, salicylate was tested in a sodium-free buffer resulting in a ratio of 1.08. It appears that the difference in directional permeability constants observed with ionized drugs in the intestine may be explained in relation to sodium transport. It is pointed out that in vitro intestinal transport studies could lead to erroneous conclusions concerning the degree of absorption of ionizable drugs in vivo.
Optimization of L-(+)-Lactic Acid Production Using Pelletized Filamentous Rhizopus oryzae NRRL 395

Lactic acid is used as a food additive for flavor and preservation and a precursor in the development of poly-lactic acid, a product used to make biodegradable plastics and textiles. Rhizopus oryzae NRRL 395 is known to be a strain that produces optically pure L-(+)-lactic acid. The morphology of Rhizopus cultures is complex, forming filamentous, clumps, and pellet mycelia. Different morphology growth has significant effects on lactic acid production. In bioreactors, the filamentous or clump mycelia increase the viscosity of the medium, wrap around impellers, and block the nutrient transportation, leading to a decrease in production efficiency and bioreactor performance. Growing fungi in pellet form can significantly improve these problems. In this study, factors that affect lactic acid production in pelletized flask cultures using R. oryzae NRRL 395 were investigated in detail. Completely randomized designs were used to determine the influence of culture temperature, time, concentration of glucose, and inoculum size. Lactic acid fermentation using clump and pellet morphologies were performed in a 5 L fermentor at the optimal values obtained from flask culture. Finally, fed-batch culture was used to enhance the lactate concentration in broth. The final lactate concentration of fed-batch culture reached 92 g/L. The data presented in the article can provide useful information on optimizing lactic acid production using alternative source materials.
Shock-induced irreversible transformation of titania

Abstract Titania powder compacts have been subjected to explosive high-pressure loading of 20 and 27 GPa and preserved for post-shock analysis. Anatase phase material transforms to rutile at pressures exceeding 20 GPa, while rutile phase material remains in the rutile phase. The presence of platinum metal on titania particles does not appear to influence this transformation. Neither the brookite or high-pressure α-PbO 2 phases of titania are observed in either titania powder. The observations on anatase are the first reported.
NoC-aware cache design for chip multiprocessors

The performance of chip multiprocessors (CMPs) is dependent on the data access latency, which is highly dependent on the design of the on-chip interconnect (NoC) and the organization of the memory caches. However, prior research attempts to optimize the performance of the NoC and cache mostly in isolation of each other. In this work we present a NoC-aware cache design that focuses on communication locality; a property both the cache and NoC affect and can exploit.
TAVI: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Introduction Aortic valvular stenosis is a disease with a long latent period followed by rapid progression to death after the onset of symptoms. The classic series by Ross and Braunwald reports an average survival of 2 to 5 years after symptom onset (Figure 1).1 There is no medical therapy proven to extend survival. Fortunately, surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) is now done with an operative mortality of 3% to 4% for isolated AVR and 5.5% to 6.8% for AVR combined with coronary artery bypass (CAB)2 and with a 10-year survival that averages a little over 60%. The success we have seen with surgical AVR is complicated by an increase in aortic stenosis with age combined with the aging of our population itself. It is estimated that by 85 years of age, 8% of the population will have aortic stenosis.3 Surgical series have been reported with operative mortality of 2% for AVR in patients 80 years and older,4 but increasing age is associated with increasing risk, and not all patients that meet guideline criteria for AVR are offered therapy. It was recently reported in a survey of European centers that 31.8% of patients with severe, isolated, symptomatic aortic stenosis were not offered surgical therapy due to risk level, comorbidities, or patient refusal.5 A large academic medical center in the United States reported a review of echocardiographic results from their institution that showed only 453 out of 740 patients (61%) with severe aortic stenosis — defined as aortic valve area (AVA) of 0.8 cm2 or less — received surgery.6 In the United States, it is estimated that about 749,000 patients have aortic stenosis and, of these, 125,000 have severe stenosis. This can be compared to the estimated number of AVR operations done in the United States annually of 70,000. It is clear that there is a substantial population with severe, life-threatening aortic stenosis that is underserved. This has led to the search for less morbid treatment options for aortic stenosis.
Search engines and privacy

Search engines have become a fundamental tool to access the vast amounts of information available in the World Wide Web in an optimized fashion. As they become ever more powerful, there has been concern on what this could mean for privacy issues, considering the accessibility to personal information in electronic format. This article addresses the nature of these concerns, attempting to clarify the issues at stake in a balanced view considering the position of all parties involved in the problem.
Information myths and intimate partner violence: Sources, contexts, and consequences

Survivors of intimate partner violence face more than information gaps; many face powerful barriers in the form of information myths. Triangulating data from in-depth interviews and community bulletin board postings, this study incorporates insights from survivors, police, and shelter staff to begin mapping the information landscape through which survivors move. An unanticipated feature of that landscape is a set of 28 compelling information myths that prevent some survivors from making effective use of the social, legal, economic, and support resources available to them. This analysis of the sources, contexts, and consequences of these information myths is the first step in devising strategies to counter their ill effects. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Substance K (NKA) increases tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA in cultured substantia nigra

Cultured explants of the mouse substantia nigra were used to analyze mechanisms underlying the depolarization-induced increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity. Steady-state levels of messenger RNA encoding tyrosine hydroxylase were detected using an antisense riboprobe in an RNase protection assay. Explants exposed to the depolarizing agent, veratridine, exhibited an approximate 2-fold increase in tyrosine hydroxylase messenger RNA. Moreover, the native presynaptic excitatory agonist substance K also elicited a significant increase in tyrosine hydroxylase message. We conclude that depolarizing influences induce tyrosine hydroxylase in the cultured substantia nigra in association with an elevation of enzyme messenger RNA.
American attempts to solve Newton's pasturage problem

Abstract Frederick Emerson's North American Arithmetic contained a “pasturage problem” which baffled his compatriots. Actually, as the Americans discovered forty-two years later, this problem was taken from Isaac Newton's Arithmetica Universalis. The history of this problem illuminates the tradition of standard artificial exercises, the isolation of American mathematics, a chain of mathematical and historical plagiarisms, and changing patterns of arithmetical reasoning.
Automated target detection system for hyperspectral imaging sensors

Over the past several years, hyperspectral sensor technology has evolved to the point where real-time processing for operational applications is achievable. Algorithms supporting such sensors must be fully automated and robust. Our approach, for target detection applications, is to select signatures from a target reflectance library database and project them to the at-sensor and collection-specific radiance domain using the weather forecast or radiosonde data. This enables platform-based detection immediately following data acquisition without the need for further atmospheric compensation. One advantage of this method for reflective hyperspectral sensors is the ability to predict the radiance signatures of targets under multiple illumination conditions. A three-phase approach is implemented, where the library generation and data acquisition phases provide the necessary input for the automated detection phase. In addition to employing the target detector itself, this final phase includes a series of automated filters, adaptive thresholding, and confidence assignments to extract the optimal information from the detection scores for each spectral class. Our prototype software is applied to 50 reflective hyperspectral datacubes to measure detection performance over a range of targets, backgrounds, and environmental conditions.
The kinetics of the oxygen—peroxide couple on carbon☆

The reduction of O2 to HO2− and the reverse process have been studied in alkaline solutions on pyrolytic carbon, porous carbon and graphite in which the pores have been filled with paraffin in order to restrict the electrochemical reactions to the outermost surface, mainly by the rotating disk technique. With both types of carbon the cathodic polarization is a linear function of log [i/(iL − i)], where iL is the diffusion limiting current density. The slope ∂η/∂ log [i/(iL − i)] is −0·11 to −0·15 per decade at 25°C for O2 pressures from 1 to 15 atm. The anodic measurements on the paraffin-filled electrodes indicate a kinetically controlled limiting current density which is directly proportional to the HO2− concentration and independent of OH− concentration for 0·1 to 4·0 M KOH. The anodic polarization is a linear function of log [i/(iL − i)] with an approximate slope of 0·12. The cathodic data support the hypothesis that the rate-determining step is an one-electron process leading to the formation of a peroxide-radical intermediate (O2− or O2H) which is probably adsorbed on the electrode surface.
Numerical Modeling Studies of Wake Vortices: Real Case Simulations

A three-dimensional large-eddy simulation model, TASS, is used to simulate the behavior of aircraft wake vortices in a real atmosphere. The purpose for this study is to validate the use of TASS for simulating the decay and transport of wake vortices. Three simulations are performed and the results are compared with the observed data from the 1994-1995 Memphis field experiments. The selected cases have an atmospheric environment of weak turbulence and stable stratification. The model simulations are initialized with appropriate meteorological conditions and a post roll-up vortex system. The behavior of wake vortices as they descend within the atmospheric boundary layer and interact with the ground is discussed.
Sucrose-cleaving enzymes and carbohydrate pools in Lilium longiflorum floral organs

The activities of soluble invertase (EC 3.2.1.26), cell wall invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) were determined in Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cv. Nellie White) floral organs during flower development. These enzyme activities were correlated with dry weight gains and carbohydrate pools to investigate the importance of their expression in maintaining sink strength of floral organs. In the early stages of flower bud development, anthers exhibited the highest rates of dry weight gain and activity of sucrolytic enzymes. Once anther growth was completed, the dry weight gain of tepal, filament, stigma and style increased with a concomitant increase in hexose concentrations and invertase activity. Although all three enzymes capable of catalyzing sucrose cleavage were present in every flower organ of L. longiflorum, soluble invertase was the predominant enzyme in all flower organs except stigma where cell wall invertase dominated. Soluble invertase activity was highly correlated with dry weight gain in most of the flower organs.
A hybrid computational–experimental approach for automated crystal structure solution

Determining crystal structures from diffraction experiments can be labour intensive and prone to errors. A hybrid approach combining experimental diffraction data, statistical symmetry information and first principles-based algorithmic optimization is now proposed to automatically solve crystal structures.
An Exploratory Investigation of User Involvement in New Service Development

Due to major structural changes in the service sector, many service managers are recognizing the need to continually develop new services that are timely and responsive to user needs. Thus, user input and involvement in new service development are an important area of inquiry. Although there has been a resurgence of academic and practitioner interest in new service development, there is a dearth of research on how users are involved in new service development. This study first combines insights from extant literature and exploratory interviews with practitioners to identify four key elements of user involvement, including objectives, stages, intensity, and modes of involvement, and then investigates these four elements in 12 service firms. Based on the findings, the author develops an inventory of activities that needs to be carried out in involving users in a new service development project.
Bisphosphonates and Time to Osteonecrosis Development

Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ) is a complication of long-term bisphosphonate (BP) use. Given the beneficial effects of BP on bone quality in patients with cancer or osteoporosis, it is of great importance to understand the risk as it relates to time to event or cumulative dose until the onset of disease. Because there is no information on the lowest toxic dose from clinical trials, here we report on a review of 71 case series published since 2003. We calculated the weighted mean time to event, as well as the minimum reported time and dose for zoledronate, pamidronate, and oral bisphosphonates. The mean time to BONJ after zoledronate treatment was calculated at 1.8 years and the minimum was 10 months;
A stack-based resource allocation policy for realtime processes

The stack resource policy (SRP) is a resource allocation policy which permits processes with different priorities to share a single runtime stack. It is a refinement of the priority ceiling protocol (PCP), which strictly bounds priority inversion and permits simple schedulability tests. With or without stack sharing, the SRP offers the following improvements over the PCP: (1) it unifies the treatment of stack, reader-writer, multiunit resources, and binary semaphores; (2) it applies directly to some dynamic scheduling policies, including earliest deadline first (EDF), as well as to static priority policies; (3) with EDF scheduling, it supports a stronger schedulability test; and (4) it reduces the maximum number of context switches for a job execution request by a factor of two. It is at least as good as the PCP in reducing maximum priority inversion. >
Detection of Genotoxic Insult as DNA strand breaks in fish blood cells by agarose gel electrophoresis

DNA, isolated from the blood cells of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) exposed in the lab to bedded sediment collected from a site contaminated with genotoxic compounds (i e, PAHs, PCBs, and heavy metals), was examined for strand breakage by agarose gel electrophoresis Before electrophoresis the blood cells were embedded in agarose plugs and incubated with proteinase After electrophoresis under both neutral (pH 7) or alkaline (pH 12) conditions, the median molecular length (MML) of the DNA distributed in the gel was determined These quantitative measures were used to estimate the difference in the number of double and single strand breaks between DNA preparations Both types of strand breakage were found to be greater in fish exposed to sediment contaminated with genotoxic compounds as compared to nonexposed fish A statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between the MML value obtained by the electrophoretic assay reported here and the F value (measure of DNA double strandedness) obtained by the alkaline unwinding assay
The Auto Salvage: A Space of Second Chances:

Using the auto salvage yard as its base of operations, this explorative essay—consisting of text and images—attempts to theorize a concept of salvaging. Generally, the authors ask what “salvaging” ...
Effect of acute unloading via head-up tilt on QTc prolongation in patients with ischemic or non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Patients with advanced cardiomyopathy develop prolongations in ventricular myocyte action potential duration that are reflected by prolongations of QT intervals on surface electrocardiograms. Recent studies demonstrate that the placement of a left ventricular (LV) assist device, which induces profound cardiac decompression, acutely increases QT intervals within hours. The goal of this study was to use head-up tilt (HUT) to examine electrocardiographic responses to cardiac unloading in patients with cardiomyopathy. Surface electrocardiograms were analyzed during HUT in 21 patients with cardiomyopathy (ejection fraction
More gratitude, less materialism: The mediating role of life satisfaction.

An empirical relationship has been documented between gratitude and materialism, such that stronger feelings of gratitude are associated with lower materialism. Building on Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) theory that positive emotions ‘broaden’ and ‘build’ we sought to expand upon this finding by (1) examining satisfaction with life as a potential mechanism for this relationship, and (2) exploring the causal direction of this relationship through experimental means. Study 1 (n = 131) demonstrated that satisfaction with life mediated the relationship between gratitude and materialism. Study 2 (n = 171) showed that that experimentally induced gratitude resulted in higher satisfaction with life and lower materialism in a high gratitude condition compared to an envy (low gratitude) condition. Implications and directions for future research were discussed.
Construction of a sequence motif characteristic of aminergic G protein–coupled receptors

An approach to discover sequence patterns characteristic of ligand classes is described and applied to aminergic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Putative ligand-binding residue positions were inferred from considering three lines of evidence: conservation in the subfamily absent or underrepresented in the superfamily, any available mutation data, and the physicochemical properties of the ligand. For aminergic GPCRs, the motif is composed of a conserved aspartic acid in the third transmembrane (TM) domain (rhodopsin position 117) and a conserved tryptophan in the seventh TM domain (rhodopsin position 293); the roles of each are readily justified by molecular modeling of ligand-receptor interactions. This minimally defined motif is an appropriate computational tool for identifying additional, potentially novel aminergic GPCRs from a set of experimentally uncharacterized "orphan" GPCRs, complementing existing sequence matching, clustering, and machine-learning techniques. Motif sensitivity stems from the stepwise addition of residues characteristic of an entire class of ligand (and not tailored for any particular biogenic amine). This sensitivity is balanced by careful consideration of residues (evidence drawn from mutation data, correlation of ligand properties to residue properties, and location with respect to the extracellular face), thereby maintaining specificity for the aminergic class. A number of orphan GPCRs assigned to the aminergic class by this motif were later discovered to be a novel subfamily of trace amine GPCRs, as well as the successful classification of the histamine H4 receptor.
Corrective consensus: Converging to the exact average

Consensus algorithms provide an elegant distributed way for computing the average of a set of measurements across a sensor network. However, the convergence of the node estimates to the global average depends on the timely and reliable exchange of the measurements to neighboring sensors. These assumptions are violated in practice due to random packet losses, causing the estimated average to be biased. In this paper we present and analyze a practical consensus protocol that overcomes these difficulties and assures convergence to the correct average. Simulation results show that the proposed corrective consensus has ten times less overhead to reach the same level of accuracy as the one achieved by a variant of standard consensus that uses retransmissions to (partially) overcome the negative effects of packet losses. In networks with more severe packet loss rates, corrective consensus is more than forty times more accurate than standard consensus that uses retransmissions. More importantly, by continuing to execute the corrective consensus algorithm the estimation error can become arbitrarily small.
Adenoviral E4 Gene Stimulates Secretion of Pigmental Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF) that Maintains Long-term Survival of Human Glomerulus-derived Endothelial Cells

Renal glomerular endothelial cells are specialized cells with an important role in physiological filtration and glomerular disease. However, maintenance of human primary endothelial cells requires stimulation with serum and growth factors that often results in modification of the cells properties. Previously, expression of early adenovirus region E4 was shown to help maintaining long-term survival of human endothelial cells in serum free media without addition of growth factors. In the current study, we showed that media conditioned with human epithelial cells stably transfected with Ad E4 region also supported survival of human glomerulus-derived endothelial cells in serum-free media. Mass-spectrometry analysis of the conditioned media identified pigmental epithelium derived factor (PEDF) as a major component of the conditioned media. PEDF expression in 293-E4 cells was validated by RT-PCR, Western blot and ELISA analysis. PEDF expression was detected in mouse glomeruli. Supplementation with recombinant PEDF supported survival of primary endothelial cells and the cells transformed with SV40 large T antigen in serum-free media, and extended the life-span of both cell cultures. PEDF did not inhibit FGF-2 stimulated growth and tubulogenesis of endothelial cells. Thus we demonstrated that adenoviral E4 region stimulated expression and secretion of PEDF by human renal epithelial cells that acted as a survival factor for glomerulus-derived endothelial cells.
Establishment of Lipolexis oregmae (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) in a Classical Biological Control Program Directed against the Brown Citrus Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Florida

Abstract The parasitoid Lipolexis oregmae Gahan (introduced as L. scutellaris Mackauer) was imported from Guam, evaluated in quarantine, mass reared, and released into citrus groves in Florida in a classical biological control program directed against the brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida Kirkaldy. Releases of 20,200, 12,100, and 1,260 adults of L. oregmae were made throughout Florida during 2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively. To determine if L. oregmae had successfully established, surveys were conducted throughout the state beginning in the summer of 2001 and continuing through the summer of 2003. Parasitism during 2001 and 2002 was evaluated by holding brown citrus aphids in the laboratory until parasitoid adults emerged. Lipolexis oregmae was found in 10 sites in 7 counties and 4 sites in 3 counties with parasitism rates ranging from 0.7 to 3.3% in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Laboratory tests indicated that high rates of mortality occurred if field-collected parasitized aphids were held in plas...
Approximation Algorithms for Stochastic Optimization Problems in Operations Management

This article provides an introduction to approximation algorithms in stochastic optimization models arising in various application domains, including central areas of operations management, such as scheduling, facility location, vehicle routing problems, inventory and supply chain management, and revenue management. Unfortunately, these models are very hard to solve to optimality in both theory and practice. We will survey recent development on approximation algorithms for these stochastic optimization models and their performance analysis techniques with worst-case performance guarantees. Keywords: approximation algorithms; stochastic optimization; operations management
Rapid regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone gene transcription in vivo

Regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) gene expression in vivo was assessed via in situ hybridization histochemistry, using probes directed against an intronic sequence of the CRH gene. Initial characterization of the CRH intron (CRHin) probe revealed specific localization of signal to the nuclear compartment of neurons in the medial parvocellular paraventricular hypothalamus, which are known to produce CRH peptide and mRNA. Abundance of CRHin signal was low, commensurate with a low resting pool of CRH heteronuclear RNA (hnRNA), representing CRH primary transcript. Regulation of CRH hnRNA levels was assessed after acute glucocorticoid synthesis blockade by injection of metyrapone. Metyrapone inhibits the conversion of 11-deoxycorticosterone to corticosterone, thereby rapidly depleting glucocorticoids and serving as a discrete stimulus for hypothalamo-pituitary-adreno-cortical activation. Plasma hormone measurements verified the efficacy of treatment, as metyrapone-treated rats showed extremely low basal corticosterone levels at all postinjection time points, while exhibiting progressive increases in plasma ACTH release over the 60-min postinjection period. CRH hnRNA levels were markedly increased 15-30 min after metyrapone injection, consistent with a rapid induction of CRH gene transcription in response to the stimulatory event. CRH mRNA, on the other hand, did not exceed control levels until 60 min post metyrapone, illustrative of a temporal lag between transcriptional changes and detectable changes in mRNA pools. Additional sections from metyrapone-and vehicle-treated rats were hybridized with probes complementary to mRNA encoding the immediate-early gene c-fos. c-fos was not present under unstimulated conditions yet was rapidly induced upon metyrapone treatment or vehicle injection (15 min).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Patient-Specific Reminder Letters and Pediatric Well-Child-Care Show Rates:

The objective of this study was to determine whether patient-specific letters, which describe the content of an upcoming well-child appointment, improve the show rate of well-child appointments better than postcard reminders. In this prospective clinical trial conducted at a pediatric continuity clinic in a teaching hospital, 288 newborns were randomized to a letter, postcard, or control group. For every well-child appointment, families were sent either a letter pertaining to the particular well-child appointment or a postcard; the control group received no reminders. There were no differences in demographics among the groups. The show rates between the letter and postcard groups were not different, but were significantly higher than the show rate for the control group (75.0%, 73.7%, and 67.5%, respectively; P < .05). A cost comparison between the use of postcards versus not using postcards revealed a benefit in the former. We concluded postcard reminders are effective in improving show rates for well-child-care visits, and that patient-specific letters have no additional benefit above that of postcard reminders.
What makes killing wrong

What makes an act of killing morally wrong is not that the act causes loss of life or consciousness but rather that the act causes loss of all remaining abilities. This account implies that it is not even pro tanto morally wrong to kill patients who are universally and irreversibly disabled, because they have no abilities to lose. Applied to vital organ transplantation, this account undermines the dead donor rule and shows how current practices are compatible with morality.
A do re mi encore: A closer look at the personality correlates of music preferences.

Abstract. Through the development of the Short Test of Musical Preferences (STOMP) and a larger theory of music preferences, Rentfrow and Gosling (2003, 2006) have helped guide the way toward understanding the role of music in people's lives, and the relationship between music preferences and personality. The four music dimensions they established in their 2003 study provide a broad-brush look at some of the relationships between music preferences and personality. This study of 83 undergraduates at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, used the NEO-PI, rather than the Big Five Inventory, which allowed us to examine the six facets that make up each of the Big Five traits as well as those traits themselves, and it looked separately at the music genres that make up the four music dimensions identified by Rentfrow and Gosling (2003). The findings provide general support for Rentfrow and Gosling's work, but they also demonstrate that the personality patterns for the specific music genres differ considerably from...
Fire severity effects on soil organic matter from a ponderosa pine forest: a laboratory study.

This study investigated the changes in soil organic matter composition by controlling fire severity of laboratory burns on reconstructed surface soil profiles (O, A1 (0–1 cm), and A2 (1–2 cm)). Laboratory burning simulated prescribed burns that would be typical in the understorey of a ponderosa pine forest at low, moderate, and high–moderate severity levels. Soils were analysed for C, N and soil organic matter composition. Soil organic matter was fractionated into humin, humic acid, fulvic acid, soluble non‐humic materials and other hydrophobic compounds. In the O horizon, low‐, moderate‐, and high‐severity treatments consumed an increasing proportion of C and N. Carbon content of the mineral soil was unaffected by burning; however, N content of the A2 horizon decreased after the moderate‐ and high‐severity treatments, likely as a result of N volatilisation. The proportion of non‐soluble material in the O horizon increased with fire severity, whereas the proportion of humin C as total C of the A horizon decreased with fire severity. The decrease in humin was followed by an increase in the other hydrophobic compounds. The higher fire intensity experienced by the burning O horizon created recalcitrant materials while an increase in labile soil organic matter was observed in mineral soil. An increase in labile soil organic matter may cause elevated C and N mineralisation rates often seen after fire.
Summary of session 6: aging effects in RPC detectors

Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) detectors are a very important part of present and future large-scale experiments. The present Bfactory experiments, Belle and BaBar, operate at much larger luminosity (>3×10 33 cm -2 sec -1 ) compared to their predecessors at LEP, where the RPC rates were not much higher than cosmic ray rates. Both Belle and BaBar RPC detectors operate in streamer mode. On the other hand, the LHC RPC detectors will operate in proportional mode, which is advantageous in terms of lower accumulated charge per track; however, it may be offset by considerably higher rates, assuming that the aging scales simply as total accumulated charge. The fear that the LHC RPC detectors may encounter similar difficulties as the B-factory RPCs prompted a very intensive RD this may not be a stable process resulting in electrode charging effects after a certain level of accumulated charge (see Section 2 on Bakelite RPC, below). One should point out that changes in glass conductivity were observed in the Micro-strip detectors, which prevented successful operation, and forced the designers to choose a special electronconducting glass for the substrate [3]. However, based on the Belle experience, these processes are not significant up to this point. 2. BaBar Experience.
Media form and government: Democracy as an archetypal image in the electronic age

This essay suggests that media form and government are related. From this perspective, cultural systems are defined by their dominant communication technologies which ultimately privileges some forms of government and disadvantages others. Employed as an extended example, democracy is traced through different cultural systems. The examination leads to the conclusion that participatory democracy functions as an archetypal image or ideal that dominates political thinking and political communication in contemporary culture. The structural features, logics, and tendencies of communication technologies explored here suggest that researchers might reasonably anticipate changes in government form and political communication.
Multi-hazard Detection by Integrating Social Media and Physical Sensors

Disaster Management is one of the most important functions of the government. FEMA and CDC are two examples of government agencies directly charged with handling disasters, whereas USGS is a scientific agency oriented towards disaster research. But regardless of the type or purpose, each of the mentioned agencies utilizes Social Media as part of its activities. One of the uses of Social Media is in detection of disasters, such as earthquakes. But disasters may lead to other kinds of disasters, forming multi-hazards such as landslides. Effective detection and management of multi-hazards cannot rely only on one information source. In this chapter, we describe and evaluate a prototype implementation of a landslide detection system LITMUS, which combines multiple physical sensors and Social Media to handle the inherent varied origins and composition of multi-hazards. Our results demonstrate that LITMUS detects more landslides than the ones reported by an authoritative source.
Oral toxicity of abamectin, dechlorane, and sulfluramid to free-foraging workers of Camponotus pennsylvanicus (Hymenoptera : Formicidae)

Oral toxicities of delayed-action insecticides abamectin, dechlorane, and sulfluramid were characterized in free-foraging Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) workers gathering insecticide-laced, sugar-milk baits. Abamectin acted significantly faster than either dechlorane or sulfluramid. When workers fed upon 500-ppm baits, abamectin killed the ants faster (LT50 [95% CL] = 1.06 [0.88-1.23] d) than either dechlorane (5.82 [5.62-6.00] d) or sulfluramid (6.20 [5.76-6.65] d). All toxicants were readily transferred by trophallaxis. In ants that were exposed to a single forager that had fed upon a 500-ppm bait, abamectin caused death more rapidly (LT50 [95% CL] = 2.56 [2.29-2.81] d) than did dechlorane (6.71 [6.35-7.05] d) or sulfluramid (6.96 [6.06-8.42] d). In both direct and indirect exposures, significant concentration-dependent time delays before mortality were observed for all toxins. Based on the effective lethal time for 90% (ELT90) of the exposed workers, the concentration dependence of the time delays for dechlorane and sulfluramid were equivalent, and both were active over a wider range of concentrations than abamectin.
Comments on Taxonomy, Independence, and Mathematical Models (With Reference to a Methodology of Machol and Singer)

Some principles of statistics, and of science more generally, are presented in a taxonomic context. Some previously promised criticism of the approach of Machol and Singer, additional to that of Ki...
Regulation of Iron-Catalyzed Olefin Hydroboration by Ligand Modifications at a Remote Site

An amide-derived N,N,N-Fe(II) complex catalyzes the hydroboration of alkenes at room temperature. Alkylation of a remote site on the ligand backbone was used as a late-stage modification to provide a more electrophilic complex as determined by electrochemical studies. The alkylated variant, compared to the parent complex, catalyzes olefin hydroboration with an increased reaction rate and exhibits distinct regioselectivity for internal alkene hydroboration.
Fluorescent imaging reports an extracellular alkalinization induced by glutamatergic activation of isolated retinal horizontal cells

Extracellular acidification induced by retinal horizontal cells has been hypothesized to underlie lateral feedback inhibition onto vertebrate photoreceptors. To test this hypothesis, the H+-sensiti...
The new era of anticoagulation.

For decades, warfarin, a Vitamin K antagonist, was the only oral anticoagulant available to physicians. However, over the last decade, newer agents with different mechanisms of action have become available for the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic events. Physicians must become familiar with the pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of action, indications, risks, and benefits of these agents to become comfortable using them in clinical practice. This review will serve to discuss these aspects of the novel non-Vitamin K oral anticoagulant agents.
Powerful Leaders and Satisfied Followers: Role of Social Worth and Leadership Prototypes.

This study integrates leader categorization theory (Lord, Foti, & DeVader, 1984) and social ledger perspective (Labianca & Brass, 2006) to explain why some supervisors are recognized as ideal leade...
Simulation Analysis of B10RWD Engine Performance and MOP Optimization

This paper used AVL Boost software to model B10RWD engine performance and optimize MOP(Maxmum Opening Position) having verified the model correctness.We combine basic methods of calculating gasoline engine working process with AVL BOOST to establish working process model of B10RWD engine,and appropriately estimate the necessary parameter values; Finally,by using the gasoline engine working process model and according to the actual circumstances of B10RWD engine project's development,authors simulated and experimentally optimized B10RWD engine intake and exhaust MOP perspective to achieve the object of saving project development costs and declining energy consumption.