cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opposing actions of adenosine A2a and dopamine D2 receptor activation on GABA release in the basal ganglia: Evidence for an A2a/D2 receptor interaction in globus pallidus

There is increasing evidence that adenosine (ADO) and dopamine (DA) interact directly in the basal ganglia via actions at ADO A2a and DA D2 receptors, respectively. The purpose of this study was to determine 1) the extent to which these receptors modulate endogenous GABA release in discrete regions of the rat basal ganglia and 2) whether GABA release is modulated by a direct and opposing interaction between ADO A2a and DA D2 receptors. Tissue slices of striatum (STR) containing globus pallidus (GP; STR/GP) and micropunches of STR, GP, and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) were studied. Radioligand binding demonstrated that ADO A1, ADO A2a, and DA D2 receptors were present in each of the tissue preparations with the exception of SNr, in which ADO A2a receptors were not detected. Stimulation of ADO A2a receptors with CGS 21680 (1-10 nM) increased electrically stimulated GABA release in STR/GP slices and GP micropunches. Consistent with the lack of A2a receptors in SNr, CGS 21680 had no effect on GABA release from this region. In contrast, stimulation of DA D2 receptors with N-0437 (1-100 nM) inhibited evoked GABA release from STR/GP slices and both GP and SNr micropunches. The D2-mediated inhibition of GABA release in GP was abolished in the presence of CGS 21680 (10 nM). These experiments demonstrate that stimulation of ADO A2a and DA D2 receptors has opposing effects on endogenous GABA release in STR and GP. These opposing actions may explain the antagonistic interactions between ADO and DA that have been observed in behavioral studies and support the hypothesis that the striatopallidal efferent system is an important anatomical substrate for the A2a/D2 receptor interaction.
An Investigation of the Value of Cross-Docking for Supply Chain Management

Cross-docking is one way that the time inventory spends in the supply chain is reduced. Inventory flow is accelerated by the practice by immediately moving products "cross-dock" for outbound shipment to customers after receiving them. Each of cross-docking's several different approaches has its own requirements and impacts on customers, distributors, and manufacturers. The authors focus on deconsolidation arrangements (also known as "break-bulk warehouses"). This practice involves, for ease of delivery, breaking large shipments into smaller lots, often changing the means of conveyance from the inbound shipment. They conclude, through numerical study, that cross-docking can provide significant value to organizations given appropriate conditions.
Palliative Care in Urology

Urological malignancies, especially prostate cancer, are relatively common, but patients may live many years before eventually dying of the disease. Caring for these patients is an important role for urologists, although medical training often does not adequately prepare urologists for the palliative care of patients with advanced malignancies. Palliative care is no longer equated with end-of-life care, but rather integrated throughout illness, even when cure is impossible. This article focuses on the various palliative treatments available for the 3 most common urological malignancies: prostate, bladder, and renal cancers.
Application of metadata modeling to dispute review report management

Abstract Disagreements in construction projects often result in litigation that is both time‐consuming and expensive. A dispute review board (DRB) provides a valuable and proven alternative method of dispute resolution. Currently, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) stores DRB reports in portable document format (PDF) with limited search capability. Improving information retrieval of DRB documents and providing a certain level of integration of DRB reports with relevant but heterogeneous data and documents is the key to enhancing the current FDOT DRB system. This paper presents a web‐based data management framework to improve information management processes of the FDOT DRB system by providing key features such as metadata generation, an integrated review process, a simple issue description, member information management, and versatile information search. The new system not only allows DRB members and FDOT construction engineers to store and retrieve DRB reports but also provides more function...
Acommodation in the northern rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris rupestris) in response to natural stimuli

Abstract A television-videotape system was used to monitor and record the accommodative lens movements of a fish, the northern rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris rupestris). The results demonstrate that large accommodative changes in the rostral-caudal direction occur naturally in response to behaviorally meaningful visual stimuli, such as a feeding stimulus. Such responses have been previously induced artificially with pharmocological agents.
Multiple-electron ionization, capture, and loss by 19-MeV F q + ( q =2–9) in collisions with Ne and Ar

Charge-exchange processes in fast collisions of F{sup {ital q}+} ({ital q}=2--9) on Ne and Ar gas targets have been studied using the projectile--recoil-ion coincidence method. The target ionization without a projectile charge change increases with increasing projectile charge approximately as {similar_to}{ital q}{sup 1.4}. This dependence is weaker than the {ital q}{sup 2} dependence predicted by the first Born approximation because of the large ionization probabilities involved. The single-electron-capture cross sections follow the known {ital q}{sup 3} scaling law, while the double-electron-capture cross sections display a {ital q}{sup 6} dependence, as predicted by the independent-electron approximation for small capture probabilities. Single- and double-electron loss from the {ital L} shell decreases with increasing {ital q} mainly because of the decrease in the number of {ital L}-shell electrons, while binding-energy effects play only a minor role. In contrast, the large sudden decrease in electron-loss cross sections once {ital K}-shell electrons must be removed is due to the large increase in binding energy.
Epidermal growth factor receptor and activated epidermal growth factor receptor expression in gastrointestinal carcinoids and pancreatic endocrine carcinomas

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many tumors. To analyze the expression of EGFR and activated EGFR in well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas including primary and metastatic gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors and pancreatic endocrine tumors (PET), we examined 58 gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors and 48 PET using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and RT-PCR. EGFR and activated EGFR (P-EGFR) were expressed by both gastrointestinal carcinoids and PET in primary and metastatic tumors, although a higher percentage of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors expressed EGFR and activated EGFR. Western blotting detected a 170 kDa band for both EGFR and activated EGFR in three primary carcinoid tumors and two metastatic carcinoid tumors to the liver. RT-PCR analysis confirmed the expression of EGFR mRNA in both primary and metastatic carcinoid tumors. Patients with activated EGFR expression in their primary PET had a significantly worse prognosis compared to those who did not express activated-EGFR (P = 0.043). These results indicate that gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors as well as PET express EGFR and activated EGFR, and that expression is more common in gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors compared to pancreatic endocrine tumors. These findings implicate the EGFR and P-EGFR signal transduction pathway in the pathogenesis of these neuroendocrine tumors and suggest that targeted therapy directed against the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain may be a useful therapeutic approach in patients with unresectable metastatic gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors and pancreatic endocrine tumors.
Stability Of Thin Te And Te-Alloy Films For Optical Data Storage

The stability of Te and Te-alloy films for optical data storage was studied both over a large area by using a uniformly illuminated light source and locally by using a scanning laser beam. These films are found to degrade uniformly, with limited localized degradation. The dominant degradation mechanism of thin Te films is the uniform oxidation of Te to an optically non-absorbing TeO2. Localized degradation occurs only at regions where initial defects on the film or when conditions leading to water condensation on the surface of the film are present. Promising Te-based optical recording media with both excellent archival stability and reasonable laser writing characteristics have been developed from this study.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Chemical analysis using J-coupling multiplets in zero-field NMR

Abstract Zero-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is emerging as a new, potentially portable, and cost-effective NMR modality with the ability to provide information-rich, high-resolution spectra. We present simple rules for analysis of zero-field NMR spectra based on first-order perturbation theory and the addition of angular momenta. These rules allow for the prediction of observed spectral lines without numerical simulation. Results are presented for a few small organic molecules with characteristic spin topologies, demonstrating unambiguous assignment of peaks, highlighting the potential of zero-field NMR as a tool for chemical identification.
Effect of rate of nitrapyrin and source of N on soil pH and response of burley tobacco

Abstract A field experiment was conducted on Maury silt loam soil (Typic Paleudalf) during 2 years to determine the effects of rate of nitrapyrin and source of N fertilizer on soil pH and response of burley tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.cv.xKy‐14'). All sources of N were applied at the rate of 280 kg N ha‐1. The information was needed to increase the efficiency of N fertilizer use and improve the growth and safety of tobacco. Results indicated that application of a NO3 ‐source of N fertilizer or low rates of nitrapyrin (0.56 to 2.24 kg ha‐1) decreased surface soil acidification and the concentration of plant Mn, while plant dry weight early in the growing season was increased. The early growth benefits noted for .nitrapyrin did not lead to increased cured leaf yields or value. Cured leaf yield and value were highest in plots receiving Ca(NO3)2, followed by KH4NO3, then urea. Concentration of protein N, total alkaloids, and total volatile nitrogenous bases of cured leaves increased and NO3 ‐‐N decreased as ...
Identification of volatile chemical signatures from plastic explosives by SPME-GC/MS and detection by ion mobility spectrometry

This study demonstrates the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to extract and pre-concentrate volatile signatures from static air above plastic explosive samples followed by detection using ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) optimized to detect the volatile, non-energetic components rather than the energetic materials. Currently, sample collection for detection by commercial IMS analyzers is conducted through swiping of suspected surfaces for explosive particles and vapor sampling. The first method is not suitable for sampling inside large volume areas, and the latter method is not effective because the low vapor pressure of some explosives such as RDX and PETN make them not readily available in the air for headspace sampling under ambient conditions. For the first time, headspace sampling and detection of Detasheet, Semtex H, and C-4 is reported using SPME-IMS operating under one universal setting with limits of detection ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 ng for the target volatile signatures. The target signature compounds n-butyl acetate and the taggant DMNB are associated with untagged and tagged Detasheet explosives, respectively. Cyclohexanone and DMNB are associated with tagged C-4 explosives. DMNB is associated with tagged Semtex H explosives. Within 10 to 60 s of sampling, the headspace inside a glass vial containing 1 g of explosive, more than 20 ng of the target signatures can be extracted by the SPME fiber followed by IMS detection.
Technical assessment of an integrated gasification fuel cell combined cycle with carbon capture

Abstract This work presents systems analysis results of an integrated gasification fuel cell (IGFC) combined cycle with carbon capture. The study assumes the use of an atmospheric pressure solid oxide fuel cell. The efficiency, carbon capture potential, and water consumption rates are evaluated and compared to another advanced coal-based power system, an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC).
Interactions of Indocyanine Green and Lipid in Enhancing Near-Infrared Fluorescence Properties: The Basis for Near-Infrared Imaging in Vivo

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a near-infrared (NIR) contrast agent commonly used for in vivo cardiovascular and eye imaging. For medical diagnosis, ICG is limited by its aqueous instability, concentration-dependent aggregation, and rapid degradation. To overcome these limitations, scientists have formulated ICG in various liposomes, which are spherical lipid membrane vesicles with an aqueous core. Some encapsulate ICG, while others mix it with liposomes. There is no clear understanding of lipid–ICG interactions. Therefore, we investigated lipid–ICG interactions by fluorescence and photon correlation spectroscopy. These data were used to design stable and maximally fluorescent liposomal ICG nanoparticles for NIR optical imaging of the lymphatic system. We found that ICG binds to and is incorporated completely and stably into the lipid membrane. At a lipid:ICG molar ratio of 250:1, the maximal fluorescence intensity was detected. ICG incorporated into liposomes enhanced the fluorescence intensity that could be...
Pion production in nuclear collisions with Fermi motion effects

The independent multiple collision model for pion production in nuclear collisions is extended to include the effects of Fermi motion. We have developed an analytic expression for the distribution of invariant mass for colliding nucleons whose momentum distributions are in relative motion. This expression is tractable if the colliding distributions are described in terms of Gaussian functions. We make use of this formalism to calculate Fermi averaged cross sections for pion production, using as input multi-Gaussian fits to momentum distributions obtained from nuclear structure calculations. We have calculated charged pion multiplicity distributions and inclusive cross sections for proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. We use a phenomenological method for incorporating the effects of energy loss by participant nucleons and pion reabsorption. Sample calculations are presented and compared with available experimental data. We discuss the striking effect of Fermi motion on pion production at bombarding energies below the nucleon-nucleon pion production threshold.NUCLEAR REACTIONS Particle production, pion multiplicities, pion inclusive cross sections, Fermi motion effects, absorption and energy loss effects, intermediate energy particle-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions.
The Structure and Maintenance of Stationary Waves in the Winter Northern Hemisphere

Abstract Previous studies of extratropical stationary waves in the winter Northern Hemisphere (NH) often focused on effects of orography and land–ocean thermal contrast on the formation, structure, and maintenance of these waves. In contrast, research attention to tropical stationary waves was attracted by the summer monsoon circulations and the ENSO-related climate variability. Consequently, the structure and basic dynamics of tropical stationary waves and the relationship of these waves with those in mid–high latitudes have long been neglected. Thus, the following several distinct features of observed winter NH stationary waves have not been explained: 1) an abrupt change in the longitudinal phase across 30°N; 2) a transition from the vertical phase reversal of tropical stationary waves to the vertically westward tilt of extratropical stationary waves; and 3) a longitudinally quarter-phase relationship between stationary waves and east–west circulations, and a reversal of this relationship across 30°N. ...
Syntactic styles in emerging language

In this longitudinal investigation of the emerging grammar of seven children, differences in linguistic acquisition were observed. The syntactic analyses applied to the corpora included examination of emerging complexity, observance of word order constraints and subject-predicate specification among others. These analyses revealed two distinct styles of syntactic acquisition. These linguistic styles appeared to be sex- and speed-related with specific ties to particular utterance types and grammatical-relational specification. The observed styles of syntactic acquisition were differentiated by these differences so that the differences themselves constituted the style characteristics.
Usefulness of Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure.

Abstract One hundred fifty-one consecutive patients with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF) referred for echocardiography were prospectively evaluated to (1) define the frequency of normal left ventricular systolic function in a referral-based population with CHF; (2) establish cardiac mechanisms responsible for symptomatology in these patients; and (3) assess the ability to clinically differentiate these subsets of patients based on routine history and physical examination. Of the 151 total patients, 51 (34%) had normal left ventricular systolic function (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥55%). Primary valvular disease was present in 4 of these 51 patients (8%), and Doppler echocardiographic evidence of abnormal left ventricular filling (diastolic dysfunction) was evident in 10 (20%). In addition, no predefined resting abnormality was noted in 34 (66%) of them. Despite this finding, 51% of all patients with normal left ventricular systolic function were being treated with digoxin therapy in the absence of atrial arrhythmia. Clinical differentiation of this group of patients from those with abnormal left ventricular systolic function was difficult and may have accounted for this apparently inappropriate treatment. Thus, evaluation of left ventricular function and of causative mechanisms of CHF before initiation of long-term treatment is mandatory.
CLeVer : a feature subset selection technique for multivariate time series

Feature subset selection (FSS) is one of the data pre-processing techniques to identify a subset of the original features from a given dataset before performing any data mining tasks. We propose a novel FSS method for Multivariate Time Series (MTS) based on Common Principal Components, termed CLeVer. It utilizes the properties of the principal components to retain the correlation information among original features while traditional FSS techniques, such as Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), may lose it. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of our selected subset of features, classification is employed as the target data mining task. Our experiments show that CLeVer outperforms RFE and Fisher Criterion by up to a factor of two in terms of classification accuracy, while requiring up to 2 orders of magnitude less processing time.
Cardiac-Specific Overexpression of GLUT1 Prevents the Development of Heart Failure Attributable to Pressure Overload in Mice

Background—Increased rates of glucose uptake and glycolysis have been repeatedly observed in cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Although these changes have been considered part of the fetal gene reactivation program, the functional significance of increased glucose utilization in hypertrophied and failing myocardium is poorly understood. Methods and Results—We generated transgenic (TG) mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of insulin-independent glucose transporter GLUT1 to recapitulate the increases in basal glucose uptake rate observed in hypertrophied hearts. Isolated perfused TG hearts showed a greater rate of basal glucose uptake and glycolysis than hearts isolated from wild-type littermates, which persisted after pressure overload by ascending aortic constriction (AAC). The in vivo cardiac function in TG mice, assessed by echocardiography, was unaltered. When subjected to AAC, wild-type mice exhibited a progressive decline in left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening accompanied by ventricular dilation and decreased phosphocreatine to ATP ratio and reached a mortality rate of 40% at 8 weeks. In contrast, TG-AAC mice maintained LV function and phosphocreatine to ATP ratio and had 10% mortality. Conclusions—We found that increasing insulin-independent glucose uptake and glycolysis in adult hearts does not compromise cardiac function. Furthermore, we demonstrate that increasing glucose utilization in hypertrophied hearts protects against contractile dysfunction and LV dilation after chronic pressure overload. (Circulation. 2002;106:21252131.)
The Social Transformation of Trust in Government

The phenomenon of declining political trust among the American public has been widely discussed, with the explanations often focusing on specific historical events or the unique problems of American political institutions. We first demonstrate that public doubts about politicians and government are spreading across almost all advanced industrial democracies. The pervasiveness of this trend suggests that common social forces are affecting these nations, and we examine the social correlates of the decrease in trust. We find the greatest declines are among the better-educated and upper social status. These results suggest that changing citizen expectations, rather than the failure of governments, are prompting the erosion of political support in advanced industrial democracies.
Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and Its Influence on Apparent Efficacy

Background Evidence-based medicine is valuable to the extent that the evidence base is complete and unbiased. Selective publication of clinical trials — and the outcomes within those trials — can lead to unrealistic estimates of drug effectiveness and alter the apparent risk–benefit ratio. Methods We obtained reviews from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for studies of 12 antidepressant agents involving 12,564 patients. We conducted a systematic literature search to identify matching publications. For trials that were reported in the literature, we compared the published outcomes with the FDA outcomes. We also compared the effect size derived from the published reports with the effect size derived from the entire FDA data set. Results Among 74 FDA-registered studies, 31%, accounting for 3449 study participants, were not published. Whether and how the studies were published were associated with the study outcome. A total of 37 studies viewed by the FDA as having positive results were published; 1 stu...
The effects of geography and hurricane disturbance on a tropical predator-prey interaction

Abstract Temperate-tropical predation comparisons require estimates of the variability of predation intensity within those climatic zones. Latitudinal comparisons are possible only if predation is consistent within localized areas. This study investigated two aspects of predation intensity experienced by the Caribbean ophiuroid Ophiothrix oerstedi Lutken within and among back reef sites in Jamaica, St. Croix, Barbados, and Belize. Predation potential, the propensity of predators to consume prey, was measured experimentally as the mortality of tethered ophiuroids. Predation pressure, the natural frequency of predator-prey encounters, was measured as the frequency of sublethal damage: the proportion of ophiuroids regenerating one or more arms. Daytime and nighttime predation potentials were clustered by site, not by season, year, or temporal relationship to hurricane events. Daytime predation potential was positively correlated with the abundance of predatory fishes (wrasses). Although the abundance of nocturnal predators did not vary significantly among sites, among-site differences in species composition partially explained the observed differences in nighttime predation potential. There were neither significant among-site differences, nor within-site temporal patterns, in the frequency of sublethal arm damage in O. oerstedi populations. Strong hurricanes did not increase arm damage frequencies at Jamaica or St. Croix, implying that few injuries are caused by storms. The consistency of predation potential on O. oerstedi within sites suggest that latitudinal comparisons will be possible with ophiuroids.
Interference structure of the Mie extinction cross section

It is shown that, in the large-size-parameter region (x ≫ n2/2) the Re(an + bn) is independent of the summation index n. For real refractive indices m 2.5 the extinction curve does not have a simple periodic structure, since several terms of approximately equal magnitudes and different x dependences contribute to the Re(an + bn).
Comparison of regular insulin infusion doses in critically ill diabetic cats: 29 cases (1999-2007).

Objective – To compare biochemical parameters, neurologic changes, length of hospital stay, and clinical improvement in 3 groups of cats with diabetic ketosis/diabetic ketoacidosis (DK/DKA) prescribed varied doses of regular insulin as a continuous rate of infusion (CRI). Design – Retrospective study. Setting – University teaching hospital. Animals – Twenty-nine client-owned cats with DK/DKA prescribed a regular insulin CRI. Interventions – Cats were grouped as follows: 7 cats each in Group 1 and 2, (prescribed 1.1 and 2.2 U/kg/d, respectively), and 15 cats in Group 3 (prescribed increasing doses as needed). Measurements and Main Results – None of the groups received the total prescribed dose of insulin. The mean actual dose administered/kg/d ranged from 0.30 (0.21) to 0.87 (0.32) U/kg/d in Groups 1, 2, and 3. There was no difference in mean minimum blood glucose (BG) per 4 hours or change in BG from baseline per 4 hours between Groups 1 and 2 (P=0.63, 0.50). There was no difference between groups regarding the time required to reach a BG ≤13.9 mmol/L (250 mg/dL), serum phosphorus or potassium concentrations relative to baseline values (P=0.53, 0.90), length of time until urine or serum ketones were no longer detected (P=0.73), the animal commenced eating (P=0.24), or length of hospital stay (P=0.63). Four of the cats had declining mentation during hospitalization; there were no relationships between osmolality at presentation, either prescribed or administered insulin dose, and mentation changes. Three of the 4 cats with declining mentation survived. Twenty-seven of the 29 cats (93%) survived to discharge. Conclusions – In this study, prescribing the published canine dose (2.2 U/kg/d) of regular insulin to cats with DK/DKA does not appear to increase the frequency of adverse neurologic or biochemical sequelae compared with cats that are prescribed the published cat dose (1.1 U/kg/d). The use of a sliding scale for determination of infusion rates significantly reduces the amount of insulin cats receive in this setting. Determination of whether adverse sequelae would occur more frequently if cats with DK/DKA received the full insulin prescribed doses of 1.1, 2.2, or >2.2 U/kg/d is warranted. Further controlled studies are necessary to determine if higher doses of insulin are associated with beneficial effects on morbidity or mortality.
Host reactions of Musca domestica, Orthellia caesarion, and Ravinia I'herminieri to the nematode Heterotylenchus autumnalis*

The nematode, Heterotylenehus autumnalis, generally failed to develop successfully in Musca domestica L., Orthellia caesarion (Meigen) and Ravinia l'herminieri(Robineau-Desvoidy). Failure is attributed mainly to host resistance in the form of haemocytic encapsulation of the small gamogenetic female nematode. In a few instances, the nematode was able to complete development successfully in housefly and Orthellia, but was not capable of leaving the host. These few instances of development in the unnatural, experimental hosts are attributed in part to general ’weakening’ of the host by superparasitism. In many cases superparasitism resulted in the death of the fly larvae or pupae.Tracheolar proliferation was usually associated with the encapsulated nematodes and there was evidence that many of them were expelled from the host during pupation. We also observed nematodes with cephalic caps of dark material, presumably melanin, and some that were tightly girdled with this material. A host reaction, apparently never before reported for a parasitized insect, was the darkening (presumably melanization) of the larval anal organ.The authors would like to express their appreciation to Dr A. J. Nappi, Biology Department, State University of New York, Oswego, New York, and Dr G. 0. Poinar, Jr., Department of Entomology and Parasitology, University of California, Berkeley, California, for reading an early draft of the manuscript and offering critical comments. The senior author would like to express his deep appreciation to Dr W. R. Nickle, Nematology Investigations, Crops Research Division, Agr. Res. Serv., USDA, Beltsville, Maryland, and to Dr H. Welch, Zoology Department, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, for their help and encouragement during the course of this study. This study was supported in part by a grant from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation.
FlexiTaint: A programmable accelerator for dynamic taint propagation

This paper presents FlexiTaint, a hardware accelerator for dynamic taint propagation. FlexiTaint is implemented as an in-order addition to the back-end of the processor pipeline, and the taints for memory locations are stored as a packed array in regular memory. The taint propagation scheme is specified via a software handler that, given the operation and the sourcespsila taints, computes the new taint for the result. To keep performance overheads low, FlexiTaint caches recent taint propagation lookups and uses a filter to avoid lookups for simple common-case behavior. We also describe how to implement consistent taint propagation in a multi-core environment. Our experiments show that FlexiTaint incurs average performance overheads of only 1% for SPEC2000 benchmarks and 3.7% for Splash-2 benchmarks, even when simultaneously following two different taint propagation policies.
Dual effect of oxidative stress on leukemia cancer induction and treatment.

Oxidative stress (OS) has been characterized by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a biological system’s ability to repair oxidative damage or to neutralize the reactive intermediates including peroxides and free radicals. High ROS production has been associated with significant decrease in antioxidant defense mechanisms leading to protein, lipid and DNA damage and subsequent disruption of cellular functions. In humans, OS has been reported to play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, as well as atherosclerosis, autism, cancer, heart failure, and myocardial infarction. Although OS has been linked to the etiology and development of chronic diseases, many chemotherapeutic drugs have been shown to exert their biologic activity through induction of OS in affected cells. This review highlights the controversial role of OS in the development and progression of leukemia cancer and the therapeutic application of increased OS and antioxidant approaches to the treatment of leukemia patients.
Calibration of visually guided reaching is driven by error-corrective learning and internal dynamics.

The sensorimotor calibration of visually guided reaching changes on a trial-to-trial basis in response to random shifts in the visual feedback of the hand. We show that a simple linear dynamical sy...
Seasonal Variation in American Black Bear Ursus americanus Activity Patterns: Quantification Via Remote Photography

Activity pattern plasticity may serve as an evolutionary adaptation to optimize fitness in an inconstant environment, however, quantifying patterns and demonstrating variation can be problematic. For American black bears Ursus americanus, wariness and habitat inaccessibility further complicate quantification. Radio telemetry has been the primary technique used to examine activity, however, interpretation error and limitation on numbers of animals available to monitor prevent extrapolation to unmarked or untransmittered members of the population. We used remote cameras to quantify black bear activity patterns and examined differences by season, sex and reproductive class in the Alleghany Mountains of western Virginia, USA. We used 1,533 pictures of black bears taken during 1998–2002 for our analyses. Black bears generally were diurnal in summer and nocturnal in autumn with a vespertine activity peak during both seasons. Bear-hound training seasons occurred during September and may offer explanation for the observed shift towards nocturnal behaviour. We found no substantial differences in activity patterns between sex and reproductive classes. Use of remote cameras allowed us to efficiently sample larger numbers of individual animals and likely offered a better approximation of population-level activity patterns than individual-level, telemetry-based methodologies.
Elemental analysis of chamber organic aerosol using an aerodyne high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer

Abstract. The elemental composition of laboratory chamber secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from glyoxal uptake, α-pinene ozonolysis, isoprene photooxidation, single-ring aromatic photooxidation, and naphthalene photooxidation is evaluated using Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer data. SOA O/C ratios range from 1.13 for glyoxal uptake experiments to 0.30–0.43 for α-pinene ozonolysis. The elemental composition of α-pinene and naphthalene SOA is also confirmed by offline mass spectrometry. The fraction of organic signal at m/z 44 is generally a good measure of SOA oxygenation for α-pinene/O3, isoprene/high-NOx, and naphthalene SOA systems. The agreement between measured and estimated O/C ratios tends to get closer as the fraction of organic signal at m/z 44 increases. This is in contrast to the glyoxal uptake system, in which m/z 44 substantially underpredicts O/C. Although chamber SOA has generally been considered less oxygenated than ambient SOA, single-ring aromatic- and naphthalene-derived SOA can reach O/C ratios upward of 0.7, well within the range of ambient PMF component OOA, though still not as high as some ambient measurements. The spectra of aromatic and isoprene-high-NOx SOA resemble that of OOA, but the spectrum of glyoxal uptake does not resemble that of any ambient organic aerosol PMF component.
Fuzzy logic tools needed for intellectual capital management systems

A recent survey reveals top Fortune 500 and Canadian Post 300 managers expect employee knowledge to be the most valuable intangible asset of their firm in the year 2000. Information systems can support knowledge management activities with knowledge management support systems (KMSSs). Because of the nature of knowledge itself, efforts to capture it in a corporate knowledge base will require the use of fuzzy and other approximate reasoning methodologies to extend the grasp of traditional computerized quantitative tools.
Development of Si-SiC hybrid structures for elevated temperature micro-turbomachinery

The design of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) microengine is limited in part by the material capability of Si primarily due to the pronounced thermal-softening and strain-softening at temperatures higher than the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature (BDT), approximately 550/spl deg/C. In order to circumvent this limitation, it has been proposed to reinforce the Si with chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC in strategic locations to create a Si-SiC hybrid microengine turbine spool. Detailed design of Si-SiC hybrid structures for high temperature micro-turbomachinery, however, has been hampered by the lack of understanding of the mechanical behavior of Si and SiC hybrid structures at elevated temperatures and by the unavailability of accurate material properties data for both Si and SiC at the temperatures of interest. In this work, a series of initial thermomechanical FE analyzes have been performed to assess the advantage of the hybrid structures, and to provide structural design criteria and fabrication requirements. Then, the feasibility of the Si-SiC hybrid structures concept for elevated temperature micro-turbomachinery was verified based on more rigorous mechanical testing at high temperatures. Finally, the Si-SiC hybrid spool design was critically reevaluated with regard to creep using a Si constitutive model developed as a separate effort.
Partial sampling MMSE interference suppression in asynchronous multicarrier CDMA system

Linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) receivers for asynchronous multicarrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) system under frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channel is studied. The performance of this LMMSE receiver is evaluated and shown to be superior to that of the other two schemes, equal-gain combining (EQC) and maximum-ratio combining (MRC). However, a perfect timing estimation of the desired user is needed for these receivers, as a misaligned sampling interval of these receivers results in severely self intersymbol interference (ISI) and intercarrier interference (ICI) for the desired signal at the output. In order to remove the timing acquisition requirement of a receiver for an asynchronous MC-CDMA system, we proposed a novel partial sampling MMSE (PS-MMSE) receiver. Numerical result shows that the PS-MMSE receiver without timing knowledge provides significantly stronger interference suppression capability than the LMMSE receiver with known timing. Moreover, a so-called reduced complexity partial sampling MMSE (RPS-MMSE) receiver is proposed to make the number of the receiver's taps independent of the number of subcarriers. Results show that with a proper grouping parameter, a much less complicated RPS-MMSE receiver achieves almost the same performance as the PS-MMSE receiver. Thus, one is able to implement an MMSE receiver without a prior timing requirement to perform multiuser detection for the MC-CDMA system in an asynchronous scenario at the expense of a slight complexity increase.
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin augment angiogenesis in the chronically infarcted myocardium.

Aims: Current efforts to treat myocardial infarction include the delivery of cells and matrix scaffolds. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that secrete angiogenic growth factors, and fibrin has been shown to be a biomaterial that provides structural support to cells and tissues. The objective of this study was to characterize the attachment and viability of BM-MSCs in fibrin in vitro, and then to assess the efficacy of treatment with BM-MSCs in fibrin for promoting neovascularization in the chronically infarcted myocardium. Materials & methods: BM-MSCs were cultured in fibrin and assessed for cell attachment and viability by using immunofluorescence staining for actin filaments and Live/Dead® viability assays, respectively. To determine the efficacy of BM-MSCs in fibrin in vivo, chronically infarcted rat hearts were treated with either cells, cells in fibrin, fibrin or saline (n = 9). After 5 weeks, the infarct scar tissues were assessed for neovascularization...
Early prostate cancer: clinical decision-making

Summary Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases for which health-care intervention is sought worldwide, and in many developed countries it is the most common. Some patients with early-stage prostate cancer, especially those who are elderly and have comorbidities, can be observed without treatment. Surgery (radical prostatectomy) and radiotherapy (external-beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or both) are the most widely accepted curative options for patients with early-stage disease who need intervention. All these local treatments have been refined, resulting in comparable cure rates; however, they all have different side-effect profiles. Adjuvant systemic treatments (hormones or chemotherapy), which are effective for advanced-stage disease, might have a greater role in early-stage disease. Selecting the best option for individuals from the available options is challenging—the decision on whether and how to treat is based on many disease and patient factors. Here, we review the major treatment options, discuss their relative advantages and disadvantages, and provide a general approach to management of patients with early-stage prostate cancer.
A Model of Internalized Stigma and Its Effects on People With Mental Illness

ObjectivesThe investigators aimed to examine the prevalence of internalized stigma among individuals with serious mental illness and to construct and test a hypothesized model of the interrelationships among internalized stigma, self-concept, and psychiatric symptoms.MethodsOne hundred individuals, most of whom were African American and had a diagnosis of serious mental illness, were receiving mental health services from one of three community outpatient mental health programs or one Veterans Affairs medical center. They completed an interview that included measures of internalized stigma, psychiatric symptoms, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and recovery orientation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the interrelationships among these variables.ResultsThirty-five percent of participants reported moderate to severe levels of internalized stigma, which was not significantly associated with any demographic variable or diagnosis. However, greater internalized stigma was associated with lower...
Novel approach to phasing proteins: derivatization by short cryo‐soaking with halides

A quick (less than 1 min) soak of protein crystals in a cryo-solution containing bromide or iodide anions leads to incorporation of these anomalous scatterers into the ordered solvent region around the protein molecules. These halide anions provide a convenient way of phasing through their anomalous scattering signal: bromides using multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) and bromides and/or iodides using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) or single isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering (SIRAS) methods. This approach has been tested successfully on four different proteins and has been used to solve the structure of a new protein of molecular weight 30 kDa.
ANIMALIA, HOMO, AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

. I selectively and critically review the state of knowledge about human evolution and the place of humans vis-a-vis living apes, with emphasis on bipedal posture and locomotion, expansion of the brain and associated cognitive capacities, speech, tool behavior, culture, and society. I end with a personal perspective on God and Heaven.
Identifying DNA Strands Using a Kernel of Classified Sequences

Automated DNA sequencing produces a large amount of raw DNA sequence data that then needs to be classified, organized, and annotated. One major application is the comparison of new DNA sequences with previously known classified sequences. In this paper we present a new approach to perform these comparisons. From a kernel of previously classified DNA sequences, we identify distinctive oligomers, or short DNA sequences, that are infrequent and thus highly unique within the kernel. We then search for the presence of these distinctive oligomers in the new unclassified DNA sequences. Their presence indicates a possible relation between a new DNA sequence and every previously classified DNA sequence that shares the distinctive oligomer. Ultimately, unclassified sequences are related to classified sequences with which they share the highest number of distinctive oligomers. We explain the details of our technique and show some experimental results in a kernel of immunoglobulin DNA sequences.
Transformational Superplasticity in Pure Bi2O3 and the Bi2O3-Sm2O3 Eutectoid System

Transformational superplasticity is a unique type of deformation phenomenon that is associated with an allotropic phase transition. It was first observed by Sauver in 19241. This deformation can be induced by thermally cycling a material about its phase transition while under a small externally applied stress. The superplasticity manifests itself by a large discontinuous increment of strain at the transformation temperature. If the deformation process remains active, multiple cycling about the transition yields additive strains that can lead to total strains far in excess of the strain to fracture experienced under normal conditions. This phenomenon has received considerable metallurgical attention during the past decade, and as such has been the subject of several excellent review articles2–4. It should not be confused with isothermal or structural superplasticity which depends on a fine grain size or a duplex microstructure rather than a phase transformation.
Attracting Nonfilers through Amnesty Programs: Internal versus External Motivation

We investigate a subset of nonfilers by analyzing data provided by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) from the 1997 Arkansas State Tax Penalty Amnesty. Our data sources include the tax returns filed by amnesty participants, a voluntary, confidential survey completed by approximately 32 percent of amnesty filers, and a list of amnesty participants who received a notice from DFA under the FedState data‐sharing program during the amnesty period. We divide our sample into three groups based on motivation for participating in the amnesty program. The first group consists of taxpayers who did not receive a notification from the DFA under the FedState data‐sharing program and chose independently to participate in the amnesty. This group is designated as internally motivated. A second group of taxpayers, labeled as externally motivated, received a DFA letter, and their survey responses indicate that they would not have known otherwise that they were noncompliant. The third group received ...
Synthesis of Novel Halogen-Free Phenol Based Polymers and their utilization as Flame Retardant in Polypropylene system

Increasing awareness of toxicity of halogenated flame retardants (FRs) has resulted in stringent regulations that require the elimination of their use in plastics. Consequently, there is considerable interest for the development of new varieties of high performance FRs. Here, we report the synthesis of new class of polyphenol based FR additives. Preliminary investigations indicate that these FR materials can possibly work through a combination of radical scavenging and char-formation. The thermal stability and char yield of polyphenol samples were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermal characterization indicated that these polymers produce significant amount of carbonaceous char upon combustion.
Future Directions in Pain Management: Integrating Anatomically Selective Delivery Techniques With Novel Molecularly Selective Agents

Treatment for chronic, locoregional pain ranks among the most prevalent unmet medical needs. The failure of systemic analgesic drugs, such as opioids, is often due to their off-target toxicity, development of tolerance, and abuse potential. Interventional pain procedures provide target specificity but lack pharmacologically selective agents with long-term efficacy. Gene therapy vectors are a new tool for the development of molecularly selective pain therapies, which have already been proved to provide durable analgesia in preclinical models. Taken together, advances in image-guided delivery and gene therapy may lead to a new class of dual selective analgesic treatments integrating the molecular selectivity of analgesic genes with the anatomic selectivity of interventional delivery techniques.