cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonprescription Contraceptives: Increasing in Popularity

The nonprescription forms of birth control now receive much attention due to the ongoing controversy about the prescription contraceptive methods. Condoms 1 of these nonprescription methods are the most effective nonprescription contraceptives available and among the most widely used. They are simple to use inexpensive and not associated with any major adverse effects. Condoms are unique in that they are a reliable contraceptive for males. It is estimated that 1 of 3 people who use contraception worldwide will rely on a male method. In the US this figure is somewhat lower 18%. In other countries such as Japan condoms are the chief contraceptive method. If properly used the failure rate for condoms is quite low; the lowest observed failure rate is 2%. In contrast with typical users the failure rate approaches 10%. The industry has taken several quality control measures to produce a safe and reliable condom. The principal material tested is usually either of the 2 ingredients used to make them latex or collagenous tissue taken from the lamb cecum. Condoms definitely can protect against sexually transmitted diseases simply because they prevent the infecting organisms from being transferred across the condom wall. The contraceptive efficacy of the condom is greatly enhanced when a spermicide is used at the same time. In terms of effectiveness of 100 users that start the year using foams creams jellies or vaginal suppositories containing nonoxynol 9 and used them consistently the lowest observed rate of failure has been 3-5%. In actual use the pregnancy rate is probably closer to 18%. Few side effects have been reported with spermicides. The most common of these is a burning sensation. The foaming suppository has been widely promoted as an effective vaginal contraceptive. It does not really offer any advantage over any of the other dosage forms except for convenience. It is the combination of foam and condom that pharmacists need to pay particular attention to because it is these 2 nonprescription methods that used concurrently and correctly can rival the efficacy of oral contraceptives. 1 of the newest dosage forms for a vaginal spermicide is a disposable polyurethane foam sponge which is impregnated with nonoxynol 9 but vaginal irritation has been reported frequently as an adverse effect.
Reproductive Biology and Host Fishes of Four Unionids from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Host fishes, fecundity estimates, and gravid periods were identified for four species of freshwater mussels from the Lake Pontchartrain basin, Louisiana. Two of the mussel species have broad distributions both in the Mississippi River and elsewhere in Louisiana: Villosa lienosa (Conrad, 1834) and Lampsilis teres (Rafinesque, 1820). The other two species have more restricted distributions: Quadrula refulgens (Lea, 1868) and Lampsilis ornata (Conrad, 1835). Lampsilis ornata is listed as a species of concern in Louisiana. Of the 23 species of fishes tested as potential hosts, we found 4 previously unknown hosts for Villosa lienosa: Lepomis megalotis, Lepomis humilis, Lepomis microlophus and Lepomis cyanellus, and confirmed 2 previously documented: Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides. Villosa lienosa was gravid from April until June and had an estimated fecundity of 38,562 + 3,073 glochidia/female. For Lampsilis ornata we established a host relationship with Luxilus chrysocephalus, and confirmed Micropterus salmoides as a host. Lampsilis ornata was gravid from February until April and had a fecundity estimate of 451,214 + 27,239 glochidia/female. Lampsilis teres was gravid from April until September and had a fecundity estimate of 407,333 + 24,727 glochidia/female. We confirmed three hosts for L. teres: Micropterus salmoides, Pomoxis annularis, and Lepomis humilis, and identified two new hosts: Lepomis microlophus and Notropis venustus. Only a single Quadrula refulgens was found gravid in late June and its fecundity was estimated at 32,450 glochidia and a host was identified as Pylodictis olivaris.
Education level and characterization of informed consent for PSA testing among males ages 55 to 69.

e16063 Background: Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed invasive cancer in the United States, and use of the PSA test has become widespread. With varied screening guidelines across organi...
SMS-facilitated home blood pressure monitoring: A qualitative analysis of resultant health behavior change

Abstract Objective Hypertension is largely asymptomatic and, as a result, patients often fail to sufficiently engage in medication adherence and other health behaviors to control their blood pressure (BP). This study explores the mechanisms by which MyBP, an automated SMS-facilitated home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) program, helps facilitate healthy behavior changes. Methods A thematic analysis of transcribed audio-recordings from semi-structured post-intervention interviews (n = 40) was conducted. Results Three primary themes were identified as contributing most to patients’ decision to initiate a behavior change: 1) increased hypertension literacy attributed to educational videos presented at enrollment, 2) increased day-to-day salience of blood pressure levels as a result of consistent HBPM, and 3) use of BP readings as feedback, with high readings triggering motivations to make behavior changes. These themes and most accompanying sub-themes correspond to constructs in the Health Belief Model and Social Cognitive Theory. Conclusion Patient-centered HBPM interventions such asMyBP appear to promote improvements in hypertension self-management via several mechanisms consistent with recognized models of behavior change. Practice implications SMS-supported HBPM, paired with video-based education, may provide a simple and scalable way of encouraging health behavior adherence in hypertensive patients.
Impact of Caudal Fin Shape on Thrust Production of a Thunniform Swimmer

Tuna, known for high endurance cruising, have already inspired several underwater robots and swimming studies. This study uses a biomimetic robotic tuna to investigate how different caudal fin planform geometries affect the thrust production and flow structures during Body and/or Caudal Fin (BCF) swimming. The robot was tethered to a circulating water tunnel, and swimming was simulated by moving water at a constant speed relative to the stationary robot. Three differently shaped caudal fins were tested, one rectangular, one elliptical, and one swept. Area, aspect ratio, and rigidity were kept constant between the three fins to ensure that the effect of caudal fin shape could be isolated. The fins were tested at three freestream velocities and four Strouhal numbers (St) so that comparisons between the fins could be made for a variety of swimming scenarios. The swept fin, which is the tested caudal fin most similar to one found on a fusiform swimmer, had the greatest thrust potential at high St, followed by the elliptical fin. The rectangular fin generally produced the least thrust. It was shown that in addition to producing the most thrust, the swept fin also best stabilized the leading edge vortex that developed during the second half of the stroke.
Optimization and Decision Support in Brachytherapy Treatment Planning

This chapter describes treatment planning optimization in brachytherapy and the design of a clinical decision support system. Brachytherapy refers to the placement of radioactive sources (seeds) inside a tumor site. The fundamental problem in treatment planning for brachytherapy is to determine where to place sources so as to deliver a sufficient radiation dose to kill the cancer, while limiting exposure of healthy tissue. We first present the sequence of steps that are involved in brachytherapy treatment planning. State-of-the-art mixed integer programming models are then described and some algorithmic approaches are outlined. The automated clinical decision support system allows for real-time generation of optimal seed configurations using ultrasound images acquired prior to seed implantation, and dynamic dose correction during the implantation process.
2 – Displaying Data

In a bar chart, the bar heights show the number (or relative frequency or percentage) of observations in each category. In a histogram, each bar height is the relative frequency divided by the interval width; the area of each bar is the relative frequency, and the total area of the bars is 1. Time series graphs show data over time. Scatterplots show the size and closeness of the relationship between two variables. The omission of 0 from the vertical axis magnifies variations in the heights of bars in histograms and in the heights of lines in a time series graph.
Weathering the storms: Workplace wellbeing, mental health, and the U.S. meteorologist

Mental health is a topic of increasing interest and concern across the weather enterprise amidst a backdrop of funding cuts, extreme storms, and longer, more involved work hours. The present study therefore investigated wellbeing in the meteorological workplace. Participants (N= 389), professional meteorologists (n = 360) and professionally-employed meteorology students (n = 29), voluntarily participated in a Qualtrics-hosted online survey and responded to a number of measures representing a broad range of mental health variables. These individuals fell into three employment sectors: U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), Broadcast (television weather), and Other (a combination of academic, private sector, military, and non-NWS operational meteorologists). Individual differences emerged between meteorological sectors in personality and the subjective wellbeing domains of burnout, job satisfaction, and anxiety. Broadcasters were significantly more burnt-out at work and personally, were higher in extraversion, and were highest in anxiety. NWS meteorologists were most burnt-out in working with partners. The Other category of meteorologists showed more agreeableness and greater job satisfaction than broadcasters and those in the NWS. There was no cross-sector difference, however, in traits that might be relatively uniform among meteorologists: Grit, life satisfaction, self-concept clarity, subjective happiness, stress, and depression. Results are discussed in terms of consequences for meteorologists’ mental health and emotional wellbeing as well as the future of the field.
Cross-Validation and ROC

Please download the sample Excel files from https://github.com/hhohho/Learn-Data-Mining-through-Excel for this chapter’s exercises.
Reflexões sobre as tecnologias na educação a partir de uma abordagem crítica

Resenha do livro: HABOWSKI, Adilson Cristiano; CONTE, Elaine. (Re)pensar as tecnologias na educacao a partir da teoria critica. Sao Paulo: Pimenta Cultural, 2019.
ClassicalGSG: Prediction of log P using classical molecular force fields and geometric scattering for graphs

This work examines methods for predicting the partition coefficient (log P) for a dataset of small molecules. Here, we use atomic attributes such as radius and partial charge, which are typically used as force field parameters in classical molecular dynamics simulations. These atomic attributes are transformed into index-invariant molecular features using a recently developed method called geometric scattering for graphs (GSG). We call this approach "ClassicalGSG" and examine its performance under a broad range of conditions and hyperparameters. We train ClassicalGSG log P predictors with neural networks using 10,722 molecules from the OpenChem dataset and apply them to predict the log P values from four independent test sets. The ClassicalGSG method's performance is compared to a baseline model that employs graph convolutional networks. Our results show that the best prediction accuracies are obtained using atomic attributes generated with the CHARMM generalized force field and 2D molecular structures.
Voices of a city market: an ethnography: Blackledge, A. and Angela, C. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2019, 208 pp., US $ 35, ISBN 9781788925112

‘Voices of a City Market’ is an ethnography which gives its readers a slice of the routines of buyers and sellers in different market sites around the butcher’s shop. Primarily, it is the ethnograp...
A scalable aluminum niobate anode for high energy, high power practical lithium-ion batteries

Niobates are promising alternatives to commercial anodes like graphite and Li4Ti5O12 (LTO), featuring high capacity, safe voltage and fast charging. Here, a comprehensive study at the material, electrode, and cell level is reported for a novel aluminum niobate (AlNb11O29, ANO) anode. Sub-micron ANO powder without surface modifications was synthesized in large quantities using a scalable sol–gel process and formulated into electrodes with practical active material loadings (89%). Compared with commercial-grade LTO, ANO delivered higher capacity at all C-rates up to 5C. When cycled at 0.5C, ANO retained 80% capacity for >450 cycles and ∼65% for >1000 cycles. High capacity (>2 mA h cm−2) ANO anodes were paired with commercial cathodes (LiCoO2 and LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2) and high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn0.5O4 in full cells with 0.9 N/P ratios and cycled at various C-rates, demonstrating performance scales well from the electrode to the cell level. For the first time, ANO full cell safety was studied and compared to LTO and graphite. Nail penetration of ∼2.5 W h pouch cells and charged electrode thermal imaging demonstrated that while charged ANO and LTO are more reactive in air, their high operating potential results in higher thermal stability compared to graphite electrodes in full cells.
Nuclear Receptor-Mediated Metabolic Reprogramming and the Impact on HR+ Breast Cancer

Metabolic reprogramming enables cancer cells to adapt to the changing microenvironment in order to maintain metabolic energy and to provide the necessary biological macromolecules required for cell growth and tumor progression. While changes in tumor metabolism have been long recognized as a hallmark of cancer, recent advances have begun to delineate the mechanisms that modulate metabolic pathways and the consequence of altered signaling on tumorigenesis. This is particularly evident in hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancers which account for approximately 70% of breast cancer cases. Emerging evidence indicates that HR+ breast tumors are dependent on multiple metabolic processes for tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance and that changes in metabolic programs are driven, in part, by a number of key nuclear receptors including hormone-dependent signaling. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and impact of hormone receptor mediated metabolic reprogramming on HR+ breast cancer genesis and progression as well as the therapeutic implications of these metabolic processes in this disease.
Hematopoietic transcription factor mutations and inherited platelet dysfunction

The molecular and genetic mechanisms in most patients with inherited platelet dysfunction are unknown. There is increasing evidence that mutations in hematopoietic transcription factors are major players in the pathogenesis of defective megakaryopoiesis and platelet dysfunction in patients with inherited platelet disorders. These hematopoietic transcription factors include RUNX1, FLI1, GATA-1, and GFI1B. Mutations involving these transcription factors affect diverse aspects of platelet production and function at the genetic and molecular levels, culminating in clinical manifestations of thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction. This review focuses on these hematopoietic transcription factors in the pathobiology of inherited platelet dysfunction.
A Classification Approach for Prediction of Target Events in Temporal Sequences

Learning to predict significant events from sequences of data with categorical features is an important problem in many application areas. We focus on events for system management, and formulate the problem of prediction as a classification problem. We perform co-occurrence analysis of events by means of Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) of the examples constructed from the data. This process is combined with Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification, to obtain efficient and accurate predictions. We conduct an analysis of statistical properties of event data, which explains why SVM classification is suitable for such data, and perform an empirical study using real data.
Estimating uncertainty in N2O emissions from U.S. cropland soils.

[1] A Monte Carlo analysis was combined with an empirically based approach to quantify uncertainties in soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from U.S. croplands estimated with the DAYCENT simulation model. Only a subset of croplands was simulated in the Monte Carlo analysis, which was used to infer uncertainties across the larger spatiotemporal domain. Specifically, one simulation representing dominant weather, soil type, and N inputs was performed for each major commodity crop in the 3000 counties occurring within the conterminous United States. We randomly selected 300 counties for the Monte Carlo analysis and randomly drew model inputs from probability distribution functions (100 iterations). A structural uncertainty estimator was developed by deriving a statistical equation from a comparison of DAYCENT-simulated N2O emissions with measured emissions from experiments in North America. We estimated soil N2O emission of 201 Gg N from major commodity crops in 2007, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 133–304 Gg N. This implies a relative CI of 34% below and 51% above the estimate at the national scale, but the CIs tended to be larger at the regional level, particularly in regions with low emissions. Spatial variability in emissions was driven primarily by differences in N inputs from fertilizer and manure, while temporal variability was driven more by N mineralization rates, which are correlated with weather patterns in DAYCENT. A higher portion of total uncertainty was due to model structure compared to model inputs, suggesting that improvements in model algorithms and parameterization are needed to produce results with higher precision and accuracy.
Privacy, secrecy and security

I will argue that one class of issues in computer ethics often associated with privacy and a putative right to privacy is best-analyzed in terms that make no substantive reference to privacy at all. These issues concern the way that networked information technology creates new ways in which conventional rights to personal security can be threatened. However one chooses to analyze rights, rights to secure person and property will be among the most basic, the least controversial, and the most universally recognized. A risk-based approach to these issues provides a clearer statement of what is ethically important, as well as what is ethically problematic. Once the issues of security have been articulated clearly, it becomes possible to make out genuine issues of privacy in contrast to them.
Modeling Ungauged Watersheds

Models of watershed hydrology are irreplaceable tools in today's research and practice. Their areas of application are wide reaching, from water management and flood forecasting, to their use as load models for water quality studies. A vast number of these models have been developed since the 1960s and they differ in temporal and spatial discretization, processes described, and in the constituent equations used. However, there are also similarities that have consequences for the way these models are commonly applied. All models of watershed hydrology aggregate the real hydrologic system on a particular element scale in space and time. The spatial scale might vary from grid cells of tens of meters to models that treat the whole catchment as a single unit, and the temporal scale might vary, for example, from 15-minute intervals to monthly time steps. Keywords: hydrology; watershed modeling; ungauged; parameter estimation
Single-Crystal X-Ray Diffraction and Anomalous Scattering Using Synchrotron Radiation

It has long been apparent that the extreme brightness and broad spectral distribution of synchrotron radiation could be of importance in carrying out several classes of x-ray diffraction experiments. One of the earliest uses of synchrotron radiation for diffraction experiments was at the desy synchrotron in Hamburg, where a low-angle diffraction camera, which focused and monochromatized the radiation, was set up for work on muscle.(1)
The structure and asymptotic behaviour of compression waves

In the study of weak solutions to nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations both rarefaction waves and compression waves arise. Although the behavior of rarefaction waves is known for all time, the characteristics that determine a compression wave intersect and hence the development of the wave is not easily determined. The purpose of this paper is to study compression waves. As a first step we consider the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear wave equation. We show that if the data outside some finite interval consist of constant states, then after finite time the solution involves the same states as does the solution to the Riemann problem determined by these constant states. This result is then applied to compression waves to obtain information on the shock that arises and on the steady-state solution. The region of interaction is also described. This information is obtained via a constructive procedure.
Cytoplasmic and Chloroplast Ribosomes of Chlamydomonas: Ultracentrifugal Characterization

Ribosomes isolated from the cytoplasmic and chloroplast fractions of Chlamydomonas were characterized in the ultracentrifuge. The cytoplasmic ribosomes belong to the 80S class of ribosomes, and, like animal ribosomes, dissociate to 60, 50, and 40S subunits. However, like the ribosomes of microorganisms, they contain smaller RNA9s, 24 and 16S, and require 0.01 mole of magnesium ions per liter for stability. Chloroplast ribosomes are 70S like those of higher plants but are very unstable. A stable 50S subunit has been observed.
Teaching with Concrete and Abstract Visual Representations: Effects on Students' Problem Solving, Problem Representations, and Learning Perceptions.

In 3 experiments, we examined the effects of using concrete and/or abstract visual problem representations during instruction on students' problem-solving practice, near transfer, problem representations, and learning perceptions. In Experiments 1 and 2, novice students learned about electrical circuit analysis with an instructional program that included worked-out and practice problems represented with abstract (Group A), concrete (Group C), or abstract and concrete diagrams (Group AC), whereby the cover stories were abstract in Group A and concrete in Groups C and AC. Experiment 3 added a 4th condition (C-A) with a concrete cover story and abstract diagrams. Group AC outperformed Groups A and C on problem-solving practice in Experiments 1 and 2 and outperformed Group C on transfer across the 3 experiments; Group AC also outperformed Group C-A in Experiment 3. Further, Group A outperformed Group C on transfer in Experiments 2 and 3 and outperformed Group C-A in Experiment 3. Transfer scores were positively associated with the quality of the diagrams and the number of abstract representations drawn during the transfer test. Data on students' learning perceptions suggest that the advantage of Group AC relies on the combined cognitive support of both representations. Our studies indicate that problem solving is fostered when learners experience concrete visual representations that connect to their prior knowledge and are enabled to use abstract visual representations
Abnormal calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial polarization in a human encephalomyopathy

Patients with several inherited human encephalomyopathies exhibit systemic and neurological symptoms in association with specific mitochondrial mutations. The mechanisms by which these mitochondrial mutations result in cellular injury have not been elucidated. One potential cause of neuronal vulnerability is an inability to effectively buffer intracellular calcium. We report that fibroblasts from patients with one specific inherited encephalomyopathy, MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes) syndrome, have elevated levels of ionized calcium and cannot normally sequester calcium influxes. Quantitative fluorescence imaging demonstrated that this abnormality was associated with a relative decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential compared to control fibroblasts. This documentation of pathological calcium homeostasis in a genetic neurological disease extends the calcium hypothesis of toxic cell injury to human mitochondrial encephalomyopathies.
Cholera morbus revisited

Cholera morbus, once the favored name for common acute intestinal infections of man, itself indicates a close clinical and epidemiological relationship to Asiatic cholera. Knowledge of cholera has progressed greatly during the past decade: in a strikingly lesser case‐fatality, in pathophysiology, and through demonstration of an enterotoxin. The facts apply increasingly to other diarrheal disease; enterotoxins have been identified for several; malabsorption of nutrients has increased emphasis; environmental determinants of disease frequency and distribution are often the same. A major benefit from current cholera research rests in improved prevention and control of these other acute diarrheas that continue as the leading cause of death in so many developing countries.
Intrinsic Vacancy-Induced Nanoscale Wire Structure in Heteroepitaxial Ga 2 Se 3 /Si(001)

PACS numbers: 68.37.Ef, 68.55.–a The intrinsic structural vacancies of semiconducting chalcogenides lead to numerous interesting structural, electronic, and optical properties. In this Letter, we demonstrate a new mechanism for creating a highly anisotropic growth morphology based on these ordered, intrinsic vacancies. In particular, we observe a nanoscale wire
Different patterns of sensitization following renal allograft rejection in an inbred rat strain combination

Exposure to MHC antigens by kidney transplantation can result in long-term sensitization or tolerance. In order to characterize immune responses to an acutely rejected renal allograft, ACI (RT1a) kidneys were transplanted into untreated male PVG (RT1c) recipients and allowed to reject while one native kidney remained in situ for host survival. Two distinct patterns of recipient sensitization were found based on early IgM responses to RT1.Aa following rejection, with "weakly sensitized" and "strongly sensitized" groups comprising approximately 40% and 60%, respectively, of the recipients. Serum taken from strongly versus weakly sensitized animals at the time of peak IgM responses (7 days post-transplantation) showed greater ability to block binding of anti-RT1.Aa mAb (R2/15S, R2/10P, or YR1/100) to PVG.1A (RT1a class I and II on a PVG background) lymph node target cells. Sera obtained from strongly sensitized recipients during peak IgG responses (4 weeks after kidney transplantation) demonstrated significantly higher IgG2a and IgG2b alloantibody levels than weakly sensitized rats at all serum dilutions (1:4-1:1024). Allografts harvested 10 days after transplantation from strongly sensitized recipients (strong R2/10P-blocking serum, n = 9) had a vascular pattern of rejection characterized primarily by extensive vascular endothelial damage, glomerular and cortical necrosis, and gross infarction of the graft. In contrast, grafts harvested from weakly sensitized recipients at 10 days, 21 days, or > 6 months (n = 6, 10, and 6, respectively) posttransplantation showed a significantly different pattern of rejection, with moderate interstitial lymphocytic infiltrates but substantial preservation of the general kidney architecture. When challenged 13 weeks posttransplantation, strongly sensitized animals rejected RT1.Aa class I-disparate PVG.R1 skin grafts in an accelerated fashion, whereas such grafts survived indefinitely on weakly sensitized recipients. These findings indicate that two patterns of renal allograft rejection can occur between a fixed strain disparity, one of which results in long-term sensitization and the other with partial tolerance to donor class I MHC antigens, as evidenced by (1) decreased production of IgM, IgG2a and IgG2b isotype alloantibody to donor class I MHC antigen epitopes after kidney rejection and (2) acceptance of donor class I-disparate skin grafts.
Silica Structure Studies: V, The Variable Inversion in Cristobalite

It is demonstrated experimentally that even in the purest laboratory silicas available the temperature of the α-β inversion in cristobalite is variable and depends on the structure of the starting material and on the temperature and length of heat-treatment. It is shown that this variability is an index of the order achieved in the cristobalite structure quite independent of impurities. There is no specific order characteristic of a particular temperature; the completely ordered 3C stacking of cristobalite is the most stable cristobalite throughout the temperature range and has an α-β inversion temperature of 267°± 2°C. All disordered cristobalites will tend toward the 3C 267° cristobalite with time. The conversion of cristobalite to tridymite involving the 3C→2 H stacking change does not alter the cristobalite inversion temperature, nor have any regular polytypes other than those recognized as tridymite been encountered.
Aberrant histone deacetylase2-mediated histone modifications and synaptic plasticity in the amygdala predisposes to anxiety and alcoholism.

Background Epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in psychiatric disorders, including alcohol dependence. However, the epigenetic basis and role of specific histone deacetylase (HDAC) isoforms in the genetic predisposition to anxiety and alcoholism is unknown. Methods We measured amygdaloid HDAC activity, levels of HDAC isoforms, and histone H3 acetylation in selectively bred alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) rats. We employed HDAC2 small interfering RNA infusion into the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) of P rats to determine the causal role of HDAC2 in anxiety-like and alcohol-drinking behaviors. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis was performed to examine the histone acetylation status of brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( Bdnf ) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton associated protein ( Arc ) genes. Golgi-Cox staining was performed to measure dendritic spine density. Results We found that P rats innately display higher nuclear HDAC activity and HDAC2 but not HDAC 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 protein levels and lower acetylation of H3-K9 but not H3-K14, in the CeA and medial nucleus of amygdala compared with NP rats. Acute ethanol exposure decreased amygdaloid HDAC activity and HDAC2 protein levels, increased global and gene ( Bdnf and Arc )-specific histone acetylation, and attenuated anxiety-like behaviors in P rats but had no effects in NP rats. The HDAC2 knockdown in the CeA attenuated anxiety-like behaviors and voluntary alcohol but not sucrose consumption in P rats and increased histone acetylation of Bdnf and Arc with a resultant increase in protein levels that correlated with increased dendritic spine density. Conclusions These novel data demonstrate the role of HDAC2-mediated epigenetic mechanisms in anxiety and alcoholism.
Computerized acoustic cardiographic electromechanical activation time correlates with invasive and echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular contractility.

Abstract Background Electromechanical activation time (EMAT) is a systolic time interval defined as the time from Q-wave onset to the peak first heart sound. We assessed the correlation between systolic dysfunction and EMAT calculated using computerized acoustic cardiography. Methods A total of 25 patients with heart failure contemporaneously underwent echocardiography, left-sided heart catheterization, and acoustic cardiography. Invasive pressure–volume hemodynamics included peak isovolumetric left ventricular (LV) pressure at the end-diastolic volume, end-diastolic pressure, dyssynchrony, and maximal +dP/dT. An EMAT/(R to R interval) (%EMAT) interval ≥ 0.15 was prospectively defined as abnormal. Results An abnormal %EMAT correlated with a lower LV ejection fraction (50.9% ± 18.6% with normal EMAT vs 32.0% ± 10.9% with abnormal EMAT, P = .015), end-systolic elastance (3.07 ± 1.56 mm Hg/mL vs 1.43 ± 0.83 mm Hg/mL, P = .018), and peak isovolumetric LV pressure at the end-diastolic volume (317 ± 90 mm Hg vs 222 ± 67 mm Hg, P = .015). An abnormal %EMAT was associated with a higher end-systolic volume index (33.6 ± 29.3 mL/m2 vs 71.0 ± 35.8 mL/m2, P = .011), end-diastolic volume index (61.2 ± 29.8 mL/m2 vs 100.3 ± 40.8 mL/m2, P = .012), and dyssynchrony (26.1% ± 6.0% vs 31.5% ± 3.5%, P = .028). There was no difference in end-diastolic pressure (20.3 ± 7.9 mm Hg vs 21.4 ± 12.3 mm Hg, P = .78). Conclusions An abnormal %EMAT was strongly associated with impaired LV contractility but had no association with LV filling pressures. This noninvasive, simple, point-of-care diagnostic test has potential applications when echocardiography cannot be obtained in a timely fashion to assess systolic function.
Abstract 348: Extracellular heat shock protein 90 (eHsp90) initiates EMT events and enhances cell motility in prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men, responsible for the second highest lethality. Although early cancer detection and treatment is often curative, subsequent metastatic spread of tumor cells renders the disease incurable. Activation of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) genetic program is considered a key event contributing to metastatic potential and subsequent lethality. Although targeting EMT may be a promising approach for improving treatment outcome, the main, potentially druggable, targets driving this pathway in PCa remain poorly defined. Multiple reports indicate that extracellular Hsp90 (eHsp90) promotes cell motility, invasion, and metastasis in a number of cancer cell types. Intriguingly, eHsp90 has been preferentially detected in the serum or plasma from aggressive cancers. Its presence in the serum of metastatic PCa patients implicates a potential causative role in PCa. Therefore, our objective was to investigate whether eHsp90 may influence EMT events, thereby influencing the metastatic potential of PCa. We now report that paired sets of differentially aggressive PCa tumor cell lines exhibited higher expression of eHsp90. Functionally, exposure of PCa cells to eHsp90 elicted a significant increase in cell motility. Inversely, blockade of eHsp90 attenuated the activation of several pro-motility effectors, concomitant with the significant suppression of cell migration. These events were associated with a profound alteration of cellular morphology towards a mesenchymal phenotype. Changes in cell phenotype were coupled with a loss and redistribution of the EMT suppressive gatekeeper protein E-cadherin. eHsp90 was also found to impact on the localization of other junctional proteins known to maintain a cuboidal epithelial phenotype. Finally, eHsp90 was found to transcriptionally upregulate several of the established transcriptional factors known to initiate EMT events. Confirmation of the EMT inducing ability of eHsp90 was determined by focused quantitative real time EMT PCR arrays. Our results therefore highlight a novel role for eHsp90 as a central regulator of EMT events in PCa. Our findings further support the premise that therapeutic targeting of eHsp90 may have the potential to suppress EMT activation and diminish the dissemination and metastatic propensity of PCa tumor cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 348. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-348
H2 formation from the radiolysis of liquid water with zirconia.

The formation of H2 in the radiolysis of liquid water containing nanometer sized ZrO2 particles was found to be dependent on the crystalline structure of the particle. Zirconia particles of a few tens of nanometer diameter may be formed with the tetragonal crystalline structure at room-temperature rather than the more stable monoclinic form for bulk zirconia. Radiolysis of liquid water containing tetragonal ZrO2 particles exhibits a significant increase in the decomposition of water to H2 compared to the monoclinic form. Annealing the tetragonal particles to the monoclinic structure results in the loss of excess H2 production above that found with water alone. The results show that surface morphology is extremely important in the decomposition of liquids at solid interfaces, which may have many consequences ranging from nuclear waste storage to the H2 economy.
REFORMULATING THE CUBE LAW FOR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION ELECTIONS

REFORMULATING THE CUBE LAW FOR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION ELECTIONS REIN T AAGEPERA University of California, Irvine Le cube law was proposed around 1910 to express the con- version of a party's vote shares into its seat share in two-party plurality elections with single-seat districts. This article develops predictive seat-vote equations for a much wider range of elections, including those involving many parties, single- and multi-seat districts, and diverse seat allocation rules such as plurality and list proportional repre- sentation (PR). Without any statistical curve fitting based on the seat and vote shares themselves, the basic features of the conversion are predicted using exogenous parameters: magnitude and number of districts, number of parties, and total size of the electorate and of the assembly. The link between the proposed equations and the original cube law is explicated. Using an existing data base, the fit of the predictive model is examined. On balance, this model accounts well for the conversion of votes to seats, and for the deviation from proportionality in PR systems. A fundamental issue. for democracies is the extent to which elections reflect the popular will. One important aspect of that concern is the degree to which voter preferences for different parties and candidates are reflected in electoral outcomes. The way in which this question is commonly studied is by looking at the relationship between the aggregate vote share for can- didates of a given party (or other group- ing) and the aggregate seat share received by candidates of that party (Rae, 1971). Some electoral systems expressly aim at proportional representation (PR), that is, seat shares equal to vote shares. However, the so-called PR systems differ widely among themselves in the degree to which they deviate from ideal PR, largely because different district magnitudes (i.e., the number of seats per district) are used, and different numbers of parties have evolved. Discussion of electoral reform in such countries often revolves not around the principle of PR, but around whether and how to make the system somewhat more or less proportional. However, such discussion has not beeh guided by any general quantitative rule predicting the specific degree of deviation from PR in the systems existing or proposed. For plurality elections, it is well known that proportionality between vote shares and seat shares cannot be expected. In this case, however, a votes-to-seats conver- sion rule has been proposed, the so-called cube law. Devising a comparable expres- sion for the PR elections would have con- siderable practical importance in guiding the discussions of electoral reform. A AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW VOL. 80 NO. 2 JUNE, 1986
Miss-distance indicator for tank main gun systems

The initial development of a passive, automated system to track bullet trajectories near a target to determine the `miss distance,' and the corresponding correction necessary to bring the following round `on target' is discussed. The system consists of a visible wavelength CCD sensor, long focal length optics, and a separate IR sensor to detect the muzzle flash of the firing event; this is coupled to a `PC' based image processing and automatic tracking system designed to follow the projectile trajectory by intelligently comparing frame to frame variation of the projectile tracer image. An error analysis indicates that the device is particularly sensitive to variation of the projectile time of flight to the target, and requires development of algorithms to estimate this value from the 2D images employed by the sensor to monitor the projectile trajectory. Initial results obtained by using a brassboard prototype to track training ammunition are promising.
Effect of ether, chloroform and carbon dioxide on monoamine inactivation

Abstract To determine if anaesthetic agents alter monoamine inactivation, we exposed tissue homogenates (liver, kidney and brain) from mice and rabbits to ether and chloroform vapors and carbon dioxide gas. These anaesthetic agents inhibited monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity against tryptamine and serotonin. Concentrations of anaesthetic agents that are achieved in the plasma of man during general anaesthesia caused a 27% (ether) and 49% (chloroform) reduction in mouse liver MAO; higher concentrations caused a 95% inhibition mouse or rabbit liver MAO. Kinetic analysis with tryptamine as substrate indicate that ether and chloroform are noncompetitive, reversible MAO inhibitors that preferentially inhibit Type B MAO. Ether and chloroform cause noncompetitive inhibition of serotonin oxidation by mouse liver MAO and competitive inhibition of serotonin oxidation by mouse brain and kidney MAO. Ether or chloroform did not alter catechol-O-methyltransferase activity from tissues of mice. Isolated blood platelets (rabbit and human) were used as a model system for neuronal uptake. Ether caused an irreversible inhibition of serotonin uptake by platelets.
Bioactive Nanofibers Instruct Cells to Proliferate and Differentiate During Enamel Regeneration

During tooth development, ectoderm-derived ameloblast cells create enamel by synthesizing a complex protein mixture serving to control cell to matrix interactions and the habit of hydroxyapatite crystallites. Using an in vitro cell and organ culture system, we studied the effect of artificial bioactive nanostructures on ameloblasts with the long-term goal of developing cell-based strategies for tooth regeneration. We used branched peptide amphiphile molecules containing the peptide motif Arg-Gly-Asp, or “RGD” (abbreviated BRGD-PA), known to self-assemble in physiologic environments into nanofibers that display on their surfaces high densities of this biological signal. Ameloblast-like cells (line LS8) and primary enamel organ epithelial (EOE) cells were cultured within PA hydrogels, and the PA was injected into the enamel organ epithelia of mouse embryonic incisors. The expression of amelogenin, ameloblastin, integrin α5, and integrin α6 was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and immunodetection techniques. We performed cell proliferation assay using BrdU labeling and a biomineralization assay using Alizarin red S staining with quantitative Ca2+ measurements. In the cell culture model, ameloblast-like cells (LS8) and primary EOE cells responded to the BRGD-PA nanostructures with enhanced proliferation and greater amelogenin, ameloblastin, and integrin expression levels. At the site of injection of the BRGD-PA in the organ culture model, we observed EOE cell proliferation with differentiation into ameloblasts as evidenced by their expression of enamel specific proteins. Ultrastructural analysis showed the nanofibers within the forming extracellular matrix, in contact with the EOE cells engaged in enamel formation and regeneration. This study shows that BRGD-PA nanofibers present with enamel proteins participate in integrin-mediated cell binding to the matrix with delivery of instructive signals for enamel formation.
A novel method to study particle–air/liquid surface interactions

Abstract A novel method to study the dynamics of hydrophilic solid particle interactions with the gas/aqueous surface has been developed; the gas/liquid surface oscillation was monitored using light reflection microscopy. Two modes of gas/liquid surface oscillation are observed: a high mode of oscillation during the first 0.1 s and a low mode of oscillation during the last 0.4 s. It has been shown that the two modes of oscillation are related with the two-stage process of particle–gas/liquid interactions; during the first stage, the particle and gas/liquid surface interact via a long-range hydrodynamic interaction. The liquid film between the particle and the gas/liquid surface decreases its thickness. During the second stage, the particle is adhered (via liquid film) to the air/aqueous surface, and the air/aqueous surface oscillates with the particle. Effects of particle size and surface tension on the frequency of oscillation of the gas/liquid surface were also studied. Two theoretical models are used to predict the high frequency and low frequency of the air/aqueous surface oscillation.
Effect of defibrillation threshold testing on heart failure hospitalization or death in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT).

Background Defibrillation threshold (DFT) testing is commonly practiced at the time of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implant. The clinical consequence of ICD shocks delivered during DFT testing is unknown. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of ICD shocks and ICD shock energy level delivered during DFT testing in patients enrolled in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT) on clinical outcomes. Methods Patients who underwent DFT testing within 1 month of device implant were categorized by the number of ICD shocks delivered during DFT testing (0, 1, 2,≥3 shocks) and according to high vs low (>20 J vs≤20 J) energy ICD shocks. Clinical outcomes consisting of heart failure (HF) or death, death alone, HF alone, and ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation were analyzed in each group. Results DFT testing was performed in 1,659 patients within 1 month of device implant (1 shock in 365 patients, 2 shocks in 896 patients, 3+ shocks in 398 patients). High-energy ICD shocks were delivered in 609 patients. Increasing number of ICD shocks during DFT testing was not associated with an increase risk for the primary end-point of HF or death or for any of the secondary end-points of HF alone, VT/VF alone, or death. Delivery of high vs low-energy ICD shocks was not associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Conclusions In patients with mild symptoms of HF, increasing number of ICD shocks and delivery of high energy ICD shocks during DFT testing was not associated with increased risk for HF or death or future VT/VF episodes.
Euler Calculations of Unsteady Interaction of Advancing Rotor with a Line Vortex

The unsteady, three-dimensional flowfield of a helicopter rotor blade in forward flight encountering a concentrated line vortex is calculated using an implicit, finite difference numerical procedure for the solution of Euler equations. A prescribed vortex method is adopted to preserve the structure of the interacting vortex. The test cases considered for computation correspond to the two-bladed model rotor experimental conditions of Caradonna et al. and consist of parallel and oblique interactions