cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low adherence to national guidelines for thyroid screening in Down syndrome.

Purpose: To determine adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for thyroid screening in children with Down syndrome among primary care providers in the states of Oklahoma and Nebraska. Methods: We sought to identify all children with Down syndrome born in Oklahoma and Nebraska between 1994 and 2004 and review their medical records for evidence of thyroid screening. Patients were identified through a State Department of Health birth defects registry in Oklahoma and through participation in genetics clinics and laboratories in Nebraska and Oklahoma. Charts obtained from primary care providers were reviewed and the number of actual thyroid screens was compared with the number of recommended screens for each individual during the study period. Results: In Oklahoma, 13% of participating children received all thyroid screens recommended in the guidelines. In Nebraska, 14% of children received all recommended thyroid screenings. Among participants in Oklahoma, a mean of 34% of recommended thyroid screenings were performed. In Nebraska, a mean of 45% of recommended thyroid screenings were performed. Conclusions: The level of adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for thyroid screening in children with Down syndrome is low. Factors contributing to this low level of adherence need to be identified and addressed.
Oligonucleotide optimization for DNA synthesis

Large DNA constructs can be synthesized from smaller oligonucleotides using the polymerase chain reaction. The set of oligonucleotides should be designed so that the melting temperature amongst oligonucleotide hybridization pairs do not vary greatly and the length of each oligonucleotide should not exceed 50 nucleotides. A near optimal oligonucleotide set is calculated using reliable gradient optimization methods. This was accomplished by defining a set of discrete arrays that is used to determine the melting temperature of a subset of the larger DNA sequence, depending on the subset start and end positions. These arrays were then incorporated into an objective function, which was optimized using the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno method. This method is adjusted slightly to incorporate explicit length and temperature constraints. Experimental results confirmed that the method performs better than similar software programs for the cases investigated and produces suitable oligonucleotide sets for DNA assembly. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011
Computational and Experimental Investigation of Arterial Hemodynamics

Dynamic arterial blood pressure and blood flow are key determinants of normal or pathological functioning of the cardiovascular system. The measurement of these variables at multiple locations in the body is clinically and physiologically valuable, but difficult to achieve except with invasive methods which carry significant risk to the patient. We have developed and here present a computational model of systemic arterial hemodynamics. The model predicts dynamic pressures and flows throughout the systemic arterial vascular bed. The inputs to the model are pressure or flow measured at a single site, and a description of the architectural and mechanical properties of the blood and blood vessels. We have also measured dynamic pressure and flow noninvasively in healthy women and men. We use these measurements to test and refine the model. The arterial model includes over 24 million blood vessels. The dimensions and branching patterns of 45 large arteries are derived from population averages. Approximately half of these vessels terminate in self-similar branching networks of arteries which extend to capillary-sized vessels. Womersley’s linearization of the Navier-Stokes equations is used to describe the relationship between pressure and flow in each vessel. The inviscid wave velocity in each vessel is estimated based on the combined effects of Young’s modulus, vessel thickness and diameter, and the rheological properties of blood. The blood is modeled as a non-Newtonian fluid whose hematocrit and viscosity vary with vessel size. Wave reflections are computed at all junctions between vessels. The nonlinear pressure drop occurring at the bifurcation of each vessel into daughter vessels is estimated and taken into account when computing the pressures and flows throughout the network. Dynamic pressure is measured noninvasively by applanation tonometry. Dynamic blood velocity is measured with Doppler ultrasonography, and vessel diameter is measured using ultrasound. Custom software uses the electrocardiogram to average data from multiple beats to create ensemble average waveforms for pressure, velocity, and diameter. Data has been collected from the radial and carotid arteries. The experimentally measured pressure from one site is used as input to the model. The model predictions are compared to the other experimental measurements. Blood vessel mechanical properties are estimated by adjusting the model parameters to get good agreement between measured and predicted quantities. This capability can be used to understand effects of pathological changes in vascular properties on local pressure and flow behavior throughout the vasculature.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Identification of 40 Genes on a 1-Mb Contig around the IL-4 Cytokine Family Gene Cluster on Mouse Chromosome 11

Five related cytokine genes, interleukin 3 (Il3), interleukin 4 (Il4), interleukin 5 (Il5), interleukin 13 (Il13), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (Csfgm or Csf2), are tightly linked on mouse chromosome 11. We now describe a 1-Mb transcript map of this cytokine cluster. Genomic clones obtained by screening mouse bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and P1-derived artificial chromosome (PAC) libraries were subcloned into the pSPL3 expression vector and transfected into COS7 cells for exon trapping. In total, 118 distinct, putative exons were sequenced and characterized, mapping up to 29 distinct genes to the mouse cluster, including Il4 and Csf2. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses indicate that all of these genes are expressed. Analysis of 1 Mb of published sequence from the region of conserved synteny on human chromosome 5q31-q33 identified 45 gene candidates, including 35 expressed genes in the human IL-4 cytokine gene cluster. Probes for 20 human genes were tested for cross-hybridization to murine BAC and PAC clones, thereby mapping 11 additional genes to the mouse complex. Thus, a total of 40 genes including 6 cytokine genes have been physically mapped within 1 Mb of mouse chromosome 11. Gene order in this complex is similar, but not identical, between human and mouse. The integrated physical and transcript maps should prove valuable as a complement to genomic sequencing and expression-dependent transcript maps of this segment of the genome.
Alongshore Coherence on the Pacific Northwest Continental Shelf (January–April, 1975)

Abstract During the winter and spring of 1975, current observations were made simultaneously at five locations between Tofino, British Columbia, and Newport, Oregon, a distance of 480 km. Sea level and atmospheric pressure observations were available at three locations alongshore, and wind observations, at four locations. Computed (Bakun) winds were available at 3° intervals. Low-frequency (<0.6 cpd) fluctuations in alongshore current, alongshere wind, and subsurface pressure were significantly coherent over this distance. Forcing by the local wind dominated the response at each location: alongshore current and sea level fluctuations were significantly coherent with the local alongshore wind, and local phase relationships were consistent with phases predicted by the local model of Hickey and Hamilton (1980). The high alongshore coherence observed in the current and subsurface pressure fluctuations is shown to be a result of alongshore coherence in the forcing. i.e., in the wind field, rather than due to t...
Reinstatement of MDMA (ecstasy) seeking by exposure to discrete drug-conditioned cues.

The widely used recreational drug MDMA (ecstasy) supports self-administration in animals, but it is not known whether MDMA-associated cues are able to reinstate drug seeking in a relapse model of drug addiction. To assess this possibility, drug-naive rats were trained to press a lever for MDMA infusions (0.30 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) paired with a compound cue (light and tone) in daily 2 h sessions. Responding was reinforced contingent on a modified fixed-ratio 5 schedule of reinforcement. Conditioned cue-induced reinstatement tests were conducted after lever pressing was extinguished in the absence of MDMA and the conditioned cues. Conditioned cues reinstated lever pressing after extinction, and the magnitude of reinstatement was positively correlated with the level of responding during MDMA self-administration. These results show for the first time that conditioned cues can trigger reinstatement of MDMA-seeking behavior in rats, and that individual differences in the pattern of MDMA self-administration can predict the magnitude of reinstatement responding.
A latent pairwise preference learning approach for recommendation from implicit feedback

Most of the current recommender systems heavily rely on explicit user feedback such as ratings on items to model users' interests. However, in many applications, it is very hard to collect the explicit feedback, while implicit feedback such as user clicks may be more available. Furthermore, it is often more suitable for many recommender systems to address a ranking problem than a rating predicting problem. This paper proposes a latent pairwise preference learning (LPPL) approach for recommendation with implicit feedback. LPPL directly models user preferences with respect to a set of items rather than the rating scores on individual items, which are modeled with a set of features by analyzing clickthrough data available in many real-world recommender systems. The LPPL approach models both the latent variables of group structure of users and the pairwise preferences simultaneously. We conduct experiments on the testbed from a real-world recommender system and demonstrate that the proposed approach can effectively improve the recommendation performance against several baseline algorithms.
Application of GPS navigation to space flight

The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) initiated GPS navigation projects for the space shuttle, International Space Station (ISS) and the X-38 (prototype crew return vehicle, or CRV) in the 1990s. While application of GPS technology to the shuttle and the ISS was successful, far more technical difficulties were encountered than were originally anticipated, and many lessons were learned. GPS receivers should be treated as computers, rather than as "plug and play" devices. A close relationship with the GPS vendor, open communication among team members, receiver design insight and thorough ground and flight-testing are keys to successful application of GPS to spaceflight
A uniform core convergence result for non-convex economies

Abstract We prove a uniform convergence result for core allocations in non-convex economies. Representing all preferences by the minimum expenditure functions using a decentralizing price system, a trader with nonisolated characteristics will receive a bundle in the core allocation giving him a utility level approximately equal to his wealth evaluated by the decentralizing price system. With strict convexity we can easily strengthen the result to convergence in physical quantities. An example shows that strict convexity is necessary for this stronger result.
Early burn wound changes

Abstract (1) There is a rapid and significant increase in water content of skin after standardized immersion burns in rats. This reaches a peak of 75 per cent above unburned skin values at 30 minutes, 90 per cent of this increase having been accomplished in the first 5 minutes. (2) There is a parallel increase in solid content after burning, reaching 64 per cent above control values at 30 minutes. (3) Tissue albumin content doubles in the immediate postburn period without subsequent later increase. (4) Red cell content of burn tissue increases rapidly, reaching a maximum of 520 per cent above unburned tissue values at 10 minutes, slowly declining thereafter. (5) The increase in tissue plasma and red cell content after burning is not enough to account for more than a small fraction of the increases in either water or solids. (6) Other factors must be responsible for the change in water content. Increased tissue osmolality secondary to the thermal injury might well be the primary factor in the early development of burn wound edema. (7) The source of increased tissue solids is not apparent.
Optical quantum nondemolition detection schemes in χ (2) media

Abstract Two quantum nondemolition (QND) measurement schemes using second order optical nonlinearities are proposed and shown to fulfil hte criteria for back-action evasion in a measurement of optical amplitude. The first scheme, based on optical rectification, is very simple in principle, but yields extremely small signals with available materials. The second scheme is based on optical parametric amplication with type II phase matching. The interactions necessary for back-action evasion are provided by polarization mixing using Faraday rotation.
Adolescents' experience with the combined estrogen and progestin transdermal contraceptive method Ortho Evra.

Abstract Background The new combined estrogen & progestin contraceptive patch Ortho Evra was approved by the FDA in December 2001. To date, there is a paucity of data regarding its use in the adolescent age group. We examined adolescents' experience with this new contraceptive method. Methods Using a questionnaire designed by the authors, care providers in a hospital based adolescent clinic interviewed and reviewed the charts of adolescent girls who had initiated Ortho Evra in 2002–2003. Results Twenty-eight adolescent girls (age 18 ± 1 years, gyn age 6 ± 1 years, onset of sexual intercourse at 14 ± 1 years, body mass index (BMI) 27.6 ± 1.2, 57% Hispanic, 21% Caucasian, 11% African American, 7% biracial, 4% Indian American) who had used Ortho Evra for 7 ± 1 months were enrolled. Half (50%) were adolescent mothers, and 57% had a history of irregular menstrual periods. All (100%) girls reported regular menstrual periods while using Ortho Evra, with only 14% experiencing occasional breakthrough bleeding. Half reported a shorter duration and 36% reported a lighter flow of their periods. About a third (39%) reported a decrease and 11% reported an increase in dysmenorrhea symptoms. About a third (29%) of those with a history of recurrent headaches at initiation reported decrease in headaches, and about a third (33%) of those with acne at initiation reported decrease in facial acne while on Ortho Evra. There were no significant BMI changes during Ortho Evra use. Although condom use while on Ortho Evra was poor (only 15% reporting consistent condom use), there were no pregnancies reported. A majority (93%) reported that they remembered to apply the patches on time, and 40% stated that Ortho Evra was easier than previous contraceptive methods. Two thirds (68%) were very satisfied and 29% were somewhat satisfied with the method, and 93% stated that they would recommend the method to a friend/relative. The preferred application site was the buttock (40%) followed by the lower abdomen (32%). About a fifth (21%) experienced at least one episode of complete patch detachment and 32% reported partial peeling of the patch corners. About a third (32%) would prefer another patch color, and 25% would like a fourth week placebo patch. The most common side effects were mild temporary application site reactions (64%), some discomfort on patch removal (32%), nausea (18%), and breast tenderness (18%). Eleven girls (39%) discontinued Ortho Evra (three lost health insurance, three because of application site reactions, two found patch application schedule difficult to remember, two desired pregnancy, two because of nausea, one because of perceived weight gain). Conclusions Ortho Evra provides excellent cycle control in adolescents. Most adolescents are satisfied with this method. Intensive efforts should be made to increase condom use by adolescents on Ortho Evra.
The effect of inclination on the heat transfer between a flat surface and an impinging two-dimensional air jet

Abstract An experimental study was performed to determine the effect of the inclination of an impinging two-dimensional air jet on the heat transfer from a uniformly heated flat plate. The impingement surface was a stainless steel plate of the same width as the jet nozzle. Local Nusselt numbers were determined as a function of three parameters: (a) inclination angle of the air jet relative to the plate in the range of 90–40°, (b) nozzle exit-to-plate spacing ( z / D ) in the range of 4–12 and (c) Reynolds number based on the hydraulic diameter of the slot nozzle in the range of 4000–12 000 (corresponding to an exit jet velocity from 6.3 to 18.7 m/s). The results are presented in the form of graphs showing the variation of the local Nusselt number as a function of these parameters. The region of maximum heat transfer shifts towards the uphill side of the plate and the maximum Nusselt number decreases as the inclination angle decreases. The location of the maximum heat transfer region appears to fall between 0 and 3 D uphill from the geometrical impingement point, and was found to be insensitive to the Reynolds number in the range used in this study. For low values of inclination angle, the local Nusselt number on the uphill side from the maximum heat transfer point was insensitive to jet exit-to-plate spacing. Correlations are proposed to predict the local Nusselt number as a function of x / D , z / D , θ and Re .
The Spectra of Krypton in the Extreme Ultraviolet

Increased dispersion and resolving power have made possible a revision and extension of the work of previous investigators on the spectra of krypton in the extreme ultraviolet. Lists of classified lines are given for Kr I, Kr II and Kr III, and for one multiplet of Kr IV, in the range from $\ensuremath{\lambda}2000$ to $\ensuremath{\lambda}500$. No new lines were found for Kr I, but the accuracy of the measurements is considerably improved. 82 lines of Kr II are given including 31 lines newly identified. 138 lines of Kr III have been identified in collaboration with C. J. Humphreys. The consolidated term table for Kr III is included in the previous paper.
Immunologic characterization and ultrastructural correlations for 125 cases of B- and T-cell leukemias: studies of chronic and acute lymphocytic, prolymphocytic, lymphosarcoma cell and hairy cell leukemia, Sézary's syndrome, and other lymphoid leukemias.

Peripheral blood from 125 patients (160 specimens) with various types of lymphoid leukemias was evaluated for B- and T-cell markers (E rosettes, C3 and Fc receptors, and surface immunoglobulin). B-cell leukemias (comprised 82% of the series and included chronic lymphocytic leukemia (69/71 cases), acute lymphocytic leukemia (1/18 cases), lymphosarcoma cell leukemia (15/18 cases), prolymphocytic leukemia (one case), plasma cell leukemia (one case), hairy cell leukemia (12/12 cases), and leukemic phase of "histiocytic" lymphoma and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (one case each). Within the B-cell group, certain leukemias exhibited distinct patterns of lymphocyte surface markers. Three cases of lymphosarcoma cell leukemia revealed both T and B cell markers (E-rosette formation and monoclonal SIg). T-cell leukemias comprised 12% of the series and included chronic lymphocytic leukemia (2/71 cases), acute lymphocytic leukemia (11/18 cases), and Sezary's syndrome (2/2 cases). In eight cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia, the majority of the cells demonstrated no definable markers (non-B, non-T cell type). Ultrastructural studies, performed in selected cases, were correlated with immunologic findings. Distinctive morphologic features were observed for different variants of B- and T-cell leukemias. Neoplastic cells of T-cell leukemias revealed a greater nuclear irregularity than B-cell proliferations, as assessed by the nuclear contour index (ratio of circumference to the square root of the nuclear area). The cytoplasmic feature most predictive of immunologic cell type was abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, suggesting plasmacytoid differentiation, observed in some B-cell proliferations.
Hidden Line Elimination in Projected Grid Surfaces

Abstract : Hidden line and hidden surface problems are often simpler when restricted to special classes of objects. An example is the class of grid surfaces, i.e. graphs of bivariate functions represented by their values on a set of grid points. Projected grid surfaces have geometric properties which permit hidden line or hidden surface elimination to be done more easily then in the general case. These properties are discussed in this paper and an algorithm is given which exploits them. (Author)
Role of kallistatin in prevention of cardiac remodeling after chronic myocardial infarction

Oxidative stress causes cardiomyocyte death and subsequent ventricular dysfunction and cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI), thus contributing to high mortality in chronic heart failure patients. We investigated the effects of kallistatin in cardiac remodeling in a chronic MI rat model and in primary cardiac cells. Human kallistatin gene was injected intramyocardially 20 min after ligation of the left coronary artery. At 4 weeks after MI, expression of human kallistatin in rat hearts was identified by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Kallistatin administration improved cardiac performance, increased mean arterial pressure, decreased myocardial infarct size and restored left ventricular wall thickness. Kallistatin treatment significantly attenuated cardiomyocyte size and atrial natriuretic peptide expression. Kallistatin also reduced collagen accumulation, collagen fraction volume and expression of collagen types I and III, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in the myocardium. Inhibition of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis by kallistatin was associated with increased cardiac nitric oxide (NO) levels and decreased superoxide formation, NADH oxidase activity and p22-phox expression. Moreover, in both primary cultured rat cardiomyocytes and myofibroblasts, recombinant kallistatin inhibited intracellular superoxide formation induced by H2O2, and the antioxidant effect of kallistatin was abolished by Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), indicating a NO-mediated event. Kallistatin promoted survival of cardiomyocytes subjected to H2O2 treatment, and inhibited H2O2-induced Akt and ERK phosphorylation, as well as NF-κB activation. Furthermore, kallistatin abrogated TGF-β-induced collagen synthesis and secretion in cultured myofibroblasts. This is the first study to demonstrate that kallistatin improves cardiac performance and prevents post-MI-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through its antioxidant action.
Release of phagocytosed cholesterol by liver macrophages and spleen cells.

Abstract The release of radioactive cholesterol from spleen cells and liver macrophages isolated after the intravenous injection of labeled colloidal cholesterol suspensions was studied. The cells actively oxidized [I- 14 C]glucose and synthesized various phospholipids and protein when incubated in albumin-containing media, but released very little labeled cholesterol. Addition of serum or serum lipoproteins to the medium increased the release of labeled cholesterol severalfold, whereas the addition of lipoprotein-free serum had no effect. Once serum lipoproteins were present the release of labeled cholesterol was not affected by the addition of cycloheximide, NaF or KCN, or by the addition of physiological concentrations of lysolecithin and linoleic acid. Depletion of serum unesteriued cholesterol by the action of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase did not alter the release of ingested labeled cholesterol to the incubation medium. The studies indicate that reticuloendothelial cells do not secrete cholesterol. Yet, once the phagocytosed cholesterol has been solubilized, it equilibrates rapidly with the cholesterol of the serum lipoproteins in the medium. It is suggested that phagocytic cells dispose of ingested cholesterol by a continuous exchange of the sterol between cell membranes and soluble lipoproteins and that the rate of net sterol transfer is determined by the relative degree of saturation of intracellular and extracellular sterol binding sites on membranes and soluble lipoproteins.
Can secondary compounds of an invasive plant affect larval amphibians

Summary 1There is significant concern over the impacts of plant invasions on habitat quality for native fauna. Recent research suggests that non-native Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) invasions may negatively affect the performance of larval American Toad tadpoles (Bufo americanus), and that compounds leached from L. salicaria leaves play a direct or indirect role in this effect. 2We raised individual B. americanus and Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) tadpoles on high-quality diets in aqueous extracts of senescent leaves from L. salicaria, native Broad-Leaf Cattail (Typha latifolia), and control water to determine whether loosestrife extracts directly affect anuran tadpole performance. 3Even at high artificial food levels, B. americanus survival was significantly lower in L. salicaria extracts compared with T. latifolia extracts and a water control. Food level strongly affected B. americanus development, but tadpoles raised in L. salicaria extract were less developed compared with conspecifics raised in cattail extract or water. Unlike B. americanus, Hyla performance was not affected by exposure to any plant extract compared with the water control. 4Our study implicates secondary plant compounds as a mechanism underlying the impact of an invasive plant on some but not all native fauna. We hypothesize that high tannin concentrations of L. salicaria leaves have the potential to create environments that are directly toxic to B. americanus tadpoles. We hypothesize that obligate gill breathers such as B. americanus tadpoles are highly sensitive to gill damage caused by high concentrations of phenolics. Other anuran species such as H. versicolor that develop well-functioning lungs early may be less affected by high tannin concentrations.
Accommodating errors in PES detection

A disk file actuator servo relies upon an accurate position error signal (PES) for good track following with small track misregistration to give low data error rates. Two concerns that degrade PES accuracy when detecting bursts of magnetic positional information are detector offsets and detector gain differences. This paper shows how to accommodate these two errors in PES detection for minimum degradation of data soft error rates.
ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF HAZELNUT PESTS

▪ Abstract Insect and mite pests cause serious damage to the hazelnut crop worldwide. The control strategies used against these pests include application of insecticides, classical and augmentative biological control, utilization of resistant varieties, and use of Bacillus thuringiensis–based preparations. In the United States, extensive research has been directed toward elucidating ecological interactions among different pests and natural enemies and understanding the role of abiotic factors in pest population dynamics. Differences exist worldwide regarding the understanding of pests and natural enemy biologies and, to a limited extent, control practices. An integrated pest management approach based on utilizing effective sampling and monitoring techniques and a near complete reliance on biological control and “soft” pesticides, including insect growth regulators, is currently under development both in North America and Europe/Turkey. Hazelnuts are on the verge of becoming one of the first crops in the U...
Mechanisms of Cisplatin Ototoxicity and Routes for Intervention

Abstract Cisplatin is a potent chemotherapy drug that is still used frequently in spite of its many toxic side effects, of which ototoxicity is among the most severe. Modern research has provided n...
CRYSTALLIZATION STUDIES ON DEFORMED POLYBUTENE-1 MELTS.

Abstract : An apparatus was designed and built which allowed an investigation concerning the morphology and kinetics of crystallization of a deformed polybutene-1 melt. The polymer was quenched from a temperature above its melting point to one of two crystallization temperatures. The supercooled melt was then sheared and allowed to crystallize isothermally while the internal stress in the melt was continuously recorded. A polarizing microscope was employed for the simultaneous study of the resulting morphological changes. By properly accounting for thermal contractions within the apparatus caused by the quenching operation, as well as the imposed shear strain, a strain history of the polymer during crystallization was developed. From this strain history and the assumption that the volume contraction resulting from crystallization was isotropic, approximate kinetics of crystallization in a deformed polymer melt were determined. (Author)
Analytic performance models for bounded queueing systems

Pipelined computing applications often have their performance modeled using queueing techniques. While networks with infinite capacity queues have well understood properties, networks with finite capacity queues and blocking between servers have resisted closed-form solutions and are typically analyzed with approximate solutions. It is this latter case that more closely represents the circumstances present for pipelined computation. In this paper, we extend an existing approximate solution technique and, more importantly, provide guidance as to when the approximate solutions work well and when they fail.
Irinotecan: mechanisms of tumor resistance and novel strategies for modulating its activity

Camptothecins are broad-spectrum anticancer drugs that specifically target DNA topoisomerase I (Topo I). The formation of a cleavable drug-Topo I-DNA complex results in lethal double-strand DNA breakage and cell death. However, de novo or acquired clinical resistance to camptothecins is common. Studies of the camptothecin analog irinotecan suggest the following general mechanisms of resistance: (i) variable levels of the enzymes involved in the conversion of irinotecan; (ii) reduced cellular accumulation from active drug efflux; (iii) reduced levels of Topo I expression; (iv) alterations in the structure of Topo I from different mutations; (v) alterations in the cellular response to camptothecin-Topo I-DNA complex formation, which involves proteasome degradation of Topo I and/or enhanced DNA repair; and (vi) activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B by DNA damage and subsequent suppression of apoptosis. Multiple approaches using pharmacological and biological modulation to circumvent the above mechanisms of resistance have been incorporated into ongoing clinical trials and are expected to enhance the antitumor activity of irinotecan and reduce its systemic toxicity.
The modern version of adult respiratory distress syndrome

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains a highly lethal complication of autodestructive inflammation. This syndrome originally referred to a single organ failure but is now considered a component, usually the first, of the multisystem organ failure syndrome (MOFS). Cytokines, neutrophils, and endothelial adherence molecules initiate the disease process, with cell injury caused by oxidants and proteases released from inflammatory cells. ARDS, if progressive, will result in pulmonary fibrosis. Improved ventilatory support techniques have not been shown to decrease mortality. Pharmacologic manipulation of the inflammatory response is a more promising method of controlling the disease process.
Caged Neuron MEA: A system for long-term investigation of cultured neural network connectivity

Traditional techniques for investigating cultured neural networks, such as the patch clamp and multi-electrode array, are limited by: (1) the number of identified cells which can be simultaneously electrically contacted, (2) the length of time for which cells can be studied, and (3) the lack of one-to-one neuron-to-electrode specificity. Here, we present a new device – the caged neuron multi-electrode array – which overcomes these limitations. This micro-machined device consists of an array of neurocages which mechanically trap a neuron near an extracellular electrode. While the cell body is trapped, the axon and dendrites can freely grow into the surrounding area to form a network. The electrode is bi-directional, capable of both stimulating and recording action potentials. This system is non-invasive, so that all constituent neurons of a network can be studied over its lifetime with stable one-to-one neuron-to-electrode correspondence. Proof-of-concept experiments are described to illustrate that functional networks form in a neurochip system of 16 cages in a 4×4 array, and that suprathreshold connectivity can be fully mapped over several weeks. The neurochip opens a new domain in neurobiology for studying small cultured neural networks.
A Thermodynamic-Probabilistic Analysis of Diverse Homogeneous Stoichiometric Chemical Reactions

Research into the nature of atom-migration dynamics has demonstrated a linear relationship between the driving force for these processes and the probability for forward as opposed to reverse reaction. An assumption that this observation would prove to be just as valid for stoichiometric chemical reactions would allow a thermodynamic-probabilistic model to be developed. Using this linear approach, the resulting probabilistic reaction path developed was correlated with empirical kinetic data. The exceedingly high correlation between the probabilistic path and the empirical data over the entire range of experimental observations constitutes definitive evidence that stoichiometric chemical reactions are themselves purely stochastic processes and, moreover, that the linear assumption is in fact valid.
Investigation and Standardization of Prothrombin Times in Chickens

This investigation was undertaken to standardize the determination of the one-stage prothrombin time for use with chickens. Homologous thromboplastin was essential and the most active thromboplastin was obtained from chickens four-weeks old or younger. Acetone-dried brain powder could be stored for at least 4 months at -15 degrees C. without loss of activity. Extraction of brain powder with 0.025 M CaCl2 at 42 degrees C. gave better thromboplastic activity than the standard extraction with physiological saline at room temperature. Thromboplastin solutions could be stored in ice water for only 6 hours without loss of activity. Citrate concentration had to be increased from the usual 0.10 M to 0.18 M to prevent premature clotting of plasma. Plasma donor age had no effect on the prothrombin times. Freezing and thawing as well as storage of plasma in the frozen state increased the prothrombin times. Using the best conditions, the mean prothrombin time for 1200 birds determined over a 6-month period was 9.4 sec. with an individual range of 7.18-11.4 sec. This represents a significantly lower prothrombin time with lower variability than that reported in the literature.
Potential Mechanisms of Low Sodium Diet–Induced Cardiac Disease: Superoxide-NO in the Heart

Rationale: Patients on a low salt (LS) diet have increased mortality. Objective: To determine whether reduction in NO bioactivity may contribute to the LS-induced cardiac dysfunction and mortality. Methods and Results: Adult male mongrel dogs were placed on LS (0.05% sodium chloride) for 2 weeks. Body weight (25.4±0.4 to 23.6±0.4 kg), left ventricular systolic pressure (137.0±3.4 to 124.0±6.7 mm Hg), and mean aortic pressure (111±3.1 to 98±4.3 mm Hg) decreased. Plasma angiotensin II concentration increased (4.4±0.7 to 14.8±3.7 pg/mL). Veratrine-induced (5 μg/kg) NO-mediated vasodilation was inhibited by 44% in LS; however, the simultaneous intravenous infusion of ascorbic acid or apocynin acutely and completely reversed this inhibition. In LS heart tissues, lucigenin chemiluminescence was increased 2.3-fold to angiotensin II (10 −8 mol/L), and bradykinin (10 −4 mol/L) induced reduction of myocardial oxygen consumption in vitro was decreased (40±1.3% to 16±6.3%) and completely restored by coincubation with tiron, tempol or apocynin. Switching of substrate uptake from free fatty acid to glucose by the heart was observed (free fatty acid: 8.97±1.39 to 4.53±1.12 μmol/min; glucose: 1.31±0.52 to 6.86±1.78 μmol/min). Western blotting indicated an increase in both p47 phox (121%) and gp91 phox (44%) as did RNA microarray analysis (433 genes changed) showed an increase in p47 phox (1.6-fold) and gp91 phox (2.0 fold) in the LS heart tissue. Conclusions: LS diet induces the activation of the renin–angiotensin system, which increases oxidative stress via the NADPH oxidase and attenuates NO bioavailability in the heart.
A symbolic manipulation package for modeling of rigid or flexible manipulators

A systematic algorithm is presented for the generation of the kinematic and dynamic equations of multilink rigid and/or flexible manipulators. The MACSYMA symbolic algebraic manipulation language is utilized to implement this algorithm, and an optimum code in terms of memory space is generated. Kinematic equations are derived using homogeneous transformation matrices, and the dynamic equations are obtained subsequently using the Euler-Lagrange formulation. The advantages of this algorithm and simulation results for control implementation are presented. >
Radiation-induced clock jitter and race

The paper assesses the reliability risk due to radiation-induced single event upsets (SEU) of clock nodes for flip flop and pulse latch based designs. Two basic upset modes are identified: radiation-induced clock jitter and radiation-induced race. Our simulation results indicate that the radiation-induced clock soft error rate (SER) cannot be neglected on the chip-level. Particularly for pulse latch based designs, upsets occurring in the clock generator have the potential to dominate the chip-level SER if no mitigation techniques are applied. Our results show that the hardened pulse latch in combination with a hardened and shared pulse generator yields a 20/spl times/ improvement in sequential SER as well as the lowest susceptibility to radiation-induced race and clock jitter with little area and performance penalty.
36.5: Effect of Aging Discharge on the MgO Protective Layer of AC‐Plasma Display Panel

MgO surface of AC plasma display panel was investigated after aging process. The surface roughness of MgO film was different by regional groups due to different degree of ion bombardments. Though there was no difference in the chemical composition of the MgO surface before and after aging process, cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra increased as the surface roughness of MgO film became smoother. This suggests that ion bombardments created the F and/or F+ centers on the MgO surface, therefore, the CL intensity increased at the smoothed surface.
The pluricentricity of German: Perceptions of the standardness of Austrian and German lexical items

This article explores the theory of pluricentricity from an empirical perspective. With a particular focus on the written lexicon, and using questionnaires and statistical analysis, I examine how native speakers from Austria (n=115) and Germany (n=104) rated the standardness of 36 words designated as representing either Austrian Standard German (ASG) or German Standard German (GSG). Analyses of quantitative data offer preliminary empirical support for the pluricentricity of the German language. Ultimately, my study (a) justifies the need for more extensive empirical research on perceptions of standardness among native speakers in Austria, (b) demonstrates the value of eliciting attitudes of nonlinguists to assess the validity of theories posited by linguists, and (c) provides an initial model for investigating coexisting standard varieties which, it is hoped, future researchers will adopt and improve on.
Information Management Support for Interactive High-Performance Computing Frameworks

The information management capabilities of the Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) and the evolving 100X JBI were evaluated to support a network of remote computers. The network consisted of an interactive testbed of distributed high performance computers (HPCs) across the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN). This Distributed Interactive High Performance Computing Testbed (DIHT) was developed to enable researchers to operate in near real time in a diverse HPC environment. This interactive environment included access to six remote Linux clusters, and allowed the rapid execution of parallelized software in real time. At peak times the DIHT is producing hundreds to thousands of information objects per second.
Importance of plant traits and herbivory for invasiveness of Phragmites australis (Poaceae)

Biological invasions change native plant communities, but theory predicting whether introductions create naturalized or invasive species is lacking. Focusing on either plant traits or interactions of introduced plants with native biota creates unreliable results, and improvements may require integration of trait- and interaction-based approaches. To assess the importance of plant traits and herbivory on invasiveness, we incorporated herbivore effects in comparisons of growth and phenology of invasive Phragmites australis and its native congener P. australis subsp. americanus. Our results were infl uenced by venue (fi eld or common garden), with extended life span and optimized leaf-age structure of introduced P. australis indicating greater potential for resource capture. Attack by introduced gallfl ies affected expression of plant traits, but we found no consistent effect of aphid attack. Origin did not affect leaf emergence or stem height, but preferential gallfl y attack stunted native P. australis and delayed senescence. Greater resource capture and lower attack by nonnative herbivores could give introduced P. australis an advantage over the native subspecies. Our results demonstrating the importance of plant traits as well as their modifi cation by interactions with natural enemies questions whether the outcome of plant introductions can be predicted.
Inhibition of Mammary Cancer Progression in Fetal Alcohol Exposed Rats by β-Endorphin Neurons.

Background Fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) increases the susceptibility to carcinogen-induced mammary cancer progression in rodent models. FAE also decreases β-endorphin (β-EP) level and causes hyperstress response, which leads to inhibition of immune function against cancer. Previous studies have shown that injection of nanosphere-attached dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP) into the third ventricle increases the number of β-EP neurons in the hypothalamus. In this study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of stress regulation using methods to increase hypothalamic levels of β-EP, a neuropeptide that inhibits stress axis activity, in treatment of carcinogen-induced mammary cancer in fetal alcohol exposed rats. Methods Fetal alcohol exposed and control Sprague Dawley rats were given a dose of N-Nitroso-N-methylurea (MNU) at postnatal day 50 to induce mammary cancer growth. Upon detection of mammary tumors, the animals were either transplanted with β-EP neurons or injected with dbcAMP-delivering nanospheres into the hypothalamus to increase β-EP peptide production. Spleen cytokines were detected using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. Metastasis study was done by injecting mammary cancer cells MADB106 into jugular vein of β-EP-activated or control fetal alcohol exposed animals. Results Both transplantation of β-EP neurons and injection of dbcAMP-delivering nanospheres inhibited MNU-induced mammary cancer growth in control rats, and reversed the effect of FAE on the susceptibility to mammary cancer. Similar to the previously reported immune-enhancing and stress-suppressive effects of β-EP transplantation, injection of dbcAMP-delivering nanospheres increased the levels of interferon-γ and granzyme B and decreased the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine in fetal alcohol exposed rats. Mammary cancer cell metastasis study also showed that FAE increased incidence of lung tumor retention, while β-EP transplantation inhibited lung tumor growth in both normal and fetal alcohol exposed rats. Conclusions Our results suggest that increase of β-EP production in the hypothalamus may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for treating the cancer growth in patients with chronic stress and compromised immune function, such as the patients with FAE.
Fornix deep brain stimulation circuit effect is dependent on major excitatory transmission via the nucleus accumbens.

Abstract Introduction Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a circuit-based treatment shown to relieve symptoms from multiple neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders. In order to treat the memory deficit associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), several clinical trials have tested the efficacy of DBS near the fornix. Early results from these studies indicated that patients who received fornix DBS experienced an improvement in memory and quality of life, yet the mechanisms behind this effect remain controversial. It is known that transmission between the medial limbic and corticolimbic circuits plays an integral role in declarative memory, and dysfunction at the circuit level results in various forms of dementia, including AD. Here, we aimed to determine the potential underlying mechanism of fornix DBS by examining the functional circuitry and brain structures engaged by fornix DBS. Methods A multimodal approach was employed to examine global and local temporal changes that occur in an anesthetized swine model of fornix DBS. Changes in global functional activity were measured by functional MRI (fMRI), and local neurochemical changes were monitored by fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) during electrical stimulation of the fornix. Additionally, intracranial microinfusions into the nucleus accumbens (NAc) were performed to investigate the global activity changes that occur with dopamine and glutamate receptor-specific antagonism. Results Hemodynamic responses in both medial limbic and corticolimbic circuits measured by fMRI were induced by fornix DBS. Additionally, fornix DBS resulted in increases in dopamine oxidation current (corresponding to dopamine efflux) monitored by FSCV in the NAc. Finally, fornix DBS-evoked hemodynamic responses in the amygdala and hippocampus decreased following dopamine and glutamate receptor antagonism in the NAc. Conclusions The present findings suggest that fornix DBS modulates dopamine release on presynaptic dopaminergic terminals in the NAc, involving excitatory glutamatergic input, and that the medial limbic and corticolimbic circuits interact in a functional loop.
The Reader and the Redeemer: Constituting Agency in the Political Thought of John Dewey and Hannah Arendt

I examine the effort that some theorists make to write to, and inspire a new sense of agency in, their readers. I will consider the work of John Dewey and Hannah Arendt, two theorists who attempt to close the gap between political reality and a theoretically informed politics by using their texts to rethink and recreate their reader. By working between a determined past and the possibility of a redeemed future, Dewey and Arendt use their theory to implant a sense that their present readers can become self-aware, free, and potent agents for political change.