cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal High-Fat Diet Disrupted the One-Carbon Metabolic Process and Epigenetic Regulation in Offspring Male Mice for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (P11-142-19)

Pregnant women may transmit their metabolic phenotype to offspring, enhancing the risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the next generation; however, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we hypothesized that the maternal HF diet disrupts one-carbon metabolism with a consequent methylation change in the offspring liver that contributes to a worsen NAFLD induced by postweaning high-fat (HF) diet. To test our hypothesis, we used offspring mice exposed to either maternal HF diet (HF group), or an early transition to a maternal NF diet before pregnancy (H9N group), or maternal methyl donor supplement (H1S or H2S group), comparing to the offspring with normal-fat diet (NF group). The HF offspring displayed obesity, glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis, the H9N offspring avoided all, while the H1S and H2S offspring released hepatic steatosis only. Data from the gene expression study suggested a disruption of pathways involved in the one-carbon metabolism in the HF offspring with a restoration in the H9N, the H1S and the H2S offspring. Furthermore, we showed a disruption of methionine cycle associated with DNA hypermethylation and a de-production of L-carnitine and PPAR-α in the HF, but not the H9N offspring. However, the H1S and H2S diet only normalized the methionine cycle and restored L-carnitine and PPAR-α content, but not rescued the DNA hypermethylation in offspring liver. Thus, we proved that the maternal HF diet disrupted the methionine cycle and further led to methylation changes for mitochondrial dysfunction and fatty acid oxidation responsible for the fatty liver, rather than for the global DNA hypermethylation, which might contribute to the obesity and glucose intolerance. Our study provides a novel mechanism to understand the lipid metabolism and epigenetics in transgeneration. More importantly, it suggested to us a potentially effective diet intervention strategy to reduce the transgeneration risk for NAFLD. This project is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Prioritizing Useful Experience Replay for Heuristic Dynamic Programming-Based Learning Systems

The adaptive dynamic programming controller usually needs a long training period because the data usage efficiency is relatively low by discarding the samples once used. Prioritized experience replay (ER) promotes important experiences and is more efficient in learning the control process. This paper proposes integrating an efficient learning capability of prioritized ER design into heuristic dynamic programming (HDP). First, a one time-step backward state-action pair is used to design the ER tuple and, thus, avoids the model network. Second, a systematic approach is proposed to integrate the ER into both critic and action networks of HDP controller design. The proposed approach is tested for two case studies: a cart-pole balancing task and a triple-link pendulum balancing task. For fair comparison, we set the same initial weight parameters and initial starting states for both traditional HDP and the proposed approach under the same simulation environment. The proposed approach improves the required average number of trials to succeed by 60.56% for cart-pole, and 56.89% for triple-link balancing tasks, in comparison with the traditional HDP approach. Also, we have added results of ER-based HDP for comparison. Moreover, theoretical convergence analysis is presented to guarantee the stability of the proposed control design.
Estimating Demand with Substitution and Intraline Price Spillovers

Problem definition: Standard choice models used to optimize product line prices are effective at capturing the effects of prices on the affordability of products but do not incorporate intraline pr...
Cyber-Physical Systems—Nanomaterial Sensors Based Unmanned Aerial Platforms for Real-Time Monitoring and Analysis (Invited Paper)

In the new and transformative era, our surrounding environments are increasingly connected through exponential growth of cyber-physical systems and intelligent technologies. One such example is an Unmanned Aerial Surveillance Platform, also known as drone, for applications such as surveillance, real-time monitoring, emergency augmentation for actionable response, security and enabler of connected communities to bring about new levels of opportunity and growth, safety and security, health and wellness, thus improving the overall quality of life. Based on our previous experience, we present a modality of smart and connected sensors platforms that have a great potential to provide enhanced situational awareness for safety and security.
Ferrater Mora: Un filòsof com a novel·lista

«Un filosof com a novel·lista» compara i contrasta les dues primeres novel · les de Ferrater Mora, Claudia, la meva Claudia i Fet a Corona. Encara que bastant diferent, ambdues novel · les comparteixen un seguit de caracteristiques comunes, com ara un vocabulari ric i extens, les descripcions detallades que indiquen una mena de «estil visual», i caracters complexos, sovint relacionats en formes intricades i complicades. Encara Ferrater crea personatges que poden ser violent i sense escrupols, que evita els judicis morals i mai es critic. Els seus personatges, pero, sovint serveixen com a portaveu de les seves propies observacions ironiques i critiques enginyoses de la vida contemporania. L'estructura de les seves novel revelen un mon que es multifacetic i gairebe infinitament fragmentat.
Administrating core facilities supported under multiple funding sources, including center grants

Navigate the complexities of administering cores and centers supported under multiple funding streams, including institutional funding, core revenues from academic and industry users, center grants (P30, P20, U54, etc.), philanthropic support, among others. Each source requires its own set of data and it is crucial that the effort and activities are tracked separately, including support, members, usage, effort, expenses, etc. if applicable. Learn how to define and scope levels of support, align supported activity and core personnel effort with corresponding funding streams, track and report resource input and core output and manage expectations of the various stakeholders. Brief demos of some of the tools and systems available to improve efficiencies.
Carpet beetle dermatitis mimicking bullous impetigo

A 13-year-old female patient presented with a 3-month history of recurrent blisters, which ruptured into multiple superficial erosions with overlying crust located on the face, neck, and shoulder. Treatment for presumed bullous impetigo showed no benefit. Samples collected from the patient's home revealed the presence of numerous carpet beetles in a wool rug. Carpet beetle dermatitis resembles papular urticaria but may occasionally present as skin lesions resembling bullous impetigo.
Predicting patient outcomes after far lateral lumbar discectomy.

Abstract Introduction The LACE+ (Length of Stay, Acuity of Admission, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) Score, Emergency Department (ED) visits within the previous 6 months) index has never been tested in a purely spine surgery population. This study assesses the ability of LACE + to predict adverse patient outcomes following discectomy for far lateral disc herniation (FLDH). Patients and Methods Data were obtained for patients (n = 144) who underwent far lateral lumbar discectomy at a single, multi-hospital academic medical center (2013–2020). LACE + scores were calculated for all patients with complete information (n = 100). The influence of confounding variables was assessed and controlled with stepwise regression. Logistic regression was used to test the ability of LACE + to predict risk of unplanned hospital readmission, ED visits, outpatient office visits, and reoperation after surgery. Results Mean age of the population was 61.72 ± 11.55 years, 69 (47.9 %) were female, and 126 (87.5 %) were non-Hispanic white. Patients underwent either open (n = 92) or endoscopic (n = 52) surgery. Each point increase in LACE + score significantly predicted, in the 30-day (30D) and 30−90-day (30−90D) post-discharge window, higher risk of readmission (p = 0.005, p = 0.009; respectively) and ED visits (p = 0.045). Increasing LACE + also predicted, in the 30D and 90-day (90D) post-discharge window, risk of reoperation (p = 0.022, p = 0.016; respectively), and repeat neurosurgical intervention (p = 0.026, p = 0.026; respectively). Increasing LACE + score also predicted risk of reoperation (p = 0.011) within 30 days of initial surgery. Conclusions LACE + may be suitable for characterizing risk of adverse perioperative events for patients undergoing far lateral discectomy.
Threshold Ionization Spectroscopy and Theoretical Calculations of LnO (Ln = La and Ce)

Mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy was used to measure the vibronic spectra of LnO (Ln = La and Ce). Single-reference coupled cluster and relativistic multireference configuration calculations were carried out to compare with the measured vibronic energies. The spectrum of LaO displays a single vibronic band system, while that of CeO shows multiple ones. The ionization energies of LaO and CeO are measured as 5.2446(6) and 5.3332(6) eV, respectively, which are a 100-fold improvement over the literature values. The vibrational energies of the neutral molecule and corresponding ion reveal the charge effect on the metal-oxygen bond of both species. The single band system in the spectrum of LaO arises from the transition of the ground state of the neutral molecule with the La(6s1)O(2p6) valence configuration to the ground state of the singly charged ion with the La(6s0)O(2p6) configuration. The multiple band systems in the spectrum of CeO are attributed to the spin-orbit coupling for the Ce(4f16s1)O(2p6) configuration of the neutral molecule and an excited state for the Ce(4f1)O(2p6) configuration of the ion.
The rates of unlayered graphene formation in a supercooled carbon melt at low pressure

Elemental carbon has important structural diversity, ranging from nanotubes to graphite and diamond. Studies of primitive meteorite extracted micron-size core/rim carbon spheres suggest they formed via the solidification of condensed carbon vapor droplets, followed by gas-to-solid carbon coating to form the graphite rims. We show here how analytical models of reaction limited nucleation and growth can be used to connect thermal history (e.g., time at temperature) to electron microscope observations of mean graphene sheet size and number density. Atomistic models using the LCBOP semi-empirical potential show promise for estimating latent heat and the temperature dependence of barrier heights, which are not yet incorporated in the model. We also show that growth of 2D clusters from a 2D liquid takes place more rapidly than from a 3D liquid, which with suitable scaling might open the door to simulating growth over millisecond time scales in the study of liquid carbon’s solidification at low pressures.
Social Context of Performance Appraisals in Public Parks and Recreation: A Statewide Study

Well-designed performance appraisals provide a formal evaluation system to measure employees’ contributions to the agency while motivating staff and enhancing productivity levels. Despite their prominence and popularity, performance appraisal systems are often a contentious activity within public park and recreation agencies. Appraisal literature has indicated that many of these frustrations stem from issues such as (1) criteria that is not job related, (2) unclear or confusing rating levels, and/or (3) poorly designed processes and inconsistent implementation techniques. Recent research has also suggested many of these issues might be linked to the social dimensions surrounding the appraisal system. The purpose of this study was to build upon the previous appraisal research in public parks and recreation by exploring the role of two process proximal social context factors (employee participation and supervisor trust) on the utility of the appraisal system. More specifically, the cumulative effects of employee participation at various stages (job analysis, instrument development, appraisal interview, and training related to the appraisal system) and employees’ perceptions of their supervisor on employees’ reactions to their agency’s appraisal system were examined. Analyses indicated supervisor trust and employee participation significantly contributed to public park and recreation professionals’ satisfaction with their appraisal system, satisfaction with their appraisal interview, and their procedural and distributive justice perceptions with their appraisal system. Study findings and implications for management are discussed. Subscribe to JPRA
DESIGN(er) META Game

Using a gaming mindset the authors have developed a serious game using questioning to address the multiple aspects of concept generation, visual composition and technical use of materials. The use of this game has fostered research and discussion in a course exploring the process of design. This paper will document the game’s development process and student feedback. Previously, assignments used “compare + contrast” es says to access mastery. While documents were well crafted, we found when students moved to generating their own ideas and solving their own problems, no bridging of the exploration was evident in the conceptual discussion with the students or the visual generation of artifacts. The students were good at the process of analysis, however no real transference was occurring. Using inspiration generated in the “MetaGame as Teaching Game” (Sharp,J., Macklin,C., Daer, A., Duncan, S., Nealen, A., 2012 ) workshop, the authors have developed and tested a game to encourage individual discovery and improve transference.
Design and analysis of a cooperative medium access scheme for wireless mesh networks

This paper presents the detailed design and performance analysis of MACA-P, a RTS/CTS based MAC protocol, that enables simultaneous transmissions in wireless mesh networks. The IEEE 802.11 DCF MAC prohibits any parallel transmission in the neighborhood of either a sender or a receiver (of an ongoing transmission). MACA-P is a set of enhancements to the 802.11 MAC that allows parallel transmissions in situations when two neighboring nodes are either both receivers or transmitters, but a receiver and a transmitter are not neighbors. The performance of MACA-P in terms of system throughput is obtained through a simulation of the protocol using ns and is compared with the 802,11 RTS/CTS MAC. Experiments with the base MACA-P protocol reveal the need for certain enhancements, especially to avoid the drawbacks associated with attempts at parallel transmissions in scenarios where such parallelism is not feasible. Studies with the enhanced MACA-P protocol also demonstrate how significant performance gains in wireless mesh network performance may be realized if the radio transceiver behavior is modified in tandem with the MAC protocol.
Mean electromechanical ΔPΔt: An Indirect index of the peak rate of rise of left ventricular pressure☆

Abstract Eighteen patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied by means of pulmonary arterial and left ventricular catheterization. An indirect index of the maximal rate of rise of left ventricular pressure, dP/dt, was derived from measurement of developed isovolumic pressure (arterial diastolic minus left ventricular diastolic) and the preejection period (PEP): mean electromechanical Δ P Δ t = developed pressure/PEP . The correlation of this index with left ventricular dP/dt was excellent (r = 0.96), with a residual variance of 8 percent. In 50 subjects with acute myocardial infarction Δ P Δ t also correlated closely with the presence of pulmonary vascular congestion and shock and with ultimate survival. In contrast, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular filling pressure, left ventricular ejection time (LVET), preejection period and LVET/PEP demonstrated marked overlap between groups. Mean electromechanical Δ P Δ t was accurate and useful as an indirect index of left ventricular dP/dt and, thus, of the functional state of the left ventricle.
Toxicology of the Placenta

Placental toxicology deals with the adverse effects of toxic substances on the placenta, the mother and the foetus. It is a fascinating subject which receives attention from biologists, toxicologists, teratologists, pharmacologists, physicians and regulatory agencies. Structural or functional damage to the placenta can lead to abortion, birth defects, stillbirth, premature birth and many other complications. Since the placenta is an entry organ to the foetus, and the ‘placental barrier’ is merely a false notion, the placenta remains vulnerable to the adverse effects of many toxicants. The placenta is a complex organ to study since it continually changes throughout gestation. This organ is further complicated by multiple pregnancies in many species, including humans. The placenta plays several roles in the development of the foetus by serving as the lung, gut, kidney and endocrine/exocrine gland. Additionally, it supplies vital nutrients and gases to the foetus. This chapter describes the placental toxicity of drugs of abuse, alcohol, tobacco products, metals, pesticides, environmental toxicants and mycotoxins. Keywords: placental toxicity; foetal toxicity; abused drugs; metals; mycotoxins; alcohol; smoke; pesticides; environmental contaminants
Equilibria and Kinetics of Ligand Binding by Leghemoglobin from Soybean Root Nodules

Abstract The equilibrium between carbon monoxide and leghemoglobin from soybean root nodules shows that the protein is half-saturated with carbon monoxide at only about 0.00074 mm Hg pco at 20°. This value varies only slightly with changes in salt or protein concentration. The value is essentially independent of pH (no Bohr effect). The temperature dependence measurements show a rather large van't Hoff apparent enthalpy, -18.9 kcal per mole, which reflects the very high free energy of ligand binding indicated by the equilibrium. Leghemoglobin is half-saturated with oxygen at about 0.047 mm Hg. The kinetic dissociation constant for oxygen, koo2 "off," is 11 sec-1 at 25°. This constant is believed to play a controlling role in the facilitation of the diffusion of oxygen by mammalian myoglobins which have koo2 ≅ 10 sec-1. This close similarity suggests that a primary role of leghemoglobin may also be that of the facilitation of the diffusion of oxygen within the nodule. The kinetic "on" constant in leghemoglobin appears to be primarily responsible for the very high affinity of ligand binding.
Complementary and Alternative Management Strategies in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Due to the limited number of conventional treatments available for functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in this population is common. Studies of CAM use for FGIDs have focused primarily on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD), while there are limited data on their use in other functional disorders. CAM is frequently used together with conventional medicine and more often in patients who have chronic conditions that are particularly difficult to treat. In the treatment of IBS, commonly used CAM therapies include probiotics, prebiotics, acupuncture, cognitive-behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, and herbal products such as peppermint oil.
Levels of ovalbumin messenger RNA sequences in nonoviduct tissues of the chicken.

The levels of ovalbumin mRNA sequence in nonoviduct tissues of the chicken were examined in nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions of hen liver, spleen, estrogen-stimulated chick liver, and 10-day-old embryo using RNA-cDNA hybridization. In general, the tissues studied revealed little or no detectable ovalbumin RNA, at the limit of detection of some 10−5% of total RNA. The results suggest that the ovalbumin gene is either transcriptionally inactive or transcribed only very infrequently in nonoviduct tissues, and that the different target tissue responses of liver and oviduct to estrogen stimulation resides largely in the control of transcription.
WildCARDs: inflammatory caspases directly detect LPS.

Inflammasomes are sensors that serve as activation platforms for caspase-1 — a mechanism that set the prevailing paradigm for inflammatory caspase activation. A recent Nature paper by Shi et al. upends this paradigm by describing an unprecedented model for caspase activation whereby caspase-4, -5, and -11 directly bind their agonist, cytosolic LPS, triggering auto-activation and subsequent pyroptotic cell death.
Shock response of a heavy tungsten alloy

Abstract : This article describes the results of shock wave experiments performed on a heavy tungsten alloy containing W, Ni, and Fe in the ratio of 92.85:4.9:2.25 by weight. These experiments provide information about the shear strength under compression and tensile strength, as measured by the spall threshold, of this alloy to 24 GPa. The results of these experiments show that: (i) the magnitude of its Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) is 2.76 + 0.26 GPa; (ii) this alloy deforms plastically above its HEL and thus retains its shear strength to 24 GPa; (iii) the spall strength of the alloy is found to be 1.9 i 0.4 GPa and is independent of the impact stress and duration of the shock compression pulse; and (iv) the tensile impedance of the alloy, determined from a new experiment designed to measure this impedance, is 68 + 10 Gg(m2S.
Differential phase-contrast BioCD biosensor

Common-path differential phase-contrast interferometry measures the spatial gradient of surface dipole density on a bio-optical compact disk (BioCD) and is sensitive to small changes in dipole density following molecular binding of target molecules out of solution. The recognition molecules are antibody IgG proteins that are deposited in periodic patterns on the BioCD using soft lithography or photolithography on the silanized silica surfaces of dielectric mirrors. Spatial carrier-wave sideband demodulation extracts the slowly varying protein envelope that modulates the protein carrier frequency. The experimental interferometric profilometry has surface height sensitivity down to 20 pm averaged over a lateral scale of 70 μm with a corresponding scaling mass sensitivity limit of 1.5 pg/mm. Under the conditions of an IgG immunoassay with background changes caused during incubation, the scaling mass sensitivity is approximately 7 pg/mm. A saturated reverse immunoassay performed with IgG at 100 ng/ml showed false positive and false negative rates of 0.2%.
Singular volume dependence of transition-metal magnetism.

The transition from nonmagnetic to magnetic behavior in transition-metal ferromagnets is studied by analysis of all possible volume evolutions of the variation of the total energy with magnetic moment. In contrast to a large body of previous work, magnetic transitions are shown to be necessarily singular, and usually multivalued and discontinuous. Self-consistent spin-polarized energy-band calculations for bcc nickel, fcc cobalt, bcc vanadium, and fcc iron are presented as examples supporting and illustrating the general conclusions.
Parallel and serial connections for piezoceramic recurve actuator arrays

The Recurve architecture is an actuation building block which combines the energy density and strain amplification of a bender with the design flexibility available through actuator arrays. While polymeric piezoelectric materials have been used in prior work to demonstrate this technology, the focus of this work was to demonstrate the use of piezoceramic materials with the Recurve architecture. To accommodate this, three basic connections were developed to allow for assembling Recurve actuation building blocks into array elements: a serial connection in which the Recurve elements are connected so that the displacement accumulates, a parallel connection in which the force from the Recurve elements sum, and a combination connection in which four Recurve elements are connected to increase both force and displacement simultaneously. These connections were demonstrated using a 2 X 2 and 4 X 2 PZT/Steel Recurve array prototype. Quasi-static experiments including free deflection, blocking force, and force-deflection, were conducted and compared to response predicted by analytical models.
Correction to spectroelectrochemically determined rates for bipyridylium radical cation reactions with cytochrome C [1]

Previously reported rate constants for the reaction of electrogenerated bipyridylium radical cations with oxidized cytochrome c were too low [1]. Reanalysis of the spectroelectrochemical method identified three primary reasons. Reexamination of the methyl viologen radical cation-cytochrome c (ox) reaction resulted in a minimum value for the rate constant of 1 · 108 l mol−1 sec−1. Die fruher berichteten Geschwindigkeitskonstanten fur die Reaktion elektrochemisch erzeugter Bipyridylium-Radikalkationen mit der oxidierten Form von Cytochrom c waren zu niedrig [1]. Eine Uberprufung der spektroelektrochemischen Mesmethode zeigte drei primare Grunde dafur auf. Eine erneute Untersuchung der Reaktion des Methylviologen-Radikalkations mit Cytochrom c (ox) ergab nun einen Wert fur die Geschwindigkeitskonstante von mindestens 1 · 108 l mol−1 sec−1.
Photon-assisted oxidation and oxide thin film synthesis: A review

Abstract The article reviews an oxide materials synthesis approach utilizing photons. Photon-assisted oxide processing is an interesting and unique approach to synthesize ultra-thin oxides at relatively low temperatures. Photon-assisted oxidation can be implemented both during oxide synthesis as well as a post-deposition annealing step. The mechanisms governing photon-assisted oxygen incorporation into growing oxide films, namely, electric field and chemical effects are discussed. Experimental observations on representative oxide structures in the fluorite, rutile and perovskite family are highlighted. It is shown that the technique enables near-room temperature modification of structure and chemistry of oxide surfaces, interfaces with atomic-level control. Oxygen non-stoichiometry can be controllably tuned using this approach in a self-limiting manner. Potential relevance of the processing approach in the context of applications in emerging electronics and energy technologies are pointed out.
Solubilization and anionic regulation of cerebral sedative/convulsant receptors labeled with [35S] tert-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS).

Abstract Binding activity for the cage convulsant [ 35 S]- tert -butylbicyclophosphorothionate, which appears to label a site closely associated with the chloride ionophore of the GABA A /benzodiazepine receptor complex has been solubilized from rat cerebral cortex using the zwitterionic detergent CHAPS. Of several detergents screened, only CHAPS and CHAPSO were capable of solubilizing the binding activity with good recovery. The pharmacologic specificity of soluble [ 35 S]- tert -butylbicyclophosphorothionate binding is very similar to the membrane state. In both the membrane and soluble state, [ 35 S]- tert -butylbicyclophosphorothionate binding is enhanced by anions which support inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (“Eccles anions”), suggesting that [ 35 S]- t -butylbicyclophosphorothionate may label chloride channels thought to be involved in these potentials. Since this solubilization procedure also preserves GABA and benzodiazepine binding and their regulation by drugs such as barbiturates, purification and isolation of the macromolecular complex including chloride channel and GABA-benzodiazepine sites may be feasible.
STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL VASODILATATION OF RABBIT ABDOMINAL AORTA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ARTERIO-ATHEROSCLEROSIS.

Summary A study was made of the correlation between the sizes of arteriosclerotic plaques and the degree of mechanically induced dilatation of a segment of the rabbit abdominal aorta. A single pinpoint stimulus through the intima of the vessel was associated with considerable local dilatation and caused the formation of large atheromatous or fibroelastic plaques after 10 days depending on the nature of the diet. Some preliminary observations with topical vasodilator agent also suggest that extensive vasodilatation without actual mechanical contact of the intima may induce similar changes.
Effectiveness of Coping in Adolescence: The Case of Korean Examination Stress

This study tested the hypothesis that coping is related to a reduction in psychological distress and physical sym ptom s, as experienced by adolescents while enduring highly demanding examination stress. U sing the university entrance examination stress faced by Korean adolescents, the study examined whether specific coping strategies for exam stress are related to psychological and physical adjustment and whether these strategies moderate the relationship between additional life event stress and adjustm ent. A sample of 358 Korean students in the 12th grade reported their level of additional life event stress, the coping strategies they were using to cope with exam and non-exam stress, and their levels of depression and physical symptoms. Problem-solving and inform ation-seeking coping were found to be related to reduction in depression; however, emotional-discharge coping was related to increase in physical symptoms. Coping with exam stress was found to be related to adjustment and independent of the le...
Particle monitor experiment

A particle monitor based on the near forward scattering of light from an AlGaAs laser diode was modified for space flight and proved to be robust and reliable during an actual space launch. Near-field particles could result in large extraneous signals from the IR, visible and UV telescopes on board a spacecraft because of their proximity to the sensors. It is therefore desirable to build a particle monitor to go with optical sensors in order to correlate various particulate events with spacecraft operations, so that their effects on the sensors can be corrected. This device, along with the power supply, associated analog and digital electronics, and mechanical mounting will be described. Particulate measurements during ground testing will be presented.
Wettability of glow discharge polymers

Treatment of good adhering glow discharge polymerized propylene (GDPP) coatings with reactive gas plasma from oxygen, nitrogen, or water (produced in a tubular reactor operation at 27.1 MHz) results in surfaces characterized by more hydrophilic interactions. Zisman's plots indicate a change in surface energy after such treatment. Transmission electron microscopy depicts that the pronounced improvement in wettability of GDPP polymer after oxygen plasma treatment in part results from the high surface development in the polymer. However, the effect is not permanent. The wettability of plasma-treated polymer diminishes with time and reaches a limiting value in 2–3 months indicating structural rearrangements at the polymer surface. Argon, carbon monoxide, or bromotrichloromethane plasma does not change the polymer surface wettability significantly. In contrast to the O2 plasma-treated GDPP polymer, a glow discharged polymer synthesized from ϵ-caprolactam maintains its inherent hydrophilicily over an extended period of time.
RPE SECRETED PROTEINS AND ANTIBODY INFLUENCE PHOTORECEPTOR CELL SURVIVAL AND MATURATION

Proteins in media conditioned by retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE-CM) and an antibody against these proteins (RPE-SP) were tested for their respective effects on rat retinal development in vitro and in vivo. Proteins of RPE-CM were separated in denaturing gels and evaluated by Western blot analysis. Retinal explants from postnatal day 2 (P2) rats were cultured in RPE-CM only or CM diluted with the RPE-SP antibody and, after 7 days, the explants were dissociated into single cells that were immunostained for opsin. RPE-CM or antibody was also injected into the vitreous of postnatal day 7 (P7) Long-Evans rats and analyzed 7 and 21 days later. Electrophoretic analysis of RPE-CM predominantly showed 60-70 kDa proteins; when these proteins were probed with RPE-SP antibody by Western blot, immunoreactive proteins were restricted to this narrow molecular weight range. In P2 retinal explant cultures supplemented with RPE-CM, long ganglion cell-like neurites were detected in 3 days. This activity was nullified in explant cultures grown in RPE-CM titrated with antibody, and these explants appeared to degenerate within 5 days. Over 80% of dissociated retinal cells from explants 7 days after treatment with RPE-CM expressed opsin, compared to only 20% of cells from explants grown in defined medium or serum. Retinas of P14 rats injected intravitreally with RPE-CM at P7 had increased numbers of ectopic photoreceptor cells within the inner nuclear layer when compared to retinas of sham-injected eyes. In contrast, retinas of eyes injected intravitreally with RPE-SP antibody exhibited shorter outer (OS) and inner (IS) segments and thinner outer nuclear (ONL) and outer plexiform (OPL) layers than retinas of sham-injected eyes. In conclusion, proteins in RPE-CM appeared to accelerate and maximize the development of rat photoreceptor cells in vitro, while intravitreal injections of its antibody caused an apparent retardation of outer segment maturation. These results suggest that a protein(s) secreted by RPE plays a key role in normal retinal development, particularly in photoreceptor cell survival and outer segment maturation.
Survival after prolonged pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for adenoviral pneumonia

Adenoviral pneumonia can cause significant pulmonary morbidity leading to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) rescue. Reported survival of adenoviral pneumonia requiring ECMO has been poor, and prolonged time on ECMO is associated with increased mortality. We present 2 pediatric cases of adenoviral pneumonia in patients who survived after greater than 30 days on ECMO and review the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry to describe the collective experience of children with viral pneumonia requiring prolonged ECMO. Although survival has improved over the past decade for pediatric adenoviral pneumonia, the ELSO database previously has had no surviving children reported with a primary diagnosis of adenovirus after more than 4 weeks on ECMO. Our experience suggests that there may be use for prolonged ECMO support in children despite severe adenoviral pneumonia.
US non-tariff barriers as privately provided public goods

Abstract The endogenous theory of protection is empirically investigated in a different light. Rather than emphasizing the determinants of the supply of protection, the present study emperically investigates the micro-level demand side behavior of firms. Predictions from Bergstrom et al. (Journal of Public Economics, 1986, 2, 25–49) about the private provision of public goods provide a theoretical foundation for such a demand-side econometric investigation. If rational lobbies are observed to behave in a manner consistent with the theory of the private provision of public goods, then it must be the case that they are able to influence trade policy. The econometric specification is also consistent with the special-interest models of Olson (The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, Harvard University Press, 1965), Stigler (Bell Journal of Economics and Management Science, 1971, 2, 137–146), Baron (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1989, 1, 45–72), and Grossman and Helpman (American Economic Review, 1994, 84, 833–850). Hence evidence presented in this study from the demand-side behavior of firms has the deeper implication that it validates the theory of endogenous protection, an issue that is still controversial among trade theorists.
The Middle East: The region as a system∗

Given that “regions” may also be “systems,” two model systems are presented and evaluated in an application to the Middle East. They are termed a “disordered” and an “ordered” system, and assume an interaction between nations and between unit and sytems level forces. However, these models offer divergent views on the causes and effects of national and systemic behavior, and indeed whether specific nations even qualify for regional membership. Danger lies in policy based on a misconception of a region.
High-Performance Diagnostic Fault Simulation on GPUs

In this paper, we present an efficient diagnostic fault simulator based on a state-of-the-art graphics processing unit (GPU). Diagnostic fault simulation plays an important role to identify and locate the causes of circuit failures. However, today's complex VLSI circuits pose ever higher computational demand for such simulators. Our GPU based diagnostic fault simulator (GDSim) is based on a novel two-stage simulation framework which exploits high computation efficiency on the GPU. The fault pair based simulation is proposed to overcome the limited capacity of GPU memory as well as achieve a substantial fine-grained parallelism. Multi-fault-signature and dynamic load balancing techniques are introduced for the best usage of computing resources on-board. Experimental results demonstrate a speedup of up to 121x (with average speedup of 38.43x) compared to a state-of-the-art CPU-based diagnostic fault simulator.
The effect of headache pain on attention (encoding) and memory (recognition).

Memory is a key cognitive variable in pain management. This study examined the effect of headaches on participants' encoding of words (attention) and later memory for words. The dependent measures were response time during encoding and recognition memory; headache pain was the independent measure. Eighty participants were randomized to one of four groups: two groups had the same condition (headache pain or no headache pain) for both the encoding and memory tasks and two groups had mixed conditions (i.e. pain during encoding/no pain during recognition; no pain during encoding/pain during recognition). Participants with pain during encoding judged words significantly slower (177.53ms) than participants without pain during encoding. Participants with pain during the memory task recognized significantly fewer words (5.4%) than participants without pain during the memory task, regardless of pain condition during encoding. Results from this and other pain and memory studies conducted in this laboratory suggest that pain, as it adversely affects memory, may operate at a threshold level rather than on a dose-response continuum.
Quinone methides—and not dehydrodopamine derivatives—as reactive intermediates of β-sclerotization in the puparia of flesh fly Sarcophaga bullata

Cuticular phenoloxidase(s) from Sarcophaga bullata larvae oxidized a variety of o-diphenolic compounds. While catechol, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, dopa, dopamine, and norepinephrine were converted to their corresponding quinone derivatives, other catechols such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl alcohol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl glycol, 3,4-dihy-droxymandelic acid, and N-acetyldopamine were oxidized to their side-chain oxygenated products. In addition, the enzyme-catalyzed oxidation of the latter group of compounds accompanied the formation of colorless catecholcuticle adducts consistent with the operation of β-sclerotization. Radioactive trapping experiments failed to support the participation of 1,2-dehydro-N-acetyldopamine as a freely formed intermediate during phenoloxidase-mediated oxidation of N-acetyldopamine. When specifically tritiated substrates were provided, cuticular enzyme selectively removed tritium from [7-3H]N-acetyldopamine and not from either [8-3H] or [ring-3H]N-acetyldopamine during the initial phase of oxidation. The above results are consistent with the generation and subsequent reactions of quinone methides as the initial products of enzyme-catalyzed N-acetyldopamine oxidation and confirm our hypothesis that quinone methides and not 1,2-dehydro-N-acetyldopamine are the reactive intermediate of β-sclerotization of sarcophagid cuticle. Quinone methide sclerotization resolves a number of conflicting observations made by previous workers in this field.
A spike sorting framework using nonparametric detection and incremental clustering

We introduce a statistical computing framework to address two important issues in spike sorting: flexible spike shape modeling and realtime spike clustering. In this framework, spikes are detected based on a nonparametric shape distribution; detected spikes are further grouped by an incremental clustering algorithm involving the second-order statistics-covariance matrix. We performed experiments on both simulated and real signals to study spike detection accuracy and cluster separation.
Physiology and pharmacology of the postinjury pain state

CUTE ACTIVATION of small sensory afferent axons evokes autonomic responses and pain behavior in humans and animals. This effect is mediated by the activation of spinofugal projection neurons. These projection systems traveling both ipsilaterally and contralaterally in the ventrolateral aspect of the spinal cord, projeering supraspinally into the medulla, mesencephalon, and diencephalon. Medullary projections serVe to activate spino-bulbo-spinal reflexes that influence autonomic tone. Other projections into the mesencephalon and thalamus are assumed to contribute to the perceptual and complex emotive and discriminative components of the pain state. Thus, the somatotopie association between spinal segment and supraspinal projections to the ventrobasal thalamus, which itself sends projections to the sensory cortex, has been well described. The mapping of the sensory homunculus by the hard-wired projections is believed to serve in establishing the precise localization of the stimulus event in the uninjured nervous system. More recently, work with positron emission tomography has indicated that areas in the anterior cingulate cortex known to receive input from several thalamic nuclei, notably the nucleus submedius, may be activated in the presence of noxious, but not nonnoxious sensory input. 2 Importantly, the submedius is itself the recipient of nociceptive-specific input. Details of these ascending systems are discussed in detail elsewhere) '4 However, it is important to appreciate that the encoding by the sensory afferent and the spinal dorsal horn of the nociceptive stimulus is the first step in nociceptive processing, and the properties of this encoding process contribute properties that are important for the understanding of the behavioral correlates of nociception. In this article, we consider aspects of the mechanisms whereby tissue injury leads to an ongoing pain state from the perspective of the organization of the sensory afferents and the spinal dorsal horn.
Adolescent Preferences for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing Methods and Impact of Rapid Tests on Receipt of Results

Abstract Purpose Rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) tests may be more acceptable to adolescents and may improve receipt of test results. We conducted a study to determine (a) adolescent preferences for different HIV testing methods (rapid oral fluid vs. rapid fingerstick vs. traditional venipuncture), (b) factors associated with choice of a rapid vs. traditional test, and (c) whether those who chose a rapid method were more likely to receive test results. Methods Participants (N=99, 13–22 years old, both genders) were recruited from an urban hospital-based adolescent primary care clinic, agreed to HIV testing with their choice of method, and completed a questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and attitudes about HIV testing. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine factors associated with choice of a rapid versus traditional test. Results Half (50.5%) of participants chose rapid oral fluid testing, 30.3% traditional venipuncture testing, and 19.2% rapid fingerstick testing ( p p Conclusions In this study, 70% of adolescents preferred rapid to traditional HIV testing, and rapid testers were more likely to receive their results within the follow-up period. Offering rapid testing may lead to improved receipt of results among adolescents in urban primary care settings.
The discriminative properties of the D1 dopamine agonist dihydrexidine in the rat

The objective of this study was to train rats to discriminate the interoceptive stimuli produced by a selective dopamine D1 agonist. Fourteen male Sprague-Dawley rats acquired the discrimination of the fully effective, high potency, D1 agonist dihydrexidine (DHX) within 20 sessions using a training dose of 3.0 mg/kg. DHX (0.75–4.5 mg/kg) dose-dependently increased DHX-appropriate responding with an ED50=1.44 mg/kg. The selective D1 agonist SKF 38398 (2.0–8.0 mg/kg) dose-responsively generalized with an ED50=3.54 mg/kg; significantly less potent than DHX. The selective D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0.06–0.12 mg/kg) dose-responsively decreased DHX-appropriate discriminative performance. These data would indicate that DHX is a selective D1 agonist that may allow for testing of the selectivity of other putative D1 agonists in this experimental procedure. Administration of non-selective dopaminergically active drugs, including apomorphine, amphetamine and cocaine, were each shown to produce intermediate DHX-appropriate discriminative performance.
ERBB receptors in cancer: signaling from the inside

ERBB receptor tyrosine kinases are activated by ligand-induced dimerization followed by activation and transphosphorylation of their intracellular kinase domains. A recent study by Bill and colleagues demonstrates that receptor transphosphorylation can be regulated from inside the cell by members of the cytohesin protein family. These data highlight a novel mechanism of amplification of ERBB receptor signaling output that may contribute to embryogenesis and cancer progression.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 Germline Mutations in Lymphoma Patients

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes are associated with an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancers as well as other types of malignancies. The observation of a germline BRCA1 mutation in an index case with a lymphoid neoplasm in the setting of a family history of breast cancer prompted us to explore the role of BRCA germline mutations as lymphoma susceptibility alleles. A panel of 286 DNA samples from Jewish lymphoma patients was analyzed for the three most frequent BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in those of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, and compared to a cohort of 5010 DNA samples from healthy controls. Of the 286 cases, 2 patients carried a germline BRCA mutation; both were diagnosed at an early age with an intermediate grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This data indicate that germline BRCA mutations are not associated with an increased risk for lymphoid malignancies.
Acquisition and maintenance of scripts in aphasia: a comparison of two cuing conditions.

Purpose This study was designed to compare acquisition and maintenance of scripts under two conditions: high cue, which provided numerous multimodality cues designed to minimize errors, and low cue, which provided minimal cues. Method In a randomized controlled crossover study, eight individuals with chronic aphasia received intensive computer-based script training under two cuing conditions. Each condition lasted 3 weeks, with a 3-week washout period. Trained and untrained scripts were probed for accuracy and rate at baseline, during treatment, immediately posttreatment, and at 3 and 6 weeks posttreatment. Significance testing was conducted on gain scores, and effect sizes were calculated. Results Training resulted in significant gains in script acquisition with maintenance of skills at 3 and 6 weeks posttreatment. Differences between cuing conditions were not significant. When severity of aphasia was considered, there also were no significant differences between conditions, although magnitude of change ...