cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of CIB with GPIIb/IIIa during outside-in signaling is required for platelet spreading on fibrinogen

Platelet spreading on immobilized fibrinogen (Fg) involves progression through a number of morphologic stages that, although distinctive, are not well understood mechanistically. Here we demonstrate that an association between GPIIb/IIIa and calcium- and integrin-binding protein (CIB) is required for the process of platelet spreading. Upon platelet adhesion to immobilized Fg, CIB localizes to the transiently formed filopodia and then redistributes diffusely along the membrane periphery of spread platelets. Immunoprecipitation analyses indicate that CIB and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa) interact with each other as platelets adhere to immobilized Fg, and together they associate with the platelet cytoskeleton. Introduction of anti-CIB antibody or GPIIb cytoplasmic peptide into platelets blocks lamellipodia but not filopodia formation. GPIIb peptide–induced inhibition of platelet spreading is recovered by the incorporation of recombinant CIB protein, suggesting that interaction between CIB and GPIIb/IIIa is required for progression from filopodial to spread morphologies. Further, anti-CIB– or GPIIb peptide–induced inhibition of platelet spreading can be overcome by the addition of exogenous adenosine diphosphate (ADP). These data suggest that formation of the CIB-GPIIb/IIIa complex may be necessary for initiation of downstream signaling events, such as ADP secretion, that lead to platelet spreading.
Highly Sensitive and Selective Dopamine Biosensor Fabricated with Silanized Graphene

A new type of chemically modified graphene, EDTA-modified reduced graphene (EDTA-RG), was synthesized by silanization of graphene with N-(trimethoxysilylpropyl) ethylenediamine triacetic acid (EDTA-silane). It was found that the presence of EDTA on the graphene surface enables the formation of a very stable suspension of EDTA-RG in Nafion/ethanol solution. When deposited onto a glass carbon electrode surface, a very stable, uniform thin film of EDTA-RG−Nafion composite was successfully obtained. The electrochemical behavior of this EDTA-RG−Nafion modified electrode, electrochemical catalysis, ionic selectivity, and biocompatibility, have been investigated using a variety of electrochemical techniques. The ion selectivity was investigated by using a negatively charged probe [Fe(CN)6]3−/4−, a positively charged probe, Ru(bpy)32+, and two biomolecules, dopamine and ascorbic acid. The thin film of EDTA-RG−Nafion composite exhibits high ion selectivity. Performances of EDTA−graphene−Nafion modified electrodes ...
Guests' perception of staged authenticity in a theme park: an example from Disney's Epcot's World Showcase

Purpose – The study aimed to investigate the role of staged authenticity on guests' overall experience when visiting a theme park. It also assessed their evaluative perception of the “real experience” versus the “staged experience.” In addition, the study explored the variables that may predict guest's perceived level of authenticity, realism and truth when experiencing “reproduced” landmarks at a theme park. Design/methodology/approach – The study's setting was the World Showcase at Disney's Epcot theme park that features well-known “staged” landmarks. The study adopted a theoretical framework initially developed by Naoi that measures guests' perceived authenticity at tourist attractions. Personal interviews were conducted with 336 local residents, domestic and international tourists in Central Florida using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS and included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple regression analysis. Findings – Patrons' overall experience at Epcot's World Showca...
On the possibility of a box for holding gravitational radiation in thermal equilibrium

We show that it is possible in principle to build a box which will hold gravitational radiation for a time long enough to thermalize it. The box is a thin spherical shell of charged matter with a large red shift at the surface of the shell. The radiation is kept in the box by the gravitational potential of the shell and is thermalized by the conversion between gravitational and electromagnetic radiation. We calculate the time for escape of the radiation and show that it is longer than the conversion time.
Two singleton live births after the transfer of cryopreserved–thawed day-3 embryos following an unstimulated in-vitro oocyte maturation cycle

Abstract The objective was to report two singleton live births after transfer of cryopreserved–thawed day-3 embryos resulting from an unstimulated in-vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) cycle. A 29-year-old female patient with polycystic ovaries (PCO) underwent an unstimulated IVM cycle. A total of 43 prophase-I oocytes were retrieved; 21 oocytes achieved in-vitro maturation to the metaphase-II stage at 36h post-retrieval and 18 oocytes were fertilized (two pronuclei) after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Two embryos were transferred in the fresh cycle (no pregnancy) and 15 day-3 embryos (post-oocyte microinjection) were cryopreserved. Subsequently, the patient became pregnant after each of two embryo transfer cycles from cryopreserved–thawed embryos (three and two embryos transferred respectively), with delivery of a single, term, healthy baby after each transfer. It is concluded that healthy live births were documented in a PCO patient undergoing unstimulated IVM followed by transfer of day-3 cryopreserved (slow-freeze)–thawed embryos, adding these methodologies to the armamentarium of assisted reproductive technologies.
The 2006 Mexican Election and Its Aftermath: Editor's Introduction

Competition came to Mexico's new democracy with unexpected fury in the nation's 2006 presidential election. Until recently Mexico was the bastion of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), where opposition parties could rarely hope to gain half as many votes as the PRI. But in the July 2 presidential election, Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN) edged Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) by a mere 233,831 votes, or 0.58% of the more than 41.5 million cast. The PRI's candidate, Roberto Madrazo, finished a distant third. Calderon took this razor-thin margin after a fiercely competitive campaign marked by lavish media spending and the use of negative attack ads. Lopez Obrador has contested the outcome from the time the polls closed until the present, calling his supporters into the streets on several occasions to put pressure on the electoral authorities to recount the votes; staging an “election by acclamation” in which those present at a rally on Mexico's Independence Day “elected” Lopez Obrador by a show of hands; and holding an “inauguration” ceremony on November 20, the anniversary of the onset of the Mexican Revolution. While Lopez Obrador challenged the preliminary outcome, Calderon had to wait patiently until the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TRIFE) declared him elected on September 5, fully two months after the ballots had been cast.
A compound high-order polarization-independent birefringence filter using Sagnac interferometers

Polarization-independent fiber-optic filters are presented that replace the polarizers in traditional birefringence filters with a Sagnac interferometer. The performance of these filters is discussed when Solc and Lyot type birefringence combinations are used. A high-order, compound filter combining these two filters is presented, along with experimental verification.
Impact of coping style and PTSD on family functioning after deployment in operation desert shield/storm returnees

The relationship between military combat and postdeployment family functioning difficulties has been frequently investigated in the literature, as has the relationship between types of coping and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Few studies, however, have examined these variables together, and no studies of which we are aware have examined the effect of coping on family functioning after combat exposure. This study examined coping style measured immediately after return from deployment, and PTSD symptoms and family functioning 18-24 months after return from deployment in a sample of Operation Desert Shield/Storm veterans (N = 2,949). Structural equation models suggested that the relationships between distinct coping styles on family functioning were differentially mediated by postdeployment PTSD symptoms. Results are consistent with full mediation for avoidant coping (βdirect = -.09, p = .07; βindirect = -.17, p < .001) and partial mediation for approach coping (βdirect = .16, p < .001; βindirect = .09, p < .001). Results suggest that the strategies used to cope with a combat stress event may impact both PTSD and family functioning outcomes, and highlight the potential utility of pre- and postdeployment coping skills training.
Appearance of venous malformations on magnetic resonance imaging

✓ The magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearance of venous malformations, all angiographically verified, was evaluated in 11 patients. A venous malformation is characteristically depicted as a tubular area of decreased signal intensity in the white matter of the brain. In one patient, a histologically verified cavernous malformation was also present with a characteristic mixed signal-intensity core on the T2-weighted MR images. Care should be used when evaluating venous angiomas to exclude the presence of a lesion with associated prominent venous drainage, such as a glioma.
Acute renal failure and hyperkalaemia associated with cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors

Background. The renal effects of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have been incompletely elucidated, and acute renal failure (ARF) due to COX-2 inhibitors has been reported. Methods. In order to determine the causes of ARF and hyperkalaemia in five patients during COX-2 inhibitor therapy, we carefully analysed case studies of consecutive in-patients or out-patients referred to our Renal Division over a 6-month period for ARF and hyperkalaemia who had recently received COX-2 inhibitors. Results. ARF developed 2–3 weeks after COX-2 inhibitor therapy in five patients. The ARF was consistent with pre-renal azotaemia from renal hypoperfusion. Four patients were receiving the loop diuretic, furosemide. Four patients developed hyperkalaemia and decreased serum bicarbonate despite diuretic therapy, and one patient had changes in plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels consistent with reversible hyporeninaemic hypoaldosteronism. Renal failure was reversible after discontinuation of diuretics and COX-2 inhibitors. Conclusions. COX-2 inhibitors may cause reversible ARF and hyperkalaemia in patients with oedematous conditions treated with low sodium diets and loop diuretics.
Assessment of Rashba Field Effects in Ultrathin Pt/Co/GdOx Submicrometer Strips

The influence of injected current on magnetization dynamics is investigated in submicrometer-wide strips of out-of-plane magnetized Pt/Co/GdOx. This ultrathin film structure is similar to Pt/Co/AlOx exhibiting highly efficient current-driven domain wall (DW) motion, which has recently been attributed in part to the Rashba effect. In Pt/Co/GdOx, the reduction of the out-of-plane magnetization with increasing injected current is largely due to Joule heating, and the effective transverse Rashba field that tilts the magnetization is estimated to be at most ~0.3 T/(1012 A/m2). Measurements of high-speed DW motion reveal no evidence of a strong Rashba field to suppress DW precession. These findings indicate that the Rashba effect plays a limited or negligible role in current-driven DW dynamics, and alternative torques are required to explain the high efficiency of DW motion in ultrathin heavy-metal/ferromagnet/oxide systems.
Optical properties of the poly-L-proline and collagen helices†

Poly-L-proline I and II, polyphydroxy-L-proline II, polysarcosine, and collagen, as well as two model amides have been examined by far ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Absorption spectral data are presented. Neither in solution nor in oriented films of poly-L-proline I and II is there any indication of excition resonance splitting of the peptide absorption band. In collagen there is some, in the poly-L-prolines only minimal, hypochromicity. These observations, at least in poly-L-proline II, run counter to theory. Optical rotatory dispersion measurements in the ultraviolet indicate simple dispersion in collagen and poly-L-proline II down to at least 232 mμ. The Cotton effect (trough at 233 mμ) observed in α-helical polypeptides and proteins is absent. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Effects of cellular iron deficiency on the formation of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenesis.

Background: Young women diagnosed with breast cancer are known to have a higher mortality rate from the disease than older patients. Specific risk factors leading to this poorer outcome have not been identified. In the present study, we hypothesized that iron deficiency, a common ailment in young women, contributes to the poor outcome by promoting the hypoxia inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) formation. This hypothesis was tested in an in vitro cell culture model system. Results: Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were transfected with transferrin receptor-1 (TfR1) shRNA to constitutively impair iron uptake. Cellular iron status was determined by a set of iron proteins and angiogenesis was evaluated by levels of VEGF in cells as well as by a mouse xenograft model. Significant decreases in ferritin with concomitant increases in VEGF were observed in TfR1 knockdown MDA-MB-231 cells when compared to the parental cells. TfR1 shRNA transfectants also evoked a stronger angiogenic response after the cells were injected subcutaneously into nude mice. The molecular mechanism appears that cellular iron deficiency elevates VEGF formation by stabilizing HIF-1a. This mechanism is also true in human breast cancer MCF-7 and liver cancer HepG2 cells. Conclusions: Cellular iron deficiency increased HIF-1a, VEGF, and angiogenesis, suggesting that systemic iron deficiency might play an important part in the tumor angiogenesis and recurrence in this young age group of breast cancer patients.
A simulation-based approach for evaluating microarray analyses

S UMMARY The biological complexity of gene expression makes simulation of gene expression data difficult. We propose a spike-in simulation that adds a single simulated gene to the data set of interest. Features of this spike-in gene may be manipulated to observe how often the spiked-in gene appears in the list of differentially expressed genes. This approach provides insight into the data analysis method, the observed data, and the manner in which the method and data interact without relying on indefensible assumptions regarding gene coexpression.
Energy Dissipation in Dynamical Systems Through Sequential Application and Removal of Constraints

A strategy to remove energy from finite-dimensional elastic systems is presented. The strategy is based on the cyclic application and removal of constraints that effectively remove and restore degrees of freedom of the system. In general, application of a constraint removes kinetic energy from the system, while removal of the constraint resets the system for a new cycle of constraint application. Conditions that lead to a net loss in kinetic energy per cycle and bounds on the amount of energy removed are presented. In linear systems, these bounds are related to the modes of the system in its two states, namely, with and without constraints. It is shown that energy removal is always possible, even using a random switching schedule, except in one scenario, when energy is trapped in modes that span an invariant subspace with special orthogonality properties. Applications to nonlinear systems are discussed. Examples illustrate the process of energy removal in both linear and nonlinear systems.
A multiple description speech coder based on AMR-WB for mobile ad hoc networks

To address the challenging task of achieving effective voice communication over mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), we introduce a new multiple description (MD) speech coder based on the AMR-WB (adaptive multirate wideband) standard. The MD coder splits the bitstream of the AMR-WB coder into two redundant sub-streams by directly selecting overlapping subsets of encoded data generated for each frame. The sub-streams are transmitted on different network paths. When both sub-streams arrive at the decoder, an output identical to that of AMR-WB is recovered. If only one substream arrives at the decoder, degraded, but still acceptable, speech quality is obtained. The performance of the multiple description coding system is tested for MANETS with a network simulator and an informal listening test. The results demonstrate that this approach makes effective use of the channel capacity and provides reliable end-to-end connections for voice communication in MANETs.
Design of Multigigabit-per-Second Transceiver for Band-Limited High-Speed Data Communication Using DC-Free Signaling

This paper presents a 5-Gb/s transceiver for AC-coupled interconnects using de-free signaling based on symbol-rate-carrier offset quadrature phase-shift-keying modulation. A modified Costas loop for the clock and data recovery is also proposed to perform the receiver function. Without the need of an encoding scheme for dc balance, the proposed modulation can be used in high-speed ac-coupled high-speed interconnect systems. The theory and analysis of the proposed dc-free signaling are discussed in this paper. The fully integrated transmitter and the receiver are implemented using a 0.18-mum CMOS technology. Measurement results demonstrate the transmitted 5-Gb/s data can be successfully recovered by the receiver chip after an ac-coupled FR4 printed circuit board transmission line of up to 20 in. The transceiver consumes 200 mW from a 1.8-V power supply.
Processing relative clauses in supportive contexts

Results from two self-paced reading experiments in English are reported in which subject- and object-extracted relative clauses (SRCs and ORCs, respectively) were presented in contexts that support both types of relative clauses (RCs). Object-extracted versions were read more slowly than subject-extracted versions across both experiments. These results are not consistent with a decay-based working memory account of dependency formation where the amount of decay is a function of the number of new discourse referents that intervene between the dependents (Gibson, 1998; Warren & Gibson, 2002). Rather, these results support interference-based accounts and decay-based accounts where the amount of decay depends on the number of words or on the type of noun phrases that intervene between the dependents. In Experiment 2, presentation in supportive contexts was directly contrasted with presentation in null contexts. Whereas in the null context the extraction effect was only observed during the RC region, in a supportive context the extraction effect was numerically larger and persisted into the following region, thus showing that extraction effects are enhanced in supportive contexts. A sentence completion study demonstrated that the rate of SRCs versus ORCs was similar across null and supportive contexts (with most completions being subject-extractions), ruling out the possibility that an enhanced extraction effect in supportive contexts is due to ORCs being less expected in such contexts. However, the content of the RCs differed between contexts in the completions, such that the RCs produced in supportive contexts were more constrained, reflecting the lexical and semantic content of the preceding context. This effect, which we discuss in terms of expectations ⁄lexico-syntactic priming, suggests that the enhancement of the extraction effect in supportive contexts is due to the facilitation of the subject-extracted condition.
Optical-fiber-to-waveguide coupling using carbon-dioxide-laser-induced long-period fiber gratings.

Optical fibers are expected to play a role in chip-level and board-level optical interconnects because of limitations on the bandwidth and level of integration of electrical interconnects. Therefore, methods are needed to couple optical fibers directly to waveguides on chips and on boards. We demonstrate optical-fiber-to-waveguide coupling using carbon-dioxide laser-induced long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs). Such gratings can be written in standard fiber and offer wavelength multiplexing–demultiplexing performance. The coupler fabrication process and the characterization apparatus are presented. The operation and the wavelength response of a LPFG-based optical-fiber-to-waveguide directional coupler are demonstrated.
Abundance Ratios in Open Clusters and Field Giants of the Outer Galactic Disk

We present elemental abundance ratios for bright red giants in the old, distant open clusters Berkeley 20, Berkeley 21, NGC 2141, Berkeley 29, and Berkeley 31 as well as for distant field red giants in the direction of the southern Galactic warp. At Galactocentric distances beyond 10 to 12 kpc, the metallicity gradient disappears. The open cluster and field red giants of the outer disk exhibit an almost constant iron abundance [Fe/H] = −0.5. We also measured the abundances for 15 other elements and found very similar compositions in the field and cluster stars. Specifically, they all show enhancements of the α elements O, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti as well as the r-process element Eu. These abundance patterns reveal a rapid star formation history for the outer Galactic disk. A possible explanation for the measured compositions is that the outer disk formed as a result of star formation triggered by a series of merger or accretion events.
A novel technique to dynamically measure vehicle speed using uncalibrated roadway cameras

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has a network of several hundred CCTV traffic surveillance cameras deployed on the freeways and arterials around Seattle for congestion monitoring. However, these cameras are not calibrated and can be panned, tilted and zoomed. This paper presents a novel method of automatically computing enough calibration information for these cameras so that they can produce reliable speed estimates. The method presented uses a straightening technique to remove perspective effects and a correlation technique to establish the necessary scale factor. Temporal correlation between sequential straightened frames of video is used to make robust speed estimates.
CONVERSATIONAL ASIDES: THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF AN ADULT LITERACY CLASS

Results from recent anthropological and sociolinguistic research have demonstrated that social context is a pervasive force often influencing the success or failure of learning activities. Classroom lessons, testing situations, and counselling encounters are influenced by the social structure, the interactional displays, and the social assumptions of students, teachers and guidance counselors as they engage in school activities (McDermott, 1977; Mehan, 1978; MacKay, 1974; Cicourel and Kituse, 1963; Erickson, 1975). Research has indicated that children modify their replies to classroom questions according to the degree of formality in the situation (Hall, Cole, Reder and Dowling, 1977), the social identity of the questioner (Mishler, 1978), and the ways in which questions are posed (Mehan, 1979). Adult educators, sensitive to adult students' fears about returning to school, have long maintained that social context is of ultimate importance in adult education programs. Knowles (1970) reasoned that because of adults' ages and maturity, teachers need to interact with their adult students in markedly different ways than is practiced in the elementary or secondary schools. In a political perspective, Friere (1970) argued that adult educators must adopt instructional practices which allow for "authentic dialogue" between teachers and students as equally knowing subjects. Recently, Lovell (1980) explained that if adults were reminded of the characteristics they disliked about school all their old antipathies and anxieties would be aroused, making learning difficult if not impossible to accomplish. And in a widely publicized study, which again identified the importance of social context upon adult learning, Hunter and Harmon (1979) argued that current literacy programs in the United States have been unsuccessful in reaching the adults most in need of reading instruction because the programs
FNDC5/irisin - their role in the nervous system and as a mediator for beneficial effects of exercise on the brain

Exercise can improve cognitive function and the outcome of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease. This effect has been linked to the increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving the elevation of this neurotrophin remain unknown. Recently, we have reported a PGC-1α-FNDC5/irisin pathway, which is activated by exercise in the hippocampus in mice and induces a neuroprotective gene program, including Bdnf. This review will focus on FNDC5 and its secreted form "irisin", a newly discovered myokine, and their role in the nervous system and its therapeutic potential. In addition, we will briefly discuss the role of other exercise-induced myokines on positive brain effects.
Genetic analysis of potassium transport loci in Escherichia coli: evidence for three constitutive systems mediating uptake potassium.

The analysis of mutants of Escherichia coli that require elevated concentrations of K+ for growth has revealed two new genes, trkG, near minute 30 within the cryptic rac prophage, and trkH, near minute 87, the products of which affect constitutive K+ transport. The analysis of these and other trk mutations suggests that high rates of transport, previously considered to represent the activity of a single system, named TrkA, appear to be the sum of two systems, here named TrkG and TrkH. Each of these two is absolutely dependent on the product of the trkA gene, a cytoplasmic protein associated with the inner membrane (D. Bossemeyer, A. Borchard, D. C. Dosch, G. C. Helmer, W. Epstein, I. R. Booth, and E. P. Bakker, J. Biol. Chem. 264:16403-16410, 1989). The TrkH system is also dependent on the products of the trkH and trkE genes, while the TrkG system is also dependent on the product of the trkG gene and partially dependent on the product of the trkE gene. It is suggested that the trkH and trkG products are membrane proteins that form the transmembrane path for the K+ movement of the respective systems. Two mutations altering the trkA product reduce the affinity for K+ of both TrkG and TrkH, indicating that changes in peripheral protein can alter the conformation of the sites at which K+ is bound prior to transport. The TrkD system has a relatively modest rate of transport, is dependent solely on the product of the trkD gene, and is the sole saturable system for Cs+ uptake in this species (D. Bossemeyer, A. Schlosser, and E. P. Bakker, J. Bacteriol. 171:2219-2221, 1989).
The effects of acetabular cup temperature and duration of cement pressurization on cement porosity in a canine total hip replacement model.

Objective— To determine the effect of acetabular cup temperature and duration of cement pressurization on porosity of the acetabular cement mantel. Study design— In vitro study. Methods— Twenty-four polyurethane foam blocks prepared for acetabular prosthetic implantation were implanted with polyethylene acetabular cups using four combinations and variations of temperature and pressure: (1) high temperature/short-term pressurization; (2) high temperature/long-term pressurization; (3) low temperature/long-term pressurization; and (4) low temperature short-term pressurization. Five 1-mm-thick slices were taken from the center of each block using a tissue processing system. The slices were scanned into a personal computer using a photo slide scanner. Imaging software was used to determine cement surface area and size, number, and distribution of pores. The quality of the cement-implant interface was subjectively evaluated. Statistical analysis of relative cement porosity was performed by a Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance comparing the four groups individually and combining the short-term pressurization groups versus the long-term pressurization groups. Results— There were no significant differences in cement porosity between the four test groups (P= .11). There were no significant differences in porosity between the combined groups (P= .48). Conclusions— There is no benefit in prewarming acetabular cups before implantation. There are no deleterious effects of short-term pressurization of the cement during implantation.
Prevalence of Giant Kidney Worm (Dioctophyma renale) in Wild Mink (Mustela vison) in Minnesota

Abstract Of 138 wild mink (Mustela vison) from eastern Minnesota, 27% contained Dioctophyma renale, primarily in the right kidney. No significant difference between prevalence in adult male and immature male mink was found, nor between the prevalence in males vs. female mink. Thirteen worms were found in one male mink, representing the highest documented infection intensity of a single wild mink.
DOEPI : COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION IN EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMPUTING AND A FRAMEWORK FOR CREATING NEW EXERCISES

Abstract DoEpi is a series of computer exercises and a framework for making new exercises based on the Epi Info™ programs for epidemiologic computing. The system contains three outbreak investigations, a research survey, four exercises in advanced Epi Info programming, and four exercises in public health surveillance. The exercises are available via the Internet (www.cdc.gov, under “Publications, Products, and Software”) with provision for CME and CEU credit from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They can serve as a useful adjunct to lectures and textbooks in teaching epidemiology or epidemiologic computing. A new DoEpi exercise with hypertext, low-resolution photographs, questions, answers, and an examination can be constructed in hours rather than weeks or months using an Exercise Development “wizard” provided as part of the instructor’s module. Epi Info™ exercises with data files and customized programs require more work to construct but can be added by those with the necessary skills. DoEpi exercises can be used in a variety of ways for different curricula and students of different background levels, including those with English as a second language. Translation of DoEpi exercises into other languages is facilitated by the instructor’s module, and construction of new exercises with locally suitable materials is encouraged. DoEpi is based on DOS programs to allow the widest use. The format lends itself to conversion to hypertext programs in the Microsoft Windows and Internet formats at a future date.
STUDIES ON THE SUPRARENAL CORTEX V. THE INFLUENCE OF THE CORTICAL HORMONE UPON THE EXCRETION OF WATER AND ELECTROLYTES IN THE SUPRARENALECTOMIZED DOG

1. The withdrawal of maintenance injections of the cortical hormone from the suprarenalectomized dog during balance experiments, in which a constant meat diet is given, with constant fluid and salt intake, is followed by increased urinary loss of sodium and chloride, and by retention of potassium and nitrogen. 2. Where the water intake is low, a definite diuresis usually accompanies this excretion of sodium and chloride, but where fluids are forced, no diuresis may be observed. 3. The reinjection of the cortical hormone in suprarenal insufficiency causes an active renal excretion of potassium which is greatly in excess of the probable extra accumulation of this component in the extracellular fluids during the period when insufficiency is developing. This potassium excretion is surmised to be sufficient to account for such an accumulation, if diffusible potassium is present in like concentration equally throughout all of the body water, intracellular as well as extracellular. The excretion of potassium is accompanied by a . corresponding excretion of phosphate and of nitrogen. 4. The excretion of electrolytes which is associated with withdrawal and with subsequent reinjection of suprarenal cortical hormone differs from the effects produced with various diuretic agents regarding which data are available. The effects produced by injection of the cortical hormone during suprarenal insufficiency, however, do resemble those produced with pituitrin, particularly in the greatly increased excretion of potassium relative to sodium, and in the coincidental dilution of the circulating blood. They suggest the possibility that the two similar effects may be ascribable to a common cause.
Leibniz's palace of the fates: A seventeenth-century virtual reality system

In the late 1600s the mathematician and philosopher Leibniz produced the first description of a virtual reality system. He described an organized system of virtual worlds available for human perceptual exploration, along with an interface for exploring them. Leibniz's work on the logic of possible worlds has direct relevance to the conceptual foundations of virtual reality work today.
NEK1 Protein Kinase as a Target for Anticancer Therapeutics

Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer and less frequently observed in non-cancerous cells. To maintain the stability of the genome, cells must safeguard the DNA passed on to daughter cells. Any DNA damages generated by exogenous or endogenous agents must be recognized through an efficient detection mechanism of the DNA lesions, and repaired with precision prior to cell division. DNA damages generate signals that normally arrest cell cycle progression until the damaged DNA is repaired. The DNA damage-repair signaling pathway is modulated by a group of precisely choreographed protein kinases [1]. This network activates a series of checkpoints that temporarily halt progression of the cell cycle and prevent the cell from duplicating its DNA or from undergoing mitosis until DNA can be assessed and repaired. For prompt and accurate DNA repair, signals must be conveyed rapidly and precisely. The ATM (ataxiatelangiectasia mutated) and ATR (ATM and Rad3-related kinase) kinases are the best examples of these protein kinases. ATR appears to be even more fundamental in DNA damage sensing and repair than ATM, since homozygous mutations of ATR have not been found in humans and since biallelic Atr inactivation in mice is lethal [2]. ATR and ATM have similar intersecting downstream targets and both are important for signaling and repairing of double strand breaks. ATR is thought to be the more important upstream PI3K for signaling and repairing UV radiationand nucleoside analog-induced DNA damage, both of which cause stalled replication forks. Until recently, ATM and/ or ATR were believed to be the crucial, proximal signaling molecules in all forms of DNA damage sensing and repair.
FinFET-Based Low-Swing Clocking

A low-swing clocking methodology is introduced to achieve low-power operation at 20nm FinFET technology. Low-swing clock trees are used in existing methodologies in order to decrease the dynamic power consumption in a trade-off for 3 issues: (1) the effect of leakage power consumption, which is becoming more dominant when the process scales sub-32nm; (2) the increase in insertion delay, resulting in a high clock skew; and (3) the difficulty in driving the existing DFF sinks with a low-swing clock signal without a timing violation. In this article, a FinFET-based low-swing clocking methodology is introduced to preserve the dynamic power savings of low-swing clocking while minimizing these three negative effects, facilitated through an efficient use of FinFET technology. At scaled performance constraints, the proposed methodology at 20nm FinFET leads to 42p total power savings (clock network+DFF) compared to a FinFET-based full-swing counterpart at the same frequency (3 GHz), thanks to the dynamic power savings of low-swing clocking and 3p power savings compared to a CMOS-based low-swing implementation running at the half frequency (1.5 GHz), thanks to the leakage power savings of FinFET technology.
The Lymphatic Vasculature as a Participant in Microvascular Exchange

Optimal organ function requires the two-way movement of substrates and cell products between the circulatory system and the cells themselves. The common thought is that the circulatory system consists of arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules and veins and that exchange occurs chiefly across capillaries and the venules. The capillaries, given their thin walls and large number, present a large surface area and are therefore perceived as the primary site for fluid and gas exchange. The venules, also thin walled and numerous, possess only minimal coverage by vascular smooth muscle and are seen as the primary site for the movement of larger solutes up to and including the white cells observed to roll along their walls. In fact, the exchange of solutes occurs across the walls of the arterioles, albeit at lower rates [1], especially in organs such as the heart where significant numbers of cardiac myocytes are far removed from capillaries or venules [2]. Essential elements omitted from the list of constituents of the cardiovascular system are the components of the lymphatic system residing within the organ. These include the blind-end initial lymph sacs, collecting lymphatics, and lymph nodes. As will be discussed further, for materials to move from the vascular and tissue compartments, the barriers must possess a finite permeability. In addition, unlike what is presented in the textbooks, all fluid that filters from the vascular space into the tissue space is not reabsorbed back across the same barrier [3]. Obviously, that fluid and accompanying solute must be transported back into the vascular space, otherwise edema occurs and tissue function is lost.
The contribution of subsidized food commodities to total energy intake among US adults.

Objective The contribution of subsidized food commodities to total food consumption is unknown. We estimated the proportion of individual energy intake from food commodities receiving the largest subsidies from 1995 to 2010 (corn, soyabeans, wheat, rice, sorghum, dairy and livestock). Design Integrating information from three federal databases (MyPyramid Equivalents, Food Intakes Converted to Retail Commodities, and What We Eat in America) with data from the 2001–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, we computed a Subsidy Score representing the percentage of total energy intake from subsidized commodities. We examined the score’s distribution and the probability of having a ‘high’ (≥70th percentile) v. ‘low’ (≤30th percentile) score, across the population and subgroups, using multivariate logistic regression. Setting Community-dwelling adults in the USA. Subjects Participants (n 11 811) aged 18–64 years. Results Median Subsidy Score was 56·7 % (interquartile range 47·2–65·4 %). Younger, less educated, poorer, and Mexican Americans had higher scores. After controlling for covariates, age, education and income remained independently associated with the score: compared with individuals aged 55–64 years, individuals aged 18–24 years had a 50 % higher probability of having a high score (P<0·0001). Individuals reporting less than high-school education had 21 % higher probability of having a high score than individuals reporting college completion or higher (P=0·003); individuals in the lowest tertile of income had an 11 % higher probability of having a high score compared with individuals in the highest tertile (P=0·02). Conclusions Over 50 % of energy in US diets is derived from federally subsidized commodities.
Comparison of intracerebroventricular and intracarotid infusions of PGE2 in conscious sheep.

Conscious sheep chronically prepared with nonocclusive indwelling vascular and cerebroventricular catheters were used to compare hemodynamic, hematologic, hormonal, and behavioral responses of intracarotid (ic) prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) to intracerebroventricular (ivt) PGE2. PGE2 had less potent hemodynamic effects when infused ivt than when infused ic. Intracarotid PGE2, 100 ng.kg-1.min-1, increased arterial pressure and heart rate 31 mmHg and 26 beats/min, respectively (P less than 0.01), whereas ivt PGE2, 300 ng.kg-1.min-1, did not alter heart rate and increased arterial pressure 9 mmHg (P less than 0.01). Both ic and ivt PGE2 increased packed cell volume 3% (P less than 0.01). Neither ic nor ivt PGE2 caused changes in plasma concentrations of epinephrine or norepinephrine. Despite ivt PGE2S less potent hemodynamic effects, ivt administration of PGE2 decreased plasma osmolality 2 mosmol/kg (P less than 0.05) and sodium concentration 2 meq/l (P less than 0.01) and increased plasma vasopressin concentration 2.5-fold (P less than 0.05). Intracerebroventricular PGE2 also caused some physical and behavioral changes that were not observed during ic PGE2 administration or during ivt infusion of vehicle. These changes included pupillary constriction, vocalization, and coughing. We conclude that PGE2 given ivt may not reach the same sites in the brain as does ic PGE2 or that ivt PGE2 may reach the same sites in different concentrations.
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation.

Electronic cigarettes with nicotine increase smoking cessation rates compared with placebo, with effectiveness similar to that of nicotine patches. In addition, more patients using electronic cigarettes with nicotine were able to halve their use of cigarettes than those using placebo electronic cigarettes or nicotine patches. Long-term safety is unknown.
Local layering

In a conventional 2d painting or compositing program, graphical objects are stacked in a user-specified global order, as if each were printed on an image-sized sheet of transparent film. In this paper we show how to relax this restriction so that users can make stacking decisions on a per-overlap basis, as if the layers were pictures cut from a magazine. This allows for complex and visually exciting overlapping patterns, without painstaking layer-splitting, depth-value painting, region coloring, or mask-drawing. Instead, users are presented with a layers dialog which acts locally. Behind the scenes, we divide the image into overlap regions and track the ordering of layers in each region. We formalize this structure as a graph of stacking lists, define the set of orderings where layers do not interpenetrate as consistent, and prove that our local stacking operators are both correct and sufficient to reach any consistent stacking. We also provide a method for updating the local stacking when objects change shape or position due to user editing - this scheme prevents layer updates from producing undesired intersections. Our method extends trivially to both animation compositing and local visibility adjustment in depth-peeled 3d scenes; the latter of which allows for the creation of impossible figures which can be viewed and manipulated in real-time.
Delivery of a drug cache to glioma cells overexpressing platelet-derived growth factor receptor using lipid nanocarriers.

Aim: Glioblastoma multiforme is a devastating disease with no curative options due to the difficulty in achieving sufficient quantities of effective chemotherapies into the tumor past the blood–brain barrier. Micelles loaded with temozolomide (TMZ) were designed to increase the delivery of this drug into the brain. Materials & methods: pH-responsive micelles composed of distearoyl phosphoethanolamine-PEG-2000-amine and N-palmitoyl homocysteine were surface-functionalized with PDGF peptide and Dylight 680 fluorophore. Results & conclusion: PDGF-micelles containing TMZ have specific uptake and increased killing in glial cells compared with untargeted micelles. In vivo studies demonstrated selective accumulation of PDGF-micelles containing TMZ in orthotopic gliomas implanted in mice. Targeted micelle-based drug carrier systems hold potential for delivery of a wide variety of hydrophobic drugs thereby reducing its systemic toxicity.
Changing Strategies for Child Welfare, Enduring Beliefs about Childhood: The Fresh Air Fund, 1877–1926

In 1877, a Congregational pastor started a modest effort to send New York City tenement children on two-week summer vacations in country homes. The pastor's Fresh Air Fund grew, in the following decades, into a hugely popular program and a celebrated cause. The charity thrived in part because its simple project adapted well to several different reform environments. The fund made a place for itself in the evangelical child-saving efforts of the Gilded Age, the civic-minded reforms of the Progressive Era, and the more individualistic pursuits of the 1920s. In each era, fund leaders cast country vacations as simple means to address middle-class New Yorkers' fears about their changing city, from the influx of immigrants to the spread of disease to rising class tensions.Tracking the Fresh Air Fund over fifty years reveals the sea changes in child-welfare work between 1877 and 1927, but it also calls attention to continuities often overlooked in the history of child welfare. Throughout the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, the fund tapped supporters' constant and deep-seated beliefs in children's potential, the restorative power of the outdoors, and a child's right to play.
Metabolic synthesis of clickable glutathione for chemoselective detection of glutathionylation.

Glutathionylation involves reversible protein cysteine modification that regulates the function of numerous proteins in response to redox stimuli, thereby altering cellular processes. Herein we developed a selective and versatile approach to identifying glutathionylation by using a mutant of glutathione synthetase (GS). GS wild-type catalyzes coupling of γGlu-Cys to Gly to form glutathione. We generated a GS mutant that catalyzes azido-Ala in place of Gly with high catalytic efficiency and selectivity. Transfection of this GS mutant (F152A/S151G) and incubation of azido-Ala in cells efficiently afford the azide-containing glutathione derivative, γGlu-Cys-azido-Ala. Upon H2O2 treatment, clickable glutathione allowed for selective and sensitive detection of glutathionylated proteins by Western blotting or fluorescence after click reaction with biotin-alkyne or rhodamine-alkyne. This approach affords the efficient metabolic tagging of intracellular glutathione with small clickable functionality, providing a ...
“Foreigners and Women Have the Same Problems”: Binational Marriages, Women’s Grassroots Organizing, and the Quest for Legal Equality in Post-1968 Germany

This article discusses the Alliance of German Women Married to Foreigners (Interessengemeinschaft der mit Auslandern verheirateten Frauen [IAF]) from its origins in 1972 until the mid-1980s. The IAF founders recognized that in Germany, women’s rights and foreigner rights were intricately linked; they worked to address both. Yet pursuing this dual-pronged approach over the next fifteen years, an increasingly hostile period for foreigners in Germany, exposed the challenges of working both for and with foreign men. The resulting tensions within the organization, highlighted in discussions over the inclusion of foreign men and women, ultimately led IAF women to broaden their organization’s scope and constituency. The IAF’s history reflects the gradual, and not always smooth, mutual recognition of Germany’s feminist and foreigner/citizenship rights advocacy communities. It also shows that in the 1970s and 1980s, it was not foreign but German women—specifically, those married to foreign men—who represented the ...
A Home-Based Palliative Care Consult Service for Veterans.

We describe the development and implementation of a home-based palliative care consult service for Veterans with advanced illness. A retrospective chart review was performed on 73 Veterans who rece...