cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Gold Topography on Carboxylic Acid Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayers

Film permeability and double layer capacitance (Cdl) results are reported for mercaptotetradecanoic acid self-assembled monolayers (C13COOH SAMs) on gold substrates spanning a range of topography. Whereas film permeability was observed to decrease with increasing substrate smoothness, indicative of lower defect density in the SAMs, the capacitance, unexpectedly, was observed to increase as the topography became smoother. To explain these results, a simple structural model is proposed in which the extent of hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) among carboxylic acid endgroups is related to the underlying gold substrate topography. The model predicts that more extensive H-bonding will occur as substrates become smoother which, in turn, impacts the dielectric properties of the film. The model also provides an explanation for the discordant pKa results that have heretofore been reported for COOH SAMs. Altered surface acidity of up to 3 pKa units appears to be attributable to substrate topography.
A performance model for X10 applications: what's going on under the hood?

To reliably write high performance code in any programming language, an application programmer must have some understanding of the performance characteristics of the language's core constructs. We call this understanding a performance model for the language. Some aspects of a performance model are fundamental to the programming language and are expected to be true for any plausible implementation of the language. Other aspects are less fundamental and merely represent design choices made in a particular version of the language's implementation.In this paper we present a basic performance model for the X10 programming language. We first describe some performance characteristics that we believe will be generally true of any implementation of the X10 2.2 language specification. We then discuss selected aspects of our implementations of X10 2.2 that have significant implications for the performance model.
Status of the NASA Balloon Program

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Balloon Program has been highly successful since recovering from the catastrophic balloon failure problems of the early to mid 1980s. Balloons have continued to perform at unprecedented success rates. The comprehensive research and development (R&D) effort has continued with advances being made across the spectrum of balloon related disciplines. The long duration balloon project will be transitioning from a development effort to an operational capability this year. Recently, emphasis has been placed on the development and implementation of new support systems and facilities. A new permanent launch facility at Fort Sumner, New Mexico has been established. New ground station support equipment is being implemented, and a new heavy load launch vehicle is scheduled to be implemented in 1992. The progress, status and future plans for these and other aspects of the NASA program will be presented.
Mapping and characterization of transcriptional pause sites in the early genetic region of bacteriophage T7

During transcription of DNA templates in vitro, Escherichia coli RNA polymerase pauses at certain sequences before resuming elongation. Previous studies have established that some pausing events are brought about by the formation of RNA hairpin structures in the nascent transcript; however, it is not known whether this is an invariant and causal relationship. We have mapped and characterized almost 200 distinct pause sites located within the early region of bacteriophage T7 DNA using a collection of T7 deletion mutant DNAs and taking advantage of a procedure that permits synchronous transcription from the T7 A1 promoter. The pausing pattern is sensitive both to the overall concentration of nucleotide substrates and to the relative concentrations of the four nucleotides. The apparent KS value for a particular nucleoside triphosphate can vary over a 500-fold range depending on the nucleotide sequence, and pausing at some sites can be induced by modest reductions in substrate concentration. However, pausing is not solely a consequence of substrate limitation. Pausing at certain sites is caused by some feature of the template or of the transcript itself. Substitution of inosine triphosphate (ITP) for GTP during transcription strongly affects the pattern and strength of pausing events, suggesting that base-pairing interactions involving the RNA strand are important for some pausing events. Other pauses are determined by sequences downstream from the elongation site that have not yet been transcribed, and pausing at these sites is generally insensitive to substitution of IMP for GMP in the nascent transcript. Pausing at one particular site on T7 DNA is strongly enhanced by the presence of E. coli gene nusA protein. These results confirm that there are multiple classes of sites that lead to transcriptional pausing, and provide a collection of sites for further study. Using selected pause sites in the early region of T7 DNA, we have tried to evaluate the possible roles of primary sequence, base composition and secondary structure in pausing. Computer analysis was used to compare primary sequences and potential RNA hairpin structures in transcripts for pauses known to share similar biochemical properties. We see no correlation of pause sites with regions of particular base composition or with specific primary sequences. While some pauses are correlated with the potential to form stable RNA hairpins just upstream from the growing point of the RNA chain, there is not a strict one-to-one relationship between predicted RNA hairpins and the location of pause sites. Since at least one pause site seems to be correlated with an RNA hairpin involving non-Watson-Crick base-pairs (adenine-guanine pairs), this lack of correspondence must be partly due to the inadequacies of current rules for predicting RNA secondary structures. However, elements other than RNA secondary structure must also modulate the process of RNA chain elongation.
Abstract A26: Cross-species analysis of genome-wide regulatory models elucidates master regulators of prostate cancer progression and treatment response

The study of cancer therapeutics in mouse models is impaired by our limited understanding of whether the regulatory mechanisms that mediate their activity are conserved in human patients. To address this limitation, we have constructed a mouse prostate cancer regulatory model (interactome) based on in vivo drug-based perturbations of 15 transgenic models of prostate cancer as well as a human interactome from a large-scale set of molecular profiles of patient derived tissue. For the mouse interactome, we performed molecular perturbations by treatment with small molecules, including inhibitors of the androgen receptor, tyrosine kinase receptors, MAPK, Akt/mTOR, JAK/STAT, and NF-KB signaling pathways as well as several chemotherapeutic agents. We then used a cross-species analysis to independently identify and match master regulators of cancer progression with the therapeutic compounds that optimally abrogate their activity both in the human and in the mouse regulatory models. Cross-species interactome interrogation represents a new paradigm for ‘human to mouse to human’ (H2M2H) analyses, aimed at maximizing translational potential. By interrogating our regulatory models using molecular profiles of cancer progression, we identified two genes, FOXM1 and CENP-F, that are synergistically required for the maintenance of aggressive, metastatic prostate tumors and are predictive of clinical outcome. Indeed, lentivirus mediated shRNA co-silencing of these master regulators dramatically decreases tumorigenesis in vivo. Interrogation of these interactomes using small molecule signatures further identified candidate combinations that successfully abrogate the activity of the FOXM1/CENPF axis in metastatic prostate cancer GEM models, and significantly reduce tumor and metastatic burden in vivo, thus improving survival significantly over standard of care chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that simultaneous targeting of FOXM1 and CENPF may be especially beneficial in patients who have failed conventional chemotherapy. Citation Format: Antonina Mitrofanova, Alvaro Aytes, Celine Lefebvre, Michael Shen, Cory Abate-Shen, Andrea Califano. Cross-species analysis of genome-wide regulatory models elucidates master regulators of prostate cancer progression and treatment response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Synthetic Lethal Approaches to Cancer Vulnerabilities; May 17-20, 2013; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(5 Suppl):Abstract nr A26.
The distributional implications of tax and transfer programs in US

Abstract The distributional consequences of changes in tax laws and transfer programs in the United States are studied. Using detailed household income data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) from 1981–91, income inequality is measured for both pretax/transfer and post-tax/transfer definitions of household income. A new statistical methodology for assessing the impact of changes in taxes and transfers on the size distribution of income is utilized. Confidence intervals are constructed for various measures of inequality, and hypothesis tests are conducted to determine whether observed changes in the distribution of income due to taxes and transfers are statistically significant. Using decomposable measures of inequality, the implications of type of tax table used are investigated.
Biosynthesis of the Cyclooligomer Depsipeptide Beauvericin, a Virulence Factor of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana

Beauvericin, a cyclohexadepsipeptide ionophore from the entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana, shows antibiotic, antifungal, insecticidal, and cancer cell antiproliferative and antihaptotactic (cell motility inhibitory) activity in vitro. The bbBeas gene encoding the BbBEAS nonribosomal peptide synthetase was isolated from B. bassiana and confirmed to be responsible for beauvericin biosynthesis by targeted disruption. BbBEAS utilizes D-2-hydroxyisovalerate (D-Hiv) and L-phenylalanine (Phe) for the iterative synthesis of a predicted N-methyl-dipeptidol intermediate, and forms the cyclic trimeric ester beauvericin from this intermediate in an unusual recursive process. Heterologous expression of the bbBeas gene in Escherichia coli to produce the 3189 amino acid, 351.9 kDa BbBEAS enzyme provided a strain proficient in beauvericin biosynthesis. Comparative infection assays with a BbBEAS knockout B. bassiana strain against three insect hosts revealed that beauvericin plays a highly significant but not indispensable role in virulence.
The PINK1-Parkin pathway promotes both mitophagy and selective respiratory chain turnover in vivo.

The accumulation of damaged mitochondria has been proposed as a key factor in aging and the pathogenesis of many common age-related diseases, including Parkinson disease (PD). Recently, in vitro studies of the PD-related proteins Parkin and PINK1 have found that these factors act in a common pathway to promote the selective autophagic degradation of damaged mitochondria (mitophagy). However, whether Parkin and PINK1 promote mitophagy under normal physiological conditions in vivo is unknown. To address this question, we used a proteomic approach in Drosophila to compare the rates of mitochondrial protein turnover in parkin mutants, PINK1 mutants, and control flies. We found that parkin null mutants showed a significant overall slowing of mitochondrial protein turnover, similar to but less severe than the slowing seen in autophagy-deficient Atg7 mutants, consistent with the model that Parkin acts upstream of Atg7 to promote mitophagy. By contrast, the turnover of many mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) subunits showed greater impairment in parkin than Atg7 mutants, and RC turnover was also selectively impaired in PINK1 mutants. Our findings show that the PINK1–Parkin pathway promotes mitophagy in vivo and, unexpectedly, also promotes selective turnover of mitochondrial RC subunits. Failure to degrade damaged RC proteins could account for the RC deficits seen in many PD patients and may play an important role in PD pathogenesis.
Composing tree attributions

Using the simple tree attributions described in this paper, attribute values can themselves be trees, enabling attribution to be used for tree transformations. Unlike higher-order attribute grammars, simple tree attributions have the property of descriptional composition, which allows a complex transformation to be built up from simpler ones, yet be executed efficiently. In contrast to other formalisms that admit descriptional composition, notably composable attribute grammars, simple tree attributions have the expressive power to handle remote references and recursive syntactic (tree-generating) functions, providing significantly more general forms of attribution and transformation.
Examining the influence of drivers' characteristics during traffic stops with police: Results from a national survey

The factors that influence officer decision making after a traffic stop is initiated are examined using the Police-Public Contact Survey data collected in 1999. This investigation of police behavior is framed with an understanding of the organizational roots of racial profiling tactics and policies. The findings show that young black and Hispanic males are at increased risk for citations, searches, arrests, and uses of force after other extralegal and legal characteristics are controlled. Additional analyses show that minority drivers are not, however, more likely to be carrying contraband than are white drivers. The implications for policy and future research are discussed.
Familial male sexual precocity: report of the eleventh kindred found, with observations on blood group linkage and urinary C19-steroid excretion.

ABSTRACT. The eleventh known kindred with a vertical pattern of familial male sex precocity is described. Linkage data on blood groups and the phenylthiourea (PTC) taste test were obtained. There is limited evidence for linkage between the Kidd (Jkb) blood groups and the syndrome of familial male precocity. No urinary FSH could be detected in any of the affected children so tested. There was no evidence of ICSH activity in the urine of the propositus, which is against the hypothesis that this syndrome is due to overproduction of ICSH. The urinary C19 steroids of the propositus and his father (also affected) were fractionated on a chromatographic column. The propositus showed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) in his urine, whereas normal boys of a similar age did not. The urinary androsterone (ANDRO) in the affected boy was 4 times the concentration in the urine of the control boys. His urinary etiocholanolone (ETIO), 11-OH-ETIO, 11-O-ETIO and 11-OH-ANDRO were about double the excretion of these steroids by the...
Electron-trap generation by recombination of electrons and holes in SiO2

It is shown that after holes are injected and trapped in silicon dioxide (SiO2), subsequent electron injection will generate neutral electron traps. The density of electron traps generated is about 30% of the density of trapped holes. It is proposed that electron traps are created by the energy released through the recombination of electrons and holes, and that this is the mechanism of electron‐trap generation during high‐field oxide stressing. Similar oxide field and thickness dependencies of the rate of electron‐trap generation and hole generation further support this model. This model can reconcile the main evidence for the electron‐trapping oxide breakdown model with the hole‐trapping breakdown model. It is consistent with the higher trap generation rate in irradiated SiO2. An analytical trapping model is derived and the electron capture cross sections of trapped holes and the generated neutral traps are found to be 10−14 cm2 and 5×10−16 cm2, respectively.
Student Identity, Disengagement, and Learning

Current student engagement literature fails to fully appreciate the psychosocial aspect of learning, especially the process of “opting out” of learning opportunities. We formulate a model of identi...
Diagnostic Exercise Challenge Testing

This article reviews the diagnostic challenge methods—both exercise and surrogate—for diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and EIB with known asthma. Indirect challenges that release the entire repertoire of mediators representative of EIB and asthma are more specific for diagnosis and are recommended over direct challenges such as methacholine challenge, which are sensitive but nonspecific. Self-reported history and empiric therapeutic trials are not adequate for diagnosis of EIB with or without known asthma. Objective pulmonary function documentation with bronchodilator reversibility or exercise or surrogate challenge are optimal for diagnosis of EIB or EIB with known asthma. Such objective pulmonary function documentation is optimal for the proper management and healthy lifestyle of the exercising athlete or individual.
Trust in elections and the institutional design of electoral authorities: Evidence from Latin America

It is often assumed that the institutional organization of electoral management bodies (EMB) has an impact on the credibility of elections, but this proposition has been difficult to verify empirically. I examine whether the degree of autonomy from the political process of EMB administrators affects attitudes towards elections among citizens and legislators by analyzing mass and elite surveys across Latin America. I conclude that levels of confidence in the electoral process among political elites are higher in countries with politically autonomous EMBs, but this effect is muted in the analysis of citizen attitudes. This association holds after controlling for individual-level determinants of trust in elections and for other relevant country-level predictors in multilevel statistical models.
On the termination of the Hawaiian Lee Countercurrent

[1] New satellite observations reveal regions of strong island-induced wind curl leeward of Hawaii. According to Sverdrup theory, this wind curl drives an eastward current that extends from Hawaii all the way to the Asian coast. The observed Hawaiian Lee Countercurrent (HLCC), however, terminates near the dateline. This study examines the possible role of mesoscale eddies in modifying the Sverdrup solution, using an ocean model of 0.1° horizontal resolution. The model simulates an HLCC of limited zonal extent under low horizontal viscosity that permits vigorous mesoscale eddies west of Hawaii. Preliminary analysis suggests that these eddies act to limit the westward extent of the HLCC by extracting energy from the mean flow.
Phenytoin II: In vitro–in vivo bioequivalence standard for 100-mg phenytoin sodium capsules

A bioequivalence study was undertaken using an oral solution, a fast-dissolving capsule and a slow-dissolving phenytoin sodium capsule. The AUC, tmax and Cmax correlated with in vitro dissolution data. The results of the present studies substantiate the presence of two types of phenytoin sodium products on the market. On the basis of these studies, in vitro specifications for fast- and slow-dissolving phenytoin sodium capsules as well as the in vivo bioequivalence requirements for these two types of products are recommended.
Developmental changes in protein content, volumes and amino acid pools in the larval fat body and hemolymph of Calliphora erythrocephala

Abstract 1. 1. Hemolymph amino acid concentrations decline in mid-to-late instar, with total hemolymph pools peaking later due to increased hemolymph volume. 2. 2. Fat body total amino acid concentrations increase throughout the instar, mainly due to tyrosine accumulation. 3. 3. Individual amino acid concentrations show complex patterns of change with development, and are significantly different between the hemolymph and fat body.
Utilization of DBS within drug discovery: a simple 2D-LC-MS/MS system to minimize blood- and paper-based matrix effects from FTA elute™ DBS

Background: Dried blood spot-based bioanalysis potentially introduces novel matrix effects that need to be eliminated or controlled. Within nonregulatory drug discovery these can be defined as ≤20% and ≤30% for nominal peak area, respectively. Results: Controlling matrix effects for a panel of compounds by simple 1D-HPLC–MS/MS was not achievable and the optimization of 2D-HPLC–MS/MS is reported here. Simple inclusion of a ‘trapping’ stage was not sufficient to improve matrix effects and optimization of the reconstitution solvent, reconstitution volume and injection volume was required for a generic system to be developed. Conclusion: A generic 2D-LC–MS/MS system has been developed that eliminates paper-based matrix effects and eliminates or controls dried blood spot matrix effects for a panel of compounds extracted from FTA Elute™ with methanol.
Antiatherogenic Properties of High-Density Lipoprotein–Enriched MicroRNAs

The accumulation of cholesterol in the arterial wall initiates the progression of atherosclerosis, which is one of the major causes of death in Western societies.1,2 Excess cholesterol must be removed and transported from the peripheral tissues to the liver for its reutilization or its excretion into feces in a physiological process traditionally known as reverse cholesterol transport.3 During reverse cholesterol transport, plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is thought to function as a sterol transporter that facilitates the movement of sterols from peripheral cells to the liver. In addition to its role in regulating reverse cholesterol transport, many studies have shown that HDL may also have antiatherogenic properties.4,5 Indeed, HDL decreases endothelium inflammation and oxidative stress and increases nitric oxide production and endothelial cell (EC) survival, thus preventing atherogenesis.6–8 Although these observations have been reported in several studies, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are still unclear. In a recent report published in the February 28, 2014, issue of Nature Communications , Tabet et al9 showed that HDL can transfer microRNAs to ECs, influencing gene expression in the recipient cell. MicroRNAs …
Thinking Through Art: Transforming Museum Curriculum

AbstractWhat kinds of programming should an art museum's education department offer to the K-12 school community? How can we best contribute to students' current and future intellectual development? What type of programming best fits the needs of students and teachers, while also addressing the unique aspects of the museum setting?
MO-D-204B-05: Effect of PET Image Reconstruction Parameters on Quantitative Treatment Response Assessment

Purpose: Changes in SUV are typically used for PET‐based treatment response assessment. However, the absolute value of SUV varies with different reconstruction methods. We studied the effect of different PETimage reconstruction parameters on quantitative treatment response assessment. Method and Materials: Six patients (∼2 tumors/patient) were treated with molecular targeted therapy and received three whole body [18F]FLT (cellularproliferation marker) PET/CT scans at different time points of therapy. Images were reconstructed using filtered backprojection and the OSEM algorithm with varying grid size, number of iterations, and post filter. Each tumor was contoured on a reference reconstruction. This contour was applied to all reconstruction, and SUVmean, SUVmax, SUVpeak, and SUVtotal, were calculated. Treatment response was assessed by change in SUV between scans, normalized to the first scan. The effect of the reconstruction parameters on treatment response was evaluated via the percent difference from the reference reconstruction method which used the OSEM algorithm. Results: FBP yielded higher percent differences than the OSEM reconstructions for all measures. For the OSEM reconstructions, the range was 15%, 50%, 85%, and 25% for the change in SUVmean, SUVmax, SUVpeak, and SUVtotal respectively, while FBP yielded ranges of 60%, 100%, 150%, and 60%. Change in SUVmax, and SUVpeak had the greatest percent differences from the reference reconstruction. The percent difference was as high as 65% and 115% for the change in SUVmax and SUVpeak respectively when images were reconstructed with FBP compared to 25% and 65% when they were reconstructed with OSEM. Conclusion:Image reconstruction parameters affect treatment response assessment, particularly when SUVmax, or SUVpeak are used. Overall, the greatest variation was due to the image reconstruction algorithm. Consistency of reconstruction algorithm and parameters will not eliminate the inherent differences that exist with the use of SUV measures for treatment response assessment.
Taking account of gender in the clinical assessment interview.

Revue des travaux sur l'importance des facteurs lies au sexe dans l'evaluation clinique. L'auteur constate une certaine negligence quant a la prise en compte de cette variable et propose un certain nombre d'elements visant a changer cet etat de fait
CryptIP: An Approach for Encrypting Intellectual Property Cores with Simulation Capabilities

Modern complex digital designs are becoming feasible due to the use of System on Chip design techniques in which designers use Intellectual Property (IP) cores and their own glue logic to create a design. A major limitation in testing such designs is that the designer is restricted to use the test vectors provided by the IP core provider. For a designer to use their own test vectors, the designer must have full gate level access, not just the functional access, to the implementation of the IP core. IP providers are often reluctant to provide such access for proprietary reasons. This paper proposes a method of encrypting a logic circuit such that the structural information of the design is preserved but the gate/component functionalities are encrypted. The encryption is such that a designer can perform logic as well as fault simulation on the encrypted circuit without deducing the gate/component functionalities of the gates/components in the circuit. This gives the designer the capability to design the logic around the IP core as well as use its own test vectors and to target desired fault coverage. The details of the encryption method and the complexity of decryption are discussed in the paper. The paper also shows how logic and fault simulation can be performed on the encrypted circuit and the performance of such simulation is comparable to simulating the un-encrypted circuit.
Resistive instabilities in rapidly rotating fluids

Abstract The linear stability is examined of a stratified sheet pinch in a rapidly rotating fluid lying hydrostatically in a gravitational field, g, perpendicular to the sheet. The sheet pinch is a horizontal layer of inviscid, Boussinesq fluid of electrical conductivity [sgrave], magnetic permeabilitym, and almost uniform density ρ0, confined between two perfectly conducting planes z = 0, d, where z is height. The prevailing magnetic field, B0(z), is horizontal; it is unidirectional at each z level, but that direction depends on z. The layer rotates about the vertical with a large angular velocity, Ω: ΩVA/d, where VA = B 0/(mρ0) is the Alfven velocity. The Elsasser number, = [sgrave]B 2 0/2Ωρ0, measures [sgrave]. A (modified) Rayleigh number, R=gβd 2/ρ0 V 2 A , measures the buoyancy force, where β is the imposed density gradient, antiparallel to gravity, g. Diffusion of density differences is ignored. The gravitationless case, R = 0, was studied in Part 1 of this series. It was shown that “resistive inst...
Timolol in the therapy of "ocular hypertension".

Abstract Timolol has been shown to be at least as effective as pilocarpine and epinephrine in the therapy of open angle glaucoma. To date there appear to have been few serious side effects from timolol when it has been used in patients without cardiac or pulmonary disease. The decision whether and when to treat a patient with elevated intraocular pressure depends upon a weighing of risk of glaucoma damage versus the side effects of the drugs used in therapy. The use of the beta blocking agents, particularly timolol, in the therapy of ocular hypertension is considered. Reports on the efficacy and safety of timolol are cited, and the authors' reevaluation of their own series of patients treated with timolol for 17–36 months is discussed.
Spectral Moment Estimates from Correlated Pulse Pairs

Estimates statistics of the first two power spectrum moments from the pulse pair covariance are analyzed. The input signal is assumed to be colored Gaussian and the noise, white Gaussian. Perturbation formulas for the standard deviation of both mean frequency and spectrum width are applied to a Gaussian shaped power spectrum, and so is a perturbation formula for the bias in the width estimate. Mean frequency estimation from interlaced pulse pairs is presented. Throughout this study, estimators from independent, spaced, and contiguous pulse pairs are compared to provide a continuum of statistics from equispaced tightly correlated to statistically independent pulse pairs.
Convergence of the FN - method for multi-group transport

Abstract This note extends previous results of Mullikin and the author on convergence of the FN method to isotropic multi-group problems in half-space geometries.
Effects of environmental enrichment and impoverishment on rat cerebral cortex.

The first part of this paper deals with rat brain anatomy as affected by variations of starting age and of duration of exposure to enriched (complex) or impoverished (restricted) environmental conditions. Cerebral cortical depth measurements and weights of brain samples are compared. The second part of this report is concerned with an attempt to establish the extent to which the enriched condition or the improverished condition is responsible for the histological brain changes; this is done by comparison with brains from animals in the standard colony environment. The results indicate that both larger and more extensive cortical depth effects are found in rats exposed for 30 days rather than 80 days to their respective environments. The effects of enrichment are more prominent in the dorsal cortical segments, whereas the effects of impoverishment are more evident in the lateral cortical segments. More precise localization of cortical changes is obtained by measuring the depths at many segments than by taking the weights of relatively large blocks of tissue.
Acute toxicity of cyclohexylmethylphosphonofluoridate (CMPF) in rhesus monkeys: serum biochemical and hematologic changes.

Changes in serum biochemical and hematological parameters were studied in 20 male rhesus monkeys following acute poisoning by the organophosphate nerve agent cyclohexylmethylphosphonofluoridate (CMPF or GF). Animals were challenged with 5 × LD50 GF (233 μg/kg, IM) following pretreatment with pyridostigmine (0.3–0.7 mg/kg per 24 h) and treated with atropine (0.4 mg/kg, IM) and either 2-PAM (25.7 mg/kg, IM) or HI6 (37.8 mg/kg, IM) at the onset of clinical signs or at 1 min after exposure. Muscle fasciculations, tremors, or convulsions occurred in 19 of 20 animals. Serum biochemical and hematologic parameters were analyzed 2 days and 7 days after exposure and compared to pre-exposure baseline values. Significant increases in creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and potassium ion (K+), associated with damage to striated muscle and metabolic acidosis, occurred in both oxime-treated groups 2 days after exposure. Total protein, albumin, red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin concentration (Hb) and hematocrit (Hct), were decreased in both oxime-treated groups at 7 days. The results demonstrate that animals exposed to a single high dose of GF and treated with standard therapy exhibit changes in serum biochemical and hematological indices directly and indirectly associated with their clinical presentations.
Conventional coronary artery disease risk factors and coronary artery calcium detected by electron beam tomography in 30,908 healthy individuals.

Abstract PURPOSE: Electron beam tomography (EBT) is a noninvasive measure of coronary artery calcium (CAC), a marker for atherosclerosis. In this study we examined the association between conventional risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and CAC. METHODS: EBT CAC screening was performed on 30,908 asymptomatic individuals aged 30 to 90 years. Prior to EBT screening, individuals provided demographic and CAD risk factor information. EBT utilized a C-100 EBT scanner, and the amount of CAC was determined using the Agatston scoring method. RESULTS: The results of this study demonstrate that for both men and women, all conventional risk factors were significantly associated with the presence of any detectable CAC, and the mean CAC score increased in proportion to the number of CAD risk factors. In age-adjusted (multivariable) logistic regression analysis, cigarette use, histories of hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and hypertension were each significantly associated with mild to extensive CAC scores (⩾10.0). CONCLUSION: CAD risk factors are associated with higher atherosclerotic plaque burden in both men and women. The odds ratios associated with each risk factor relative to the extent of CAC are similar to those reported for the development of clinical CAD, suggesting the existence of an association between CAC (subclinical disease) and CAD (clinical disease).
The rapid responsiveness of RMS

Manufacturing enterprises are facing in the last decades unpredictable market changes driven by global competition. To stay competitive, these enterprises must possess new types of manufacturing systems that can rapidly respond to market changes. Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs), which were invented in the mid-1990s, are characterised by their rapid and cost-effective response to market changes, and therefore are frequently being built by global enterprises. The RMS components are Computerized Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines and some reconfigurable machines that are all connected into a system in way that enables changes in the system structure to accommodate new product types and their desired volume. Methodologies for the systematic design for rapid system modifications while maintaining consistent product quality are the cornerstones of the RMS paradigm.
Mitochondrial oxidative stress initiates visual loss in sympathetic ophthalmia

The visual loss that occurs with sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) in the absence of recognizable retinal damage and inflammatory cell infiltration is an enigma. Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) is an animal model used to study human endogenous uveitis. Both innate and adaptive immune responses have been well studied in the photoreceptor damage mechanism of EAU. In our studies, in the early phase of EAU, proinflammatory molecules such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the subsequent mitochondrial DNA damage, mitochondrial protein alteration, and mitochondrial dysfunction by oxidative stress were observed before retinal inflammatory cell infiltration. Our recent study shows the importance of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the production of proinflammatory molecules and the induction of mitochondrial oxidative stress. Thus, the innate immune responses occur first with the activation of TLRs; this activation upregulates proinflammatory molecules, leading to mitochondrial oxidative stress before retinal inflammatory cell infiltration and the subsequent adaptive immune responses. Like EAU, SO also results in photoreceptor mitochondrial oxidative damage without retinal inflammatory cell infiltration. Such damage was associated with TNF-α, TNF-α receptors, and iNOS expression in the photoreceptors, suggesting that this molecular mechanism without retinal inflammatory cell infiltration may initiate photoreceptor damage in SO.
Student perceptions of the profession and its effect on decisions to major in accounting

Abstract Changes in the business environment have created a perceived need for more creative individuals in the accounting profession. This study asserts that to attract these people, we will have to change existing perceptions of the profession. To test this assertion, we examine the relationship between students' inherent creativity, perceptions of the accounting profession, and decisions to major in accounting. We also examine the extent to which experience in an introductory accounting course changed students' perceptions and major choices. Findings indicate that students hold traditional views of the profession and this deters interest. Business and accounting students tend to be less creative than the general university population. Experience in introductory accounting drew less creative students to the major despite changing perceptions toward more modern views. Overall, the results indicate that perceptions of precision and thoroughness in the profession and the heavy work load in the introductory course discouraged creative personalities from pursuing an accounting major.
Long-term performance analysis of CIGS thin film PV modules

Current accelerated qualification tests of photovoltaic (PV) modules mostly assist in avoiding infant mortality but can neither duplicate changes occurring in the field nor can predict useful lifetime. Therefore, outdoor monitoring of fielddeployed thin-film PV modules was undertaken at FSEC with goals of assessing their performance in hot and humid climate under high system voltage operation and to correlate the PV performance with the meteorological parameters. Significant and comparable degradation rate of -5.13% and -4.5% per year was found by PV USA type regression analysis for the positive and negative strings respectively of 40W glass-to-glass CIGS thin-film PV modules in the hot and humid climate of Florida. With the current-voltage measurements it was found that the performance degradation within the PV array was mainly due to a few (8-12%) modules having a substantially high degradation. The remaining modules within the array continued to show reasonable performance (>96% of the rated power after ~ 4years).
An Application of Attribution Principles to Nonverbal Behavior in Romantic Dyads.

This article suggests ways in which attribution theories can explain the interpretation processes involved in understanding nonverbal behavior. An experiment examined attribution choices for nonverbal messages between romantic partners. Couples (N = 63) were videotaped while playing a game of “Trivial Pursuit.” During the interaction, one member of the dyad manipulated his or her nonverbal behaviors to appear positive at one point and negative at a second time period. If noticed, the partner made attributions for these behaviors. It was found that level of relational satisfaction correlated with perceptions of cause for nonverbal messages. In particular, negative behaviors were seen to be more intentional, stable, and controllable, whereas positive cues were perceived to be more external, unstable, and specific as relational satisfaction decreased. Further, satisfied couples were more likely to offer neutral motives for the negative behaviors of their partners. Overall, negative behaviors more commonly el...
Calcium signalling in single growth hormone-releasing factor-responsive pituitary cells

The release of pituitary GH appears to be critically dependent on alterations in the free intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). However, little is known about the nature of Ca2+ signalling within normal pituitary cells. We, therefore, examined [Ca2+]i patterns in individual cultured pituicytes of adult male rats under basal conditions and in response to GH regulatory agents, using the calcium-sensitive dye fura-2 together with digital imaging microscopy. Perfusion of cultured anterior pituitary cells with GH-releasing factor (GHRF) resulted in a marked increase in [Ca2+]i in specific pituitary cells. These cells did not respond to other hypothalamic secretagogues (GnRH, TRH, or CRF), and there was no evidence of desensitization on repetitive administration of GHRF. Somatotrophs (n = 134) exhibited spontaneous oscillations of [Ca2+]i in the basal state, with considerable heterogeneity of oscillatory patterns among cells. After application of a near-maximal stimulatory dose of GHRF (1 nM), there was a striking 2.2-fold increase in the amplitude of [Ca2+]i oscillations and only a modest increase in their frequency. Forskolin (1 microM) augmented somatotroph [Ca2+]i in patterns similar to those of GHRF. Somatostatin (10 nM) abolished the [Ca2+]i response to GHRF (n = 26); this reflected a marked reduction in the amplitude of [Ca2+]i oscillations and a slight reduction in their frequency. Ca(2+)-free medium or the Ca2+ channel antagonist nimodipine (0.1-1 microM) suppressed the Ca2+ stimulatory effect of GHRF. Conversely, the Ca2+ channel agonist BAY K8644 (1 microM) strikingly augmented the GHRF-induced rise in [Ca2+]i, with a major stimulatory effect on the amplitude of [Ca2+]i oscillations and no observed effect on their frequency. In summary, GHRF and other hypothalamic secretagogues increase [Ca2+]i in pituitary cells in a highly specific manner, consistent with the known specificity of their effects on hormone release. Somatotrophs exhibit spontaneous rhythmic oscillation of [Ca2+]i in the basal state. Known regulators of GH release markedly alter the [Ca2+]i oscillatory pattern in characteristic manners, exerting predominant effects on the amplitude of [Ca2+]i pulses and lesser effects on their frequency. These striking effects of GH regulatory agents on pituitary Ca2+ signalling are consistent with the concept that modulation of [Ca2+]i is a critical mediator of somatotroph function.
Recent changes in instructions for use for the Amplatzer atrial septal defect occluder: how to incorporate these changes while using transesophageal echocardiography or intracardiac echocardiography?

The Amplatzer septal occluder is commonly used to close secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs). Recently, the manufacturer’s recommendations have been modified with regard to contraindications for its use. These changes primarily focus on evaluation of the aortic rim (anterio–superior rim) with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). In this editorial, we will review systematically all of the sequential views in TEE and ICE that are required for thorough assessment of the aortic rim and provide explanation of what constitutes deficiency of the aortic rim as seen on ICE.
EXPERIMENTAL NEPHRITIS IN THE FROG : III. THE EXTRAVITAL PRODUCTION OF ANATOMICAL LESIONS IN THE KIDNEY AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH THE FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF DAMAGE.

1. It is possible to produce in the perfused frog's kidney an experimental nephritis which is anatomically similar to that which develops in the living animal. 2. The functional effects of these anatomical alterations may be examined by a method previously described. 3. The correlation of the two aspects of damage, anatomical and functional, is more certain under such conditions than in the living animal. 4. The value of the extravital method in general problems is indicated by our brief consideration of mitochondrial changes.
Formic acid tetramers: structure isomers in the gas phase

Abstract HF, DFT and MP2 calculations are employed to predict the structures and stabilities of formic acid tetramers. Three nearly equally stable structures were identified: a stack of two dimers (“sandwich”, C, symmetry), a cyclic structure (S 4 symmetry) and a “butterfly” structure obtained from the nearly planar cycle by folding. The latter was the global minimum when electron correlation was taken into account. DFT and MP2 yield the same energetic ordering but DFT overestimates hydrogen bonding. The stability is discussed in terms of two- and three-body contributions
Because the Numbers Matter: Transforming Postsecondary Education Data on Student Race and Ethnicity to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Nation

In 1997, the Office of Management and Budget revised guidelines for treatment of racial and ethnic data, adding a requirement to allow respondents to indicate more than one race and mandating a change in all federal data collection and reporting by January 1, 2003. Nearly 2 years after the deadline for implementation, however, higher education institutions had not yet been required by the National Center for Education Statistics to make the change. This article discusses the policy context for collecting and reporting data on student race and ethnicity in higher education and challenges created by the addition of the multiple race option. This article describes the current status of postsecondary racial/ethnic data collection, predicts challenges in aggregating and bridging data, and makes recommendations for policy and practice.
ASSESSMENT OF OPTICAL CLEARING AGENTS USING REFLECTANCE-MODE CONFOCAL SCANNING LASER MICROSCOPY

The mechanism of action of clearing agents to improve optical imaging of mouse skin during reflectance-mode confocal microscopy was tested. The dermal side of excised dorsal mouse skin was exposed for one hour to saline, glycerin, or 80% DMSO, then the clearing agent was removed and the dermis placed against a glass cover slip through which a confocal microscope measured reflectance at 488 nm wavelength. An untreated control was also measured. The axial attenuation of reflectance signal, R(zf) versus increasing depth of focus zf behaved as R = ρexp(-μzf2G), where ρ is tissue reflectivity and μ is attenuation [cm-1]. The factor 2G accounts for the in/out path of photons, and the numerical aperture of the lens. The ρ, μ data were mapped to values of scattering coefficient (μs [cm-1]) and anisotropy of scattering (g). Images showed that glycerin significantly increased the g of dermis from about 0.7 to about 0.99, with little change in the μs of dermis at about 300 cm-1. DMSO and saline had only slight and inconsistent effects on g and μs.
Developmental and contextual influences on autonomic reactivity in young children

Studies of cardiovascular reactivity in young children have generally employed integrated, physiologically complex measures, such as heart rate and blood pressure, which are subject to the multiple influences of factors such as blood volume, hematologic status, thermoregulation, and autonomic nervous system (ANS) tone. Reactivity studies in children have rarely employed more differentiated, proximal measures of autonomic function capable of discerning the independent effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. We describe 1) the development, validity, and reliability of a psychobiology protocol assessing autonomic reactivity to challenge in 3- to 8-year-old children; 2) the influences of age, gender, and study context on autonomic measures; and 3) the distributions of reactivity measures in a normative sample of children and the prevalences of discrete autonomic profiles. Preejection period (PEP) and respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) were measured as indices of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system reactivity, respectively, and autonomic profiles were created to offer summative indices of PEP and RSA response. Results confirmed the protocol's validity and reliability, and showed differences in autonomic reactivity by age and study context, but not by gender. The studies' findings offer guidelines for future research on autonomic reactivity in middle childhood and support the feasibility of examining sympathetic and parasympathetic responses to challenge in 3- to 8-year-old children. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 42: 64–78, 2003.