cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Keep Culture, Lose the Reductionism: Exploring Contemporary Cultural Spaces as Sites of Power Maintenance and Resistance:

In this article, we argue for the importance of investigating cultural spaces in connection to social inequalities. Within cultural spaces, culture in both material and nonmaterial forms is used in...
Benevolent Conformity: The Influence of Perceived Motives on Judgments of Conformity:

Although people often disapprove of conformity, they also dislike when others deviate from group norms. What explains this ambivalence? We hypothesized that judgments of conformity would be affected by whether people view it as motivated by self-interested or benevolent motives. Four studies (N = 808), using both hypothetical and real-life instances of conformity, support this prediction. We find that people judge those who conform to gain social approval (self-interested conformity) as weak-willed, but those who conform out of concern for their group (benevolent conformity) as competent and possessing strong character. In addition, we predict and find that people view self-interested conformity as "fake" but benevolent conformity as revealing one's true self. Finally, we show that differences in perceived intentions explain how people sustain positive self-regard while succumbing to group pressures and why people judge their own conformity more favorably than others' conformity. We discuss implications for encouraging and discouraging conformity.
Polarization of Protons in C 12 (d, p)C 13

The measurement of polarization of protons from the ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}(d, p){\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ ground-state reaction has been continued and extended to larger angles. The new values obtained are -42% at 42.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} (lab); -35.4% at 46\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; -51.5% at 52\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; -22.5% at 61.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; -20% at 64.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; -6% at 70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; +35% at 76\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The axis of quantization is taken as $\mathrm{n}={\mathrm{k}}_{d}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{k}}_{p}$.
Social Reproduction Theory: State of the field and new directions in geography

Interest in social reproduction theory (SRT) has been revived in the in the last ten odd years. This paper positions SRT, and its refraction through a geographic lens, as particularly well placed to address emerging issues in the context of ongoing crises—economic, environmental and of care—which have been enhanced by the Covid‐19 pandemic. I present an overview of the Marxist‐feminist traditions that constitute the basis for modern SRT. Through a survey of recent literature, I discuss the potential for extending contemporary SRT through intersectionality theory and suggest the need to draw on theoretical insights originating in the global periphery towards a postcolonial, decolonial SRT. Finally, I contextualize social reproduction theories within geography and suggest three emerging areas of scholarship in which combining a geographic and SRT perspective would yield productive understandings of the current moment and signal towards the construction of alternative, livable futures. These areas are debt and the financialization of social reproduction under neoliberalism;a turn towards a socioecological understanding of reproduction;and resistance, transformation and visions of the future through a “conscious appropriation” of life’s work and life sustaining practices at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Geography Compass is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
The peroxisomal transporter ABCD3 plays a major role in dicarboxylic fatty acid metabolism

Abstract Peroxisomes metabolize a specific subset of fatty acids, which include dicarboxylic fatty acids (DCAs) generated by ω-oxidation. Data obtained in vitro suggest that the peroxisomal transporter ABCD3 (also known as PMP70) mediates the transport of DCAs into the peroxisome, but in vivo evidence to support this role is lacking. In this study, we studied an Abcd3 KO mouse model generated by CRISPR-Cas9 technology using targeted and untargeted metabolomics, histology, immunoblotting, and stable isotope tracing technology. We show that ABCD3 functions in DCA metabolism and uncover a novel role for this peroxisomal transporter in lipid metabolic homeostasis. The Abcd3 KO mouse presents with lipodystrophy, increased circulating free fatty acids, decreased ketone bodies, enhanced hepatic cholesterol synthesis and decreased hepatic de novo lipogenesis. Moreover, our study suggests that DCAs are metabolized by mitochondrial β-oxidation when ABCD3 is not functional, reflecting the importance of the metabolic compartmentalization and communication between peroxisomes and mitochondria. In summary, this study provides data on the role of the peroxisomal transporter ABCD3 in hepatic lipid homeostasis and DCA metabolism, and the consequences of peroxisomal dysfunction for the liver.
Severe respiratory failure in a patient with COVID-19 and acromegaly: rapid improvement after adding octreotide.

Acromegaly is a rare disorder of unregulated hypersecretion of growth hormone that causes cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory complications. Herein, we describe the case of a middle-aged man admitted to the hospital with severe COVID-19 found to have clinical and biochemical evidence of acromegaly. His respiratory status declined despite initiation of standard treatments, prompting initiation of subcutaneous octreotide. Following initiation of this therapy, he rapidly improved and was discharged from the hospital 2 days later. Subsequent workup revealed a pituitary macroadenoma that was surgically removed, with improvement in his acromegaly symptoms. COVID-19 disease severity is increased by pre-existing diabetes, lung disease and immunosuppression. Although this patient had obstructive sleep apnoea and pre-diabetes, we hypothesise that our patient's acromegaly contributed to his severe course, as reflected by his rapid improvement after starting treatment with subcutaneous octreotide. Acromegaly may predispose to more severe outcomes in patients with COVID-19.
‘More than slightly mad’: Beverley Nichols and the Merry Hall trilogy

This essay analyses Beverley Nichols’s Merry Hall trilogy—frequently dismissed as ‘garden writing’—as an often overlooked form of queer literature. Using Jack Halberstam’s theories about queer failure, this essay examines the ways in which the now relatively obscure author was able to commodify himself and his lifestyle for a specific audience. In so doing, the author argues, he attempted to further the cause of queer acceptance in the process, even to the detriment of what some consider could have been a more important or worthwhile career.
The determinants of the apnea threshold during NREM sleep in normal subjects.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether (1) postmenopausal women have a higher apnea threshold than premenopausal women and men and (2) hormone replacement therapy would decrease the apnea threshold in postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Protocol #1: Analysis of a prospectively collected database of 55 subjects who had undergone an apnea-threshold protocol. Protocol #2: Intervention study: apnea threshold compared in 6 postmenopausal women before and after 30 days of replacement therapy with progestin and estrogen. SETTING: Research sleep laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy volunteers aged 18 to 65 years without evidence of sleep-disordered breathing. INTERVENTIONS: Hypocapnia was induced via nasal mechanical ventilation for 3 minutes during stable non-rapid eye movement sleep. Cessation of mechanical ventilation resulted in hypocapnic central apnea or hypopnea, depending upon the magnitude of the hypocapnia. The change in endtidal CO2 at the apnea threshold was defined as the change in end-tidal CO2 associated with the apnea closest to the last hypopnea. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The change in the end-tidal CO2 at the apnea threshold was highest in the premenopausal women (4.6+/-0.6 mm Hg), with no difference between the postmenopausal women (3.1+/-0.5 mm Hg) and men (3.4+/-0.7 mm Hg). Determinants of the change in endtidal CO2 at the apnea threshold included sex and menopause status. Hormone replacement therapy increased the change in end-tidal CO2 at the apnea threshold from 2.9+/-0.4 mm Hg to 4.8+/-0.4 mm Hg (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data support the hypothesis that estrogens and progestins positively influence the apnea threshold and control of breathing during non-rapid eye movement sleep.
A commensal microbial molecule confers protective anti-inflammatory responses employing both innate and cognate interactions (IRC5P.468)

The microbiota is critical in shaping the mammalian host’s immune system. Polysaccharide A, the archetypical immunomodulatory microbial molecule of the gut commensal Bacteroides fragilis, induces regulatory T cells to secrete the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10. We show, in a model of colitis, that PSA requires both innate and adaptive immunity to generate protection. Dendritic cells mediate PSA’s effect on IL-10 production. Unlike conventional DCs, plasmacytoid DCs exposed to PSA do not produce the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-12, but PDCs do specifically stimulate IL-10 secretion by CD4+ T cells and efficiently mediate PSA-mediated immunoprotection. PSA induces and preferentially ligates Toll-like receptor 2 on PDCs but not on CDCs. Compared with other TLR2 ligands, PSA better enhances PDC expression of co-stimulatory molecules that are required for protection against colitis. PDCs orchestrate beneficial immunoregulatory interaction of commensal microbial molecules with CD4+ T cells through both innate and adaptive immunity.
Statistical Location Model for Abdominal Organ Localization

Initial placement of the models is an essential pre-processing step for model-based organ segmentation. Based on the observation that organs move along with the spine and their relative locations remain relatively stable, we built a statistical location model (SLM) and applied it to abdominal organ localization. The model is a point distribution model which learns the pattern of variability of organ locations relative to the spinal column from a training set of normal individuals. The localization is achieved in three stages: spine alignment, model optimization and location refinement. The SLM is optimized through maximum a posteriori estimation of a probabilistic density model constructed for each organ. Our model includes five organs: liver, left kidney, right kidney, spleen and pancreas. We validated our method on 12 abdominal CTs using leave-one-out experiments. The SLM enabled reduction in the overall localization error from 62.0±28.5 mm to 5.8±1.5 mm. Experiments showed that the SLM was robust to the reference model selection.
Antenna bandwidth optimization for gaming applications

The design of an aperture-coupled, dual polarized patch antenna on a small-size FR-4 substrate with a convenient tuning technique is proposed. This technique allows the antenna's impedance bandwidth to be adjusted to fit the desired frequency application. This design is applied to a gaming console to establish a wireless link between a console and a controller. The use of FR-4 substrate allows the manufacturing costs related to mass circuit production to be significantly reduced. Although the size of the antenna is smaller than standard patch antennas operating at a desired frequency, the performance criteria such as gain, efficiency and broadside radiation are not compromised. The measured results show that a maximum bandwidth greater than 7% can be obtained.
From evidence to explanations: engaging undergraduate geology students in inquiry

This paper reports the synthesis of six case studies of students' engagement in inquiry-based learning activities in an undergraduate geology course. Details of how students engaged in the scientific inquiry practices of formulating explanations from evidence, and communicating and justifying proposed explanations are presented. Data for this study included classroom observations and archival data (i.e., student work samples) collected during a semester-long investigation. The results suggest that students were able to appropriate these inquiry practices with varying degrees of success, however, it was not without its challenges. A detailed discussion of the ways in which students were successful, and where they had challenges engaging in these inquiry practices is presented, with the goal of helping guide practitioners and researchers in creating learning environments that can take full advantage of the pedagogical strategy of inquiry-based learning.
PCAOB Inspections of International Audit Firms: Initial Evidence

This paper examines PCAOB inspections of international audit firms, based on an analysis of 175 first-time and 56 second-time inspection reports issued through February 4, 2012. We find that just over half of the inspection reports identify audit deficiencies, and two-thirds cite quality control defects. Deficiency firms are smaller, but have more issuer clients than no-deficiency firms, reflecting possible over-extension into the issuer audit market. Affiliates of Big 4 firms are less likely to have deficiencies than are other firms. We find no significant differences in the rate of audit deficiencies or quality control defects based on whether the PCAOB acts alone or cooperates with a local regulator in conducting the inspection, or based on the home country's legal tradition (common law versus other). Audit deficiencies are most often related to substantive testing and the failure to perform sufficient audit procedures. The deficiencies most commonly relate to the balance sheet, while the individual account cited most often is revenues. Unlike prior research that examines US firms, there is no difference in the rate of audit deficiencies or quality control defects for first-time versus second-time inspections.
GLOBAL PROPERTIES OF OHMICALLY HEATED REVERSED-FIELD PINCHES

The simultaneous requirements of power balance and pressure balance have been considered. The treatment generalizes the Pease-Braginskii pinch current limit by including toroidal magnetic field, anomalous resistivity, nonradiative losses, and time-dependent fields. The rise of the temperature to a state of power balance proves to be amenable to a very simple and unified description. Finally, the practical parameter windows implied by the joint action of power balance and pressure balance are displayed.
Determining Future Maintenance Costs of Low-Volume Highway Rehabilitation Projects for Incorporation into Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

AbstractLife-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) has grown in importance, yet it is also regarded as a daunting task, because of the lack of reliable analytical models specifically aimed at quantifying future maintenance costs (FMC). The key objectives of this study are to identify the most critical factors that affect pavement performance, create a FMC predictive model that accounts for such factors, and validate the model’s robustness in quantifying a reliable FMC for low-volume highway rehabilitation projects. This study combines regression analysis techniques with a cluster analysis by using a large quantity of real-world data obtained from the pavement management information system. The clustering analysis revealed that traffic loading would be the most crucial affecting factor for pavement performance. A series of sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the effect of individual critical performance-driven factors on FMC. A prediction error analysis validated the model’s robustness, proving that re...
Low-Thrust Inclination Control in Presence of Earth Shadow

The problem of inclination change in near-circular orbit using intermittent, low-thrust solar electric propulsion is analyzed. Given the shadow arc length and the line of nodes of initial to e nal orbits, piecewise constant yaw angles are selected, and the location along the orbit where the yaw angle switches is optimized to carry out the largest inclination change per revolution for that particular geometry. Single-switch and two-switch strategies are analyzed, and several algorithms of varying complexity are described and numerically tested for their relative performance. This approach yields suboptimal but robust and real-time autonomous onboard guidance software for electric orbit transfer vehicle orbital transfer applications.
Factors affecting manganese accumulations in gill mitochondria of Crassostrea virginica (996.1)

Manganese (Mn) is a neurotoxin causing Manganism in people exposed to high environmental levels. Oxidative stress is implicated as a factor of Mn toxicity. The mechanisms is attributed to toxic levels of free radicals inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. Reports indicate Mn accumulates in mitochondria, however controversy exists to the extent of Mn accumulation in mitochondria and whether this contributes to the cause of Manganism. We have been using the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, to study Mn neurotoxicty. We found Mn disrupts the animals’ dopaminergic system and mitochondrial respiration. Mn is believed to use the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter and H+ or Na+/Ca2+ exchanger for movements in and out of mitochondria. We hypothesize Ca2+ channel blockers will alter mitochondrial Mn accumulations. We prepared mitochondrial fractions from gills. Mitochondria were treated with Ca2+ channel blockers prior to Mn exposure, pelleted and washed, then digested in HNO3 and analyzed in an AA. Mitochondria treated with...
Palliative care and spiritual well-being in lung cancer patients and family caregivers.

Background Spiritual well-being is an important dimension of quality of life (QOL) and is a core component of quality oncology and palliative care. In this analysis, we aimed to describe spiritual well-being outcomes in a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported Program Project that tested the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary palliative care intervention in lung cancer patients and their family caregivers (FCGs). Methods Patients undergoing treatments for NSCLC and their FCGs were enrolled in a prospective, quasi-experimental study. Patients and FCGs in the intervention group were presented at interdisciplinary care meetings and received four educational sessions that included one session focused on spiritual well-being. Spiritual well-being for patients was measured using the FACIT-Sp-12, and FCG spiritual well-being was measured using the COH-QOL-FCG spiritual well-being subscale. Multivariate analysis of covariance was undertaken for subscale and item scores at 12 weeks, controlling for baseline, by religious affiliations (yes or no) and group assignment. Results Religiously affiliated patients reported better scores in the Faith subscale and items on finding strength and comfort in faith and spiritual beliefs compared to non-affiliated patients. Non-affiliated patients had better scores for feeling a sense of harmony within oneself. By group, patients who received the intervention had significantly better scores for the Meaning/Peace subscale. Conclusions Our findings support the multidimensionality of spiritual well-being that includes constructs such as meaning and faith for lung cancer patients and FCGs with or without religious affiliations. Palliative care interventions should include content that targets the spiritual needs of both patients and FCGs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of the pertussis agglutinogen skin test in a well baby clinic.

Intradermal skin tests with pertussis agglutinogen were performed on 234 infants. In one group of 100 infants skin tested with this material, at least three months after pertussis prophylaxis, it was found that 92% had positive (immune) skin reactions. In a second group of 134 infants skin tested prior to pertussis vaccination, 83% (111) had negative skin reactions. In 66 of these 111 infants tested after pertussis prophylaxis, 92% developed a positive skin response. The pertussis skin agglutinogen test can be used to determine the efficiency of materials used for pertussis prophylaxis. The pertussis skin agglutinogen test is a reliable indicator of the immune response of an infant to H. pertussis immunization and is recommended as an effective agent for determining the susceptible infant—one lacking the minimal clinical protection against pertussis—after pertussis vaccination.
A Metrical Theorem in Diophantine Approximation

In this paper we prove a sharpening and generalization of the following Theorem of Khintchine (4): Let ψ1(q), …, ψnq) be n non-negative junctions of the positive integer q and assume is monotonically decreasing. Then the set of inequalities 1 has an infinity of integer solutions q > 0 and p1 , … , pn for almost all or no sets of numbers θ1, … , θ2, according as Σψ(q) diverges or converges.
Repair of fractionated radiation in plateau phase cultures of human tumor cells and human multicellular tumor spheroids

Summary We have measured potentially lethal damage repair (PLDR) after fractionated radiation, delivered at 24-h intervals in density-inhibited plateau phase cultures of four human tumor cell lines derived from tumors of differing radiocurability (two melanoma and two breast). The repair of potentially lethal damage conferred significant radioresistance on the human melanoma cells but not on the breast carcinoma cells. We examined the effects of fractionated radiation on human tumor cells adapted to become multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS). MTS derived from a human neuroblastoma were “cured” by a total fractionated radiation dose about 50% of that required for MTS derived from a human melanoma.
On ideology, pillage, language and risk: critical thinking and the tensions of critical practice

In recent years critical thinking has been proposed by a number of authors as providing a rationale for the conceptualization and practice of adult education. This paper undertakes a critical analysis of the debate sparked by these analyses. By examining a number of interpretations of critical thinking the author focuses on critical issues in this debate. In particular, four areas of tension for adult educators engaged in critical practice are discussed; (1) the connection between the educator's making explicit a political commitment and the encouragement of critical thinking in learners; (2) the extent to which conceptualizations of critical thinking and models by which it can be taught should be grounded within one exclusive intellectual tradition; (3) how to develop a language of critical thinking that is accessible to those adults for whom the process is designed to assist, and; (4) the need to balance inspiring a sense of possibility that thinking critically entails, with a realistic assessment of th...
The New Epidemiology of HIV-Related Kidney Disease

HIV-related kidney disease has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the HIV population. It is clear that the epidemiology of HIV-related kidney disease has changed dramatically since the first case reports in 1984. During these early years, the predominant etiology of kidney disease in HIV was recognized as HIVassociated nephropathy (HIVAN), an aggressive form of kidney disease with a high rate of progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Subsequently, with the widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), there was a dramatic decrease in the incidence of ESRD attributed to HIV/AIDS. Although the incidence of HIV-related ESRD has plateaued in the last 15 years, the prevalence has continued to increase because of improved survival. Available prevalence estimates do not include HIV-infected individuals with comorbid ESRD, although there is growing evidence that the epidemiology of kidney disease in the HIV-infected population has changed. This article reviews the impact of risk factors such as race, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hepatitis C virus coinfection, and the chronic use of cART on the changing epidemiology of HIV-related kidney disease. Additionally in this review, we propose potential areas of translational research that will help to further characterize HIV-related kidney disease in the 21st century.
Effects of deuterium on the thermal transition of nucleic acids

Abstract 1. 1. The thermal helix → coil transition of 3 different DNAs and 4 different RNAs in H 2 O and D 2 O solutions has been studied by means of absorbancy-temperature profiles. There is no significant difference in total hyperchromicity, the midpoint or the width of the transition, even after extensive preincubation of the nucleic acid at elevated temperature in the fully deuterated medium. This absence of any isotope effect for denaturatiion is also independent of base composition, which varied from 35.2 to 65 and 40 to 64 mole % (guanine plus cytosine) for DNA and RNA, respectively. 2. 2. In a medium containing 1.5·10 −3 M NaCl, 1.5·10 −4 M sodium citrate and 1.0·10 −3 M MgCl 2 there is a significant difference in T m , the transition temperature, of three transfer RNA's which appears to be correlated with their guanine plus cytosine content: for alanine, tyrosine and valine RNA the values are 73°, 52.5° and 49.5°, respectively.
Characterization of dissolved organic matters responsible for ultrafiltration membrane fouling in algal harvesting

Abstract A major challenge of membrane ultrafiltration technology for large-scale microalgal harvesting and recycling of used culture media is membrane fouling, and the chemical nature and molecular properties of fouling are not well understood. To determine possible membrane fouling mechanism, a bench-scale hollow fiber polyvinylchloride (PVC) ultrafiltration membrane unit was employed to harvest the unicellular green alga Chlorella zofingiensis grown in a flat plate photobioreactor. It revealed that Chlorella, bacteria, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) each clogged the membrane, and yet the most severe membrane fouling was caused by DOM, which was also found to be most difficult to remove from the membrane by periodical backwashing. DOM was further fractionated by high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) into three fractions, i.e., hydrophilic acid fraction (HPI-A), hydrophilic non-acid fraction (HPI-NA) and hydrophobic acid fraction (HPO-A), of which HPI-NA, particularly in a molecular weight range of 7–11 kDa, was the major foulants. The results also showed that a carbohydrate fraction of DOM caused greater membrane fouling than a protein fraction did.
GPS meteorology : Reducing systematic errors in geodetic estimates for zenith delay

Differences between long term precipitable water (PW) time series derived from radiosondes, microwave water vapor radiometers, and GPS stations reveal offsets that are often as much as 1–2 mm PW. All three techniques are thought to suffer from systematic errors of order 1 mm PW. Standard GPS processing algorithms are known to be sensitive to the choice of elevation cutoff angle at this level. We present a processing protocol that is shown to reduce elevation angle dependence in geodetic estimates of zenith delay and, hence, reduce the systematic errors in derived precipitable water. This protocol includes use of the Niell zenith delay mapping functions and International GPS Service phase center models.
Oxidations of olefins adsorbed on molecular sieves

Abstract Cyclopentene and 1- and 2-butenes have been adsorbed on synthetic zeolites (“molecular sieves”) and reacted with oxygen at temperatures from 25 to 90 °. Rates of oxidation are from 5 to 600 times faster than in homogeneous systems at the same temperature, but a multiplicity of products, some tightly bound to the sieves, are formed. The most prominent volatile products from the butenes are methyl ethyl ketone, crotonaldehyde, and 2-butene-1-ol, whereas the principal products of homogeneous oxidations are hydroperoxides.
Abnormally elevated serum hCG in a patient with end-stage renal disease seeking abortion: to be expected or a cause for concern? A case report

A patient with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis was referred to our abortion clinic with a concern for molar pregnancy. By 12 weeks, her human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level was over 500,000. A review of the literature demonstrates that elevated hCG should be expected in this population and should not alter care.
Comparison of pulsed versus cw behavior of the diffraction efficiency of bacteriorhodopsin thin films

The feasibility of using the organic nonlinear photopolymer bacteriorhodopsin in holographic interferometry has been of growing interest in recent years because of its real time properties and its relatively high diffraction efficiency. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of the behavior of bacteriorhodopsin thin films under both CW and pulsed conditions will be presented. Because bR is an erasable material, a simultaneous read-write geometry was used for these experiments, and data taken as a function of both read and write parameters. In the CW case, the dynamic behavior of the diffraction efficiency has been characterized in the initial growth region, to obtain sensitivity curves, and in the decay region, to obtain the behavior of the M-state lifetime. In the pulsed experiments, the behavior of the material was observed in the growth region, to study the reciprocity behavior of the material. From the data, a comparison between the behavior of the diffraction efficiency was made for pulsed and CW illumination, in terms of diffraction efficiency, sensitivity, and the time-dependent M- state population.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of region-of-interest placement in bolus tracking cerebral computed tomography angiography

Premature or delayed triggering of semiautomatic contrast tracking during intracranial computed tomographic angiography can occur due to artifact from dense contrast in the superior vena cava or brachiocephalic veins near the anterior aortic arch. We determine if placement of bolus tracking region-of-interest in the posterior thoracic aorta can prevent suboptimal intracranial arterial opacification. Intracranial computed tomography angiographies from 80 patients performed on the same scanner were retrospectively evaluated. Thirty-seven consecutive patients with bolus tracking region-of-interest (ROI) placed in the anterior thoracic aorta (group A) and 43 consecutive patients with ROI placed in the posterior thoracic arch (group B) were identified. Two neuroradiologists scored the quality of intracranial computed tomography angiography on a four-point scale. Quantitative measurement of intracranial arterial opacification was also performed. The proportions of patients with poorest quality score as well as the proportions of the patients with the worst degree of intracranial arterial opacification (<10th percentile) were compared between groups A and B using two-sample proportion test. Qualitative evaluation of the intracranial computed tomography angiography showed 4 (11 %) patients in group A with poor quality (score of 1), while all patients in group B scored 2 or higher (p = 0.028). Seven (19 %) patients in group A had the lowest quantitative score (mean arterial opacification < 10th percentile) while 1 (2.5 %) patient in group B had the lowest score (p = 0.018). Bolus tracking in the posterior thoracic aorta reduces the chance of suboptimal intracranial computed tomography angiography.
Protein lateral mobility as a reflection of membrane microstructure

The lateral mobility of membrane lipids and proteins is presumed to play an important functional role in biomembranes. Photobleaching studies have shown that many proteins in the plasma membrane have diffusion coefficients at least an order of magnitude lower than those obtained when the same proteins are reconstituted in artificial bilayer membranes. Depending on the protein, it has been shown that either the cytoplasmic domain or the ectodomain is the key determinant of its lateral mobility. Single particle tracking microscopy, which allows the motions of single or small groups of membrane molecules to be followed, promises not only to reveal new features of membrane dynamics, but also to help explain longstanding puzzles presented by the photobleaching studies, particularly the so-called immobile fraction. The combination of the two complementary technologies should measurably enhance our understanding of membrane microstructure.
Hofmeister Ion and Cosolvent Effects on the Structure, Aggregation, and Backbone Solvation of RecA

RecA is an Escherichia coli protein that catalyzes the strand exchange reaction utilized in DNA repair. Previous studies have shown that the presence of salts influence RecA activity, aggregation, and stability. Here we utilized attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) to further investigate how various Hofmeister salts and cosolvents alter RecA structure, aggregation, and solvation. Spectroscopic studies performed in water and deuterium oxide suggest that salts alter amide I (or I’) and amide II (or II’) vibrations arising from the protein backbone.
In vitro metabolic interactions between black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) and tamoxifen via inhibition of cytochromes P450 2D6 and 3A4.

Women who experience hot flashes as a side effect of tamoxifen (TAM) therapy often try botanical remedies such as black cohosh to alleviate these symptoms. Since pharmacological activity of TAM is dependent on the metabolic conversion into active metabolites by the action of cytochromes P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) and 3A4, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether black cohosh extracts can inhibit formation of active TAM metabolites and possibly reduce its clinical efficacy.At 50 μg/mL, a 75% ethanolic extract of black cohosh inhibited formation of 4-hydroxy- TAM by 66.3%, N-desmethyl TAM by 74.6% and α-hydroxy TAM by 80.3%. In addition, using midazolam and dextromethorphan as probe substrates, this extract inhibited CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 with IC50 values of 16.5 and 50.1 μg/mL, respectively.Eight triterpene glycosides were identified as competitive CYP3A4 inhibitors with IC50 values ranging from 2.3–5.1 µM, while the alkaloids protopine and allocryptopine were identified as competitive CYP2D6 inhibitors with...
Private computing on public platforms: portable application security

As cellular telephones and high capacity memory sticks emerge as users' primary repository for data and applications, users will often run applications and display data on remote hosts. The biggest challenge in supporting this mobile data, mobile applications, stationary platform model is ensuring the security and privacy of user applications and data during execution on the remote platforms. Private computing on public platforms (PCPP) is a new application security approach which isolates applications to allow for secure and private execution on third party systems. This paper introduces PCPP and details its five basic building blocks which together ensure that the PCPP protected application's executable code, context, and data remain unaltered, unmonitored, and unrecorded before, during, and after exposure to the remote platform. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Private Computing on Public Platforms (PCPP) is a new application security approach which isolates applications to allow for secure and private execution on remote third party systems. This paper introduces PCPP and details its five basic building blocks which together ensure that the PCPP protected application's executable code, context, and data remain unaltered, unmonitored, and unrecorded before, during, and after exposure to the remote platform.
Nutrition and Behavior: Complex Interdisciplinary Research:

Nutrition and behavior research presents a particularly challenging field of study for scientists. An overview is provided of research on nutrition and behavior of adequately nourished populations in industrialized countries. Discussions and findings from research presented include: refined carbohydrate consumption, maladaptive behavior, behavior disorders and learning; a history of the 'Feingold diet' and the basis for its controversy; an examination of recent critiques of research on artificial food dyes and hyperkinesis; indications for dietary intervention of hyperactive preschoolers; the role of iron in behavior disorders; effects of sub-clinical vitamin deficiencies on behavior; trace element analysis studies and violent behavior; and, suggested guidelines for further research into this complex and challenging field. Studies cited are from Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Creep Characteristics of Tungsten Wires

In this study heavily-drawn tungsten wires were tested for creep at a constant load of 115 MPa in a 10−3 torr nitrogen atmosphere. These fine wires had an elongated rectangular grain morphology with small average grain sizes, 1.6 to 2.2 µm. The typical test sample wire was about 2.54 m long and 130 µm in diameter. The test wire was heated to the test temperature by self-resistance. The creep elongation was monitored by a transducer. Steady state creep rates were determined from the creep curves for four specimens that were tested at 1673, 1553, 1453, and 1273K, respectively. Diffusional creep is the predominant deformation mode. The experimental data were analyzed and compared with several creep theories: Ashby’s combined, Coble’s grain boundary and Nabarro’s lattice diffusional creep models. The effects of recrystallization, grain aspect ratio, grain growth, impurity contents, nitrification and oxygen contamination on creep behavior are discussed in detail. However, their influences on creep kinetics are minimized in this study by carefully controlled experimental conditions. At a stress of 115 MPa, the grain boundary diffusional creep model successfully predicts the creep behavior at temperatures below 1453K. The instantaneous creep rate is inversely proportional to the cube of grain size at 1453K. The lattice diffusional creep model becomes predominant when the test temperature rises to 1553K. It is concluded that the creep behavior is controlled by grain boundary diffusion at a temperature below 1453K, and lattice diffusion above this temperature. Diffusion controlled creep and grain boundary sliding with diffusional accommodation are coupled in tungsten wires.
c-Cbl and Cbl-b regulate T cell responsiveness by promoting ligand-induced TCR down-modulation

How Cbl family proteins regulate T cell responses is unclear. We found that c-Cbl Cbl-b double knock-out (dKO) T cells became hyperresponsive upon anti-CD3 stimulation, even though the major T cell antigen receptor (TCR) signaling pathways were not enhanced. The dKO T cells did not down-modulate surface TCR after ligand engagement, which resulted in sustained TCR signaling. However, these cells showed normal ligand-independent TCR internalization, and trafficking of internalized TCR to the lysosome compartment after ligand engagement was reduced. These findings show that Cbl family proteins negatively regulate T cell activation by promoting clearance of engaged TCR from the cell surface, a process that is apparently essential for the termination of TCR signals.
Regional Fat Pad Growth and Cellularity in Obese Zucker Rats: Modulation by Caloric Restriction

HAUSMAN, DOROTHY B., JACQUELINE B. FINE, KRISHNA TAGRA, SHEA S. FLEMING, ROY J. MARTIN, AND MARIO DIGIROLAMO. Regional fat pad growth and cellularity in obese Zucker rats: modulation by caloric restriction. Obes Res. 2003;11:674-682. Objective: To investigate, in young obese male Zucker rats, the effects of chronic food restriction and subsequent refeeding on: 1) parameters of nonadipose and adipose growth, 2) regional adipose depot cellularity [fat cell volume (FCV) and number], and 3) circulating leptin levels. Research Methods and Procedures: Obese (fa/fa) and lean (Fa/?) male Zucker rats were studied from age 5 to 19 weeks. After baseline food intake monitoring, 10 obese rats were subjected to 58 days of marked caloric restriction from ad libitum levels [obese-restricted (OR)], followed by a return to ad libitum feeding for 22 days. Ten lean control rats and 10 obese control rats were fed ad libitum for the entire experiment. All rats were fed using a computer-driven automated feeding system designed to mimic natural eating patterns. Results: After food restriction, OR rats weighed significantly less than did lean and obese rats and showed a significant diminution in body and adipose growth as compared with obese rats. Relative adiposity was not different between obese and OR rats and was significantly higher than that of lean rats. The limitation in growth of the adipose tissue mass in OR rats was due mostly to suppression of fat cell proliferation because the mean FCV in each of the four depots was not affected. Serum leptin levels of OR and obese rats were not different from each other but were significantly higher than those of lean rats. Discussion: Marked caloric restriction affects obese male Zucker rats in a manner different from that of nongenetic rodent models (i.e., Wistar rats). In comparison with the response to caloric deprivation of Wistar rats, these calorically restricted obese male Zucker rats appeared to defend their relative adiposity and mean FCV at the expense of fat cell number. These findings indicate that genetic and/or tissue-specific controls override the general consequences of food restriction in this genetic model of obesity.
Multimode cabled optical fibers at low temperatures: an investigation

The effects of cabling and low temperature on graded-index multimode coated optical fiber, such as that used in local area networks, have been analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. These analyses are based on inducing excess loss in the fiber using a pair of corrugated plates. The losses in coated fibers are then compared with those in uncoated fibers over the −30 to +30°C temperature range. Theoretical considerations are given for optimizing the coating thickness.
An Investigation of Pulsations in the Boiler Feed System of a Central Power Station

A field investigation was made to determine the source and character of pressure pulsations in the boiler feed system of a central power station. By systematic equipment elimination, it was concluded that the oscillation are caused by rotating stall in the boiler feed pump as it enters into resonance with the piping circuit. An analysis is carried out of the equivalent linear system under harmonic conditions. The analytical model provides reasonable agreement with the observations for the three tested piping configurations. Some insight is provided in the mechanism of the pulsations and the dynamic impedances of typical component equipment.
From the suburbs to the house: The metropolitan-rural population and the success of women candidates

Abstract We analyze the voting behavior of metropolitan and rural residents in relation to women's legislative representation. Examining election data on the U.S. House and all lower state houses, we find that the greater the metropolitan population in a legislative district, the more likely it is to be represented by a woman. We extrapolate from these findings that the modern increase in women's representation can be attributed in part to the rural-to-suburban shift in population and legislative seats.
Estimation of seemingly unrelated regressions with unequal numbers of observations

Abstract The paper considers the estimation of seemingly unrelated regression equations with unequal numbers of observations. The efficient coefficient estimates, based on known disturbance covariance matrix, are derived. When a consistently estimated disturbance covariance matrix is used, the coefficient estimates are consistent and asymptotically efficient. Several possible consistent estimates of the disturbance covariance matrix are discussed, and a Monte Carlo experiment is performed to examine the small sample properties of the resulting coefficient estimates.
Extending scalability of collective IO through nessie and staging

The increasing fidelity of scientific simulations as they scale towards exascale sizes is straining the proven IO techniques championed throughout terascale computing. Chief among the successful IO techniques is the idea of collective IO where processes coordinate and exchange data prior to writing to storage in an effort to reduce the number of small, independent IO operations. As well as collective IO works for efficiently creating a data set in the canonical order, 3-D domain decompositions prove troublesome due to the amount of data exchanged prior to writing to storage. When each process has a tiny piece of a 3-D simulation space rather than a complete 'pencil' or 'plane', 2-D or 1-D domain decompositions respectively, the communication overhead to rearrange the data can dwarf the time spent actually writing to storage [27]. Our approach seeks to transparently increase scalability and performance while maintaining both the IO routines in the application and the final data format in the storage system. Accomplishing this leverages both the Nessie [23] RPC framework and a staging area with staging services. Through these tools, we employ a variety of data processing operations prior to invoking the native API to write data to storage yielding as much as a 3X performance improvement over the native calls.