cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular and genetic immunoprobes for biotechnology.

Recent advances concerning immunoprobes are described and their biotechnologic potential is emphasized. Selected examples of immunoprobes discussed include interleukin 7, genetically engineered vac...
Benthic Biological Processes and EH as a Basis for a Benthic Index

It is proposed that the common measures of benthic community condition can be augmented with a vertical EH profile taken through the benthic bioturbation zone. Sediment EH, an electrochemical measure of oxidized and reduced compounds in sediment porewater, measures the integrative consequences of all metabolic and transport processes of the benthic community. Biota, especially microbiota, metabolize carbon using a variety of electron acceptors, including O2, SO4 and some nitrogen and metal compounds. Motile benthic macrofauna ingest and transport particles, ventilate deep burrows and anoxic sediment with overlying seawater while sedentary suspension-feeding fauna deposit suspended organic matter onto the sediment surface. Collectively, these metabolic and behavioral processes advect particles and seawater between bottom water and deep sediment and define the overall structure of porewater chemistry. That structure creates a full spectrum of biogeochemical conditions of solubility, reactivity, and microbial metabolism which remineralizes excess organic carbon and most organic contaminants, defines solubility of trace metals, and pushes the vertical EH profile toward oxidizing conditions. It is proposed that a standard EH probe inserted downward through the bioturbation zone will provide a general measure of this resulting porewater chemistry and thus the impact of feeding, irrigation, and metabolism of the total macro, meio, and microbenthic community. If such a measure can be validated it will permit extended measurement of community function and reduced efforts in measuring community structure.
Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) has extended the scope of applications of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to separation of uncharged molecules. MEKC offers a combination of unique features of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) such as high efficiency, rapid analysis, small sample size, and small solvent consumption. Another unique advantage of MEKC is the flexibility and versatility of incorporating chemical selectivity in the separation process through careful adjustment of the pseudo-stationary phase composition. This chapter provides an overview of electrokinetic chromatography covering topics such as fundamental parameters influencing retention, selectivity, and resolution, an overview of different classes of pseudo-stationary phases, detection, microfluidic platforms for MEKC separations, use of MEKC as part of two-dimensional separation methods, and applications. Keywords: micellar electrokinetic chromatorgaphy; capillary electrophoresis; microfluidic; two-dimensional separation; MEKC; pseudostationary phases
Activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) by resiniferatoxin

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a Ca2+ permeable non-selective cation channel activated by physical and chemical stimuli. Resiniferatoxin (RTX), an ultrapotent agonist of TRPV1, is under investigation for treatment of urinary bladder hyper-reflexia and chronic pain conditions. Here, we have determined the characteristics of RTX-induced responses in cells expressing native and cloned rat TRPV1. Whole-cell currents increase with repeated application of submaximal concentrations of RTX until a maximal response is attained and do not deactivate even after prolonged washout. Interestingly, the rate of activation and block by capsazepine of RTX-induced currents are significantly slower than for capsaicin-induced currents. RTX-induced whole-cell currents are outwardly rectifying, but to a lesser extent than capsaicin-induced currents. RTX-induced single channel currents exhibit multiple conductance states and outward rectification. The open probability (Po) of RTX-induced currents is higher at all potentials as compared to capsaicin-induced currents, which showed a strong voltage-dependent decrease at negative potentials. Single-channel kinetic analyses reveal that open-time distribution of RTX-induced currents can be fitted with three exponential components at negative and positive potentials. The areas of distribution of the longer open time constants are significantly larger than capsaicin-induced currents. The closed-time distribution of RTX-induced currents can be fitted with three exponential components as compared to capsaicin-induced currents, which require four exponential components. Current-clamp experiments reveal that low concentrations of RTX caused a slow and sustained depolarization beyond threshold while generating few action potentials. Concentrations of capsaicin required for the same extent of depolarization generated a significantly greater number of action potentials. These properties of RTX may play a role in its clinical usefulness.
Face to (face)book: the two faces of social behavior?

Social networking sites such as Facebook represent a unique and dynamic social environment. Objective This study addresses three theoretical issues in personality psychology in the context of online social networking sites: (a) the temporal consistency of Facebook activity, (b) people's awareness of their online behavior, and (c) comparison of social behavior on Facebook with self- and informant-reported behavior in real life. Method Facebook Wall pages of 99 college students (mean age = 19.72) were downloaded six times during 3 weeks and coded for quantity and quality of activity. Everyday social interactions were assessed by self- and friend report. Results Facebook activity showed significant consistency across time, and people demonstrated awareness of their online behavior. There was significant similarity between everyday traits and interactions and Facebook behavior (e.g., more posts by friends are related to Agreeableness). Some differences between online and everyday interactions warrant further research (e.g., individuals with more positive offline relationships are less likely to engage in back-and-forth conversations on Facebook). Conclusions The results indicate substantial similarity between online and offline social behavior and identify avenues for future research on the possible use of Facebook to compensate for difficulty in everyday interactions.
An introduction to theories of learning

I. INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING. 1. What Is Learning? 2. Approaches to the Study of Learning. 3. Early Notions about Learning. II. PREDOMINANTLY FUNCTIONALISTIC THEORIES. 4. Edward Lee Thorndike. 5. Burrhus Frederick Skinner. 6. Clark Leonard Hull. III. PREDOMINANTLY ASSOCIATIONISTIC THEORIES. 7. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. 8. Edwin Ray Guthrie. 9. William Kaye Estes. IV. PREDOMINANTLY COGNITIVE THEORIES. 10. Gestalt Theory. 11. Jean Piaget. 12. Edward Chace Tolman. 13. Albert Bandura. V. A PREDOMINANTLY NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY. 14. Donald Olding Hebb. VI. AN EVOLUTIONARY THEORY. 15. Robert C. Bolles and Evolutionary Psychology. VII. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS. 16. A Final Word. 17. Glossary 18. References 19. Name Index 20. Subject Index
Valuation Implications of Investment Opportunities and Earnings Permanence

This study investigates the value-relevance of accounting earnings in the presence of investment (growth) opportunities after making two theoretical and methodological research design refinements. First, we test for the incremental effect of growth on firms’ earnings response coefficients after controlling for the extent of transitory earnings under the assumption that the value-relevance of earnings with respect to growth should be stronger when earnings are more permanent. Second, we perform comprehensive factor analysis using market-based and accounting-based measures to construct a composite proxy for investment opportunities. We find that firms’ investment opportunities and the relative permanence of current earnings affect the value-relevance of those earnings. Additionally, we find that the interaction between permanent earnings and investment opportunities produces an even stronger price response to earnings.
Instrumental variable methods for causal inference

A goal of many health studies is to determine the causal effect of a treatment or intervention on health outcomes. Often, it is not ethically or practically possible to conduct a perfectly randomized experiment, and instead, an observational study must be used. A major challenge to the validity of observational studies is the possibility of unmeasured confounding (i.e., unmeasured ways in which the treatment and control groups differ before treatment administration, which also affect the outcome). Instrumental variables analysis is a method for controlling for unmeasured confounding. This type of analysis requires the measurement of a valid instrumental variable, which is a variable that (i) is independent of the unmeasured confounding; (ii) affects the treatment; and (iii) affects the outcome only indirectly through its effect on the treatment. This tutorial discusses the types of causal effects that can be estimated by instrumental variables analysis; the assumptions needed for instrumental variables analysis to provide valid estimates of causal effects and sensitivity analysis for those assumptions; methods of estimation of causal effects using instrumental variables; and sources of instrumental variables in health studies.
Recovery of atrioventricular conduction after pacemaker placement following cardiac valvular surgery.

Recovery of AV Conduction After Valve SurgeryBackground Atrioventricular block (AVB) occurs commonly after valve surgery, and permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation is often required. However, the rate and time course of spontaneous recovery of AV conduction in these patients is not known. The goal of this study was to define the rate and risk factors for late high-grade AVB in patients who have PPM implantation for this indication. Methods Serial PPM or defibrillator interrogation data as well as demographic and operative data were reviewed from consecutive patients who had device implantation for AVB following valve surgery. Predictors of late AVB were identified with multiple regression models, and recovery of AV conduction was determined with Kaplan–Meier analyses. Results Among 98 patients included in the analysis, 58% (57/98) had evidence of late high-grade AVB, with a mean follow-up of 3.6 years. Of the 57 patients with late AVB after PPM implantation, 44 (77%) displayed pacing dependency. In multivariate analyses, persistent AVB in the immediate postoperative period was the only variable associated with late AVB (odds ratio 5.3, 95% confidence interval [2.1, 13.5], P = 0.0006). Among patients who recovered AV conduction within 1 month of surgery, 26% developed AVB during extended follow-up. Conclusions Approximately 40% of patients who received a PPM for AVB after valve surgery displayed no evidence of high-grade AVB during serial device interrogations. However, simple baseline demographic, operative, and postoperative variables are not sufficiently robust for discriminating those patients with early postoperative AVB who will not need long-term pacing following valve surgery.
Generalized Multiresolution Schemes

Abstract The concept of a multiresolution scheme as introduced by A. Harten (see, for instance [CAM Report 93-03, 1993; CAM Report 94-10, 1994; ICASE Report No. 94-59, 1994; J. Comput. Phys. 115 (1994), 319–338]) is generalized. This generalization is based on a categorical setting which provides a much clearer and a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. Examples show the broad spectrum of applicability of generalized multiresolution schemes.
Variability of water properties in late spring in the northern Great South Channel

Abstract Regional CTDIADCP surveys made in the northern Great South Channel (GSC) in late spring of 1988 and 1989 show different patterns of surface salinity in the extent of the freshwater plume east of Cape Cod. In April 1988, the surface plume was just beginning to form along the outer coast of Cape Cod, while 6 weeks later in the season in 1989, the minimum salinity was about 1.5 less, and a large pool of water fresher than 31.6 had pushed eastward over much of the northern GSC region. The difference in the amount of freshening between these two years is due primarily to the 6-week difference in the seasonal cycle and increased river discharge in 1989. The offshore spreading of the low-salinity plume was driven by the deeper circulation and upwelling-favorable winds. The distribution of Maine Intermediate Water (MIW) also significantly differed between April 1988 and June 1989. In April 1988, the seasonal thermocline was just beginning to form, and the spatial structure of MIW was relatively uniform. In June 1989, a narrow core of temperature minimum water (with T min in a range of 3.2–4.4°C) was found along the western flank of the northern GSC between 40 m and 120 m. This colder and fresher water spread to mix with the interior MIW as the core flowed southward into the central GSC. Hydrographic data plus satellite sea-surface temperature images showed a relatively permanent continuous thermal front (with a 10-km cross-isobath variation) along the eastern flank of Nantucket Shoals, across the northern shallow region of the GSC and along the northwestern flank of Georges Bank, which separated the well-mixed water over the shallow region of the GSC from stratified water in the center of the northern GSC. Comparison of the location of this front with theoretical predictions by LODER and GREENBERG [(1986) Continental Shelf Research , 6 , 397–414] suggests that enhanced tidal mixing due to the spring-neap cycle is important in determining the relative balance between buoyancy import and tidal mixing in the GSC region.
Computer network management: theory and practice

This paper discusses a non-traditional course in computer networking. The course is a laboratory course with substantial hands-on experiences, which can help to prepare students for jobs in industry as soon as they graduate from an undergraduate institution. This course is not meant to replace the traditional network course but to supplement it by teaching how computer networks work in practice and by exploring new topics such as internetworking, high speed networking, client/server computing and security.
Aids, race and the limits of science.

Abstract In the US, HIV is understood as the virus that causes AIDS, the root of a disease syndrome perceived to indicate an immune system that has ceased to function. These understandings reflect the unquestioned hegemony of Euro/American scientific knowledge, a hegemony that precludes alternative interpretations of life and death, health and disease. This paper argues that HIV/AIDS is more complicated than biomedicine allows, and that the “overmedicalization” of treatment and prevention efforts obscures the significant socio-cultural and political-economic realities that shape the global pandemic, including conceptions of race. The paper specifically focuses on the discourses of bio- and socio-pathology that link African diasporic communities around the globe, and which often seamlessly articulate with structural locations, producing a coherent narrative in which social and moral positions justify and substantiate one another. The analysis here occurs on both these levels: the discursive and the structural. If we are to understand the complex relationships that form the AIDS epidemic, the disciplinary lines imagined between scientific paradigms and the clinical focus on the individual body on one hand, and the social sciences and humanities disciplines on the other, must be breached. If what we call AIDS is a socio-cultural and political-economic phenomenon with biological manifestations, then it is essential that the insights of the social sciences and humanities be brought to bear on finding solutions to the epidemic.
Imaging the spatial distribution of membrane receptors during neutrophil phagocytosis.

Abstract Optical microscopy and image processing have been employed to study the distribution of several cell surface receptors on living human neutrophils during opson-independent and opsonin-independent phagocytosis. Receptors were labeled using fluorescein-, rhodamine-, or AMCA-conjugated F(ab′) 2 fragments of anti-FcγRIIIB (CD16), anti-CR3 (CD11b/CD18), and anti-uPAR (urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor) antibodies, intact phycoerythrin-labeled interleukin 8, and fluorescein- or rhodamine-labeled Con A (concanavalin A), Boc-PLPLP (tert-butyl-oxycarbonyl-Phe( d )-Leu-Phe( d )-Leu-Phe-OH), and N -formyl-Nle-Leu-Phe-Nle-Tyr-Lys. Labeled neutrophils were observed during the phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized erythrocytes and nonopsonized latex beads, Escherichia coli , and Staphylococcus aureus . To quantitate receptor distribution, cells were divided into four quadrants with the first being the point of attachment and the fourth being opposite the point of attachment. Ligated formyl peptide receptors, and to a lesser extent CR3, accumulated at the sites of target internalization for all forms of phagocytosis examined. However, FcγRIIIB, uPAR, IL-8, Con A, and the FPR antagonist FBoc-PLPLP were not polarized on cells during phagocytosis. These data suggest that agonist-labeled formyl peptide receptors may play a broader role in leukocyte function than previously suggested, including possible participation in phagocytosis.
Testicular damage after surgical groin exploration for elective herniorrhaphy.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Controversy exists whether to explore the contralateral groin in boys during unilateral herniorrhaphy. Proponents claim there is minimal risk of injury to the cord structures and developing testicle with contralateral exploration. However, findings have shown testicular atrophy occurred in 1% to 2% of patients after herniorrhaphy, and vasal damage is possible after routine manipulation of the spermatic cord. This study investigated the effect of routine surgical exploration of the prepubertal groin on testicular development and future fertility. Methods: Twenty-four prepubertal Wistar rats were divided equally into 2 groups. Group 1 (sham) rats underwent unilateral inguinoscrotal incision only. Group 2 (experimental) rats underwent unilateral inguinoscrotal exploration with manipulation of the cord structures as in human inguinal exploration. At maturation, the fertility and fecundity of the males were assessed. After mating, testes were examined for mass, volume, mean seminiferous tubule diameter (MSTD), and mean testicular biopsy score (MTBS). The vasa were examined for histological injury and vasal diameter. Statistical comparisons were made by paired t test and Mann-Whitney rank sum test. Results: There was a difference between the volumes of the testes when comparing the operative and nonoperative side of the 2 groups (experimental, Δvol = −0.063 ± 0.123; sham, Δvol = +0.067 ± 0.137; P =.029). There also was a trend toward a smaller testicular mass when comparing the two sides (experimental, Δmass = −0.045 ± 0.101; sham, Δmass = +0.048 ± 0.123; P =.057) but did not reach significance. The MSTD and MTBS were similar between the ipsilateral and contralateral testes in both groups. Likewise, the MSTD and MTBS were similar when comparing the 2 groups. All male rats in both groups were fertile. The number of offspring produced and the number of female rats impregnated were similar between the 2 groups. There was no histological evidence of vasal injury in any of the experimental spermatic cords. The vasal diameters were similar between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Surgical manipulation of the prepubertal spermatic cord imparts a small, but statistically significant morphological change in testicular size without a deleterious effect on testicular development, fertility, or fecundity. J Pediatr Surg 35:327-330. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Imaging in the modern age

Abstract This report of the 2011 James L. Waters Symposium at Pittcon 2011 highlights the powerful imaging technologies of electron microscopy (EM) and ion microscopy (IM). The four speakers each provided a window into a specific subset of the field: • David Bell described the history, development, application, and commercialization of transmission EM (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM); • David Martin presented the challenges and methodologies of imaging ordered polymers and biomaterials with TEM; • Joseph Michael explained the history of the commercialization of scanning EM (SEM) and its modern applications; and, • David Joy, who submitted his talk in absentia , provided a history of EM and a summary of the advantages of IM versus EM.
Does housing chronically homeless adults lead to social integration

Objective:Supported housing programs have been successful in helping homeless adults obtain housing. This study examined whether improvements in social integration occur after clients obtain supported housing. Methods:Measures of social integration were examined for 550 chronically homeless adults with mental illness who participated in the 11-site Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness. Social integration was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct of variables in six domains: housing, work, social support, community participation, civic activity, and religious faith. Changes in baseline measures related to the six domains and their interrelationships were examined at six and 12 months after entry into the supported housing program. Results:Chronically homeless adults showed substantial improvements in housing but remained socially isolated and showed limited improvement in other domains of social integration, which were only weakly correlated with one another. Conclusions:More ...
Pudendal neuralgia, a severe pain syndrome.

Objective To describe the clinical and electrodiagnostic findings, therapies, and outcomes of patients with pudendal neuralgia. Study design A retrospective, descriptive study of 64 patients from March 19 to December 22, 2003. Results Clinical findings included pain along nerve distribution (64, 100%), pain aggravated by sitting (62, 97%), pain relieved by standing or lying (57, 89%), and misdiagnosis (53, 83%). Neurophysiologic findings were normal (23, 35%), demyelination (17, 26%), axonal loss (5, 7.5%), and demyelination with axonal loss (21, 32%). Therapies were conservative (64, 100%), nerve injection (38, 59%), neuromodulation (2, 3%), and decompression surgery (10, 15%). Slight or moderate pain improvement with therapies included conservative (64, 100%), nerve injection (12, 31%), neuromodulation (2, 100%), and decompression (6, 60%). Conclusion Pudendal neuralgia is poorly recognized and poorly treated. Improvement is gained with conservative therapy. Injections and decompression benefit one half and one third of patients, respectively. Neuromodulation needs further evaluation.
Characterization of a weak allele of the GL1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana

A genomic clone containing the gl1–2 allele has been isolated and sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequence of the gl1–2 protein is identical to that of the GL1-Col allele up to position 201. At this point in the coding region of gl1–2 there is a deletion relative to the wild-type sequence that results in an in-frame stop codon at position 202. This deletion removes 27 amino acid residues, including a highly negatively charged region, from the predicted gl1–2 polypeptide. The loss of this negatively charged carboxy-terminal region from the gl1–2 product is most likely the cause of the partial loss of gene activity which results in a reduction in leaf trichome initiation.
Human T-cell subset requirements for the production of specific anti-influenza virus antibody in vitro.

Studies were undertaken to define the helper T-cell requirements forin vitro specific antibody production to influenza virus. Subpopulations of human T cells were separated on the basis of their reactivity with the monoclonal antibody OKT4. B cells cultured with OKT4+ T cells produced specific antibody to influenza virus, while B cells cultured with OKT4− T cells did not. Irradiation (1200 rads) of the OKT4− subset to potentially eliminate suppressor-cell activity did not augment the helper-cell function of that subset. Thus, unlike the cytotoxic T-cell response to influenza, help for anin vitro antibody response is mediated only by OKT4+ T cells.
Role of Biplane and Biplane Echocardiographically Guided 3-Dimensional Echocardiography During Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography

Image acquisition time and wall-motion score of conventional 2-dimensional (2D) dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) were compared with those of biplane and 3-dimensional (3D) DSE in 50 patients (age 67 ± 13 years) with regular rhythms during clinically indicated DSE. Commercially available systems were used for the study. We used a conventional transducer for 2D and a matrix-array transducer (×4 or ×3-1) for two biplane (60- and 120-degree) images and one 3D full-volume image. Image quality was scored as 1=good; 2=adequate; and 3=inadequate. Segmental wall-motion scores for each method were analyzed in blinded fashion. Acquisition times of biplane (9.3 ± 2.8 seconds) and biplane-guided 3D (additional 2.6 ± 1.0 seconds) echocardiography were significantly shorter than those of conventional 2D DSE (60.0 ± 26.7 seconds) ( P
Effects of long-range interactions in metal epitaxial growth

The van der Waals constant ${C}_{3}$ describing the long-range attractive interaction between a Cu atom and a Cu(100) surface is calculated, along with the dominant correction ${z}_{0}$ for the shift in the reference plane, using expressions derived by Persson and Zaremba which take into account the optical response of Cu. The result ${C}_{3}\ensuremath{\simeq}2.1\mathrm{eV}{\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{3}$ is significantly smaller than predicted by a simple Lennard-Jones (LJ) Cu potential used in recent simulations, but large enough to explain experimental observations of a significant increase in mound angle in Cu/Cu(100) growth for large angles of incidence. In contrast, trajectory calculations indicate that the LJ Cu potential appears to overestimate the effects of long-range attraction. Our results also indicate that for small angles of incidence $(\ensuremath{\theta}l50\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}),$ the dominant effects of attraction on the surface morphology in Cu/Cu(100) growth are related to the short-range rather than to the long-range interaction. Similar results are presented for Ag/Ag(100).
Effect of Cooling Procedure on Tensile and Charpy Impact Properties of Cr-Mo Ultra-High Strength Steel

The effect of cooling procedure on the transformation behavior of low-carbon Cr-Mo microalloyed steel was investigated by using microstructural observations, mechanical properties and impact fractographs. Three steel plates were adopted under three different cooling rates, and their microstructure, tensile and impact properties were evaluated. The results indicated that the strength of experimental steels was increased and the impact toughness was decreased with decreasing the coiling temperature. Steel A consisted of granular bainite, coarse bainitic ferrite lath and M/A constituent subjected to a coiling temperature of 560 oC. The yield strength, tensile strength and impact energy of 1/2-size Charpy impact at-20 oC were 740MPa, 1020MPa, and 33.5J, respectively, which were imperfect in strength. The effects of coiling temperature were potent on the refinement of microstructure and the size of M/A constituents. Steel B consisted of a small amount of lath bainite, fine M/A constituents and bainitic ferrite lath subjected to a lower coiling temperature of 520 oC. The yield strength, tensile strength and impact energy of 1/2-size Charpy impact at-20°C were 840MPa, 1030MPa, and 30.7J, respectively. However, steel C was composed of lath bainite and lath martensite subjected to the lowest coiling temperature of 380 oC (slightly above Ms point). The yield strength, tensile strength and impact energy of 1/2-size Charpy impact at-20 oC were 985MPa, 1200MPa and 22.5J, respectively, which could meet the demand of ultra high strength structural steel applications.
Apoptosis and proliferation of human peritoneal fibroblasts in response to hypoxia

Abstract Objective: To determine the effect of hypoxia on apoptosis and proliferation of fibroblasts cultured from normal peritoneum or adhesions. Design: Prospective experimental study. Setting: University medical center. Patient(s): Primary cultures of fibroblasts established from peritoneal and adhesion tissues of the same patients. Intervention(s): Hypoxia treatment of the primary cultured fibroblasts. Main Outcome Measure(s): Apoptosis was assessed by the TUNEL assay and by the BCL-2-BAX expression ratio, as determined using multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The proliferation rate of these cells was determined by measuring the proliferative fraction using the flow cytometry in adhesion and peritoneal fibroblasts under normal and hypoxic conditions. Result(s): Compared with fibroblasts from normal peritoneum, fibroblasts from adhesions had significant complementary decreases in apoptosis and an increase in proliferation. In response to hypoxia, the Bcl-2-bax mRNA ratio was significantly higher in fibroblasts from adhesions as compared with fibroblasts from normal peritoneum. The degree of apoptosis induced by hypoxia correlated with the increase in the bcl-2-bax ratio in fibroblasts derived from both normal peritoneum and adhesions. Conclusion(s): Hypoxia induces proliferation while inhibiting apoptosis in fibroblasts from adhesion, thereby creating a phenotype that would favor adhesion development.
On the Influence of Cold Work on Eddy Current Characterization of Near-Surface Residual Stress in Shot-Peened Nickel-Base Superalloys

Shot-peened nickel-base superalloys exhibit 1–2% increase in apparent eddy current conductivity (AECC), which can be exploited for nondestructive residual stress assessment. Experimental evidence indicates that the excess AECC is due in part to elastic strains, i.e., residual stress, and in part to plastic strains, i.e., cold work. The very fact that the conductivity increases rather than decreases was originally thought to indicate that there was no significant cold work contribution to the observed AECC increase. This assumption was also supported by X-ray diffraction (XRD) results on fully relaxed specimens showing that the cold work induced widening of the diffraction beam only partially vanishes when both the residual stress and the AECC completely disappear due to thermal relaxation. However, we show in this paper that assuming that the conductivity change is entirely due to residual stress via the piezoresistivity of the material could result in an unacceptable overestimation of the magnitude of the compressive residual stress. Therefore, we investigated the different mechanisms through which cold work could influence the AECC in surface-treated nickel-base superalloys. It was found that neither the magnetic susceptibility nor the piezoresistivity of the material is affected significantly by cold work up to 50% plastic strain level, but the electrical conductivity does substantially increase due to microstructural changes. Based on these observations, we suggest that in future research the complex variations caused by cold work should be modeled by at least two main types of cold work parameters rather than by a single one in order to properly account for the otherwise contradictory effects of plastic deformation on eddy current conductivity and XRD measurements.
2-Track (1, 3) code with rate 2/3

Multitrack run-length-limited (d,k) modulation codes were recently introduced as a method to increase storage densities in digital recording systems. The Letter presents a two-track (1,3) code which achieves a code rate of R = 2/3.
Symmetry properties of the S-matrix with application to resonance reactions

Abstract : Symmetry relations of the S-wave, N-channel S-matrix are rederived and applied to a study of its structure in the vicinity of resonances, both away from and near thresholds. A resonance is defined as a pole of the S-matrix. For an isolated pole far from any threshold, the S-matrix can be expressed as the sum of a resonance factorable matrix and a nondiagonal, background matrix, a well-known result. The parametrization of this expression is discussed. Two types of threshold resonances are considered, corresponding to one and two poles of S respectively. For both cases, the S-matrix again has resonance and background contributions, but the off-diagonal elements involving the opening channel have no background The two-pole threshold resonance obeys the standard Breit-Wigner formula, while the one-pole case has a different behavior, which can only be obtained from the Breit-Wigner expression by making certain reduced widths infinite. Unitarity and symmetry relations impose some interesting restrictions on the distribution of poles and the shape of cross sections near threshold. Results are illustrated. (Author)
Students as Change Partners: A Proposal for Educational Change in the Age of Globalization.

This essay builds on the concept of students as partners in change proposed in The Fourth Way: The Inspiring Future for Educational Change by Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley (2009) and points out why the current movement toward curriculum standardization and homogenization is counterproductive in preparing students to become competent citizens for the globalized world. Instead, the author suggests that education systems and schools should focus on students as the driving force of educational change. To do so, we need to view students as global entrepreneurs in the sense that they need to become owners of their own learning and develop a globally-oriented entrepreneurial spirit.
Redesigning Urban Districts in the USA: Mayoral Accountability and the Diverse Provider Model

In response to public pressure, urban districts in the USA have initiated reforms that aim at redrawing the boundaries between the school system and other major local institutions. More specifically, this article focuses on two emerging reform strategies. We will examine an emerging model of governance that enables big-city mayors to establish authority over the school system, a significant departure from the dominant practice of district governance under an independently elected school board. Mayors in New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington DC, among others, have taken control over the school system with the authority to appoint the school board and/or the superintendent. Further, this article examines a reform strategy that allows for a closer working partnership between public schools and outside providers. This ‘diverse provider’ strategy significantly shifts power from traditionally powerful stakeholders (such as organized teachers’ union) by enabling non-profit and for-profit organizations to mana...
Lidocaine stabilizes the open state of CNS voltage-dependent sodium channels.

Abstract We have previously reported that the lidocaine action is different between CNS and muscle batrachotoxin-modified Na + channels [Salazar et al., J. Gen. Physiol. 107 (1996) 743–754; Brain Res. 699 (1995) 305–314]. In this study we examined lidocaine action on CNS Na + currents, to investigate the mechanism of lidocaine action on this channel isoform and to compare it with that proposed for muscle Na + currents. Na + currents were measured with the whole cell voltage clamp configuration in stably transfected cells expressing the brain α-subunit (type IIA) by itself (α-brain) or together with the brain β 1 -subunit (αβ 1 -brain), or the cardiac α-subunit (hH1) (α-cardiac). Lidocaine (100 μM) produced comparable levels of Na + current block at positive potentials and of hyperpolarizing shift of the steady-state inactivation curve in α-brain and αβ 1 -brain Na + currents. Lidocaine accelerated the rates of activation and inactivation, produced an hyperpolarizing shift in the steady-state activation curve and increased the current magnitude at negative potentials in α-brain but not in αβ 1 -brain Na + currents. The lidocaine action in αβ 1 -brain resembled that observed in α-cardiac Na + currents. The lidocaine-induced increase in current magnitude at negative potentials and the hyperpolarizing shift in the steady-state activation curve of α-brain, are novel effects and suggest that lidocaine treatment does not always lead to current reduction/block when it interacts with Na + channels. The data are explained by using a modified version of the model proposed by Vedantham and Cannon [J. Gen. Physiol., 113 (1999) 7–16] in which we postulate that the difference in lidocaine action between α-brain and αβ 1 -brain Na + currents could be explained by differences in the lidocaine action on the open channel state.
Improved longitudinal gray and white matter atrophy assessment via application of a 4-dimensional hidden Markov random field model.

Abstract SIENA and similar techniques have demonstrated the utility of performing “direct” measurements as opposed to post-hoc comparison of cross-sectional data for the measurement of whole brain (WB) atrophy over time. However, gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) atrophy are now widely recognized as important components of neurological disease progression, and are being actively evaluated as secondary endpoints in clinical trials. Direct measures of GM/WM change with advantages similar to SIENA have been lacking. We created a robust and easily-implemented method for direct longitudinal analysis of GM/WM atrophy, SIENAX multi-time-point (SIENAX-MTP). We built on the basic halfway-registration and mask composition components of SIENA to improve the raw output of FMRIB's FAST tissue segmentation tool. In addition, we created LFAST, a modified version of FAST incorporating a 4th dimension in its hidden Markov random field model in order to directly represent time. The method was validated by scan–rescan, simulation, comparison with SIENA, and two clinical effect size comparisons. All validation approaches demonstrated improved longitudinal precision with the proposed SIENAX-MTP method compared to SIENAX. For GM, simulation showed better correlation with experimental volume changes (r = 0.992 vs. 0.941), scan–rescan showed lower standard deviations (3.8% vs. 8.4%), correlation with SIENA was more robust (r = 0.70 vs. 0.53), and effect sizes were improved by up to 68%. Statistical power estimates indicated a potential drop of 55% in the number of subjects required to detect the same treatment effect with SIENAX-MTP vs. SIENAX. The proposed direct GM/WM method significantly improves on the standard SIENAX technique by trading a small amount of bias for a large reduction in variance, and may provide more precise data and additional statistical power in longitudinal studies.
Theoretical and numerical results on effects of attenuation on correlation functions of ambient seismic noise

S U M M A R Y We study analytically and numerically effects of attenuation on cross-correlation functions of ambient noise in a 2-D model with different attenuation constants between and outside a pair of stations. The attenuation is accounted for by quality factor Q(ω) and complex phase velocity. The analytical results are derived for isotropic far-field source distribution assuming the Fresnel approximation and mild attenuation. More general situations including cases with non-isotropic source distributions are examined with numerical simulations. The results show that homogeneous attenuation in the interstation regions produces symmetric amplitude decay of the causal and anticausal parts of the noise cross-correlation function. The attenuation between the receivers and far-field sources generates symmetric exponential amplitude decay and may also cause asymmetric reduction of the causal/anticausal parts that increases with frequency. This frequency dependence can be used to distinguish asymmetric amplitudes due to attenuation from frequency-independent asymmetry in noise correlations generated by nonisotropic source distribution. The attenuations both between and outside station pairs also produce phase shifts that could affect measurements of group and phase velocities. In terms of noise cross-spectra, the interstation attenuation is governed by Struve functions while the attenuation between the far-field sources and receivers is associatedwith exponential decay and the imaginary part of complex Bessel function. These results are fundamentally different from previous studies of attenuated coherency that append the Bessel function with an exponential decay that depends on the interstation distance.
Synthetic, structural, and theoretical investigations of alkali metal germanium hydrides--contact molecules and separated ions.

The preparation of a series of crown ether ligated alkali metal (M=K, Rb, Cs) germyl derivatives M(crown ether)nGeH3 through the hydrolysis of the respective tris(trimethylsilyl)germanides is reported. Depending on the alkali metal and the crown ether diameter, the hydrides display either contact molecules or separated ions in the solid state, providing a unique structural insight into the geometry of the obscure GeH3− ion. Germyl derivatives displaying MGe bonds in the solid state are of the general formula [M([18]crown-6)(thf)GeH3] with M=K (1) and M=Rb (4). The compounds display an unexpected geometry with two of the GeH3 hydrogen atoms closely approaching the metal center, resulting in a partially inverted structure. Interestingly, the lone pair at germanium is not pointed towards the alkali metal, rather two of the three hydrides are approaching the alkali metal center to display MH interactions. Separated ions display alkali metal cations bound to two crown ethers in a sandwich-type arrangement and non-coordinated GeH3− ions to afford complexes of the type [M(crown ether)2][GeH3] with M=K, crown ether=[15]crown-5 (2); M=K, crown ether=[12]crown-4 (3); and M=Cs, crown ether=[18]crown-6 (5). The highly reactive germyl derivatives were characterized by using X-ray crystallography, 1H and 13C NMR, and IR spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) and second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) calculations were performed to analyze the geometry of the GeH3− ion in the contact molecules 1 and 4.
How Many Sources Should Be Cultured for the Diagnosis of a Blood Stream Infection in Children with Cancer

Blood stream infection (BSI) in a child with cancer is a life-threatening condition while blood cultures (BCs) play a crucial role for the diagnosis. The current practice of obtaining a BC from all sources—peripheral vein, central venous catheter (CVC), all lumens—is controversial and therefore in this study, our aim was to evaluate the utility of obtaining BCs from all these available sources. A retrospective study of BC sets obtained from all newly diagnosed patients with malignancy was conducted. A total number of 633 BC sets from 123 boys and 88 girls (median age: 5 5/12 years) were evaluated during infection episodes from January 1, 2005, to August 31, 2010. Among these cases, 134 were classified as true BSI (21%), 468 as non-BSI, and 31 as false-positive. In 64 cases, the results from peripheral and CVC sources were discordant: 57 catheter positive–peripheral negative and seven catheter negative–peripheral positive. Consequently, seven out of 134 true BSIs (5.2%) would not have been identified if on...
First-principles study of LiPON and related solid electrolytes

Lithium phosphorus oxynitride materials have been investigated for many years, especially in relation to the thin-film electrolyte LiPON, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We have carried out first-principles simulations of related crystalline materials as a first step toward understanding the sources of stability and mechanisms of Li-ion conductivity in these materials. In addition to a comprehensive survey of known crystalline materials related to LiPON, we have also predicted some materials. For example, starting with crystalline ${\text{LiPO}}_{3}$ which has twisted phosphate chains, we considered the possibility of modifying the structure by substituting N and Li for O. The optimized structures were computed to have regularized phosphate chains which form planar -P-N-P-N- backbones. To the best of our knowledge, the predicted crystals, which we call ${s}_{1}{\text{-Li}}_{2}{\text{PO}}_{2}\text{N}$ with a 24-atom unit cell and ${s}_{2}{\text{-Li}}_{2}{\text{PO}}_{2}\text{N}$ with a 12-atom unit cell, have not yet been observed experimentally. We suggest several possible exothermic reaction pathways to synthesize these crystals.
The Functional Neuroanatomy of Object Agnosia: A Case Study

SUMMARY Cortical reorganization ofvisual and object representations following neural injury was examined using fMRI and behavioral investigations. We probed the visual responsivity of the ventral visual cortex of an agnosic patient who was impaired at object recognition following a lesion to the right lateral fusiform gyrus. In both hemispheres, retinotopic mapping revealed typical topographic organization and visual activation of early visual cortex. However, visual responses, object-related, and -selective responses were reduced in regions immediately surrounding the lesion in the right hemisphere, and also, surprisingly, in corresponding locations in the structurally intact left hemisphere. In contrast, hV4 of the right hemisphere showed expanded response properties. These findings indicate that the right lateral fusiform gyrus is critically involved in object recognition and that an impairment to this region has widespread consequences for remote parts of cortex. Finally, functional neural plasticity is possible even when a cortical lesion is sustained in adulthood.
Wine tourism: a business opportunity for winemakers

Wine tourism can contribute to the development of a tourism destination. This is particularly true in southern Italy, which boasts not only excellent grape growing activity and wine production, but it is also a region of great value in terms of historical-cultural and natural heritage. Winemakers have understood the potential of core business and have recently used it as a vehicle to diversify their businesses and to increase sales. The general purpose of the paper is to gain insights into the current state of wine tourism in Campania, and to identify possible areas of intervention with a view to promoting further development. Our work is mainly focused on an empirical research study. The research aimed to investigate the orientation of winemakers towards wine tourism, and their entrepreneurial aptitude. Our analysis provides evidence that winemakers do not fully take advantage of this opportunity and that tailored educational programmes should be provided.
Mars, highlands-lowlands: Viking contributions to mariner relative age studies

Stratigraphic relations between lowland plains and highlands, two major types of Martian geologic-terrain units, were not directly distinguishable on Mariner-9 images. Morphologic characteristics and crater densities suggested that the lava plains beneath their eolian cover were younger than adjacent highland rocks, which form a plateau bounded in many places by highly dissected escarpments. Alternatively, the lowland plains could be the older unit and represent a broad erosional surface exhumed by southward retreat of the highlands along their frontal scarp. Viking photos across five areas of the highland-lowland boundary, however, tend to confirm the younger age of the plains-forming lava flows. A time interval of several hundred million years probably occurred between the retreat of the highland scarp and its latest embayment by lava extrusions in the lowlands.