cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract #1691: Nicks as poisons of topoisomerase II: coordinating the two protomer subunits of topoisomerase II\#945;

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO Topoisomerase II is a ubiquitous enzyme that plays essential roles in DNA metabolism. The enzyme relieves torsional stress in DNA during replication and transcription, untangles knots during recombination, and decatenates linked daughter chromosomes before mitosis. Topoisomerase II performs its functions by passing an intact DNA helix through a transient double-stranded break in a separate helix. Type II topoisomerases are targeted by a number of very successful and widely-used anticancer drugs. Many of these drugs act as \#8220;poisons\#8221; and increase levels of covalent enzyme-cleaved DNA intermediates. In addition to these compounds, DNA structures such as abasic sites and modified bases are site-specific topoisomerase II poisons that stimulate cleavage only when they are located between the two scissile bonds of a pre-existing site of enzyme action. While these DNA lesions enhance scission at the native site, they do not generate novel sites of cleavage. Our results demonstrate that nicks, like other DNA lesions, are topoisomerase II poisons. However, the actions of nicks are not constrained to pre-existing sites of topoisomerase II action. The mere presence of a nick in duplex DNA is sufficient to create a novel cleavage site for human topoisomerase II\#945; on the opposite strand. Furthermore, a nick at one scissile bond dramatically increases the rate of cleavage by human topoisomerase II\#945; at the scissile bond on the opposite strand. We propose that nicks trigger faster rates of scission by introducing flexibility in the DNA substrate that allows it to attain the acutely bent transition state that is required for efficient cleavage. This enhanced activity at the second strand coordinates the two protomer subunits of topoisomerase II during the DNA cleavage reaction and allows the enzyme to create double-stranded breaks in the genetic material. This finding may have implications for the actions of type II enzymes during apoptotic events. Moreover, it suggests a mechanism whereby topoisomerase II may impact the physiological effects of endogenous, environmental, or pharmaceutical compounds that damage the genetic material. This work is supported by NIH grants GM33944, GM53960, and T32 CA09592. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 1691.
Predicting Audience’s Laughter During Presentations Using Convolutional Neural Network

Public speakings play important roles in schools and work places and properly using humor contributes to effective presentations. For the purpose of automatically evaluating speakers’ humor usage, we build a presentation corpus containing humorous utterances based on TED talks. Compared to previous data resources supporting humor recognition research, ours has several advantages, including (a) both positive and negative instances coming from a homogeneous data set, (b) containing a large number of speakers, and (c) being open. Focusing on using lexical cues for humor recognition, we systematically compare a newly emerging text classification method based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) with a well-established conventional method using linguistic knowledge. The advantages of the CNN method are both getting higher detection accuracies and being able to learn essential features automatically.
Thermodynamic properties of an emerging chemical disinfectant, peracetic acid

Peracetic acid (PAA or CH3COOOH) is an emerging disinfectant with a low potential to form carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBPs). Basic thermodynamic properties of PAA are, however, absent or inconsistently reported in the literature. This review aimed to summarize important thermodynamic properties of PAA, including standard Gibbs energy of formation and oxidation-reduction (redox) potential. The standard Gibbs energies of formation of CH3COOOH(aq), CH3COOOH(g), CH3COOOH(l), and CH3COOO(aq)- are -299.41kJ·mol-1, -283.02kJ·mol-1, -276.10kJ·mol-1, and -252.60kJ·mol-1, respectively. The standard redox potentials of PAA are 1.748V and 1.005V vs. standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) at pH 0 and pH 14, respectively. Under biochemical standard state conditions (pH 7, 25°C, 101,325Pa), PAA has a redox potential of 1.385V vs. SHE, higher than many disinfectants. Finally, the environmental implications of the thermodynamic properties of PAA were systematically discussed. Those properties can be used to predict the physicochemical and biological behavior of aquatic systems exposed to PAA.
Adolescent girls’ reactions to nutrition and physical activity assessment tools and insight into lifestyle habits:

Objective:The objective of this study was to understand adolescent girls’ experiences using practical diet and physical activity measurement tools and to explore the food and physical activity settings that influence their lifestyle habits.Design:Mixed methods study using quantitative and qualitative methods.Setting:Large city in the western USA. Participants were recruited from a larger study of girls and families.Methods:A total of 10 girls aged 13–17 years completed a 3-day food diary, a Food Frequency Questionnaire and wore a Fitbit wrist bracelet to measure physical activity for 30 days. Following the data collection period, a structured focus group using a phenomenological approach was held to understand girls’ experiences with the collection tools and to understand the internal and external environments in which they make eating and physical activity decisions.Results:Participants completed an average of 8,459 steps/day. Girls had an average Healthy Eating Index score of 37 (out of 100), with diets...
Measurement of Fluorescence Lifetimes

The fluorescence lifetime of a substance usually represents the average amount of time the molecule remains in the excited state prior to its return to the ground state. Lifetime measurements are frequently necessary in fluorescence spectroscopy. These data can reveal the frequency of collisional encounters with quenching agents (Chapter 9), the rate of energy transfer, and the rate of excited state reactions (Chapters 10 and 12). Moreover, calculation of rotational correlation times from fluorescence anisotropics requires knowledge of the fluorescence lifetime (Chapters 5 and 6). The precise nature of the fluorescence decay can reveal details about the interactions of the fluorophore with its environment. For example, multiple decay constants can be a result of a fluorophore being in several distinct environments, or a result of excited state processes. The measurement of fluorescence lifetimes is difficult because these values are typically near 10 nsec, necessitating the use of high-speed electronic devices and detectors. However, because of the importance of these data, a great deal of effort has been directed towards developing reliable means for measurement of fluorescence lifetimes. In this chapter we will discuss in detail the theory and practical aspects of lifetime measurements.
Discovering Decision Tree Based Diabetes Prediction Model

Data mining techniques have been extensively applied in bioinformatics to analyze biomedical data. In this paper, we choose the Rapid-I’s RapidMiner as our tool to discover decision tree based diabetes prediction model from a Pima Indians Diabetes Data Set, which collects the information of patients with and without developing diabetes. Following the data mining process, our discussion will focus on the data preprocessing, including attribute identification and selection, outlier removal, data normalization and numerical discretization, visual data analysis, hidden relationships discovery, and a diabetes prediction model construction.
"Should Women Be Amazons?": Reallocating Masculinity in German Postwar History and Hosenrolle

This study examines early 1950s West German Hosenrolle film to argue that negotiations around the rights to masculinity were critical in postwar reconstruction efforts. The cinematic sub-genre offe...
Heater integrated nanopatterned optical fiber-tip to realize a reusable gas sensor

We present the first heater integrated nanostructured optical fiber of 200 μm diameter to realize a high-sensitivity and reusable fiber-optic gas sensor. In our guided mode resonance-enabled fiber-optic gas sensor, resonance shifts upon the adsorption of the analytes on the graphene oxide (GO) coated sensor surface. For repeated use of this sensor, a regeneration of the sensor surface is required by a complete desorption of the analyte molecules from the GO layer. In our presented design, this has been achieved by the integration of a controllable heater at the fiber tip. The heater was fabricated by embedding a helical thin nichrome wire wrapped along a cylindrical rod into a precursor solution of polydimethylsiloxane, and subsequently removing the rod from the cured elastomer and leaving the helical wire inside the elastomer. Thus, a cylindrical cavity of length 16 mm and diameter 4 mm surrounded by the helical wire was formed that then contains the fiber-tip sensor. For the ethylene gas analyte, we demonstrated the reversibility of the heater integrated fiber-tip sensor, with a tunable recovery time. Owing to the rapid heat transfer from the helical wire to the encased fiber-tip sensor, the heater integrated fiber-tip sensor responds to heating in only about 2.5 min. The high resonance sensitivity of the nanopatterned fiber-tip to its surrounding refractive index, in conjunction with excellent repeatability through integrated heating for surface regeneration, enables a practical fiber-tip based remote sensing.
The submental arrowhead variation of the mylohyoid and anterior belly of the digastric muscles

Submental anatomical variation is of clinical importance with regard to head and neck surgeries. One such anatomical variation is that of additional musculature joining the intermediate tendon of the digastric muscle to the midline of the mylohyoid musculature—a variation which this report refers to, accordingly, as an arrowhead variation. Though the arrowhead variation has been described in several case reports, it has not been subject to cross-sectional study. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of the arrowhead variation. Prevalence of the arrowhead variation was assessed in 19 cadavers via gross dissection. Two of the 19 cadavers (10.5%) were found to have arrowhead variations. The arrowhead variation was found in one male (1:11; 9.1%) and one female (1:8; 12.5%), respectively. This report demonstrates that the submental arrowhead variation of the anterior digastric and mylohyoid musculature has been reported in isolated case reports since the nineteenth century. This report is the first cross-sectional study of the arrowhead variant, identifying it in approximately one in ten individuals and in both sexes. Therefore, the presence of an arrowhead variation should be regularly considered with regard to diagnosis of submental masses. Likewise, the arrowhead variation should be considered in the preoperative planning of the myriad operations performed in the submental region.
Targeting AKT for cancer therapy

Introduction: Targeted therapies in cancer aim to inhibit specific molecular targets responsible for enhanced tumor growth. AKT/PKB (protein kinase B) is a serine threonine kinase involved in several critical cellular pathways, including survival, proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Although phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) is the key regulator of AKT activation, numerous stimuli and kinases initiate pro-proliferative AKT signaling which results in the activation of AKT pathway to drive cellular growth and survival. Activating mutations and amplification of components of the AKT pathway are implicated in the pathogenesis of many cancers including breast and ovarian. Given its importance, AKT, it has been validated as a promising therapeutic target.Areas covered: This article summarizes AKT's biological function and different classes of AKT inhibitors as anticancer agents. We also explore the efficacy of AKT inhibitors as monotherapies and in combination with cytotoxic and other targeted therapies.Expert opinion: The complex mechanism following AKT inhibition requires the addition of other therapies to prevent resistance and improve clinical response. Further studies are necessary to determine additional rational combinations that can enhance efficacy of AKT inhibitors, potentially by targeting compensatory mechanisms, and/or enhancing apoptosis. The identification of biomarkers of response is essential for the development of successful therapeutics.
Entrepreneurial Quality & Startup Growth in India

This study extends and applies the methodology proposed by Guzman and Stern (2015) to estimate and map the quality of entrepreneurship in India, using government census data for 1,542,555 registered micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), spanning all 29 states in India. To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to quantify and characterize the quality of entrepreneurship in India based on cohort growth outcomes and firm characteristics at the time of registration. Methodologically, we define two types of growth outcomes: attaining a “public” corporation status within a set timeframe after founding (5-years, 10-years, 15-years), and achieving a set annual employee growth rate. We find that a small set of firm characteristics established at founding predicted long-run growth outcomes. Firms’ cluster status at founding predicted 58 percent higher probability of going “public” within 10 years, the original purchase value of assets predicted 62 percent higher probability of going public and 66 percent higher probability of employee growth, and urban location predicted 35 percent lower probability of going public and 33 percent lower probability of employee growth. Using these results, we then estimate entrepreneurial quality based on the Entrepreneurial Quality Index (EQI) and the Regional Entrepreneurship Cohort Potential Index (RECPI). We find that spatial patterns of high-growth entrepreneurship in India followed similar coastal effects and university-hub effects as those documented in the United States. We conclude with directions for future research.
An Experimental Test of Using Digital Media Literacy Education and Twitter to Promote Political Interest and Learning in American Politics Courses

Digital media affordances create interesting potential opportunities for educators to integrate these technologies into the classroom in an effort to achieve greater student success. While there ar...
Conflict Avoidance and Gender Gaps in Political Engagement

Why are women less likely to engage with politics as compared to men? I explore whether women avoid politics because of their lower levels of tolerance for conflict and disagreement. Men are more likely to say they enjoy a lively political argument, while women are more conflict avoidant. These differences in people’s orientations toward conflict are thought to contribute to gender gaps in political interest and engagement. I explore this using survey responses to a module of the 2016 Cooperative Congressional Election Study. I find that people’s positive reactions to conflict better explain the decision to engage in politics than negative reactions to disagreements. While women report higher levels of conflict avoidance than men, gender gaps in political engagement cannot be explained by women’s greater aversion to conflict. Instead, gender gaps are better understood as a product of men’s comparatively higher levels of enjoyment of arguments and disagreements.
Evidence-based best practice advice for patients treated with systemic immunosuppressants in relation to COVID-19

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant uncertainty among physicians and patients about the safety of immunosuppressive medications used for the management of dermatologic conditions. We review available data on commonly used immunosuppressants and their effect on viral infections beyond COVID-19. Notably, the effect of some immunosuppressants on viruses related to SARS-CoV2, including SARS and MERS, has been previously investigated. In the absence of data on the effect of immunosuppressants on COVID-19, these data could be used to make clinical decisions on initiation and continuation of immunosuppressive medications during this pandemic. In summary, we recommend considering the discontinuation of oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors and prednisone; considering the delay of rituximab infusion; and suggesting the careful continuation of cyclosporine, mycophenolate, azathioprine, methotrexate, and biologics in patients currently benefitting from such treatments.
Is the edTPA a portfolio assessment?: Applying academic language in teacher education

The appropriate use of academic language demonstrates a learner’s understanding of discipline specific—arts or education—knowledge. Educators are responsible for ensuring that learners acquire and ...
WHONDRS-GUI: a web application for global survey of surface water metabolites.

Background The Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems (WHONDRS) is a consortium that aims to understand complex hydrologic, biogeochemical, and microbial connections within river corridors experiencing perturbations such as dam operations, floods, and droughts. For one ongoing WHONDRS sampling campaign, surface water metabolite and microbiome samples are collected through a global survey to generate knowledge across diverse river corridors. Metabolomics analysis and a suite of geochemical analyses have been performed for collected samples through the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). The obtained knowledge and data package inform mechanistic and data-driven models to enhance predictions of outcomes of hydrologic perturbations and watershed function, one of the most critical components in model-data integration. To support efforts of the multi-domain integration and make the ever-growing data package more accessible for researchers across the world, a Shiny/R Graphical User Interface (GUI) called WHONDRS-GUI was created. Results The web application can be run on any modern web browser without any programming or operational system requirements, thus providing an open, well-structured, discoverable dataset for WHONDRS. Together with a context-aware dynamic user interface, the WHONDRS-GUI has functionality for searching, compiling, integrating, visualizing and exporting different data types that can easily be used by the community. The web application and data package are available at https://data.ess-dive.lbl.gov/view/doi:10.15485/1484811, which enables users to simultaneously obtain access to the data and code and to subsequently run the web app locally. The WHONDRS-GUI is also available for online use at Shiny Server (https://xmlin.shinyapps.io/whondrs/).
Abstract 16959: A Youthful Cardiomyocyte Phenotype Drives Enhanced Cardiac Recovery in Adult Spiny Mice

Introduction: Adult mammals, including humans, experience limited recovery following myocardial infarction (MI). Recently, our group has uncovered a unique ability for enhanced cardiac recovery in ...
Association of cell-free DNA dominant clone allele frequency with poor outcomes in advanced biliary cancers treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

4079Background: Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) holds significant promise and is being used for clinical decision making in multiple tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic valu...
Use of Lactulose to Treat Hyperammonemia in ICU Patients Without Chronic Liver Disease or Significant Hepatocellular Injury.

Objectives:To review ICU patients with elevated ammonia without a clear hepatic etiology, to compare outcomes between those who received lactulose and those who did not.Design:Retrospective observa...
Intraepithelial ILC1-like cells: Front-line fighters in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a heterogeneous population of tissue-associated lymphoid cells, particularly abundant in mucosal and barrier tissues, such as gut and skin, which survey their microenvironment by perceiving and rapidly responding to incoming cues. ILC heterogeneity is characterized by function, and while numerous soluble and cell-surface factors trigger ILC function, major subgroups among ILCs correspond to the cytokines they produce and can respond to. Major ILC subsets comprise ILC3s, ILC2s, and ILC1s, which are the corresponding counterpart of T helper 17 (Th17), Th2, and Th1/CD8 T cells, respectively (1, 2). Additional subsets in the literature correspond to specialized functions and ontogeny. ILCs are also characterized by a remarkable plasticity that allows them to adjust to evolving tissue stimuli and adapt to different tasks (2, 3). Therefore, intermediate ILC states exist in tissues, which harbor signatures of the different ILC major subgroups (4). ILCs have also been found in mouse and human tumors and their function and plasticity in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are now beginning to be elucidated (5, 6). ILC1s are a further heterogeneous group as they include conventional natural killer (NK) cells and noncytolytic helper ILC1s as well as intraepithelial ILC1s (1, 2). ILC1s are well defined in mouse models by ontogeny and phenotype as NK1.1+ CD127+ Eomes− Tbet+ cells (7, 8). However, in humans their nature, phenotype, and origin are still a matter of debate due to overlapping functional profiles and lack of similar well-defined ontogeny as in mice. In human peripheral blood, conventional NK cells have long been known to include CD56bright and CD56dim subsets, which specialize in cytokine production and cytotoxicity, respectively (9). In tissues and blood, helper noncytotoxic CD56− CD127+ ILC1s were initially identified (10), but their identity … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: mcella{at}wustl.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Systems Biology: Simulation of Dynamic Network States

Biophysical models have been used in biology for decades, but they have been limited in scope and size. In this book, Bernhard O. Palsson shows how network reconstructions that are based on genomic and bibliomic data, and take the form of established stoichiometric matrices, can be converted into dynamic models using metabolomic and fluxomic data. The Mass Action Stoichiometric Simulation (MASS) procedure can be used for any cellular process for which data is available and allows a scalable step-by-step approach to the practical construction of network models. Specifically, it can treat integrated processes that need explicit accounting of small molecules and protein, which allows simulation at the molecular level. The material has been class-tested by the author at both the undergraduate and graduate level. All computations in the text are available online in MATLAB® and Mathematica® workbooks, allowing hands-on practice with the material.
Supportive Tools and Techniques

Part II of this book covers the major prerequisites to HCI design and evaluation. Thus far it has included knowledge of each of the target user (Chapter 3), the target application (Chapter 4), the target computer (Chapter 5), how the user and computer can interact (Chapter 6), and ways of representing the HCI components and features by means of static or dynamic models (Chapter 7). This chapter considers a variety of software tools and techniques that have been developed for purposes of assisting in the tasks of interface design and development.
Individual Differences in Ambulatory Blood Pressure Patterns

The development of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring has provided the behavioral scientist with a methodology to identify and study factors responsible for individual differences in systolic (S) and diastolic (D) blood pressure (BP) in the natural environment. Although ABP monitoring does not give the investigator the control over experimental conditions offered by traditional laboratory testing, it does provide a means to study the individual as he or she responds to the physical and psychological demands that they normally encounter during the day. Furthermore, ABP monitoring provides a method to study the influence of these demands on systems that are important for the long-term regulation of BP, such as the renin-angiotensin system and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system.
Studies on human aortic bifurcation: Part 1. histo-architecture of the bifurcation

The re-examination of the histo-architecture of the human aortic bifurcation was mainly focused in this study on the structure of its divider and the medial walls of its daughter vessels, both being presumably exposed to a higher mechanical strain as compared with other parts of the bifurcation. The microscopic structure of the divider is characterized by an arch-like course of its musculo-elastic structural components which follow the crescent shape of the dividers rim. Accordingly, in the central part of the divider the musculo-elastic bundles show a nearly horizontal course. They arise in both extensions and become more and more longitudinally disposed. This arch-like arrangement of the musculo-elastic core of the divider has been interpreted as a structural accomodation to the frontal impact of the axial pulsative blood stream upon the dividers rim. The tension which results from this impact is probably transferred by the dividers extensions into the aortic wall above the divider and in this way may be evenly distributed over the aortic tube. The medial wall of the bifurcation is characterized, in infants, by cushion-like thickenings of the arterial wall. These thickenings probably represent specialized structures which cope with a higher shear stress of longitudinal tension. In the asymmetrical aortic bifurcation of infants who had a single umbilical artery the cushion was present at the medial wall of the larger part of the bifurcation only, i.e. at the side of the single umbilical artery. This underlines the significance of the higher functional load for the development of this additional structure at the medial wall. The predominantly longitudinal arrangement of the musculo-elastic medial elements along the medial wall of the bifurcation in adolescents and young adults points to a considerable longitudinal tension to which this part of the arterial tube may be exposed.
HEAVE AND LATERAL MOVEMENTS DUE TO PILE DRIVING

Vertical and lateral displacements of soil and driven piles occur during pile driving in certain types of soils. The occurrence of vertical heave often significantly adds to the cost of a pile foundation. The undetected occurrence of heave of piles and foundation soils can lead to ultimate failure of a pile foundation. A case history study of 13 pile foundations was undertaken. Mechanisms of soil and pile displacements are proposed and the effects of various factors on the displacement phenomena are analyzed. The principal factors which affect the mode and magnitude of soil and pile displacement are: (1) The characteristics of the soil into which the piles are driven; (2) the characteristics of the piles themselves; (3) the sequence of pile driving; and (4) the overall geometry of the pile foundation. An approximate method of prediction of the magnitude of soil and pile heave is presented.
Improving Caregivers' Perceptions Regarding Patient Goals of Care/End-of-Life Issues for the Multidisciplinary Critical Care Team.

Objective:With population aging and growth, use of critical care medicine at the end of life continues to rise, while many critical care providers are not adequately trained regarding goals of care...
The Moral Duties of Parenthood

Few moral obligations are more keenly felt or more energetically asserted than the duties of parents toward children. In part this is because of the intimacy of the relationship. If we treat those closest to us badly, how can we be expected to treat anyone well? In part it is because of children’s neediness and vulnerability. People depend on others throughout their lifespan, but after infancy one is never again in the position of both being utterly helpless and having a whole life to lose. The urgency of parental duty may also reflect cultural influences. We see around us countless ways in which lives can go terribly wrong. If there is any way for parents to immunize children against tragically flawed choices, it seems obvious that they have a duty to do so.
Using Mobile Devices to Support Formal, Informal and Semi-formal Learning

Mobile devices are ubiquitous. They are often invisible to accomplish our everyday tasks and learning goals. This chapter explains how individuals learn using mobile devices during their daily lives—within K-12 schools, higher education, and outside of educational institutions altogether—with specific attention to STEAM disciplines. First, brief definitions of mobile devices and mobile learning are presented, then types of learning, i.e. formal, informal, and semi-formal, are discussed. Next, seven categories describe how mobile devices have been used for teaching and learning with examples as appropriate from STEAM disciplines: (a) increasing access to student information and campus resources, (b) increasing interaction with learning contents, (c) creating representations of knowledge, (d) augmenting face-to-face instruction, (e) supporting performance and decision-making, (f) enabling personalized learning, and (g) deploying instruction. Finally, five implications for employing mobile devices for teaching and learning are discussed.
Lutein and β-carotene from lutein-containing yellow carrots are bioavailable in humans

BACKGROUND Lutein is a hydroxy-carotenoid constituting the macular pigment of the human retina. Increasing lutein intake from foods could increase the density of this pigment and decrease the risk of developing macular degeneration. Yellow carrots are a novel food source that could increase lutein consumption. OBJECTIVE We evaluated and compared lutein uptake and clearance in humans from genetically selected lutein-containing yellow carrots fed chronically and from a lutein supplement. DESIGN Four women and 5 men aged 23-28 y participated in this randomized, blinded, 3 x 3 crossover intervention. Treatments consisted of yellow carrots (YC treatment, 1.7 mg lutein/d), white carrots as a negative control (WC treatment, 0 mg lutein/d), and a lutein supplement in oil as a positive control (LS treatment, 1.7 mg lutein/d). Each treatment lasted 7 d and was followed by a 7-d washout period. RESULTS Mean (+/- SD) peak changes in serum lutein concentration from baseline were 0.31 +/- 0.08, 0.19 +/- 0.08, and -0.04 +/- 0.04 micromol/L for the LS, YC, and WC treatments, respectively. The areas under the curve for 0-14 d (AUC(0-14d)) differed significantly (P < 0.0001) between treatments. Lutein from the YC treatment was 65% as bioavailable as that from the LS treatment. The AUC(0-14d) for beta-carotene (-0.01 +/- 0.28 micromol.d/L) also showed that the YC treatment maintained peak serum beta-carotene concentrations at 0.35 +/- 0.30 micromol/L, whereas the LS treatment did not (AUC(0-14d) = -0.71 +/- 0.59 micromol.d/L). CONCLUSION Lutein from this novel food source significantly increases serum lutein concentrations and does not result in the decrease in beta-carotene concentrations that accompanies administration of lutein supplements.
Fluorination of 2-alkyl-substituted oxanes. The synthesis and purification of perfluoro(2-alkyl-substituted oxane)s

Abstract Five kinds of 2-alkyl-substituted oxanes like 2-ethyloxane, 2-n-propyloxane, 2-iso-propyloxane, 2-n-butyloxane and 2-n-amyloxane were fluorinated electrochemically to give the corresponding perfluoro(2-alkyloxane)s. The perfluoro(2-alkyloxane)s were obtained in good yields from these starting materials together with isomeric perfluoro(2-alkyloxolane)s, perfluoro(2-alkyl-5-methyloxolane)s and perfluoro(dialkyl ether)s. The purification of the perfluoro(2-alkyloxane)s which contained small amounts of isomeric perfluoro(2-alkyloxolane)s was successfully achieved by recovering the former unreacted after treating these mixture with anhydrous aluminum chloride at 150 /sR 160 °C during /sR 48 hrs in order to convert the latter into the easy-separable perfluoro(2,5,5- trichloro-2-alkyloxolane)s. Small quantities of new perfluoro(5,5-dichloroalkanoyl chloride)s were also among the chlorination products. The spectroscopic data as well as the physical properties of these new fluorination products, and perfluoro(2,5,5-trichloro-2-alkyloxolane)s and perfluoro(5,5-dichloroalkanoyl chloride)s are presented.
Service provisioning under a scheduled traffic model using light-trails in WDM optical networks

In this work, we study the problem of efficient service provisioning in light-trail WDM optical networks under a scheduled traffic model. In this model, a set of demands is given, and the setup time, teardown time, and the requested bandwidth of a demand are known in advance. When constructing light-trails to accommodate scheduled demands, we consider two cases: static light-trail case and dynamic light-trail case. In the static light-trail case, a light-trail will not be torn down once it is set up. In the dynamic light-trail case, a light-trail can be torn down when it is not used by any scheduled demand, so that the resources for that light-trail can be re-allocated for other light-trails. We present Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulations for this problem while considering the instantiation of static light-trails as well as dynamic light-trails to provision scheduled services. The optimization objective is to minimize the resources used in terms of the total wavelength-links used to accommodate a set of demands. Time efficient heuristic algorithms are then proposed for both cases. The solutions to the ILP formulations and the extensive simulation of the heuristic algorithms show that the use of dynamic light-trails significantly reduces the required resources to accommodate the same demand set. The resource reduction becomes more significant as the size of demand sets increases and the time correlation among demands becomes weaker. The heuristic algorithms for both cases are also shown to be very time efficient.
Effects of (-)-ephedrine on locomotion, feeding, and nucleus accumbens dopamine in rats.

The intent of the present study was to determine the effects of systemic injections of the sympathomimetic agent ephedrine (EPH) on extracellular dopamine (DA) levels within the rat nucleus accumbens (NAC) and to compare these effects with those of EPH on locomotion and on feeding. In experiment 1, adult male rats were prepared with an indwelling 3 mm microdialysis probe positioned within the NAC. The rats were injected (i.p.) with vehicle, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg (-)-EPH with dialysates collected every 20 min for 100 min after drug injection. Systemic injections of 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg (-)-EPH significantly enhanced extracellular levels of NAC DA over baseline by 79%, 130%, and 400%. Systemic injection of 20 mg/kg EPH significantly reduced NAC levels of DOPAC and HVA by 37% and 31%. The effects of EPH on brain dopamine activity were stereospecific given that an additional group of rats injected with 20 mg/kg (+)-EPH exhibited smaller changes in NAC DA (< 25%), DOPAC (< 10%), and HVA levels (< 20%) than did rats injected with 20 mg/kg (-)-EPH. In experiment 2, adult male rats were injected (i.p.) with 0, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg (-)-EPH prior to placement in automated activity chambers. Total distance traveled was significantly increased by 10 and 20 mg/kg (-)-EPH, but not by 5 mg/kg (-)-EPH. In experiment 3, adult male rats were injected (i.p.) with 0, 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg (-)-EPH or with 0, 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg (+)-EPH prior to a 30-min feeding test. Although each EPH enantiomer decreased feeding, (-)-EPH was more potent in feeding suppression than was (+)-EPH. The present results suggest that EPH may alter locomotion and feeding via an indirect action on brain dopamine activity.
The Social-Norm Espousal Scale

Abstract Social norms play an important role in a variety of important cognitive and behavioral processes. Although individuals differ in terms of the extent to which they believe in and value social norms, no research to date has identified a measure with which to assess such dispositional variability. The current research assessed the reliability and validity of the Social-Norm Espousal Scale (SNES). A total of six studies utilized 752 participants recruited from a college campus, from an Internet data-collection site, and from an interurban train station. Collectively, results demonstrate that the measure is internally reliable, predicts self-reported behavior, predicts impression formation, and correlates significantly yet modestly with a variety of conceptually related constructs. The SNES thus appears to be a reliable and valid tool with which to assess individual differences in the extent to which people believe in and value social norms.
Rotating-shield brachytherapy for cervical cancer

In this treatment planning study, the potential benefits of a rotating shield brachytherapy (RSBT) technique based on a partially-shielded electronic brachytherapy source were assessed for treating cervical cancer. Conventional intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT), intracavitary plus supplementary interstitial (IS+ICBT), and RSBT treatment plans for azimuthal emission angles of 180° (RSBT-180) and 45° (RSBT-45) were generated for five patients. For each patient, high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2) (α/β = 10 Gy) was escalated until bladder, rectum, or sigmoid colon tolerance EQD2 values were reached. External beam radiotherapy dose (1.8 Gy × 25) was accounted for, and brachytherapy was assumed to have been delivered in 5 fractions. IS+ICBT provided a greater HR-CTV D90 (minimum EQD2 to the hottest 90%) than ICBT. D90 was greater for RSBT-45 than IS+ICBT for all five patients, and greater for RSBT-180 than IS+ICBT for two patients. When the RSBT-45/180 plan with the lowest HR-CTV D90 that was greater than the D90 the ICBT or IS+ICBT plan was selected, the average (range) of D90 increases for RSBT over ICBT and IS+ICBT were 16.2 (6.3–27.2)and 8.5 (0.03–20.16) Gy, respectively. The average (range) treatment time increase per fraction of RSBT was 34.56 (3.68–70.41) min over ICBT and 34.59 (3.57–70.13) min over IS+ICBT. RSBT can increase D90 over ICBT and IS+ICBT without compromising organ-at-risk sparing. The D90 and treatment time improvements from RSBT depend on the patient and shield emission angle.
Polyfunctionalized macrocycles demonstrate enantioselective and ditopic binding properties

A pair of enantioselective, ditopic macrocycles is described; the receptors bind chiral ammonium cations in a manner that depends on the stereochemistry of the cation as well as the nature of its counter anion.
Discrimination-Related Stress Effects on the Development of Internalizing Symptoms Among Latino Adolescents

This three-wave longitudinal study of 173 Latino adolescents (M = 16.16 years, SD = 0.65) is designed to understand the role of discrimination-related stress in mental health trajectories during middle to late adolescence with attention to differences due to immigration status. The results of the growth curve analysis showed that anxious-depressed, withdrawn-depressed, and somatic complaints significantly decreased over time. Furthermore, although discrimination-related stress was found to be significantly related to the trajectories of three types of mental health symptoms, the results revealed that immigration status moderated these relations such that discrimination-related stress was significantly related to these outcomes for Latino youth whose parents were born in the United States, while this relation was not significant for Latino children of immigrants.
A simple method for making ion-selective microelectrodes suitable for intracellular recording in vertebrate cells

Abstract A simple procedure for manufacturing Cl − , K + , and pH liquid membrane ion-sensitive microelectrodes is presented in detail. Electrodes suitable for recording from the specimen of interest are back-filled with a small amount of silane solution and heated for 5 min on a hot plate at a temperature between 400 and 500°C, after which they are injected with the ion-sensitive resin. The procedure is adaptable to many different glass stocks, e.g., single-barreled, double-barreled, or theta glass, and can be used to produce electrodes having a wide range of tip sizes for recording either extracellular or intracellular ion activities. Another advantage of the method is speed; up to 10 electrodes can be prepared simultaneously, permitting over 40 functional electrodes to be made per hour.
Effect of various inhibitors on nuclear protein synthesis in rat liver.

During the past decade it has become clear that in cells of higher organisms most protein synthesis is mediated by polysomes occurring free in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum. There is ample evidence, however, that synthesis of proteins may also occur at other loci within the cell ; for example, in mitochondria (1-3), in chloroplasts (4-6), and in the nucleus (7-11) . Protein synthesis in both mitochondria and chloroplasts differs from that occurring elsewhere in the cytoplasm, resembling, rather, that of bacterial systems . Thus, ribosomes from mitochondrial and chloroplasts, like those of bacteria, are smaller than those from microsomal systems
Valuation of the Firm in the Presence of Temporary Book‐Tax Differences: The Role of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

This study uses an analytical model to investigate the value of the firm when there are temporary differences between when revenue and expense items are recognized for tax‐ and financial‐reporting purposes. The model shows that deferred tax assets and liabilities transform book values of underlying liabilities and assets into estimates of the after‐tax cash flows on which the firm's market value is based. The analysis shows that if tax deductions are taken on a cash basis, and if the underlying assets and liabilities are recorded at the present value of their associated future cash flows, then the value of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities is their recorded amount, regardless of when the asset will be realized or when the liability will reverse. If tax deductions are not taken when the expenditure is made (e.g., depreciation) or if underlying assets and liabilities are recorded at more than the present value of their associated future cash flows (e.g., warranty liabilities), then the market...
Mining search engine query logs for social filtering-based query recommendation

This paper presents a simple and intuitive method for mining search engine query logs for fast social filtering, where searchers are provided with dynamic query recommendations on a large-scale industrial-strength search engine. We adopt a dynamic approach that is able to absorb new and recent trends in web usage trends on search engines, while forgetting outdated trends, thus adapting to dynamic changes in web user's interests. In order to get well-rounded recommendations, we combine two methods: first, we model search engine users'sequential search behavior, and interpret this consecutive search behavior as client-side query refinement, that should form the basis for the search engine's own query refinement process. This query refinement process is exploited to learn useful information that helps generate related queries. Second, we combine this method with a traditional text or content based similarity method to compensate for the shortness of query sessions and sparsity of real query log data.
Fraud as economic terrorism: the efficacy of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Discusses Nigeria’s efforts, especially through its Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to meet the requirements of the global Financial Action Task Force on money laundering and other financial crimes; the paper updates an earlier one by A. C. Chukwuemerie. Reviews the related literature and outlines the magnitude of fraudulent activities in Nigeria. Describes the functional mechanisms for fighting fraud prior to the establishment of the EFCC, the functions and powers of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2002, its offences and penalties, asset and property forfeiture, and declaration of assets and properties. Cites anecdotal evidence of the Commission’s and other agencies’ crackdown on fraud, and makes recommendations for strengthening the code of honour through a fraud prevention programme.
Electromagnetic mass differences from an effective Lagrangian

An effective-Lagrangian model that gave finite lowest-order dynamical electromagnetic corrections to the masses of vector mesons is generalized to a chiral O(4) model, which includes A$sub 1$ mesons and pions. Aside from a PCAC (partial-conservation-of-axial-vector-current) ''tadpole'' term, the Lagrangian is chiral-O(4)-symmetric, but a term responsible for supplying a part of the A$sub 1$ mass is not gauge-symmetric. Both pion and A$sub 1$ mass differences contain logarithmically divergent terms, as in chiral current-algebra calculations. The soft-pion part of the pion mass difference is, however, 3.2 MeV, instead of 5.0 MeV as given by current-algebra and other effective- Lagrangian calculations. (AIP)
A fast time-domain finite element-boundary integral method for electromagnetic analysis

A time-domain, finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) method is presented for analyzing electromagnetic (EM) scattering from two-dimensional (2-D) inhomogeneous objects. The scheme's finite-element component expands transverse fields in terms of a pair of orthogonal vector basis functions and is coupled to its boundary integral component in such a way that the resultant finite element mass matrix is diagonal, and more importantly, the method delivers solutions that are free of spurious modes. The boundary integrals are computed using the multilevel plane-wave time-domain algorithm to enable the simulation of large-scale scattering phenomena. Numerical results demonstrate the capabilities and accuracy of the proposed hybrid scheme.
PET–CT: Evolving role in hadron therapy

Abstract Computer-assisted fused-image and/or single-machine-integrated PET–CT can show early tissue biochemical changes with improved anatomic resolution, often before there is any structural change. This approach enables the clinician to view and assess the patient’s body from a biochemical perspective. In an era of rapidly evolving 3D-conformal hadron treatment, accurate target delineation is a crucial factor in optimization of clinical results. Using PET–CT for better target delineation improves the ability to escalate tumor dose and to minimize dose to adjacent normal tissues, thereby enhancing the potential for improved efficacy of hadron therapy. This paper reviews some of the basic-science underpinnings of PET–CT, and highlights some important findings in the early clinical work thus far performed.
Inflation shoe leather costs and average inflation rates across countries

Abstract Cross-country differences in average inflation rates among 30 countries are well explained by differences in estimated “shoe leather” cost functions relating these costs to the inflation tax. The shoe leather costs are estimated by means of the standard Cagan, semi-log demand for real balances modified to take account of variations in reserve ratios and the effects of these variations on the demand for the monetary base. The results are consistent with optimization on the part of an efficient government theory but are not adequate to discriminate between efficient government models and many others for which shoe leather costs play at least a substantial role in policy-makers' decisions. The imposition of the semi-log form does not seem critical in arriving at these conclusions, although this form tends to produce more reasonable-looking Laffer surfaces than more flexible forms.