cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Personal Correlates of Organization Control

Summary An individual's perception of organizational control has important implications for organizational effectiveness. A preliminary model is presented which relates that perception to his or her (a) level in the organizational hierarchy, (b) feelings about work environment, (c) feelings about supervisor's competence, (d) belief in personal control, (e) feelings of access to the decision-making network, and (f) clarity of role requirements. The model is developed and cross-validated on questionnaire indices elicited from 464 male and female underwriters and managerial personnel in a large insurance company. Hierarchical level and feelings about the environment accounted for the largest amount of explained variance, although significant relationships were found even when controlling for hierarchical level.
Illness-induced hyperalgesia is mediated by a spinal NMDA-nitric oxide cascade

A variety of experimental manipulations produce enhanced pain responsivity. Recent work has demonstrated that activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the spinal cord can produce persistent enhancement of pain via production of nitric oxide and/or prostaglandins. To date, the behavioral paradigms used to study NMDA mediated hyperalgesia have all involved direct excitation of spinal cord dorsal horn neurons via activation of primary nociceptive afferents. The present series of experiments examined whether the NMDA cascade would also be activated by events that do not produce direct pain input to the spinal cord dorsal horn. The hyperalgesia-inducing paradigm used was intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which causes transient illness. Prior work has shown that LPS induces hyperalgesia via activation of hepatic vagal afferents to the brain, thereby activating a centrifugal pain facilitory circuit. The present study demonstrates that this centrifugal hyperalgesia is produced via activation of the NMDA-nitric oxide cascade at the level of the spinal cord.
Optical scattering by anodized aluminum oxide for light management in thin film photovoltaics

We investigate the optical scattering properties of self-assembled nanoporous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) films, and propose integrating AAO as a backscattering layer for light management in thin film photovoltaics. Angle selective scattering and direction of light to extreme, near-horizontal angles can enable new functionality for semitransparent PV window coatings, allowing improved absorption of direct sunlight without sacrificing transparency in the normal direction. Scattering to extreme angles can also be exploited to aid light trapping in thin epitaxial semiconductor absorbers, without texturing.
The coronary care unit and mortality from myocardial infarction: a continued evaluation.

To evaluate the influence of a coronary care unit (CCU) on mortality from myocardial infarction, a retrospective analysis of the data on 977 patients who had 1,014 episodes of infarction is presented. Comparisons of data for the year before establishment of the CCU with the data for the first year and the third year of CCU operation did not reveal any significant improvement in over-all hospital mortality figures. However, the mortality rate in CCU patients was lower than in non-CCU patients, and salvage after cardiac resuscitation was much higher in the CCU. Arrythmias were recognized more frequently and congestive failure was recognized earlier in the CCU.
Combustion of a Coal-Water Mixture in a Gas Turbine Combustor

An experimental program is under way to evaluate the atomization, combustion, turbine blading tolerance, and emissions for a coal-water mixture (CWM) fuel. Combustor and turbine components from an MS6001 commercial gas turbine are being utilized with modifications to accommodate the CWM characteristics. Raw coal is physically cleaned, or beneficiated, to achieve less than 1% ash; this cleaned coal is then treated to achieve acceptable viscosity and stability as a 50/50 mixture by weight with water.The preparations for combustion testing have been completed, and testing with CWM has begun. The goals of the test are to achieve combustion at 100% CWM and to prepare for subsequent ash deposition testing with a downstream turbine nozzle cascade sector. Modifications to operating procedures and physical geometry will be made, as necessary, to achieve acceptable component metal temperatures, pressure pulsation levels, and combustor exit spatial temperature variations.Copyright © 1985 by ASME
Mechanical harvesting of lesquerella

Abstract Field trials were conducted to determine the suitability of using conventional combines for commercial harvesting of lesquerella. Controlled trials for evaluating the effect of operating variables on performance were made along with representative commercial harvesting operations. The performance of the combines was considered acceptable, provided they were properly equipped and adjusted. Seed losses averaged less than 5%. Windrowing of lesquerella was found to be feasible, although additional trials should be conducted to evaluate overall suitability of this process. Commercial cleaning of the seed was found to be variable and poor, with recovered amounts ranging from a low of 5% to a high of 66%. These results indicate that alternative cleaning techniques should be investigated.
Quantitation of small intestinal permeability during normal human drug absorption

Understanding the quantitative relationship between a drug’s physical chemical properties and its rate of intestinal absorption (QSAR) is critical for selecting candidate drugs. Because of limited experimental human small intestinal permeability data, approximate surrogates such as the fraction absorbed or Caco-2 permeability are used, both of which have limitations. Given the blood concentration following an oral and intravenous dose, the time course of intestinal absorption in humans was determined by deconvolution and related to the intestinal permeability by the use of a new 3 parameter model function (“Averaged Model” (AM)). The theoretical validity of this AM model was evaluated by comparing it to the standard diffusion-convection model (DC). This analysis was applied to 90 drugs using previously published data. Only drugs that were administered in oral solution form to fasting subjects were considered so that the rate of gastric emptying was approximately known. All the calculations are carried out using the freely available routine PKQuest Java ( http://www.pkquest.com ) which has an easy to use, simple interface. Theoretically, the AM permeability provides an accurate estimate of the intestinal DC permeability for solutes whose absorption ranges from 1% to 99%. The experimental human AM permeabilities determined by deconvolution are similar to those determined by direct human jejunal perfusion. The small intestinal pH varies with position and the results are interpreted in terms of the pH dependent octanol partition. The permeability versus partition relations are presented separately for the uncharged, basic, acidic and charged solutes. The small uncharged solutes caffeine, acetaminophen and antipyrine have very high permeabilities (about 20 x 10-4 cm/sec) corresponding to an unstirred layer of only 45 μm. The weak acid aspirin also has a large AM permeability despite its low octanol partition at pH 7.4, suggesting that it is nearly completely absorbed in the first part of the intestine where the pH is about 5.4. The AM deconvolution method provides an accurate estimate of the human intestinal permeability. The results for these 90 drugs should provide a useful benchmark for evaluating QSAR models.
The construct of intent in interpersonal communication

This paper discusses three perspectives of intentionality—the encoder, decoder, and interactional—relevant to issues in interpersonal communication. Each perspective provides a different way of both conceptualizing and researching intentionality. The encoder perspective examines various ways in which intentionality manifests itself within human consciousness while the decoder perspective is primarily concerned with the way in which interactants attribute intentions to one another. Finally, the interactional perspective argues that intent manifests itself as part of a negotiated process between interactants and therefore encompasses both the individual encoder and decoder orientations.
Large-Eddy Simulations of the 26 November 1991 FIRE II Cirrus Case

Abstract Large-eddy simulations (LESs) were performed to study the dynamical, microphysical, and radiative processes in the 26 November 1991 FIRE II cirrus event. The LES model inherits the framework of the RAMS version 3b, developed at Colorado State University. It includes a new two-stream radiation model developed by Harrington and a new subgrid-scale model developed by Kosovic. The LES model successfully simulated a single thin cloud layer for LES-1 and a deep cloud structure for LES-2. The simulations demonstrated that latent heat release can play a significant role in the evolution of thick cirrus clouds. For the thin cirrus in LES-1, the latent heat release was insufficient for the cirrus clouds to become positively buoyant. However, in some special cases such as LES-2, positively buoyant cells can be embedded within the cirrus layers. The updrafts from these cells induced its own pressure perturbations that affected the cloud evolution. Vertical profiles of the total radiative and latent heating r...
Effects of power, status and class on “who gets what” income

This article’s indented contribution is to provide novel theoretical insights and empirical observations on “who gets what” in the way of incomes, including wages. The article challenges the conventional wisdom about stratification, especially power and status, as an outcome or function of economic distribution. It posits that income distribution is conditional on pre‐existing social stratification expressed in antecedent differences in class, power, status and related factors.
Pupillary Responses in Recognizing Awareness in Persons with Profound Mental Retardation

Pupil-size changes have been shown to indicate positive or negative reactions to several sensory and psychologic stimuli in normal persons. Whether this could be extended to mentally retarded patients who lack ability for verbal or motor behavior was tested by pupillary responses to several visual, tactile, and auditory stimuli. 24 institutionalized severely and profoundly retarded patients were examined by video camera in their usual environments rather than in a controlled laboratory setting. The videotapes were later projected onto a screen for pupil-size measurements. Pupils dilated with pleasant stimuli, including visualizing a familiar person, soft touch to the arm, music, and soft compliments. There was constriction with presenting an unfamiliar person, rough grasp of the arm, and abrasive noise and harsh commands. The findings demonstrate the existence of pupil reactivity in profoundly retarded persons and suggest such testing as a means of determining which elements of their environment are pleasing or aversive to them.
Nontemporal measures of performance on a computerized block design task

A computerized block design task was developed which records temporal and nontemporal measures of performance. This study evaluates the reliability of the measures and reports their intercorrelations. With one exception, the measures showed moderate to good reliability. The results indicate that increasing the difficulty of the task and testing a more diverse sample may be necessary for improved reliability. A nontemporal method of scoring a block-design task would be useful when testing persons who have handicaps affecting motor skills, but no central nervous system deficits.
A method for increasing the sensitivity of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays in extracts of transfected cultured cells

Transfection of several cell lines (HeLa, COS, PC-12, CA-77, and H4IIE C3) with pRSV-CAT by a variety of methods yielded rather low chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity in cell extracts. Extracts of these cells were found to interfere with the assay of added CAT. The extracts were capable of deacetylating acetylchloramphenicol and of accelerating the rate of hydrolysis of the acetyl-CoA present in the assay. Heating the cell extract to 60 degrees C for 10 min completely prevented the interference and slowed the hydrolysis of acetyl-CoA. Substantially higher CAT activities were observed when the extract was heat treated in the presence of EDTA prior to enzyme assay for most cell lines tested. This simple reliable method makes possible the accurate assessment of CAT activities in different cell lines. These observations are particularly pertinent to investigators studying tissue-specific gene expression.
Automated task distribution in multicore network processors using statistical analysis

Chip multiprocessor designs are the most common types of architectures seen in Network Processors. As the Network Processors are used to implement increasingly complicated applications, task distribution among the cores is becoming an important problem. In this paper, we propose a new task allocation scheme for such architectures. This scheme relies on the inherent modular nature of the networking applications and intelligently distributes modules among different execution cores. Additionally, we selectively replicate modules to parallelize execution of tasks having longer processing time. We have developed a technique that uses the probability distribution of the execution times of different modules in the networking applications. The proposed schemes result in resource utilization of up to 95%, 89%, and 84% on average for the processors with 2, 4, and 8 cores, respectively. The schemes are highly scalable and can improve the throughput by 6.72 times for 8 core processors, aggregated over four representative applications. The combination of selective replication of modules and variation-aware task allocation result in up to 12.5% (9.9% on average) performance improvement as compared to a scheme based on just mean processing time.
Classroom Learning Environment Differences between Resilient, Average, and Nonresilient Middle School Students in Reading.

The lack of achievement of students from high-risk and high-poverty environments necessitates changes in today’s middle school environments to create a caring, supportive environment where all midd...
Optical performance of the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR)

This paper presents the initial on-orbit performance of the corrective optics space telescope axial replacement or COSTAR. At this time the FOC and FOS channels are aligned and the data analyzed. The GHRS is aligned and initial results are presented. The installation and checkout of the COSTAR into the HST was flawless. The optical performance should enable the science lost to spherical aberration of the HST's primary mirror to be fully recovered.
Aerobic Dive Limit Does not Decline in an Aging Pinniped

Apneustic hunters such as diving mammals exploit body oxygen stores while submerged; therefore, any decline in oxygen handling at advanced life stages could critically impair foraging ability. We calculated the aerobic dive limit (cADL = 17.9 ± 4.4 min SD) from blood and muscle oxygen stores and published metabolic rates of Weddell seals within (9–16 years, n = 24) and beyond peak-reproductive age (17–27 years, n = 26), to investigate (1) senescent constraints in apneustic hunting, and (2) whether mass or age primarily determines oxygen stores and ADL in older seals. We compared cADL with behavioral ADL from 5,275 free-ranging dives (bADL = 24.0 ± 5.3 min, n = 18 females). We observed no changes in Weddell seal oxygen stores, its determinants, or in ADLs late in life. Oxygen stores were better predicted by mass than age, consistent with published findings for young adults. Hematological panels (n = 6) were consistent across mass and age, though hematocrit (females>males, 6% elevation) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (females<males, 8% reduction) varied by sex. Whole blood viscosity was decreased with increasing mass in females and was higher than in males overall (+18%). This was largely due to elevated hematocrit in females, although plasma viscosity also varied under some conditions. Females had higher blood volume and elevated blood oxygen stores (vol% body mass), which did not translate into significantly higher cADL (18.1 vs. 17.1 min for males). Neither cADL nor bADL were mass- or age-dependent. J. Exp. Zool. 315:544–552, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bias of estimator of change point detected by a CUSUM procedure

For independent observations from a standard one-parameter exponential family, the estimator of change point after being detected by a CUSUM procedure is defined as the last zero point of the CUSUM process before the alarm time. By assuming that the change occurs far away from beginning and the control limit is large, an explicit form for the bias of estimator is derived conditioning on the change being detected. By further assuming that the change magnitude and its reference value approach zero at the same order, the local second order expansion of the bias is obtained for numerical evaluation. It is found that, surprisingly, even in the normal distribution case, the bias is non-zero when the change magnitude equals to its reference value, in contrast to the continuous time analog and the fixed sample size case. Numerical results show that the approximations are quite satisfactory.
Iron-oxidation-state-dependent O-O bond cleavage of meta-chloroperbenzoic acid to form an iron(IV)-oxo complex.

Abstract The mechanism of formation of [FeIV(O)(N4Py)]2+ (2, N4Py = N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine) from the reaction of [FeII(N4Py)(CH3CN)]2+ (1) with m-chloroperbenzoic acid (mCPBA) in CH2Cl2 at −30 °C has been studied on the basis of the visible spectral changes observed and the reaction stoichiometry. It is shown that the conversion of 1 to 2 in 90% yield requires 1.5 equiv. peracid and takes place in two successive one-electron steps via an [FeIII(N4Py)OH]2+(3) intermediate. The first oxidation step uses 0.5 equiv. peracid and produces 0.5 equiv. 3-chlorobenzoic acid, while the second step uses 1 equiv. peracid and affords byproducts derived from chlorophenyl radical. We conclude that the FeII(N4Py) center promotes O–O bond heterolysis, while the FeIII(N4Py) center favors O–O bond homolysis, so the nature of O–O bond cleavage is dependent on the iron oxidation state.
Partial-genome evaluation of postweaning feed intake and efficiency of crossbred beef cattle.

The effects of individual SNP and the variation explained by sets of SNP associated with DMI, metabolic midtest BW, BW gain, and feed efficiency, expressed as phenotypic and genetic residual feed intake, were estimated from BW and the individual feed intake of 1,159 steers on dry lot offered a 3.0 Mcal/kg ration for at least 119 d before slaughter. Parents of these F 1 × F 1 (F 2 1 ) steers were AI-sired F 1 progeny of Angus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Red Angus, and Simmental bulls mated to US Meat Animal Research Center Angus, Hereford, and MARC III composite females. Steers were genotyped with the BovineSNP50 BeadChip assay (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA). Effects of 44,163 SNP having minor allele frequencies >0.05 in the F 2 1 generation were estimated with a mixed model that included genotype, breed composition, heterosis, age of dam, and slaughter date contemporary groups as fixed effects, and a random additive genetic effect with recorded pedigree relationships among animals. Variance in this population attributable to sets of SNP was estimated with models that partitioned the additive genetic effect into a poly-genic component attributable to pedigree relationships and a genotypic component attributable to genotypic relationships. The sets of SNP evaluated were the full set of 44,163 SNP and subsets containing 6 to 40,000 SNP selected according to association with phenotype. Ninety SNP were strongly associated (P < 0.0001) with at least 1 efficiency or component trait; these 90 accounted for 28 to 46% of the total additive genetic variance of each trait. Trait-specific sets containing 96 SNP having the strongest associations with each trait explained 50 to 87% of additive variance for that trait. Expected accuracy of steer breeding values predicted with pedigree and genotypic relationships exceeded the accuracy of their sires predicted without genotypic information, although gains in accuracy were not sufficient to encourage that performance testing be replaced by genotyping and genomic evaluations.
Sorafenib in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: molecular basis and potential role.

17 ISSN 1479-6694 10.2217/FON.13.212 © 2014 Future Medicine Ltd Future Oncol. (2014) 10(1), 17–20 With a worldwide incidence of 263,900 cases and 128,000 deaths from oral cavity and lip cancer in 2008, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is one of the most common cancers and a major cause of cancer-related deaths [1]. SCCHN comprises a wide spectrum of neoplasms, such as cancers of the lip, oral cavity, larynx, pharynx and paranasal sinuses. National and international reports on cancer statistics on oral cavity and lip cancer, which often do not account for these other cancers, are therefore, likely to underestimate the magnitude of problems associated with SCCHN. Consistent with the high incidence of the disease, the economic consequence of managing SCCHN is also enormous; in the USA, the annual total direct and indirect cost of SCCHN is estimated to be approximately US$2 billion (2001 value) [2]. In the USA, cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx presents with localized disease in 32% cases, whereas it is 47 and 16% present with regional and distant metastasis, respectively. The corresponding 5-year survivals for localized,
Stability of the collagen phenotype and decreased collagen production in serial subcultures of rabbit corneal endothelial cells.

The effect of serial subculture upon collagen biosynthesis by rabbit corneal endothelial cells has been studied to determine if the collagen phenotype is stable. Nearly confluent first through fourth endothelial cell cultures were labeled for 48 hr with [3H]proline and newly synthesized radioactive collagens were treated with pepsin and purified by neutral and acid salt precipitation. Cellular production of collagen (c/min/μg DNA) was greatest in primary cultures and decreased with subsequent passage. No differences were observed in the distribution of radioactive peptides separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. This suggests that the collagen phenotype is qualitatively stable during the first four serial cultures. The [3H]proline content and the electrophoretic patterns of these collagens clearly distinguish them from those produced by fetal rabbit fibroblasts (i.e. type I and III). In summary, the progeny of rabbit corneal endothelial cells produced decreased amounts of qualitatively similar type(s) of collagen synthesized by their parent primary cultures.
Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase, encoded by FA2H, accounts for differentiation-associated increase in 2-OH ceramides during keratinocyte differentiation.

Ceramides in mammalian stratum corneum comprise a heterogeneous mixture of molecular species that subserve the epidermal permeability barrier, an essential function for survival in a terrestrial environment. In addition to a variation of sphingol species, hydroxylation of the amide-linked fatty acids contributes to the diversity of epidermal ceramides. Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase, encoded by the gene FA2H, the mammalian homologue of FAH1 in yeast, catalyzes the synthesis of 2-hydroxy fatty acid-containing sphingolipids. We assessed here whether FA2H accounts for 2-hydroxyceramide/2-hydroxyglucosylceramide synthesis in epidermis. Reverse transcription-PCR and Western immunoblots demonstrated that FA2H is expressed in cultured human keratinocytes and human epidermis, with FA2H expression and fatty acid 2-hydroxylase activity increased with differentiation. FA2H-siRNA suppressed 2-hydroxylase activity and decreased 2-hydroxyceramide/2-hydroxyglucosylceramide levels, demonstrating that FA2H accounts for synthesis of these sphingolipids in keratinocytes. Whereas FA2H expression and 2-hydroxy free fatty acid production increased early in keratinocyte differentiation, production of 2-hydroxyceramides/2-hydroxyglucosylceramides with longer chain amide-linked fatty acids (≥C24) increased later. Keratinocytes transduced with FA2H-siRNA contained abnormal epidermal lamellar bodies and did not form the normal extracellular lamellar membranes required for the epidermal permeability barrier. These results reveal that 1) differentiation-dependent up-regulation of ceramide synthesis and fatty acid elongation is accompanied by up-regulation of FA2H; 2) 2-hydroxylation of fatty acid by FA2H occurs prior to generation of ceramides/glucosylceramides; and 3) 2-hydroxyceramides/2-hydroxyglucosylceramides are required for epidermal lamellar membrane formation. Thus, late differentiation-linked increases in FA2H expression are essential for epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis.
Complexity Theory and Design Automation

Complexity Theory is discussed and its relationship to Physical Design (i.e. Placement/Wiring) and Test Pattern Generation is shown and developed.
The Structural Bases of Address and Reference in a Bounded Setting

(1969). The Structural Bases of Address and Reference in a Bounded Setting. The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 242-258.
STUDIES RELATING TO TIME OF HUMAN OVULATION

It is a well-known clinical fact that, in the absence of any contraceptive measures, some women will become pregnant during their period of lactation, whereas other will not. This has led to the conclusion that ovulation occurs in the former group but not in the latter. A review of literature failed to reveal any statistics on the frequency of ovulation in lactating women. A preliminary report on the frequency of ovulation in lactating women was rendered by us in a previous communication (1). This paper presents some additional data, both in the form of new cases and further information on those previously reported. A subsequent report will consider the frequency of ovulation in lactating women during complete amenorrhea. A group of patients from the postpartum clinic of the Sloane Hospital were chosen. Each patient was nursing regularly but still having regular periods of catamenia. Endometrial biopsies were taken at 4-week intervals by means of a modified Klingler and Burch (2) suction curette (3). On t...
Probing cellular traction forces with magnetic nanowires and microfabricated force sensor arrays

In this paper, the use of magnetic nanowires for the study of cellular response to force is demonstrated. High-aspect ratio Ni rods with diameter 300 nm and lengths up to 20 m were bound to or internalized by pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (SMCs) cultured on arrays of flexible micropost force sensors. Forces and torques were applied to the cells by driving the nanowires with AC magnetic fields in the frequency range 0.1‐10 Hz, and the changes in cellular contractile forces were recorded with the microposts. These local stimulations yield global force reinforcement of the cells’ traction forces, but this contractile reinforcement can be effectively suppressed upon addition of a calcium channel blocker, ruthenium red, suggesting the role of calcium channels in the mechanical response. The responsiveness of the SMCs to actuation depends on the frequency of the applied stimulation. These results show that the combination of magnetic nanoparticles and micropatterned, flexible substrates can provide new approaches to the study of cellular mechanotransduction. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)
Effect of ibuprofen and acetaminophen on postexercise muscle protein synthesis

We examined the effect of two commonly consumed over-the-counter analgesics, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, on muscle protein synthesis and soreness after high-intensity eccentric resistance exercise...
A Nation in Pain: Why the Hiv/Aids Epidemic is Out of Control in Zimbabwe:

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people living with HIV and the number who have died of AIDS-related diseases in Zimbabwe since the early 1990s. This increase has caused shock waves and panic in Zimbabwe and in the entire southern African region. Understanding the factors that have given rise to and sustained patterns of sexual behavior that allow HIV to be transmitted easily and quickly among the general populace is of paramount importance if HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns are to be better formulated and to be effective in this part of sub-Saharan Africa. This article makes a contribution to those studies that seek to examine socioeconomic, cultural, political, and psychological factors determining high-risk sexual behaviors leading to heterosexual HIV infection in the African context. The author contends that the focus of HIV/AIDS prevention programs should be on a myriad of socioeconomic, cultural, political, and behavioral factors instead of just on women and prostitutes--groups that have the least negotiating power within the context of sex and reproduction in a patriarchal society such as Zimbabwe. The author also points out many important areas that have been omitted in the study of HIV transmission and AIDS in Africa.
FM-test: A Fuzzy Set Theory Based Approach for Discovering Diabetes Genes

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism that has affected 18.2 million people in the United States. In recent years, researchers have identified many genes that play important roles in the onset, development and progression of diabetes. Identification of these diabetes genes offers better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis, which is essential for developing preventative and therapeutic methods. In this paper, we propose an innovative approach, fuzzy membership test (FM-test), based on fuzzy set theory to identify diabetes associated genes from microarray gene expression profiles. A new concept of FM d-value is defined to quantify the divergence of two sets of values. Experiments were conducted to study the distribution of d-values and the relationship between the d-value and the significance level of p-value. We applied FM-test to a gene expression dataset obtained from insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant people and identified ten significant genes. Six of the ten have been confirmed to be associated with diabetes in the literature and one has been suggested by other researchers. The remaining three genes, D85181, m95610, AND U06452, are suggested as potential diabetes genes for further biological investigation.
Pharmacokinetics of Intra-arterial Delivery of Tacrolimus to Vascularly Isolated Rabbit Forelimb

A vascularly isolated rabbit forelimb model simulating conditions of composite tissue allografting was used to determine the regional pharmacokinetic advantage achievable in extremity tissue components during i.a. tacrolimus (FK506) administration. FK506 was infused continuously via osmotic minipump into the right brachial artery of New Zealand rabbits at 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg/day. On day 6, FK506 concentrations were measured in aortic whole blood, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, and fat, as well as in skin, muscle, bone, and bone marrow samples from both right and left forelimbs. The relative tissue concentrations of FK506 in descending order were [spleen approximately lung approximately kidney] > [heart approximately skin approximately muscle] > [fat approximately bone marrow] > [liver approximately bone approximately blood]. In marked contrast to previous results with i.a. cyclosporin A infusion, only a minimal regional advantage of local FK506 delivery (mean right/left concentration ratios 1.0-1.4) was obtained in all forearm tissues over the dose range studied. For each limb tissue, left-sided FK506 concentrations significantly correlated with systemic blood levels, and the left-sided tissue-to-whole-blood concentration ratio did not vary significantly with dose. We conclude that FK506 is pharmacokinetically inferior to cyclosporin A for continuous i.a. administration to the vascularly isolated rabbit forelimb, and hypothesize that this difference is the result of differences in the distribution of each drug within whole blood. Our findings suggest that, despite its demonstrated efficacy in experimental and clinical transplantation, FK506 would not be an appropriate immunosuppressant to deliver via the i.a. route for prevention of limb allograft rejection.
Curcumin ameliorates ethanol and nonethanol experimental pancreatitis

Treatments for pancreatitis are limited. Activation of transcription factor NF-κB, a key regulator of inflammatory molecule expression, is an early event in experimental pancreatitis and correlates...
A theory of aspects

This paper define the semantics of MinAML, an idealized aspect-oriented programming language, by giving a type-directed translation from its user-friendly external language to its compact, well-defined core language. We argue that our framework is an effective way to give semantics to aspect-oriented programming languages in general because the translation eliminates shallow syntactic differences between related constructs and permits definition of a clean, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-reason-about core language.The core language extends the simply-typed lambda calculus with two central new abstractions: explicitly labeled program points and first-class advice. The labels serve both to trigger advice and to mark continuations that the advice may return to. These constructs are defined orthogonally to the other features of the language and we show that our abstractions can be used in both functional and object-oriented contexts. The labels are well-scoped and the language as a whole is well-typed. Consequently, programmers can use lexical scoping in the standard way to prevent aspects from interfering with local program invariants.
Data Collapse and Viscosity in Three-Dimensional Magnetic Hysteresis Modeling

Magnetic viscosity and data collapse phenomena in anisotropic magnetic systems are investigated by using the Monte Carlo technique. The definition of the viscosity coefficient, which has been traditionally used to model aftereffect phenomena in scalar magnetic systems, is generalized in order to describe 3-D magnetic systems, where both the direction and the magnitude of the magnetization vector can change in time. Using this generalization of the vector viscosity coefficient, we have analyzed data collapse phenomena in vectorial magnetization processes. It was found that the traditional belled shaped curves of the scalar viscosity coefficient as a function of the applied field can have one or more maxima in the case of vectorial systems. The data collapse phenomena seem to apply to simple magnetization processes (such as first-order rotational reversal curves); however, it cannot be generalized to more complex magnetization processes because of the relatively complicated magnetization dynamics.
Stochastic analysis for the description and synthesis of predator-prey systems.

In this paper, a stochastic analysis approach for predator–prey systems modeling is developed. The states of the system are assumed to have a natural probabilistic variation. Elements of queueing theory are used to describe these variations and to obtain both the transient and steady-state results for the system. The predator is considered analogous to a service facility and the prey as customers to be served. The Holling disk equation and mantid–fly experiments are analyzed by this approach. The method provides a framework for a straightforward synthesis of the system components and is readily generalized for multiple predator systems. Furthermore, hunger and other behavioral aspects can be easily incorporated into the mathematical analysis.
Emergence of targeted immune therapies for systemic lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypical autoimmune disease, characterised by flares of rampant inflammation that can threaten, in an unpredictable manner, almost any organ in the body. Current standard of care is largely empiric, involving the use of corticosteroids and toxic immune suppressive agents that are widely acknowledged to have unacceptable side effects for long-term use. Recently, there have been significant advances in understanding the nature of some fundamental immune imbalances underlying the complicated clinical manifestations of SLE. Nevertheless attempts to develop and test more targeted, and potentially safer immune-modulating drugs for lupus have encountered significant obstacles, due to the lack of validated biological markers for disease flare and remission, and difficulties in the clinical assessment of the heterogeneous patients. In support of renewed interest in drug development for lupus, large collaborative groups have formed, and efforts are underway to develop objective biomarkers for SLE as well as to improve the standardisation and reproducibility of clinical outcome measures in multi-centre trials.
L2 French Learners' Processing of Object Clitics: Data from the Classroom

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the well-documented paucity of object clitics in L2 French production reflects difficulties learners have comprehending these forms in classroom input. To this end, an aural French-English translation task was used to determine the extent to which university-level L2 learners of French (N=152) were able to process and encode the meaning of the object clitics me, te, la, l’, les, lui, leur, y and en. An analysis of the translations revealed variation in performance across clitic types (19-75% accuracy) and as a function of learners’ proficiency level and educational background. There was a positive relationship between L2 proficiency and clitic processing. Post-French immersion learners were better able to process and encode clitics than their post-core French peers. As a group, the learners were only 54% accurate, with their mistranslations of object clitics indicating incomplete use of gender, number, animacy and case markings to link these forms to their co-referents. An under-reliance on animacy and agreement cues by these L2 learners suggests the need for explicit instruction on the importance of syntactic and discourse-pragmatic information in clitic comprehension.
An object-oriented approach to managerial problem modeling

The problem of representing a manager's general problem environment is addressed. A traditional funds flow model embedded in an objected-oriented programming environment is suggested as a potentially robust approach to modeling the managerial problem domain. Methods from qualitative causal modeling and structural modeling are incorporated. The resulting design appears to have attractive properties, including focused hypothesis generation and the ability to derive behavior from structure. >
Poliovirus RNA polymerase mutation 3D-M394T results in a temperature-sensitive defect in RNA synthesis.

Abstract Mutant ts10 is an RNA-negative temperature-sensitive mutant of Mahoney type 1 poliovirus. Mutant ts10 3Dpolwas purified from infected cells and was shown to be rapidly heat-inactivated at 45° when compared to wild-type polymerase. Sequencing of mutant ts10 genomic RNA revealed a U to C transition at nt 7167 resulting in an amino acid change of methionine 394 of 3Dpolto threonine. The 3D-M394T mutation was engineered into a wild-type infectious clone of poliovirus type 1. The resultant mutant virus, 3D-105, had a temperature-sensitive phenotype in plaque assays. The translation and replication of wild-type, ts10, and 3D-105 virion RNAs were all characterized in HeLa S10 translation-RNA replication reactionsin vitro.The optimum temperatures for the replication of the wild-type and mutant viral RNAs in the HeLa S10 translation-replication reactions were 37 and 34°, respectively. To characterize the temperature-sensitive defect in the replication of the mutant RNA, we used preinitiation RNA replication complexes which were formed in HeLa S10in vitroreactions containing guanidine HCl. Negative-strand RNA synthesis in 3D-M394T mutant preinitiation replication complexes was normal at 34° but was rapidly and irreversibly inhibited at 39.5°. To differentiate between the initiation and elongation steps in RNA replication, we compared the elongation rates in mutant and wild-type replication complexes at 39.5°. The results showed that the elongation rates for nascent negative strands in both the mutant and wild-type replication complexes were identical. Therefore, the results indicate that the heat-sensitive step in negative-strand synthesis exhibited by the 3D-M394T replication complexes is in the initiation of RNA synthesis and not in the elongation of nascent chains.
Using foresight in safe nursing care.

Aim This paper describes the importance of prospective risk analysis in healthcare, the development of the foresight training package and its underlying theory. Background Many high-reliability industries formally train staff in prospective risk analysis. Although there are tools to retrospectively analyse incidents in healthcare and although many staff are error aware there is no training to formalize this learning. Key issues Staff already use error awareness and often intervene to prevent patient harm resulting in many ‘no harm’ incidents. The National Patient Safety Agency has developed the foresight training package to broaden healthcare professionals’ understanding of the many factors that can combine to contribute to an incident occurring, and to encourage shared learning. For management teams, this broader understanding will assist them in prospective risk assessment of the staff they manage enabling them to be proactive in minimizing risk. The training tool is based on Reason’s ‘three bucket’ model. Evaluation Throughout every stage in the development of the foresight training package the concept and materials were tested with front-line staff. Formal evaluation of the published package is due to be completed by May 2009.
Modulation of growth hormone receptor abundance and function: roles for the ubiquitin–proteasome system

Growth hormone plays an important role in regulating numerous functions in vertebrates. Several pathways that negatively regulate the magnitude and duration of its signaling (including expression of tyrosine phosphatases, SOCS and PIAS proteins) are shared between signaling induced by growth hormone itself and by other cytokines. Here we overview downregulation of the growth hormone receptor as the most specific and potent mechanism of restricting cellular responses to growth hormone and analyze the role of several proteolytic systems and, specifically, ubiquitin-dependent pathways in this regulation.
Tillage, seeding and fertilizer application technologies

Tillage, seeding and fertilizing implements for rainfed cereal production with a winter precipitation pattern have unique functional requirements. In designing and developing implements for these systems, soil and water conservation principles are critical and must be integrated into the total production system. Plant diseases, insects, weeds, environmental degradation, crop yield, crop quality and economics all may be influenced by tillage, seeding and fe rtilizing implements. Advances have been made in implements f or improved residue management, stand establishment and crop fertilization that leave more crop residue on the surface for soil and water conservation. However, they alter the seed and root zones, often resulting in uncontrolled pests, reduced yields, or increased production costs. Research is needed to integrate production implements into ecosystem management through automatic control systems for improved tillage, se eding and fertilizing. These systems should include field history mapping, real-time soil sens ors, and models to link data bases with equipment functions.
A mouse model of prenatal ethanol exposure using a voluntary drinking paradigm.

Background: The incidence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is estimated to be as high as 1 in 100 births. Efforts to better understand the basis of prenatal ethanol-induced impairments in brain functioning, and the mechanisms by which ethanol produces these defects, will rely on the use of animal models of fetal alcohol exposure (FAE). Methods: Using a saccharin-sweetened alcohol solution, we developed a free-choice, moderate alcohol access model of prenatal alcohol exposure. Stable drinking of a saccharin solution (0.066%) was established in female mice. Ethanol then was added to the saccharin in increasing concentrations (2%, 5%, 10% w/v) every 2 days. Water was always available, and mice consumed standard pellet chow. Control mice drank saccharin solution without ethanol. After a stable baseline of ethanol consumption (14 g/kg/day) was obtained, females were impregnated. Ethanol consumption continued throughout pregnancy and then was decreased to 0% in a step-wise fashion over a period of 6 days after pups were delivered. Characterization of the model included measurements of maternal drinking patterns, blood alcohol levels, food consumption, litter size, pup weight, pup retrieval times for the dams, and effects of FAE on performance in fear-conditioned learning and novelty exploration. Results: Maternal food consumption, maternal care, and litter size and number were all found to be similar for the alcohol-exposed and saccharin control animals. FAE did not alter locomotor activity in an open field but did increase the time spent inspecting a novel object introduced into the open field. FAE mice displayed reduced contextual fear when trained using a delay fear conditioning procedure. Conclusions: The mouse model should be a useful tool in testing hypotheses about the neural mechanisms underlying the learning deficits present in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Moreover, a mouse prenatal ethanol model should increase the opportunity to use the power of genetically defined and genetically altered mouse populations.
A point mutation in the zinc finger motif of RID1/EHD2/OsID1 protein leads to outstanding yield-related traits in japonica rice variety Wuyunjing 7.

Background Flowering time, which is often associated with the length of the growth period in rice, determines the adaptability of a plant to various environments. However, little is known about how flowering-time genes affect panicle development and yield formation potential in rice after inducing the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth.
Toward Multi-organs Simulations of Immune-Pathogen Interactions

Computer simulations play an increasingly important role in bio-medical research by allowing cheap verification of conjectures and exploration of ideas. The IMMUNOGRID project, among other things, has contributed to the development of computer models for the simulation of different human pathologies by adopting the agent-based modeling paradigm. In pursuing the main goal of the project, that is to construct a virtual immune system, we have unwrapped challenges and opportunities. In this article we discuss one of them, that is, how to envisage a multi-scale, multi-organ three dimensional simulator of the immune response that can be a useful tool in medical bioinformatics with the special requirement of being user friendly to non specialists.