cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of diuretics in the treatment of hypertension.

An oral diuretic has been the most popular step-one drug for the treatment of hypertension in the United States for more than 15 years. Diuretics have many of the attributes of the ideal step-one drug: they are inexpensive, easy to titrate, effective in a large percentage of patients with mild to moderate hypertension, well tolerated, and they enhance the effectiveness of other antihypertensive drugs. Recently, concerns about the safety of diuretics have been raised. All of the placebo-controlled trials that have demonstrated a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality have used an oral diuretic as step one. Diuretics have more desirable attributes for step-one antihypertensive therapy than any of the alternatives. In the absence of a specific indication for another anti hypertensive drug, diuretics in low dosage should continue to be the step-one drug of choice for treating most hypertensive patients.
Case of the Vanished Correlation in Statistics of Quasi-stellar Objects

Longair and Scheuer1 recently reported the results of their exhaustive studies concerning the possible correlation between optical and radio intensities and the redshifts in a large sample of quasi-stellar objects. Plotting the observed visual optical magnitudes mv and the radio fluxes S178 and S1400 against the red shifts z, they found significant statistical correlations between these quantities. The next step was to eliminate the effects of relativistic time dilation comprising: the fact that the radiation received was emitted with higher frequency; the diminished energy of each photon; the contraction of the observed frequency band relative to the band in which the radiation was emitted. All these effects of time dilation remain the same whether or not the redshift is considered to be the result of the expansion of the universe. After constructing the graphs of the corrected values m′v, S′178 and S1400 the authors make the following statement: “The most striking result is that the correlation … has disappeared completely”.
Observations of bottom-water flushing in a fjord-like estuary

Abstract Currents were measured 2 m off the bottom on a 100-m deep sill of a basin within Puget Sound for a period of two months. During this time bottom water in the basin was replaced resulting in the older water being raised to shallower depths. Net motion into the estuary occurred during four intervals each of about five days duration. In-flow corresponded with minimum variance in the velocity fluctuations and minimum tidal currents. Out-flow occurred during maximum variance and tidal currents. The average speed during each of three of the five-day in-flow periods was about 6 cm/s and was approximately sufficient to replace all water below sill depth during the five days.
In search of lost time, Merleau-Ponty, Bergson, and the time of objects

The chapter on temporality in Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception, is situated in a section titled, “Being-for-Itself and Being-in-the-World.” As such, Merleau-Ponty’s task in the chapter on temporality is to bring these two positions together, in other words, to articulate the manner in which time links the cogito (Being-for-Itself) with freedom (Being-in-the-World). To accomplish this, Merleau-Ponty proposes a subject located at the junction of the for-itself and the in-itself, a subject which has an exterior that makes it possible for others to have an interior. This analysis will take Merleau-Ponty to an impasse where, on the one hand, there appears to be an objective world and the time of objects in that world, and on the other, there is the subject’s notion of events and the passing of time. Referring to Bergson’s notion of time, this essay proposes that there must be a temporal interval between perception, feeling and action in order for the subject to be “temporal by means of an inner necessity,” as Merleau-Ponty prescribes.
Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on proliferation and on induction of apoptosis in colon cancer cells by a prostaglandin-independent pathway☆

Abstract Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease the incidence of and mortality from colon cancer. We observed that NSAIDs inhibit the proliferation rate, alter the cell cycle distribution, and induce apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines. We evaluated whether the inhibition by NSAIDs of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis is required for their effects on colon cancer cells by studying two human colon cancer cell lines: HCT-15 and HT-29. HCT-15, which lacks cyclooxygenase transcripts, does not produce PGs even when exogenously stimulated, whereas HT-29 produces PGE 2 , PGF 2α , and PGI 2 . HCT-15 and HT-29 cells, when treated for up to 72 hr with 200 μM sulindac sulfide (an active metabolite of sulindac) or 900 μM piroxicam, showed changes in proliferation, cell cycle phase distribution, and apoptosis. Treatment with PGE 2 , PGF 2α , and PGI 2 , following a variety of protocols, and at concentrations between 10 −6 and 10 −11 M, failed to reverse the effects of NSAIDs on these three parameters of cell growth. We concluded that NSAIDs inhibit the proliferation rate of the two colon cancer cell lines independent of their ability to inhibit PG synthesis. Thus, alternative mechanisms for their activity on tumor cell growth must be entertained. These observations may be relevant to the mechanism of colon tumor inhibition by NSAIDs.
The Three-Dimensional Mapping of a Small Thermohaline Intrusion

Abstract During the Mixed-Layer Experiment (MILE) at Ocean Station P in August-September 1977. a depth-cycling towed CTD was used to map intrusions below the seasonal thermocline. In a 10 km square two prominent minima in temperature and salinity were found to be 6–8 km long, 2 km wide and 7–15 m thick. A detailed survey of one of these showed that it had a tongue-like shape and sloped downward across isopycnal surfaces from its origin at a strong front in a corner of the mapped area. The characteristics of the intrusion in comparison with laboratory experiments make it probable that it originated by double-diffusive convection occurring in the frontal region.
Isolation and characterization of alk-1-enyl alkyl ethers.

Abstract Several alk-1-enyl alkyl ethers were obtained during preparative gas chromatography of acetals derived from saturated and unsaturated fatty aldehydes and methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl alcohols. Analysis of these substituted vinyl ethers by argentation chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry showed that they were a mixture of cis and trans isomers. Aluminum metal was found to catalyze the decomposition of the acetals to the corresponding alk-1-enyl alkyl ethers. The cis-trans percentage composition was influenced by column characteristics, as well as by the alcohol moieties of the acetals, but the aldehyde moieties of the acetals had no influence.
Who benefits from more structured depression treatment

Objective This article uses data from two studies that have demonstrated the overall effectiveness of Collaborative Care interventions to evaluate factors associated with poor outcomes overall (general prognostic factors) and factors associated with greater or lesser effects of treatment (differential treatment effects). Methods Adult primary care patients initiating antidepressant treatment for major depression were randomized to usual care or to Collaborative Care, a structured depression treatment program that included planned, proactive and coordinated care with a health care team and informed, activated patients (n = 156, mean age = 43, 85% white). Response to treatment was defined as a 50% or greater reduction in depression at four months. Results High neuroticism and a history of recurrent major depression (3+ episodes) or dysthymia predicted poor outcomes in general. While the magnitude of the intervention effects differed, frequently cited predictors of persistence of depression (age, gender, depression severity, medical and psychiatric comorbidity) were not significantly associated with greater or lesser benefit from Collaborative Care (no differential treatment effects). Results demonstrate the robustness of intervention effects across numerous groups at risk for persistence of depression. Conclusions These findings suggest that at the time of diagnosis it is not possible to predict who is most likely to benefit from Collaborative Care. Instead, outcomes of treatment should be routinely monitored among depressed patients to ensure optimal response.
XXXV. Note on the derivation from the principle of relativity of the fifth fundamental equation of the Maxwell-Lorentz theory

(1911). XXXV. Note on the derivation from the principle of relativity of the fifth fundamental equation of the Maxwell-Lorentz theory. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 21, No. 123, pp. 296-301.
BACE1 gene deletion prevents neuron loss and memory deficits in 5XFAD APP/PS1 transgenic mice

Evidence suggests that β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide triggers a pathogenic cascade leading to neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the causal link between Aβ and neuron death in vivo remains unclear since most animal models fail to recapitulate the dramatic cell loss observed in AD. We have recently developed transgenic mice that overexpress human APP and PS1 with five familial AD mutations (5XFAD mice) and exhibit robust neuron death. Here, we demonstrate that genetic deletion of the β-secretase (BACE1) not only abrogates Aβ generation and blocks amyloid deposition but also prevents neuron loss found in the cerebral cortex and subiculum, brain regions manifesting the most severe amyloidosis in 5XFAD mice. Importantly, BACE1 gene deletion also rescues memory deficits in 5XFAD mice. Our findings provide strong evidence that Aβ ultimately is responsible for neuron death in AD and validate the therapeutic potential of BACE1-inhibiting approaches for the treatment of AD.
The interaction of negative charge with carbon dioxide – insight into solvation, speciation and reductive activation from cluster studies

The interaction of CO2 with negative charge is of high importance in many natural and industrial processes, since reductive activation is one of the most common and convenient ways to chemically unlock this robust molecule. While free CO2 does not form stable anions, the accessibility of low-lying molecular orbitals is critical for its chemical versatility and allows CO2 to act as solvent as well as a reaction partner for negative ions. Experiments on mass selected cluster ions are highly suitable for the study of the fundamental properties of CO2 and its interaction with excess electrons and anions, since they circumvent many problems associated with experiments in the condensed phase. The combination of mass spectrometry, laser spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations results in a powerful tool set to address questions of reactivity, ion speciation and solvation, and they can provide key information to understanding the ion chemistry of CO2.
Infrared optical constants of a ternary system of 75% H 2 SO 4 , 10% HNO 3 , and 15% H 2 O

The near-normal incidence reflectances for a ternary system composed of 75% H2SO4, 10% HNO3, and 15% H2O and for a 10% aqueous solution of HNO3 have been measured at ambient temperature over the spectral range of 5000 to 500 cm−1. A Kramers–Kronig phase-shift analysis of the measured spectral reflectance has been used to determine the real and imaginary components of the index of refraction for each sample. The ternary-system spectrum has been compared with the spectrum of 10% HNO3 and also with the spectrum of 75% H2SO4 obtained by Palmer and Williams. [ Appl. Opt.14, 208 ( 1975)]. These results may prove useful for studies concerning aerosol formation of this ternary system in the stratosphere.
A Novel Nondevelopmental Role of the SAX-7/L1CAM Cell Adhesion Molecule in Synaptic Regulation in Caenorhabditis elegans

The L1CAM family of cell adhesion molecules is a conserved set of single-pass transmembrane proteins that play diverse roles required for proper nervous system development and function. Mutations in L1CAMs can cause the neurological L1 syndrome and are associated with autism and neuropsychiatric disorders. L1CAM expression in the mature nervous system suggests additional functions besides the well-characterized developmental roles. In this study, we demonstrate that the gene encoding the Caenorhabditis elegans L1CAM, sax-7, genetically interacts with gtl-2, as well as with unc-13 and rab-3, genes that function in neurotransmission. These sax-7 genetic interactions result in synthetic phenotypes that are consistent with abnormal synaptic function. Using an inducible sax-7 expression system and pharmacological reagents that interfere with cholinergic transmission, we uncovered a previously uncharacterized nondevelopmental role for sax-7 that impinges on synaptic function.
Manganese Utilization in Chicks as Affected by Excess Calcium and Phosphorus Ingestion

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to assess Mn utilizationin the presence or absence of excess Ca and P from various sources. Supplements were added to a corn-soybean meal diet containing 1% Ca, .7% (.5% available) P and 37 mg of Mn per kg. Three percentages of supplemental Mn from MnSO4 H2 O (0,500, and 1,000 mg of Mn per kg) were used to construct a standard curve of tibia Mn regressed on the 14-day supplemental Mn intake (r averaged .96 for the three experiments). From this, the tibia Mn values obtained from chicks fed diets containing 1,000 mg of supplemental Mn per kg of diet plus 1% added Ca from various sources, were used to calculate bioavailable Mn via standard-curve methodology. In Experiment 1, analytical-grade (AG) CaCO3, feed-grade (FG) oyster shell and FG dicalcium phosphate decreased Mn utilization by 20, 15 and 53%, respectively, but FG limestone was without effect. Experiments 2 and 3 were conducted to determine how different combinations of Ca and P, as well as different cationic forms of P, affected Mn utilization. The results from these experiments indicated that feeding .88% of excess inorganic P, regardless of source and whether fed alone or in combination with excess Ca, reduced Mn utilization by 50 to 65%. Among the Ca sources, only oyster shell caused a reduction in Mn utilization. It is evident that excess dietary P is more antagonistic to Mn than is excess Ca.
The research of interoperability of EPON systems in power systems

Ethernet passive optical networking (EPON) technology has lots of advantages, which have been implemented in many pilot projects. As the EPON technology's development, we should consider the openness of EPON. In this paper, the great efforts made by the public network operators should be elaborated, but the standard proposed by China Telecom only can meet the basic requirements, and the interoperability of EPON in Power System has not been considered. State Grid listed that as a research topic, and then research group propose the solutions to realize the interoperability of special applications in Power System. The research group will release the interoperability standard of EPON in Power System, and all of things are according to plan.
Combining ( 3 He) cosmogenic dating with U-Th/He eruption ages using olivine in basalt

This paper presents new U–Th/He crystallization and 3 He exposure ages on olivine for a suite of basalt samples from the Snake River Plain, Idaho. The results provide the first demonstration that U–Th/He geochronology can be successfully applied to Late Quaternary basalts using measurements of olivine phenocrysts as opposed to U-rich minerals. The approach employs abrasion to remove the outer rinds of olivine crystals to avoid problems with 4 He implantation from the groundmass, and a specially designed extraction system that allows U, Th and He concentrations and isotopic compositions to be measured on the same olivine grains. We demonstrate the viability of the U–Th/He technique on basalts with ages of 373 ka and 3400 ka previously dated by Ar–Ar, and show that concurrent measurements of U–Th– 4 He ages and 3 He cosmogenic exposure ages improve the accuracy of both methods. The combinedU–Th– 4 He– 3 HetechniqueisappliedtoaseriesofbouldersandflowsfromBoxCanyonnearHagerman,Idaho,toevaluate the ages of the basalts and to use exposure ages to make inferences about the age and mode offormation of the canyon. The U–Th/He ages of the Box Canyon basalts are between 86±12 ka and 130±12 ka (1-sigma errors) and suggest at least two periods of eruption. The ages are similar to a ca. 95 ka Ar–Ar age previously assigned, and distinguish the Box Canyon basalts from nearby ca. 395 ka basalt. Exposure ages of boulders within the canyon at the mouth, head and middle of Box Canyon are 21±1, 19±3 and 48±3 ka; scoured bedrock at the canyon head has an exposure age of 45±5 ka. These data indicate that the canyon was carved before the
Catheter ablation of accessory pathways near the coronary sinus: value of defining coronary arterial anatomy

On CTA at their closest proximity, the PLA was 1.9 1.3 mm and the left circumflex artery (LCx) was 2.0 0.8 mm from the body of the CS, in right and left coronary artery–dominant patients, respectively. CS ostium and PLA were 3.6 1.9 mm apart. In left-dominant patients, LCx and CS ostium were 3.8 1.2 mm apart. CONCLUSION The PLA and LCx are in close proximity to the anteroinferior aspect of the CS ostium and proximal CS. The relationship of the CS and coronary arteries should be evaluated before ablation at these sites.
Spiroplasma atrichopogonis sp. nov., from a ceratopogonid biting midge

Spiroplasma sp. strain GNAT3597T was isolated from the biting midge genus Atrichopogon (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). It was serologically distinct from other Spiroplasma species, groups or subgroups. Dark-field microscopy of the cells revealed the classical helical shape and subsequent transmission electron microscopy revealed cells surrounded by only a cell membrane (i.e. lacking a cell wall). Growth of strain GNAT3597T occurred in M1D medium at 30 °C. Strain GNAT3597T catabolized both glucose and arginine, but did not hydrolyse urea. The DNA G+C content of strain GNAT3597T was 29±1 mol%. Only one strain, SMCAT (Spiroplasma mirum), is serologically related to strain GNAT3597T, although the relationship is weak (positive reaction to only a 1 : 80 dilution). It is therefore proposed that strain GNAT3597T (=ATCC BAA-520T=NBRC 100390T) represents a novel species, Spiroplasma atrichopogonis sp. nov. (class Mollicutes: order Entomoplasmatales: family Spiroplasmataceae).
INCREASED PHOTOSYNTHESIS OFFSETS COSTS OF ALLOCATION TO SAPWOOD IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT

We assessed the effect that varying patterns of biomass allocation had on growth of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) growing in the desert climate of the Great Basin and the montane climate of the eastern Sierra Nevada. Prior work established that desert trees have lower leaf: sapwood area ratios than montane trees (0.104 and 0.201 M2/ cm2, respectively) and proportionally greater stem respiration. Sapwood: leaf mass ratios are also greater and increase more as a function stem diameter in desert than in montane trees. We hypothesized that this increased allocation of carbon to stem sapwood and stem respiration in large trees could decrease growth rates in the desert compared to the montane environment, in addition to any growth reduction imposed by drought on physiology and growth processes. Trees of all diameters (dbh) in the desert environment had lower relative growth rates (RGRs) than montane trees (e.g., for a 30 cm dbh tree, RGR = 0.012 vs. 0.021 kg-kg-1-yr-', respectively). However, growth rates of desert and montane trees de- clined similarly with increasing dbh and did not reflect diverging sapwood: leaf mass ratios. Alternatively, we hypothesized that desert trees may increase rates of photosynthetic carbon accumulation (per unit leaf area) with diameter, thereby compensating for increased sapwood respiration. Leaf nitrogen (N) concentration and stable-carbon isotope composition (813C) were measured to examine size-dependent and seasonally integrated photosynthetic capacity within desert and montane environments. Nitrogen concentration was correlated with photosynthetic capacity. Leaf nitrogen (N) concentration and b'3C values were greater in the desert (e.g., in 1-yr-old needles, desert 1.11% and -22.96%o; montane = 0.94% and -24.20%o) and differed between desert and montane trees as a function of dbh. In desert trees, leaf nitrogen concentration in 1-yr-old through 5-yr-old needles increased with dbh, and carbon isotope composition in 1-yr-old needles increased with dbh, suggesting increased photosynthetic capacity and photosynthetic rates with increasing tree size. Needle nitrogen concentration and b83C values decreased or remained constant with dbh in montane trees. Desert trees had greater light extinction coefficients and retained fewer needle cohorts. Our results suggest that increased allocation to heterotrophic stem tissue at the expense of photosynthetic tissue does not always incur a reduction in tree growth as predicted by current models of forest productivity.
Thermoelastic Dissipation in Composite Silicon MEMS Resonators with Thin Film Silicon Dioxide Coating

We analyze thermoelastic dissipation in composite silicon MEMS resonators that exhibit multiple mechanical and thermal modes with complex dynamics. Silicon resonators that are coated with thin films of silicon dioxide can have near-zero temperature coefficients of frequency, making them attractive for use as precision time references. The quality factor of MEMS resonators can be dominated by thermoelastic dissipation (TED), which is triggered by the relaxation of mechanically induced temperature gradients. Recently, Chandorkar et al. (2009) have shown an expression of TED based on entropy generation as a weighted sum of the modal solutions of the three-dimensional heat transfer equation. This expression was obtained for weak coupling between mechanical and thermal dynamics. Applying this same technique to a fully coupled solution to the dynamics, we show that the TED contribution of the dominant thermal modes can be inhibited in the presence of a thin silicon dioxide film. Reduction of the contribution from the dominant thermal mode is shown with increasing oxide. We studied the effects of varying oxide film thickness and beam length. The quality factor was simulated for each unique case and compared to multimode energy dissipation. Our results suggest with some variability, thin film oxide coating affects the thermal relaxation of the composite resonator in the direction of lower TED and increased quality factor.
A distributed routing algorithm for virtual circuit date networks

In virtual circuit networks, all of the packets in a session are transmitted over exactly one path established between the origin and the destination. The problem of choosing a path for each origin-destination pair so as to minimize the average number of packets in the network is considered here. The usual formulation of this problem as a nonlinear multicommodity flow problem with integer decision variables is considered. A distributed algorithm is developed to solve the optimization problem, using Lagrangean relaxation as the basic approach. A multiplier update technique is developed which facilitates the solution of the nonlinear integer programming problem using distributed computation. >
A second-order synchronized leapfrog advance scheme for coupled second-order ordinary differential equations

A second-order symplectic Boris-like synchronized leapfrog scheme for advancing coupled second-order ODEs is developed. This scheme preserves second-order accuracy in advancing equations where acceleration (or its analogue) depends on velocity by inverting implicit equations in the synchronization step. The method is implemented in the WARP code to model the evolution of the first- and secondorder moments, transverse to the direction of propagation, of charged particle beams subjected to periodic, skew-coupled electric and magnetic focusing.
The Upper Sonoran Lifestyle: Gated Communities in Scottsdale, Arizona

While much has been written on gated communities and the motivations and proposed implications of such a building paradigm, little has informed us about how a landscape is socially and economically...
Expression of Proinflammatory and Proangiogenic Cytokines in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Altered immune, inflammatory, and angiogenesis responses are observed in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and many of these responses have been linked with aggressive malignant behavior and a decrease in prognosis. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that HNSCC cells produce cytokines that regulate immune, inflammatory, and angiogenesis responses. We identified important regulatory cytokines in supernatants of well-defined and freshly cultured HNSCC cell lines by ELISA and determined whether these cytokines are detected in tumor cell lines and tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry. The serum concentration of the cytokines and cytokine-dependent acute phase inflammatory responses (i.e., fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) from patients with HNSCC was determined, and the potential relationship of serum cytokine levels to tumor volume was analyzed. Cytokines interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-6, IL-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor were detected in similar concentration ranges in the supernatants of a panel of established University of Michigan squamous cell carcinoma (UM-SCC) cell lines and supernatants of freshly isolated primary HNSCC cultures. Evidence for the expression of IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and VEGF in HNSCC cells within tumor specimens in situ was obtained by immunohistochemistry. In a prospective comparison of the cytokine level and cytokine-inducible acute-phase proteins in serum, we report that cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF were detected at higher concentrations in the serum of patients with HNSCC compared with patients with laryngeal papilloma or age-matched control subjects (at P < 0.05). The serum concentrations of IL-8 and VEGF were found to be weakly correlated with large primary tumor volume (R2 = 0.2 and 0.4, respectively). Elevated IL-1- and IL-6-inducible acute-phase responses were also detected in cancer patients but not in patients with papilloma or control subjects (at P < 0.05). We therefore conclude that cytokines important in proinflammatory and proangiogenic responses are detectable in cell lines, tissue specimens, and serum from patients with HNSCC. These cytokines may increase the pathogenicity of HNSCC and prove useful as biomarkers or targets for therapy.
Strongyloides stercoralis: Amphidial neuron pair ASJ triggers significant resumption of development by infective larvae under host-mimicking in vitro conditions.

Resumption of development by infective larvae (L3i) of parasitic nematodes upon entering a host is a critical first step in establishing a parasitic relationship with a definitive host. It is also considered equivalent to exit from the dauer stage by the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Initiation of feeding, an early event in this process, is induced in vitro in L3i of Strongyloides stercoralis, a parasite of humans, other primates and dogs, by culturing the larvae in DMEM with 10% canine serum and 5 mM glutathione at 37 °C with 5% CO2. Based on the developmental neurobiology of C. elegans, resumption of development by S. stercoralis L3i should be mediated, in part at least, by neurons homologous to the ASJ pair of C. elegans. To test this hypothesis, the ASJ neurons in S. stercoralis first-stage larvae (L1) were ablated with a laser microbeam. This resulted in a statistically significant (33%) reduction in the number of L3i that resumed feeding in culture. In a second expanded investigation, the thermosensitive ALD neurons, along with the ASJ neurons, were ablated, but there was no further decrease in the initiation of feeding by these worms compared to those in which only the ASJ pair was ablated.
Open Data Landscape: A Global Perspective and a Focus on China

Governments are producing significant public data that, if made open, is expected to create enormous social and commercial value as well as improve the civil governance. Unleashing the true power of open public data requires a much better understanding of its ecosystem than is known currently. This paper surveys the global open data landscape by taking into account the Open Data Barometer (ODB) ranking system and its three sub-indexes - readiness, implementation and impact. These indexes are compared and analyzed on the basis of income levels of the ODB ranked countries. Finally, using air quality open data, data availability in developing countries like China is compared with countries of better practices such as UK and US. The comparison helps in understanding the current situation and barriers in opening data in China.
Rules of Engagement and Fratricide Prevention: Lessons from the Tarnak Farms Incident

On April 17, 2002, two American F-16 pilots mistakenly engaged a Canadian infantry company conducting training at Tarnak Farms, Afghanistan. The subsequent bombing killed four Canadian soldiers and seriously injured eight more. According to the Canadian and American investigation boards, pilot error was the primary cause of the accident. Specifically, the pilots did not follow the Rules of Engagement (ROE) in place at the time. However, evidence in the inquiries points to the pilots belief that they were justified in invoking their right to self-defense. Is it possible that it was the ROE themselves that contributed to the fratricide? Faulty ROE have been identified as a proximate cause of fratricide and military mishaps in the past, specifically in Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia, and Vietnam. In this paper, I draw upon the lessons of previous military law scholars and apply those lessons to the Tarnak Farms bombing. Have we learned from our mistakes? I conclude that the ROE were deficient and may have contributed to the incident. Specifically, I find that the self-defense authorization provisions were ambiguous, that training on the ROE was lacking, that the ROE were not flexible enough to change with the mission, and that the ROE focused on a fictional status-based/conduct-based dichotomy that should have been discarded long ago.
Justice and Beneficence in Military Medicine and Research

This Article examines the extent to which U.S. law promotes justice and beneficence in military medicine and research. I begin by reviewing the historical development of experimental studies in the military and the egregious research methods employed by the U.S. government under the guise of national security. I then analyze socio-medical implications of contemporary military medicine by evaluating investigational use of medical products and biomedical enhancements. I conclude by proposing reforms that aim to harmonize national security interests with fundamental principles of patient autonomy and human dignity. The proposals include amendments to the legal and regulatory framework governing military medicine and research, enhanced medical monitoring and post-research care, and statutory limitations to sovereign immunity.
Innate immune reconstitution with suppression of HIV-1

Progressive HIV-1 infection leads to both profound immune suppression and pathologic inflammation in the majority of infected individuals. While adaptive immune dysfunction, as evidenced by CD4+ T cell depletion and exhaustion, has been extensively studied, less is known about the functional capacity of innate immune cell populations in the context of HIV-1 infection. Given the broad susceptibility to opportunistic infections and the dysregulated inflammation observed in progressive disease, we hypothesized that there would be significant changes in the innate cellular responses. Using a cohort of patients with multiple samplings before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, we demonstrated increased responses to innate immune stimuli following viral suppression, as measured by the production of inflammatory cytokines. Plasma viral load itself had the strongest association with this change in innate functional capacity. We further identified epigenetic modifications in the TNFA promoter locus in monocytes that are associated with viremia, suggesting a molecular mechanism for the observed changes in innate immune function following initiation of ART. These data indicate that suppression of HIV-1 viremia is associated with changes in innate cellular function that may in part determine the restoration of protective immune responses.
Abstract IA-4: Studying tumor evolution in mouse models of cancer

Like other solid tumors, lung adenocarcinoma progresses through multiple stages including tumor initiation, expansion in the lung, and metastasis of the primary tumor to distant organs. Dissection of this process requires quantitative and tractable models that recapitulate the human disease at the genetic and histological level. We have employed autochthonous mouse models of lung adenocarcinoma that recapitulate tumor initiation, progression and metastasis in the human disease both genetically, and pathologically. We have established oncogenic Kras as the initiating event in lung adenoma and amplification of the oncogenic signaling is associated with progression to adenocarcinoma. The p53 tumor suppressor limits tumor progression in this model. Restoration of the Trp53 locus has pinpointed the adenoma‐adenocarcinoma transition as the stage in which p53 function is critical for tumor suppression. Expression of oncogenic Kras in the absence of p53 leads to the development of distant metastases after long latency. This suggests that unknown cooperating genetic events are required for metastatic spread and we are utilizing multiple tools to identify these changes. Use of lentiviral vectors that drive stable GFP expression in tumors allows for identification and purification of tumor cells. Additionally, identification of the lentiviral integration site in each tumor allows the clonal relationship between metastases and the primary tumors to be unequivocally established. Gene expression and DNA copy number analyses of metastasis‐derived cell lines and primary lung tumors have uncovered a metastasis associated gene expression signature and recurrent genomic alterations. Integration of these datasets, other genome‐wide analyses and human tumor data are providing insights into the molecular mechanism and biology of lung cancer progression and metastasis. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(23 Suppl):IA-4.
Isolated adrenal cells: the partial agonists (Trp(Nps) 9 )ACTH 1-39 and (Trp(Nps) 9 )ACTH 1-24 (nitrophenyl sulfenyl derivatives of ACTH).

SummaryThe o-nitrophenyl sulfenyl derivatives of ACTH1-39 and ACTH1-24 are partial agonists. They stimulate corticosterone production when added to suspensions of isolated adrenal cells. Maximum rate of steroidogenesis induced by these derivatives is less than that induced by the agonists ACTH1-39 and ACTH1-24. In appropriate doses the derivatives antagonize the steroidogenic action of the agonists. These observations emphasize the importance of tryptophan at position 9 of the ACTH molecule in the process involved in excitation of receptor.The authors thank Mary Vegh for excellent technical assistance.
Performance of Turbulence Models and Near-Wall Treatments in Discrete Jet Film Cooling Simulations

For the first time in the open literature, code validation quality data and a well-tested, highly reliable computational methodology are employed to isolate the true performance of seven turbulence treatments in discrete jet film cooling. The present research examines both computational and high quality experimental data for two length-to-diameter ratios of a row of streamwise injected, cylindrical film holes. These two cases are used to document the performance of the following turbulence treatments: 1) standard k-e model with generalized wall functions; 2) standard k-e model with non-equilibrium wall functions: 3) Renormalization Group k-e (RNG) model with generalized wall functions; 4) RNG model with non-equilibrium wall functions: 51 standard k-e model with two-layer turbulence wall treatment; 6) Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) with generalized wall functions; and 7) RSM with non-equilibrium wall functions. Overall, the standard k-e turbulence model with the two-layer near-wall treatment, which resolves the viscous sublayer, produces results that are more consistent with experimental data.Copyright © 1998 by ASME
The use of microfibrillar collagen hemostat for control of renal bleeding.

AbstractMicrofibrillar collagen hemostat was used in 23 patients with renal injuries owing to multiple causes in an attempt to control small vessel bleeding from raw renal surface areas. Minimal complications have occurred with the use of this substance. Control of bleeding has been prompt and no late bleeding has occurred.
An Overview of the History of Plasticity Theory

INTRODUCTION Plasticity theory deals with yielding of materials, often under complex states of stress. Plastic deformation, unlike elastic deformation, is permanent in the sense that after stresses are removed the shape change remains. Plastic deformations usually occur almost instantaneously, but creep can be regarded as time-dependent deformation plastic deformation. There are three approaches to plasticity theory. The approach most widely used is continuum theory. It depends on yield criteria, most of which are simply postulated without regard to how the deformation occurs. Continuum plasticity theory allows predictions of the stress states that cause yielding and the resulting strains. The amount of work hardening under different loading conditions can be compared. A second approach focuses on the crystallographic mechanisms of slip (and twinning), and uses understanding of these to explain continuum behavior. This approach has been quite successful in predicting anisotropic behavior and how it depends on crystallographic texture. Ever since the 1930s, there has been increasing work bridging the connection between this crystallographic approach and continuum theory.
Country Resources, Country Image and Tourism: A Panel Data Analysis

Place branding, also known as destination branding, is often related to positioning strategies in the tourism industry. Place branding is defined as marketing activities to promote positive destination image in order to influence the consumers’ destination choice (Blain et al. 2005). Besides improving a positive image, place branding intends to reduce or eliminate the negative image associated with certain places (Medway and Warnaby 2008). Although extant literature in place branding and tourism has discussed destination image and the relevant factors that influence the destination image from micro perspective, few studies have investigated the macro factors relevant to tourism and place branding. Specifically speaking, few researchers have investigated the influence of a country’s resources on the consumer perception of the destination in that country. In addition, the country image was discussed in the literature to impact the destination image as well as the tourism industry in a country, but few studies were conducted to empirically test this relationship. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to bridge the literature gaps and investigate the relationships among country resources, country image and tourism.
Non-Cell-Autonomous Regulation of Prostate Epithelial Homeostasis by Androgen Receptor

Prostate inflammation has been suggested as an etiology for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We show that decreased expression of the androgen receptor (AR) in luminal cells of human BPH specimens correlates with a higher degree of regional prostatic inflammation. However, the cause-and-effect relationship between the two events remains unclear. We investigated specifically whether attenuating AR activity in prostate luminal cells induces inflammation. Disrupting luminal cell AR signaling in mouse models promotes cytokine production cell-autonomously, impairs epithelial barrier function, and induces immune cell infiltration, which further augments local production of cytokines and chemokines including Il-1 and Ccl2. This inflammatory microenvironment promotes AR-independent prostatic epithelial proliferation, which can be abolished by ablating IL-1 signaling or depleting its major cellular source, the macrophages. This study demonstrates that disrupting luminal AR signaling promotes prostate inflammation, which may serve as a mechanism for resistance to androgen-targeted therapy for prostate-related diseases.
Clandestine Tales from Tuscany

Throughout the West, immigrants face the threat of falling under an illegal status. Currently, Italy stands at a point of potentially dramatic change, in which hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who work as domestic care providers, who work in agriculture, or sell items on the street are menaced with some of the harshest anti-illegal immigrant laws in the world. Although Italian immigration law both creates illegal immigrants and threatens them with dire punishments, implementation of the law to this point has been tempered by police discretion and local variations. Some illegal immigrants who possess social and cultural capital are able to integrate with relative ease, while others are caught in seemingly insurmountable social exclusion. This chapter presents ethnographic data describing some of the varieties of illegal immigrants’ experiences in Tuscany, toward grappling with the relationship between immigration law and marginalization.
Anti-transgender prejudice mediates the association of just world beliefs and victim blame attribution

ABSTRACTSeveral decades of research have found that just world beliefs (BJW) predict the blaming of innocent victims and are associated with various forms of prejudice. We tested whether anti-transgender prejudice (a) uniquely predicts victim blame for a victim perceived to be of transgender spectrum experience (or trans*), apart from BJW, and (b) whether anti-transgender prejudice is a mediator of the association between BJW and victim blame. U.S. participants (N = 311) read a hypothetical crime vignette in which the victim was either perceived to be trans* by perpetrators or not, then completed measures of victim blame, BJW, and anti-transgender prejudice. In a multiple linear regression analysis, anti-transgender prejudice and the interactions of vignette with BJW and with anti-transgender prejudice were significant predictors of victim blame. There was no independent main effect for BJW, gender, or vignette. BJW was associated with victim blame only for the trans* victim. Anti-transgender prejudice wa...
Muscling out gene mutations

For Duchenne muscular dystrophy—the most severe and common form of a heterogeneous group of inheritable muscle wasting disorders—a solution might lie in reframing the problem. All muscular dystrophies are caused by mutations in the DMD gene, which encodes dystrophin, a large cytoplasmic protein
PP081: Ceramide synthase isoforms in malignant transformation of oral mucosal dysplasia

Purpose To study the differential expression of Ceramide Synthase isoforms in oral mucosal dysplasia and its malignant transformation. Methods We identified 12 cases of oral mucosal dysplasia with subsequent malignant transformation from the College of Dental Medicine, Division of Oral Pathology Database at the Medical University of South Carolina. These were formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) biopsy specimens of dysplasia from one oral subsite at one time point and a matching specimen from the same subsite and same patient at a later time-point with frank invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We also identified 42 cases of alveolar ridge keratosis which were age and gender matched to our set of cases with malignant transformation. Two sections, 5 microns each from the FFPE blocks to extract RNA using the High Pure RNA FFPE micro-kit from Roche Applied Sciences (Catalog No. 04823125001), followed by reverse transcription and q-PCR using Ceramide Synthase (CerS) isoform 1, 4 and 6 probes. Results CerS 1 levels are higher in malignancy compared to the matched dysplasia samples whereas CerS 4 levels are lower in malignancy compared to the matched dysplasia samples. The levels of CerS6 are not significantly changed across the two sample sets. Conclusion Ceramide synthase isoforms play a role in malignant transformation of oral mucosal dysplasia however the mechanism needs to be further studied and understood. This could be a novel marker for early detection of potentially malignant lesions in the oral mucosa and may serve as a target for chemoprevention strategies in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Synthesis of poly(1,2-glycerol carbonate)–paclitaxel conjugates and their utility as a single high-dose replacement for multi-dose treatment regimens in peritoneal cancer

Current chemotherapeutic dosing strategies are limited by the toxicity of anticancer agents and therefore rely on multiple low-dose administrations. As an alternative, we describe a novel sustained-release, biodegradable polymeric nanocarrier as a single administration replacement of multi-dose paclitaxel (PTX) treatment regimens. The first synthesis of poly(1,2-glycerol carbonate)-graft-succinic acid-paclitaxel (PGC-PTX) is described, and its use enables high, controlled PTX loadings of up to 74 wt%. Moreover, the polymer backbone is composed of biocompatible building blocks-glycerol and carbon dioxide. When formulated as nanoparticles (NPs), PGC-PTX NPs exhibit PTX concentrations >15 mg mL-1, sub-100 nm diameters, narrow dispersity, storage stability for up to 6 months, and sustained and controlled PTX release kinetics over an extended period of 70 days. A safely administered single dose of PGC-PTX NPs contains more PTX than the median lethal dose of standard PTX. In murine models of peritoneal carcinomatosis, in which the clinical implementation of multi-dose intraperitoneal (IP) treatment regimens is limited by catheter-related complications, PGC-PTX NPs exhibit improved safety at high doses, tumor localization, and efficacy even after a single IP injection, with comparable curative effect to PTX administered as a multi-dose IP treatment regimen.
Motion estimation of the liver based on deformable image registration: a comparison between four-dimensional-computed tomography and four-dimensional-magnetic resonance imaging

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate deformable image registration (DIR)-based motion estimation of the liver for four-dimensional-computed tomography (4D-CT) and 4D-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Five liver cancer patients were included. Each patient was imaged with 4D-CT and 4D-MRI under an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol. Motion estimation of the liver was obtained by performing DIR on 4D-CT and 4D-MRI. A region of interest (ROI) encompassing the expert-determined gross tumor volume was used as surrogate to evaluate the accuracy of the motion estimation. ROI motion trajectories were estimated by averaging the displacement vector fields (DVFs) within the ROI during the breathing cycles for 4D-CT and 4D-MRI and were compared to those extracted from cine MR. Target registration error (TRE), correlation coefficient (CC) for phase agreement, difference in phase at maximum displacement (ΔPmax), and Dice's Similarity Coefficient (DSC) for overall motion agreement were determined. Results: As compared to 4D-CT, 4D-MRI resulted in smaller TRE in DVFs (anterior-posterior [AP]: 1.0 ± 0.4 mm vs. 1.5 ± 0.5 mm, superior-inferior [SI]: 1.9 ± 0.7 mm vs. 2.2 ± 0.8 mm), greater CC (AP: 0.67 ± 0.32 vs. 0.49 ± 0.26, SI: 0.84 ± 0.15 vs. 0.58 ± 0.28), smaller ΔPmax (AP: 1.4 ± 1.7 vs. 2.0 ± 1.0, SI: 0.4 ± 0.9 vs. 1.2 ± 0.8), and greater DSC (AP: 0.67 ± 0.08 vs. 0.61 ± 0.11, SI: 0.73 ± 0.12 vs. 0.67 ± 0.10). Conclusion: 4D-MRI can potentially provide more realistic respiratory DVFs of the liver than 4D-CT.