cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection of dinitrosyl iron complexes by ozone-based chemiluminescence.

Dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) are important intermediates in the metabolism of nitric oxide (NO). They have been considered to be NO storage adducts able to release NO, scavengers of excess NO during inflammatory hypotensive shock, and mediators of apoptosis in cancer cells, among many other functions. Currently, all studies of DNICs in biological matrices use electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) for both detection and quantification. EPR is limited, however, by its ability to detect only paramagnetic mononuclear DNICs even though EPR-silent binuclear are likely to be prevalent. Furthermore, physiological concentrations of mononuclear DNICs are usually lower than the EPR detection limit (1 μM). We have thus developed a chemiluminescence-based method for the selective detection of both DNIC forms at physiological, pathophysiological, and pharmacologic conditions. We have also demonstrated the use of the new method in detecting DNIC formation in the presence of nitrite and nitrosothiols within biological fluids and tissue. This new method, which can be used alone or in tandem with EPR, has the potential to offer insight about the involvement of DNICs in many NO-dependent pathways.
40 Years at the Baldy Center: A Law and Society Hub in Buffalo

The University at Buffalo’s Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy just turned 40. That’s 40 years of groundbreaking sociolegal research, conferences, teaching, support for graduate students and much more. To commemorate the Center’s many accomplishments, this monograph traces through its history, showing that it helped put (and keep) Buffalo on the map as a hub in the Law and Society movement. The monograph draws on a year’s worth of research and interviews with the key characters in the Baldy Center’s story. Thousands of pages of University at Buffalo archives, court records, academic papers, historical documents and more were reviewed to piece together a narrative showing the Baldy Center’s tremendous impact on institutions, the academic literature and people’s careers. What emerges is a picture of a place where interdisciplinary collaboration and unique ideas find a home that wouldn’t exist if not for an endowment created by a civic-minded Buffalo lawyer who died in the mid-20th century and couldn’t have imagined the legacy that awaited him.
Survival and Growth of Wild-Type and rpoS-Deficient Salmonella Newport Strains in Soil Extracts Prepared with Heat-Treated Poultry Pellets

Manure runoff can transfer pathogens to farmlands or to water sources, leading to subsequent contamination of produce. Untreated biological soil amendments, like manure, can be contaminated with foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella Newport, which may lead to transfer of the pathogen to fruits or vegetables. Studies have reported the occurrence and survival of Salmonella in manure or manure slurries. However, data on the survival and growth of Salmonella Newport is lacking in matrices simulating runoff. We quantified the survival and growth of wild-type (WT) Salmonella Newport and rpoS-deficient (Δ rpoS) strains in sterile and nonsterile soil extracts prepared with (amended) or without (unamended) heat-treated poultry pellets at 25°C. Salmonella Newport WT and Δ rpoS populations reached a maximum cell density of 6 to 8 log CFU/mL in 24 to 30 h in amended and unamended soil extracts and remained in stationary phase for up to 4 days. Salmonella Newport in amended soil extracts exhibited a decreased lag phase (λ , 2.87 ± 1.01 h) and greater maximum cell densities ( Nmax, 6.84 ± 1.25 CFU/mL) compared with λ (20.10 ± 9.53 h) and Nmax (5.22 ± 0.82 CFU/mL) in unamended soil extracts. In amended soil extract, the Δ rpoS strain had no measurable λ , similar growth rates (μmax) compared with WT, and a lower Nmax compared with the WT strain. Unamended, nonsterile soil extracts did not support the growth of Salmonella Newport WT and led to a decline in populations for the Δ rpoS strain. Salmonella Newport had lower cell densities in nonsterile soil extracts (5.94 ± 0.95 CFU/mL) than it did in sterile soil extracts (6.66 ± 1.50 CFU/mL), potentially indicating competition for nutrients between indigenous microbes and Salmonella Newport. The most favorable growth conditions were provided by amended sterile and nonsterile soil extracts, followed by sterile, unamended soil extracts for both Salmonella Newport strains. Salmonella Newport may grow to greater densities in amended extracts, providing a route for increased Salmonella levels in the growing environments of produce.
The Celebrity Stock Market

Seemingly ripped off the pages of dystopian novels, companies have experimented with celebrity stock markets — human equity trading markets in which investors can purchase “stock” in aspiring athletes, entertainers, and other celebrities and receive a share in the celebrity’s future income. An “IPO” provides the aspiring celebrity with a large up-front payment in exchange for foregoing a percentage of future earnings, thus sharing both the risk and rewards of future successes with investors. Most prominently Fantex, commonly referred to as the athlete stock exchange, entered into contractual deals with nearly a dozen NFL players paying them an upfront, one-time fee in the millions of dollars. In exchange, the company received a set percentage of the athlete’s future earnings both on and off the field forever. Fantex then held an IPO for tracking stocks in its share of the athlete’s future income, which investors could buy and sell like traditional stock. Although Fantex did not succeed, its serious attempt to expand beyond athletes to include other aspiring entertainment celebrities demonstrates the need to address the many legal and ethical challenges raised by celebrity stock markets. This Article first identifies the legal and societal conditions that have combined to make celebrity stock markets a serious possibility going forward. It then considers the various concerns celebrity stock markets trigger, including privacy sorting concerns not yet addressed in the literature. Ultimately, it concludes that these legitimate concerns do not make celebrity stock markets demonstrably worse than alternative systems for funding aspiring celebrities. The Article thus proposes implementing some contractual limitations on celebrity stock markets designed to minimize the most serious concerns with such markets, rather than banning them entirely.
Copper intrauterine device placement 6–14 days after unprotected sex

Abstract Objective To evaluate pregnancy risk following copper (CuT380A) intrauterine device (IUD) placement 6–14 days after unprotected intercourse. Study design We used a combined dataset from four protocols in which participants had received a CuT380A IUD regardless of recent unprotected intercourse. At entry, participants had negative point of care urine pregnancy testing and reported all acts of unprotected intercourse in the two weeks prior to IUD placement. We identified a subset of women who had placement 6–14 days after unprotected intercourse and provided follow-up information on pregnancy status 2–4 weeks after IUD insertion. This follow-up within the four protocols included self -administered home urine pregnancy test (UPT) results 2–4 weeks after IUD placement or continued contact for up to 6 months. Results We identified 134 women who had a CuT380A IUD placed 6–14 days after unprotected intercourse and provided follow-up information on pregnancy status. Ninety-five (71%) participants reported UPT results 2–4 weeks after placement and the other 39 women were followed for 6 months after IUD placement to assess pregnancy status. Zero (97.5% CI 0–2.7%) participants reported a pregnancy within four weeks of CuT380A IUD placement. Conclusion In these collected data, no women with recent unprotected intercourse became pregnant within 1 month of CuT380A IUD placement. Implication These data indicate a low likelihood of pregnancy among women who reported unprotected intercourse 6–14 days preceding IUD insertion. For many women and their providers, these data may be sufficient to support same-day placement of a copper IUD rather than delaying IUD placement until the next menses.
Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Children

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a leading cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide. Approximately 20 million people are infected with HEV annually, resulting in more than three million annual cases of acute HEV and ~70,000 associated deaths (World Health Organization. Hepatitis E (Factsheet No. 280). World Health Organization, 2014; World Health Organization. Prevention and control of viral hepatitis: a framework for global action. World Health Organization. www.who.int/topics/hepatitis, 2012). Although HEV infection among children is often asymptomatic, infection can also lead to a range of symptoms from mild hepatitis to fulminant liver failure and to extrahepatic disease such as pancreatitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, or Henoch-Schonlein purpura (Verghese VP, Robinson JL. Clin Infect Dis 59(5):689–697, 2014). Among tropical and subtropical climates, HEV is a leading cause of waterborne epidemic viral hepatitis and a major cause of morbidity in developing settings (Gerbi GB et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg 92(2):411–414, 2015; Tsega E et al. Clin Infect Dis 14(4):961–965, 1992). Pregnant women and individuals with underlying liver disease are at highest risk for morbidity and mortality, with few treatment options currently available at this time (Navaneethan U, Al Mohajer M, Shata MT. Liver Int 28(9):1190–1199, 2008). Among children, the risk of HEV infection increases with age, with serologic studies demonstrating peak incidence in early adulthood.
Microwheels on microroads: Enhanced translation on topographic surfaces

Microbot locomotion is challenging because of the reversible nature of microscale fluid flow, a limitation that can be overcome by breaking flowfield symmetry with a nearby surface. We have used this strategy with rotating wheel-shaped microbots, μwheels, that roll on surfaces leading to enhanced propulsion and fast translation speeds. Despite this, studies to date on flat surfaces show that μwheels roll inefficiently with significant slip. Taking inspiration from the mathematics of roads and wheels, here we demonstrate that μwheel velocities can be significantly enhanced by changing microroad topography. In this, we observe that periodic bumps in the road can be used to enhance the traction between μwheels and nearby walls. While continuous μwheel rotation with slip is observed on flat surfaces, a combination of rotation with slip and non-slip flip occurs when μwheels roll upon surfaces with periodic features, resulting in up to four-fold enhancement in translation velocity. The surprisingly fast rolling speed of μwheels on bumpy roads can be attributed to the hydrodynamic coupling between μwheels and road surface features, allowing non-slip rotation of entire wheels along one of their stationary edges. This road/wheel coupling can also be used to enhance μwheel sorting and separation where the gravitational potential energy barrier induced by topographic surfaces can lead to motion in only one direction and to different rolling speeds between isomeric wheels, allowing one to separate them not based on size but on symmetry.
Automatic Detection of InSAR Deformation Signals Associated with Hydrocarbon Production and Wastewater Injection using Laplacian of Gaussian Filtering

Analyzing land surface deformation maps derived from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data often prompts the need to detect signals of unknown size, shape, and location. Here we developed an algorithm for automatic detection of InSAR deformation signals using multi-scale Laplacian-of-Gaussian (LoG) filters. We demonstrated the efficacy of the detection technique on synthetic deformations of different sizes and shapes. We then applied the algorithm to InSAR-derived land surface deformation images in West Texas, where there has been a rise in the level of seismic activity near areas of hydrocarbon production. The algorithm detected both uplift signals from wastewater injection and subsidence from oil and gas extraction without the need for manual inspection of signals. We achieved computational speedups and reduced long term disk storage requirements due to the ability to filter out areas with no signals.
Association between trail use and self-rated wellness and health

Incorporating trail use into daily activity routines could be an important venue to increase a population’s physical activity. This study presents important health impacts of trail use. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 8 trails throughout the State of Indiana. A mix of urban, suburban, and rural trails were selected. Recruitment sessions were completed during four 1-week periods throughout the study in various locations and at various times of day on each trail between April and October 2017. Data were collected through online and paper surveys. For each type of physical activity, a generalized additive model for self-rated wellness and health was built adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, amounts of physical activity on trails, mood status, sleep pattern, diet and smoking habit. The plots of estimated smoothing spline function with 95% confidence band were pictured. All statistical analyses were conducted using R. The final sample size included 1299 trail users; 92% were White, 79% aged 18–65 years, 71% were married and 56% were male. Biking, walking and running were the main activities with 52, 29 and 19%, respectively. Female to male ratio was 3:2 in walkers vs. 2:3 in runners and bikers. Runners were significantly younger than the other two groups. Runners also had the highest percentage of college graduates and above, the highest rate of employment, the highest income, and the lowest percentage of being retired among the three groups. They more commonly used the trails alone than the walkers and bikers. Bikers had the highest rate of job satisfaction. They also showed a better mean score of mood than that the walkers and runners. There was a linear association between walking and self-rated wellness and health, and a curved association between running/biking and self-rated wellness and health. Running 14 miles/week were associated with steeper rise in self-rated wellness and health. Employed educated married middle-aged people had the highest prevalence of walking, running or biking. The higher the walking, the higher self-rated wellness and health. A similar association was observed for running up to 6.5 miles/week or biking > 14 miles/week.
Self-objectification, sexual subjectivity, and identity exploration among emerging adult women

As a result of the consistent sexual objectification of women across cultures, theorists have noted women objectifying themselves. Given the dehumanizing aspects of self-objectification, this proce...
Design and Integration of Alert Signal Detector and Separator for Hearing Aid Applications

Alert signals like sirens and home alarms are important as they warn people of precarious situations. This work presents the detection and separation of these acoustically important alert signals, not to be attenuated as noise, to assist the hearing impaired listeners. The proposed method is based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and convolutional-recurrent neural network (CRNN). The developed method consists of two blocks, the detector block, and the separator block. The entire setup is integrated with speech enhancement (SE) algorithms, and before the compression stage, used in a hearing aid device (HAD) signal processing pipeline. The detector recognizes the presence of alert signal in various noisy environments. The separator block separates the alert signal from the mixture of noisy signals before passing it through SE to ensure minimal or no attenuation of the alert signal. It is implemented on a smartphone as an application that seamlessly works with HADs in real-time. This smartphone assistive setup allows the hearing aid users to know the presence of the alert sounds even when these are out of sight. The algorithm is computationally efficient with a low processing delay. The key contribution of this paper includes the development and integration of alert signal separator block with SE and the realization of the entire setup on a smartphone in real-time. The proposed method is compared with several state-of-the-art techniques through objective measures in various noisy conditions. The experimental analysis demonstrates the effectiveness and practical usefulness of the developed setup in real-world noisy scenarios.
Direct Hydrodeoxygenation of m ‑Cresolto Toluene over Bifunctional NbO x –Pt

This study compared the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of m-cresol over Pt and NbOx-modified Pt catalysts. Reactivity measurements demonstrated that Pt supported on carbon (Pt/C) has moderate selectivity...
Fish oil and olive oil-enriched diets alleviate acute ozone-induced cardiovascular effects in rats.

Abstract Fish oil (FO) and olive oil (OO) supplementations attenuate the cardiovascular responses to inhaled concentrated ambient particles in human volunteers. This study was designed to examine the cardiovascular effects of ozone (O3) exposure and the efficacy of FO and OO-enriched diets in attenuating the cardiovascular effects from O3 exposure in rats. Rats were fed either a normal diet (ND), a diet enriched with 6% FO or OO starting at 4 weeks of age. Eight weeks following the start of these diet, animals were exposed to filtered air (FA) or 0.8 ppm O3, 4 h/day for 2 consecutive days. Immediately after exposure, cardiac function was measured as the indices of left-ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and contractility (dP/dtmax and dP/dtmin) before ischemia. In addition, selective microRNAs (miRNAs) of inflammation, endothelial function, and cardiac function were assessed in cardiac tissues to examine the molecular alterations of diets and O3 exposure. Pre-ischemic LVDP and dP/dtmax were lower after O3 exposure in rats fed ND but not FO and OO. Cardiac miRNAs expressions were altered by both diet and O3 exposure. Specifically, O3-induced up-regulation of miR-150-5p and miR-208a-5p were attenuated by FO and/or OO. miR-21 was up-regulated by both FO and OO after O3 exposure. This study demonstrated that O3-induced cardiovascular responses appear to be blunted by FO and OO diets. O3-induced alterations in miRNAs linked to inflammation, cardiac function, and endothelial dysfunction support these pathways are involved, and dietary supplementation with FO or OO may alleviate these adverse cardiovascular effects in rats.
Promote Radiation Safety for Nurses: A Policy Perspective

Abstract Radiologic and imaging nurses (RINs) continue to be exposed to radiation at the workplace. However, many studies identified that most health care systems do not have policies on radiation safety training for RINs; the less educated they are on radiation safety, the more fear they have with radiation and the less comfortable they are with assisting patients while receiving medical imaging procedures. This policy perspective will identify gaps in radiation protection training, and development of education training, and suggest strategies for compliance with annual radiation training. We recommend that radiology or nursing departments should develop and enforce a policy mandating annual radiation safety training for RINs and that The Joint Commission should evaluate the institutional adherence to that policy.
DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS’ WORKSHEETS BASED ON GUIDED INQUIRY MODELS TO TRAIN SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN PROJECTILE MOTION

In facing AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) which has impacted education, the young generation of a nation must have higher-order thinking skills. One of the ways to achieve that purpose is through practicing science process and critical thinking skills since they start education early. To exercise those skills in our students, we need to develop supporting learning materials. In this study, we develop learning materials on the topics of projectile motion based on Guided Inquiry Model through developmental research within ADDIE. The learning materials are validated by two validators before tested to 19 students of X MIPA 2 at St. Hendrikus Senior High School. The results of the validation process indicate that the developed lesson plan is, the developed student’s worksheet, and evaluation/assessment plan are very valid with score of 3.76, 3.67, and 3.61 (out of 4) , respectively. The field test indicates that the lesson plan is implemented quite well. According to the pre- and posttest results, students’ critical thinking skills improve, which is indicated by average N-gain score of 0.39. Descriptively it also can be observed that the students’ science process skills develop throughout the implementation process. Besides, according to the questioner answers, students give positive responses to the learning materials and their implementation. In conclusion, the evaluation shows that the students achieve good critical thinking and science process skills. The developed learning materials support learning activities which involve practicing in critical thinking skills and science process skills.
Judicial Doctrine as Risk Regulation

Much of the literature on risk regulation concerns “first-order” risks — e.g., those addressed by environmental law or workplace safety rules. But scholars recently have suggested that risk regulation can provide a helpful framework for thinking about “second-order,” or political, risks arising from allocations of power and institutional design. Although a few commentators have utilized this perspective to suggest connections between risk regulation and particular areas of constitutional law, in this essay, we take a broader view. Building on the existing literature, we argue that the selection of constitutional decision rules is a judicial effort to regulate the political risk that government officials will violate constitutional principles. After making the case that judicial doctrinal formation is helpfully viewed as a species of political risk regulation, we discuss some implications of this risk regulation model and pose some questions for future research. We conclude that the risk regulation model reinforces the notion that the formation of doctrine is a temporally extended process, rather than a one-time event, and it provides a metric by which that doctrine can be evaluated. Additionally, the risk regulation model helps explain some of the more commonly critiqued features of constitutional law. Finally, the risk regulation model raises important questions that merit further investigation: (1) Should we trust judicial perceptions of and responses to political risk? (2) What influences risk assessment among judges, and are those influences (and resulting assessments) normatively defensible? (3) What connection, if any, exists between judicial risk assessment and the myriad doctrinal formulae employed by the Supreme Court?
On the Rising Complexity of Bank Regulatory Capital Requirements: From Global Guidelines to their US Implementation

After the Latin American Debt Crisis of 1982, the official response worldwide turned to minimum capital standards to promote stable banking systems. Despite their existence, however, such standards have still not prevented periodic disruptions in the banking sectors of various countries. After the 2007–2009 crisis, bank capital requirements have in some cases increased and overall have become even more complex. This paper reviews: (1) the extent to which Basel-style capital adequacy guidelines have evolved, becoming higher in some cases and overall more complex, (2) how the US implementation of these guidelines has contributed to regulatory complexity, even when omitting other bank capital regulations that are specific to the US, and (3) how the US regulatory measures still do not provide equally valuable information about whether a bank is adequately capitalized.
Making Strategic Communications Work to Prevent Elder Abuse

ABSTRACT With more and more noise hitting the public, more tasks to accomplish, and limited resources, elder abuse prevention organizations must speak with one voice and act in solid partnership. This article touches on processes, systems, procedures, and resources necessary to develop strategic communications plans that are single in strategy and consistent in objectives and image. While the problem of elder abuse has been primarily covered in the academic and health professional press, this article focuses on the usage of mainstream marketing and communications principles to offer suggestions on how to achieve broad national awareness of the issues.
Abstract A30: Small molecule kinase inhibitor mediated modulation of immunotherapy in melanoma

As the BRAFV600E mutation is observed in over 60% of melanomas, the development of the small inhibitor, PLX4032, which specifically targets mutated BRAF, represents a novel therapeutic approach. This targeted inhibition of BRAF effectively blocks activation of key signaling molecules of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, such as Mek and Erk, thus halting cell proliferation. In addition, since MAPK signaling targets the micropthalmia transcription factor (MITF), which is linked to the expression of various melanoma associated antigens (MAAs), we hypothesize that the inhibition of BRAFV600E can modulate the expression of MAAs thus serving as a viable target for immunotherapy of melanoma. Our lab has developed a vaccinia virus based immunotherapeutic vaccine using patient derived melanoma cell lines which express various MAAs. The melanoma cell lines have been characterized as far as the status of the BRAFV600E mutation and were found to be either homozygous or heterozygous for the mutation and are responsive to PLX4032, as evidenced by inhibition of two key MAPK pathway molecules, namely Mek and Erk. Phenotypically, the cells invasive and migratory properties were also modulated upon treatment with PLX4032. Interestingly was the observation that upon treatment with PLX4032, the expression of various MAAs was enhanced. Expression of gp100, MART-1, and tyrosinase increased both on the RNA level as well as on the protein level. The expression of MMAs were well maintained in vivo following the analysis of melanoma cell xenografts in BALB/c nude mice. We conclude that an effective multivalent immunotherapeutic vaccine requires the use of various MAAs and since PLX4032 upregulates expression of MAAs, further studies are warranted to determine the clinical effectiveness of combining BRAFV600E inhibitors with our melanoma cell line derived preparation. Citation Format: Robert Suriano, Neha Tuli, Jan Geliebter, Raj K. Tiwari, Marc Wallack. Small molecule kinase inhibitor mediated modulation of immunotherapy in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(14 Suppl):Abstract nr A30.
Eliminating the Penny from the U.S. Coinage System: An Economic Analysis

Removing the penny from circulation will have significant adverse direct effects on consumers. Simulations show that the resulting need to round prices will generate a rounding tax of no less than $600 million a year. The inflationary impact of rounding will probably be small. However, even a small effect will cumulate over time to a considerable sum; removing the penny would raise government outlays by about $950 million in 2005 and by $2 billion in 2010. Significant negative effects on firms are also identified. The evidentiary requirement for removing the penny from circulation does not yet appear to meet necessary standards. If and when seigniorage turns negative and inflation reduces the real value of a penny substantially further, then removal will be more attractive.
SOUTH FLORIDA: THE REALITY OF CHANGE AND THE PROSPECTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract The Everglades ecosystem restoration is totally unprecedented. The spatial scale involves all of southern Florida and the temporal scale is decades. Although it is one of the most studied ecosystems in the world, much additional knowledge will have to be acquired for the restoration to ultimately reestablish a naturally functioning ecosystem. Additionally, political support will have to be maintained throughout the endeavor, and this will require a different form of understanding, a form useful to decision-makers and political representatives. Adaptive ecological learning embedded in an adaptive ecosystem assessment and management structure is offered as a possible supplement to the ongoing scientific learning. The goal of such an adaptive ecological learning approach is to facilitate more holistic understanding useful to decision-makers and political representatives.
GPU-based two-step preconditioning for conjugate gradient method in power flow

With the development of the modern power system and the computational hardware, the industrial and research communities are more interested in simulating larger and more complicated power grids. Various iterative solvers for linear systems have been investigated with power system applications for its parallel potential in large scale linear computations. They usually require preconditioning to improve their convergence rate. This work will discuss three preconditioners: Jacobi preconditioner, Chebyshev preconditioner, and a two-step preconditioner with Jacobi first and then Chebyshev. The results show that the two-step preconditioner provides better preconditioning effects than using any of them alone. Besides, the GPU implementation of the iterative solver and preconditioners shows performance improvement over Matlab implementation. The improvement can reach up to 8.9x with the two-step preconditioner for the largest test system. These results demonstrate great potential for both preconditioned iterative solver and GPU application in power system simulations.
A small molecule inhibitor of TGFβ RI kinase potentiates VEGF dependent angiogenesis in vitro

250 TGFβ, a cytokine known to regulate a wide variety of biological processes, plays important roles in regulating the tumor microenvironment and angiogenesis. TGFβ is over expressed and correlates with poor prognosis in multiple tumor types. Therapeutic modulation of TGFβ signaling has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in preclinical tumor models. However, the molecular mechanism whereby TGFβ signaling is linked to angiogenesis regulation is not well understood. We set out to test the roles of TGFβ signaling in angiogenesis by using a potent, selective TGFβ type I receptor small molecule inhibitor, LY2157299. TGFβ induced Smad2 phosphorylation in HUVEC cells in an autocrine manner. This phosphorylation event was abolished by treating the cells with LY2157299. LY2157299 also showed dose dependent potentiation of VEGF or bFGF induced cell proliferation in HUVEC. LY2157299 also promoted VEGF induced HUVEC cell migration. To further evaluate TGFβ signaling in angiogenesis, we assayed TGFβ and LY2157299 in an optimized in vitro angiogenesis co-culture model, in which HUVEC cells form cord structures on dermal fibroblast feeder layers. Cord formation was captured and quantitated by using high content ArrayScan imaging analysis.. TGFβ was found to inhibit cord formation in a dose-dependent fashion. This inhibition was neutralized by addition of a pan-TGFβ neutralizing antibody. Interestingly,, LY2157299, but not a control compound, potentiated angiogenesis in the VEGF-stimulated cord formation assay. High density microarray transcript profiling studies are in progress to elucidate the mechanism of angiogenic potentiation by LY2157299 in the in vitro cord formation assay. In vivo evaluation of P-Smad2 inhibition in xenograft and orthotopic tumors led to the optimization of the dose and schedule for pre-clinical efficacy studies and subsequent evaluation of the angiogenic effects of LY2157299. Although anti-tumor activity has been observed in several pre-clinical models, LY2157299 failed to show significant in vivo angiogenic effects in the 4T1, Colo205, or A549 xenograft models.
Hyperviscosity syndrome in a hypercholesterolemic patient with primary biliary cirrhosis.

A 45-yr-old woman with primary biliary cirrhosis, xanthomatosis, and marked hypercholesterolemia developed symptoms of the hyperviscosity syndrome on three separate occasions. On presentation, she had a plasma total cholesterol concentration of 53.40 mM (2065 mg/dl) and a relative serum viscosity of 2.9. Following three courses of plasma exchange in a 5-day period, the total cholesterol level decreased to 6.75 mM (261 mg/dl) and the viscosity to 1.3. The cutaneous xanthomata were markedly diminished 1 wk following plasma exchange. Despite therapy with colestipol (30 g/d), the hyperviscosity syndrome developed 147 days later. This cycle recurred again 137 days after colestipol was discontinued. Serum viscosity and total cholesterol concentration were highly correlated during the postexchange or accumulation phases (R = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.98) and during the exchange or interventional phases (R = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.99). Serum viscosity was less significantly correlated with total serum protein (R = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.95) or with plasma triglyceride (R = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.81). There were no significant correlations of red cell mass, plasma fibrinogen levels, or serum bile salts with viscosity. Subfractionation of plasma into lipoprotein classes showed 45% of total cholesterol in the lipoprotein X fraction and a presumptive slow α-lipoprotein species. It is postulated that both the hyperviscosity syndrome and rapid resolution of xanthomata in the patient may be attributable to the physiology of her abnormal lipoprotein particles.
Supernatural influence in psychopathology. Puerto Rican folk beliefs about mental illness.

Puerto Ricans living in urban areas of North-Eastern United States, whether patients or randomly selected residents of the community, differ very little in their conception of the causes of mental ...
An application of graph based evolutionary algorithms for diversity preservation

A difficult application case of evolutionary algorithms is that in which individual fitness evaluations take several processor-minutes to a few processor-hours. The design of evolutionary algorithms with such expensive fitness evaluation differs substantially from the norm where fitness evaluation is rapid. In this paper we apply evolutionary algorithms to a thermal systems engineering design problem - the design of a biomas cook stove currently in use in Central America. Fitness evaluation involves the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the flow of hot air and heat transport within the stove to equalize the surface temperature. The goal is to optimize the placement and size of baffles that deflect hot gasses underneath the cook top of the stove. Three techniques are used to permit evolutionary algorithm to function on this challenging problem using a population of relatively small size. First, computations are performed on a Linux cluster machine yielding a large, fixed performance increase. Second, the resolution of the mesh for CFD computations used a minimal; mesh that yields acceptable fidelity of CFD computations. Third, a diversity preserving technique called a graph based evolutionary algorithm (GBEA) is used to retain population diversity during evolution. A usable stove design, subsequently deployed in the field, was located by the evolutionary algorithm. In this paper we demonstrate that GBEAs preserve diversity on this baffle design problem and give evidence that highly connected graphs is a good choice for future work on analogous CFD problems. Diversity preservation is a function of both tournament size and the connectivity (geography) of the graph used.
Strategic Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations: Theory and Practice, Martha Golensky

As an instructor of administration for social work students, I am always eager to review new materials for possible inclusion in my classes. At my institution we tend to rely on the same few texts ...
CMAC with general basis functions

Abstract The cerebellar model articulation controller (CMAC) is often used in learning control. It can be viewed as a basis function network (BFN). The conventional CMAC uses local constant basis functions. A disadvantage is that its output is constant within each quantized state and the derivative information is not preserved. If the constant basis functions are replaced by non-constant differentiable basis functions, the derivative information will be able to be stored into the structure as well. In this paper, the generalized scheme that uses general basis functions is investigated. The conventional CMAC is a special case of the generalized technique. The mathematical foundation for the modified scheme is derived and the convergence of learning is proved. Simulations for the CMAC with Gaussian basis functions (GBFs) are performed to demonstrate the improvement of accuracy in modeling, and the capability in providing derivative information. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd
Linear relationship between lymphocyte counts in peripheral blood and buffy coat collected during extracorporeal photopheresis.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is commonly used to treat patients with graft-versushost disease (GVHD) and lung transplant rejection (LTR) in our institution. The quantitative relationship between the number of white blood cells treated during ECP and the cell count in peripheral blood is unclear. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients with GVHD and LTR receiving ECP with either UVAR XTS or CELLEX (Therakos) were prospectively recruited for this study. A complete cell count with differential was performed on preprocedural peripheral blood and samples from the collected buffy coats. Correlation analysis and linear regression were performed between cell counts in peripheral blood and buffy coat. Collection efficiency was compared between UVAR XTS and CELLEX. RESULTS: In all 52 patients, lymphocyte counts in buffy coat and peripheral blood showed strong correlation (r values were 0.85 and 0.983 for UVAR XTS and CELLEX, respectively; p < 0.001) with slopes of 2 and 5.1 for UVAR XTS and CELLEX, respectively (p < 0.001). The quantitative relationship remained robust in patients stratified by diagnoses. Monocytes also showed consistent correlation and linearity, but not neutrophils or combined white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets. CELLEX enriched approximately twice as many lymphocytes and monocytes than UVAR XTS per procedure (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The preprocedural peripheral lymphocyte count can predict the number of lymphocytes within the buffy coat collected during ECP, which may justify the use of peripheral lymphocyte count as a surrogate for the cell dose treated per procedure. Peripheral monocyte counts may serve as an alternative. CELLEX is more efficient in collecting lymphocytes and monocytes than UVAR XTS under conditions tested. E xtracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a treatment modality that entails leukapheresis, mixing of the collected buffy coat and 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) ex vivo, irradiation byultravioletA(UVA)light,andreinfusionoftreatedwhite blood cells (WBCs) back to the patient. UVA light activates 8-MOP, which crosslinks the DNA strands by forming covalent bonds with the pyrimidine bases. ECP was initially applied in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and a loss of viability was observed in lymphocytes. 1
Adaptive learning: interventions for verbal and motor deficits.

Advances in basic and clinical neuroscience are uniting to form new optimism for treatment and rehabilitation of persons with a variety of neurologic disorders. Both cognitive and motor systems hav...
Synthesis of nanostructured and Ni-Cr3C2 powders by an organic solution reaction method

Nanostructured nickel/chromium (NiCr) and nickel-chromium carbide (NiCr3C2) powders were prepared via a chemical route. The technique involves reductive decomposition of an organic solution of metal chloride precursors using sodium triethylborohydride. After co-precipitation of a nanoscale mixed metal (Ni+Cr) powder, low temperature annealing is used to form nanostructured NiCr alloy powder, or low temperature gas phase carburization to form nanostructured Ni-Cr3C2 cermet powder. These powders were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical analysis. The mechanisms of halide reduction and phase formation are discussed.
Study of Selective Layer for HCN Sensing

Characterization and performance of electrochemically treated cast PANI-HgCl2 films for detection of HCN in the range 1–20 ppm were studied. The HCN detection comprises analytical signals that are generated from the work function change and the resistance change of the sensing layer. The sensing platform accommodates an array of transducers that can be used as chemically sensitive field effect transistors (CHEMFET) or as chemiresistors. The logarithmic dependence of the sensor response to changes in HCN concentration of both transducers suggests that the bulk of the layer is involved in generating the analytical signal.
Guillain-Barré syndrome in an older man following influenza vaccination.

Abstract Objective To report an atypical case of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) after administration of the 2012–13 influenza vaccine. Setting Urban tertiary hospital. Patient Description An 81-year-old man was admitted to the hospital after he began experiencing numbness and tingling in both feet that began ascending toward the waistline. The patient complained of intense neuropathic pain in his lower extremities and eventually lost the deep tendon reflexes in his ankles. Case Summary In addition to clinical manifestations of GBS, electromyography revealed a sensorimotor, polyneuropathy, predominantly axonal, with prolonged F-waves in all nerves tested. A lumbar puncture revealed clear and colorless cerebrospinal fluid with an elevated protein level of 66 mg/dL (reference, 15–60 mg/dL) despite the lack of a normal cell count, which indicates albuminocytologic dissociation. Based on these findings, the patient met Brighton level 3 diagnostic certainty and was diagnosed with GBS. Main outcomes measure Signs and symptoms of GBS. Results On day 5 of hospitalization, intravenous immunoglobulin 0.4 mg/kg/d was initiated for 5 days in combination with gabapentin 100 mg at bedtime for neuropathic pain. After completing treatment, the patient experienced progressively improved sensation in his extremities and was discharged. Conclusion This is a rare report of GBS lacking albuminocytologic dissociation after an older patient received the 2012–13 influenza vaccine.
PLASMA ARACHIDONIC ACID AND THE PANCREAS.

Summary This work provides evidence in support of the presence of a factor in the exocrine pancreatic secretion of the dog which regulates the percent composition of plasma arachidonic acid by its action on the cholesterol ester and phospholipid fractions primarily. The factor is distinct from pancreatic enzymes, is heat-stable, and requires adequate fat absorption for demonstration of its activity. The fatty acids of unfractionated plasma, cholesterol ester, phospholipid, triglyceride, and unesterified fatty acid fractions of depancreatized and pancreatic duct-ligated dogs were compared by gas-liquid chromatography before and during feeding of purified pancreatic enzymes and fresh pork pancreas. The depression of arachidonic acid resulting from removal of the exocrine secretion was not corrected by administration of purified pancreatic enzymes. However, fresh pork pancreas restored arachidonic acid to normal or above. Since the substances present in fresh pork pancreas and canine exocrine pancreatic secretion affected the arachidonic acid of the same two plasma lipid fractions, it appears that the two substances may be the same.
Existence of neutral kinks in polyacetylene

Abstract Numerical calculations suggest the ground state of a long chain polyene with an odd number of carbons to be one with a kink inside the chain and double bonds at both ends of the chain.
Advances and prospects in glucose assay technology

The evolution of glucose assay methods has been central to the development of present therapies for diabetes mellitus. However, new blood glucose assay capabilities, such as convenient and truly continuous monitoring, are now needed to foster a new era of close blood glucose control. The principles and present status of glucose sensors being developed that may fill these requirements are reviewed here. [Diabetologia (1997) 40: S 102–S 107]
Ultraviolet Spectra and Geometric Albedos of 45 Asteroids

Spectral reflectances and geometic albedos between 2300 and 3250 A are determined for 45 asteroids from data acquired by the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite. The geometric albedos are consistently low, ranging from approximately 0.02 for C-type asteroids to approximately 0.08 for M-type asteroids. An exception is the single E-type asteroid (44 Nysa) with a geometric albedo of 0.3 at 2950 A. We find that the three major asteroid taxonomic classes persist into the UV. The taxonomic classes are distinguished primarily by their albedos, but S types are generally redder than C or M types. The first ultraviolet phase curved of asteroids are presented.
Genetic analysis of salt tolerance during germination in Lycopersicon.

The salt-tolerant cultivated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) accession, ‘PI174263’, and a sensitive cv, ‘UCT5’, were crossed to develop reciprocal F1, F2 and BC1 populations for genetic analysis of salt tolerance in tomatoes during seed germination. Variation was partitioned into embryo, endosperm and maternal (testa and cytoplasmic) components. Generation means analysis indicated that there were no significant embryo (additive, dominance or epistatic) effects on germination performance under salt stress. Highly significant endosperm additive and testa dominance effects were detected. The proportion of the total variance explained by the model containing these two components was R2=98.2%. Variance component analysis indicated a large genetic variance with additive gene action as the predominant component. Furhter inspection indicated that this variance was attributable to endosperm additive effects on germinability under salt stress. Narrow-sense heritability was estimated as moderately high. Implications for breeding procedures are discussed.
Performance of Alternative Adaptive Interference Canceller Configurations in a Shipboard Environment

The effectiveness of U. S. Navy HF communications in a shipboard environment can be limited by the ability of the receiving subsystem to cope with self-interference caused by simultaneously operating, collocated high power transmitters. In existing shipboard RF architectures, the limited dynamic range of the receiver is accommodated by frequency management and the use of tuned multicoupler or preselector equipment that provides isolation from high level fundamental signals. Although these methods are effective, they constrain spectrum access, frequency agility and instantaneous bandwidth characteristics essential to the introduction of jam and intercept resistant waveforms. A new wideband RF architecture using adaptive interference cancellation is being investigated to overcome these constraints. The adaptive interference canceller (AIC) processes samples of each transmitted signal in a manner such that when delivered to the receiving subsystem, the processed sample cancels the signal that propagates from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna. This paper addresses testing of an experimental AIC referred to as the Ship Test Set (STS), that is capable of cancelling a single fundamental signal. The paper discusses testing conducted aboard the USS AINSWORTH and at NRL's Pomonkey Test Range. The report shows that for fundamental signal bandwidths of 80-kHz, 30-dB cancellation or better is achieved during testing for 90% of the 2-30 MHz band.