cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Q100: the architecture and design of a database processing unit

In this paper, we propose Database Processing Units, or DPUs, a class of domain-specific database processors that can efficiently handle database applications. As a proof of concept, we present the instruction set architecture, microarchitecture, and hardware implementation of one DPU, called Q100. The Q100 has a collection of heterogeneous ASIC tiles that process relational tables and columns quickly and energy-efficiently. The architecture uses coarse grained in- structions that manipulate streams of data, thereby maximizing pipeline and data parallelism, and minimizing the need to time multiplex the accelerator tiles and spill inter- mediate results to memory. This work explores a Q100 de- sign space of 150 configurations, selecting three for further analysis: a small, power-conscious implementation, a high- performance implementation, and a balanced design that maximizes performance per Watt. We then demonstrate that the power-conscious Q100 handles the TPC-H queries with three orders of magnitude less energy than a state of the art software DBMS, while the performance-oriented design out- performs the same DBMS by 70X.
Open surgical repair after failed endovascular aneurysm repair: Is endograft removal necessary?

Introduction Open surgical repair after failed endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) usually involves complete endograft removal and replacement with a prosthetic surgical graft. This is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We have used an alternative strategy focused on limiting the magnitude of surgical repair by preserving the functioning portion of the endograft and avoiding aortic cross-clamping, when possible. Methods Between January 2000 and 2008, patients requiring delayed conversion after EVAR at our institution were managed with (1) complete endograft preservation and external wrap of the aortic neck to secure a proximal seal, or (2) partial endograft removal with interposition grafting from the infrarenal aortic neck to the remaining endograft. Records of all patients were retrospectively reviewed for demographics, operative details, and outcomes. Results During this time, 12 patients were treated with delayed open surgical conversion. The indication for conversion in all patients was a type I endoleak with aneurysm enlargement not amendable to percutaneous intervention. Mean age was 81 ± 6.2 years (range, 61-90 years). Average time to conversion was 44.7 months (range, 7-80 months). Complete endograft preservation was attempted in eight patients and was successful in six (75%). The two patients that failed this approach, as well as four additional patients who were not candidates for this approach, underwent partial endograft excision and replacement with an interposition graft sutured to the remaining portion of the stent graft. Complete endograft removal was not required in any patients. There was one post-operative mortality (8.3%) and one significant post-operative morbidity (8.3%). Mean intensive care unit and hospital stays were 2.8 ± 3.9 days (range, 1-15 days) and 8.4 ± 5.8 days (range, 3-26 days), respectively. Conclusions Open surgical repair of failed EVAR can be accomplished with preservation of all or a significant portion of the endograft in most patients. This may limit the magnitude of the repair procedure and may reduce morbidity and mortality.
Uremia induces the osteoblast differentiation factor Cbfa1 in human blood vessels

Uremia induces the osteoblast differentiation factor Cbfa1 in human blood vessels. Background Bone matrix proteins are expressed in calcified arteries from dialysis patients, suggesting that vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) may transform to osteoblast-like cells. One of the key transcriptional regulators of osteoblast differentiation is Cbfa1. Thus, we hypothesized that this may be a key factor in arterial calcification. Methods To test this hypothesis, we examined sections of the inferior epigastric artery from uremic patients for the presence of Cbfa1 and type I collagen and osteopontin by in situ hybridization and immunostaining. We also examined the effect of pooled uremic sera from dialysis patients on the expression of Cbfa1 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in bovine VSMCs in vitro. Results Cbfa1 and osteopontin were expressed in both the media and the intima in vessels that were calcified, but there was only minimal staining in non-calcified vessels. In vitro studies demonstrated that pooled uremic serum, compared to pooled control human serum induced the expression of Cbfa1 by RT-PCR in bovine VSMCs in a time-dependent, nonphosphorus-mediated mechanism. Conclusion These results support that Cbfa1 is a key regulatory factor in the vascular calcification observed in dialysis patients and is up-regulated in response to many uremic toxins.
The Theory and Practice of Learning Networks

Under the leadership of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United Nations has played an active role in promoting corporate social responsibility as one means to respond to the challenges of globalisation. The Global Compact has been Annan's major initiative in this domain. It has explicitly adopted a learning approach to inducing corporate change, as opposed to a regulatory approach; and it comprises a network form of organisation, as opposed to the traditional hierarchic/bureaucratic form. These distinctive (and, for the UN, unusual) features lead the Compact’s critics to seriously underestimate its potential, while its supporters may hold excessive expectations of what it can deliver. Because organisational issues of this sort will continue to confront the search for viable global governance mechanisms for many years ahead, this paper spells out both the advantages but also the inherent limitations of the ‘learning networks’ approach.
Theory of rotational dynamic measurement of plastics

A theory which postulates a condition of combined constraints of constant stress and constant strain is developed for the rotating cantilever beam measurement of dynamic mechanical properties of rigid plastics. The theory provides operating equations for the rotating beam instrument of Maxwell equipped with a biaxial strain gage dynamometer. The storage component of the dynamic Young's modulus E′ = 64 L3F1/3πd4(ΔXt − K1F1) and the mechanical loss tangent tan γ = [F2(δXt − K1F1) + K2F1F2]/[F1(ΔXt − K1F1) − K2(F2)2] are expressed in terms of the length L and diameter d of the circular rod specimen; the bending spring constants of the biaxial dynamometer K1K2; the imposed dynamometer displacement (ΔXt); and the cantilever beam storage and loss response forces F1, F2.
The electronic structures and magnetic properties of one-dimensional ABO6 chains in Sr3ABO6 (A = Co, Ni; B = Pt, Ir) and two-dimensional MO3 sheets in InMO3 (M = Fe, Mn)

Abstract Extended Huckel calculations were carried out on the electronic structure of one-dimensional ABO 6 chains in Sr 3 ABO 6 (A = Co, Ni; B = Pt, Ir) and two-dimensional MO 3 sheets in InMnO 3 (M = Fe, Mn). The band structure were compared to the levels of model fragments in an attempt to understand the nature of metal-metal interactions in these oxides. In the ABO 6 chains it appears that both direct and oxygen-mediated A-B interactions are very small. In the MO 3 sheets only and indirect M-O-M intralayer interaction was found to be significant. The relationship between the band structures and the magnetic properties of the oxides is discussed.
M2 tidal currents in the western North Atlantic

Abstract A number of current meter records collected by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have been examined to determine the structure of M2 tides in the western North Atlantic. Though the signal to noise ratio is low, a simple picture emerges when sufficiently many records are averaged. At a site north of the Gulf Stream, the tidal current is baroclinic, and concentrated near the surface. The result is consistent with generation of internal tides along the continental slope just to the north. At positions south of the Gulf Stream, the records are too few to conclude more than that the tidal velocities are consistent with high mode internal waves.
Zero-field mobilities in helium: highly accurate values for use in ion mobility spectrometry

The zero-field mobilities of 46 atomic ions in helium are calculated as functions of the gas temperature in an ion mobility spectrometer. The calculations are based on highly accurate, ab initio potential energy curves obtained in the last few years. In general, they start from a small value at low temperature, rise steadily to a maximum at some specific temperature, T max , and then decline at higher temperatures. The ratio of T max to the dissociation energy (well depth) of the ion-neutral interaction potential is shown to be approximation the same for all singly-charged ions and a few multiply-charged ions.
Recent evidence supports emotion-regulation interventions for improving health in at-risk and clinical populations.

Purpose of review The regulation of strong emotions has important implications for health, particularly among individuals with chronic illness. We focus this brief review on effective psychosocial interventions that emphasize and teach skills to improve emotion regulation in the context of health-related outcomes. Recent findings Recent work in the area of emotion-regulation interventions has tested the effects of emotion-regulation family therapy, group-based emotion-regulation psychotherapy, expressive writing, and school-based prevention programs. Emotion-regulation psychotherapy for families shows some benefits for both patients and their family members. Group emotion-regulation interventions and expressive writing result in physical and psychosocial improvement for patients with medical or psychiatric illness. School-based programs show improved emotion knowledge, emotion regulation, and emotional competence, relative to standard academic curricula and existing prevention programs. Summary Evidence generally supports the use of a variety of emotion-regulation interventions to improve health and well being in at-risk and clinical populations, although factors related to treatment response warrant additional research.
Variability in a taste-receptor gene determines whether we taste toxins in food.

Document S1. Supplemental Experimental ProceduresxDownload (.49 MB ) Document S1. Supplemental Experimental Procedures
Thermotherapy in dermatologic infections

The use of local induced hyperthermia or thermotherapy for dermatologic infections has not been fully explored in the more recent medical literature. Herein, we discuss the rationale behind the use of thermotherapy and review reported clinical experience with its use in the management of cutaneous infections.
Trans-cycloheptene: Spectral characterization and dynamic behavior

Abstract We have produced trans -cycloheptene via a singlet exciplex of the cis isomer and have obtained NMR and UV spectra of this strained cyclic alkene. This ring system undergoes a pseudorotation process with a barrier of 10.0 kcal/mole. The UV spectrum suggests a substantial twist to the double bond, but interestingly the vinyl H-H coupling constant implies a 180° dihedral angle for the vinyl protons.
Misexpression of Polycomb-group proteins in Xenopus alters anterior neural development and represses neural target genes.

In Drosophila, the Polycomb-group constitutes a set of structurally diverse proteins that act together to silence target genes. Many mammalian Polycomb-group proteins have also been identified and show functional similarities with their invertebrate counterparts. To begin to analyze the function of Polycomb-group proteins in Xenopus development, we have cloned a Xenopus homolog of Drosophila Polycomblike, XPcl1. XPcl1 mRNA is present both maternally and zygotically, with prominent zygotic expression in the anterior central nervous system. Misexpression of Pcl1 by RNA injection into embryos produces defects in the anterior central nervous system. The forebrain and midbrain contain excess neural tissue at the expense of the ventricle and include greatly thickened floor and roof plates. The eye fields are present but Rx2A, an eye-specific marker, is completely repressed. Overexpression of Pcl1 in Xenopus embryos alters two hindbrain markers, repressing En-2 and shifting it and Krox-20 in a posterior direction. Similar neural phenotypes and effects on the En-2 expression pattern were produced by overexpression of three other structurally unrelated Polycomb-group proteins: M33, XBmi-1, and mPh2. These observations indicate an important role for the Polycomb-group in regulating gene expression in the developing anterior central nervous system.
Is Dispersion of Ventricular Repolarization Rate Dependent

QT dispersion has been adopted as a new index for the noninvasive assessment of the inhomogeneity of repolarization and has been evaluated in several clinical studies as an index of arrhythmia propensity. In most of these studies, indices of dispersion of repolarization were rate corrected by the Bazett formula calculating QT dispersion as QT cmax-QT cmin or JT dispersion as JT cmax-JT cmin, implying that dispersion of repolarization also changes with heart rate. This study aimed to determine in the electrically paced isolated heart whether dispersion of ventricular repolarization is rate dependent. Multiple (5-7) monophasic action potentials (MAPs) were recorded simultaneously from the epicardium and endocardium of both ventricles in 18 isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. Hearts were paced from a right ventricular site at basic cycle lengths (CL) between 1,200 and 300 ms in 100-ms decrements. Action potential duration was measured at 90% repolarization (APD90), and recovery time (RT) was defined as the sum of APD90 and activation time in each of the simultaneous MAP recordings. The dispersion of APD90 and RT, respectively, were calculated as the maximal difference among all recordings. APD90 and RT shortened continuously throughout the range of paced steady-state CLs from 1,200 to 300 ms. APD90 was 197.6 +/- 6.1 ms at a CL of 1,200 ms and decreased to 148.5 +/- 2.5 ms at a CL of 300 ms (P < 0.0001). RT was 228.2 +/- 6.2 ms at a CL of 1,000 ms and decreased to 175.9 +/- 2.9 at a CL of 300 ms (P < 0.0001). In contrast, dispersion of APD90 and RT did not change significantly. Dispersion of APD90 was 24.8 +/- 2.3 ms at a CL of 1,200 ms, 26.1 +/- 1.9 msec at a CL of 1,000 ms, and 21.6 +/- 2.1 at a CL of 300 ms (NS). Dispersion of RT was 29.7 +/- 3.4 ms at a CL of 1,200 ms, 29.0 +/- 3.0 ms at a CL of 1,000 ms, and 32.7 +/- 3.2 ms at a CL of 300 ms (NS). In contrast to the duration of the QT interval, dispersion of ventricular repolarization does not change significantly with pacing induced changes in CL. Assuming that the rate-dependent behavior of action potential duration is similar between the rabbit and human heart, a rate correction of parameters of dispersion of repolarization is probably unnecessary.
Encouraging a systems approach for adherence to national asthma guidelines.

Purpose. There is a lack of information in the literature reflecting systems effects on adherence to national asthma guidelines. The purpose of this pilot study is to provide a descriptive account of the preparedness of academic primary care sites to follow national asthma guidelines related to spirometry, peak flow meters, standard history forms, severity assessment, follow-up assessment sheets, patient self-assessment sheets, and asthma action plan templates. Methods. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. A short survey was mailed to medical directors on behalf of primary care academic clinical sites to assess the availability of guideline tools in their practices. Medical directors were also asked to rate their perception of how essential the guidelines were in the management of asthma. Results. Medical directors agreed that the guideline tools were essential in managing asthma. However, with the exceptions of peak flow meters and standard history forms, most sites were not equipped with these ...
Even if it is not Bribery: The Case for Campaign Finance Reform

We develop a dynamic multidimensional signaling model of campaign finance in which candidates can signal their ability by enacting policy and/or by raising and spending campaign funds, both of which are costly. Our model departs from the existing literature in that candidates do not exchange policy influence for campaign contributions; rather, they must decide how to allocate their efforts between policymaking and fundraising. If high-ability candidates are better policymakers and better fundraisers, then they will raise and spend campaign funds even if voters care only about legislation. Campaign finance reform alleviates this phenomenon and improves voter welfare at the expense of politicians. Thus, we expect successful politicians to oppose true campaign finance reform. We also show that our model is consistent with findings in the empirical and theoretical campaign finance literature.
Lottie Moon: A Southern Baptist Missionary to China in History and Legend

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)In recent decades, increased scholarly attention has been devoted to analyses of gender and agency within conservative American religious traditions. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), with its tremendous size and conservative trajectory, has especially fascinated historians and ethnographers (not to mention members of the media). How, scholars wonder, have women understood and negotiated their roles in such a context?Regina Sullivan's Lottie Moon skillfully examines such questions with respect to the woman Sullivan characterizes as "arguably one of the most celebrated, memorialized, and remembered women in southern history" (170). Moon, the eponymous catalyst of the SBC's Christmas offering for international missions, served as a Southern Baptist missionary to China from 1873 to 1912. Her legacy is appropriated each year by millions of Southern Baptists--from preschoolers to senior adults--as they embark upon ambitious fundraising efforts and urge renewed commitment to mission work. Moon is the closest thing that Southern Baptists have to a saint.Sullivan positions her work as a scholarly study of Moon's life in contrast to the "artifice of legend" (2) that she contends previous hagiographies constructed. Indeed, Lottie Moon is quite well written and researched, filled with extensive primary source work and lacking romanticized portrayals of Moon's life. It is not, however, "the first comprehensive portrait of 'Lottie,'" as the dust jacket claims. Sullivan's writing clearly displays the marks of a trained historian absent from earlier works. But most of the biographical details she presents are not strikingly different from those of Catherine Allen's The New Lottie Moon Story , published by the SBC's Woman's Missionary Union (WMU). Sullivan's conclusions about Moon's death (discussed below) are a notable exception.Sullivan details Moon's journey from privileged Virginia schoolgirl to revered Southern Baptist missionary with a thoroughness that evinces years of study. Occasionally the book sags under the weight of numerous historical details with little analysis. One wonders why Sullivan devotes thirty pages to the founding of WMU (73-103), for example, and wishes for additional critical examination of topics such as Moon's changing racial attitudes (132-35).Sullivan's analysis is evident, however, in her repeated thesis that Moon "relied on religious ideology and woman's rights language to argue for an expansion of women's sphere, for female equality in mission work, and for female organization" (1). Sullivan highlights Moon's insistence on single women's enfranchisement in missions meetings, her speaking to Chinese men, and her pioneering ministry in China's interior. …
Kron's methods and the theoretical foundation of the matric computor

Abstract Kron's fundamental approach to the theory of electric networks, symbolized by the famous formula I′ = AtYpAE′, applies equally well to electronic networks. In particular, the fundamental theory of The Matric Computor—an analytic machine for the solution of problems such as arise in the applications of Kron's theories—is shown to follow from a generalized version of this formula, followed by employment of the reduction formula for the suppression of superfluous machine coordinates. This establishes the homeomorphism between the electronics and the mathematics, j]=[Y]v]↷b]=[A]x] , in which the entries in the matrices are real numbers, derivative coefficients, and linear functionals. The response vector v]↷x] is automatically generated and yields the solutions of algebraic and integro-differential matric equation systems, linear or nonlinear.
Creating a GIS-based model of marine debris "hot spots" to improve efficiency of a lobster trap debris removal program.

Abstract Debris removal programs are combatting the accumulation of derelict fishing gear and other debris in marine habitats. We analyzed 5 years of lobster trap debris removal data in Biscayne National Park, Florida to assess removal efficiency and develop spatially-explicit mapping tools to guide future removals. We generated and validated debris “hot spots” maps that combined remotely-sensed data (i.e. benthic habitat type and bathymetry) with 862 locations of previous debris collection. Our hot spot models spatially depict regions of likely debris accumulation, reducing the search area by 95% (from 332 km 2 to 18 km 2 ) and encompassing 100% of the validation sites. Our analyses indicate removal contractors using sub-surface towed divers enhanced debris recovery. Additionally, the quantity of debris removed did not decrease with increased efforts, suggesting that debris supply in situ exceeds removal efforts. We conclude with the importance of coupling analysis of ongoing debris removal programs with GIS technology to improve removal efforts.
ESTIMATING PARAMETERS IN THE RASCH MODEL: REMOVING THE EFFECTS OF RANDOM GUESSING

A method of estimating the parameters of the Rasch Model removing the effect of random guessing is presented. The procedure is an application of the ARRG model recently developed for two parameter latent trait models. Under the Rasch model ARRG provides for estimation of abilities, removing the effects of random guessing, without requiring the use of a computer. Monte Carlo simulations are employed to examine the accuracy of the resulting ability estimates.
Off-Campus, Harmful Online Student Speech

Abstract This article discusses issues related to off-campus, harmful student speech on the Internet. The article explores the characteristics of this harmful speech, including (a) the speech originates off-campus. It has been created and disseminated without the use of school computers or Internet capabilities; (b) the speech has a school nexus. The speech relates to the district, the school, board members, administrators, teachers, or other students; (c) the speech is defamatory, constitutes bullying, harassment, or discrimination, discloses personal information, or contains offensive, vulgar, or derogatory comments; (d) the speech may occur in a variety of Internet locations. It may appear on a student-created Website, material posted to a Web log (“blogs”), or may be disseminated via some form of Internet communication, including e-mail, bulletin boards, chat, instant messaging and the like; and (e) the creator and disseminator of such speech is or appears to be a student.
Conjugation, number of Dewar resonance structures (DSs) in homologous polyzethrene and related conjugated polycyclic hydrocarbon series, and kinked versus straight

Kinked polyzethrenes are more stable than linear polyzethrenes making them better candidates as materials for organic electronic devices (e.g., organic field effect transistors, nonlinear optics, and semiconductors) because of their greater singlet biradical properties. For series of molecules constructed by successive attachment of a given aufbau unit, we are able to derive analytical or recursion expressions relating certain properties. For example, starting with a few known number of Dewar resonance structures (DSs) for such a series, one is often able to derive analytical or recursion expressions for these DS values by our method of successive differences which then lead to either constant or Fibonacci numbers, respectively. The increasing order of π-electronic stability of isomers with the same number of Kekule structures (K) is determined by their increasing number of DSs. Kinked polycyclic conjugated polyenes with a single classical structure (i.e., K = 1) are more conjugated and stable than their ...
Path Dependence and Creation

The article reviews the book ‘Path Dependence and Creation,’ by Raghu Garud and Peter Karnoe.
Navigation transponder survey: Design and analysis

Near bottom moored transponders are being used for precision navigation in the deep ocean. To use these navigation systems the relative positions of the transponders must be determined. Typically, a ship surveys the transponders by making slant range measurements from a series of survey points; the positions of the transponders are then estimated using standard nonlinear least square methods. In this paper we use some ideas from the design of nonlinear experiments to find survey patterns that can improve the estimates of the transponder positions. We will analyze the standard three transponder geometry. Our methods show that the accuracy of the least squares estimation procedure is very sensitive to the survey geometry. Careful design of the survey pattern can increase the accuracy of the survey by a factor of five to ten.
Richard Pagano (1944–2010)

View Large Image | Download PowerPoint SlideRichard Pagano. Photo courtesy of Mayo Clinic.With the death of Richard Pagano we have lost an imaginative and productive scientific colleague and, for many, a warm and generous friend. His friends are left with good memories. Science inherits his legacy of creative insight and achievement.Richard was determined, precise and enthusiastic in all he did. All this was tempered with great good humor; we could disagree or diverge with the best of grace. I treasure memories of the times we were colleagues at Johns Hopkins, from our lunch conversations over many – and any – subjects, to the time he burst out laughing at what I thought was an ingenious use of lab jacks on an optical table. We also shared a program project grant and during the writing he announced one day that the application ‘will be perfect’. With Richard on board it was as close to that goal as could be.Beginning with formal training in the biophysics of lipid bilayers, Richard Pagano's scientific trajectory led to his pioneering and innovative work on the cellular biochemistry of lipid synthesis and traffic, and beyond to insights into diseases of lipid storage. His use of fluorescent lipid analogs opened a new era of understanding lipid traffic along many cell pathways – secretory, endocytic and recycling – and then to probing how these pathways are perturbed in disease.Some science is ephemeral, cited for a few years and then forgotten. Some science is incorporated into textbooks. The best science becomes part of the texture and framework of scientific thought and experiment and Richard Pagano's work was of this sort.During his illness, Richard kept his eye on his lab, his science and his family. Our last email exchange, about two months before his death and in the midst of his chemotherapy, was about revising one of his grant applications. He set his disease aside and concentrated on the science. In the last week of his life, we spoke about his leaving the hospital and his anticipation of spending the upcoming Jewish holidays with family. This was not to be. We are left with memories of a life well lived and science well done.
Tunable platinum-ruthenium nanoparticle properties using microwave synthesis

Stable polymer coated platinum–ruthenium nanoparticles were prepared. The effects of several preparation parameters have been studied in view of optimizing the particles' composition and structure characteristics. Solutions of hexachloroplatinic acid and ruthenium chloride in ethylene glycol were reduced at 173 °C in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) with rapid refluxing in a commercial microwave system. These nanoparticles form stable colloidal solutions in ethanol for several months without any precipitation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed the presence of metallic clusters with a uniform size of about 2–3 nm. Photo-correlation spectroscopy (PCS) measurements revealed an average hydrodynamic particle size of about 10 nm. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicates that most of the Pt and Ru atoms are in reduced metallic state. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) revealed alloyed single-crystal clusters with diameters barely smaller than corresponding TEM measurements. The above TEM, PCS, XPS and XRD observations converge on a simple picture of monodisperse, uniformly alloyed Pt–Ru nanoparticles with uniform diameters in the range of 2–3 nm for the PVP-coated samples. Their compositions are comparable with the metal content of the reactants. The PVP layer is less than 7 nm thick, and probably very porous. In the absence of PVP, agglomerated, larger nanoparticles were obtained with a Pt-rich core and Ru-rich shell.
Modulation of epileptiform activity by glutamine and system A transport in a model of post-traumatic epilepsy

Epileptic activity arises from an imbalance in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. To determine if alterations in the metabolism of glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter, might contribute to epilepsy we directly and indirectly modified levels of glutamine, an immediate precursor of synaptically released glutamate, in the rat neocortical undercut model of hyperexcitability and epilepsy. We show that slices from injured cortex take up glutamine more readily than control slices, and an increased expression of the system A transporters SNAT1 and SNAT2 likely underlies this difference. We also examined the effect of exogenous glutamine on evoked and spontaneous activity and found that addition of physiological concentrations of glutamine to perfusate of slices isolated from injured cortex increased the incidence and decreased the refractory period of epileptiform potentials. By contrast, exogenous glutamine increased the amplitude of evoked potentials in normal cortex, but did not induce epileptiform potentials. Addition of physiological concentrations of glutamine to perfusate of slices isolated from injured cortex greatly increased abnormal spontaneous activity in the form of events resembling spreading depression, again while having no effect on slices from normal cortex. Interestingly, similar spreading depression like events were noted in control slices at supraphysiological levels of glutamine. In the undercut cortex addition of methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB), an inhibitor of the system A glutamine transporters attenuated all physiological effects of added glutamine suggesting that uptake through these transporters is required for the effect of glutamine. Our findings support a role for glutamine transport through SNAT1 and/or SNAT2 in the maintenance of abnormal activity in this in vitro model of epileptogenesis and suggest that system A transport and glutamine metabolism are potential targets for pharmacological intervention in seizures and epilepsy.
Ameloblasts require active RhoA to generate normal dental enamel

RhoA plays a fundamental role in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, intercellular attachment, and cell proliferation. During amelogenesis, ameloblasts (which produce the enamel proteins) undergo dramatic cytoskeletal changes and the RhoA protein level is up-regulated. Transgenic mice were generated that express a dominant-negative RhoA transgene in ameloblasts using amelogenin gene-regulatory sequences. Transgenic and wild-type (WT) molar tooth germs were incubated with sodium fluoride (NaF) or sodium chloride (NaCl) in organ culture. Filamentous actin (F-actin) stained with phalloidin was elevated significantly in WT ameloblasts treated with NaF compared with WT ameloblasts treated with NaCl or with transgenic ameloblasts treated with NaF, thereby confirming a block in the RhoA/Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) pathway in the transgenic mice. Little difference in quantitative fluorescence (an estimation of fluorosis) was observed between WT and transgenic incisors from mice provided with drinking water containing NaF. We subsequently found reduced transgene expression in incisors compared with molars. Transgenic molar teeth had reduced amelogenin, E-cadherin, and Ki67 compared with WT molar teeth. Hypoplastic enamel in transgenic mice correlates with reduced expression of the enamel protein, amelogenin, and E-cadherin and cell proliferation are regulated by RhoA in other tissues. Together these findings reveal deficits in molar ameloblast function when RhoA activity is inhibited.
Enhanced cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury with combining sildenafil with low-dose atorvastatin.

Purpose: Both ATV and SL reduce myocardial infarct size (IS) by enhancing expression and activity of NOS isoforms. We investigated whether atorvastatin (ATV) and sildenafil (SL) have synergistic effects on myocardial infarct size (IS) reduction and enhancing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression. Method: Rats were randomized to nine groups: ATV-1 (1 mg/kg/d); ATV-10 (10 mg/kg/d); SL-0.7 (0.7 mg/kg); SL-1 (1 mg/kg); ATV-1 + SL-0.7; water alone (controls); 1400W (iNOS inhibitor; 1 mg/kg); ATV-10 + 1400W; and ATV-1 + SL-0.7 + 1400W. ATV was administered orally for 3 days. SL was administered intraperitoneally 18 h before surgery and 1400W intravenously 15 min before surgery. Rats either underwent 30 min ischemia-4 h reperfusion or the hearts were explanted for immunoblotting and enzyme activity tests without being exposed to ischemia. Results: IS (% risk area, mean ± SEM) was smaller in the ATV-10 (13 ± 1%), SL-1 (11 ± 2%), SL-0.7 (18 ± 2%) and ATV-1 + SL-0.7 (9 ± 1%) groups as compared with controls (34 ± 3%; P < 0.001), whereas ATV-1 had no effect (29 ± 2%). ATV-1 + SL-0.7 (9 ± 1%) reduced IS more than SL-0.7 alone (p = 0.012). 1400W abrogated the protective effect of ATV-10 (35 ± 3%) and ATV-1 + SL-0.7 (34 ± 1%). SL-0.7 and ATV-10 increased phosphorylated endothelial (P-eNOS; 210 ± 2.5% and 220 ± 8%) and inducible (iNOS; 151 ± 1% and 154 ± 1%) NOS expression, whereas ATV-1 did not. These changes were significantly enhanced by ATV-1 + SL-0.7 (P-eNOS, 256 ± 2%, iNOS 195 ± 1%). SL-1 increased P-eNOS (311 ± 22%) and iNOS (185 ± 1%) concentrations. Conclusions: Combining low-dose ATV with SL augments the IS limiting effects through enhanced P-eNOS and iNOS expression.
Dynamical Backaction of Microwave Fields on a Nanomechanical Oscillator

We measure the response and thermal motion of a high-Q nanomechanical oscillator coupled to a superconducting microwave cavity in the resolved-sideband regime where the oscillator's resonance frequency exceeds the cavity's linewidth. The coupling between the microwave field and mechanical motion is strong enough for radiation pressure to overwhelm the intrinsic mechanical damping. This radiation-pressure damping cools the fundamental mechanical mode by a factor of 5 below the thermal equilibrium temperature in a dilution refrigerator to a phonon occupancy of 140 quanta.
Laser Damage Thresholds for Ocular Tissues

Abstract Safe laser exposure levels have enormous commercial and military ramifications and must be set neither too high nor too low. Linear thermal models indicate ranges over which thresholds increase with increasing exposure time and decreasing spot size. Reported thresholds depend on the damage criterion used. There are significant experimental uncertainties in determining energy distribution on the retina at both small and large spot sizes. Human threshold values extrapolated from animal data may be questionable, but human data are being gathered. Graphs comparing theoretical models, experimental threshold values, and recommended safe levels are shown; references to original data are given.
Advancing the pharmacy practice model through statewide resident collaboration.

In 2011, ASHP and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation published recommendations from the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI).[1][1] The recommendations set ambitious goals for national pharmacy practice advancement and individual pharmacy departments. For the past two years, the
Spindles get the Ran around

Despite its fundamental role in cell division, the mitotic spindle remains an enigmatic figure in cell biology. This is due to the complex dynamic behaviour of microtubules, which form the spindle fibres responsible for segregating chromosomes to opposite ends of the cell during mitosis. Recent reports indicate that the small GTPase Ran, which plays a key role in nuclear transport, also has a role in mitosis by regulating microtubule nucleation and/or growth. The race is now on to determine how Ran exerts its effects on spindle assembly.
The Religious Content of Dreams: A New Scientific Foundation

Dream content is meaningfully related to waking life religiosity, so much so that reading a person’s dream reports “blindly,” without any other personal information or associations from the dreamer, can reveal with surprising accuracy his or her basic waking attitude toward religion and spirituality. Two long-term dream journals are analyzed in this manner, and the results demonstrate that dream content is an accurate reflection of a person’s religious beliefs, practices, and experiences. The significance of this for pastoral psychologists lies not in specific new techniques of dream interpretation but more fundamentally in supporting the practice of paying attention to dreams in the first place. The goal of the article is to build a bridge between pastoral psychological interest in dreams and the latest findings in the scientific study of dreaming. Contrary to the assumption that religion and science inevitably conflict with each other, dreaming offers an area of potential religion–science convergence.
β2-adrenergic receptor activation delays dermal fibroblast-mediated contraction of collagen gels via a cAMP-dependent mechanism

Dermal fibroblasts actively contribute to wound healing by migrating to the wound, synthesizing extracellular matrices, and generating mechanical forces within the wound to initiate wound contraction. Fibroblast-seeded collagen gels provide an in vitro model to study wound contraction. The authors are evaluating the role of the adrenergic signaling system in cutaneous wound repair and recently found that beta2-adrenergic receptor (beta2-AR) activation markedly decreases keratinocyte migration, an essential step in wound reepithelialization. Because the beta2-ARs are also expressed on dermal fibroblasts, a study was initiated to determine the effects of beta-adrenergic agonists on dermal fibroblast-mediated collagen gel contraction. A beta-agonist (isoproterenol) delayed gel contraction in a dose-dependent manner. A beta2-AR specific antagonist (ICI 118,551) prevented the delay, indicating that the beta2-AR alone mediated the delay. The active cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) analog also delayed collagen gel contraction, whereas an inactive cAMP analog partially prevented the delay, suggesting that the mechanism for beta-AR agonist-mediated delay was partly cAMP-dependent. Identifying and characterizing agents that modulate wound contraction improves understanding of the wound healing process and could result in novel therapeutic strategies for preventing unwanted wound contraction in burn and trauma patients.
A novel chimeric ribozyme vector produces potent inhibition of ICAM-1 expression on ischemic vascular endothelium.

Background Inhibition of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression can ameliorate the inflammation induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in animal models. However, current strategies to reduce ICAM-1 expression have been limited by the lack of stability, poor specificity, and the transient nature of synthesized regulatory molecules (antisense/ribozyme). Methods A chimeric expression vector was generated by fusing a ribozyme targeting sequence against ICAM-1 to stabilizing stem-loop structures and nuclear localization signals that are components of endogenous U1 small nuclear RNA. Oligonucleotide scanning was used to predict accessible sites for targeting within the rat ICAM-1 transcript. Efficacy of the chimeric ribozyme vector was tested by transfection of rat aortic endothelial (RAE) cells (in vitro) and intraportal delivery in a rat hepatic IRI model (in vivo). Results Transfection of RAE cells with the chimeric ribozyme vector produced potent and specific inhibition of ICAM-1 mRNA and protein levels by >65%. This reduction in ICAM-1 expression was accompanied by a proportional decrease in neutrophil adhesion to RAE cells. In vivo intraportal delivery of the chimeric targeting vector to rats sustaining hepatic IRI produced a marked reduction in ICAM-1 expression on liver endothelium after reperfusion. Conclusions A chimeric ribozyme vector effectively inhibited ICAM-1 expression in vascular endothelial cells and in rat liver following IRI, demonstrating a novel gene targeting technique that may be ideally suited to clinical applications aimed at ameliorating IRI. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spin correlation and analyzing power measurements for neutron-proton radiative capture at Tn=183 MeV.

We have measured the spin correlation coefficient ([ital C][sub [ital N][ital N]]) and the neutron and proton analyzing powers ([ital A][sub [ital n]] and [ital A][sub [ital p]]) for the [ital [rvec n][rvec p]][r arrow][ital d][gamma] reaction at a neutron beam energy of 183 MeV. Calculations of the spin correlation are particularly sensitive to the treatment of mesonic and isobaric currents. Predictions that include both explicit photon couplings to exchanged mesons and intermediate isobar states, and relativistic correction terms in the Hamiltonian, agree well with our data, thus demonstrating the quantitative accuracy of present treatments of meson-exchange currents at moderate momentum transfer ([ital q][similar to]1[minus]2 fm[sup [minus]1]).
The relative efficacy of bona fide psychotherapies for treating post-traumatic stress disorder: a meta-analysis of direct comparisons

Psychotherapy has been found to be an effective treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but meta-analyses have yielded inconsistent results on relative efficacy of psychotherapies in the treatment of PTSD. The present meta-analysis controlled for potential confounds in previous PTSD meta-analyses by including only bona fide psychotherapies, avoiding categorization of psychotherapy treatments, and using direct comparison studies only. The primary analysis revealed that effect sizes were homogenously distributed around zero for measures of PTSD symptomology, and for all measures of psychological functioning, indicating that there were no differences between psychotherapies. Additionally, the upper bound of the true effect size between PTSD psychotherapies was quite small. The results suggest that despite strong evidence of psychotherapy efficaciousness vis-a-vis no treatment or common factor controls, bona fide psychotherapies produce equivalent benefits for patients with PTSD.
Neurophysiologic study of olivopontocerebellar atrophy with or without glutamate dehydrogenase deficiency

By neurophysiologic investigations, we evaluated 20 patients with olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), comprising 8 with glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) deficiency and 12 with normal GDH activity. We found sensorimotor, predominantly sensory axonal neuropathy distally in the legs, and peripheral auditory nerve dysfunction (prolonged wave I but normal interpeak latencies in brainstem auditory evoked response) in GDH-deficient patients. These findings seem distinctive enough to serve as the electrophysiologic marker for diagnosis and monitoring of treatment and progression of the disease. The pattern-reversal visual and median nerve somatosensory evoked responses did not differ among the patients and controls.
Radiation characteristics of cylindrical dielectric resonator antennas with new applications

Last fall (1987), I was invited to give lectures at the Institute of Electromagnetic Radiation, Shanghai University of Technology (SUT), in China. It was a series of unforgettable, deeply impressive experiences for me (photo 1). Vice Director of the Institute, Professor Shuozhong Wang, published the Institute's progress in the Newsletter of Shanghai, Gongye Daxue, dated December 20, 1987. Of course, it is written in Chinese; Professor Wang translated into English as follows.
Genetics of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract.

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) occur in 1 in 500 births and are a major cause of morbidity in children. Notably, CAKUT account for the most cases of pediatric end-stage renal disease and predispose the individual to hypertension and cardiovascular disease throughout life. Although some forms of CAKUT are a part of a syndrome or are associated with a positive family history, most cases of renal system anomalies are sporadic and isolated to the urinary tract. Broad phenotypic spectrum of CAKUT and variability in genotype–phenotype correlation indicate that pathogenesis of CAKUT is a complex process that depends on interplay of many factors. This review focuses on the genetic mechanisms (single-gene mutations, modifier genes) leading to renal system anomalies in humans and discusses emerging insights into the role of epigenetics, in utero environmental factors, and micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis of CAKUT. Common gene networks that function in defined temporospatial fashion to orchestrate renal system morphogenesis are highlighted. Derangements in cellular, molecular, and morphogenetic mechanisms that direct normal renal system development are emphasized as a major cause of CAKUT. Integrated understanding of how morphogenetic process disruptions are linked to CAKUT will enable improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital renal system anomalies and their consequences.
ORACLE: optimization with recourse of analog circuits including layout extraction

Long design cycles due to the inability to predict silicon realities is a well-known problem that plagues analog/RF integrated circuit product development. As this problem worsens for technologies below 100nm, the high cost of design and multiple manufacturing spins causes fewer products to have the volume required to support full custom implementation. Design reuse and analog synthesis make analog/RF design more affordable; however, the increasing process variability and lack of modeling accuracy remains extremely challenging for nanoscale analog/RF design. We propose an analog/RF circuit design methodology ORACLE, which is a combination of reuse and \emph{shared-use by formulating the synthesis problem as an \emph{optimization with recourse problem. Using a two-stage geometric programming with recourse approach, ORACLE solves for both the globally optimal shared and application-specific variables. Concurrently, we demonstrate ORACLE for novel metal-mask configurable designs, where a range of applications share common underlying structure and application-specific customization is performed using the metal-mask layers. We also include the silicon validation of the metal-mask configurable designs.