cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Influence on Vapor-and Particle-Phase Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations in School Communities Located in Southern California

Ambient concentrations of 15 vapor-and particle-phase (PM 2.5 ) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), listed by the US EPA as priority pollutants, were measured between July 2002 and November 2003 in six Southern California communities participating in a multi-year chronic respiratory health study of schoolchildren. The communities were geographically distributed over two hundred kilometers, extending from Long Beach in coastal Los Angeles, to high mountain areas to the north and west of the Los Angeles basin, and south into Eastern San Diego County. Seasonal and spatial variation in the atmospheric concentrations of PAHs is of interest because this class of compounds includes potent mutagens, carcinogens, and species capable of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may lead to oxidative stress. Naphthalene accounted for 95% of the total PAH mass; annual averages ranged from 89 to 142 ng m − 3 . Benzo[ghi]perylene (BGP) and the pro-carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BAP), present almost exclusively in ...
Estimates of Cl atom concentrations and hydrocarbon kinetic reactivity in surface air at Appledore Island, Maine (USA), during International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation/Chemistry of Halogens at the Isles of Shoals

[1] Average hydroxyl radical (OH) to chlorine atom (Cl·) ratios ranging from 45 to 119 were determined from variability-lifetime relationships for selected nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC) in surface air from six different transport sectors arriving at Appledore Island, Maine, during July 2004. Multiplying these ratios by an assumed average OH concentration of 2.5 × 106 cm−3 yielded estimates of Cl· concentrations of 2.2 to 5.6 × 104 cm−3. Summed reaction rates of methane and more than 30 abundant NMHCs with OH and Cl· suggest that Cl· reactions increased the kinetic reactivity of hydrocarbons by 16% to 30% over that due to OH alone in air associated with the various transport sectors. Isoprene and other abundant biogenic alkenes were the most important hydrocarbon contributors after methane to overall kinetic reactivity.
Make the Context Work for You: Faculty in a Changing Academic Medicine Landscape

Academic medicine’s landscape is dynamically adjusting. The changes are accelerating and these alterations are impacting both the faculty workforce as a whole and individual faculty members. This article reviews workforce and institutional changes within academic medicine and supports the need for faculty members to adapt to this changing landscape. Resources to maintain an understanding of these ongoing changes are reviewed. A faculty life-cycle model is proposed as a context for developing a personal action plan. Career management steps are suggested to facilitate career productivity and satisfaction. Finally, we propose that psychologists, being human behavior experts, are well positioned to contribute within the transformation of academic medicine.
PINK1-mediated Phosphorylation of Miro Inhibits Synaptic Growth and Protects Dopaminergic Neurons in Drosophila

Mutations in the mitochondrial Ser/Thr kinase PINK1 cause Parkinson's disease. One of the substrates of PINK1 is the outer mitochondrial membrane protein Miro, which regulates mitochondrial transport. In this study, we uncovered novel physiological functions of PINK1-mediated phosphorylation of Miro, using Drosophila as a model. We replaced endogenous Drosophila Miro (DMiro) with transgenically expressed wildtype, or mutant DMiro predicted to resist PINK1-mediated phosphorylation. We found that the expression of phospho-resistant DMiro in a DMiro null mutant background phenocopied a subset of phenotypes of PINK1 null. Specifically, phospho-resistant DMiro increased mitochondrial movement and synaptic growth at larval neuromuscular junctions, and decreased the number of dopaminergic neurons in adult brains. Therefore, PINK1 may inhibit synaptic growth and protect dopaminergic neurons by phosphorylating DMiro. Furthermore, muscle degeneration, swollen mitochondria and locomotor defects found in PINK1 null flies were not observed in phospho-resistant DMiro flies. Thus, our study established an in vivo platform to define functional consequences of PINK1-mediated phosphorylation of its substrates.
Prehospital advanced life support for major trauma: critical need for clinical trials

A widely diverse body of information exists on the use of Advanced Life Support procedures by prehospital personnel. We compared and contrasted the literature that currently exists on this topic. We examined methodologies, results, and conclusions for each article. We also stress the need for critical clinical evaluations in this arena.
Modeling of laser interactions with composite materials

We develop models of laser interactions with composite materials consisting of fibers embedded within a matrix. A ray-trace model is shown to determine the absorptivity, absorption depth, and optical power enhancement within the material, as well as the angular distribution of the reflected light. We also develop a macroscopic model, which provides physical insight and overall results. We show that the parameters in this model can be determined from the ray trace model.
From public sphere to public screen: democracy, activism, and the "violence" of Seattle

The WTO protests in Seattle witnessed the emergence of an international citizens' movement for democratic globalization. With the tactical exploitation of television, the internet, and other technologies, Seattle also witnessed the enactment of forms of activism adapted to a wired society. In the wake of Seattle, this essay introduces the “public screen” as a necessary supplement to the metaphor of the public sphere for understanding today's political scene. While a public sphere orientation inevitably finds contemporary discourse wanting, viewing such discourse through the prism of the public screen provokes a consideration of new forms of participatory democracy. In comparison to the public sphere's privileging of rationality, embodied conversations, consensus, and civility, the public screen highlights dissemination, images, hypermediacy, publicity, distraction, and dissent. Using the Seattle WTO protests as a case study and focusing on the dynamic of violence and the media, we argue that the public sc...
Isolated cardiac muscle performance during fluorocarbon immersion and effects of metabolic blockade.

SummaryThe mechanical performance of isolated trabecular muscle preparations from the left ventricle of rats was evaluated while immersed in Krebs-Henseleit and fluorocar-bon solution under oxygenated conditions and during hypoxia and total metabolic blockade with combined hypoxia and iodoa-cetic acid 10-4M. Under oxygenated conditions, mechanical performance was relatively stable in both Krebs-Henseleit and fluorocar-bon solutions for 60 minutes. With glycolytic blockade, performance in both groups was relatively stable, although it was significantly increased in fluorocarbon solution in comparison to Krebs-Henseleit solution at 60 min (P < 0.01). With total metabolic blockade, mechanical performance fell to zero within 10 min in both Krebs-Henseleit and fluorocarbon solution. With hypoxia alone, mechanical performance declined more promptly and remained at lower levels in fluorocarbon solution than in Krebs-Henseleit solution (P < 0.001).
Energy storage system sizing for rotor angle stability of synchronous generators

This paper explores the sizing of shunt connected energy storage devices for damping power system oscillations. An analysis based on small signal modeling of synchronous generator incorporating energy storage is presented and is compared with simulations in PSCAD/EMTDC. This model may provide insight into energy storage system rating and the damping achieved. The rating issue is also explored by comparing two feedback controllers utilizing the energy storage.
Uric acid, a peroxynitrite scavenger, inhibits CNS inflammation, blood–CNS barrier permeability changes, and tissue damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis

Peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), a toxic product of the free radicals nitric oxide and superoxide, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CNS inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis and its animal correlate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In this study we have assessed the mode of action of uric acid (UA), a purine metabolite and ONOO(-) scavenger, in the treatment of EAE. We show that if administered to mice before the onset of clinical EAE, UA interferes with the invasion of inflammatory cells into the CNS and prevents development of the disease. In mice with active EAE, exogenously administered UA penetrates the already compromised blood-CNS barrier, blocks ONOO(-)-mediated tyrosine nitration and apoptotic cell death in areas of inflammation in spinal cord tissues and promotes recovery of the animals. Moreover, UA treatment suppresses the enhanced blood-CNS barrier permeability characteristic of EAE. We postulate that UA acts at two levels in EAE: 1) by protecting the integrity of the blood-CNS barrier from ONOO(-)-induced permeability changes such that cell invasion and the resulting pathology is minimized; and 2) through a compromised blood-CNS barrier, by scavenging the ONOO(-) directly responsible for CNS tissue damage and death.
Use of trace element abundances in augite and hornblende to determine the size, connectivity, timing, and evolution of magma batches in a tilted batholith

The tilted Wooley Creek batholith (Klamath Mountains, California, USA) consists of three main zones. Field and textural relationships in the older lower zone suggest batchwise emplacement. However, compositions of augite from individual samples plot along individually distinct fractionation trends, confi rming emplacement as magma batches that did not interact extensively. The younger upper zone is upwardly zoned from tonalite to granite. Major and trace element compositions of hornblende show similar variations from sample to sample, indicating growth from a single magma batch that was homogenized by convection and then evolved via upward percolation of interstitial melt. Highly porphyritic dacitic roof dikes, the hornblende compositions of which match those of upper zone rocks, demonstrate that the upper zone mush was eruptible. The central zone contains rocks of both lower and upper zone age, although in most samples hornblende compositions match those of the upper zone. The zone is rich in synplutonic dikes and mafi c magmatic enclaves. These features indicate that the central zone was a broad transition zone between upper and lower parts of the batholith and preserves part of the feeder system to the upper zone. Homogenization of the upper zone was probably triggered by the arrival of mafi c magma in the central zone. Continued emplacement of mafi c magmas may have provided heat that permitted differentiation of the upper zone magma by upward melt percolation. This study illustrates the potential for use of trace element compositions and variation in rock-forming minerals to identify individual magma batches, assess interactions between them, and characterize magmatic processes.
Predictions of tumour morphological stability and evaluation against experimental observations

The hallmark of malignant tumours is their spread into neighbouring tissue and metastasis to distant organs, which can lead to life threatening consequences. One of the defining characteristics of aggressive tumours is an unstable morphology, including the formation of invasive fingers and protrusions observed both in vitro and in vivo. In spite of extensive biological, clinical and modelling study and research at physical scales ranging from the molecular to the tissue, the driving dynamics of tumour invasiveness are not completely understood, partly because it is challenging to observe and study cancer as a multi-scale system. Mathematical modelling has been applied to provide further insights into these complex invasive and metastatic behaviours. Modelling a solid tumour as an incompressible fluid, we consider three possible constitutive relations to describe tumour growth, namely Darcy's law, Stokes' law and the combined Darcy–Stokes law. We study the tumour morphological stability described by each model and evaluate the consistency between theoretical model predictions and experimental data from in vitro three-dimensional multicellular tumour spheroids. The analysis reveals that the Stokes model is the most consistent with the experimental observations, and that it predicts our experimental tumour growth is marginally stable. We further show that it is feasible to extract parameter values from a limited set of data and create a self-consistent modelling framework that can be extended to the multi-scale study of cancer.
N-terminal acetylation and protonation of individual hemoglobin subunits: Position-dependent effects on tetramer strength and cooperativity

The presence of alanine (Ala) or acetyl serine (AcSer) instead of the normal Val residues at the N-terminals of either the α- or the β-subunits of human adult hemoglobin confers some novel and unexpected features on the protein. Mass spectrometric analysis confirmed that these substitutions were correct and that they were the only ones. Circular dichroism studies indicated no global protein conformational changes, and isoelectric focusing showed the absence of impurities. The presence of Ala at the N-terminals of the α-subunits of liganded hemoglobin results in a significantly increased basicity (increased pKa values) and a reduction in the strength of subunit interactions at the allosteric tetramer–dimer interface. Cooperativity in O2 binding is also decreased. Substitution of Ala at the N-terminals of the β-subunits gives neither of these effects. The substitution of Ser at the N terminus of either subunit leads to its complete acetylation (during expression) and a large decrease in the strength of the tetramer–dimer allosteric interface. When either Ala or AcSer is present at the N terminus of the α-subunit, the slope of the plot of the tetramer–dimer association/dissociation constant as a function of pH is decreased by 60%. It is suggested that since the network of interactions involving the N and C termini of the α-subunits is less extensive than that of the β-subunits in liganded human hemoglobin disruptions there are likely to have a profound effect on hemoglobin function such as the increased basicity, the effects on tetramer strength, and on cooperativity.
The Missing Parts of the Towneley Cycle

DESPITE a number of scholarly editions and textual studies, the manuscript of the Towneley plays suirprisingly has yet to be examined closely for its missing parts. It will be my purpose in this paper to undertake such an examination and to discuss the textual as well as historical significance of the most important lacunae in the manuscript. In so doing, I shall propose two major conclusions: first, that the Towneley cycle once contained a very full set of banns, and second, that the largest lacuna in the manuscript is tie result of editorial tampering linked with the Reformation. The Towneley MS, owned by the Henry E. Huntington Library (Accessioni Mark HM 1), consists of 132 folio leaves of vellum, twelve inches long by eight and one half inches wide. It is bound into nineteen quires or parts of quires, each of which originally contained eight leaves. Extant signatures range from b to V and appear on the first four leaves of each quire. The last four leaves, though unmarked, are conjugate with the first four so that the first leaf is joined with the eighth, the second with the seventh, the third with the sixth, and the fourth with the fifth. All extaInt signatures, moreover, appear in the lower right-hand corner, and all are in black except two (1 and s), which are in red.2 In my recent examination of the malnuscript, I noted that the quires b to r are clearly visible. But the exta nt quires from s to V are sewn together. This latter observation, extending on one made by Louis Wann in an earlier examination,3 is of some importance to my argument since it has to do with one of the major lacunae in the manuscript. In proceeding now with a description of the several lacunne, I wish first briefly to note two about which I h.ave nothing new to add except to say that bo-Lh involve the loss of the two middle leaves in a quire. Both are, therefore, quite likely the result of accidental loss. The first of these occurs in Quire d, between f. 15v of the unfinished Abraham play aInd f. 16r, the middle of the fragmentary Isaac play. The two missing leaves, therefore, contained the en(I of the Abraham play and the beginning of the Isaac play. The second of these la.cunae occuirs between f. 61v
Clinical and Radiographic Natural History of Cervical Artery Dissections

Background Cervical artery dissection (CADsx) is a common cause of stroke in young patients, but long-term clinical and radiographic follow-up from a large population is lacking. Methods Epidemiologic data, treatment, recurrence, and other features were extracted from the records of all patients seen at our stroke center with confirmed CAD during a 15-year period. A subset of cases was examined to provide detailed information about vessel status. Results In all, 177 patients (mean age 44.0 ± 11.1 years) were identified, with the male patients being older than the female patients. Almost 60% of dissections were spontaneous, whereas the remainder involved some degree of head and/or neck trauma. More than 70% of patients were treated with anticoagulation. During follow-up (mean 18.2 months; 0-220 months) there were 15 cases (8.5%) of recurrent ischemic events, and two cases (1.1%) of a recurrent dissection. About half of recurrent stroke/transient ischemic attack events occurred within 2 weeks of presentation. There was no clear association between the choice of antithrombotic agent and recurrent ischemic events. Detailed analysis of imaging findings was performed in 51 cases. Some degree of recanalization was seen in 58.8% of patients overall, and was more frequent in women. The average time to total or near-total recanalization was 4.7 ± 2.5 months. Patients with complete occlusions at presentation tended not to recanalize. Conclusions This large series from a single institution highlights many of the features of CAD. A relatively benign course with low recurrence rate is supported, independent of the type and duration of antithrombotic therapy.
Effects on the fetal rat intestine of maternal malnutrition and exposure to nitrofen (2,4‐dichlorophenyl‐p‐nitrophenyl ether)

The effects of maternal protein-energy malnutrition and exposure to nitrofen on selected aspects of intestinal morphology and function were studied in the fetal rat. Pregnant rats were fed, throughout gestation, diets containing 24% or 6% casein as the sole source of protein. Reduced total food intake produced protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). Each diet group was divided in half and gavaged with either 12.5 mg nitrofen in corn oil/kg/day or corn oil carrier only from days 7 to 21 of gestation. Body weight, intestinal weight, length, and diameter were measured as were villus length (VL), villus width (VW), and number of villi per length of intestine (VMM). Protein (horseradish peroxidase) and lipid absorption were studied histochemically. Lactase and dipeptidase activities were determined in proximal, medial, and distal thirds of the intestine. Results showed that the restricted maternal diet resulted in reduced fetal body weight (BW), intestinal weight (IW) and length (IL), reduced IW/BW and IW/IL ratios, VH, and VMM. The VW was reduced only in the distal third. Protein and lipid absorption were unaffected. Lactase and dipeptidase activities were reduced. Maternal nitrofen exposure resulted in reduced body weight, intestinal size, and lipid absorption, with some evidence of interaction with the diet effects on enzyme activities. It is concluded that effects of maternal malnutrition were extensive, but that nitrofen exposure, at this dosage level, is not likely to contribute to the postnatal fetal mortality rate in either adequately nourished or malnourished rats.
FimZ Is a Molecular Link between Sticking and Swimming in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium produces two types of filamentous appendages on its surface. Fimbriae mediate adherence to tissues and cells via receptor-specific interactions, and flagella are the organelles of motility. These appendages play a role in colonization and dissemination, respectively, from infected surfaces and may be important components of bacterial survival. Increased expression of FimZ in serovar Typhimurium resulted in bacteria which were hyperfimbriated but were nonmotile in soft agar. This lack of motility was associated with down regulation of the flhDC master flagellar operon. Therefore, FimZ represents a molecular connection between flagella and fimbrial formation in serovar Typhimurium, indicating that the synthesis of flagella and fimbriae are oppositely controlled.
Surface-potential-based MOSFET models with introduction to PSP (invited)

We review compact modeling techniques that enable a surface-potential-based approach to modeling MOS transistors. These include symmetric linearization method, an analytical approximation of surface potential and surfacepotential-based extrinsic device model. General techniques are illustrated by application to the PSP model.
Effects of mode and carbohydrate on the granulocyte and monocyte response to intensive, prolonged exercise

The influence of exercise mode and 6% carbohydrate (C) vs. placebo (P) beverage ingestion on granulocyte and monocyte phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity (GMPOB) after prolonged and intensive...
Nihilismo y jovialidad: escorzo del protagonista de la novela de vanguardia española

Como ya empieza a ser bien sabido, al calor de la renovacion estetica de entreguerras se produjo en la literatura espanola un extraordinario florecimiento no solo de la poesia, sino tambien de la p...
Temperature Profiles in a Finite Element Thermal Model of the Prostate Region Under Hyperthermia Treatment

The detailed transient temperature distribution in an inhomogeneous model of a cross section through the prostate region of the human body undergoing hyperthermia treatment for cancer has been calculated. The finite element method has been used to solve the bioheat transfer equation. A commercially available finite element software package called ANSYS® has been adapted to the present problem. The model consists of 523 triangular elements and incorporates a tumor in the prostate. The hyperthermia device under test is an Annular Phased Array consisting of dipole antennas. The model is surrounded by a bolus of deionized water. The calculated electromagnetic energy distribution is input into the bioheat transfer equation and the resulting temperature distributions calculated. The increase in blood perfusion rates due to heating is incorporated into the model. Detailed transient temperature profiles in the finite element model are presented for various values of blood perfusion rates in the tumor and surrounding tissues. It is observed that the Annular Phased Array is effective in raising the temperature of the tumor to therapeutic values.
A Locus Mapping to Mouse Chromosome 7 Determines Infarct Volume in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Stroke

Background— In a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia, infarct volume is highly variable and strain dependent, but the natural genetic determinants responsible for this difference remain unknown....
GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT OF SPECIATION IN A RADIATION OF HAWAIIAN TETRAGNATHA SPIDERS (ARANEAE, TETRAGNATHIDAE)

Abstract Adaptive radiation involves the diversification of species each adapted to exploit different ecological roles. I have studied a radiation of spiders in the genus Tetragnatha (Tetragnathidae) in the Hawaiian Islands to elucidate processes involved in such diversification. The temporal framework of the Hawaiian Islands allows examination of the changing pattern of adaptive radiation over time, as lineages have generally progressed down the island chain from older to younger islands. Species of Tetragnatha in the spiny-leg clade on any one island are typically most closely related to others on the same island, and the same set of ecological forms (ecomorphs) has evolved repeatedly on different islands. These results indicate that adaptive radiation frequently involves ecological divergence between sister taxa to allow multiple close relatives to co-occur in the same habitat. The current study examines the geographical context within which these species arose. I focus on a clade of 5 species that occ...
Comparison of Different Approaches to ICP Dominated Pulse Extraction

Changes of ICP waveform morphology are characterized with different patients' states like hypertension, hydrocephalus and traumatic brain injury etc. Morphological clustering and analysis of ICP pulse (MOCAIP) approach is recently developed to extract ICP morphology feature, in which hierarchical clustering is used to extract the dominated pulse. In this paper, we evaluate the feasibility of using principle component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA) to extract dominated pulse. The comparative study among clustering, PCA and ICP based approaches shows that PCA approach may be an alternative of clustering approach to extract dominated pulse in a faster fashion when dataset is of large size.
A 32nm low power RF CMOS SOC technology featuring high-k/metal gate

A 32nm RF SOC technology is developed with high-k/metal-gate triple-transistor architecture simultaneously offering devices with high performance and very low leakage to address advanced RF/mobile communications markets. A high performance NMOS achieves an f T of 420GHz. Concurrently, a low leakage 30pA/um NMOS achieves an f T of 218GHz. Deep-nwell/guard rings improves noise isolation by >50dB. High Q inductors, >7V breakdown voltage power amplifier transistors, varactors, and precision passives are also presented.
Reliability of Bridge Decks in the United States

Deterioration of bridge decks in the United States is an important issue due to its major impact on bridge maintenance costs nationwide. In this paper, results of survival (reliability) analyses performed on bridge data for all fifty states and Puerto Rico are presented. Data were obtained from the 2011 National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database. The end of service life is defined as a recorded NBI bridge deck rating of 5. Only non-reconstructed bridges and conventional bridge types and decks were considered. The NBI-derived parameters included in the analyses were age, average daily traffic (ADT), deck surface area, and deck rating. Each state’s data were analyzed separately to assess and compare relative performance among the states. Deck reliability at an age of fifty years ranges from less than 20% to over 90% . The geographic regions with the highest overall 50-year reliability are generally in the northeastern and northern United States.
The effects of impoundment and non-native species on a river food web in Mexico's central plateau

Habitat modifications, non-native species and other anthropogenic impacts have restructured fish communities in lotic ecosystems of central Mexico. Conservation of native fishes requires understanding of food web changes resulting from the introduction of non-native species, flow alteration and other human impacts. Using δ13C and δ15N analysis of fishes and invertebrates we investigated the effects of non-native species, and reservoirs on food webs of the Laja river ecosystem (Guanajuato, central Mexico). We estimated trophic position (TP), relative trophic niche and food web dispersion at 11 reservoir, river and tailwater sites. Reservoirs and non-native fishes modified food webs in the Laja. Food web dispersion was greater in reservoir than in tailwater and river sites. Reservoir food webs had the greatest range of δ13C values, indicating a more diverse resource base compared to rivers. δ13C values increased with distance downstream from reservoirs, suggesting declining subsidies of river food webs by reservoir productivity. Stable isotopes revealed potential effects of non-native fishes on native fishes via predation or competition. Non-native Micropterus salmoides were top predators in the system. Non-natives Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis mossambicus and Carassius auratus exhibited lowest TP in the Laja but overlapped significantly with most native species, indicating potential for resource competition. Native Chirostoma jordani was the only species with a significantly different trophic niche from all other fish. Many rivers in central Mexico share similar anthropogenic impacts and similar biotas, such that food web patterns described here are likely indicative of other river systems in central Mexico. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2-methoxyestradiol induces interferon gene expression and apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells

2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME), a naturally occurring mammalian metabolite of 17beta-estradiol, has been implicated as a physiological inhibitor of tumor cell proliferation. In this study, the effects of 2-ME on cultured osteosarcomatous cells were investigated. Dose-dependent growth inhibition was observed in MG63 and TE85 human osteosarcoma cells exposed to 2-ME. The cell killing by 2-ME was ligand-specific; the immediate precursor (2-hydroxyestradiol), the parent compound (17beta-estradiol), and the equivalent metabolite of estrone (2-methoxyestrone) exhibited less potency and efficacy. Furthermore, 2-ME was similarly effective at killing immortalized human fetal osteoblastic cells (hFOB) with and without estrogen receptor-alpha and -beta and rat osteosarcoma cells (ROS17/2.8). The cytotoxicity of 2-ME was selective to transformed and immortalized osteoblastic cells; 2-ME (2 microm) had no effect on the proliferation of primary cultures of human osteoblasts. Co-treatment with the potent estrogen receptor ligand, ICI-182,780, did not reduce 2-ME-induced osteosarcoma cell death, implying that this action is not mediated by conventional estrogen receptors. The expression levels of bone matrix protein genes, type 1 collagen and osteonectin, were transiently reduced after 2-ME treatment, suggesting that the surviving cells are capable of producing bone matrix. The 2-ME-mediated killing of osteosarcoma cells was due to the induction of apoptosis; treatment induced expression of interferon genes within 12 h and histological evidence of apoptosis within 48 h of 2-ME treatment. Thus, our results demonstrate that 2-ME is highly cytotoxic to osteosarcoma cells but not normal osteoblasts. These findings suggest that further study of 2-ME as a potential intervention for treatment of osteosarcoma is warranted.
Biophysical approaches to salivary mucin structure, conformation and dynamics

Our understanding of the origins of the physical and biochemical properties of mucous glycoproteins is incomplete and not with out controversy. Recent molecular biological and biophysical studies revealing the architecture and solution structure and dynamics of a series of salivary mucins, invaluable toward resolving many of these questions, are discussed. Mucins are very large, structurally heterogeneous, and highly expanded molecules with the carbohydrate playing a key role in maintaining the extended mucin conformation.
Effectiveness of Thin Film Encapsulants for Reducing Evaporation during Rapid Thermal Processing of GaAs

A technique is described for direct measurement of evaporation of Ga and As from capped GaAs during RTP. Application of this method to the study of Si, SiO2, and Si3N4 caps with thicknesses of 20 nm to 60 nm provides a direct measure of the temperature ranges for which the caps are able to prevent evaporation during RTP. In addition, kinetic studies of the evaporation at slightly higher temperatures provides information useful for establishing the predominant evaporation mechanism. For the encapsulants studied, these measurements indicate that the observed evaporation is due to formation of cracks in the film during the initial 10 sec of RTP.
Evidence on the Determinants of Cash Holdings By Private and Public Companies

We examine the determinants of cash holdings in private and public companies. Using a sample of more than 280,000 U.K. private firms and 970,000 firm-year observations from the 1994-2010 period we show that cash holdings in private firms support both the trade-off theory and the financing hierarchy theory. The results indicate that cash holdings in private firms decrease significantly with size, net working capital and leverage. The evidence also shows that private firms that pay dividends hold more cash and that cash holdings increase significantly with capital expenditures and cash flow volatility. We also examine the relation between cash holdings and ownership and management structures in private firms. We find that firms with less severe agency problems hold significantly more cash than private firms associated with more severe agency problems. We also present results for publicly traded companies. We find that both private and public firms adjust cash holdings to target levels but adjustments tend to be greater for private companies.
Psychoanalytic peregrination. VI: The effect on countertransference of the collapse of civilization

There is an aspect to countertransference that has not been discussed very much in the literature of psychoanalysis, one that is becoming increasingly important. This centers around the effect on the analyst's countertransference of the deterioration of the culture in which he or she is immersed. I discuss the decline of Western civili- zation as it is described by a number of contemporary authors in order to show how changes in the value system of the psychoanalyst or his or her turning a blind eye to the injustices and barbarism of the cultural surround both affect the capacity to im- merse in the creative process of psychoanalysis, and send a tacit message to the patient about the permissability of hiding certain material. All this contradicts the "fundamen- tal rule" of psychoanalysis, and disturbs the analyst's listening process. The impact of the dumbing down and deterioration of the educational, cultural, and home upbring- ing milieu of the new generation of psychoanalysts will be profound in influencing the future practice of psychoanalysis.
Why did the Elites Extend the Suffrage? Democracy and the Scope of Government, with an Application to Britain's “Age of Reform”

A new rationale is presented for why an elite may want to expand the franchise even in the absence of threats to the established order. Expanding the franchise can turn politicians away from particularistic politics based on ad personam redistribution within the elite and foster competition based on programs with diffuse benefits. If these programs are valuable, a majority of the elite votes in favor of an extension of the franchise despite the absence of a threat from the disenfranchised. We argue that the evolution of public spending and of political competition in nineteenth century Britain is consistent with our model. I. INTRODUCTION At the beginning of the nineteenth century, in most countries, narrow elites had a disproportionate influence on public affairs. Even in England, where parliament was an influential institution, suffrage was mostly the privilege of the wealthy, and some members of parliament were elected in boroughs with as few as 100 voters, while cities such as Manchester did not have any representative. A century later, most western countries had universal male suffrage, with female suffrage to arrive shortly thereafter. What brought about this “democratic revolution?” In many cases, the elites were forced out of power after violent revolutions. However, there are important examples, such as England, where democratization took the form of gradual extensions of the suffrage, and these were accompanied by little overt violence. “It is the peculiar pride of England that [the record of social and political reform] is to be found on the statute book, not in the annals of revolution” [Cheyney 1931, p. vii]. Such peaceful democratizations are difficult to rationalize within the benchmark political-economic models. In those models, extending the franchise dilutes the elite’s power to influence policy and results
A technique for optimizing a function of many variables: determining the minimum energy configuration of a crystal lattice

It is well known that most of the physical properties of a crystalline solid are dependent upon defects in the crystal lattice. In order to gain a better understanding of these properties, it is desirable to study—in detail—the effects of one or more defects in the lattice. This study is facilitated through the use of a model of the crystal. The model employed here views the crystal as an approximately periodic array of discrete atoms. Each atom is assumed to “interact” with each of a number of nearest neighbors. This interaction is a two-body force which is a function of the distance between the atom-pair. Associated with the force is a corresponding interaction energy. The total energy of the array, or lattice energy, is simply the sum of the interaction energy, taken over the entire array. The precise positions of the atoms in a given array are those for which the lattice energy is a minimum; this set of positions is referred to as the minimum energy configuration.
Time and Exigence in Temporal Genres

Genre use entails a rhetorical response to an exigence in the writer's context. In one category of genres, which the author calls temporal genres, linear time constitutes a major exigence to which writers must respond. Temporal genres, such as annual reports and status reports, call for writers to publish texts because a certain amount of time has passed, even if they are not yet ready to do so. The first annual report of the Privacy Office of the Department of Homeland Security reveals an ineffective ethos and discontinuities between the mission of the office and that of the department. But the second annual report reveals a more effective ethos and greater harmony between the missions. This study shows how the requirement to report can force writers to decide existential issues of identity and mission.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the VA population: What is the optimal treatment modality

15042 Introduction: Surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been the mainstay of treatment despite dismal outcome and significant surgical complications. There is no standard treat...
Aging fatherhood in Finland - first-time fathers in Finland from 1987 to 2009.

Aim: The increase in maternal age has been well documented in Western societies, but information on paternal age trends is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in age and other background characteristics of first-time fathers in Finland in the period 1987–2009. Materials and methods: A random 60% sample of first-time fathers in each year from 1987 to 2009 was obtained from Statistics Finland (n=344,529). Five-year intervals were used (three years in 1987–1989). Sociodemographic characteristics of older first-time fathers (⩾40 years) were compared over time using logistic regression. In the logistic regression, immigrants were excluded from the study population as they may have had children before migrating to Finland. Results: The mean age of first-time fathers increased from 28.7 to 30.4 years in 1987–2009. The change was greatest in the Capital Region and smallest in Northern and Eastern Finland. Fatherhood at the age of ⩾40 years doubled from 3.1% to 6.8%. From 2005 to 2009, men who...
Psychoneuroimmunology of Immune ReconstitutionInflammatory Syndrome (IRIS): The New Frontier in Translational Biomedicine

This Editorial presents the position that, in the decade ahead, translational biomedicine will continue to play a premier role in the advancement of patient-centered, evidence-based and effectiveness-focused interventions for ARV-treated HIV/AIDS patients who exhibit IRIS. A well- articulated translational research-effectiveness program in biomedicine is timely and critical not only to develop and obtain better biomarkers of IRIS to understand the physio-pathology of this condition more fully, but also to improve efficient dissemination for increased health literacy of all stakeholders.
A Game-Theoretic Framework for Vehicle-to-Grid Frequency Regulation Considering Smart Charging Mechanism

This paper proposes a holistic framework for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to participate in frequency regulation in a competitive electricity market. It is challenging to use PHEVs as frequency regulation units since conflicts of interests exist among PHEVs, aggregators, and transmission system operator (TSO). PHEVs are also facing various uncertainties from power prices and the available regulation capacities. These challenges motivate us to model the system using a hierarchical game. At the upper level of the hierarchical game, the frequency regulation capacity bids of aggregators are formulated as a non-cooperative game. Based on the frequency regulation prices obtained from the non-cooperative game, we formulate a Markov game to coordinate the charging process of PHEVs at the lower level. The Markov game will optimize the regulation capacity of the aggregator and strengthen its ability in bidding a more favorable frequency regulation price in the upper level game. Thus, the benefits are well coordinated among PHEVs, aggregators, and TSO in the proposed game-theoretic framework. Furthermore, the uncertainties from power prices and available regulation capacities are elegantly handled by the proposed non-cooperative game and Markov game, respectively. Finally, various simulations are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical game approach.
Host-pathogen interactions and the pathogenesis of murine Lyme disease

Lyme disease results from persistent infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. A combination of bacterial factors and host factors contributes to the development of inflammatory disease. Studies from the past year have provided insight into both sides of this host-pathogen interplay. We now have a better appreciation of the bacterial genes and products that are involved in pathology and the components of the host response that participate in disease development.
Effectiveness of cationically modified cellulose polymers for dewatering algae

ABSTRACTA method to flocculate algal cultures of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using four different industrially produced polymers is presented. Starting with a 1 wt% stock polymer solution, flocculation times less than 60 min were observed for 0.1 to 0.6 g polymer per L of algae culture, while control samples took greater than 1400 min to flocculate. Cell counts showed that 99% of the cells were flocculated using the polymers compared to 73% for the control. Finally, the flocculation process was successful at both 5 and 40 mL batch sizes for one polymer; therefore, the method is efficient, effective and may be scalable.
Saint Thomas Aquinas'sTheory of Universals

St. Thomas is thus quite clear on the fact that only concrete sub stances, individual compositions of matter and form, actually exist in the material world. But though he is at one with Aristotle in denying the separate existence of universals . . . , he also follows Aristotle in asserting that the form needs to be individuated. The form is the universal element, being that which places an object in its class, in its species, making it to be horse or elm or iron. . . .*
Epidemiology of Mumps in Panzhihua City,2004-2010

Objective To understand the current status and epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Panzhihua city from 2004 to 2010,and explore the preventive measures.Methods Descriptive method was applied to analyze the data of mumps reported through National Disease Reporting Information System and the epidemiological data of outbreaks in Panzhihua.Results Totally 6961 cases of mumps were reported from 2004 to 2010,with an annual incidence rate of 91.43/105.The cases distributed in each month though the year with seasonality,which peaked twice during May to July and December to January,respectively.Most cases were students and children,with the highest prevalence on 3-15 years old group.Incidence of urban area was higher than that of the rural area.The incidence rate of male was higher than that of female,with a proportion of 1.45:1.Outbreaks in urban area were more than that in rural area,and all the outbreaks occurred in student group.Conclusion Mumps is one of the diseases affecting the health of children and adolescents.
Status of equipments and housing construction in disease control and prevention institutions of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

[Objective] To understand the status of equipments and housing construction in disease control and prevention institutions(CDCs) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,provide scientific evidence for improving the basic construction and developing the facility resource planning.[Methods]A general survey was conducted in autonomous region-level,city-level and county/district-level CDCs.[Results] In 2011,the equipping rate of equipments according to the national standards in autonomous region-level,city-level and county/district-level CDCs was 57.07%,49.42% and 50.23% respectively.According to the basic function,the equipping rate of equipments which must be equipped was 88.14%,83.48% and 69.41% respectively.Among city-level CDCs,the quipping rate of equipments in central region was higher than that in western region,and the quipping rate in western region was higher than that in eastern region.Among county/district-level CDCs,the quipping rate of equipments in central region was higher than that in western region and eastern region,and the quipping rate in western region was similar to that in eastern region.The per capita housing area was 51.81 m2,50.20 m2,and 42.60 m2 respectively.The qualified rate of housing construction in city-level CDCs was 41.67%,and the qualified rate in western region was higher than that in eastern region and central region.The qualified rate of housing construction in county/district-level CDCs was 25.60%,and the qualified rate in eastern region was higher than that in western region and central region.[Conclusion]The instruments and equipments in Autonomous Region CDC can almost meet the requirements for routine operation,while those in city-level and county/district-level CDCs cannot maintain routine operation.Only half of the city-level CDCs and a quarter of county/district-level CDCs have appropriate housing construction that can meet the requirement for basic function.
Real-time Coordinating Control of Regional Consumption of Distributed Energy Source in Active Distribution Network

In order to achieve the maximum consumption of renewable energy resource in active distribution network,a real-time coordinating control of distributed energy source consumption based on autonomous region in active distribution network is proposed. The distribution network is divided into several regions based on sectionalizing switches positions. Each region receives the optimal target value produced by the global optimal power flow( OPF) algorithm whose goal is the minimum operation cost on the basis of the maximum utilization of renewable power generation. The Regional optimization algorithm is based on the index of feeder control error( FCE) which offers the deviation between the aim of region exchange power and actual value. In region algorithm,only local topology is only considered to eliminate FCE quickly by using DC power flow. The final aim is that FCE equals zero. When one region cannot reach the target,adjacent region will communicate with each other to reach the target of a larger region. Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through analysis and simulation on a study case with 2 feeders and 7 regions.