cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Central and peripheral vagal transport of cholecystokinin binding sites occurs in afferent fibers

The effects of various vagal lesions on cholecystokinin (CCK) binding sites in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and area postrema (AP) and the peripheral transport of CCK binding sites in the cervical vagus were examined in rats by in vitro autoradiography with [125I]CCK-8. Unilateral supraganglionic, but not subdiaphragmatic vagotomy significantly reduced CCK binding in the ipsilateral NTS. Specific unilateral afferent, but not efferent, vagal rootlet transections also significantly reduced NTS CCK binding ipsilateral to the transections. None of the vagal lesions altered CCK binding in the AP. Infraganglionic but not supraganglionic vagotomy eliminated the peripheral transport of vagal CCK binding sites. Together these results demonstrate that CCK receptors in the NTS are located on vagal afferent terminals, that CCK receptors in the AP are likely postsynaptic to a vagal afferent input and that the peripheral and central transport of vagal CCK binding sites occurs in afferent fibers.
Medical and Psychosocial Outcomes of Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Cross-sectional Findings at 4-Year Follow-up

Background In conjunction with the Louisiana Office of Group Benefits, the Louisiana State University School of Medicine conducted a study to examine 4-year medical and psychosocial outcomes of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) surgery in patients insured by a state-run managed care program.
Spectroscopic detection of chemical intermediates in the reaction of para- substituted benzylamines with bovine serum amine oxidase

Anaerobic, rapid-scanning stopped-flow spectroscopy has been used to investigate the UV-visible absorbance changes (300-540 nm) that occur in the spectrum of bovine serum amine oxidase during reduction by benzylamine, p-hydroxybenzylamine, and p-methoxybenzylamine. The reaction of enzyme with benzylamine generates detectable relaxations at 310, 340, and 480 nm, which are attributed to the production of reduced cofactor (310 and 480 nm) and to an enzyme-substrate Schiff base complex (340 nm). Additional transients have been observed at 440, 425, and 460 nm with p-hydroxybenzylamine, p-methoxybenzylamine, and p-(N,N-dimethylamino)benzylamine, respectively. These relaxations are ascribed to quinonoid species, formed reversibly from Schiff base complexes between oxidized product and reduced cofactor. With the spectral detection of enzyme-product Schiff base complexes, evidence now exists for each of the postulated chemical intermediates along the reaction path of bovine serum amine oxidase [cf. Hartmann, C., & Klinman, J. P. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 4605]. Anaerobic, single-wavelength stopped-flow data, collected in conjunction with rapid-scanning studies for benzylamine and p-hydroxy-benzylamine, provide approximate rate constants for each of the kinetic processes corresponding to enzyme-substrate Schiff base formation, to enzyme reduction, and to the formation and decay of the quinonoid intermediate.
Caughey-Thomas parameters for electron mobility calculations in GaAs

The Caughey-Thomas expression, an empirically derived formulation for carrier mobility, is used here to relate carrier compensation to electron mobility. A set of equations expressing the Caughey-Thomas parameters as functions of the compensation ratio are presented. Use of these expressions reproduces results of theoretical low-field mobility computations and provides a simple means of incorporating effects of carrier compensation as well as concentration in device analysis programs.
Uncracked body analysis for accurate estimates of mode I stress intensity factor for cracks normal to an interface

A bonded crack model method is presented for estimation of the stress intensity factor (SIF) for a 3D half-penny shaped crack originating at a bonded interface subjected to remote constant tensile and proportional bending loadings. Closed-form approximations are obtained for the SIF as a function of modulus ratio of bonded dissimilar materials. A combination of bonded crack model method and macro-level stress calculations in a structure without a crack (uncracked body analysis) significantly simplifies accurate estimation of SIF. The method was validated using 3D finite element computations. Since the proposed method requires no repetitive stress calculation as crack size changes, it is useful in life predictions.
Finite Difference Delay Modeling for Two-Dimensional Transverse Magnetic Time-Domain Integral Equations

Abstract A finite difference delay modeling scheme is presented for the solution of the integral equations of two-dimensional transient electromagnetic scattering. The method discretizes the integral equations temporally using first- and second-order finite differences to map the Laplace-domain equations into the Z domain, before transforming to the discrete time domain. The resulting procedure is unconditionally stable because of the nature of the Laplace- to Z-domain mapping. Spatial discretization is achieved using second-order Lagrange basis functions with Galerkin's method. Exact curved-patch geometry modeling is used. Numerical results will demonstrate the accuracy and stability of this approach.
Electrofishing for crappies: Electrical settings influence immobilization efficiency, injury, and mortality

Abstract Continuous direct current (DC) and pulsed DC (PDC) of varying frequency and pulse period are commonly used to immobilize and collect crappies Pomoxis spp. in freshwater. However, little information is available about the minimum electrical-setting thresholds required for immobilization or how the settings relate to incidence of injury. We investigated the effect of increasing power densities on the immobilization and injury of black crappies P. nigromaculatus (average total length = 154 mm) treated with DC and various PDC settings. Forced swimming toward the electrodes was observed in black crappies exposed to DC, but that was less apparent for PDC. The minimum peak power densities required to immobilize black crappies ranged from 0.10 to 6.5 mW/cm3 and depended on pulse frequency and period. The incidence of hemorrhaging ranged from 0% to 50% and that of spinal damage from 9% to 45%. However, the severity of injury also depended on pulse frequency and period. No fish suffered mortality at or bel...
Diversification in local government tax structures

Abstract Fiscal problems of local governments, particularly urban centers, have been widespread during recent periods of general economic recession. These problems have resulted from a decline in the growth of revenues and hence an inability to keep pace with rapidly rising expenditures to cover public welfare and inflation. Increased reliance on fast growing but unstable revenues aggravates these problems. It may be possible, however, through proper selection of taxes to diversify away some of the instability in revenue. This paper develops a method to be used in analyzing tax diversification for local governments.
Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis EsxA Membrane Insertion ROLES OF N- AND C-TERMINAL FLEXIBLE ARMS AND CENTRAL HELIX-TURN-HELIX MOTIF

EsxA (ESAT-6), an important virulence factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, plays an essential role in phagosome rupture and bacterial cytosolic translocation within host macrophages. Our previous study showed that EsxA exhibits a unique membrane-interacting activity that is not found in its ortholog from nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis. However, the molecular mechanism of EsxA membrane insertion remains unknown. In this study, we generated truncated EsxA proteins with deletions of the N- and/or C-terminal flexible arm. Using a fluorescence-based liposome leakage assay, we found that both the N- and C-terminal arms were required for membrane disruption. Moreover, we found that, upon acidification, EsxA converted into a more organized structure with increased α-helical content, which was evidenced by CD analysis and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. Finally, using an environmentally sensitive fluorescent dye, we obtained direct evidence that the central helix-turn-helix motif of EsxA inserted into the membranes and formed a membrane-spanning pore. A model of EsxA membrane insertion is proposed and discussed.
The use of solid ceramic and ceramic hard-coated components to prolong the performance of perfluoropolyalkylether lubricants

Abstract The performance of perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPE) oils under boundary lubrication conditions was tested using 440C stainless steel, silicon nitride/440C hybrid, and titanium nitride hard-coated ball-bearing components. By limiting the chemical interactions between the lubricant and iron, the performance was extended by a factor of 5–10 using the ceramic materials instead of 440C components. The maximum performance enhancememt for the PFPE oils under our test conditions was limited by thermal degradation at the high temperatures generated in the asperity contact region.
Spectral flow between conformal field theories in 1 + 1 dimensions

Abstract Consider the φ1,3-perturbed minimal unitary conformal field theories M p (with diagonal modular invariant partition function) of central charge c p = 1 − ( 6 p(p + 1) ), p = 3, 4,… It is believed that for one sign of the perturbing parameter they are massive scattering theories of kinks, whereas for the other they are massless but not scale-invariant quantum field theories interpolating between M p in the UV and M p−1 in the IR limit. We propose integral equations for the exact finite-volume energies of the first and kth excited states in φ 1,3 - perturbed M 2k + 2 on the cylinder (of circumference R). These integral equations are similar to the thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz equations recently proposed by Al. Zamolodchikov for the ground-state energy in these theories. The behaviour of the conjectured expressions for the finite-volume energies at small and large R, which we investigate analytically and numerically, is in excellent agreement with predictions of conformal perturbation theory around the UV and IR fixed point, respectively, providing strong support for our proposal. In particular, we study in some detail the flow of the spin field ( dimension d = 3 40 ) of the tricritical Ising model M 4 to the spin field (d = 1 8 ) of the critical Ising model M 3 . For φ 1,3 - perturbed M 4 we also compare the small-R behaviour of the conjectured first energy-gap with results from the “truncated conformal-space approach”, and discuss the limitations of the latter method when conformal perturbation theory has UV divergencies.
Intravenous ketorolac as an adjunct to patient controlled analgesia (PCA) for management of postgynecologic surgical pain

Abstract Study Objective: To determine whether intravenous (M doses of ketorolac tromethamine provide safe and effective augmentation of postsurgical analgesia for patients using IV patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled, dose-response evaluation. Setting: Patient care unit at a university medical center. Patients: 62 ASA physical status I–III females recovering from intro-abdominal gynecologic surgery with general anesthesia who requested postoperative PCA. Interventions: Following initial pain assessment in the recovery room, patients were randomized to receive either IV saline (placebo) followed by IV saline every 6 hours (Group 1); IV ketorolac 30 mg loading dose followed by IV ketorolac 15 mg every 6 hours (Group 2); or N ketorolac 60 mg loading dose followed by IV ketorolac 30 mg every 6 hours (Group 3). All patients were provided IV PCA, which was programmed to provide 1.2 mg of morphine with a 6-minute lockout interval. Measurements and Main Results: Visual analog scale (VAS) resting pain and satisfaction scores were measured every 2 to 12 hours. Cumulative PCA with morphine and the frequency and severity of side effects also were assessed. N ketorolac showed no clinically significant side effects. Group 2 patients experienced significant reductions in VAS resting pain scores ( p p Conclusions: IV ketorolac used as an analgesic adjunct provided safe and effective augmentation of PCA with morphine in patients recovering from intro-abdominal gynecologic surgery.
An empirical assessment of employee theft lawsuits involving allegations of employer misconduct

Abstract This study explored state-level cases where employees sued their employers because of allegations of misconduct. Using the Lexis-Nexis legal database, employee theft cases from 1960–2004 were located and analyzed (n = 217). The descriptive analyses revealed that most of the cases originated from private corporations. While there were a variety of reasons why employees pursued lawsuits against their employers, the most frequent were to appeal a conviction, to allege slander or defamation, wrongful termination, malicious prosecution, Constitutional violations, and other unemployment-related issues. The employees were victorious in 60 percent of the cases. The research also revealed several patterns in case outcomes based on employee position and gender. Multivariate analyses revealed some of the most significant predictors of employee success in legal suits against their employers.
Autologous Rosette-forming T Cells (ARFT) regulate responses of T cells

Abstract In the previous paper of this series, we reported that T cells forming rosettes with antologous erythrocytes (ARFTs) regulated primary proliferative responses of nonrosette-forming T cells (NRFTs) to TNP-modified autologous non-T cells and to allogeneic non-T cells. In the present paper, we investigated the cytotoxic responses of unfractionated T cells (UTs), ARFTs, and NRFTs against TNP-modified autologous cells and against allogeneic cells after in vitro culture with TNP-modified non-T cells (TNP-auto-MLR) or with allogeneic non-T cells (allo-MLR). After 1 week in an allo-MLR, cytotoxic T cells were generated from the NRFT fraction. Almost the same degree of cytotoxicity was observed in UTs undergoing an allo-MLR; least cytotoxicity was observed in the ARFT fraction. In contrast, only minimal cytotoxic activities against TNP-modified autologous cells were generated from UTs and ARFTs after TNP-auto-MLR. However, significantly stronger cytotoxic activities were demonstrated against TNP-modified autologous cells when the ARFTs were removed, and the remaining NRFTs were used as the responder in the TNP-auto-MLR. It was concluded that the NRFT fraction contained most of the primary precursors for both hapten-reactive and alloreactive killer cells, as well as lymphocytes helping the formation of cytotoxic effector cells. If UTs were separated into ARFTs and NRFTs after a TNP-auto-MLR, these fractions demonstrated equal degrees of cytotoxicity toward TNP-modified autologous cells. However, the addition of ARFTs to NRFTs at the beginning of such a culture inhibited both proliferative and cytotoxic responses of the NRFTs to TNP-non-T cells. Finally, if ARFTs were added prior to a cytotoxic assay mediated by NRFTs, no inhibition was observed. Taken as a whole, our data suggest that ARFTs appear to act during the mixed lymphocyte reaction to block the development of cytotoxic cells.
A Receptor Mediated Delivery System for Single Molecule Imaging in Live Cells

The high complexity of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton arises from many proteins displaying multiple functions. Live, intact cells are an indispensable system for investigating motility of molecular motors, which depend on their intracellular environments. Here we present a novel system of delivering myosin motors into the cell to investigate their motility by single molecule imaging on the native cytoskeleton.This technology utilizes receptor mediated delivery (RMD) of fluorescently labeled motors. A conjugate of the desired myosin motor and substance P (SP) is internalized upon interaction with the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1), allowing the myosin motors access the cell without compromising the integrity of the membrane. RMD has no harmful impact on the cell, leaving the cell membrane intact and the sensitive structures preserved.We previously demonstrated that myosin X selects the fascin-actin bundle at the filopodial core for motility. Here we show that this motor is successfully delivered with RMD, undergoes endosomal escape and finds its way to its native working environment simply by its functional preference for these unique structures. This is significant as it not only confirms that myosin X recognizes the local structural arrangement of filaments, but also further indicates that the details of cellular actin organization do impact the activity of unconventional myosins.Information on myosin motor motility obtained by RMD allows for the construction of a road map of the actin structures and enables a comparison between various cell types. These paths reveal both the spatial arrangement of the actin filaments (reflecting the complexity and density of cytoskeletal meshwork) as well as the individual motility preferences of myosin motors across cell types.
Integrated Access to Genomic and Other Bioinformation: An Essential Ingredient of the Drug Discovery Process

Due to the high rate of data production and the need of researchers to have rapid access to new data, public databases have become the major medium through which genome mapping and sequencing data as well as macromolecular structural data are published. There are now more than 250 databases of biomolecular, structural, genetic, or phenotypic data, many of which are doubling in size annually. These databases, many of which were created and are maintained by experimentalists for their own research use, provide valuable collections of organized, validated data. However, the very number and diversity of databases now make efficient data resource discovery as important as effective data resource use. Existing autonomous biological databases contain related data which are more valuable when interconnected than when isolated. Political and scientific realities dictate that these databases will be built by different teams, in different locations, for different purposes, and using different data models and supporting DBMSs. As a consequence, connecting the related data they contain is not straightforward. Experience with existing biological databases indicates that it is possible to form useful queries across these databases, but that doing so usually requires expertise in the semantic structure of each source database. Advancing to the next level of integration among biological information resources poses significant technical and sociological challenges.
On the integrity of cross-flow filtration for collecting marine organic colloids

Abstract The application of cross-flow filtration (CFF) to separate organic colloids with their sorbed load from dissolved components in seawater has been tested. Investigations have aimed at deconvoluting and quantifying several aspects of seawater CFF integrity: organic carbon blanks, membrane interactions (for both organic colloids and trace organic constituents), and the effective filter cut-off. A dynamic feed, permeate, and retentate sampling protocol during regular CFF fractionation of coastal seawater organic carbon and macromolecular standards was used to gain diagnostic information about sampling integrity. The organic carbon blank of the membrane module was significant. Large amounts of low-C water were required to flush the system to attain acceptable levels in what appears to be a diffusion-limited conditioning process. Observed decreasing permeate flux as a function of concentration factor (CF) was shown to be directly correlated with CFF colloid-fouling. A series of experiments were performed with a set of standard macromolecules, added at realistic seawater concentrations, to distinguish colloidal losses to the membrane from breakthrough. It was found that large fractions of carbohydrate, proteinaceous, and synthetic amphiphilic macromolecules became associated with the Osmonics PT1 (polysulfone, nominal cut-off 1.0 kD; 1 kD = 1000 daltons) CFF all-glass-and-stainless-steel system while partitioning between the seawater suspension and the membrane slowly reached steady state. Without further losses to the membrane, the retention coefficients for the colloid standards were determined, and an inherent seawater colloidal suspension cut-off at ~ 50 kD was found. Comparisons with the membrane science literature and theoretical calculations are presented to rationalize the observed artifacts and to direct optimization schemes.
Vested outsourcing: a flexible framework for collaborative outsourcing

Purpose – Research and studies of successful, collaborative outsourcing relationships have uncovered commonalities that researchers codified into a methodology designed to structure aligned, innovative and cooperative outsourcing arrangements. This paper aims to describe a new methodology for establishing successful collaborative outsourcing relationships.Design/methodology/approach – The design is based on seven years of field research into successful strategic outsourcing agreements completed by the authors and additional colleagues.Findings – Research into successful collaborative outsourcing relationships has uncovered commonalities that researchers have identified as normative rules which, when followed, lead to aligned, innovative and cooperative relationships. This paper identifies five rules and ten elements that together form a flexible framework for implementing an effective outsourcing partnership. This approach is called “vested outsourcing” because the nature of most highly successful relatio...
In vitro inhibition of heme oxygenase isoenzymes by metalloporphyrins

Objective: Neonatal jaundice results from an increased bilirubin production and decreased hepatic bilirubin conjugation and excretion. Severe hyperbilirubinemia is currently treated with phototherapy or exchange transfusion; however, its prevention by inhibiting bilirubin formation is a more logical strategy. Heme oxygenase (HO), with inducible (HO-1) and constitutive (HO-2) isoenzymes, is the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, producing equimolar amounts of bilirubin and carbon monoxide (CO). Metalloporphyrins (Mps) are heme derivatives that competitively inhibit HO and thereby suppress hyperbilirubinemia. No systematic studies have been reported evaluating whether the HO isoenzymes are inhibited differentially by various Mps. Identification of Mps that selectively inhibit the inducible HO-1 without affecting the ‘housekeeping’ HO-2 isoenzyme might be desirable in the clinical setting of hemolytic disease, in which the Hmox1 gene is greatly induced. Although bilirubin production is due to the activity of both HO-1 and HO-2, the inhibition of HO-1 with a relative sparing of HO-2 activity might provide the most selective approach for the treatment of hemolytic disease. Study Design: We determined for the deutero-, proto-, meso- and bisglycol porphyrins with zinc, tin and chromium as central atoms, respectively, the concentration needed for 50% inhibition (I50) of HO-1 and HO-2 activities in rat spleen and brain tissue. Result: For a given Mp, HO-1 activity was less inhibited than that of HO-2. The order of inhibitor potency of each Mp was nearly identical for both isoenzymes. Tin mesoporphyrin was the most potent inhibitor for both isoenzymes. HO-2 selectivity was greatest for tin protoporphyrin. Conversely, the Zn compounds were least inhibitory toward HO-2. No Mp preferentially inhibited HO-1. Conclusion: Mps that produce a less inhibitory effect on HO-2, while limiting the response of the inducible HO-1, such as ZnPP, may be a useful clinical tool. Journal of Perinatology (2011) 31, S35‐S41; doi:10.1038/jp.2010.173
Synthesis and Characterization of Chlorinated Alkenylcobaloximes To Probe the Mechanism of Vitamin B12-Catalyzed Dechlorination of Priority Pollutants

Vitamin B12 catalyzes the reductive dechlorination of several ubiquitous pollutants such as perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Several mechanisms have been proposed for these transformations, some of which involve the intermediacy of chlorinated vinylcobalamins. To evaluate the currently unknown chemical and physical properties of such species, various chlorinated vinylcobaloxime complexes [cobaloxime = bis(dimethylglyoximato)(pyridine)cobalt(III)] were prepared and characterized. X-ray structures are reported for (cis-1,2-dichloroethenyl)cobaloxime (4), (cis-monochloroethenyl)cobaloxime (5), (α-chloroethenyl)cobaloxime (6), and vinylcobaloxime (7), and the reactivities of these isolated complexes were investigated. They were stable in the presence of ethanolic NaBH4 unless external cobaloximes were added. The cob(I)aloxime formed under the latter conditions promoted the conversion of 4 to 5 and 6, and of 5 and 6 into 7. Mechanistic studies of these transformations are consistent with a ...
SNS* Ring Extraction Kicker System

The spallation neutron source (SNS) has recently completed the commissioning of its 1.0 GeV proton storage ring, which included the ring extraction kicker system. This extraction system is comprised of fourteen high-voltage Blumlein-configured pulse-forming networks switched by fourteen thyratrons. The system also includes fourteen Blumlein control racks, which provide a high-voltage source, monitoring of interlocks, and signal conditioning to the system control racks. The four-system control racks are for adjusting timing and monitoring of the charge voltages and current pulses at the kicker magnets. The kicker system is then controlled by EPICS, the accelerator's control system. The kickers were designed at Brookhaven National Laboratory as in companion papers (BNL), and built to print by Applied Power Systems, Inc., (APS), of Hicksville, NY. The hardware and software utilized and the commissioning results of the fourteen Blumlein kickers will be presented
Cutting Edge: NK Cell Inhibitory Receptors Prevent Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the Activation Receptor 2B4 (CD244)

2B4 is an NK cell activation receptor that can provide a costimulatory signal to other activation receptors and whose mode of signal transduction is still unknown. We show that cross-linking of 2B4 on NK cells results in its rapid tyrosine phosphorylation, implying that this initial step in 2B4 signaling does not require coligation of other receptors. Ligation of 2B4 in the context of an NK cell-target cell interaction leads to 2B4 tyrosine phosphorylation, target cell lysis, and IFN-γ release. Coligation of 2B4 with the inhibitory receptors killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR)2DL1 or CD94/NKG2 completely blocks NK cell activation. The rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of 2B4 observed upon contact of NK cells with sensitive target cells is abrogated when KIR2DL1 or CD94/NKG2 are engaged by their cognate MHC class I ligand on resistant target cells. These results demonstrate that NK inhibitory receptors can interfere with a step as proximal as phosphorylation of an activation receptor.
Parity logging disk arrays

Parity-encoded redundant disk arrays provide highly reliable, cost-effective secondary storage with high performance for reads and large writes. Their performance on small writes, however, is much worse than mirrored disks—the traditional, highly reliable, but expensive organization for secondary storage. Unfortunately, small writes are a substantial portion of the I/O workload of many important, demanding applications such as on-line transaction processing. This paper presents parity logging, a novel solution to the small-write problem for redundant disk arrays. Parity logging applies journalling techniques to reduce substantially the cost of small writes. We provide detailed models of parity logging and competing schemes—mirroring, floating storage, and RAID level 5—and verify these models by simulation. Parity logging provides performance competitive with mirroring, but with capacity overhead close to the minimum offered by RAID level 5. Finally, parity logging can exploit data caching more effectively than all three alternative approaches.
Recognizing the Link Between Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Disease

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rising in the United States, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasingly recognized to occur at elevated rates in patients with CKD compared with the general population. The impact of CVD in patients with CKD is significant, inversely related to the level of kidney function, and exaggerated when compared with matched patients without CKD. CKD is associated with an increased risk of CVD, CVD events, and death, but the prevalence of traditional CVD risk factors is also increased compared with the general population. Proteinuria, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes are common in patients with CKD and contribute directly to CVD events. CKD-related factors (eg, disorders of electrolyte and mineral metabolism, anemia, and vascular calcification) also contribute to mortality associated with CKD.
Infrared Absorption Spectra of Sodium Silicate Glasses from 4 to 30μ

The infrared absorption spectra of sodium silicate glasses of molar composition Na2O·xSiO2 (where = 5, 4, 3, and 2) were determined with unpolarized radiation in the 4 to 30μ region. The glass spectra showed a definite similarity to the spectra of α-quartz, with lattice vibrational bands around 1066,786, and 464 cm−1. As x decreased, some bands shifted toward lower frequencies indicating a decrease in the force constant. No new frequencies were found in the silicate glasses which did not have counterparts in α-quartz.
Finding the Self? An Event-Related fMRI Study

Researchers have long debated whether knowledge about the self is unique in terms of its functional anatomic representation within the human brain. In the context of memory function, knowledge about the self is typically remembered better than other types of semantic information. But why does this memorial effect emerge? Extending previous research on this topic (see Craik et al., 1999), the present study used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate potential neural substrates of self-referential processing. Participants were imaged while making judgments about trait adjectives under three experimental conditions (self-relevance, other-relevance, or case judgment). Relevance judgments, when compared to case judgments, were accompanied by activation of the left inferior frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate. A separate region of the medial prefrontal cortex was selectively engaged during self-referential processing. Collectively, these findings suggest that self-referential processing is functionally dissociable from other forms of semantic processing within the human brain.
A Third-Order Fluctuation Splitting Scheme That Preserves Potential Flow

1. The algorithm uses an unstructured grid, and isdriven by residuals evaluated on simplicial cells,with unknown quantities stored at the nodes.2. The residuals are split into components havingdifferent physical significance before being dis-tributed to the nodes of the cell.3. The residual is enhanced to third-order accu-racy by reconstructing nodal gradients.4. The separation between elliptic and hyperboliccomponents of the residual is enforced strongly(nodewise) rather than weakly (elementwise)These features result in extremely clean solutionswith very low levels of spurious entropy. In particu-lar, it is possible to demonstrate excellent solutionsto the flow over an ellipse at incidence, therebymeeting a challenge proffered by Pulliam in.
Foundational Security Principles for Medical Application Platforms

We describe a preliminary set of security requirements for safe and secure next-generation medical systems, consisting of dynamically composable units, tied together through a real-time safety-critical middleware. We note that this requirement set is not the same for individual (stand-alone) devices or for electronic health record systems, and we must take care to define system-level requirements rather than security goals for components. The requirements themselves build on each other such that it is difficult or impossible to eliminate any one of the requirements and still achieve high-level security goals.
China's security agenda after the cold war

Abstract The end of the cold war has changed China's basic perception of world politics and its conception of national security. In the cold war era, Chinese leaders tended to view national security from the perspective of global balance of power and China's strategic relations with the two superpowers. It was in Beijing's security interests to maintain a comfortable position in a strategic triangular relationship with the Soviet Union and the United States. When the Soviet Empire and the East European communist regimes collapsed, the structure of the postwar international system dissolved, and the old parameters for Beijing's security strategy disappeared. The Chinese leadership suddenly found itself in a totally new world in which China needed to reorient and redefine its security strategy on a new strategic axis. Beijing's security strategy after the cold war is redefined by its domestic priorities, growing foreign economic relations, the new security environment in Asia, and concerns over territorial ...
Osteoporosis in men.

Osteoporosis is a significant threat to aging bone in men. Thirty percent of hip fractures occur in men; during initial hospitalization and the first year after fracture, the mortality rate is twice that of women. Nevertheless, osteoporosis in men is grossly underdiagnosed and undertreated. The most frequent factors associated with osteoporosis in men are age >75 years, low baseline body mass index ( 5% over 4 years, current smoking, and physical inactivity. Osteoporosis in men is either secondary to a primary disease or is idiopathic. It exhibits a bimodal age distribution, with peaks at age 50 years (secondary disease) and at age 70 years (idiopathic). Prevention and early detection currently are the best forms of management. Alone or in combination, calcium, vitamin D, bisphosphonates, and human parathyroid hormone are all effective management options. In the acute setting of fragility fracture, the orthopaedic surgeon is key in identifying patients at risk because the surgeon provides primary care and may initiate prophylactic measures to prevent future fractures.
Copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride with some acid chlorides

Vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride were copolymerized with 10-acryloxydecanoyl chloride and 12-acryloxystearoyl chloride by use of free-radical initiator in solution to obtain copolymers with active chlorine groups. Alternative routes for making such copolymers which consisted of making the corresponding acrylic acid or acrylyl chloride copolymers, followed by reaction with hydroxy acid and finally conversion to the acid chloride by treatment with thionyl chloride, were investigated. The monomer reactivity ratios for the radical copolymerization of vinyl chloride (VCI) and vinylidene chloride (VCl2) with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylyl chloride (ACI) were determined: VCI–AA, r1 = 0.025, r2 = 6.40; VCl–ACl, r1 = 0.017, r2 = 2.65; VCl2–AA, r1 = 0.46, r2 = 1.26; VCl–ACl, r1 = 0.50, r2 = 1.12.
Effects of polydispersity of chainlike aggregates on light-scattering properties and data inversion

A systematic evaluation of the effects of polydispersity of chainlike aggregates in terms of primary particle number density and size on the scattering quantities and data inversion is presented. For aggregates with refractive index in the range |m-1| = 0.8–1.2, average size parameter x < 0.40, and primary particle number Np < 20, it is shown that the effects of polydispersity of primary particle size on the light-scattering quantities are much stronger than the polydispersity of the number of primary particles per aggregate. For aggregates with polydisperse primary particle size, the assumption of monodispersity tends to underestimate the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index and the number of primary particles. Specifically, for values of the distribution width σ greater than 0.10, the effect of polydispersity of the size of primary particles must be considered in the data inversion schemes. Furthermore, in the same range of values for the refractive index, particle size parameter, and primary particle number, the assumption of monodispersity for aggregates with polydisperse particle number tends to underestimate the value of the real part of the refractive index and overestimate the value of the imaginary part of the refractive index and primary particle size. However, for values of the distribution width σ less than 0.60, the effects of polydispersity of primary particle number can be neglected. In addition, the suitable pairing sets of the measured scattering quantities for data inversion are presented and discussed.
Does laparoscopic gastric banding create hiatal hernias

Abstract Background We hypothesized that laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) placement might result in the development of a hiatal hernia (HH) over time. The objective of our study was to determine whether HHs develop after LAGB in the setting of a university hospital. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all outcomes for consecutive LAGB patients in our institutional, longitudinal prospective bariatric surgical database to identify those patients without evidence of a HH at LAGB placement, who subsequently underwent delayed HH repair. Results From 2005 to 2009, 695 gastric bands were implanted. Twelve patients (1.72%) were identified who had no radiographic or intraoperative evidence of a HH at LAGB placement and who subsequently underwent HH repair at re-exploration. Patients presented 18 ± 10 months after band placement. Of these patients, 75% presented with gastroesophageal reflux disease or food intolerance (50% with gastroesophageal reflux disease alone). Also, 2 presented with acute pain due to band slippage and 1 with chronic pain and vomiting. In 50% of the patients, revision procedures detected the HH at operation despite negative preoperative studies. Conclusion In our series, a significant HH developed in 1.7% of LAGB patients who had no clinically identifiable HH at LAGB placement. Persistent dysphagia after band deflation requires careful inspection of the hiatus during surgical revision, even in the absence of radiologic depiction of HH, and might represent an underlying etiology of LAGB dysfunction. This complication, along with esophageal dilation and annular pouch dilation, might represent a constellation of conditions with a common etiology. From the results of our small series, we raise the question of the existence of chronic backpressure created by LAGB restriction and accounting for these complications.
The ubiquitin-CXCR4 axis plays an important role in acute lung-infection-enhanced lung tumor metastasis

Purpose:: Our goals are to test the effect of acute lung infection on tumor metastasis and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Experimental Design:We combined bacteria- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury/inflammation (ALI) mouse models with mouse metastatic models to study the effect of acute inflammation on lung metastasis in mice. The mechanisms were invested in ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo studies. Results:Both bacteria- and LPS-induced acute lung injury/inflammation significantly enhanced lung metastasis of four tail vein-injected mouse tumor cell lines. Bacteria also enhanced lung metastasis when 4T1 cells orthotopically injected. The broncheoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from LPS- or bacteria- injected mice stimulated migration of tumor cells. In vivo tracking of metastatic RM-9 cells showed that bacterial injection enhanced early dissemination of tumor cells to the lung. The majority of the BALF migratory activity could be blocked by AMD3100, a CXCR4 inhibitor. All tested cell lines expressed CXCR4. The levels of extracellular ubiquitin (Ub), but not SDF-1, in BALF were significantly increased by LPS. Ub was able to induce AMD3100-sensitive migration of tumor cells. Finally, the anti-bacterial amoxicillin and AMD3100 blocked the enhancement effect of bacterial infection on tumor metastasis. Conclusions:Acute lung infection dramatically increased cancer cell homing to the lung and lung metastasis. This may be due to an alteration of the lung microenvironment and preparation of a favorable metastatic "niche". This effect was seen in multiple cancer types and thus may have broad applications for cancer patients in prevention and/or treatment of metastasis.
Quality assurance programs for countries in need: a global view from the College of American Pathologists

Providing laboratory external quality assessment (EQA) programs for countries in need requires special considerations not ordinarily part of EQA for laboratories in industrialized countries. Cultural, professional, service and economic factors must be understood and accommodated in order to carry out successful programs. Coordination of worldwide efforts for countries in need requires more resources and planning than have thus far been devoted to the enterprise.
Dielectrophoretic Characterization of SnO2 Nanobelts

In the present work we report the results of AC dielectrophoresis experiments on ethanol suspended SnO2 nanobelts. AC field (frequency ~ 5 Hz - 10 MHz) was applied between microelectrodes, and detailed and direct observations of the nanobelt motion were performed. It revealed a wide variety of nanobelt motions induced by the dielectrophoretic forces, which include attraction and repulsion depending on the signal frequency range. These forces caused rigid body motion and deformation in long nanobelts, and pearl chain formation in short nanobelts and particles. The presence of negative (repulsion) dielectrophoresis is unusual in SnO2, since bulk material properties dictate positive dielectrophoresis in the frequency range studied.
A remark on the tail probability of a distribution

Abstract Let {Xn}n≥1 be a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables. For each integer n ≥ 1 and positive constants r, t, and ϵ, let Sn = Σj=1n Xj and E{N ∞ (r, t, ϵ)} = Σ n=1 ∞ n r−2 P{|S n | > ϵn r t } . In this paper, we prove that (1) limϵ→0+ ϵα(r−1)E{N∞(r, t, ϵ)} = K(r, t) if E(X1) = 0, Var(X1) = 1, and E(| X1 |t) K(r, t) = {2 α(r−1) 2 Γ( (1 + α(r − 1)) 2 )} {(r − 1) Γ( 1 2 )} , and α = 2t (2r − t) ; (2) lim ϵ→0+ G(t, ϵ) H(t, ϵ) = 0 if 2 0, and E(|X1|t) ϵn} → ∞ as ϵ → 0+ and H(t, ϵ) = E{N ∞ (t, t, ϵ)} = Σ n=1 ∞ n t−2 P{| S n | > ϵn 2 t } → ∞ as ϵ → 0+ , i.e., H(t, ϵ) goes to infinity much faster than G(t, ϵ) as ϵ → 0+ if 2 0, and E(| X1 |t)
Does subtype matter? Assessing the effects of maltreatment on functioning in preadolescent youth in out-of-home care

OBJECTIVES: Attempts to understand the effects of maltreatment subtypes on childhood functioning are complicated by the fact that children often experience multiple subtypes. This study assessed the effects of maltreatment subtypes on the cognitive, academic, and mental health functioning of preadolescent youth in out-of-home care using both "variable-centered" and "person-centered" statistical analytic approaches to modeling multiple subtypes of maltreatment. METHODS: Participants included 334 preadolescent youth (ages 9-11) placed in out-of-home care due to maltreatment. The occurrence and severity of maltreatment subtypes (physical abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and supervisory neglect) were coded from child welfare records. The relationships between maltreatment subtypes and children's cognitive, academic, and mental health functioning were evaluated with the following approaches: RESULTS: The approaches identified similar relationships between maltreatment subtypes and children's functioning. The most consistent findings indicated that maltreated children who experienced physical or sexual abuse were at highest risk for caregiver-reported externalizing behavior problems, and those who experienced physical abuse and/or physical neglect were more likely to have higher levels of caregiver-reported internalizing problems. Children experiencing predominantly low severity supervisory neglect had relatively better functioning than other maltreated youth. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the maltreatment subtype differences identified within the maltreated sample in the current study are consistent with those from previous research comparing maltreated youth to non-maltreated comparison groups. Results do not support combining supervisory and physical neglect. The "variable-centered" and "person-centered" analytic approaches produced complementary results. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed. Language: en
Central role for interleukin-4 in regulating nitric oxide-mediated inhibition of T-cell proliferation and gamma interferon production in schistosomiasis.

Schistosoma mansoni-infected wild-type (WT) mice develop a Th2 response and chronic disease. In contrast, infected interleukin-4 double-deficient (IL-4−/−) mice develop a Th1-like response and an acute, lethal syndrome. Disease severity in these animals correlates with excessive and prolonged production of nitric oxide (NO) associated with enhanced antigen-driven gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production in the absence of IL-4. Strikingly, splenic lymphocytes from infected IL-4−/− mice failed to proliferate as well as those from infected WT mice following stimulation in vitro with antigen or anti-CD3 antibody. Contrary to antigen-driven IFN-γ responses, anti-CD3 antibody stimulation of splenocytes resulted in significantly less IFN-γ being produced by CD8 cells from infected IL-4−/− mice than by those from infected WT mice or normal mice. NO is largely responsible for the impaired T-cell functions in infected IL-4−/− mice, as inhibition of iNOS significantly enhanced proliferation and IFN-γ production.
Development of the physics of microwaves, and its unification with infrared and optical science

Radio waves and light for a long time seemed quite separated, one primarily a field of engineering, and the other more a field of science. Now they have come together, with engineering and basic science strongly involved in both. This change originated largely through the development of microwave physics, which led to laser oscillators and amplifiers. The whole electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to the ultraviolet and beyond, now looks like a continuous field from both a scientific and engineering point of view. The development of microwave physics, an essential part of this story, will be discussed here with its impact on masers, lasers, and optics.
Sequence divergence of Mus spretus and Mus musculus across a skin cancer susceptibility locus

Mus spretus diverged from Mus musculus over one million years ago. These mice are genetically and phenotypically divergent. Despite the value of utilizing M. musculus and M. spretus for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, relatively little genomic information on M. spretus exists, and most of the available sequence and polymorphic data is for one strain of M. spretus, Spret/Ei. In previous work, we mapped fifteen loci for skin cancer susceptibility using four different M. spretus by M. musculus F1 backcrosses. One locus, skin tumor susceptibility 5 (Skts5) on chromosome 12, shows strong linkage in one cross. To identify potential candidate genes for Skts5, we sequenced 65 named and unnamed genes and coding elements mapping to the peak linkage area in outbred spretus, Spret/EiJ, FVB/NJ, and NIH/Ola. We identified polymorphisms in 62 of 65 genes including 122 amino acid substitutions. To look for polymorphisms consistent with the linkage data, we sequenced exons with amino acid polymorphisms in two additional M. spretus strains and one additional M. musculus strain generating 40.1 kb of sequence data. Eight candidate variants were identified that fit with the linkage data. To determine the degree of variation across M. spretus, we conducted phylogenetic analyses. The relatedness of the M. spretus strains at this locus is consistent with the proximity of region of ascertainment of the ancestral mice. Our analyses suggest that, if Skts5 on chromosome 12 is representative of other regions in the genome, then published genomic data for Spret/EiJ are likely to be of high utility for genomic studies in other M. spretus strains.