cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vasculature-specific MRI reveals differential anti-angiogenic effects of a biomimetic peptide in an orthotopic breast cancer model

Translational vasculature-specific MRI biomarkers were used to measure the effects of a novel anti-angiogenic biomimetic peptide in an orthotopic MDA-MB-231 human triple-negative breast cancer model at an early growth stage. In vivo diffusion-weighted and steady-state susceptibility contrast (SSC) MRI was performed pre-treatment and 2 weeks post-treatment in tumor volume-matched treatment and control groups (n = 5/group). Treatment response was measured by changes in tumor volume; baseline transverse relaxation time (T2); apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC); and SSC-MRI metrics of blood volume, vessel size, and vessel density. These vasculature-specific SSC-MRI biomarkers were compared to the more conventional, non-vascular biomarkers (tumor growth, ADC, and T2) in terms of their sensitivity to anti-angiogenic treatment response. After 2 weeks of peptide treatment, tumor growth inhibition was evident but not yet significant, and the changes in ADC or T2 were not significantly different between treated and control groups. In contrast, the vascular MRI biomarkers revealed a significant anti-angiogenic response to the peptide after 2 weeks—blood volume and vessel size decreased, and vessel density increased in treated tumors; the opposite was seen in control tumors. The MRI results were validated with histology—H&E staining showed no difference in tumor viability between groups, while peptide-treated tumors exhibited decreased vascularity. These results indicate that translational SSC-MRI biomarkers are able to detect the differential effects of anti-angiogenic therapy on the tumor vasculature before significant tumor growth inhibition or changes in tumor viability.
Hospital Utilization Profiles among Older Adults Over Time: Consistency and Volume among Survivors and Decedents

Medicare claims data are used to model hospital utilization patterns for the 4,660 survivors and 2,867 decedents of the Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA). When the volume of hospital utilization was collapsed into four categories based on the mean annual number of hospital episodes and consistency was defined as a maximum absolute deviation from that mean of 1.5 or less, 42.6 percent of the LSOA respondents were found not to have any hospital admissions, and another 24.7 percent were found to be consistently low users. Only 4.8 percent were consistently high users, with an additional 6.8 percent being inconsistently high users. Multiple regression identified prior physician and hospital utilization, as well as poor perceived health, as the most important predictors of the volume and consistency of hospital utilization among survivors, as well as of the volume of hospital utilization among decedents. Among decedents, consistency was primarily related to geographic region and prior physician utilization.
Partial Derivatives Used in Trajectory Estimation

The Peano-Baker method is applied to the integration of the variational equations to produce the partial derivatives used in satellite navigation. In this method the analytic form of the state transition partial derivatives can be factored so that numerical integration is applied only to the departures from a simplified analytical model. The advantage of using the Peano-Baker approach rather than direct integration of the variational equations is that with the Peano-Baker method numerical integration can be performed adequately with low order formulae and relatively large step sizes. Numerical results are indicated.
When Does New Onset Diabetes Resulting From Antihypertensive Therapy Increase Cardiovascular Risk

The report in this issue of Hypertension by Verdecchia et al,1 a prospective study in a relatively large group of patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension, demonstrated two important findings. First, baseline level of plasma glucose and use of diuretics after a median follow-up of 6 years were independent predictors for development of new onset diabetes. Second, they observed that the occurrence of a new onset of diabetes in treated hypertensive patients carried a risk for subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events that was not statistically different from those who already had diabetes and hypertension at the onset of the study. Indeed, the risk of CVD events in those with new onset diabetes was not substantially different compared with those who already had diabetes at the onset of the investigation, with both groups having …
Reversible work transition state theory: application to dissociative adsorption of hydrogen

Abstract A practical method for finding free energy barriers for transitions in high-dimensional classical and quantum systems is presented and used to calculate the dissociative sticking probability of H 2 on a metal surface within the transition state theory. The reversible work involved in shifting the system confined to a hyperplane from the reactant region towards products is evaluated directly. Quantum mechanical degrees of freedom are included by using Feynman path integrals with the hyperplane constraint applied to the centroid of the cyclic paths. An optimal dividing surface for the rate estimated by the transition state theory is identified naturally in the course of the reversible work evaluation. The free energy barrier is determined relative to the reactant state directly so that an estimate of the transition rate can be obtained without requiring a solvable reference model for the transition state. The method has been applied to calculations of the sticking probability of a thermalized hydrogen gas on a Cu(110) surface. The two hydrogen atoms and eight surface Cu atoms were included quantum mechanically and over two hundred atoms in the Cu crystal where included classically. The activation energy for adsorption and desorption was determined and found to be significantly lowered by tunneling at low temperature. The calculated values agree quite well with experimental estimates for adsorption and desorption. Dynamical corrections to the classical transition state theory rate estimate were evaluated and found to be small.
National Conflict in a Transnational World: Greeks and Macedonians at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe

In the present era of globalization, ethnic nationalism can no longer be understood simply as a relationship between an ethnic minority and the dominant nation of the state in which it lives. The d...
Analysis of the RNA of Euglena gracilis on polyacrylamide gels

Five peaks of RNA from bleached Euglena gracilis are resolved by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The extraction of these RNA's and their subsequent resolution on gels is dependent upon pH and the presence of an RNase inhibitor (e.g., macaloid). Careful control of ionic strength also appears necessary. Inorganic phosphate is incorporated first by low molecular weight RNA, then by a high molecular weight RNA (hRNA) and a peak with a sedimentation coefficient of 13S, and then by rRNA.
A new neonatal short limbed dwarfism.

Two siblings with the same short limbed neonatal dwarfism are reported. The patients died from pulmonary hypoplasia.
Comparison of morbidity in children requiring abdominal radiation and chemotherapy, with and without total parenteral nutrition

We evaluated the effectiveness of total parenteral nutrition and placing the “bowel at rest”, as compared to that of ad libitum food intake, on nutritional status and tolerance to combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy in a randomized, prospective trial in children with previously untreated malignancy requiring abdominal and pelvic irradiation and chemotherapy. Administration of TPN was found to be safe and efficacious in maintaining the children in good nutritional status during combined therapy; one-third of the control patients became malnourished and required TPN. There was no beneficial effect of “bowel at rest” and TPN on the ability of patients to tolerate combined therapies in terms of decreased toxicity; however, use of TPN was associated with improved adherence to chemotherapy schedules. Following termination of TPN or ad libitum food intake, and while receiving chemotherapy, the majority of the children who had previously received TPN lost significant weight. To date there has been no difference in mortality rate between the control and TPN groups. Although we conclude that TPN per se had little beneficial effect beyond that of maintaining good nutritional status, every child undergoing intensive combined therapy should have early and periodic assessments of nutritional status, so that the early signs of malnutrition can be detected, and the adverse effects of malnutrition can be prevented by nutritional replenishment, by TPN, or by other methods.
The effect of chlorothiazide on human gastric secretion.

In 12 of 18 studies on human gastric secretion a fall in free acid occurred after chlorothiazide was administered. In 3 of the 12 patients the decrease was definite, i.e., 60–100 per cent of basal secretion, in 4 the results equivocal, and in 5 the fall was not significant. The decrease in free acid was transient, lasting for 1 hour.
Assumed distance as a determinant of apparent size

The hypothesis that size estimates could be systematically made when subjects were provided an assumed or perceived distance was tested. Forty subjects, each under one of four experimental conditions, were told the distance of a stimulus in a demonstratively cue-free situation. Their estimates of the size of the test objects constituted an increasing monotonic function of the size of the retinal image. Consistent overestimates of size suggest that the effect was primarily cognitive rather than perceptual.
Self‐perceptions and needs as a function of type of academic ability and gender

Negative self‐perceptions and feelings that one is different make academically talented students at risk for social problems and underachievement. One‐hundred seventy‐four academically talented eighth grade students (47% males) completed the Multidimensional Self‐Concept Scale and the Adjective Check List. Relative to a normative group of adolescents, these students had significantly higher academic self‐concepts but similar social self‐concepts. Academically talented females had stronger needs for achievement, dominance, and endurance, but weaker needs for succorance and abasement than a normative group of females. Students were grouped by their SAT Math and Verbal scores: Moderate Math/ Moderate Verbal, Moderate Math/ High Verbal, High Math/Moderate Verbal, and High Math/ High Verbal. High verbal students had weaker needs to be nurturant and had less interest in relationships with opposite‐gender persons than students moderate in math and verbal areas. High verbal students may be at greater risk for soc...
The Analysis of Rigid Body Motion From Measured Data

In this paper, a new method for analyzing rigid body motion from measured data is presented. The approach is numerically stable, explicitly accounts for the errors inherent in measured data and those introduced by floating point arithmetic, automatically accommodates any number of rigid body particles, and is computationally efficient. The sole restriction on the data is that it represent 3 noncollinear particles of a rigid body.
A new topical vasoconstrictor-based strategy for prevention of oral mucositis.

Objective In a new strategy, we sought to determine whether vasoconstriction and transient hypoxia of the mucosa during irradiation would prevent or suppress radiation-induced oral mucositis. Study Design Topical vasoconstrictor was applied once to the oral cavity; 20 minutes later hamsters or mice received 19 to 30 Gy to the mucosa. Oral mucositis was scored using functional assay, gross morphology, and histology of mucosal tissue over the next 12 to 16 days. Results A single application of phenylephrine (14 mM to 136 mM) 20 minutes before irradiation conferred highly significant ( P 1 -adrenergic receptor. Conclusions Phenylephrine swish-and-spit application before radiotherapy, or multiple applications during chemotherapy, may provide a simple, cost-effective strategy for suppression of oral mucositis in patients undergoing radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or bone marrow transplant.
Design and Fabrication of an Elastic Knee Orthosis: Preliminary Results

When humans hop or run on compliant surfaces they alter the stiffness of their legs so that the overall stiffness of the leg-surface system remains the same. Adding a spring in parallel to the ankle joint incites a similar neuromuscular response; humans decrease their biological ankle stiffness such that the overall ankle stiffness remains unchanged. These results suggest that an elastic exoskeleton could be effective at reducing the metabolic cost of locomotion. To further increase our understanding of human response we have developed an elastic knee brace that adds a stiff spring in parallel to the knee. It will be used as a test platform in ascertaining the neuromuscular effects of adding a parallel knee spring while hopping on one leg. This paper focuses primarily on the mechanical design and implementation of our elastic knee orthosis. Results of the forthcoming studies of human subjects wearing this knee orthosis will be presented in a separate article that will focus on the biomechanics and the neuromuscular adaptations of the human body. Prior research found that the neuromuscular response to hopping on compliant surfaces was the same when running on compliant surfaces. We expect that our results from hopping with springs in parallel with the knee will also be applicable to running. This elastic knee brace represents the first phase of an ongoing research project to develop a passive compliant lower-body exoskeleton to assist in human running. It is expected that this research will benefit healthy individuals as well as those with disabilities causing decreased muscle function.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Reaction of Soybean Cultivars to Isolates of Fusarium solani from the Red River Valley.

ABSTRACT Five isolates of Fusarium solani, originally isolated from diseased soybean roots in the Red River Valley (RRV) of Minnesota and North Dakota, were evaluated for their ability to cause symptoms on 10 genetically diverse soybean cultivars. Taproots of 2-week-old plants were inoculated with F. solani-infested oat kernels, and 3 and 10 weeks later, plants were evaluated for root rot and foliar symptoms. At 3 weeks after inoculation, taproots of all cultivars had extensive reddish brown to black lesions; root rot severity (1–6 scale) ranged from 4.8 to 5.1, and 3.5% of the plants had died. Foliar symptoms were not observed. At 10 weeks after inoculation, all cultivars showed extensive decay of taproots and >50% of lateral roots were necrotic; root rot severity (1–4 scale) ranged from 2.7 to 3.7, and 42.5% of the plants had died. Foliar symptoms were first observed between the R-1 to R-6 growth stages (about 5 weeks after inoculation) on the lower leaves and consisted of chlorosis at the margins that ...
The determination of catechols in the presence of ascorbic acid and uric acid by flow injection analysis employing a potentiometric dibenzo-18-crown-6 electrode detector

Abstract A polished platinum disc was modified by electropolymerization of dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB-18-C-6) onto the surface. This DB-18-C-6 electrode has been used as a detector for catechol and catecholamines in a potentiometric-flow injection mode. The potentiometric-flow injection response of the DB-18-C-6 modified electrode exhibited a linear response for catechol and catecholamine concentrations from 10-2—10-6 M achieving detection limits as low as 0.5 × 10-6M. An interference study was carried out with ascorbic acid and uric acid which are serious interferents using amperometric detectors. No significant interference was observed for the presence of either of these two or mixture of these two common interferents until they were in greater than a 10-fold excess. 1 Present address: Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, University of Cairo, Giza, Egypt 2 Present address: Teledyne, 16830 Chestnut Street, City of Industry, CA 91749—1580 3 Present address: College of Medicine, Univ. of Florida, Gai...
Effects of punishment on choice between cocaine and food in rhesus monkeys.

Punishment is widely used in an effort to control drug-taking behavior; however, only a few preclinical studies have investigated the effects of punishment on drug self-administration. Such studies may contribute to more rational use of punishment to control drug use. To evaluate the effects of punishment on choice between cocaine and food in rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys were trained under a concurrent-choice schedule of food delivery (1 g pellets, fixed-ratio 100 schedule) or cocaine injections (0–0.1 mg/kg per injection, fixed-ratio 10 schedule). Full cocaine choice dose–effect curves were determined under baseline conditions and under test conditions in which a putative punisher (intravenous histamine injection; 0.0032–0.032 mg/kg per injection) was paired with either food or cocaine delivery. Under baseline conditions, cocaine produced a dose-dependent increase in cocaine choice. Histamine functioned as a punisher of both food- and cocaine-maintained responding. Pairing histamine with food delivery reduced food choice, increased cocaine choice, and produced left shifts in the cocaine choice dose–effect curve. Conversely, pairing histamine with cocaine decreased cocaine choice, increased food choice, and produced right shifts in the cocaine choice dose–effect curve. The magnitude of histamine’s punishing effects was directly related to histamine dose and probability of histamine delivery, and inversely related to the magnitude of the reinforcer. These results demonstrate that a primary effect of punishment in the context of food vs cocaine choice is not only a decrease in the behavior being punished, but also an increase in the unpunished alternative behavior.
Note on a problem of S. Chowla

Abstract It is shown that there exist infinitely many quadratic extensions of fields of rational functions in one variable over finite prime fields such that the ring of integers is a unique factorization domain.
Coastal bioluminescent marine snow: fine structure of bioluminescence distribution

Abstract To determine if bioluminescent organisms were differentially concentrated within marine snow relative to ambient water, individual aggregates were photographed in situ and collected by hand using SCUBA, and mechanically stimulable bioluminescence (BL) was measured with an integrating sphere photomultiplier system. These are among the first measurements of BL on marine snow, and are the first quantitative estimates of BL marine snow over the water column in a coastal environment (East Sound, WA). BL in marine snow and ambient water varied significantly over short time scales (1–11 days) and vertical spatial scales (1–5 m resolution). BL was enriched up to 180 times within aggregates as compared to an equal volume of surrounding seawater. However, the contribution of BL associated with marine snow to total BL in the water column varied between Protoperidinium leonis , made the largest contribution to both BL in aggregates and to the overall water column. Concentrations of the bioluminescent dinoflagellates Protoperidinium spp. and Noctiluca scintillans were significantly correlated with BL per aggregate as a function of depth, date, and type of marine snow. Because BL has been shown to deter herbivore grazing on individual BL dinoflagellates, BL-enriched marine snow may likewise, avoid consumption and play an important role in coastal carbon cycling and food web structure.
Pathologic effect of phencylidine and restraint on rat skeletal muscle structure: Prevention by prior denervation

Abstract Extensive disruptions of myofibrillar architecture or extensive areas of Z-band smearing occur in less than 2% of skeletal muscle fibers of the vastus lateralis muscle of untreated male Sprague-Dawley rats. Restraint for 2 hr, a potent stress in the rat, did not significantly increase the occurrence of extensive myofibrillar disruption, and acute or chronic administration of the potent psychotomimetic-anesthetic, phencyclidine, had only a slight effect on rat skeletal muscle morphology. However, phencyclidine plus restraint resulted in the occurrence of extensive areas of myofibrillar disruption and extensive Z-band smearing as well as scattered, segmental necrosis. Denervation of quadriceps femoris 40–48 hr prior to phencyclidine and restraint almost completely blocked the occurrence of any lesions. This suggests that intense muscle activity, with increased demand for and utilization of oxygen, can produce extensive architectural changes in skeletal muscle.
The Deacetylase HDAC6 Regulates Aggresome Formation and Cell Viability in Response to Misfolded Protein Stress

The efficient clearance of cytotoxic misfolded protein aggregates is critical for cell survival. Misfolded protein aggregates are transported and removed from the cytoplasm by dynein motors via the microtubule network to a novel organelle termed the aggresome where they are processed. However, the means by which dynein motors recognize misfolded protein cargo, and the cellular factors that regulate aggresome formation, remain unknown. We have discovered that HDAC6, a microtubule-associated deacetylase, is a component of the aggresome. We demonstrate that HDAC6 has the capacity to bind both polyubiquitinated misfolded proteins and dynein motors, thereby acting to recruit misfolded protein cargo to dynein motors for transport to aggresomes. Indeed, cells deficient in HDAC6 fail to clear misfolded protein aggregates from the cytoplasm, cannot form aggresomes properly, and are hypersensitive to the accumulation of misfolded proteins. These findings identify HDAC6 as a crucial player in the cellular management of misfolded protein-induced stress.
Role of leucocytes in coagulation induced by artificial surfaces: investigation of expression of Mac-1, granulocyte elastase release and leucocyte adhesion on modified polyurethanes

Abstract Thrombus formation on artificial surfaces can be viewed as the sequential and concomitant involvement of protein adsorption, platelet reactions, activation of the coagulation system, participation of complement, fibrinolytic and kallikrein-kinin systems, and the interaction of cellular elements. This study examines the activation of leucocytes on a series of well-characterized polyurethanes with different ionic groups [sulphonate groups (negatively charged); quaterinary amine groups (positively charged)], in terms of adhesion, degranulation and cell surface integrin receptor expression. Leucocyte adhesion was monitored with radiolabelled neutrophils and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), degranulation by measurement of human neutrophil elastase using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and cell surface expression of the integrin receptor Mac-1, using fluorescentactivated cell sorting (FACS). Our results indicate a trend towards enhanced adhesion and degranulation with respect to the negatively charged polyurethane. Similar results were observed with respect to the integrin Mac-1 from recovered adherent cells. The findings of enhanced adhesion and spreading, Mac-1 up-regulation and granulocyte elastase release from the negatively charged sulphonated polyurethane indicate the potential of leucocytes to contribute towards thrombus formation on such surfaces.
A place of our own: a narrative review of the family housing services literature

The problem of family homelessness has been widely recognized by both policymakers and social service providers. What is not clear, however, is the overall effectiveness of housing intervention services provided to homeless families. This narrative review of the literature discusses 10 studies from 1991 to 2013 on both transitional and supportive housing in order to assess under what conditions and for whom these interventions are most effective. More specifically this review evaluates the research regarding which elements of intervention services are most helpful to families, the outcomes associated with these programmes, and the short- and long-term effectiveness of housing interventions. Evidence suggests that while these programmes produce positive outcomes for families, a one-size-fits-all model of housing may not be effective for all families. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.
Letter to the editor: “A return to the venous return controversy: a visual aid for combatants”

to the editor: I have followed with interest the controversy surrounding the determinants of venous return, specifically the latest contribution by Beard and Feigl ([1][1]) published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology ([1][1]–[5][2]). Since this debate has
In the Presence of the Universe: Peirce, Royce, and Theology as Theosemiotic

I continue to be preoccupied with the task of delineating the features of a distinctive tradition in American religious thought that I refer to as theosemiotic . 1 It can be traced back through Ralph Waldo Emerson to Jonathan Edwards as an early exemplar. It achieves full flower in the philosophy of Charles S. Peirce and then bears fruit in the work of the later Josiah Royce and in some of H. Richard Niebuhr's writings. This essay focuses on Peirce and on the later Royce. Peirce's theosemiotic is most clearly discernible in his 1908 article “A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God,” especially when one reads that article in the context of Peirce's developed theory of signs. I do not intend to engage here in any sort of detailed exegesis of the Neglected Argument. 2 Instead, I wish to focus on the continuity between Peirce and Royce visible in the latter's book on The Problem of Christianity , 3 with most of my attention being directed to the discussion in the second part of that work.
Structure determination of the head–tail connector of bacteriophage φ29

The head–tail connector of bacteriophage φ29 is composed of 12 36 kDa subunits with 12-fold symmetry. It is the central component of a rotary motor that packages the genomic dsDNA into preformed proheads. This motor consists of the head–tail connector, surrounded by a φ29-encoded, 174-base, RNA and a viral ATPase protein, both of which have fivefold symmetry in three-dimensional cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions. DNA is translocated into the prohead through a 36 A diameter pore in the center of the connector, where the DNA takes the role of a motor spindle. The helical nature of the DNA allows the rotational action of the connector to be transformed into a linear translation of the DNA. The crystal structure determination of connector crystals in space group C2 was initiated by molecular replacement, using an approximately 20 A resolution model derived from cryo-electron microscopy. The model phases were extended to 3.5 A resolution using 12-fold non-crystallographic symmetry averaging and solvent flattening. Although this electron density was not interpretable, the phases were adequate to locate the position of 24 mercury sites of a thimerosal heavy-atom derivative. The resultant 3.2 A single isomorphous replacement phases were improved using density modification, producing an interpretable electron-density map. The crystallographically refined structure was used as a molecular-replacement model to solve the structures of two other crystal forms of the connector molecule. One of these was in the same space group and almost isomorphous, whereas the other was in space group P21212. The structural differences between the oligomeric connector molecules in the three crystal forms and between different monomers within each crystal show that the structure is relatively flexible, particularly in the protruding domain at the wide end of the connector. This domain probably acts as a bearing, allowing the connector to rotate within the pentagonal portal of the prohead during DNA packaging.
HMM training based on quality measurement

Two discriminant measures for HMM states to improve the effectiveness on HMM training are presented. In HMM based speech recognition, the context-dependent states are usually modeled by Gaussian mixture distributions. In general, the number of Gaussian mixtures for each state is fixed or proportional to the amount of training data. From our study, some of the states are "non-aggressive" compared to others, and a higher acoustic resolution is required for them. Two methods are presented in this paper to determine those non-aggressive states. The first approach uses the recognition accuracy of the states and the second method is based on a rank distribution of states. Baseline systems, trained by a fixed number of Gaussian mixtures for each state, having 33 K and 120 K Gaussians, yield 14.57% and 13.04% word error rates, respectively. Using our approach, a 38 K Gaussian system was constructed that reduces the error rate to 13.95%. The average ranks of non-aggressive states in rank lists of testing data were also seen to dramatic improve compared to the baseline systems.
Selection and placement of best management practices used to reduce water quality degradation in Lincoln Lake watershed

[1] An increased loss of agricultural nutrients is a growing concern for water quality in Arkansas. Several studies have shown that best management practices (BMPs) are effective in controlling water pollution. However, those affected with water quality issues need water management plans that take into consideration BMPs selection, placement, and affordability. This study used a nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). This multiobjective algorithm selects and locates BMPs that minimize nutrients pollution cost-effectively by providing trade-off curves (optimal fronts) between pollutant reduction and total net cost increase. The usefulness of this optimization framework was evaluated in the Lincoln Lake watershed. The final NSGA-II optimization model generated a number of near-optimal solutions by selecting from 35 BMPs (combinations of pasture management, buffer zones, and poultry litter application practices). Selection and placement of BMPs were analyzed under various cost solutions. The NSGA-II provides multiple solutions that could fit the water management plan for the watershed. For instance, by implementing all the BMP combinations recommended in the lowest-cost solution, total phosphorous (TP) could be reduced by at least 76% while increasing cost by less than 2% in the entire watershed. This value represents an increase in cost of $5.49 ha−1 when compared to the baseline. Implementing all the BMP combinations proposed with the medium- and the highest-cost solutions could decrease TP drastically but will increase cost by $24,282 (7%) and $82,306 (25%), respectively.
Investigations of the mechanism of retention of electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography

Electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography is a technique which uses a column that is configured as a three-electrode electrochemical cell. The packing is a conductive material, serving both as a stationary phase and as a working electrode. Chromatographic retention is manipulated through changes in the potential applied to the stationary phase (Eapp) which alters interfacial properties such as surface charge and double layer structure. The stationary phase can thus be viewed as a compositionally tunable packing, with retention properties that can be adjusted to enhance separation efficiency. EMLC separations have been carried out to a wide variety of analyte mixtures, including aromatic sulfonates, monosubstituted benzenes and corticosteroids. EMLC can also be used as a tool for investigating electrosorption processes. The main goal of this dissertation is advance insights into the retention mechanism for EMLC. Previous works with charged analytes demonstrated the impact of ionic solutestationary phase interactions in EMLC retention. The potential-dependent retention of neutral solutes implies a mechanism beyond electrostatics. Simple, neutral aromatic solutes are employed as test solutes to examine this fundamental issue. Benzene and a series of alkylbenzenes, and diand trimethylbenzenes are chosen in particular to probe EMLC-based retention with respect to solute structure and properties. Retention is monitored at porous graphitic carbon (PGC) stationary phase as a function of Eapp. The results are then interpreted based on the changes on the strength of solute-stationary
Chitinases are essential for sexual development but not vegetative growth in cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic pathogen that mainly infects immunocompromised individuals. The fungal cell wall of C. neoformans is an excellent target for antifungal therapies since it is an essential organelle that provides cell structure and integrity. Importantly, it is needed for localization or attachment of known virulence factors, including melanin, phospholipase, and the polysaccharide capsule. The polysaccharide fraction of the cryptococcal cell wall is a complex structure composed of chitin, chitosan, and glucans. Chitin is an indispensable component of many fungal cell walls that contributes significantly to cell wall strength and integrity. Fungal cell walls are very dynamic, constantly changing during cell division and morphogenesis. Hydrolytic enzymes, such as chitinases, have been implicated in the maintenance of cell wall plasticity and separation of the mother and daughter cells at the bud neck during vegetative growth in yeast. In C. neoformans we identified four predicted endochitinases, CHI2, CHI21, CHI22, and CHI4, and a predicted exochitinase, hexosaminidase, HEX1. Enzymatic analysis indicated that Chi2, Chi22, and Hex1 actively degraded chitinoligomeric substrates. Chi2 and Hex1 activity was associated mostly with the cellular fraction, and Chi22 activity was more prominent in the supernatant. The enzymatic activity of Hex1 increased when grown in media containing only N-acetylglucosamine as a carbon source, suggesting that its activity may be inducible by chitin degradation products. Using a quadruple endochitinase deletion strain, we determined that the endochitinases do not affect the growth or morphology of C. neoformans during asexual reproduction. However, mating assays indicated that Chi2, Chi21, and Chi4 are each involved in sexual reproduction. In summary, the endochitinases were found to be dispensable for routine vegetative growth but not sexual reproduction.
Developmental patterns of childhood peer relations as predictors of externalizing behavior problems.

Developmental patterns of childhood peer relations were examined in the prediction of externalizing behavior problems in a 4-year multiple cohort longitudinal study. The participants consisted of 880 third- (M = 9.3 years) through seventh- (M = 13.4 years) grade students. Approximately half of the participants were female, one third were Black, and one third were from low-income homes. Developmental patterns of six indices of peer relations (including group acceptance, group rejection, having a reciprocated best friend, social support from best friend, conflict with best friend, and the aggressiveness of the best friend) were examined as predictors of aggression and delinquency using logistic regression analyses. Results suggest that both group and dyadic peer relations problems are risk factors for aggression and delinquency. Support was found for the cumulative risk model in the prediction of externalizing outcomes from multiple social risk factors that were additively associated with each negative outcome.
Racial Attitudes and Opposition to Welfare

This article examines the role of racial attitudes in shaping white Americans' opposition to welfare. Past research on welfare views has focused on economic self-interest, individualism, and egalitarianism. Using a covariance structure model, I confirm the significance of these factors, but find that racial attitudes are in fact the most important source of opposition to welfare among whites. In addition, racial attitudes influence the pattern of support white Americans express toward various aspects of the welfare state: negative attitudes toward blacks lead many whites who support spending for education, health care, and the elderly to oppose means-tested programs aimed exclusively at the poor. Finally, this research carries implications for broader theories of race and politics. Contrary to the suggestion that traditional racial prejudice is no longer a potent force in American politics, I show that at least one aspect of traditional prejudice--the stereotype of blacks as lazy--is still widespread and ...
Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembled Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Based Ion-Sensitive Conductometric Glucose Biosensors

We present ion-sensitive conductometric glucose sensors prepared by layer-by-layer (LbL) nano self-assembly of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) and enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx). The carboxylated SWNT and GOx are self-assembled alternatively with a positively charged polyelectrolyte, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride, PDDA). Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) study and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy demonstrate GOx is negatively charged, and it is possible to successively construct multilayer alternatively with PDDA. SWNT multilayer shows pH-dependent conductance at different pH buffer solutions, which decreases exponentially with an increase in pH. The concentration of glucose is electronically characterized based on the fact that hydrogen ions from glucose oxidation with the aid of GOx change the local pH value in the vicinity of SWNT multilayer thin-film, thereby yielding higher conductance. The overall sensitivity is 10.8 muA/mM and the resolution of device fabricated is 1 pM at the bias voltage of 0.6 V. The LbL assembled SWNT multilayer is proven to be versatile for sensing biochemical reactions with many other enzyme systems.
Evolutionary computation technologies for space systems

The Evolvable Computation Group, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is tasked with demonstrating the utility of computational engineering and computer optimized design for complex space systems. The group is comprised of researchers over a broad range of disciplines including biology, genetics, robotics, physics, computer science and system design, and employs biologically inspired evolutionary computational techniques to design and optimize complex systems. Over the past two years we have developed tools using genetic algorithms, simulated annealing and other optimizers to improve on human design of space systems. We have further demonstrated that the same tools used for computer-aided design and design evaluation can be used for automated innovation and design. These powerful techniques also serve to reduce redesign costs and schedules
Relationship between RNA Lariat Debranching and Ty1 Element Retrotransposition

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae DBR1 gene encodes a 2′-5′ phosphodiesterase that debranches intron RNA lariats following splicing. Yeast dbr1 mutants accumulate intron lariats and are also defective for mobility of the retrotransposons Ty1 and Ty3. We used a mutagenic PCR method to generate a collection of dbr1 mutant alleles to explore the relationship between the roles of DBR1 in transposition and debranching. Eight mutants defective for Ty1 transposition contained single amino acid changes in Dbr1p. Two mutations, G84A and N85D, are in a conserved phosphoesterase motif that is believed to be part of the active site of the enzyme, supporting a connection between enzymatic activity and Ty1 transposition. Two other mutations, Y68F and Y68D, occur at a potential phosphorylation site, and we have shown that Dbr1p is phosphorylated on tyrosine. We have developed an RNase protection assay to quantitate intron RNA accumulation in cells. The assay uses RNA probes that hybridize to ACT1 intron RNA. Protection patterns confirm that sequences from the 5′ end of the intron to the lariat branch point accumulate in dbr1 mutants in a branched (lariat) conformation. RNase protection assays indicate that all of the newly generated dbr1 mutant alleles are also deficient for debranching, further supporting a role for 2′-5′ phosphodiesterase activity in Ty1 transposition. A Ty1 element lacking most of its internal sequences transposes independently of DBR1. The existence of Dbr1p-dependent Ty1 sequences raises the possibility that Dbr1p acts on Ty1 RNA.
Portfolio influences on Air Force Capabilities-Based assessment and Capabilities-Based Planning activities

Capability-Based Assessments (CBA) are the starting point in identifying, and recommending solutions for gaps and shortfalls in operational military capabilities. CBAs assess several key areas, and provide actionable decision-quality information to senior leadership. The Air Force (AF) Capabilities-Based Planning (CBP) process is aligned with joint CBA constructs, to better support AF corporate decisions regarding acquisition of warfighting capabilities. Both these rigorous processes require collection and analysis of significant amounts of disparate data. This paper discusses use of portfolios and portfolio frameworks to collect, aggregate, and manage this variety of information in support of investment decisions - acquiring new platforms, systems, and systems of systems (SoS) intended to deliver these future capabilities.
On the use of prior and posterior information in the subpixel proportion problem

Although the problems of classification and subpixel proportion estimation in remote sensing land cover characterization generally are held to be distinct (though related), often elements of the former are adopted in addressing the latter that blur this distinction - particularly, regarding the use of prior and posterior information. The author examines this issue in more detail, using simple, canonical versions of the two problems and, in the course of this examination, provides analytical expressions upon which to build discussion of improvements to subpixel proportion estimation from a statistical viewpoint.
An Examination of Language Use in Online Dating Profiles

This paper contributes to the study of self-presentation in online dating systems by performing a factor analysis on the text portions of online profiles. Findings include a similarity in the overall factor structures between male and female profiles, including use of tentative words by men. Contrasts between sexes were also found in a cluster analysis of the profiles using their factor scores. Finally, we also found similarities in frequent words used by the gender groups.
Complete heart block: determinants and clinical impact in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy undergoing nonsurgical septal reduction therapy.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this paper is to examine the incidence and determinants of permanent complete heart block (CHB) after nonsurgical septal reduction therapy (NSRT), and to evaluate the clinical impact of permanent pacemaker (PPM) placement. Background Nonsurgical septal reduction therapy with ethanol improves the clinical and hemodynamic parameters in patients with symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Complete heart block is a common complication after NSRT. Methods The database of 261 consecutive patients who underwent NSRT at Baylor College of Medicine was reviewed. Clinical variables that were considered as possible determinants for CHB after NSRT were: age, gender, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient at rest or with provocation, septal thickness, and baseline exercise duration. For electrocardiographic (ECG) variables, the presence of first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block, bifascicular block, left bundle branch block, atrial fibrillation, and left ventricular hypertrophy were analyzed. In addition, the volume of ethanol injected, the method of administration of ethanol (i.e., bolus vs. slow injection [over 30 to 60 s]), number of septal arteries occluded, use of myocardial echocardiography, and infarct size as determined by peak creatine kinase level. Results Of 261 consecutive patients, 37 had PPM or automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator placed before NSRT. Of the remaining 224 patients, 31 (14%) developed CHB after the procedure. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female gender (odds ratio [OR] 4.3; p = 0.02), bolus injection of ethanol (OR 51; p = 0.004), injecting more than one septal artery (OR 4.6; p = 0.016), the presence of left bundle branch block (OR 39; p = 0.002), and first-degree AV block (OR 14; p = 0.001) on the baseline ECG are independent predictors of CHB after NSRT. Patients requiring PPM placement had a similar improvement in their NYHA functional class, septal thickness reduction, LVOT gradient reduction, and improvement of exercise capacity when compared with patients who did not require pacing. Conclusions Multiple demographic, electrocardiographic, and technical factors seem to increase the risk of CHB after NSRT. Patients with CHB after NSRT derive similar clinical and hemodynamic benefit to patients who did not require permanent pacing.
Exception-Chain Analysis: Revealing Exception Handling Architecture in Java Server Applications

Although it is common in large Java programs to rethrow exceptions, existing exception-flow analyses find only single exception-flow links, thus are unable to identify multiple-link exception propagation paths. This paper presents a new static analysis that, when combined with previous exception-flow analyses, computes chains of semantically-related exception-flow links, and thus reports entire exception propagation paths, instead of just discrete segments of them. These chains can be used 1) to show the error handling architecture of a system, 2) to assess the vulnerability of a single component and the whole system, 3) to support better testing of error recovery code, and 4) to facilitate the tracing of the root cause of a logged problem. Empirical findings and a case history for Tomcat show that a significant portion of the chains found in our benchmarks span multiple components, and thus are hard to find manually.
Permeability of the subsynovial connective tissue in the human carpal tunnel: A cadaver study

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine the permeability of the normal carpal tunnel subsynovial connective tissue. Methods Subsynovial connective tissue samples (10 mm 2 ) were obtained from 10 fresh frozen human cadavers without a history of carpal tunnel syndrome. The thickness of the sample was measured using a charge-coupled device laser displacement system. Each specimen was tested for permeability in a closed pressure chamber at 13.8, 41.3, 68.9 and 96.5 kPa. Findings Since permeated flow was very low in all specimens, the permeability could be calculated only for eight specimens at 96.5 kPa pressure and for three specimens at 68.9 kPa. The mean permeability at 96.5 kPa was mean 0.89 (SD 0.93) × 10 −14 m 4 /Ns and at 68.9 kPa was mean 1.04 (SD 1.54) × 10 −14 m 4 /Ns. Interpretation The subsynovial connective tissue is the most characteristic tissue in the carpal tunnel; it is found in no other location in such abundance. It is well known that carpal tunnel syndrome is the result of increased pressure within the carpal tunnel. This lack of permeability in the subsynovial connective tissue may explain the predisposition of this region for pressure buildup and subsequent neuropathy.