cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seafinding By Hatchling Sea Turtles: Role of Brightness, Silhouette and Beach Slope as Orientation Cues

Upon emerging from underground nests, sea turtle hatchlings immediately crawl toward the ocean. The primary cues used in orientation are visual but the nature of the visual cues was a matter of speculation. Hatchlings might also respond to secondary cues, such as beach slope. Experiments were carried out in an arena where specific visual and slope cues, simulating those present at nest sites, could be precisely controlled and manipulated. Subjects were green turtle (Chelonia mydas L.) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta L.) hatchlings. Both species oriented toward the more intensely illuminated sections of the arena. They also oriented away from dark silhouettes which simulated an elevated horizon, typical of the view toward land. Turtles responded primarily to stimuli (both silhouettes and photic differences) at or near eye level. When presented simultaneously with a silhouette and a photic gradient located in different directions, hatchlings oriented away from the silhouette and ignored photic stimuli. Under infrared light, both species oriented down slopes. However in the presence of nocturnal levels of visible light loggerheads ignored slope cues and responses of green turtles to slope were weakened. The data suggest that loggerhead and green turtle hatchlings usually find the sea by orienting away from elevated silhouettes. This is a prominent and reliable cue for species which typically nest on continental beaches.
Bevacizumab in the Management of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Abstract The treatment of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains a challenge. The introduction of paclitaxel and carboplatin significantly increased median survival; however, long-term survival has not improved. Angiogenesis, defined as the formation of new blood vessels from a preexisting vascular bed, is an essential process that regulates cancer growth and dissemination. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important and best-studied proangiogenic factors. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against VEGF, has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and is proving to be of clinical benefit in a variety of tumor types, usually when combined with chemotherapy. Several clinical trials have evaluated the activity of bevacizumab in recurrent EOC. These studies clearly show that bevacizumab has encouraging activity, even when used as a single agent, in this disease. The duration and timing of bevacizumab's use is currently the focus of several ongoing clinical trials.
Observations on Sioux Education

(1939). Observations on Sioux Education. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 101-156.
Randers space forms

This note chronicles various roles played by the Yasuda-Shimada theorem in some recent developments of Riemann--Finsler geometry. We shall demonstrate that the said theorem is, at various stages of its life, an enigma, an inspiration, a flawed icon, and a powerful catalyst.
Stat 4 but not Stat 6 mediated immune mechanisms are essential in protection against plague

Abstract The Caf1 and LcrV sub-unit vaccine for plague has been shown to be highly protective against challenge with virulent Yersinia pestis in a mouse model. Production of large amounts of IgG1 in response to the vaccine correlates with protection against aerosol and parenteral infection. In this study the effect of genetic mutation in the immune system on protection was addressed. Stat 6−/− mice which are unable to utilise the type 2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 and so should have reduced IgG1 responses were utilised in order to determine whether an immune system biased towards the type 1 axis could mount an effective response to the vaccine. Conversely in the Stat 4−/− mouse model, IL-12 and interferon-γ-mediated immune mechanisms are inactive and the immune response should be biased towards the type 2 axis. Serum antibody responses to vaccination in both the knockout strains and their wild type controls revealed little difference in levels of IgG and isotype profiles. Elispot analysis of cytokine production at the single cell level did however reveal a functional defect in the Stat 4−/− mice which had low levels of IFN-γ producing cells. Following virulent challenge, the Stat 6−/− mice showed high levels of protection, while the Stat 4−/− mice were poorly protected, indicating a fundamental defect in their immune systems which could not be overcome even by the passive transfer of CD4+ cells from immunised BALB/c donors. It appears therefore that type 1 immune mechanisms, activated following Stat 4 phosphorylation, are essential in protection against plague.
Sub-nanometer open volume regions in a bulk metallic glass investigated by positron annihilation

Abstract The size distribution of open volume regions in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass is investigated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Three lifetime components are identified, indicating the presence of three distinct size ranges for open volume defects in the glass. The first two components compare favorably with literature values for bulk and vacancy annihilation in crystalline Zr, and are assigned to annihilation in the densely packed bulk and loosely packed flow defects within the glass. The third lifetime component corresponds to the annihilation of ortho-Positronium in a very low concentration of voids with radii 2.1–2.7 A. The sizes of all three defects decrease with inhomogeneous deformation, while the concentrations of flow defects and voids increase.
Integrin-type signaling has a distinct influence on NMDA-induced cytoskeletal disassembly.

Adhesion responses triggered by integrin-class matrix receptors have been implicated in the synaptic reorganization events necessary for certain types of neuronal plasticity. Hippocampal slice cultures were used to test whether the related structural transformations elicited by NMDA receptor stimulation are regulated by integrin-type signals. Infusing the slices with NMDA for a short period induced the expected disassembly of the cytoskeletal network, measured with antibodies that selectively recognize spectrin cleavage sites targeted by the protease calpain. Marked levels of the 150-kDa breakdown product (BDP) were produced, whereas concentrations of the parent spectrin were not changed. Interestingly, the calpain cleavage events were attenuated by 60% when integrin-type signaling was disrupted with the antagonist Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro (GRGDSP). This effect was RGDS-dependent, was largely evident in synapse-dense dendritic areas, particularly in subfield CA1, and was abolished when the NMDA exposure period was >5 min. These findings suggest that only those cytoskeletal alterations associated with brief synaptic activity are regulated by intact contact zones. AMPA-type glutamate receptors also were tested because, like spectrin, they are targets for calpain. Brief NMDA treatment caused a 15% loss of AMPA receptor GluR1 carboxytermini and this modification was augmented to 32% in the presence of GRGDSP. Thus, although blockage of matrix recognition signals decreased spectrin's susceptibility to disassembly, it increased the susceptibility of AMPA receptors to proteolysis. These data indicate that integrin-type signaling complexes are appropriately positioned to govern cytoskeletal reconfiguration while stabilizing the structural nature of AMPA receptors.
INACTIVATION OF DESOXYCORTICOSTERONE ACETATE

IN A PREVIOUS report (1), a method for the study of inactivation of estrone and testosterone propionate was described, and has been employed to study the inactivation of insulin (2). Burrill et al. (3) utilized this technique to study the inactivation of desoxycorticosterone. Eversole et al. obtained contradictory results by a similar method (4) and by the use of adrenal cortical transplants (5). The present experiments were devised to investigate these contradictions and were an attempt to determine the site of inactivation of desoxycorticosterone in the body; Male white rats 100 days old1 were kept in individual cages which contained a food cup and 3 accurately graduated 90 cc. inverted drinking bottles; one was filled with distilled water, one with a 3 per cent solution of sodium chloride, and one with a 40 per cent solution of sucrose.
Grammians and model reduction in limited time and frequency intervals

In this paper the controllability and observability grammians in limited time and frequency intervals are studied, and used for model reduction. In balanced and modal coordinates a near-optimal reduction procedure is developed, yielding the reduction error (norm of the difference between the output of the original system and the reduced model) almost minimal. Several examples are given to illustrate the concept for model reduction of continuous- and discrete-time systems, stable and unstable systems, in limited tim or/and frequency interval. Finally, the model reduction of a flexible truss structure is presented.
842. Novel Oncolytic Adenoviruses for Cancer Gene Therapy

Top of pageAbstract Conditionally replication competent adenoviruses (CRCA) are being stringently evaluated for their ability to replicate selectively in cancer cells and induce oncolysis. However, recent clinical trials in different cancer indications demonstrate that oncolytic adenoviruses alone are not sufficient to significantly deter the precipitous course of the disease suggesting that additional approaches are necessary to bolster oncolysis by these agents. For replication competent adenoviruses to be successful for cancer treatment, they must replicate only in cancer cells with minimal toxicity to normal tissues. The promoter region of Progression Elevated Gene-3 (PEG-Prom) has the unique ability to function selectively in cancer cells with minimum to no activity in normal cells. We have created several CRCA in which the expression of the E1A gene of Ad, necessary for replication, is under the control of PEG-Prom and which simultaneously express a cancer-specific tumor suppressor/immunomodulatory gene in the E3 region of the Ad. We have demonstrated that these CRCA display cancer cell specific replication, transgene expression and induction of apoptosis and necrosis without harming normal cells. Intratumoral injection of these CRCA completely eradicates both primary and distant (representative of metastasis) tumors in established human cancer xenografts in athymic nude mice. These novel CRCA might thus be effective tools to induce complete remission of cancers and need to be stringently evaluated in immunocompetent animal models of cancer and Phase I/II clinical trials for their effective translation for the actual treatment of cancer patients.
Salt and water balance in the oligohaline clam, Rangia cuneata I. Anisosmotic extracellular regulation

The euryhaline mollusc Rangia cuneata maintains blood NaCl above that in the ambient medium in the range 0–2 ppt salinity and below ambient in the range 12–24 ppt. A hyperosmotic condition of the blood found at low salinity disappears at 12–16 ppt, and the blood medium-difference becomes labile at high salinity. Hypersaline regulation of the blood at low salinity is accompanied by increased oxygen uptake, both in intact animals and in isolated gill and mantle tissue. However, only mantle andnot gill oxygen uptake is depressed at low salinity by ouabain, a specific inhibitor of the Na+ + K+ ATPases. These findings, together with other results on enzyme activity and the ionic effects on enzyme inhibition, suggest that hyperosmotic regulation of the blood at low salinity involves the absorption of NaCl from the medium, and that the process requires both oxidative metabolism and unimpaired functioning of the Na+ + K+ ATPases. The excretion of ammonia is also, depressed by ouabain, suggesting an exchange of Na+ and NH4+. The NH4+ may arise during deamination of intracellular free amino acids. The size of the free amino acid pool in gill, mantle and adductor muscle, varies directly with ambient salinity. Although the evidence is less complete, we also suggest that the hyposaline condition of the blood at high salinity results from an active process, and depends upon the uninhibited activity of the Na+ + K+ ATPases.
Office Ambitions and Voting Behavior in the U.S. Senate A Longitudinal Study

Joseph Schlesinger's ambition theory of political behavior argues that differing oppor tunities and the aspirations of politicians for them cause politicians to make political choices today in terms of the office or status they aspire to gain in the future. We have looked at the behavior of continuing members of the Senate from 1967-1972 to establish norms of roll call behavior among southern and nonsouthern Democrats and Republicans on major dimensions of policy. We have looked specificially at the behavior of several subsets of senators: aspirants for party leadership positions and nominations to the U.S. presidency and the committee leaders of each party for the prestigious committees. The data rather clearly show that behavior conforms to hypotheses based upon ambition theory. The theory has applied significance for possible legislative reforms.
Control of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cluster in critical care by reinforcing hand hygiene and standard precautions

ISSUE: The risk of healthcare-associated MRSA colonization and/or infection is considered to be greater for the patient in the critical care environment. Transmission of MRSA in a hospital setting usually occurs by indirect contact via the hands of healthcare workers. To minimize transmission, contact precautions (CP) have been recommended and used by many facilities. Standard precautions (SP) are used for patients with MRSA at this medical center. From April–July 2002, 22 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) and/or coronary care unit (CCU) and cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) became colonized or infected with MRSA. DNA testing revealed that two clones were operational in the cluster. PROJECT: An infection control services (ICS) investigation included observation of patient care practices, interaction with staff to determine factors that might be contributing to MRSA transmission, DNA testing, literature review, audits of waterless alcohol degermer (degermer) use, and consultation with the hospital epidemiologist and the department of health services epidemiologist. No change from established infection control policy was initiated. An interventional partnership program was established between ICS and critical care, respiratory care services, and associated departments. Procedures and practices were observed, analyzed, and reported back to staff along with ICS recommendations to curtail transmission. RESULTS: Staff members (care partners, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians) were observed for intervals lasting approximately 30 minutes. Lapses in basic infection control practice were observed. The majority of identified problems centered on missed opportunities for the use of the degermer and/or handwashing and breaches in SP. Degermer audits determined that usage was suboptimal. ICS interventions focused on the importance of hand hygiene, emphasizing use of the degermer and reinforcing the principles of SP. Healthcare workers with direct patient contact were discouraged from wearing artificial nails and staff members were reminded to report any skin conditions to employee health services. The cluster terminated with these interventions. LESSONS LEARNED: Adhering to the principles of SP and hand hygiene was sufficient to end a cluster of healthcare-associated MRSA colonization and/or infection. This approach was relatively easy to implement and saved considerable resources by avoiding the institution of: new policies for CP, culturing patients on admission to the unit, culturing of staff, and cohorting of patients or staff.
PEG Cross-Linked Alginate Hydrogels with Controlled Mechanical Properties

Reconstruction of tissues and organs utilizing cell transplantation offers an attractive approach for the treatment of patients suffering from organ failure or loss. Highly porous synthetic materials are often used to mimic the function of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in tissue engineering, and serve as a cell delivery vehicle for the formation of tissues in vivo. Alginate, a linear copolysaccharide composed of D-mannuronic acid (M) and L-guluronic acid (G) units is widely used as a cell transplantation matrix. Alginate is considered to be biocompatible, and hydrogels are formed in the presence of divalent cations such as Ca2+, Ba2+ and Sr2+. However, ionically cross-linked alginate gels continuously lose their mechanical properties over time with uncontrollable degradation behavior. We have modified alginate via covalent coupling of cross-linking molecules to expand and stabilize the mechanical property ranges of these gels. Several diamino PEG molecules of varying molecular weight (200, 400, 1000, 3400) were synthesized utilizing carbodiimide chemistry. Sodium alginate was covalently cross-linked with these cross-linking molecules, and mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels were determined. The elastic modulus of the cross-linked alginates depended on the molecular weight of the cross-linking molecules, and ranged from 10-110 kPa. The theoretical cross-link density in the hydrogels was also varied from 3 to 47% (relative to the carboxylic groups in the alginate) and the mechanical properties were measured. The elastic modulus increased gradually and reached a maximum at a cross-link density of 15%. In summary, covalently coupled hydrogels can be synthesized which exhibit a wide range of mechanical properties, and these materials may be useful in a number of tissue engineering applications.
Disruption of Temporal Processing in a Subject with Probable Frontotemporal Dementia

Previous research suggests that the frontal lobes are essential for temporal processing. We report a patient, MN, with probable frontotemporal dementia (FTD) who was tested on a battery of timing tasks with stimuli in the sub- and supra-second range. MN demonstrated a substantial over-estimation and under-production of target intervals on estimation and production tasks respectively but was as accurate as controls on a reproduction task. Furthermore, this deficit was markedly different for auditory and visual stimuli on production and estimation tasks; estimates of the duration of auditory stimuli were three to four times longer than for comparable visual stimuli. She performed normally on a task requiring her to judge whether a stimulus was longer or shorter than a standard duration with both sub- and supra-second stimuli. She performed well on control tasks involving estimation, production and reproduction of line lengths suggesting that her deficits were not attributable to a generalized cognitive impairment or an inability to make magnitude judgments. These data suggest that bifrontal pathology disrupts the "clock" or memory for time.
Teaching innovation-on-demand in an undergraduate information technology program

Innovative Problem Solving is a methodology for developing incremental improvements, or innovations, for any type of system. IPS represents a powerful critical and alternative thinking skill we wish to instill in every graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Information Management & Systems program at the University of South Carolina Upstate. A new three credit hour course teaching IPS, called SIMS 307: Systematic Innovation, has been added as a required course at the sophomore level. Some of the course material was adapted from an existing professional training class historically taught to post-baccalaureate working professionals with an average age of 35. Adapting the course for students with an average age of 20, very little professional experience, and only one year of college education has required much effort. This paper describes IPS and some of the challenges overcome in designing and delivering the course.
Oligosaccharide signaling of plant cells

A variety of oligosaccharide signals have been identified that function in the regulation of plant development, defense, and other interactions of plants with the environment. Some of these oligosaccharides are produced by various pathogens or symbionts, whereas others are synthesized by the plant itself. This mini-review summarizes our present state of information on these oligosaccharide signals and provides an overview of approaches being used to identify receptors for these signals and gain an understanding of the mechanism(s) by which these signals activate downstream events. Possible biotechnological applications of future work in this field are also considered. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppls. 30/31:123-128, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Statistically coherent labels facilitate categorization in 8-month-olds

Abstract There is considerable evidence that infants can segment speech using syllable co-occurrence probabilities; however, relatively less is known about the nature of the representations formed during this process. The present studies tested the prediction that statistically segmented items should exhibit a specific property of real words, namely, these items should have a facilitative effect on infant categorization. During the segmentation phase, eight-month-old infants listened to a fluent speech stream that contained statistical word boundary cues. Infants were then tested on their ability to categorize drawings of an unfamiliar category when category exemplars were paired with either high-probability or low-probability labels from the segmentation phase. Infants who heard high-probability labels showed evidence of categorization. In contrast, infants who heard low-probability labels did not. A follow up experiment revealed that this effect was due to facilitation for high-probability words rather than inhibition for low-probability items. These results fit with theoretical accounts that suggest that infants treat statistically segmented units as potential words.
Thermoanalytical Study of Durable Press Reactant Levels on Cotton Fabrics: Part I: Nonformaldehyde Polycarboxylic Acids

A current goal of our research is to identify unknown durable press (DP) finishes on cotton fabrics using only thermal analytical techniques. In pursuit of this goal, we have treated 100% cotton printcloth with five low- and nonformaldehyde finishes at four to six treatment levels. Two polycarboxylic acids—citric and butanetetracarbox ylic—were used with sodium hypophosphite catalyst to produce nonformaldehyde fabric finishes. Three formaldehyde-based finishes were produced with 1,3-dimethylol- 4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea. Results of differential scanning calorimetric and ther mogravimetric analyses were compared with those of untreated and catalyst-treated controls. The thermal parameters tested to recognize reactants included amount of residue, maximum rates of weight loss, peak temperatures, and peak areas, along with various parameter ratios. There were progressive changes in all fabric thermograms as agent/catalyst levels increased. Even at the 2% agent level, we could detect that fabric had been treat...
Effect of Fe substitution on the structure and properties of LnBaCo2−xFexO5+δ (Ln = Nd and Gd) cathodes

Abstract The effect of Fe substitution for Co on the crystal chemistry, thermal and electrical properties, and catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction of the layered LnBaCo 2− x Fe x O 5+ δ (Ln = Nd and Gd) perovskite has been investigated. The air-synthesized LnBaCo 2− x Fe x O 5+ δ samples exhibit structural change with increasing Fe content from tetragonal (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) to cubic (1.5 ≤ x ≤ 2) for the Ln = Nd system and from orthorhombic ( x = 0) to tetragonal (0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1) for the Ln = Gd system. The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) and electrical conductivity decrease with increasing Fe content in LnBaCo 2− x Fe x O 5+ δ . While the substitution of a small amount of Fe ( x = 0.5) for Co leads to slightly improved performance in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), larger Fe contents ( x ≥ 1.0) deteriorate the fuel cell performance. In the Ln = Gd system, the better performance of the x = 0.5 sample is partly due to the improved chemical stability with the LSGM electrolyte at high temperatures. With an acceptable electrical conductivity of >100 S cm −1 at 800 °C, the x = 0.5 sample in the LnBaCo 2− x Fe x O 5+ δ (Ln = Nd and Gd) system offers promising mixed oxide-ion and electronic conducting (MIEC) properties.
Structure-Function Studies of Claudin Extracellular Domains by Cysteine-scanning Mutagenesis

Claudins form size- and charge-selective pores in the tight junction that control the paracellular flux of inorganic ions and small molecules. However, the structural basis for ion selectivity of paracellular pores is poorly understood. Here we applied cysteine scanning to map the paracellular pathway of ion permeation across claudin-2-transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney type I cells. Four potential pore-lining amino acid residues in the first extracellular loop were mutated to cysteine and screened for their accessibility to thiol-reactive reagents. All mutants were functional except D65C, which formed dimers by intermolecular disulfide bonding, leading to a loss of charge and size selectivity. This suggests that claudin-2 pores are multimeric and that Asp65 lies close to a protein-protein interface. Methanethiosulfonate reagents of different size and charge and the organic mercury derivate, p-(chloromercuri)benzenesulfonic acid, significantly decreased paracellular ion permeation across I66C-transfected cells by a mechanism that suggests steric blocking of the pore. The conductance of wild-type claudin-2 and the other cysteine mutants was only weakly affected. The rate of reaction with I66C decreased dramatically with increasing size of the reagent, suggesting that Ile66 is buried deep within a narrow segment of the pore with its side group facing into the lumen. Furthermore, labeling with N-biotinoylaminoethyl methanethiosulfonate showed that I66C was weakly reactive, whereas Y35C was strongly reactive, suggesting that Tyr35 is located at the protein surface outside of the pore.
Differential effects of axotomy on immature and mature hamster facial neurons: a tritiated-uridine autoradiographic study.

In this study, tritiated-uridine incorporation was autoradiographically examined following axotomy of hamster facial motor neurons (HFMN) at the critical development age of 15 days postnatal and in the adult. The postoperative times selected were 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 days. In the 15-day operative series, no changes in incorporation were observed at any of the post-operative times, except at 4 days postoperative, when there was a decrease in tritiated-uridine incorporation in the axotomized neurons relative to the controls. In the adult operative series there were no changes in incorporation at 0.5 or 1 day postoperative, relative to the controls. At 2 days postoperative in the adult, there was a transient increase in tritiated-uridine incorporation that returned to control levels by 4 days postoperative. When axotomized and control cytoplasmic/nuclear grain densities were compared, no changes were found in either operative series. These results of the time course of axotomy-induced changes in RNA synthesis in HFMN corroborate our previous findings of an age-dependent reactive sequence in HFMN and lend support to the hypothesis that the young neurons are synthesizing at peak capacity related to final growth and cannot be stimulated further by axotomy. As discussed, the transient increase in RNA levels in the adult, the lack of any changes in the rate of transfer of RNA from the nuclcus to the cytoplasm, and the decrease in RNA levels in the 15-day neurons may be related to the presence of an unusual intranucleolar body within the nucleolus of HFMN that contains ribosomal precursors.
Extending a theory of remote scientific collaboration to corporate contexts

In this paper we present preliminary results of a research project aimed at understanding the theoretical basis for successful remote collaboration in corporations. We evaluate some corporate distributed teams with respect to a theory of remote scientific collaboration to identify similarities and differences in corporate contexts. Preliminary results indicate that distance collaboration in corporations differs from distance collaboration in scientific research in three key ways: (1) the importance of functional (as opposed to geographic) distance, (2) new collaboration paradigms (i.e. offshoring) with varying degrees of.otherness. and (3) different incentives. We additionally discuss future research plans based upon our initial findings.
A new method for growing crystal ribbons

Abstract A new method has been devised to pull crystal ribbons from the free surface of a melt without using a shaping aperture. In this method the crystal ribbon is pulled in a direction parallel to the melt surface while the heat of crystallization is removed in a direction perpendicular to the melt surface with a heat sink in contact with the upper surface of the ribbon. Special features of the growth process are discussed and variations of the technique are presented. Crystal ribbons of ice and germanium have been grown.
An Approximation Problem for the Multi-Via Assignment Problem

We consider the multi-via assignment problem for multilayered printed circuit board routing. An efficient approximation algorithm for this problem is presented. The algorithm is of (low) polynomial time complexity and guarantees solutions with no more than 3 * OPT via columns, where OPT is the number of via columns in an optimal solution. Several issues relating to the computational complexity of via and multi-via assignment problems are also discussed.
Hyperparathyroidism and renal failure

The presence of hyperparathyroidism in early renal failure was first suggested by the data of Friis, Hahnemann and Weeke [1] which showed that serum phosphate was lower in patients with small decreases in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (
Rare earth ion clustering behavior in europium doped silicate glasses: Simulation size and glass structure effect

Abstract Understanding the atomic structures, especially the local environment of rare earth ions and their distribution and clustering, is critical for rare earth containing glasses in photonic devices, as well as model systems for nuclear waste immobilization. In this paper, we've studied the structure of Eu 2 O 3 -doped silica and sodium silicate glasses using molecular dynamics simulations for systems ranging from around 1500 to around 24,000 atoms with the purpose to understand the simulation system size and the glass composition and structure effect on the local environment and clustering behavior of rare earth ions with low rare earth oxide concentration (~ 1 mol%). In silica glasses, Eu–O distances and coordination numbers are found to be in the ranges of 2.19–2.22 A and 4.6–4.8, respectively in the series. The existence of Eu clusters and short Eu–Eu distances in the range of 3.40–3.90 Ǻ was observed. In the modified sodium silicate glass, on the other hand, europium ions were found to have higher coordination number of around 5.8, as well as a narrower coordination distribution, and longer Eu–O distance of around 2.32 Ǻ. Eu ions were also found to be in much better dispersion and lower probability to form clusters. The clustering behavior of europium ions was investigated by comparing the probability of clustering in the simulated glass with those from a random distribution. It was found that clustering behavior is sensitive with the system size. For systems with over 12,000 atoms, consistent results were obtained in terms of probability of clustering as compared to a random distribution. But for smaller systems, the clustering behavior can vary from sample to sample. The results suggest that for low doping level it is critical to have sufficient number of rare earth ions in order to obtain statistical meaningful results on the local environment and clustering.
Exploring the effects of nanostructured particles on liquid nitromethane combustion

Monopropellants consisting of liquid nitromethane and high-surface-area particles of silicon- and aluminum-based oxides were examined to determine the effects of low concentrations of nanostructured materials on deflagration processes. The combustion rates were characterized by measuring linear burning rates in a large pressure vessel filled with argon. Results showed that nitromethane burning rates may be increased at lower pressures with dilute additions of particles. Increases in nitromethane burning rates of greater than 50 % were found with less than 1.0 wt% of particle addition at a nominal pressure of 5.24 MPa. The particle additions were estimated to have only small effects on the equilibrium flame temperatures, density, viscosity, and specific heat. Nitromethane with particle additives displayed a lower burning-rate equation pressure exponent (i.e., reduced pressure sensitivity), which was inversely proportional to particle concentration. Above a pressure of approximately 9 MPa, up to the maximum test pressure (∼14 MPa), the particle additives did not affect the nitromethane burning rate. Condensed-phase temperature profiles of the deflagrating fluid, surface tension, and fluid thermal conductivities were measured in order to elucidate some of the mechanisms causing enhanced burning rates at lower pressures.
Fluorine-18 labeling and biodistribution studies on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ ligands: potential positron emission tomography imaging agents

Abstract Introduction Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is an important regulator of lipid metabolism; it controls the differentiation of preadipocytes and is also found at high levels in small metastatic tumors. In this report, we describe the radiochemical synthesis and evaluation of two 18 F-labeled analogs of the potent and selective PPARγ agonist farglitazar. Materials and methods The isomeric aromatic fluorine-substituted target compounds [(2 S )-(2-benzoylphenylamino)-3-(4-(2-[2-(4-[ 18 F]fluorophenyl)-5-methyloxazol-4-yl]ethoxy)-phenyl)propionic acid ([ 18 F]- 1 ) and (2 S )-[2-(4-fluorobenzoyl)phenylamino]-3-(4-[2-(5-methyl-2-phenyloxazol-4-yl)ethoxy]-phenyl)propionic acid ([ 18 F]- 2 )] were prepared in fluorine-18-labeled form, respectively, by radiofluorination of an iodonium salt precursor or by Ullmann-type condensation with 2-iodo-4′-[ 18 F]fluorobenzophenone after nucleophilic aromatic substitution with [ 18 F]fluoride ion. Each compound was obtained in high specific activity and good radiochemical yield. Results and Discussion 18 F- 1 and 18 F- 2 have high and selective PPARγ binding affinities comparable to that of the parent molecule farglitazar, and they were found to have good metabolic stability. Tissue biodistribution studies of 18 F- 1 and 18 F- 2 were conducted, but PPARγ-mediated uptake of both agents was minimal. Conclusion This study completes our first look at an important class of PPARγ ligands as potential positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agents for breast cancer and vascular disease. Although 18 F- 1 and 18 F- 2 have high affinities for PPARγ and good metabolic stability, their poor target-tissue distribution properties, which likely reflect their high lipophilicity combined with the low titer of PPARγ in target tissues, indicate that they have limited potential as PPARγ PET imaging agents.
Safety and tolerability of caspofungin acetate in the treatment of fungal infections

Caspofungin acetate is the first member of the novel echinocandin class of antifungal drugs to be marketed in the United States. It has recently been approved for use in patients with invasive aspergillosis who are refractory to or intolerant of conventional therapy. Accordingly, its safety profile is particularly important to review. The safety and tolerability of caspofungin have been examined in 623 persons, including 295 patients who received >/= 50 mg/day for at least one week in clinical studies. In the 263 patients, given caspofungin in randomized double-blind active-control trials to date, there have been no serious clinical or laboratory drug-related adverse events; caspofungin was discontinued in only 2% of these patients because of drug-related adverse experiences. Caspofungin may have potentially important drug interactions with cyclosporine and tacrolimus.
Growing a student organic garden within the context of university sustainability initiatives

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of a student organic garden at a large public university, as an example of student initiatives that promote both university sustainability and student-focused sustainability education on campus. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted quantitative and qualitative analysis to document the evolution of the university’s Local Organic Gardening Initiative of Carbondale (LOGIC), which is the student-initiated and -operated organic garden at Southern Illinois University. Findings – The student organic garden evolved in three stages, each of which had specific goals and accomplishments. Stage I (establishment): students in Geography courses took action to get the garden established; key components included funds from a sustainability scholarship and student-initiated camps Green Fund, dedicated undergraduate students, negotiating campus bureaucracy and motivating broad support. Stage II (evolution): a high tunnel was added to the origina...
Epigenetic regulation of pericentromeric heterochromatin during mammalian meiosis.

Mammalian meiosis is a process that allows diploid progenitor germ cells to produce haploid gametes after proceeding through 2 rounds of cell divisions. The first division (MI) is unique and results in the separation of homologous chromosomes, while the second division (MII) leads to the separation of sister chromatids similar to a somatic cell division. However, the mechanisms by which meiotic cells regulate their 2 very different cell divisions are not well understood. We postulated a role for epigenetic chromatin modifications in regulating these processes. We found prior to the onset of MI that pericentromeric heterochromatic regions, which are enriched with histone H3K9me2 throughout meiosis, become enriched at late pachytene with H3S10ph and at diplotene with H4K5ace and H4K16ace, but remain underacetylated at other sites examined. RNA polymerase II, which is clearly excluded from pericentromeric heterochromatin at pachytene, becomes exclusively associated with these regions from diplotene to MI. By contrast, pericentromeric heterochromatic regions at MII are not engaged by RNA polymerase II nor enriched with H3S10ph. Furthermore, we found DICER to localize exclusively to pericentromeric heterochromatin at MI, but not MII. These results are significant since they suggest: (1) that distinct chromatin modifications differentiate the 2 meiotic divisions; (2) a role for repetitive DNA elements and RNAi in mammalian meiosis; (3) H3K9me2 is not sufficient to block RNA polymerase II elongation through heterochromatin, and (4) H3S10ph provides a ‘binary switch’ to activate transcription in heterochromatin.
Application of the relativistic random-phase approximation to atoms of the neon isoelectronic sequence

The relativistic random-phase approximation is applied to the calculation of excitation energies and oscillator strengths for the $2{p}^{6}^{1}S_{0}\ensuremath{-}2{p}^{5}3s^{1}P_{1}$, $^{3}P_{1}$ and $2{p}^{6}^{1}S_{0}\ensuremath{-}2{p}^{5}3d^{1}P_{1}$, $^{3}P_{1}$, $^{3}D_{1}$ transitions of elements of the neon isoelectronic sequence. The results are compared with those of other calculations and experiment. The variation of oscillator strength along the isoelectronic sequence is depicted for each of the transitions. Anomalous behavior occurs which is attributed to level crossings.
Mouse Hus1, a homolog of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe hus1+ cell cycle checkpoint gene.

Abstract Cell cycle checkpoints are regulatory mechanisms that arrest the cell cycle or initiate programmed cell death when critical events such as DNA replication fail to be completed or when DNA or spindle damage occurs. In fission yeast, cell cycle checkpoint responses to DNA replication blocks and DNA damage require the hus1 + gene. Mammalian homologs of hus1 + were recently identified, and here we report a detailed analysis of mouse Hus1. An approximately 4.2-kb full-length cDNA encoding the 32-kDa mouse Hus1 protein was isolated. The genomic structure and exon–intron boundary sequences of the gene were determined, and mouse Hus1 was found to consist of nine exons. Mouse Hus1 was mapped to the proximal end of chromosome 11 and is therefore a candidate gene for the mouse mutation germ cell deficient, which maps to the same genomic region. Finally, mouse Hus1 was found to be expressed in a variety of adult tissues and at several stages of embryonic development.
Treatment of the periocular complex in paralytic lagophthalmos.

Objectives:Paralytic lagophthalmos can lead to devastating exposure keratitis. The main surgical intervention consists of upper eyelid loading. However, adjunctive lower eyelid and brow procedures ...
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: altered CD8(+) T-cell subsets and T(H)1/T(H)2 cytokine imbalance.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause benign papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas in the genital and respiratory tracts. Recurrent respiratory papillomas (RRP) generate a high level of morbidity and significant mortality because of their location, resistance to treatment, and relentless recurrence that can vary in frequency in a given patient and between patients. We have found that T-cells from these patients, when exposed to or isolated from autologous papilloma tissue, have an elevated percentage of CD8(+), CD28(-) T-cells, and that T-cells from many of these patients express an increase in T(H)2-like cytokine mRNA in response to autologous papilloma tissue. Furthermore, both of these immunologic findings correlate with disease severity. These observations suggest that patients with RRP, and possibly others with refractory HPV-induced lesions, are unable to manage their disease with an appropriate and effective HPV-specific, T-cell response. This immune imbalance may be responsible for the development and severity of HPV-induced respiratory papillomatosis.
Effect of electric field on the hydrodynamics of fluidized nanoparticles

Abstract The effect of electric field on the hydrodynamics of nanoparticles was studied in a fluidized rectangular bed, with electrodes attached to two parallel walls. It was shown that the electric field of the order of 3 times the gravity markedly decreased the bed expansion and increased the solids volume fraction of nanoparticles fluidized by air. In these experiments, a light diode assembly was utilized to infer the local solids volume fractions within a rectangular bed of 10 nm silica particles. These experimental measurements yielded a two dimensional solids volume fraction distribution within the rectangular bed. The experimental results provided some new insights into the distribution of solids within the bed. The agglomerate diameters were computed using a momentum balance with the drag given by the Ergun equation and the empirical Richardson–Zaki method. Both methods yielded agglomerate diameters of the order of 100 μm and showed dependence on the strength of the electric field. The electric field decreased the granular temperature of the nanoparticles.
Cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage remains a devastating disease. Identification of etiologic risk factors would allow the possibility of prevention.We conducted a population-based case-control study in King County, Washington. Patients whose bleeds originated from a source other than an aneurysm were excluded. Two age- and gender-matched control subjects were identified for each case through random digit telephone dialing. A standardized in-person interview was conducted with the patient whenever possible, a proxy respondent for the case in all instances, the two control subjects, and their proxies. Analyses involved conditional logistic regression taking into account matching on age, gender and respondent type.Over 2 years, 169 cases were identified, and 149 participated in the case-control study. Compared with those who never smoked, the odds ratio for current heavy smokers (greater than 20 cigarettes/day) was 11.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.0-24.9); for current light smokers (less than or equal to 20 cigar...
Molecular characterization of MHC class II antigens (beta 1 domain) in the BB diabetes-prone and -resistant rat.

The BB or BB/Worcester (BB/W) rat is widely recognized as a model for human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Of at least three genes implicated in genetic susceptibility to IDDM in this strain, one is clearly linked to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In an attempt to define the diabetogenic gene(s) linked to the MHC of the BB rat, cDNA clones encoding the class II MHC gene products of the BB diabetes-prone and diabetes-resistant sublines have been isolated and sequenced. For comparison, theβ 1 domain of class II genes of the Lewis rat (RTlL) were sequenced. Analysis of the sequence data reveals that the first domain of RT1.D β and RT1.B β chain of the BB rat are different from other rat or mouse class 11 sequences. However, these sequences were identical in both the BB diabetes-prone and BB diabetes-resistant sublines. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to MHC class II sequence data in IDDM patients and in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse strain.
A Descriptive Study of Beverage Consumption among an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Public School Students in Texas

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence rates of 5 types of beverage consumption by sociodemographic factors among 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade public school students in Texas.Methods: This study is based on secondary analyses of cross-sectional data from the 2004–2005 School Physical Activity and Nutrition study, a comprehensive surveillance study of energy balance–related behaviors and behavioral antecedents in a state-representative sample of 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade public school students in Texas (N = 23,190). Previous-day beverage consumption prevalence estimates were calculated for 5 types of beverages (i.e., fruit-flavored drinks, regular sodas, diet sodas, milk, and 100% fruit juice) by grade level, gender, ethnicity, school-level socioeconomic status, and metropolitan status. Logistic regression estimates of consumption prevalence were obtained for important sociodemographic indicators, including sex, grade, and ethnicity. Adjusted Wald tests were used to derive signific...
Argon laser oral safety parameters for teeth

Argon lasers have been reported to prevent or reduce demineralization of enamel in extracted teeth and to polymerize dental composites (using 25-100 J/cm2). Prior to clinical trials on caries prevention and curing composites, safety parameters for intraoral use of the argon laser need to be established. This study was conducted to determine the enamel damage, pulp temperature changes, and associated pulpal tissue damage following irradiation at various argon laser energy levels using 1.6-6.0 watts, approximately 1 and 2 mm diameter beam for 0.2-5.0 seconds. To evaluate pulpal damage, selected dogs' teeth were irradiated in vivo, extracted 7 days postlasing, fixed, decalcified, sectioned, stained, and read for pulpal damage. Pulp temperature and enamel damage tests utilized extracted dog and human teeth. Temperature probes were inserted in the pulp chambers and temperature changes recorded as enamel surface was lased. Enamel surface damage was evaluated by visual and microscope examination. Results showed that histologic pulpal damage occurred at > 600 J/cm2. Temperature changes were < 6 degrees F in human teeth with approximately 900 J/cm2. No enamel damage was observed at these energy densities. At energy densities needed for proposed uses, no apparent damage would be expected to pulp or enamel.