cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation system for material handling system design

Abstract The increasing use of computers to control material handling systems has generated a surge of interest in the general field of material handling. One of the most important and powerful tools available for design and/or study of the operation of complex systems and processes is simulation. Simulation has proven to be an extremely effective tool for addressing a wide variety of facility planning, design, scheduling, operations control and material handling problems. In material handling, exact analytical solutions are available for certain classes of problems only. Analytical models are inherently limited to a relatively low level of complexity, and as such cannot be employed for the analysis of most real life material handling situations. The need for more research attention to the development of realistic analytical models in this area is obvious. Additionally the size and complexity of most material handling systems defy exact deterministic analysis and it is within this context that simulation assumes an even greater importance. That simulation models have a number of limitations cannot be denied, but in view of the relative absence of powerful, realistic analytical models, simulation models are the only viable alternatives, provided that due attention is paid to the questions of model validity and experimental design. Although there have been a number of successful applications of simulation in designing material handling systems, these have been mostly of specific and limited scope, research of more comprehensive and general nature has been nearly absent until quite recently. Several commercial simulation packages and/or languages are available and may be used or adapted for simulating some material handling problems, yet none of these have been designed specifically to deal with material handling problems. This paper describes a software system specifically addressed to the important issues of the design of new or improved material handling systems, as well as the operation of existing systems. Tradiationally a major drawback with simulation has been the great amount of time and effort required to develop a model, this can be alleviated by the development of an interative, easy to use, material handling simulation system, such as the one described in this paper. Relevant representative research is presented, followed by description and general discussion of the system. The system is written entirely in FORTRAN 77 and requires no knowledge of programming to use, and will be made available to interested practitioners and researchers.
Directions for Supply Chain Strategic Coordination: Discussion and Proposals

Global companies and markets require greater flexibility and agility to compete, leading to supply chains (SC), structures in which each link is responsible for adding value through the operations it performs and aiding them to focus on optimization of operations and integrated logistics. From this productive arrangement, competition occurs now among SCs and no longer among individual companies. The companies in an SC reap the benefits of large-scale production through differentiation, minimizing the traditional trade-off. In this paper, fundamentals for managing SC operations relying on a manufacturer setting of competitive priorities are assessed. Agility is the main criterion, a key condition for the competitiveness. From an extensive literature review of supply chain management (SCM), definition of structural and infrastructural characteristics, strategies and their hierarchy, and a detailed analysis of the manufacturing strategy is discussed. Finally, some directions for SCM strategic management are proposed.
Modulation of Cutaneous Aging With Calorie Restriction in Fischer 344 Rats: A Histological Study

Objective: To examine whether histological changes in skin owing to intrinsic aging in a laboratory rodent model are modulated by caloric restriction (CR). Methods: The abdominal skin from colony-r...
Dosimetric comparison of bone marrow-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus conventional techniques for treatment of cervical cancer.

Purpose: To compare bone marrow-sparing intensity-modulated pelvic radiotherapy (BMS-IMRT) with conventional (four-field box and anteroposterior‐posteroanterior [AP‐PA]) techniques in the treatment of cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: The data from 7 cervical cancer patients treated with concurrent chemotherapy and IMRTwithout BMS were analyzed and compared with data using four-field box and AP‐PA techniques. All plans were normalized to cover the planning target volume with the 99% isodose line. The clinical target volume consisted of the pelvic and presacral lymph nodes, uterus and cervix, upper vagina, and parametrial tissue. Normal tissues included bowel, bladder, and pelvic bone marrow (PBM), which comprised the lumbosacral spine and ilium and the ischium, pubis, and proximal femora (lower pelvis bone marrow). Dose‐volume histograms for the planning target volume and normal tissues were compared for BMS-IMRT vs. four-field box and AP‐PA plans. Results: BMS-IMRT was superior to the four-field box technique in reducing the dose to the PBM, small bowel, rectum, and bladder. Compared with AP‐PA plans, BMS-IMRT reduced the PBM volume receiving a dose >16.4 Gy. BMS-IMRT reduced the volume of ilium, lower pelvis bone marrow, and bowel receiving a dose >27.7, >18.7, and >21.1 Gy, respectively, but increased dose below these thresholds compared with the AP‐PA plans. BMS-IMRT reduced the volume of lumbosacral spine bone marrow, rectum, small bowel, and bladder at all dose levels in all 7 patients. Conclusion: BMS-IMRTreduced irradiation of PBM compared with the four-field box technique. Compared with theAP‐PAtechnique,BMS-IMRTreduced lumbosacral spine bonemarrowirradiationand reduced thevolumeof PBM irradiated to high doses. ThereforeBMS-IMRT might reduce acute hematologic toxicity comparedwith conventional techniques. 2008 Elsevier Inc. Bone marrow, Bone marrow-sparing, Intensity-modulated radiotherapy, IMRT, Cervical cancer.
The Promises of a New Social Capital Agenda

Abstract Some key pitfalls in social capital research stem from an uncritical belief in social capital as the solution to collective action problems, and a tendency to regard tight social relations within communities as an unproblematic field. In the effort to engage with these limitations and provide better insights into real-world development problems and solutions, the article argues for a more promising agenda. It does so by combining development microeconomics' insights on the determinants of trust and the uneven effects of social networks, with nuanced anthropological approaches to the context-dependent features of social relations and the role of status and power.
Ara-C cytokinetic studies in normal tissues in vivo.

The importance of including normal tissues in the design of cytokinetic-based chemotherapeutic schedules is becoming increasingly apparent. However, the lack of rapid analytical techniques to obtain quantitative cytokinetic data on target subpopulations in heterogenous normal tissues, such as the gastrointestinal and hematopoietic system, has limited the inclusion of these tissues in therapy design. Once target subpopulations are identified and/or discriminated, flow cytometry in conjunction with radioactivity measurements by liquid scintillation counting can be used to rapidly obtain quantitative cytokinetic data during drug therapy. The present paper reviews our current cytokinetic techniques and the applications and limitations of these techniques in the analysis of Ara-C induced perturbations in the small intestine and hematopoetic system. Cell cycle information both prior to and 30 hrs following a single Ara-C treatment was obtained in the intestinal crypts and femoral marrow population using radioactive precursor uptake and flow cytometric techniques. In addition, the relationship between crypt cell survival and animal lethality following Ara-C treatment was determined to better understand the impact of a damage to a regenerative population on the ''clinical endpoint'' of animal survival. Understanding the principles behind the normal tissue toxicity which occurs during multidose treatment will hopefully allow modulation of this toxicitymore » through the rational design of optimal chemotherapeutic schedules.« less
Compression of semisolid dendritic and non-dendritic ZnAl alloys at low strain rates

Abstract The behaviour of semisolid ZnAl alloys with a dendritic or a non-dendritic structure was studied in compression between two parallel plates. Small cylindrical specimens were deformed at constant strain rates ranging from 0.012 to 0.72 mm mm −1 s −1 and at various temperatures ranging from 350 to 443 °C. Dendritic specimens deformed with severe segregation and their structure broke down. Stir-cast specimens behaved more homogeneously. At 433 °C, their spheroid particle structure was preserved and the deformation strength was lower.
The relative order of helical propensity of amino acids changes with solvent environment.

A model peptide of sequence Ac-Y-VAXAK-VAXAK-VAXAK-NH(2), where X is substituted with one of nineteen amino acids (P excluded), was synthesized and titrated with methanol to study helical propensity as a function of solvent environment. The CD spectra of these peptides are largely random coil in 2 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 5.5) and show a conformational change to alpha-helix with increasing methanol content. Singular value decomposition was used to correct the CD spectra for the absorbing side chains of W, Y, F, C, and M, and this correction can be substantial. With correction both W and F become good helix formers. The free energy for helix propagation was calculated using the Lifson-Roig statistical model for each of the nineteen amino acids at each point in their titration. The results show that the rank order of helical propensity for the nineteen amino acids changes with solvent environment. This result will be particularly important if proteins undergo hydrophobic collapse before secondary structures are formed, because amino acids can then see different solvent environments as the secondary structures are formed. Related amino acids are found to have interesting correlations in the shape of their titration curves. This finding provides one explanation for the limiting 70% accuracy in predicting secondary structure from sequence, since the helical propensities used are calculated for an average solvent environment. Proteins 2000;39:132-141.
Possible role of ice crystals in ozone destruction of the lower arctic atmosphere

Abstract Recent observations have highlighted ozone destruction in the lower Arctic atmosphere during spring, as the Sun rises. The ozone destruction occurs in the surface radiation inversion layer and has been linked to the presence of bromine. The purely gas-phase mechanisms that have been previously proposed are inadequate to explain the observations of rapid destruction of boundary layer ozone. In view of the widespread occurrence of lower tropospheric ice crystals in the Arctic, heterogeneous chemical reactions occurring on the surfaces of ice crystals are proposed here as a mechanism to explain the rapid ozone destruction. Heterogeneous reactions have the potential to modulate the ozone destruction both through the production of BrO x and also by depleting the atmosphere of NO x . Using data obtained from the University of Washington research aircraft, observational evidence is presented for the coincidence of ozone destruction and the presence of ice crystals in the Arctic troposphere. The ozone destruction is hypothesized to be modulated by the availability of sufficient sunlight and Br x . The proposed mechanism has the advantage of potentially explaining the oberved rate of ozone destruction in the lower Arctic troposphere, while at the same time being consistent with the dynamics and thermodynamics of the Arctic troposphere.
Flurothyl-induced seizures in rats activate Fos in brainstem catecholaminergic neurons.

Abstract Autonomic changes accompany seizures in both animals and humans. While ictal autonomic dysfunction can be life-threatening, the participating neural networks involved are poorly understood. In this study we examined the activation of Fos following generalized seizures in brainstem structures known to mediate autonomic function. Adult female rats were sacrificed 2 h after flurothyl-induced seizures. Double-immunostaining for c-Fos and dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH), and c-Fos and phenylethanol- N -methyl-transferase (PNMT) were performed in brainstem slices. Numbers of DBH-labeled neurons expressing Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) (DBH/Fos) and PNMT labeled neurons expressing FLI (PNMT/Fos) were counted in the noradrenergic (A1, A2, A5, A7) and adrenergic (C1, C2) cell groups localized in pons and medulla oblongata. Among the experimental animals, the highest degree of co-localization of DBH/Fos neurons was observed in the locus coeruleus (A6; 87.7%), and in the A1(72.8%) cell group located in the caudal ventrolateral medulla (VLM). No co-localization of DBH/Fos neurons was observed in control animals. The highest degree of co-localization of PNMT/Fos neurons was observed in the C1 adrenergic cell group (84.2%) located in the rostral VLM. Control animals showed very few (5.5%) PNMT/Fos co-localized neurons in the C1 adrenergic cell group. Our results indicate that flurothyl-induced generalized seizures in rats activate catecholaminergic neurons in the pons and medulla oblongata. Further studies are necessary to determine whether activation of brainstem catecholaminergic neurons contribute to the autonomic manifestations that frequently accompany epileptic seizures.
Oscillatory Alpha-Band Mechanisms and the Deployment of Spatial Attention to Anticipated Auditory and Visual Target Locations: Supramodal or Sensory-Specific Control Mechanisms?

Oscillatory alpha-band activity (8-15 Hz) over parieto-occipital cortex in humans plays an important role in suppression of processing for inputs at to-be-ignored regions of space, with increased alpha-band power observed over cortex contralateral to locations expected to contain distractors. It is unclear whether similar processes operate during deployment of spatial attention in other sensory modalities. Evidence from lesion patients suggests that parietal regions house supramodal representations of space. The parietal lobes are prominent generators of alpha oscillations, raising the possibility that alpha is a neural signature of supramodal spatial attention. Furthermore, when spatial attention is deployed within vision, processing of task-irrelevant auditory inputs at attended locations is also enhanced, pointing to automatic links between spatial deployments across senses. Here, we asked whether lateralized alpha-band activity is also evident in a purely auditory spatial-cueing task and whether it had the same underlying generator configuration as in a purely visuospatial task. If common to both sensory systems, this would provide strong support for "supramodal" attention theory. Alternately, alpha-band differences between auditory and visual tasks would support a sensory-specific account. Lateralized shifts in alpha-band activity were indeed observed during a purely auditory spatial task. Crucially, there were clear differences in scalp topographies of this alpha activity depending on the sensory system within which spatial attention was deployed. Findings suggest that parietally generated alpha-band mechanisms are central to attentional deployments across modalities but that they are invoked in a sensory-specific manner. The data support an "interactivity account," whereby a supramodal system interacts with sensory-specific control systems during deployment of spatial attention.
RNA silencing directed against geminiviruses: Post-transcriptional and epigenetic components

It is well-established that plants use cytoplasmic, post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) as a defense against RNA viruses and DNA virus transcripts. More recently, it has become clear that small RNA-directed methylation leading to transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) is also used as a defense against DNA virus chromatin. Here we use the DNA-containing geminiviruses as models to discuss what is currently known about both types of antiviral silencing, and viral suppression of PTGS and TGS as a counterdefense.
Acquired coagulopathy of traumatic brain injury defined by routine laboratory tests: which laboratory values matter?

BACKGROUNDCoagulopathy is a major determinant of disability and death in patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. However, the correlation between coagulopathy defined by routine coagulation tests and clinical outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not well defined. The aim of our study
Market implications of high levels of wind and solar generation

Large amounts of wind and/or solar energy will have an impact on bulk electricity markets. This panel presentation will provide insight to how scheduling and dispatch rules can help to efficiently integrate wind and solar generation. Possible proxies for wind and solar capacity values that may be useful in capacity markets are also discussed.
Depletion of brown fat norepinephrine content by acute cold exposure and adrenoceptor blockade.

Abstract Experiments were conducted to characterize the effects of acute cold exposure, with and without adrenoceptor blockade, on intrascapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and adrenal catecholamine content in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Groups of animals with indwelling temperature transmitters were tested following treatment with saline, the alpha-adrenoceptor blocker phentolamine, the beta-adrenoceptor blocker propranolol, combined blockade with phentolamine plus propranolol, and the ganglionic blocker chlorisondamine. IBAT norepinephrine (NE) content was not affected in animals tested at 22°C, but was reduced in 4°C-exposed animals treated with phentolamine (−57%), phentolamine plus propranolol (−97%), and chlorisondamine (−42%). Adrenal NE and epinephrine (EPI) content were not altered by the treatments at 4°C or 22°C. None of the treatments affected the temperature of animals at 22°C, but significant hypothermia occurred at 4°C after chlorisondamine (−2.3±0.3°C) and the combination of phentolamine and propranolol (−1.5±0.4°C). These results suggest that cold exposure alone did not affect IBAT NE content, but when cold exposure was combined with adrenoceptor blockade, the sympathetic activation was sufficient to cause a reduction in IBAT NE content. In addition, alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor-mediated mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of core temperature. However, both alpha- and beta-receptor mechanisms had to be interrupted before a deficit in body temperature was detected.
Comparison of women's breast cancer risk factors in Geneva, Switzerland and Shanghai, China

Abstract Background We compared the prevalence of known and suspected breast cancer risk factors among women in Geneva, Switzerland, where the annual incidence of breast cancer is high, to women in Shanghai, China, where incidence is lower. Methods Different translations of the same woman's health questionnaire were administered to women aged 35 to 74 years in Shanghai ( n = 631) and Geneva ( n = 1,212) during 1996–1997 and reproductive and lifestyle factors compared. Results Shanghai women reported older age at menarche (median 15 vs. 13 years), fewer nulliparity (7.3 vs. 21.6%), younger age at first live birth (median 25.7 vs. 28.4 years), and shorter duration of reproductive life (median 35.7 vs. 38.4 years). Geneva women had a greater prevalence of current cigarette smoking (22.4 vs. 1.8%), oral contraceptive use (61.1 vs. 10.0%), hormone replacement therapy use (23.4 vs. 0.8%), and family history of breast cancer (8.6 vs. 1.4%). Among women who breastfed, Shanghai women had more than twice the duration of breastfeeding than Geneva women (median 48 vs. 21 weeks). Conclusions Differences in the prevalence of breast cancer risk factors, in particular reproductive characteristics, may contribute to the large contrast in cumulative risk between women living in Geneva and Shanghai.
Perceptions of obesity across the lifespan.

Objective: Previous research on obesity stereotyping has almost extensively involved looking at the perceptions that 5–21-year-old individuals have toward members of their own age in-group. Very little research has examined how people perceive obesity across the lifespan. The current research begins to address this gap by examining the extent to which individuals between 18 and 77 years of age stereotype obesity in 20, 40, and 60-year-old targets. Methods and Procedures: A total of 106 male and 102 female white participants viewed nine standardized Adobe- cropped photos that depicted 20, 40, and 60-year-old faces on slender, large, and very large-sized bodies. After viewing each photo, participants evaluated the targets on six dimensions used in previous obesity stereotyping research. Results: As predicted, heavier women were rated more negatively than thinner women on every dimension we examined. In addition, older women were rated more negatively than younger women on attractiveness, but more positively on every other dimension. Other main effects revealed that female (relative to male) and older (relative to younger) participants were more lenient in their ratings. Several two-way interactions revealed that the obesity stereotype for attractiveness is exaggerated when targets are younger, that males (compared to females) levy a greater penalty for increasing weight, and that this pattern is exaggerated more for younger men. Discussion: This research shows a consistency across the lifespan in the extent to which participants, varying in weight, age, and sex, stereotype obesity. It also appears that, at least with respect to attractiveness, younger obese individuals are denigrated to a larger degree than older. In sum, this research shows prevalent and consistent patterns of obesity stereotyping across the lifespan.
The Importance of the Timing of Vaccine Administration in the Assessment of the Immunization Status of Children Enrolled in a Hospital Based Medicaid Managed Care Practice † 697

The Importance of the Timing of Vaccine Administration in the Assessment of the Immunization Status of Children Enrolled in a Hospital Based Medicaid Managed Care Practice † 697
Highly textured Li(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2 thin films on stainless steel as cathode for lithium-ion battery

Abstract Epitaxial and highly textured Li(Ni x Mn y Co 1− x − y )O 2 thin film cathodes are deposited by a one-step, high temperature pulsed laser deposition technique. Structural characterization using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) reveals highly textured film along (003). The best film quality has been achieved at high temperature, with temperature as high as 750 °C. Different substrates and buffer layers have been investigated and Li(Ni 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 )O 2 (NMC) on stainless steel with a thin Au-buffer layer gives the best film quality. The NMC thin film cathodes give a high capacity of 167 mAh g −1 and 125 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C and 0.5 C, respectively. In addition, the cyclic voltammetry and charge discharge curves obtained after different cycles indicate good electrochemical stability with capacity retention of 89% after 100 cycles at 0.5 C. The electrochemical characteristics are correlated to the microstructure of the film and the effects of texture, grain size and density are discussed.
Understanding leptin-dependent regulation of skeletal homeostasis

Despite growing evidence for adipose tissue regulation of bone mass, the role of the adipokine leptin in bone remodeling remains controversial. The majority of in vitro studies suggest leptin enhances osteoblastic proliferation and differentiation while inhibiting adipogenic differentiation from marrow stromal cells. Alternatively, some evidence demonstrates either no effect or a pro-apoptotic action of leptin on stromal cells. Similarly, in vivo work has demonstrated both positive and negative effects of leptin on bone mass. Most of the literature supports the idea that leptin suppresses bone mass by acting in the brainstem to reduce serotonin-dependent sympathetic signaling from the ventromedial hypothalamus to bone. However, other studies have found partly or entirely contrasting actions of leptin. Recently one study found a significant effect of surgery alone with intracerebroventricular administration of leptin, a technique crucial for understanding centrally-mediated leptin regulation of bone. Thus, two mainstream hypotheses for the role of leptin on bone emerge: 1) direct regulation through increased osteoblast proliferation and differentiation and 2) indirect suppression of bone formation through a hypothalamic relay. At the present time, it remains unclear whether these effects are relevant in only extreme circumstances (i.e. models with complete deficiency) or play an important homeostatic role in the regulation of peak bone acquisition and skeletal remodeling. Ultimately, determining the actions of leptin on the skeleton will be critical for understanding how the obesity epidemic may be impacting the prevalence of osteoporosis.
Manipulation of Thinness and Restricting Expectancies: Further Evidence for a Causal Role of Thinness and Restricting Expectancies in the Etiology of Eating Disorders

To test the eating disorder expectancy theory contention that expectancies for reinforcement from thinness play a causal role in body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms, the authors manipulated expectancies in 2 studies. Participants were exposed to either a psychoeducational intervention or an experimental manipulation of thinness and restricting expectancies. Study 1 participants were symptomatic college women who attended 3 experimental sessions and 1 follow-up session, each 1 week apart. Study 2 participants were high school girls who received the 3 experimental sessions clustered into 2 meetings; they completed symptom measures at baseline and at follow-up. In both samples, the thinness expectancy manipulation produced greater declines in thinness expectancies and body dissatisfaction than did the psychoeducational intervention. For high school girls, the thinness expectancy manipulation also produced a greater decline in overall eating-disordered attitudes. These results provide further support for the role of expectancies in the etiology of eating-disordered behaviors.
Synergistic effects of tumour necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ on feline haemopoietic progenitors

Pathogenic mechanisms that underlie feline leukaemia virus subgroup-C (FeLV-C) induced erythroid aplasia are unknown. FeLV-C infection is associated with higher serum levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which may act synergistically to cause haemopoietic suppression. In the present studies, the synergistic effects of TNF-α and IFN-γ on feline bone marrow progenitors in vitro were evaluated. Bone marrow mononuclear cells from specific-pathogen-free cats were exposed to TNF-α (100 and 200 pg/ml) and IFN-γ (100 or 200 units/ml), alone or in combination, for 2 h before plating for clonal assays of colony forming units. Our results show that TNF-α and IFN-γ in combination caused marked suppression of feline colony forming units-erythroid (CFU-E), burst forming units-erythroid (BFU-E), and colony forming units-fibroblasts (CFU-F), whereas colony forming units-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) were minimally affected. The same concentrations of TNF-α and IFN-γ alone had minimal effects on CFU-E, BFU-E and CFU-F. These results suggest that TNF-α and IFN-γ may play a significant role in regulating haemopoiesis in cats and may be involved in the pathogenesis of erythroid aplasia in cats infected with feline leukaemia virus.
High-current density DC magenetohydrodynamics micropump with bubble isolation and release system

One of the major challenges for integrated Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) systems is the precise control of fluid flow in a micro-flow cell. Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) micropumps which contain no moving parts and capable of generating a continuous flow in any ionic fluid offer an ideal solution for biological applications. MHD micropumping has been demonstrated by using both AC and direct current (DC) currents by a number of researchers with varying degrees of success. However, current MHD designs based on DC do not meet the flow rate requirements for fully automated LOC applications (>100 μl/min). In this research, we introduce a novel DC-based MHD micropump which effectively increases flow rate by limiting the effects of electrolysis generated bubbles at the electrode–electrolyte interface through isolation and a mechanism for their release. Gas bubbles, particularly, hydrogen generated by high current density at the electrodes are the main culprit in low experimental flow rate compared with theoretical values. These tiny bubbles coalesce in the flow channel thus obstructing the flow of fluid. Since hydrolysis is inevitable with DC excitation, compartmentalized electrode channels with bubble isolating and coalescence retarding mechanisms and bubble release systems are implemented to prevent the coalescence of these bubbles and minimize their effects on flow rate. In this novel design called bubble isolation and release system, flow rate of up to 325 μl/min is achieved using 1 M NaCl solution in DC mode with potentials of 5 V and current density of about 5,000 A/m2 for a main channel of 800 μm × 800 μm cross-section and 6.4 mm length.
Touch and go: guidance cues signal to the growth cone cytoskeleton.

Growth cones, the highly motile tips of growing axons, guide axons to their targets by responding to molecular cues. Growth cone behaviors such as advancing, retracting, turning and branching are driven by the dynamics and reorganization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton through signaling pathways linked to guidance cue receptors. Actin filaments play a major part in growth cone motility, and because of their peripheral locations were thought to be the primary target of molecular cues. However, recent studies have shown that dynamic microtubules can penetrate the growth cone periphery where guidance molecules can influence them directly. Moreover, guidance cues can regulate growth cone steering by modulating dynamic actin–microtubule interactions.
Microfluidic impact printing (MI-printing) for biomedical applications

Microfluidic Impact Printing (MI-Printing), which combines the desired features from the non-contact cartridge design of the inkjet printing and the dot-matrix impact printing, has been established for emerging biomedical applications. Using this droplet micropatterning platform, we can achieve the distinct features of submicroliter reagent manipulation with minimal dead volume enabled by the interchangeable/disposable microfluidic cartridge design, self-alignment printing, complex medium printing (cell and colloidal solutions), no cross-contamination, high throughput, easy to microfabrication, assembly and configure, all highly desirable towards biological applications.
Characterization of individual mouse cerebrospinal fluid proteomes.

Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) offers key insight into the status of the CNS. Characterization of murine CSF proteomes can provide a valuable resource for studying CNS injury and disease in animal models. However, the small volume of CSF in mice has thus far limited individual mouse proteome characterization. Through nonterminal CSF extractions in C57Bl/6 mice and high-resolution 2D-LC MS/MS analysis of individual murine samples, we report the most comprehensive proteome characterization of individual murine CSF to date. We identified a total of 566 unique proteins, including 128 proteins from three individual CSF samples that have been previously identified in brain tissue. Our methods and analysis provide a mechanism for individual murine CSF proteome analysis. The data are available in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000248 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000248).
Paradoxes of the Flesh: Emotion and Contradiction in Fitness/Beauty Magazine Discourse

Analyzing women’s fitness/beauty magazines for advice on diet and exercise reveals a range of contradictions, the focus of this research. Contradictory diet and fitness discourses signify our cultu...
Restricted diffusion through granular materials

The restricted diffusion of nickel etioporphyrin is experimentally measured in six granular catalyst support materials. These materials include five γ-aluminas and one small-pore silica-alumina. Pore size distribution is narrow for three of the supports and roughly bimodal for the remaining three. Diffusivities are determined by a transient uptake technique utilizing a Freundlich equilibria adsorption isotherm. Experimentally determined diffusivities agree well with restricted diffusion theory based on a circular pore model when the appropriate characteristic length scales are used to describe the molecule and pore size. For the restricted diffusion of dilute solute molecules in neutral pores, the appropriate measure of granular pore size is the hydraulic pore radius. Molecule size, in this case, is best described by a mean projected molecule radius for partitioning and a Stokes-Einstein radius for hydrodynamic aspects of restricted diffusion.
Enhanced 911/Global Position System Wizard: A Telemedicine Application for the Prevention of Severe Hypoglycemia—Monitor, Alert, and Locate

Intensive insulin therapy has an inherent risk of hypoglycemia that can lead to loss of consciousness, cardiac arrhythmia, seizure, and death (“dead-in-bed syndrome”). This risk of hypoglycemia is a major concern for patients, families, and physicians. The need for an automated system that can alert in the event of severe hypoglycemia is evident. In engineering systems, where there is a risk of malfunction of the primary control system, alert and safety mechanisms are implemented in layers of protection. This concept has been adopted in the proposed system that integrates a hypoglycemia prediction algorithm with a global position system (GPS) locator and short message service such that the current glucose value with the rate of change (ROC) and the location of the subject can be communicated to a predefined list. Furthermore, if the system is linked to the insulin pump, it can suspend the pump or decrease the basal insulin infusion rate to prevent the pending event. The system was evaluated on clinical datasets of glucose tracings from the DexCom Seven® system. Glucose tracings were analyzed for hypoglycemia events and then a text message was broadcast to a predefined list of people who were notified with the glucose value, ROC, GPS coordinates, and a Google map of the location. In addition to providing a safety layer to a future artificial pancreas, this system also can be easily implemented in current continuous glucose monitors to help provide information and alerts to people with diabetes.
Level set hyperspectral image segmentation using spectral information divergence-based best band selection

We present a supervised hyperspectral segmentation procedure, consisting of best band analysis (BBA), an initial distance-based segmentation, and level set segmentation enhancement by forcing localized vicinities to be more homogeneous. BBA uses the spectral information divergence (SID) to reduce each pixel's high dimensional data to a scalar value, where the Bhattacharyya distance (BD) is maximized. The initial segmentation is based on feature vectors created from the SID metric. The level set segmentation then enhances areas that do not have spatially homogeneous ground cover. The proposed method is tested on a 72-band compact airborne spectrographic imager (CASI) image of a farm area in northern Mississippi, U.S.A. The proposed method is compared to a BBA-based maximum-likelihood (ML) method. Quantitative results are compared using segmentation and classification accuracies. Results show that both the initial classification using BBA features and the level set enhancement produced high-quality ground cover maps and outperformed the ML method, as well as previous studies by the authors. The ML method resulted in accuracies ges95.5%, whereas the level set segmentation approach resulted in accuracies as high as 99.7%.
Youth exposure to violence in an urban setting

To inform a city-wide youth Violence Prevention Initiative, we explored youth narratives about their exposure to violence to gain insight into their understanding of the causes and effects of violence in their communities. At-risk youth were recruited through street outreach for individual interviews and focus group sessions. Types of experiential violence identified included (1) street, (2) family/interpersonal, (3) school, (4) indirect exposure (e.g., neighborhood crime), and (5) prejudice/discrimination. Reactions ranged from motivating positive effects (resilience, determination to escape) to negative effects (fear, paranoia, and aggression). For some, experiences with violence motivated them to pursue educational achievement and positive lifestyles. Causes of violence were described by participants as existing at a number of different levels (societal, neighborhood, interpersonal, and individual), reflecting a social-ecological perspective. Our findings highlight a need for violence prevention efforts that focus on a broad definition of violence, as well as on the poly-victimization of children and youth. At the same time, our findings highlight the challenges of conducting effective community-based prevention programs in urban settings characterized by spatial inequalities and social exclusion of community residents.
Heliocentric radius of the cosmic ray modulation boundary

A semiempirical analysis is made of an extensive body of observed cosmic ray intensity data from Pioneers 10 and 11, and related spectral information from other authors, in order to infer the radius R of the modulation region surrounding the sun. During the period 1972-1985, the inferred values of R vary with time systematically and in a manner generally similar to that of sunspot numbers. The range of values of R is from 42 AU at the time of minimum solar activity (circa 1976) to 88 AU about 1.5 yr following the time of maximum solar activity (circa 1980). A specific, testable prediction is that Pioneer 10 will reach the modulation boundary in 1988, and will remain in its vicinity for several years thereafter.
Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus

An explosion of work over the last decade has produced insight into the multiple hereditary causes of a nonimmunological form of diabetes diagnosed most frequently within the first 6 months of life. These studies are providing increased understanding of genes involved in the entire chain of steps that control glucose homeostasis. Neonatal diabetes is now understood to arise from mutations in genes that play critical roles in the development of the pancreas, of β-cell apoptosis and insulin processing, as well as the regulation of insulin release. For the basic researcher, this work is providing novel tools to explore fundamental molecular and cellular processes. For the clinician, these studies underscore the need to identify the genetic cause underlying each case. It is increasingly clear that the prognosis, therapeutic approach, and genetic counseling a physician provides must be tailored to a specific gene in order to provide the best medical care.
Symbiotes and defensive Mutualism: Moving Target Defense

If we wish to break the continual cycle of patching and replacing our core monoculture systems to defend against attacker evasion tactics, we must redesign the way systems are deployed so that the attacker can no longer glean the information about one system that allows attacking any other like system. Hence, a new poly-culture architecture that provides complete uniqueness for each distinct device would thwart many remote attacks (except perhaps for insider attacks). We believe a new security paradigm based on perpetual mutation and diversity, driven by symbiotic defensive mutualism can fundamentally change the ‘cat and mouse’ dynamic which has impeded the development of truly effective security mechanism to date. We propose this new ‘clean slate design’ principle and conjecture that this defensive strategy can also be applied to legacy systems widely deployed today. Fundamentally, the technique diversifies the defensive system of the protected host system thwarting attacks against defenses commonly executed by modern malware.
Search for a 'Tree of Life' in the thicket of the phylogenetic forest

Background Comparative genomics has revealed extensive horizontal gene transfer among prokaryotes, a development that is often considered to undermine the 'tree of life' concept. However, the possibility remains that a statistical central trend still exists in the phylogenetic 'forest of life'.
On control of a class of MIMO sparse plants

This paper deals with achievable performance in the control of multivariable systems, with a particular degree of sparsity. The systems to be considered are linear, stable, time-invariant and discrete-time, and it is assumed that they can be reasonably described by a diagonal plus one interconnection structure. The performance loss when ignoring the off-diagonal term is quantified and also a comparison with a classical feedforward strategy is made.
You tell us: how well are we preparing teachers for a career in classrooms serving children with emotional disabilities?

This study was designed to reveal the knowledge and skill sets that practicing day treatment and residential treatment EBD teachers view as important, and/or lacking, in novice EBD teachers, and to situate those findings within the larger contexts of teacher attrition and teacher preparation in special education. Primary results suggest that EBD teachers in day treatment and residential treatment centres believe knowledge of and implementation of best practices to be one of the most important prerequisites for effective practice in the EBD classroom, and one of the prerequisites most lacking by novice teachers. EBD teachers also indicated that knowledge of and appropriate use of behaviour management techniques was essential for effective practice, and also was reported to be lacking in novice teachers. In addition, EBD teachers reported a number of areas in which their teacher preparation programmes were perceived as lacking depth. Finally, certain personality attributes were identified as essential prere...
Strain birefringence of Kevlar aramid fibers

We have measured the strain birefringence of Kevlar aramid fibers under static loading via a spectrophotometric method. At very low strain rates, the birefringence of Kevlar fibers increases markedly with increasing strain. On initial straining, the birefringence increases even at relatively constant modulus. This is attributed to the orientation of macroscopic species in the fiber which were observed by visible light microscopy. Such behavior is supported by the experimental observation of laser diffraction patterns and optical transmission images of Kevlar fibers under load. In the final stage of straining where the fiber modulus increases rapidly, the birefringence increase is attributable to crystalline orientation. The spectrophotometric method is useful for the simultaneous measurement of stress, strain, and birefringence of highly oriented, highly crystalline fibers such as Kevlar aramid. It is particularly useful to study the morphological inhomogeneity of a fiber which is undetectable by the conventional tensile test.
Cancer Risk Assessment Approaches at the FDA/CDER: Is the Era of the 2-Year Bioassay Drawing to a Close?:

Determining the carcinogenic potential of materials to which humans have significant exposures is an important, complex, and imperfect exercise. Not only are the methods for such determinations protracted and expensive and use large numbers of animals, extrapolation of data from such studies to human risk is imprecise. With improved understanding of oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene inactivation, a number of animal models have been developed to dramatically reduce latency for chemically induced cancers and has led to the development and use of shorter carcinogenicity assays. Recent studies by a number of investigators suggest that specific gene signature patterns seen after short-term exposure of rats to test chemicals can predict long-term outcomes in cancer bioassays with relatively high accuracy. In addition, a recent survey performed by PhRMA member companies examined two hundred drug years to determine whether histological biomarkers seen at the end of a six- or twelve-month toxicology study in rats can predict the outcome of a two-year carcinogenicity study. With only a handful of exceptions, chronic studies appear capable of predicting effects at the end of two years with good accuracy. It is hoped that the combination of results from transgenic mouse assays and six-month rat studies will soon supplant the need for most two-year bioassays.
Renin-angiotensin system and fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background & Aims Therapeutic options are limited for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). One promising approach is the attenuation of necroinflammation and fibrosis by inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). We explored whether the risk of fibrosis was associated with the use of commonly used medications in NAFLD patients with hypertension. Specifically, we sought to determine the association between RAS blocking agents and severity of hepatic fibrosis in NAFLD patients with hypertension. Methods Cross-sectional study where clinical information including demographics, anthropometry, medical history, concomitant medication use, biochemical and histological features were ascertained in 290 hypertensive patients with biopsy proven NAFLD followed at two hepatology outpatient clinics. Stage of hepatic fibrosis was compared in patients with and without RAS blocker use. Other risk factors for fibrosis were evaluated from the electronic medical records and patient follow-up. Results Baseline characteristics of hypertensive patients treated with and without RAS blockers were similar except for less ballooning (1.02 vs. 1.31, P = 0.001) and lower fibrosis stage (1.63 vs. 2.16, P = 0.002) in patients on RAS blockers On multivariate analysis, advancing age (OR: 1.04; 95%CI: 1.01–1.06, P = 0.012) and presence of diabetes (OR: 2.55; 95%CI: 1.28–5.09, P = 0.008) had an independent positive association, while use of RAS blockers (OR: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.21–0.65, P = 0.001) and statins (OR: 0.52; 95%CI: 0.29–0.93, P = 0.029) had a negative association with advanced fibrosis. Conclusion Hypertensive patients with NAFLD on baseline RAS blockers had less advanced hepatic fibrosis suggesting a beneficial effect of RAS blockers in NAFLD.
A practical false discovery rate approach to identifying patterns of differential expression in microarray data

Summary: Searching for differentially expressed genes is one of the most common applications for microarrays, yet statistically there are difficult hurdles to achieving adequate rigor and practicality. False discovery rate (FDR) approaches have become relatively standard; however, how to define and control the FDR has been hotly debated. Permutation estimation approaches such as SAM and PaGE can be effective; however, they leave much room for improvement. We pursue the permutation estimation method and describe a convenient definition for the FDR that can be estimated in a straightforward manner. We then discuss issues regarding the choice of statistic and data transformation. It is impossible to optimize the power of any statistic for thousands of genes simultaneously, and we look at the practical consequences of this. For example, the log transform can both help and hurt at the same time, depending on the gene. We examine issues surrounding the SAM 'fudge factor' parameter, and how to handle these issues by optimizing with respect to power. Availability: Java and Perl implementations are available at www.cbil.upenn.edu/PaGE Contact: ggrant@pcbi.upenn.edu