cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 5174: Involvement of COX-2 in p53 induction and Jnk activation following DNA damage.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Cyclooxygenase (COX) is a rate-limiting enzyme in arachidonic acid cascade and exists as two related but unique isoforms, COX-1 and COX-2. While COX-1 is constitutively expressed in many tissues and is believed to play a role in tissue homeostasis, COX-2 is highly inducible by various stimuli including inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, and DNA damage. In addition, aberrant COX-2 expression is frequently observed in many types of cancer, suggesting the role of COX-2 in tumor development and progression. p53 is a well-known tumor suppressor and plays a key role in the control of normal cell's response to environmental or cellular stresses. Although p53 has been shown to regulate COX-2 expression, the modulation of p53 levels by COX-2 has not been determined. In the present study, we have examined the role of COX-2 as an upstream regulator of p53 levels using COX-2 knockout (KO) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). DNA damage-induced increase in p53 protein levels were greatly reduced in COX-2 KO MEFs compared to wild type (WT) or COX-1 KO MEFs. Furthermore, a COX-2 specific inhibitor suppressed doxorubicin-induced p53 accumulation and cell death. However, initial induction of p53 accumulation in response to doxorubicin was not altered by deficiency or inhibition of COX-2, suggesting that COX-2 may be involved in maintenance of p53 stability. Doxorubicin-induced accumulation of p53 appeared to be mediated through the activation of Jun-N-terminal Kinase (Jnk). Activation of Jnk by doxorubicin was decreased in COX-2 KO MEFs or by COX-2 inhibition, suggesting that DNA damage induces activation of Jnk by a mechanism that involves COX-2. Our results suggest the existence of novel cross-talk between COX-2 and p53 and identify COX-2 as a potential target for reducing the side effects from chemotherapy. Citation Format: Joohwee Kim, Hyunju Lee, Kawngil Park, Thomas E. Eling, Minsub Shim. Involvement of COX-2 in p53 induction and Jnk activation following DNA damage. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5174. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5174
Some Factors Influencing the Transition from Deflagration to Detonation

A viable supported shock wave has a definite structure. Such a shock moving into cold unburned explosive loses energy at first faster than energy is locally recruited from exothermic reactions. However, as time goes on, this situation monotonically changes and energy is paid back at an increasing rate until a maximum in the released energy is reached. At this point the Chapman-Jouguet surface is passing over the position in question and a rarefaction wave sets in. If enough energy has been concentrated at the shock front the shock wave will persist through the explosive, otherwise the detonation will fail. A blow on unburned materials is an ideal way to build the gradient for a self supporting shock wave since it automatically sets up the appropriate monotonically increasing energy release.
Welfare Implication of Foreign Aid and Domestically Funded Microfinance Programs

Microfinance as well as women’s economic participation has welfare implications in developing countries. A two-sector model has been developed to analyze these implications. The findings suggest that the welfare cost of microfinance depends on the country’s overall level of development and society’s attitude towards women’s economic participation. The difference in the welfare cost of government funded microfinance and donor funded microfinance programs can be minimized by increasing the administrative efficiency of public spending on microfinance.
An Intelligent Network for Federated Testing of NetCentric Systems

We will describe a dynamic federated autonomic networking system1 for the testing of netcentric systems across organizations. Using a suite of policy-based management software tools, our system can provide netcentric missions with self-configuring, self-debugging, self-healing, and self-protecting capabilities across end-to-end coalition networks. The novelty of our system originates from: (1) A multi-party dynamic policy negotiation algorithm and protocol for autonomous cross-organization negotiations on network resources; (2) A RDF/XML based language to enable automated understanding of network and application configurations across organizations; (3) A teachable, natural language policy capture system; (4) An advanced user interface tool for capturing and representing domain expert knowledge; and (5) A reasoning system for distributing and applying domain knowledge. This system has been developed for large-scale netcentric systems testing applications where the rapid configuration and management of dynamically changing netcentric test exercises is critical. Using a scenario from a real test exercise involving test ranges around the country, we have demonstrated in our testbed that we could reduce the debugging time for a network configuration problem from 6 hours, involving dozens of operators, to less than 2 seconds with minimal human involvement.
Investigation of Primary and Secondary Modifiers for the Subcritical Extraction of Lovastatin from MEVACOR Tablets with Carbon Dioxide

The subcritical fluid extraction of lovastatin from tablet powder mixtures prepared in this laboratory and MEVACOR® tablets is successfully demonstrated. Methanol modifier percentage, additive type (acidic, basic, or neutral), and additive concentration on the extraction efficiency are examined. The extraction recoveries of lovastatin from MEVACOR tablets are shown to be highly dependent on methanol concentration and additive type. Isopropylamine is shown to be the most successful additive investigated. An optimized extraction method is developed, and lovastatin recoveries of 99.5% were achieved with a relative standard deviation of 1.2% from MEVACOR tablets with 15% (v/v) (1.0% [v/v] isopropylamine) methanol-modified C0 2.
The Search for Peer Firms: When Do Crowds Provide Wisdom?

We compare the performance of a comprehensive set of alternative peer identification schemes used in economic benchmarking. Our results show the peer firms identified from aggregation of informed agents' revealed choices in Lee, Ma, and Wang (2014) perform best, followed by peers with the highest overlap in analyst coverage, in explaining cross-sectional variations in base firms' out-of-sample: (a) stock returns, (b) valuation multiples, (c) growth rates, (d) R&D expenditures, (e) leverage, and (f) profitability ratios. Conversely, peers firms identified by Google and Yahoo Finance, as well as product market competitors gleaned from 10-K disclosures, turned in consistently worse performances. We contextualize these results in a simple model that predicts when information aggregation across heterogeneously informed individuals is likely to lead to improvements in dealing with the problem of economic benchmarking.
A columnar cesium iodide (CsI) drift plane layer for gas avalanche microdetectors

A new method is proposed to improve the spatial and time resolutions, and the detection efficiency with respect to the angle of the incident particles, for gas avalanche micro detectors. The new technique uses a thin (/spl sim/200 /spl mu/m) columnar CsI layer at the drift plane that acts as an efficient source of electrons produced by secondary emission due to the incident particles, and as an electron multiplier. In this paper, we present the measurements of the electron multiplication factor and detection efficiency of this layer, using a /sup 90/Sr /spl beta/-source.
The Uneven Geography of Global Civil Society: National and Global Influences on Transnational Association

Recent decades have seen an explosion of transnational networking and activism, but participation varies widely around the globe. Using negative binomial regression, we explore how national and global political and economic factors shape this “uneven geography” of participation in transnational social movement organizations (TSMOs). Contrary to assumptions in popular discourse, we find a continued importance of the state and limited importance of global economic integration in determining participation in transnational associations. But while ties to the global economy do not significantly impact participation, a country’s links to global institutions enhance opportunities for transnational activism. Rich countries’ citizens are more active transnationally, but low-income countries with strong ties to the global polity are also more tied to global activist networks. This suggests that TSMOs do not simply reproduce world-system stratification, but ‐ aided by a supportive institutional environment ‐ they help sow the seeds for its transformation.
CHANGES IN STUDENTS' EXPLANATIONS FOR GENDER DIFFERENCES AFTER TAKING A PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN CLASS: MORE CONSTRUCTIONIST AND LESS ESSENTIALIST

We explored how students’ endorsements of essential (biological and personality) and constructed (socialization and contextual) explanations for gender differences changed from the start to the end...
Activation Energy of Extracellular Enzymes in Soils from Different Biomes

Enzyme dynamics are being incorporated into soil carbon cycling models and accurate representation of enzyme kinetics is an important step in predicting belowground nutrient dynamics. A scarce number of studies have measured activation energy (Ea) in soils and fewer studies have measured Ea in arctic and tropical soils, or in subsurface soils. We determined the Ea for four typical lignocellulose degrading enzymes in the A and B horizons of seven soils covering six different soil orders. We also elucidated which soil properties predicted any measurable differences in Ea. β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, phenol oxidase and peroxidase activities were measured at five temperatures, 4, 21, 30, 40, and 60°C. Ea was calculated using the Arrhenius equation. β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase Ea values for both A and B horizons in this study were similar to previously reported values, however we could not make a direct comparison for B horizon soils because of the lack of data. There was no consistent relationship between hydrolase enzyme Ea and the environmental variables we measured. Phenol oxidase was the only enzyme that had a consistent positive relationship between Ea and pH in both horizons. The Ea in the arctic and subarctic zones for peroxidase was lower than the hydrolases and phenol oxidase values, indicating peroxidase may be a rate limited enzyme in environments under warming conditions. By including these six soil types we have increased the number of soil oxidative enzyme Ea values reported in the literature by 50%. This study is a step towards better quantifying enzyme kinetics in different climate zones.
Effectiveness and Residual Activity of New Compounds in Soil Against the Eye Gnat, Hippelates collusor

The initial biological activity of 39 new insecticides in soil (Coachella fine sand containing 0.15% organic matter) was determined in the laboratory against the eye gnat, Hippelates collusor (Townsend). Of these, 2 compounds produced 90% reduction in eye gnat emergence at rates of less than 0.1 lb of the toxicant per 6-acre in of the soil. Fourteen materials produced 90% reduction in gnat emergence at the rates of 0.2-1.0 lb of the toxicant per 6-acre in of the soil. The remaining materials had LD90 levels of 1.0—48.0 lb of the toxicant per 6-acre in of the soil. Loss of biological activity of these compounds against the eye gnat in soil at 3 rates was studied at intervals of 2, 4, and 8 months. Of the materials evaluated, only 7 showed residual activity of any significance. Bayer 29492 [ O, O -diethyl O - [4- (methylthio) - m -tolyl]phosphorothioate] was the most stable compound studied. Four compounds showed low to moderate degrees of residual activity, while the remaining materials showed none. The residual activity of a compound depends both on the initial activity and the stability of the material.
How Informative Is Floating NAV When Securities Trade Infrequently

We examine if a floating net asset value (NAV) increases the transparency of risk for investors. Using closed-income fixed income funds we find little evidence that a floating NAV helps investors better understand the value and risk of a fund when a fund's assets trade infrequently. This potentially informs the debate regarding the adoption of a floating NAV in the money market industry. Our results suggest that it is unlikely that the benefits of floating NAV will outweigh the costs.
John Kenneth Galbraith

Galbraith, John Kenneth (15 Oct, 1908-29 Apr. 2006), economist and author, was born in Iona Station, Ontario (Canada) to Archibald Galbraith and Sarah Catherine Kendall. Galbraith, who advanced and reinterpreted institutionalist and Keynesian traditions in economics while promoting a liberal and progressive political agenda, was arguably the best known and most influential economist and public intellectual of his generation. He published dozens of books, served in a number of high level government positions and as a faculty member at Harvard University for over a quarter of a century, and advised every Democratic president from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton.
Highly Accurate Sequencing of Full-Length Immune Repertoire Amplicons Using Tn5-Enabled and Molecular Identifier–Guided Amplicon Assembly

Ab repertoire sequencing is a powerful tool to analyze the adaptive immune system. To sequence entire Ab repertoires, amplicons are created from Ab H chain (IgH) transcripts and sequenced on a high-throughput sequencer. The field of immune repertoire sequencing is growing rapidly and the protocols used are steadily improving; however, thus far, immune repertoire sequencing protocols have not been able to sequence full-length immune repertoires including the entire IgH V region and enough of the IgH C region to identify isotype subtypes. In this study, we present a method that combines Tn5 transposase and molecular identifiers for the highly accurate sequencing of amplicons >500 bp using Illumina short read paired-end sequencing. We then apply this method to Ab H chain amplicons to sequence the first, to our knowledge, highly accurate full-length immune repertoire.
Abstract 4359: Characterization of GalNAc-conjugated generation 2.5 ASOs in DEN and DEN/CCL4-induced HCC tumors

The worldwide rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence is rising rapidly; however, outside of transplantation, few effective treatment options are available. Hepatocellular carcinogenesis is a complex, multistep process involving many genetic alterations, often occurring in targets that are considered “undruggable” by conventional therapeutic modalities. Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology offers the potential to target these undruggable pathways in HCC tumors in vivo and to determine the sensitivity of HCC to the ablation of these pathways. Using either the diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced mouse HCC model or DEN in combination with the profibrotic agent carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), we first examined gene expression changes in induced HCC tumors. DEN-induced HCC has a very long latency period (∼8 months). We demonstrate that mice injected with DEN and CCl4 developed HCC with a shorter latency and a higher tumor incidence. We also identified several genes of interest that could potentially be HCC drivers and targets for ASO therapy. Conjugation of ASOs with N-acetyl D-galactosamine (GalNAc) has been shown to increase ASO activity >10x in normal liver. Here we demonstrate that GalNAc conjugated ASOs show similar increased potency in HCC tumors and the complete depletion of Myd88 protein levels. Importantly, in addition to the ability to potently inhibit Myd88 levels in tumors, GalNAc-conjugated Myd88 ASOs also resulted in significantly reduced tumor burden. These data demonstrate that GalNAc-conjugated Gen 2.5 ASOs have potent activity in HCC tumors and that Myd88 maybe be an attractive therapeutic target in this disease. Citation Format: Joanna Schmidt, Minji Jo, Tianyuan Zhou, Youngsoo Kim, A. R. MacLeod. Characterization of GalNAc-conjugated generation 2.5 ASOs in DEN and DEN/CCL4-induced HCC tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4359. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4359
Development of a reduced tri-propylene glycol monomethyl ether–n-hexadecane–poly-aromatic hydrocarbon mechanism and its application for soot prediction

A reduced chemical kinetic mechanism for tri-propylene glycol monomethyl ether has been developed and applied to computational fluid dynamics calculations for predicting combustion and soot formati...
Dehydroepiandrosterone and similar substances in urine of premature infants.

SummaryExamination of the urine of premature infants and children less than a year of age for DHA or DHA-like substances by means of a colorimetric test disclosed that in the absence of an adrenal tumor the test was positive at least once in half of the patients. Of all the urine samples collected from patients in this age group, the test was positive 30% of the time.
The Relationships of the Australo-Papuan Sittellas Daphoenositta as Indicated by DNA-DNA Hybridization

SIBLEY, C. G. and J. E. AHLQUIST. 1982. The relationships of the Australo-Papuan sittellas Daphoenositta as indicated by DNA-DNA hybridization. Emu 82: 173–176.The taxonomic relationships of Daphoe...
Behavioral Management of Obesity

Much progress has been made in the development of behavioral programs in recent years. As a consequence, the behavioral approach now is integrated into most programs for weight loss. Because "behavior modification" is practiced so widely, there is a tendency to believe that it consists of little more than a series of techniques or tricks such as record keeping and slowing eating, and that programs do not vary much in how it is employed. This is mistaken. A modern day, comprehensive program is sophisticated and involves systematic work, not only on eating behavior, but on exercise, attitudes, social relationships, nutrition, and other factors. The better behavioral programs now are producing weight losses in the range of 25 to 30 lb. The greatest strength of the behavioral approach, however, lies in the maintenance of weight loss. This is an area where exciting developments are occurring. These developments are important, not only to clinicians and programs using behavior modification per se, but to professionals using nearly any approach to weight loss where the maintenance of loss is an issue. The horizon holds much promise for the potential of behavioral approaches, used alone or in combination with other treatments for obesity.
ON THE PREPARATION OF α-KETOADIPIC ACID

(1973). ON THE PREPARATION OF α-KETOADIPIC ACID. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 55-58.
Intestinal brush-border Na+/H+ exchanger-3 drives H+-coupled iron absorption in the mouse

Iron homeostasis is of significant public health interest because of the prevalence of iron deficiency and iron-overload disorders. Whole body iron homeostasis is achieved by regulating iron absorp...
Formal Verification of CFSM Specifications

Design verification of embedded systems is traditionally performed by prototyping and simulation. Prototyping is clearly expensive in terms of turn-around time, and, in addition, cannot be performed until most of the detailed design is completed. Simulation is valuable, but for complex systems, only relatively few input patterns can be tried, thus reducing the power of simulation in exposing errors in design.
Complex Contour Ultrasonic Scanning System Application and Training

It was anticipated early on in the NIST program for Integrated Design, NDE and Manufacturing at Iowa State University that it would be desirable to have a scanning system that could accommodate the needs of scan plan research and development. To that end a Panametrics scanning system, a research version of the ARGUS (Advanced Robotic Gantry Ultrasonic Systems) class dual bridge, dual manipulator gantry systems for high speed contour scanning of large components up to 1.5 meters, was purchased. During 1996, advanced contour scanning software, designed for the ARGUS scanning system was purchased, providing a complete and practical approach to inspecting curved parts which cannot be inspected with rectilinear scanning methods. Parts with complex curvature may be scanned with a one or two probes in a pulse-echo scenario or by through transmission.
Structural characterization of mammalian bHLH-PAS transcription factors

The mammalian basic helix-loop-helix-PER-ARNT-SIM (bHLH-PAS) transcription factors share common architectural features that include a bHLH DNA-binding domain and tandemly positioned PAS domains. The sixteen members of this family include the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1α and HIF-2α), ARNT (also known as HIF-1β), CLOCK and BMAL1. Most bHLH-PAS proteins have been genetically linked to variety of diseases in humans, including cancers, metabolic syndromes and psychiatric conditions. To function as transcription factors, the bHLH-PAS proteins must form heterodimeric complexes. Recent crystallographic studies of HIF-α-ARNT and CLOCK-BMAL1 complexes have unveiled the organization of their multi-domain bHLH-PAS-A-PAS-B segments, revealing how these architectures can give rise to unique patterns of heterodimerization. As our structural understanding becomes better integrated with ligand-discovery and target gene identification, a more comprehensive picture of their architectural and functional properties will emerge.
Operational and reliability comparison of discrete-storage nonvolatile memories: advantages of single- and double-layer metal nanocrystals

Aggressive scaling of EEPROM to below 1,000 nm/sup 2/ bit area will enable more applications as low-power mobile systems. We have performed a critical comparison on discrete charge storage nodes, and established the advantages of metal nanocrystals in terms of programming/retention design trade-off and long-term endurance.
Abstract A112: Manipulating tumor microenvironment for immunotherapy

An established tumor is a complex tissue composed of tumor cells, stromal cells, inflammatory cells, vasculatures, and extracellular matrices, all of which are defined together as the tumor microenvironment. Successful tumor control by immunotherapy requires activation of the immune system, expansion of the effector cells, infiltration of activated effector cells to the tumor tissue, and destruction of the tumor cells. Our previous studies have showed that anti-tumor effect of current tumor immunotherapies, such as checkpoint blockade, relies on a significant number of spontaneous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. However, established tumors often inhibit peripheral lymphocytes entering tumor tissues for tumor destruction. Inflammatory mediators, especially cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules, play important roles in the recruitment and activation of various types of innate and adaptive immune cells. As a proof-of-concept study, we targeted tumor tissues with LIGHT, a member of the tumor necrosis factor super family. Our data suggested that targeting tumor with LIGHT is able to induce the production of several cytokines/chemokines, which recruit T cells into tumor microenvironment, leading to tumor regression. Furthermore, combination therapy with LIGHT is able to overcome tumor resistance to checkpoint blockade. Thus, these data suggested that manipulating tumor microenvironment with cytokines/chemokines that are able to recruit effector cells represents a promising strategy for tumor immunotherapy. To better understand the role of individual cytokine/chemokine, we utilized chemokine array to systemically analyze tumor microenvironments. By comparing chemokine profiles from immunotherapy-sensitive and -insensitive tumors, we found a significant difference which might be responsible for their sensitivity to immunotherapies. Sensitive tumor is characterized with a higher level of chemokines associated with lymphoid cell trafficking, such as CXCL9 and CCL22. In contrast, insensitive tumor is characterized by a higher levels of chemokines associated with myeloid cell, such as MCP-1 and CCL11. The contributions and their therapeutic potentials of these cytokines/chemokines will be studied in the next step. Citation Format: Haidong Tang, Xiangyan Qiu, Yang Wang, Yang-Xin Fu. Manipulating tumor microenvironment for immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A112.
A 20dBm Fully-Integrated 60GHz SiGe Power Amplifier with Automatic Level Control

A +20dBm, 60 GHz power amplifier (PA) with fully-integrated automatic level control is fabricated in a 0.13 mum SiGe BiCMOS process. At 60 GHz, the PA achieves a peak power gain of IS dB with 13.1 dBm output power at a 1-dB compression and a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 12.7 %. The PA uses a single-stage push-pull amplifier topology with center-taped microstrip lines. This enables a highly efficient and compact layout of the amplifier core with a small area of 0.075 mm2 . An on-chip power detector circuit uses transmission lines with integrated coupling capacitors for output power detection. All bias voltages are generated on chip and are programmable through a three-wire serial digital interface. The PA quiescent current is 62 mA from a 4 V supply
Drivers of symbiont diversity in freshwater snails: a comparative analysis of resource availability, community heterogeneity, and colonization opportunities

Decades of community ecology research have highlighted the importance of resource availability, habitat heterogeneity, and colonization opportunities in driving biodiversity. Less clear, however, is whether a similar suite of factors explains the diversity of symbionts. Here, we used a hierarchical dataset involving 12,712 freshwater snail hosts representing five species to test the relative importance of potential factors in driving symbiont richness. Specifically, we used model selection to assess the explanatory power of variables related to host species identity, resource availability (average body size, host density), ecological heterogeneity (richness of hosts and other taxa), and colonization opportunities (wetland size and amount of neighboring wetland area) on symbiont richness in 146 snail host populations in California, USA. We encountered a total of 23 taxa of symbionts, including both obligatory parasites such as digenetic trematodes as well as more commensal, mutualistic, or opportunistic groups such as aquatic insect larvae, annelids, and leeches. After validating richness estimates per host population using species accumulative curves, we detected positive effects on symbiont richness from host body size, total richness of the aquatic community, and colonization opportunities. Neither snail density nor the richness of snail species accounted for significant variation in symbiont diversity. Host species identity also affected symbiont richness, with higher gamma and average alpha diversity among more common host species with higher local abundances. These findings highlight the importance of multiple, concurrent factors in driving symbiont richness that extend beyond epidemiological measures of host abundance or host diversity alone.
A Case of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Associated with Rotavirus Infection in an Elderly Asian Male and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), a small vessel vasculitis mediated by deposition of immune-complexes containing IgA in the skin, gut, and glomeruli, often presents with abdominal pain, purpuric rash in the lower extremities and buttocks, joint pain, and hematuria. The disease most commonly targets children but can affect adults who tend to have a worse prognosis. CASE REPORT We discuss a case of HSP in an elderly Chinese male who presented with severe proximal bowel inflammation, vasculitic rash, and proteinuria; he was found to have positive stool rotavirus and giardia. He improved significantly with high dose steroids. We believe rotavirus may have been a triggering event in this patient. A brief review of the literature is also presented. CONCLUSIONS This is the first case report describing a classic presentation of HSP in an adult following a rotavirus infection. HSP can cause significant morbidity and mortality in adult patients predominantly from progressive renal failure; therefore careful management and monitoring is important. GI infections seem to be a common trigger for HSP and this case report suggests that rotavirus may be part of the spectrum.
Fabrication, characterization and application of sugar microneedles for transdermal drug delivery

Aim: This study aimed to fabricate, characterize and use maltose microneedles for transdermal delivery of doxorubicin. Materials & methods: Microneedles were fabricated by micromolding technique and evaluated for dimensions, mechanical properties and in situ dissolution. Microporation of human cadaver skin was confirmed by dye binding, histology, pore uniformity, confocal laser microscopy and skin integrity measurement. In vitro permeation studies were performed on vertical Franz diffusion cells. Results: Maltose microneedles were sharp, mechanically uniform and rapidly dissolvable. Microneedle insertion resulted in a marked decrease in lag time and a significant increase in the permeation across and into human skin (p < 0.05). The skin delivery profile was used to predict the steady-state plasma concentration. Conclusion: Maltose microneedles are a promising physical technique to increase skin delivery.
Computer Music Performance as a Real-Time Testbed

Abstract Traditionally, researchers in real-time think about sophisticated embedded systems such as controllers for nuclear power plants, aircraft and rockets, or robotics. Experimentation in these areas can be impractical, often expensive and potentially deadly. The domain of computer music offers an excellent and inexpensive testbed that exhibits real-time properties. Several features of the language ORE are used to simplify greatly the programming of a MIDI songfile player.
Randomised placebo-controlled safety and tolerability trial of FK506 (tacrolimus) for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease characterised by occlusive pulmonary vasculopathy. Activation of bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) signalling by FK506 (tacrolimus) reverses occlusive vasculopathy in rodent PAH models. Here, we determined the safety and tolerability of low-level FK506 therapy in stable PAH patients. We performed a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 16-week, single-centre, phase IIa trial in PAH patients with New York Heart Association functional class II/III symptoms using three FK506 target levels ( −1 ). 23 patients were randomised and 20 patients completed the trial. FK506 was generally well tolerated, with nausea/diarrhoea being the most commonly reported adverse event and no observation of line infections in patients on intravenous prostacyclin therapy. PAH patients had significantly lower BMPR2 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells versus healthy controls (n=13; p=0.005), which improved after FK506 treatment. While we observed that some patients responded with a pronounced increase in BMPR2 expression as well as improvement in 6-min walk distance, and serological and echocardiographic parameters of heart failure, these changes were not significant. Low-level FK506 is well tolerated and increases BMPR2 in subsets of PAH patients. These results support the study of FK506 in a phase IIb efficacy trial.
Cupping therapy: An analysis of the effects of suction on skin and the possible influence on human health.

Abstract Background Cupping therapy is a traditional therapy that has been employed worldwide for thousands of years. Despite a lack of quality clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of cupping therapy, its long history and widespread use throughout the world suggests the commonly claimed health benefits should not be completely discounted as without merit. Purpose The goal of this paper is to present the research detailing what is known concerning the effects of suction on skin and underlying tissue, and the reaction of the body to that stimulus. Understanding the literature on the physiological effects of this mechanical force may help elaborate an explanation for the advertised local and systemic effects of cupping therapy. Findings Negative pressure causes stretching of the skin and underlying tissue and dilation of the capillaries. This stimulates an increase in tissue blood flow, eventually leading to capillary rupture and ecchymosis. Macrophages phagocytize the erythrocytes in the extravascular space which stimulates the production of Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) to metabolize the heme. Heme catalysis results in the production of carbon monoxide (CO), biliverdin(BV)/bilirubin(BR) and iron. HO-1, BV, BR, and CO has been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and neuromodulatory effects in animal and human systems. These substances also stimulate a shift of macrophages to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. There is evidence that the effects are both local and systemic. Conclusion Besides the mechanical effect of cupping increasing the local blood flow and stretching underlying tissue, activation of the HO-1 system could account for many of cupping therapy's claimed local and systemic health benefits.
Measuring Carbon in Forests

Accurate measurement of carbon stocks and flux in forests is one of the most important scientific bases for successful climate and carbon policy implementation. Currently, there are several methods for estimating forest carbon stocks and flux. We review the four categories of methods for measuring forest biomass and estimating carbon which are currently in use: (i) forest inventory (biomass); (ii) remote sensing (relationship between biomass and land cover); (iii) eddy covariance (direct measurement of CO2 release and uptake); and (iv) the inverse method (relationship among biomass, CO2 flux and CO2 atmospheric transport). These methods all vary in their level of accuracy and the resolution at which data can be obtained. Each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages and there are appropriate circumstances for using each one in measuring CO2 flux and carbon storage for different temporal and spatial scales of evaluation and measurement.
Premiers voyages, premiers écrits

A l’Ecole j’avais ete externe; l’etaient presque tous ceux des eleves dont la famille vivait a Paris, ainsi que les rares eleves maries. La plupart etaient internes et vivaient dans des conditions d’inconfort qui feraient hurler d’indignation les normaliens d’aujourd’hui. Ils couchaient dans des dortoirs, separes les uns des autres par de legeres cloisons qui leur constituaient des sortes de niches individuelles; des chevaux sont plus a l’aise dans leurs ecuries. Ils recevaient le vivre et le couvert ainsi qu’un peu d’argent de poche, a peine suffisant pour s’offrir des cafes chez «la baronne»; on nommait ainsi la patronne du bar que nous frequentions rue Claude-Bernard, et ou on nous voyait le plus souvent en «tenue bonvoust», c’est-a-dire vetus de salopettes (on ne parlait pas encore de blue-jeans) qui nous etaient distribuees pour les seances de preparation militaire (dites «bonvoust», du nom d’un capitaine qui les avait dirigees quelque temps). Ceux qui recherchaient des ressources supplementaires les demandaient aux «tapirs» c’est-a-dire aux lyceens, heureusement assez nombreux, qui prenaient aupres d’eux des lecons particulieres. Depuis lors on a vu, dit-on, des normaliens se procurer des ressources moins avouables.
Effect of viscous force on dynamic contact angle measurement using Wilhelmy plate method

Abstract Wilhelmy plate method does not consider viscous force in the force balance equation to measure the dynamic contact angle and this results in a significant error in the measurement. Differences between the results obtained by optical method and Wilhelmy plate method indicate the importance of viscous force in the force balance equation. A theoretical viscous model is proposed, which must be considered in the force balance equation in Wilhelmy plate method to increase the accuracy of the dynamic contact angle measurement, especially for the case of highly viscous liquids and for experiments at large speeds of the plate, which can lead to large shear rate along the surface of the plate.
A Political Economy Perspective on Knowledge Production

This chapter delineates what it means to bring a political economy lens to the issue of knowledge production within the field of global education policy. In addition to characterizing this perspective generally, this chapter addresses knowledge production in relation to the World Bank, one of the most influential knowledge-producing organizations in this field and the organization at the center of the empirical case presented in this book. Both the material and ideational dimensions of the World Bank’s influence are discussed. Beyond these issues, this chapter also (a) defines and characterizes impact evaluation; (b) discusses the purpose, argument, and contribution of this book; (c) provides background information on the policy case from El Salvador that serves as the book’s empirical basis; and (d) situates this book in relation to previous work by the author.
Coordination Chemistry of Carborane Clusters: Metal-Boron Bonds in Carborane, Carboranyl, and Carboryne Complexes

Metalated three-dimensional icosahedral boron clusters often exhibit high chemical and thermal stability relative to their simple borane counterparts thus making them a convenient object to study t...
Electroconformational Coupling and the Effects of Static and Dynamic Electric Fields on Membrane Transport

Life itself depends on the maintenance of electric fields across cell membranes, and on the propagation of electric currents. Even unicellular organisms have been shown to generate, and in turn respond to, minute electric signals. Larger electric perturbations, applied in an experimental context, can activate membrane enzymes (Johnstone and Laris, 1980; Serpersu and Tsong, 1983, 1984), be utilized as an energy source for the biosynthesis of ATP or the creation of chemical gradients across membranes (Witt et al., 1976; Serpersu and Tsong, 1983; Knox and Tsong, 1984), or lead to the formation of “pores” in the membrane through which small molecules can passively diffuse into and out of the cell (Kinosita and Tsong, 1977 a, b; Neumann et al., 1982; Tsong, 1983). This latter process is known as electroporation.
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! DINING WITH DOMITIAN IN STATIUS' SILVAE

Dining with Domitian could be a trying experience. Dio describes one memorable meal with the emperor: He prepared a room that was pitch black on every side—ceiling, walls and floor—and had made ready uncovered couches of the same colour resting on the bare floor. He then invited in his guests alone at night without their servants. First he set a slab shaped like a gravestone engraved with each guest's name next to them, together with a small lamp like the ones that hang in tombs. Next […] naked boys, also painted black, entered like ghosts…and all the things that are commonly offered at sacrifices to the souls of the dead were placed in front of the guests; all of the offerings were black and all in dishes of the same colour. And so every single one of the guests was terrified and trembling, in constant expectation of having his throat cut the next moment: all the more so because everyone except for Domitian was dead silent, as if they were already in the land of the dead. The emperor himself held forth only on topics relating to death and slaughter.(Dio 67.9)
Transgender Youth, Adolescent Decisionmaking, and Roper v. Simmons

Transgender youth who seek access to hormones encounter a number of barriers that frustrate their ability to express their gender identity and exacerbate the effects of the overwhelming levels of discrimination and harassment they face on a daily basis. Because the parents of transgender youth are often hostile or absent, the parental consent requirement imposed by informed consent laws adds to these barriers. In some states, transgender youth can overcome the obstacles imposed by the parental consent requirement by invoking the mature minor doctrine, which allows physicians to provide medical services without parental consent to adolescents who are sufficiently mature to make the decision. Thus, in this context youth benefit when the law recognizes their decisionmaking capacity. In the criminal justice context, in contrast, youth are more likely to benefit when the law recognizes the limits of their decisionmaking capacity. When the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the juvenile death penalty in Roper v. Simmons, for example, it relied in part on a view of adolescents as less mature and therefore less culpable than adults. The Roper Court emphasized three areas of difference between adolescents and adults: impulsivity, susceptibility to peer pressure, and incomplete character formation. This Comment evaluates the implications of the Roper Court's view of adolescence in the context of transgender youth seeking access to hormones by invoking the mature minor doctrine. A careful, context-specific analysis of the adolescent characteristics identified by the Roper Court shows that, rather than posing a conceptual barrier, the decision supports a presumption in favor of allowing transgender youth to obtain hormones without parental consent.
Microtubules: Organization and Function in Neurons

Neurons are terminally differentiated cells that do not utilize their microtubules for the formation of mitotic spindles. Instead, microtubules serve as architectural elements within axons and dendrites and also act as railways for the transport of organelles. Molecular motors transport organelles along the microtubule, but can also transport the microtubules themselves and organize them into regionally distinct patterns. Motor and nonmotor microtubule-related proteins can influence the assembly and other properties of the microtubules as well as their interactions with various elements of the cytoplasm. Abnormalities of microtubule-related proteins can give rise to debilitating neuropathies.
Morphologic correlations with fluorophotometric data from monkey eyes with anterior uveitis.

Acute anterior uveitis was induced in monkeys by unilateral intravitreal injection of 1.0 ng of Escherichia coli endotoxin. Twenty-four hours later, each animal received an intravenous injection of 250 mg/kg body weight of fluoresceinated horseradish peroxidase (F-HRP), and fluorophotometric measurements were taken for 90 min. The animals were killed, and both eyes were processed for HRP demonstration. In the anterior chamber aqueous humor of normal control eyes, F-HRP concentrations were less than 0.002 mg/ml at 90 min. The F-HRP concentration was elevated consistently in the endotoxin-injected eyes; however, the magnitude of the effect varied. By fluorophotometry, inflamed eyes fell into two distinct groups. At 90 min, most had an anterior chamber F-HRP concentration of 0.014-0.06 mg/ml, although others had 0.39 mg/ml. In the latter group, an appreciably shorter latency was observed between the time of tracer injection and its detection in the anterior chamber. Aqueous humor protein concentrations, although highest in the most F-HRP-permeable eyes, followed more of a continuum in their distribution and identified less clearly the subpopulations seen by fluorophotometry. Normal eyes had no tracer leakage across either the ciliary epithelial or iris vascular endothelial barriers. All inflamed eyes had HRP leakage across the ciliary epithelium, but the subpopulation of eyes with shorter latencies and higher F-HRP concentrations by fluorophotometry also had iris vascular leakage. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 33:1642-1649, 1992
High Power Picosecond Pulses in the Infrared

Progress in short pulse generation in the visible and near infrared spectral regions has traditionally resulted from improvements in actively or passively mode-locked lasers. At other frequencies, however, this need not be the case. Although not usually explicitly stated, a high power picosecond (or subpicosecond) visible pulse can be used in conjunction with any of a number of nonlinear techniques to generate low power pulses of similiar duration over all the visible, near or mid-infrared spectral region.
SOLUTIONS FOR THE OPTIMIZATION OF SUPPORT CONDITIONS OF HYPERCRITICAL SHAFTS ON THREE FLEXIBLE SUPPORTS

ABSTRACT This paper deals with an efficient approach leading to the direct optimization of support conditions for the hypercritical shaft flexibly supported on two mass-spring-damper units at the ends and one mass-spring-damper unit at the interior. It is based on the traveling wave concept as used in electrical transmission line theory. The governing differential equation used in this analogy includes terms which account for the effects of rotating inertia, gyroscopic motion, and shear deformations. When terminating impedance corresponding to minimum vibration response of a rotating shaft equals the characteristic impedance of the shaft, this condition is termed a “matched” condition. For the shaft with both end impedances matched, no additional intermediate support is needed for further minimization of vibration response. However, when the shaft and end support impedances are not matched, the closer the matched intermediate support is placed to one of the ends, the more effectively it will minimize the vibration response of the shaft.
Tracing glioblastoma’s roots

Subventricular zone neural stem cells with low-level driver mutations are likely the origin cells for glioblastoma.
Searching for the Immature Stages of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Leaf Litter and Soil in Texas.

The standard tick collection methods of flagging and dragging are successful for collecting all stages of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae), in the northern United States. However, for unknown reasons, these methods are unsuccessful for collecting the immature stages of I. scapularis in the southern United States. Thus, a different collection strategy was employed to search for the immature stages of I. scapularis in the southern state of Texas. Monthly sampling of three types of microhabitats potentially harboring ticks was conducted for 17 mo at the Big Thicket National Preserve. Samples of leaf litter, topsoil, and subsoil were placed within Berlese funnels to determine if the immature stages of I. scapularis are residing in these layers. No ticks were found in any of the 600 substrate samples examined. Along nearby trail edges in the same area, 656 adult I. scapularis (an average of 22.6 per 1,000 m²), as well as 268 immatures of other species (i.e., Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeaus) (Acari: Ixodidae) and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae)) were collected using flagging and dragging. These results suggest that unlike speculations from previous studies in the southern United States, the immature stages of I. scapularis may not be residing in the leaf litter and soil layers in Texas. We hypothesize that they may be residing in their host’s nests and burrows. Perhaps I. scapularis in the south is exhibiting a stage specific mixed host-seeking strategy by residing in nests and burrows as immatures, contributing to the geographical difference in Lyme disease prevalence between the northern and southern United States.
Extrapolation of single particle soot photometer incandescent signal data

The Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) is an instrument for quantifying the refractory black carbon (rBC) mass of individual aerosol particles. It heats the particle’s rBC component to vaporizat...