cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid destaining of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis slabs

Abstract A procedure for the rapid removal of excess dye from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis slabs and an inexpensive electrophoresis cell for this purpose are described. Conventional gel slabs can be cleared in 2.5 hr at 250 ma (less than 20 volts) by using the power supply required for the gel electrophoresis of protein.
The evolution of tree nursery offerings in Los Angeles County over the last 110 years

Abstract Interest in urban vegetation has increased dramatically. Urban trees are an important aspect of the urban environment but there is little known about the potential sources of those trees, change in tree species diversity over time and the factors leading to the contemporary floristic composition in cities. We investigate tree nursery offerings in Los Angeles County over the past 110 years through the use of here-to-fore unexplored nursery catalogs to determine the diversity of trees that have been commercially available over time. Tree species information was collected spanning a 110-year study period and analyzed the data for four time periods (1900–1929, 1930–1959, 1960–1989, and 1990–2011). We found the number of genera and tree species offered significantly increased in the past 20 years (1990–2011). The numbers of non-native trees, angiosperms, and deciduous species all significantly increased with but no changes were observed in the numbers of native, evergreen, or gymnosperm species offered over this time period. The largest numbers of palm species were offered in 1900–1929. Overall there were 562 unique species offered belonging to 201 different genera in the 120-year study period, 48 species were California native trees and 514 of these were non-native species indicating that perhaps Los Angeles has one of the most diverse number of tree species offered for sale by the nursery industry.
Simulated anatomical backgrounds for objective assessment of image quality (OAIQ) in optical tomography

Fluorescence enhanced optical tomography uses modulated NIR light and an exogenous fluorescent contrast agent in order to assess its spatial distribution deep within tissues. However, a spatial distribution of endogenous optical properties of absorption and scattering coefficients arises due to normal, structured anatomical background which can be expected to vary from patient to patient. This structured background can be a source of randomness (or “noise”) in the task of detecting a fluorescent target. In addition, there may be non-uniform distribution of exogenous fluorescent agent. Our objective is to develop the tools for OAIQ in order to assess the performance of image reconstruction algorithms in the presence of anatomical backgrounds owing to both endogenous and exogenous optical properties. We consider the lumpy-object model developed by Rolland and Barrett to simulate the normal background anatomy as a representation of the non-specific distribution of the fluorescent agent as well as the natural heterogeneity of the endogenous tissue optical properties. Reconstructed images show the insensitivity to endogenous optical property lumps in fluorescence enhanced optical imaging. The reconstructed images are more sensitive to uneven distribution of exogenous fluorophore in normal tissues, but can nonetheless be achieved.
Enhanced Mitochondrial DNA Repair and Cellular Survival after Oxidative Stress by Targeting the Human 8-Oxoguanine Glycosylase Repair Enzyme to Mitochondria

Oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been implicated as a causative factor in many disease processes and in aging. We have recently discovered that different cell types vary in their capacity to repair this damage, and this variability correlates with their ability to withstand oxidative stress. To explore strategies to enhance repair of oxidative lesions in mtDNA, we have constructed a vector containing a mitochondrial transport sequence upstream of the sequence for human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase. This enzyme is the glycosylase/AP lyase that participates in repair of purine lesions, such as 8-oxoguanine. Western blot analysis confirmed that this recombinant protein was targeted to mitochondria. Enzyme activity assays showed that mitochondrial extracts from cells transfected with the construct had increased enzyme activity compared with cells transfected with vector only, whereas nuclear enzyme activity was not changed. Repair assays showed that there was enhanced repair of oxidative lesions in mtDNA. Additional studies revealed that this augmented repair led to enhanced cellular viability as determined by reduction of the tetrazolium compound to formazan, trypan blue dye exclusion, and clonogenic assays. Therefore, targeting of DNA repair enzymes to mitochondria may be a viable approach for the protection of cells against some of the deleterious effects of oxidative stress.
Courtship behaviors in public: Different age/sex roles

Abstract Courtship is a traditional topic in animal behavior but has been largely ignored as an area of objective study in human behavior. A preliminary ethogram of courtship behaviors was assembled by observing mixed-sex dyads (ages 13–28 years) in public places. Subsequently, the frequency of each behavior was ascertained as evinced by mixed-sex and same-sex (control groups) pairs ( N s2500) as they passed along a definable path in recreational settings. A binomial model of expected frequencies was compared by chi-square statistics to the observed frequencies. Hypotheses as to different sex roles and bonding behaviors in courtship are generated.
Point cloud modeling using the homogeneous transformation for non-cooperative pose estimation

Abstract A modeling process to simulate point cloud range data that a lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor produces is presented in this paper in order to support the development of non-cooperative pose (relative attitude and position) estimation approaches which will help improve proximity operation capabilities between two adjacent vehicles. The algorithms in the modeling process were based on the homogeneous transformation, which has been employed extensively in robotics and computer graphics, as well as in recently developed pose estimation algorithms. Using a flash lidar in a laboratory testing environment, point cloud data of a test article was simulated and compared against the measured point cloud data. The simulated and measured data sets match closely, validating the modeling process. The modeling capability enables close examination of the characteristics of point cloud images of an object as it undergoes various translational and rotational motions. Relevant characteristics that will be crucial in non-cooperative pose estimation were identified such as shift, shadowing, perspective projection, jagged edges, and differential point cloud density. These characteristics will have to be considered in developing effective non-cooperative pose estimation algorithms. The modeling capability will allow extensive non-cooperative pose estimation performance simulations prior to field testing, saving development cost and providing performance metrics of the pose estimation concepts and algorithms under evaluation. The modeling process also provides “truth” pose of the test objects with respect to the sensor frame so that the pose estimation error can be quantified.
Influence of phosphorus on the electrical properties of PdNiP amorphous alloys

Abstract Ternary PdNiP alloys can be obtained amorphous by quenching from the liquid state within certain concentration ranges of the constituants. The approximate boundaries of the amorphous area in the ternary diagram have been obtained. The electrical resistivity was measured between 4.2 and 300°K and in some cases between 1.2 and 450°K. For a given phosphorus content of either 20 or 25 at %, the resistivity and its temperature coefficient at room temperature are practically independent of the ratio of Ni to Pd. For a given ratio of Ni to Pd, corresponding to the formula (Pd 50 −Ni 50 ) 100− x P x the room temperature resistivity of the alloys varies with phosphorus concentration. The temperature coefficient of resistivity decreases with increasing phosphorus content and becomes negative around 24 at % phosphorus. Around this composition, the alloys have a very small temperature coefficient which varies within ±2 × 10 −5 /°K from specimen to specimen.
Activator of G protein signaling 3 null mice: I. Unexpected alterations in metabolic and cardiovascular function

Activator of G protein signaling (AGS)-3 plays functional roles in cell division, synaptic plasticity, addictive behavior, and neuronal development. As part of a broad effort to define the extent of functional diversity of AGS3-regulated-events in vivo, we generated AGS3 null mice. Surprisingly, AGS3 null adult mice exhibited unexpected alterations in cardiovascular and metabolic functions without any obvious changes in motor skills, basic behavioral traits, and brain morphology. AGS3 null mice exhibited a lean phenotype, reduced fat mass, and increased nocturnal energy expenditure. AGS3 null mice also exhibited altered blood pressure control mechanisms. These studies expand the functional repertoire for AGS3 and other G protein regulatory proteins providing unexpected mechanisms by which G protein systems may be targeted to influence obesity and cardiovascular function.
An experimental study of gender and situation in the perception and reportage of child abuse

This study examined the effects of gender, situation, and characteristics of witnesses in the perception and reportage of child abuse. Three scenarios representing themes of neglect, psychological, and physical abuse were evaluated by 144 nonprofessionals not mandated by law to report child abuse. The variables of gender and age of the child, gender of parent, and whether or not the abuse was precipitated by an act of the child were systematically manipulated to produce a 2 X 2 X 2 X 2 X 3 randomized design. Some demographic data on subjects were treated as covariates. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed on the data. No gender bias in subject's evaluations of victim or perpetrator was discovered. Female subjects viewed the scenarios more critically than did males. Younger subjects were less critical of mistreatment than were older subjects. Perception of the mistreatment as serious was not a good predictor of subsequent official reporting. The scenario involving physical abuse was rated as serious by 86.1% of the subjects, but only 39.5% of these subjects indicated that they would have reported it. Subjects indicated the highest rate of reporting for the neglect scenario which they rated as less serious than physical abuse. These results suggest that official reports are unreliable as an indicator of the incidence of abuse. Language: en
Differential replication and pathogenic effects of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in Macaca nemestrina.

Objective.HIV-1 and HIV-2 isolates representing various geographic regions and distinct viral subtypes were examined for their ability to establish both in vitro and in vivo productive infections of Macaca nemestrina (pigtail macaque) peripheral blood mononuclear cells.Methods.Animals were inoculate
Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs: past, present and future

Currently available NSAIDs represent a heterogeneous group of therapeutic agents characterized by a variable benefit/risk profile. The development of a new class of selective COX-2 inhibitors, the coxibs, has contributed importantly to clarifying the discrete roles of COX-2 vs. COX-1 inhibition in different aspects of NSAID-related efficacy and safety. Cardiovascular toxicity has emerged as a previously unrecognized, mechanism-based effect of COX-2 inhibitors. Lessons learned from the many facets of the coxib failure story may help guiding the successful development of a new class of safer NSAIDs, targeting mediators unrelated to arachidonic acid metabolism or molecular targets downstream of COX-isozymes.
FABRIC DEPENDENCE OF AN ANISOTROPIC STRENGTH CRITERION

Abstract A strength criterion with a dependence on fabric is developed. A fabric tensor is a symmetric second rank tensor which characterizes the geometric arrangement of a porous material microstructure, or the local spatial distribution of one phase of a multiphase material relative to the other phases. The development of the strength criterion follows the method of Malmeister and of Tsai and Wu. A formula for the stress interaction coefficients introduced by Tsai and Wu is obtained. This formula relates the stress interaction coefficient to the tensile and compressive strengths in two directions, to the shear strength in the plane of the two directions, and to the fabric tensor. Heretofore there has a theoretical representation of the stress interaction coefficient in terms of other physical parameters.
Inspection time and the relationship among elementary cognitive tasks, general intelligence, and specific cognitive abilities

Abstract The relationship between inspection time (IT) and paper-and-pencil tests of cognitive ability is well documented. However, the extent to which IT relates to cognitive ability through general intelligence or through group factors such as performance has not been fully addressed. Another unresolved issue is whether IT relates to psychometric intelligence independent from other elementary cognitive tasks. The current study examined these issues in a sample of 6–13-year-old twins drawn from the Western Reserve Twin Project (WRTP) (n=568 participants). Analyses suggest that IT and other elementary tasks predict general intelligence. IT also predicts Performance ability while other elementary tasks do not. Furthermore, IT contributes variance to cognitive ability independent from other elementary tasks. These suggest that multiple indices of elementary cognitive ability are necessary to fully understand their relationship with complex psychometric measures.
The effects of collaboration and system transparency on CIVE usage: an empirical study and model

We present an empirical study in which we investigated group versus individual performance with collaborative information-visualization environments (CIVEs), the effects of system transparency on users' performance, and the effects of different collaborative settings on CIVE usage. Subjects searched for findings with CIVEs, working either alone, in a collocated dyad using a shared electronic whiteboard, or in a remote dyad using application sharing. Groups answered more questions correctly and took less time with the more transparent CIVE than groups using the less transparent CIVE. We interpret our results to mean that groups have better self-corrective abilities when the system is transparent. We present a stage model to explain the collaborative process of using CIVEs, which accounts for task type, collaborative setting, and system transparency.
Communications by professionals in palliative care

In this article, the author first examines the ageist bias that is prevalent in clinics today. The author then reviews the basic communication principles and strategies that can help clinicians make their conversations with patients more focused and meaningful, thereby preparing patients and their family caregivers to make decisions in a crisis and to engage in planning for end-of-life care as early and intensively as possible.
Relational models for object location

The introduction of vision into advanced automation technology has been impeded by our lack of understanding of the cognitive processes involved. Significant theoretical advances towards explicating the "ostensive" nature of perceptual events has yet to emerge. We have, correspondingly, chosen to investigate empirically a subset of the general problem of machine vision. In particular, we are interested in the rapid and reliable recognition of the location of a known object. As a first step in this direction, we have identified the important role of "relations" in descriptive schemata, as opposed to "properties", in capturing an essential connotation of ostensive description. New combinatorial problems associated with relational descriptions became the focus of the research effort.
NMR Spectroscopy: Chloro- (tetra-p-methylphenylporphinato)indium (III)

Abstract Porphine complexes are important biologically and chemically. Structural studies of these complexes may provide information relative to their mechanisms of action. We wish to report NMR studies on the complex chloro(tetra-p-methylphenylporphinato)indium (III).
Sensing health: fault detection, isolation, and minimization of on-body sensors

Monitoring activities of daily living of senior citizens especially those who live alone as well as those who have certain motion disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's is increasingly possible and very useful for healthcare purposes. This kind of pervasive and remote monitoring is possible due to availability of "on-body" sensors that combine sophisticated inertial sensing, wireless communication and signal processing technologies. The inertial sensors being electro-mechanical in nature are susceptible to errors and faults. In typical wireless sensor systems, such errors and faults are overcome by deploying large number of sensor nodes and taking a majority of the sensed values. However, in the case of on-body sensors, it may be highly inconvenient for an elderly person to wear a large number of sensors. Similar to on-body sensors, tiny electro-magnetic sensors are beginning to be used for tracking tongue movements during speaking. This breakthrough technology can give insights into how we as humans produce sound and these insights can help better train speech impairments. Considering the inconvenience in using such tongue sensors, it will be important to minimize the number of tongue sensors needed for a particular requirement. In this talk, we address the issue of identifying and isolating faulty sensors as well as minimize the number of needed sensors for remote monitoring of daily living activities and tongue movement tracking. We discuss issues such as: (i) faulty node identification when a small number of body sensors is deployed; (ii) identification of such a faulty node based on sensor node groups that share similar sensor signal patterns; and (iii) minimize the number of sensors needed for a particular application.
Political ecology in North America: Discovering the Third World within?

Abstract Political ecologists working in many other parts of the world are now heading north, or simply going global, posing a series of important questions related to theory, methodology, politics, and policy along the way. This special issue, contains papers originally delivered at a conference held at Rutgers University in 2003 that addressed this phenomenon. The papers collected offer case studies that reveal the First World as subject to a host of processes that can be insightfully understood via a political ecology perspective. First, globalized production and consumption regimes have created new linkages that demand synoptic analyses of often far-flung research sites. Second, the painful coincidence of deindustrialization and a radical restructuring of agricultural credit and price support systems have devastated North American and European heartlands, effectively producing “Third World” conditions in many depressed rural areas. Third, migration streams originating in Latin America, Africa and many parts of Asia have brought sizable Third World populations into the spatial heart of capitalism. Fourth, the belated recognition of some indigenous claims to resources, especially in Canada, and fierce opposition to others, have reopened questions of (internal) colonial domination. Finally, we see the burgeoning First World political ecology literature as the culmination of what Louise Fortmann has called “the long intellectual journey home” for many scholars who originally carried out research on/in the Third World. All of these factors have combined to help political ecologists discover suitable analytical terrain in the First World.
Evaluation of Haemophilus influenzae isolates with elevated MICs to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.

Abstract A 1994 to 1995 national Haemophilus influenzae surveillance study of 1910 strains showed that 13 strains (0.7%) were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (MIC, ≥84μg/ml). These and other selected strains were investigated further in this study. Susceptibility of the surveillance study strains was determined with the commercial microdilution trays used in the original study and in triplicate with reference broth microdilution trays prepared by the investigators, as well as by Etest and disk diffusion. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid resistance was confirmed for only one of the surveillance study strains. This strain produced double zones of growth with Etest and disk-diffusion methods, with the double zone containing spheroplasts. When the amoxicillin/clavulanic acid MICs of all β-lactamase positive strains were compared, MIC results obtained with surveillance study trays and the Etest were one to two dilutions higher than MICs obtained with reference trays. The distribution and modal amoxicillin/clavulanic acid MICs of β-lactamase-positive and -negative strains was essentially the same for a comparison group of strains using reference trays, in contrast to a fourfold higher modal MIC for β-lactamase-positive strains using surveillance study reagents and strains. These differences in MICs could be attributed to variations in inoculum, the presence of spheroplasts, and/or a difference in potency of amoxicillin and/or clavulanic acid in the tray and Etest reagents used. Methods for assessing the adequacy of the clavulanic acid content are not adequate; amoxicillin control values and a β-lactamase-positive H. influenzae control strain are required.
Maternal malaria and parasite adhesion

Malaria during pregnancy continues to be a major health problem in endemic countries, with clinical consequences, including death, for both mother and child. Just as cerebral malaria results from parasite sequestration in the brain, maternal malaria results from parasite sequestration in the placenta, and a distinct subpopulation of parasites which bind chondroitin sulfate A but not CD36 causes the syndrome. Women have little or no immunological experience with this parasite prior to first pregnancy, making primigravid women particularly vulnerable to infection. Parasites adhere to the surface of trophoblastic villi, eliciting the accumulation of inflammatory leukocytes in the intervillous space, and the necrosis of adjacent placental tissue. Maternal malaria results in poor pregnancy outcomes, although the responsible mechanisms have not been defined. In holoendemic areas both placental infection and poor outcome decrease in frequency with successive pregnancies; protection may result from control of parasite adhesion, suggesting an attractive target for new therapies.
Implementation of discrete fuzzy structure models in Mathematica

SUMMARY Since Soize introduced the concept of fuzzy structures in structural acoustics there has been little activity clarifying the basic elements which underlie his theory. Soize’s papers are not easy reading due to the high level of mathematical formalism. In addition Soize simultaneously bases this fuzzy structure theory on two components: (1) a model for one Degree Of Freedom (DOF) fuzzy oscillators, and (2) a medium frequency solution method developed previously. It is unclear as to the role of the two components, although others have already undertaken a study of the medium frequency method by itself. In the present paper a fundamental analysis of the first component, the one-DOF fuzzy oscillators, is undertaken. The symbolic manipulation program Mathematica is utilized to gain insight into this component of Soize’s fuzzy theory. The resulting Mathematica simulations are easy to use and interpret, and they provide valuable insight into the parameters composing Soize’s fuzzy oscillators. It is determined that in many cases of structural acoustics, where there is small damping and a medium to high modal density, the fuzzy mass primarily determines what effect a discrete fuzzy oscillator will have as an attachment.
OrthoClust: an orthology-based network framework for clustering data across multiple species

Increasingly, high-dimensional genomics data are becoming available for many organisms.Here, we develop OrthoClust for simultaneously clustering data across multiple species. OrthoClust is a computational framework that integrates the co-association networks of individual species by utilizing the orthology relationships of genes between species. It outputs optimized modules that are fundamentally cross-species, which can either be conserved or species-specific. We demonstrate the application of OrthoClust using the RNA-Seq expression profiles of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster from the modENCODE consortium. A potential application of cross-species modules is to infer putative analogous functions of uncharacterized elements like non-coding RNAs based on guilt-by-association.
The clinical care of the HIV-1-infected infant.

Despite well-established strategies to decrease the mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1, new perinatal infections continue to occur globally, reflecting marked disparities in access to health care. Once HIV-1 infection has been established in an infant, the combination of early initiation of antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is paramount to reducing disease progression. This article reviews the recommendations and evidence for the treatment of HIV-1�infected infants.
Chemotherapy dose reduction due to chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant settings: a single-center experience

Purpose: Taxanes are a cornerstone treatment in early and advanced stage breast cancer and in other common solid tumor malignancies; however, the development of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) often necessitates dose-reduction, which may hamper the effectiveness of the drug and compromise survival outcomes especially when used in the adjuvant setting. Limited literature is available on the prevalence and severity of dose reduction due to CIPN. We sought to determine the frequency and severity of CIPN-induced dose reduction in early stage breast cancer patients who received taxane-based chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant settings. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-institution breast cancer clinic chart review of 123 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and treated with taxane-based neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center between January 2008 and December 2011. Results: Forty-nine of 123 (40%; 95% CI: 31-49%) patients required dose reduction. Twenty-one (17%; 95% CI: 11-25%) of these patients were dose-reduced specifically due to CIPN that developed during treatment. The median relative dose intensity (received dose/planned dose) for the 21 CIPN-induced dose reduction patients was 73.4% (range, 68.0-94.0%). Patients with diabetes appeared to have a higher risk of taxane-induced dose reduction (p-value=0.01). African-American patients and those treated with paclitaxel (rather than docetaxel) experienced a higher-risk of CIPN-induced dose reduction (p-values are <0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: The incidence of CIPN-associated dose reduction in our patient population was 17%. African-American patients, diabetics and subjects treated with paclitaxel had a higher risk for CIPN-associated dose reduction in our study.
Inter-hemispheric functional connectivity disruption in children with prenatal alcohol exposure.

Background: MRI studies, including recent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies, have shown corpus callosum abnormalities in children prenatally exposed to alcohol, especially in the posterior regions. These abnormalities appear across the range of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Several studies have demonstrated cognitive correlates of callosal abnormalities in FASD including deficits in visual-motor skill, verbal learning, and executive functioning. The goal of this study was to determine whether inter-hemispheric structural connectivity abnormalities in FASD are associated with disrupted inter-hemispheric functional connectivity and disrupted cognition. Methods: Twenty-one children with FASD and 23 matched controls underwent a 6-minute resting-state functional MRI scan as well as anatomical imaging and DTI. Using a semi-automated method, we parsed the corpus callosum and delineated 7 inter-hemispheric white matter tracts with DTI tractography. Cortical regions of interest (ROIs) at the distal ends of these tracts were identified. Right–left correlations in resting fMRI signal were computed for these sets of ROIs, and group comparisons were made. Correlations with facial dysmorphology, cognition, and DTI measures were computed. Results: A significant group difference in inter-hemispheric functional connectivity was seen in a posterior set of ROIs, the para-central region. Children with FASD had functional connectivity that was 12% lower than in controls in this region. Subgroup analyses were not possible owing to small sample size, but the data suggest that there were effects across the FASD spectrum. No significant association with facial dysmorphology was found. Para-central functional connectivity was significantly correlated with DTI mean diffusivity, a measure of microstructural integrity, in posterior callosal tracts in controls but not in FASD. Significant correlations were seen between these structural and functional measures, and Wechsler perceptual reasoning ability. Conclusions: Inter-hemispheric functional connectivity disturbances were observed in children with FASD relative to controls. The disruption was measured in medial parietal regions (para-central) that are connected by posterior callosal fiber projections. We have previously shown microstructural abnormalities in these same posterior callosal regions, and the current study suggests a possible relationship between the two. These measures have clinical relevance as they are associated with cognitive functioning.
Modeling of transformation-induced plasticity and its effect on the behavior of porous shape memory alloys. Part II: porous SMA response

Abstract The thermomechanical constitutive model for fully dense shape memory alloys (SMAs) developed in Part I [D.C. Lagoudas, P.B. Entchev, to be published. Modeling of transformation-induced plasticity and its effect on the behavior of porous shape memory alloys. Part I: constitutive model for fully dense SMAs, Mechanics of Materials, this issue] of this two-paper series is used in a micromechanical averaging scheme to establish a model for the effective mechanical behavior of porous shape memory alloys. An incremental formulation of the Mori–Tanaka averaging scheme is employed in this work, where the porous material is treated as a two-phase composite with an SMA matrix and the pores as the second phase. The simultaneous development of transformation and plastic strain in the SMA matrix is taken into account. Expressions for the effective elastic and tangent stiffness tensors are presented as well as an expression for the evolution of the effective inelastic strain. The material parameters used by the model are estimated for the case of porous NiTi SMA processed from elemental Ni and Ti powders. Two different porous NiTi alloys are considered in the current work––material with large pore size (∼1 mm) and with small pore size (∼25 μm). The results of the model simulations for compressive mechanical loading of both types of porous SMAs are compared with the experimental data.
The representation of the Chinese product crisis in national and local newspapers in the United States

This paper examines how national and local newspapers in the United States frame Chinese product recalls in 2007. First, it reviews literature on international communication and framing. Second, it content analyzes the presentations of the Chinese product recalls in two leading national newspapers, including the New York Times and the USA today, and six major newspapers from five Southern states, including Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Third, it compares media representations of Chinese products in the two national newspapers with those in Southern newspapers. We argue that American media are still dominated by stories from the U.S. perspectives and Chinese sources are less likely to be cited. Even though Southern newspapers play an important role in constructing local knowledge, their limited scope of coverage and perspectives constrain their role in reporting international news.
Environmental Waste: Recycling Attitudes and Correlates

Abstract A Likert-type scale was developed and used to measure attitudes toward recycling among 452 male and female undergraduates. The instrument had high part-whole correlations and satisfactory reliability. There was a predictable relationship between attitudes toward recycling and attitudes toward environmental issues, rights issues, and political participation.
Observations of the North Polar Region of Mars from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter

Elevations from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) have been used to construct a precise topographic map of the martian north polar region. The northern ice cap has a maximum elevation of 3 kilometers above its surroundings but lies within a 5-kilometer-deep hemispheric depression that is contiguous with the area into which most outflow channels emptied. Polar cap topography displays evidence of modification by ablation, flow, and wind and is consistent with a primarily H2O composition. Correlation of topography with images suggests that the cap was more spatially extensive in the past. The cap volume of 1.2 x 10(6) to 1.7 x 10(6) cubic kilometers is about half that of the Greenland ice cap. Clouds observed over the polar cap are likely composed of CO2 that condensed out of the atmosphere during northern hemisphere winter. Many clouds exhibit dynamical structure likely caused by the interaction of propagating wave fronts with surface topography.
Causes of thrombocytopenia in triplet gestations

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and cause of thrombocytopenia in triplet gestations. Study Design: All triplet gestations that received prenatal care and were delivered at our hospital between 1993 and 2001 were identified. Serial platelet values were reviewed from the earliest gestational age available until the postpartum period. Mild and severe thrombocytopenia were defined as a platelet count of 100,000 to 150,000/μL and Results: One hundred twenty-six triplet pregnancies met the inclusion criteria. The mean maternal age was 34.3 ± 5.4 years, 85.7% of the patients were nulliparous, and at least 92.1% of the patients had received infertility treatment. The overall rate of thrombocytopenia in our triplet population was 36.5%. Mild thrombocytopenia occurred in 19.0% of pregnancies, and severe thrombocytopenia occurred in 17.5% of pregnancies. The causes of thrombocytopenia were severe preeclampsia (54.3%), gestational (23.9%), mild preeclampsia (8.7%), HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome; 4.3%), atypical preeclampsia (4.3%), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (2.2%), and familial (2.2%). Thrombocytopenia occurred significantly earlier before the diagnosis of preeclampsia. Conclusion: Approximately one third of triplet gestations are complicated by thrombocytopenia, one half of which are severe. This represents a much higher frequency as compared with the 6.6% to 11.6% that was reported for singleton gestations. Hypertension-associated disorders of pregnancy account for 71.7% of thrombocytopenia in triplets, unlike singleton gestations in which 75% of thrombocytopenia is gestational. The single most common cause of thrombocytopenia in triplets is severe preeclampsia. This is the first study to evaluate the incidence and cause of thrombocytopenia in a large set of triplet gestations. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;189:177-80.)
Cellular Pathways of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

Human voluntary movement is controlled by the pyramidal motor system, a long CNS pathway comprising corticospinal and lower motor neurons. Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a large, genetically diverse group of inherited neurologic disorders characterized by a length-dependent distal axonopathy of the corticospinal tracts, resulting in lower limb spasticity and weakness. A range of studies are converging on alterations in the shaping of organelles, particularly the endoplasmic reticulum, as well as intracellular membrane trafficking and distribution as primary defects underlying the HSPs, with clear relevance for other long axonopathies affecting peripheral nerves and lower motor neurons.
Hip-Hop and Procedural Justice: Hip-Hop Artists' Perceptions of Criminal Justice

Despite its popularity, hip-hop has remained one of the most woefully underexamined topics within criminal justice and criminology. Given the reality that hip-hop music represents lyrical expressions from criminal justice's most overrepresented popula- tion; the aforementioned paucity is all the more perplexing. Utilizing a latent and manifest content analysis of a random sample of 200 hip-hop songs, drawn from platinum-selling albums between the years 2000 and 2010, the current study exam- ined the manner and extent to which hip-hop artist's portrayed the criminal justice system. The results demonstrated that law enforcement was the branch of the crim- inal justice system most likely to be mentioned by hip-hop artists (58.27% of men- tionings) followed by corrections (33.81%) and courts (7.91%). Subthemes that emerged from hip-hop discussions of law enforcement and corrections are also dis- cussed. Unfairness and powerlessness inductively emerged as the two general themes from the hip-hop criminal justice portrayals and are discussed within a pro- cedural justice framework. Suggestions for future research and policy implications are put forth.
The Humanitarian eXchange Language: Coordinating disaster response with semantic web technologies

The Humanitarian eXchange Language (HXL) is a project by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that aims at refining data management and exchange for disaster response. Data exchange in this field, which often has to deal with chaotic environments heavily affected by an emergency such as a natural disaster or an armed conflict, still happens mostly manually. The goal of HXL is to contribute to the automatization of many of these processes, saving valuable time for staff in the field and improving the information flow for decision makers who have to allocate resources for response activities. This paper gives an overview of this initiative, which is set to significantly improve information exchange in the humanitarian domain. We introduce the HXL vocabulary, which provides a formal definition of the terminology used in this domain, and an initial set of tools and services that produce and consume HXL data. The HXL system infrastructure is introduced, along with its data management principles. The paper concludes with an outlook on the future of HXL and its role in the humanitarian ecosystem.
Design and synthesis of boronic-acid-labeled thymidine triphosphate for incorporation into DNA

The boronic acid moiety is a versatile functional group useful in carbohydrate recognition, glycoprotein pull-down, inhibition of hydrolytic enzymes and boron neutron capture therapy. The incorporation of the boronic-acid group into DNA could lead to molecules of various biological functions. We have successfully synthesized a boronic acid-labeled thymidine triphosphate (B-TTP) linked through a 14-atom tether and effectively incorporated it into DNA by enzymatic polymerization. The synthesis was achieved using the Huisgen cycloaddition as the key reaction. We have demonstrated that DNA polymerase can effectively recognize the boronic acid-labeled DNA as the template for DNA polymerization, that allows PCR amplification of boronic acid-labeled DNA. DNA polymerase recognitions of the B-TTP as a substrate and the boronic acid-labeled DNA as a template are critical issues for the development of DNA-based lectin mimics via in vitro selection.
‘On herself and all her property’: women's economic activities in late-medieval Ghent

This article analyses the economic activities of urban Flemish women in actual practice, using contracts and court judgements from the mid-fourteenth-century registers of the aldermen of Ghent. These ‘acts’ show that women routinely invested and managed their own property without male representatives and that distinctions of marital status were often far less significant in medieval Ghent than elsewhere in northern Europe. Another conceptualization of the scope of women's economic activity also existed at the time, in which men acted for women, but it was not the dominant norm in mid-fourteenth-century Ghent.
No evidence of purported lunar effect on hospital admission rates or birth rates.

Copyright © 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. Background: Studies indicate that a fraction of nursing professionals believe in a lunar effect -a purported correlation between the phases of the Earth's moon and human affairs, such as birth rates, blood loss, or fertility. Purpose: This article addresses some of themethodological errors and cognitive biases that can explain the human tendency of perceiving a lunar effect where there is none. Approach: This article reviews basic standards of evidence and, using an example from the published literature, illustrates how disregarding these standards can lead to erroneous conclusions. Findings: Roman, Soriano, Fuentes, Ga lvez, and Fernandez (2004) suggested that the number of hospital admissions related to gastrointestinal bleeding was somehow influenced by the phases of the Earth's moon. Specifically, the authors claimed that the rate of hospital admissions to their bleeding unit is higher during the full moon than at other times. Their report contains a number of methodological and statistical flaws that invalidate their conclusions. Reanalysis of their data with proper procedures shows no evidence that the full moon influences the rate of hospital admissions, a result that is consistent with numerous peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses. A review of the literature shows that birth rates are also uncorrelated to lunar phases. Conclusions: Data collection and analysis shortcomings, as well as powerful cognitive biases, can lead to erroneous conclusions about the purported lunar effect on human affairs. Adherence to basic standards of evidence can help assess the validity of questionable beliefs.
Renal protein degradation: A biochemical target of specific nephrotoxicants

Abstract Protein degradation in the kidney occurs mainly in lysosomes, organelles which may also accumulate nephrotoxic chemicals. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of intracellular accumulation of gentamicin, cephaloridine and cisplatin on lysosomal digestion of the protein lysozyme. Gentamicin (15 or 30 mg/kg/day for 3 or 5 days), cisplatin (2.5 or 5 mg/kg) or cephaloridine (500, 1000, 2000 or 2500 mg/kg) was administered ip to male Wistar rats. The main site of the nephrotoxic effects of these compounds was the proximal tubule where these agents differentially affected S1, S2 and/or S3 segments. A 2- and 4-fold increase of the excretion of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) was observed in the urine from cisplatin- and gentamicin-treated rats, respectively; no change in enzyme excretion occurred after cephaloradine. One hour prior to sacrifice, rats were given 0.3 mg of unlabelled lysozyme in combination with 125I-lysozyme in 0.3 mL saline. Renal cortical slices were prepared and incubated for 15, 30, 60 and 90 min. Release of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) soluble radioactivity into the medium was assumed to quantify lysosomal degradation of lysozyme. Accumulation of p-aminohippurate (PAH) in renal cortical slices and changes in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration were used as indices of renal damage. TCA-soluble radioactivity increased in the medium from kidney slices from control rats to 50% of the total radioactivity after 90 min incubation. In gentamicin-treated rats, lysozyme degradation was significantly decreased by doses of 15 and 30 mg/kg/day after 3 and 5 days of exposure in the absence of any changes in BUN or PAH accumulation. Increased BUN and decreased PAH accumulation was accompanied by reduced release of lysozyme degradation products from kidney slices of rats treated with both doses of cisplatin. Cephaloridine appeared to have no effect on renal catabolism of lysozyme at 500 and 1000 mg/kg; however at higher doses lysozyme degradation decreased and changes in BUN and PAH occurred. Thus, all three compounds used were effective in decreasing renal catabolism of lysozyme. Protein degradation was an early and sensitive indicator of aminoglycoside-induced nephrotoxicity since a decrease in protein degradation in kidney slices from gentamicin-treated rats was not associated with alterations in BUN or PAH accumulation but was associated with ultrastructural changes.
Removal of ureteral stone from patient with cross-trigonal ureteral reimplantation

A ureteral calculus was extracted ureteroscopically from a pelvic kidney in a child who had undergone two open pyelolithotomies, bladder reconstruction of cloacal exstrophy, and bilateral cross-trigonal ureteral reimplantations (Cohen procedure).
Receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 mediates thrombin-induced upregulation of ICAM-1 in endothelial cells in vitro.

Abstract Thrombin potently induces endothelial inflammation. One of the responses is upregulation of adhesion molecules such as ICAM-1, resulting in enhanced leukocyte attachment to the endothelium. In this report, we examine the contribution of EphA2 in thrombin-induced expression of ICAM-1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We showed that thrombin transiently induced tyrosine- phosphorylation of EphA2 in a Src-kinase dependent manner. This transactivation was mediated through PAR-1, because a PAR-1 specific agonistic peptide also transactivated EphA2. Expression knockdown of endogenous EphA2 by siRNAs blocked ICAM-1 upregulation and leukocyte/endothelium attachment induced by thrombin. Overexpression of exogenous mouse EphA2 rescued both ICAM-1 expression and leukocyte attachment induced by thrombin in endogenous EphA2-knockdown HUVECs. Mechanistically, we showed EphA2 knockdown suppressed thrombin-induced serine 536 phosphorylation of NFκB, an event critical of ICAM-1 transcriptional upregulation. Collectively, our results strongly suggest EphA2 is a necessary component for thrombin-induced ICAM-1 upregulation.
Greeks abroad: (as)signing artistic identity in early modern Europe

The language and wording used in the signatures of paintings by Domenikos Theotokopoulos (‘El Greco’) reveal a self-conscious construction of cultural identity in the early modern era. This paper argues that El Greco, an artist born in Crete who later worked in Venice and Rome for nearly ten years, and then for the rest of his career in Toledo, Spain, used his signature as a means to broadcast his artistic brand as a Greek other during his decades-long estrangement from his homeland. Regardless of where he worked or of the style that his paintings adopted, he always and without exception drafted his signatures in Greek, while at key moments of his career, especially during his frequent transitions from one city to the next, he appended his name with a declarative ‘Cretan’ in order to make it unmistakable that the viewer is looking at the work of a foreigner. In so doing, El Greco's use of language – a topic never taken into consideration with regards to the meaning of its deployment in his signatures – reveals much about the politics of cultural identity in the multicultural societies in which he worked.