cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intrapericardial administration of adenovirus for gene transfer

Gene transfer to the heart has been accomplished with intravascular administration of adenoviral vectors into the pericardial sac, by increasing the duration of exposure to the adenovirus, would result in gene expression in the pericardium and perhaps myocardium and therefore might provide an alternative method to intravascular administration for gene transfer. We injected a replication-deficient adenovirus (average 1 x 10(12) particles/ml in 3% sucrose; 1 x 10(10) plaque forming units/ml containing cDNA encoding a nuclear-targeted bacterial beta-galactosidase into the pericardial sac of dogs. Samples of the pericardium and heart were examined for enzymatic activity of beta-galactosidase and after histochemical staining with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside. One day after injection of the adenovirus (1-3 ml), beta-galactosidase activity was highest in the parietal pericardium and left atrial tissue and lower in the right and left ventricles. Histochemical expression of the transgene was predominantly in the visceral pericardium of atria and ventricles and occasionally in the epicardial myocytes, arterioles, and venules. Pretreatment with doxycycline (5 mg) before adenovirus administration increased transgene activity in left ventricles. Thus adenovirus injected into the pericardial sac provides an effective method for gene transfer to the visceral and parietal pericardium over atria and ventricles.
A Theory of Ethnic Collective Action

This article presents a theory to explain the frequency of ethnic collective action. Based on rational choice premises, it represents an alternative to currently popular structural theories. We dem...
Theoretical Determination of One-Electron Redox Potentials for DNA Bases, Base Pairs, and Stacks

Electron affinities, ionization potentials, and redox potentials for DNA bases, base pairs, and N-methylated derivatives are computed at the DFT/M06-2X/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory. Redox properties of a guanine-guanine stack model are explored as well. Reduction and oxidation potentials are in good agreement with the experimental ones. Electron affinities of base pairs were found to be negative. Methylation of canonical bases affects the ionization potentials the most. Base pair formation and base stacking lower ionization potentials by 0.3 eV. Pairing of guanine with the 5-methylcytosine does not seem to influence the redox properties of this base pair much.
Computing Shock Interactions Under Uncertainty

The paper presents an uncertainty propagation method for problems with discontinuous surface responses. Based on Pade-Legendre (PL) approximants in multiple dimensions, the proposed method is global and non-intrusive. In this work, the PL method is applied to a model problem of supersonic flows with multiple possible flow configurations, depending on the uncertain input parameters. The results in term of response surfaces and statistics of the outputs of interest are compared to the traditional stochastic collocation method.
Exposure Assessment Tools for Physical Risk Factors Associated with Computer Work

While the risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity include physical risk factors, such as force and posture, the measurement of these factors during computer work has been ...
Effects of Stoichiometry on Pzt Thin Film Capacitor Properties

The effects of excess Pb and Zr/Ti ratio on crystallization behavior and ferroelectric properties of sol-gel derived films were studied. Excess Pb was found to reduce the crystallization temperature. Films with good ferroelectric properties (remanent polarization greater than 8 μC/cm 2 ) were achieved after 550 °C, 5 minute crystallization. The difference in the magnitude of the charge in response to switching and non-switching pulses was greater than 1 μC/cm 2 after 1011 fatigue cycles for many of the films. The arnount of charge remaining after fatigue was found to be dependent on the initial charge. Reducing the partial pressure of oxygen during crystallization affected both the remanent polarization and fatigue behavior. The fatigue rate was relatively independent of composition and crystallization temperature.
Misappropriation in The Old Man and the Sea

We consider whether the great writer Ernest Hemingway committed the tort of misappropriation or violated any legal rights under Cuban law when he published his masterpiece The Old Man and the Sea. In summary, Hemingway either borrowed or stole (depending on one’s perspective) the following elements of his timeless novella: (i) the actual story itself, (ii) the “back-story” and other biographical details of the main character of the story, Santiago, as well as (iii) Santiago’s ascetic persona and physical characteristics. Although we concede that Hemingway combined these ingredients to create a new and original artistic work, the question we are considering here is whether Hemingway’s creative combination of such elements is enough to negate a legal claim under U.S. or Cuban law.
Milton Friedman, American Economist and Liberal (1912–2006)

Milton Friedman is the twentieth-century incarnation of John Stuart Mill. Friedman was a Nobel Prize-winning University of Chicago economist who argued all of his professional life that Mill’s liberalism should pervade the American moral, social and political worlds. Friedman’s laissez-faire views about the economy lead him to object to the “war on drugs,” one contemporary symptom of the racism pervasive in the American world. But Friedman’s commitment to pure capitalism as the only legitimate way to address the racism pervasive in American culture is so naive as itself to be racist. I argue that Friedman is as racist as Mill—and precisely because of his intellectual commitment to the liberal tradition rooted in Mill. In this chapter, as in the others, I recur frequently to controversy in the contemporary American social and political world.
Parkinson's disease-associated protein Parkin: an unusual player in cancer.

The mutation of the Parkin gene is a cause of familial Parkinson’s disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that Parkin also functions as a tumor suppressor. Parkin is an ubiquitin E3 ligase, and plays important roles in a variety of cellular processes implicated in tumorigenesis, including cell cycle, cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, mitophagy and metabolic reprogramming. Here we review the role and mechanism of Parkin in cancer.
The Theory of Scientific Discovery

Professor Leinfellner has already sketched out the general strategy of Artificial Intelligence. I have just a few words to say about it. It’s a field that is about thirty-five years old which has always moved along two lines: one having to do with finding ways of getting computers to do intelligent tasks, to do tasks which, if they were done by human beings, would call for our human intelligence. And that’s the direction of research we usually call “Artificial Intelligence”. There is a closely related, a closely allied direction of research which consists of trying to understand how the human mind does intelligent things; how we human beings solve problems; how we use language; how we make decisions; how we design objects; create new objects of one sort or of another. And this direction of research is often called today “Cognitive Science”. In carrying it out and trying to answer those questions, we have found the computer a very powerful assistant, a very powerful tool because today characteristically we try to state our theories of how we human beings think in the form of computer programs. The computer program is our mathematical language for stating formal theories of how human beings think. And so there has been a very close relation over these thirty or thirty-five years between Artificial Intelligence, which seeks to empower computers to do things that had required human intelligence, and Cognitive Science, which consists of using computers to model that human intelligence.
Vector Spaces with an Inner Product

We found it useful to introduce the dot product of two vectors in order to study the geometry of ℝ2 and ℝ3. There is a natural generalization of the dot product to an arbitrary vector space, which is called an inner product.
On the analysis of resonances with wave-packet beams

We analyse a simple spinless scattering in which many near resonances of the system can be excited. A wave packet treatment enables us to analyse the time dependence of the wave function as modified by the long-lived states. This effect, together with the natural width of the packet gives a cross-section which is different from the result coming from a time-independent treatment. Choosing an algebraic form for the packet we derive exact results for the case of two near resonances.
Weighed down by discriminatory policing: Perceived unfair treatment and black-white disparities in waist circumference.

Abstract Police maltreatment, whether experienced personally or indirectly through one’s family or friends, represents a potentially harmful stressor, particularly for minority populations. We address this issue by investigating: (1) how waist circumference (WC) varies by personal and vicarious exposure to unfair treatment by police (UTBP); and (2) to what extent exposure to UTBP explains the black-white disparity in WC. We employed data collected from a community-based sample of black (n = 601) and white (n = 608) adults living in Nashville-Davidson county Tennessee to address these questions. Results from our final linear regression model showed that those who reported vicarious UTBP had WCs that were approximately 2 in. greater than those who did not (b = 2.03; p = 0.003). While personal UTBP was not linked to higher WC, a post-hoc analysis suggested that our ability to detect an association was complicated by selection. Binary mediation analysis revealed that differential exposure to vicarious UTBP accounted for approximately 12% of the black-white WC disparity among women. We found no black-white differences in WC among men. The association between vicarious UTBP and WC did not vary by age, race, or gender. Overall, our findings point toward the role of discriminatory policing as a potential upstream contributor to racial disparities in health.
Multi-kilowatt-class heaters for large hollow cathodes.

Heater materials and geometry are analyzed to address the requirements of large lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathodes. Larger hollow cathodes are capable of increased discharge currents but require higher heater powers to ignite. Existing cathode heaters suffer from material interactions and increased failure rates at high temperatures and are currently not viable for high-power operation; graphite heaters can provide order-of-magnitude increases in heater power and operational life simultaneously. Two models, a simplified circuit model and a finite-element model, were developed to predict the heater operating temperature and resistance. The operational life of the heater was estimated using a vacuum sublimation model. A graphite heater was fabricated and tested using a large-diameter lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathode to demonstrate feasibility as a high-power heater material. The prototype has repeatedly achieved cathode ignition and was tested at up to 4.5 kW of heater power. Heater voltage and current were measured prior to ignition and used to calculate the heater resistance. The measured resistance is within 8% of the predicted value for the circuit model and within 2.5% of the finite-element prediction. At cathode ignition temperatures, the vacuum sublimation model predicts an order-of-magnitude increase in operational life as compared to existing cathode heaters; for a peak surface operating temperature of 1500 °C, the vacuum sublimation model predicts a 1%-loss life of approximately 400 kh.Heater materials and geometry are analyzed to address the requirements of large lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathodes. Larger hollow cathodes are capable of increased discharge currents but require higher heater powers to ignite. Existing cathode heaters suffer from material interactions and increased failure rates at high temperatures and are currently not viable for high-power operation; graphite heaters can provide order-of-magnitude increases in heater power and operational life simultaneously. Two models, a simplified circuit model and a finite-element model, were developed to predict the heater operating temperature and resistance. The operational life of the heater was estimated using a vacuum sublimation model. A graphite heater was fabricated and tested using a large-diameter lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathode to demonstrate feasibility as a high-power heater material. The prototype has repeatedly achieved cathode ignition and was tested at up to 4.5 kW of heater power. Heater voltage and current...
Tropylium and Porphyrinoid Character in Carbaporphyrinoid Systems. Relative Stability and Aromatic Characteristics of Azuliporphyrin and Tropiporphyrin Tautomers, Protonated Species, and Related Structures.

DFT studies have been carried out on 46 azuliporphyrin (AzP) and tropiporphyrin (TrP) tautomers, cations, and dications. The structures were minimized using DFT-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), and the relative stabilities of the tautomers for each series were computed with M06-2X and B3LYP-D3 functionals. Nucleus independent chemical shifts, both NICS(0) and NICS(1)zz, were calculated for both the center of the macrocycles and the individual pyrrolic and carbocyclic subunits. In addition, anisotropy of induced current density (AICD) plots were generated for all of the species under investigation. The results provided insights into the favored conjugation pathways and aromatic properties of these important carbaporphyrinoid systems. The π delocalization pathways for AzP were complex, and contrary to previous speculations, there was no evidence for tropylium characteristics in the favored free base structure. The global diatropicity of AzP was found to increase with increasing solvent polarity, in agreement with exper...
Systemic immune response in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a comparative concordance index analysis

The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of three inflammatory markers: the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as prognostic indicators in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Patients with HNSCC treated with primary surgery, with or without adjuvant radiochemotherapy were enrolled. The preoperative NLR, LMR, and PLR were recorded. Confounding variables were also recorded: age, sex, BMI, comorbidities, performance status, AJCC T and N stage and HPV status. Endpoints were overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier analysis, and multivariable analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Survival models were evaluated using Harrell’s concordance index (c-index). NLR (p = 0.2413), PLR (p = 0.1593), and LMR (p = 0.0552) were not significantly associated with OS in the multivariable analysis. With regard to EFS, low LMR (HR = 2.95, 95% CI 1.54–5.65, p = 0.001), high PLR (HR = 2.68, 95% CI 1.42–5.09, p = 0.003), and high NLR (HR = 3.37, 95% CI 1.7–6.69, p < 0.001) were associated with EFS. The multivariable c-index was highest for LMR (0.762), followed by NLR (0.761) and PLR (0.739). The LMR, PLR, and NLR were not associated with OS, but were associated with EFS in HNSCC. These markers are easily obtainable, and in the age of individualized patient care and precision medicine, they might represent further risk stratification tools for HNSCC patients.
WikiMedMap: Expanding the Phenotyping Mapping Toolbox Using Wikipedia

Researchers utilizing phenotypic data from diverse sources require matching of phenotypes to standard clinical vocabularies. Mapping phenotypes to vocabulary can be difficult, as existing tools are often incomplete, can be difficult to access, and can be cumbersome to use, especially for non-experts. We created WikiMedMap as a simple tool that leverages Wikipedia and maps phenotype strings to standard clinical vocabularies. We assessed WikiMedMap by mapping phenotype strings from questionnaires in the UK Biobank and from Mendelian diseases in Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database to eight vocabularies: International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), ICD-10, ICD-O, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), OMIM, Disease Database, and MedlinePlus. WikiMedMap outperformed conventional mapping tools in finding potential matches for phenotype strings. We envision WikiMedMap as a technique that complements existing and established tools to map strings to clinical vocabularies that usually do not coexist in one source.
Can Busy Organizations Learn to Get Better? Distinguishing Between the Competing Effects of Constrained Capacity on the Organizational Learning Process

Organizations are getting busier, but can they still learn to get better? This question has urgent practical importance, since competitive pressures in a wide variety of industries have resulted in...
Shelter from the Storm: Human Rights Protections for Single Mother Families in the Time of COVID-19

This Article assesses the effects in the US of COVID-19, with particular attention to its impact on single mother families. It scrutinizes decades of deliberate legal and policy choices that have left them financially vulnerable and exposed to enormous risks to their health and well-being. To remedy this situation, this Article argues for adopting a human rights framework that can reverse this disastrous course. This Article conveys the pandemic experiences of some single mothers and their place in larger demographic trends. It identifies the disparate impacts that the pandemic has had on single mother families and the laws and policies that have either supported these individuals and their families or left them adrift. The Article then examines the structure of employment and family assistance laws and policies. Inadequate employment discrimination protections contribute to the financial vulnerability of single mother households. These vulnerabilities force some single mothers into welfare and other assistance programs that are materially inadequate and purposefully humiliating. Government officials have used sexist and racist tropes to vilify single mothers as immoral, lazy and opportunistic to justify this denigration. After reviewing this statutory framework, the Article briefly explains why constitutional law has not provided an adequate remedy. It reviews the Supreme Court’s use of extremely deferential standards of review of government decisions that negatively and disparately affect single mothers, including BIPOC single mothers, regarding employment laws and social and welfare programs. Finally, to address these problems the Article proposes use of a human rights framework. Such a framework would bring the US in line with most other developed states that have embraced these principles. More importantly, it would help protect against multiple forms of discrimination that currently fall outside of constitutional protection and help ensure adequate provision of material resources to the most vulnerable among us.
ON PERFORMANCE OF HIGH ENERGY PARTICLE COLLIDERS AND OTHER COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC SYSTEMS

Many complex scientific and technical systems demonstrate exponential performance progress with time ∝ e+t/C. The characteristic progress time C, a measure of empirical difficulty and complexity, is analyzed for high energy elementary particle colliders, astrophysical searches for galaxies and exoplanets, protein structure determination, and compared with computers and thermonuclear fusion reactors. An explanation of the characteristic exponential progress is offered.
Designing Accessibility into Blocks Languages

The growing interest in teaching Computer Science (CS) to K-12 students has led to the development of blocks-based programming languages (BBPLs) for young students where a program can be created by connecting blocks in a structured way. One of the benefits of a BBPL is removing the necessity to recall the syntax rules of a language. However, the visual nature of these languages makes learning and creating code difficult for children with visual impairments and blindness (VIB). Although a few BBPLs were designed for children with VIB, such environments are rarely used by sighted children. Therefore, to investigate the requirements for designing and implementing an accessible blocks-based programming environment that can be used by both students with and without VIB, we developed a BBPL environment for middle school children. The environment consists of a two-dimensional grid where a character can be moved by creating a simple blocks program. Our future plans include performing several empirical experiments to evaluate our BBPL, including the educational impact of the environment on all students and accessibility support for students with VIB. To perform the study, we also plan to prepare lessons for training the students. The results of the study will inform the design of future BBPL environments, as well as contribute toward broadening participation in computing by enabling children with visual impairments to participate fully in CS education opportunities.
The Slave Trade and Culture in the Bight of Biafra: An African Society in the Atlantic World

The Slave Trade and Culture in the Bight of Biafra dissects and explains the structure, dramatic expansion, and manifold effects of the slave trade in the Bight of Biafra. By showing that the rise of the Aro merchant group was the key factor in trade expansion, G. Ugo Nwokeji reinterprets why and how such large-scale commerce developed in the absence of large-scale centralized states. The result is the first study to link the structure and trajectory of the slave trade in a major exporting region to the expansion of a specific African merchant group - among other fresh insights into Atlantic Africa's involvement in the trade - and the most comprehensive treatment of Atlantic slave trade in the Bight of Biafra. The fundamental role of culture in the organization of trade is highlighted, transcending the usual economic explanations in a way that complicates traditional generalizations about work, domestic slavery, and gender in pre-colonial Africa.
Inhibition of Photophosphorylation by Phenazine Methosulfate

Phenazine methosulfate was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of H+ in light-induced H+ transport as well as a competitive inhibitor of orthophosphate in photophosphorylation. Similarly, H+, NH4+, and Pi in the presence of adenosine diphosphate were shown to inhibit competitively light-induced binding of phenazine methosulfate to chloroplasts. Pi, in the absence of ADP or other anions such as acetate, partially inhibits light-induced binding of phenazine methosulfate to chloroplasts. However, this inhibition requires a high concentration of the anions. These observations strengthen the concept, previously proposed, that the energetic event in phosphorylation is the removal of the hydrogen atom, as a proton, from Pi by a light-induced nonspecific anionic site or sites within chloroplasts.
Abstract 03: Projected impact of shifting categories of hypertension on rates of coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC)

Introduction: Despite indications that blood pressure is positively related to vascular disease, with no evidence of a threshold, recommendations for population improvements in cardiovascular health are largely focused on populations with hypertension or prehypertension. Here we compare the impact of meeting the Healthy People 2020 goal of a 10% reduction in the proportion of adults with hypertension, with a 2 mm Hg reduction in population-wide levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP) on the incidence of heart failure (HF), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. Methods: In the biracial Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (n=15,744) cohort, blood pressure was measured at baseline (1987-1989) using standardized methodology. Thresholds to define prehypertension (SBP=120-139 or DBP=80-89 mm Hg) and hypertension (SBP ≥140 or DBP ≥ 90) were from JNC7. A first hospitalization with discharge diagnosis code of ‘428’ defined incident HF. Incident hospitalized (definite or probable) CHD and stroke was classified by physician panel. We used multivariable regression to estimate incidence rate differences (IRD) for HF, CHD, and stroke that could be associated with a 10% reduction in the proportion of individuals with prehypertension and hypertension, as compared to a population-wide 2 mm Hg decrease in SBP. Results: At baseline, there were 31% African Americans and 13% Caucasians with hypertension, and 38% African Americans and 33% Caucasians with prehypertension. Over a mean of 18.7 years of follow up, age-adjusted incidence rates for HF, CHD, and stroke were higher among African Americans than Caucasians. After adjusting for covariates measured at study baseline, a hypothetical 10% reduction in the proportions of individuals with hypertension and pre-hypertension was associated with a larger estimated effect for HF compared with CHD and stroke. For the 10% reduction in those with hypertension, we estimated 2/100,000 person-years (PY) and 8/100,000 PY fewer incident HF hospitalizations in Caucasians and African Americans, respectively. In contrast, a population-wide blood pressure reduction approach of 2 mm Hg was associated with an estimated 24/100,000 PY and 39/100,000 PY fewer incident HF events in Caucasians and African Americans, respectively. When extrapolated to the 2010 US population aged greater than 45 years, hypothetical interventions that shift the population distribution of SBP by 2 mm Hg potentially result in an additional reduction of 22,000 HF hospitalizations, 17,000 CHD events, and 11,000 stroke events annually when compared to a primary prevention approach aimed at populations with hypertension and pre-hypertension. Conclusion: Modest, population-wide shifts in SBP may produce greater reductions in HF, CHD, and stroke events than can be achieved by only targeting reductions for those with hypertension, particularly among African Americans.
The interaction of aromatic hydrocarbons with organometallic compounds of the main group elements : II. Solution behavior and crystal structure of K[Al2(CH3)6N3]

Abstract K[Al2(CH3)6N3] interacts with benzene or toluene to form liquid complexes with from 2.5 to 5 aromatic molecules per anionic unit. The relation of this behavior to the structure of the anion is discussed. The crystal structure of K[Al2(CH3)6N3] has been determined from three-dimensional X-ray data measured by counter methods. The substance crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 with cell dimensions a 11.960(5), b 11.327(5), c 10.705(5) A, α 93.68(4), β 97.33(4), γ 99.20(4)°, and ϱcalc. 1.06 g·cm−3 for Z = 4. Least-squares refinement gave a conventional R value of 0.095 (weighted R = 0.079) for 1631 observed reflections. In the asymmetric unit there are two geometrically different single-nitrogen bridged anions. One has approximate C2ν point symmetry and exhibits an eclipsed configuration of the methyl groups viewed down the aluminum-aluminum vector, while the other is best described by the CS point group and shows a staggered methyl group conformation.
Chronic cocaine‐mediated changes in non‐human primate nucleus accumbens gene expression

Chronic cocaine use elicits changes in the pattern of gene expression within reinforcement-related, dopaminergic regions. cDNA hybridization arrays were used to illuminate cocaine-regulated genes in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of non-human primates (Macaca fascicularis; cynomolgus macaque), treated daily with escalating doses of cocaine over one year. Changes seen in mRNA levels by hybridization array analysis were confirmed at the level of protein (via specific immunoblots). Significantly up-regulated genes included: protein kinase A alpha catalytic subunit (PKA(calpha)); cell adhesion tyrosine kinase beta (PYK2); mitogen activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1); and beta-catenin. While some of these changes exist in previously described cocaine-responsive models, others are novel to any model of cocaine use. All of these adaptive responses coexist within a signaling scheme that could account for known inductions of genes(e.g. fos and jun proteins, and cyclic AMP response element binding protein) previously shown to be relevant to cocaine's behavioral actions. The complete data set from this experiment has been posted to the newly created Drug and Alcohol Abuse Array Data Consortium (http://www.arraydata.org) for mining by the general research community.
Three clustered Sp1 sites are required for efficient transcription of the TATA-less promoter of the gene for insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 from the rat.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 (IGF-BP-2) transcription in rat liver varies with developmental age and fasting. To define the DNA elements required for efficient expression of the TATA-less rat IGFBP-2 gene, the native or mutated promoter was fused to a promoterless luciferase reporter gene and transfected into BRL-3A rat liver and 293 human embryonic kidney cell lines. Luciferase activity decreased approximately 25-fold with progressive 5' promoter deletions from nucleotide (nt) −581 to nt −189 (relative to ATG, +1). The smallest construct, however, still had > 21-fold greater luciferase activity than the promoterless construct. In DNase I foot-printing assays using native nt −276 to −36 promoter fragments or fragments containing block substitution mutations, BRL-3A nuclear extract and purified human transcription factor Sp1 protected a region from nt −234 to −215 containing one GC box and a broad region from nt −189 to −125 that contained three clustered but independent GC boxes. In gel retardation assays using an Sp1 oligonucleotide probe, BRL-3A extract formed two closely migrating complexes that were immunologically related to Sp1; Sp1 gave a single complex that co-migrated with the more retarded BRL-3A complex. Binding was competitively inhibited by oligonucleotides corresponding to each of the four GC boxes. The proximal three GC boxes were sufficient to allow trans-activation of the IGFBP-2 promoter by Sp1 in Drosophila SL2 cells. Independent block mutations indicated that all three of the GC boxes are required for promoter activity and are equally important. Thus, binding of Sp1 or Sp1-related proteins to three clustered GC boxes in the proximal IGFBP-2 promoter is essential for promoter activity. Multiple upstream regions also contribute to the full expression of the IGFBP-2 gene.
Effective IP reuse for high quality SOC design

Intellectual property (IP) reuse is essential for meeting the challenges of system-on-a-chip (SoC) design productivity improvement, design quality and meeting time-to-market goals. However, IP quality issues in terms of inadequate test coverage, low power capability, absence of functional features etc. has led to reduced benefits from reuse. This is because the IP is usually designed for use in one chip and later on (re)used in chips having different requirements. Hence, part of SoC design productivity is spent in enhancing the IP to the desired quality level. In a joint development program with the customer, where it is required to integrate some of their IPs, the usual paradigm followed for reuse has to be enhanced beyond the state-of-the-art to meet the design goals. As updated versions of the IP may be released several times during the SoC design phase, managing the design database poses challenge with respect to the IP enhancements.
L’économie américaine sous l’Administration Bush

Cet article dresse un bilan de la performance economique americaine au cours des huit annees de la presidence Bush. Sous l’Administration Bush, et apres une annee de recession consecutive a l’eclatement de la « bulle internet », l’economie americaine a connu six annees d’expansion. Cette expansion a ete plus forte que dans les autres economies du G7, grâce notamment a une croissance plus elevee de la productivite et a une politique monetaire accommodante. Elle s’est neanmoins accompagnee d’un certain nombre de desequilibres qui pesaient sur la situation dans les derniers mois de la presidence Bush.
The Effect of Cantharidin on Epithelial Cells in Tissue Culture

Although much work has been done to demonstrate that acantholysis induced by cantharidin results from its action on enzymes, the exact mechanism of this action is not known. Results of experiments suggest that cantharidin interferes with the activity of the oxidative enzymes resulting in the decreased production of adenosine triphosphate. Other work suggests that cantharidin requires high levels of available energy to produce acantholysis (1, 2). Furthermore, cantharidin acantholysis may well be an intracellular reaction (1, 3). Most studies of the relationship of cantharidin to metabolism have been done on specimens of skin considerably removed from a normal environment, or on homogenates of liver and other organs. Obviously these conditions are not ideal.
Child coping, parent coping assistance, and post-traumatic stress following paediatric physical injury.

Background Following a physical injury, many children exhibit long-term psychological reactions such as post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Children's coping strategies, and the ways that others help them cope with injury (i.e. coping assistance), are understudied, potentially malleable variables that could be targeted in preventive interventions. The objectives of the current research were to describe child coping behaviour and parent coping assistance following a child's injury, and to investigate the relationships among coping, coping assistance and child PTSS. Method Participants included 82 children with injuries and one parent of each child. Children completed measures of coping and coping assistance 2 weeks after their injury (T1). Children also completed measures of coping and PTSS at a 3-month follow-up (T2). Parents reported on the coping assistance they provided to their child at T1. Results Children reported using an average of six coping strategies (out of 10) with wishful thinking, social support, distraction, and cognitive restructuring endorsed most frequently. Child-reported social withdrawal and resignation 2 weeks after his or her injury (T1) were related to subsequent PTSS (T2). Social withdrawal at T2 was related to concurrent child PTSS (T2). Children were more likely to seek social support when their parents reported helping their child cope. No relationships were identified between active coping behaviours or parent coping assistance and PTSS outcomes. Conclusions Findings suggest that children's coping strategies (particularly social withdrawal and resignation) play a possibly important, complex role in the development of traumatic stress symptoms. When parents help their child cope, children are more likely to seek out social support, suggesting that they will be more able to ask their parents for help as needed. Future research should identify effective strategies to prevent PTSS including how parents can best support their child following paediatric injury. Language: en
Posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus and shunts: what are the predictors of multiple revision surgeries?

Object Cerebrospinal fluid shunts in patients with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus are prone to failure, with some patients at risk for multiple failures. The objective of this study was to identify factors leading to multiple failures. Methods The authors performed a retrospective analysis of cases of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus requiring neurosurgical intervention between 1982 and 2010. Results In the 109 cases analyzed, 54% of the patients were male, their mean birth weight was 1223 g, and their mean head circumference 25.75 cm. The mean duration of follow-up was 6 years, and 9 patients died. Grade III intraventricular hemorrhage was seen in 47.7% and Grade IV in 43.1%. Initial use of a ventricular access device was needed in 65 patients (59.6%), but permanent CSF shunting was needed in 104 (95.4%). A total of 454 surgical procedures were performed, including 304 shunt revisions in 78 patients (71.6%). Detailed surgical notes were available for 261 of these procedures, and of these, 51% were proximal r...
Eisenhower, Policy Entrepreneurs, and the Test Ban Debate 1954-58

What accounts for the variation in the influence of scientists in the policy making process? Why is it that scientists sometimes appear to exercise significant autonomy in shaping policy agendas while at other times very little? Scientists most influence the policy process, this paper contends, when they can leverage their recognized expertise by co-opting institutionalized channels of advice. This is most likely to occur in issue areas of high complexity and ambiguity when key policy makers are dependent upon scientists for their counsel. Competing scientific communities, prevented from accessing key decision makers and unable to exert their influence on the policy process, wait until windows of opportunity open to undermine the credibility of the incumbent experts, gain access to the president, and refocus the policy agenda. This theory is developed and tested against two competing alternatives through a case study analysis of the nuclear test ban debate during the Eisenhower administration from 1954-58. The findings of this paper underscore the need to treat foreign policy decision making as a series of strategic interactions between multiple actors with a broader capacity to influence the policy making process than traditionally conceived.
Diabetes Education Needs of Family Members Caring for American Indian Elders

PURPOSE This qualitative study investigated diabetes care management among family members of American Indian elders with self-care limitations. Focus groups were used to examine the reasons for and content of diabetes care management, the challenges faced, and the support services needed. METHODS Five focus groups were conducted with family caregivers from six tribes. Caregivers' responses related to care management were identified and categorized into themes. RESULTS Participants reported that they provided assistance with a wide range of diabetes care tasks (e.g., skin and wound care, in-home dialysis) depending on the elder's level of impairment. Caregivers described three major challenges related to diabetes care management: (1) anxiety about in-home care, (2) coping with psychosocial issues, and (3) decision making and communication problems with other family members. They emphasized the importance of developing a care routine for successful diabetes management. CONCLUSIONS Based on these findings, we suggest areas where diabetes educators can assist American Indian family caregivers in meeting the needs of frail elders in the home.
Second-order nonlinear optical properties of highly symmetric chiral thin films

We demonstrate second-harmonic generation in highly symmetric thin films of chiral molecules. The films were prepared by spin-coating, and no external force (such as electric field poling) was used...
Magnetic dipole strength in 46Ca observed with 180° electron scattering

Abstract Results are presented from a search for M1 strength in 46Ca by means of 180° electron scattering at low momentum transfer. We report the presence of a 1+ state at 13.02±0.04 MeV with a reduced electromagnetic transition strength, B(M1)=2.47±0.77 μ2 N. The excitation energy of this level is ∼2 MeV higher than strong 1+ states seen in other even-even calcium isotopes. No evidence was seen for M1 strength in the 10 MeV excitation energy region where strength is predicted by shell model calculations.
[18F]- and [11C]-labeled N-benzyl-isatin sulfonamide analogues as PET tracers for apoptosis: synthesis, radiolabeling mechanism, and in vivo imaging study of apoptosis in Fas-treated mice using [11C]WC-98.

The radiolabeled isatin sulfonamide caspase-3 inhibitor, [18F]2 (WC-II-89), is a potential PET radiotracer for noninvasive imaging of apoptosis. The radiolabeling mechanism was studied by 13C NMR, ESI/MS, and computational calculations. It was found that the high electrophilicity of the C3 carbonyl group in the isatin ring, which served as a trap for [18F]fluoride, was responsible for the failure of the radiolabeling via nucleophilic substitution of the mesylate group in 7a by [18F]fluoride. Once treated with a strong base, 7a opened the isatin ring completely to form an isatinate intermediate 16, which lost the ability to trap [18F]fluoride, thereby allowing the displacement of the mesylate group to afford the 18F-labeled isatinate 17. [18F]17 can be converted to isatin [18F]2 efficiently under acidic conditions. The ring-opening and re-closure of the isatin ring under basic and acidic conditions were confirmed by reversed phase HPLC analysis, ESI/MS and 13C NMR studies. Computational studies of model compounds also support the above proposed mechanism. Similarly, the ring-opening and re-closure method was used successfully in the synthesis of the 11C labeled isatin sulfonamide analogue [11C]4 (WC-98). A microPET imaging study using [11C]4 in the Fas liver apoptosis model demonstrated retained activity in the target organ (liver) of the treated mice. Increased caspase-3 activation in the liver was verified by the fluorometric caspase-3 enzyme assay. Therefore, this study provides a useful method for radio-synthesis of isatin derivative radiotracers for PET and SPECT studies, and [11C]4 is a potential PET radiotracer for noninvasive imaging of apoptosis.
Training competent psychologists in the field of child maltreatment.

Child maltreatment is a serious threat to children's physical and psychological well-being; therefore, it is critically important to develop high-quality educational programs to train psychologists in effectively addressing child abuse and neglect. Various health care disciplines and areas within the field of psychology have established competencies as a guide for student training curricula; however, none have been established for the area of child maltreatment. The present article presents training competencies for the field of child maltreatment that have been developed from a program designed to train psychology graduate students to practice and conduct research in child maltreatment. The competencies have been divided into eight core areas including assessment, treatment, multidisciplinary collaboration, advocacy, ethics, research, research ethics, and professional development. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 67:1-6, 2011. Language: en
Research and Analysis of Discrete PID Controller Parameters’ Optimization Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Currently, PID controllers have been widely used in industrial control. And computer control systems are widely used in the field environment. How to design a discrete PID controller which has a good control performance is very important for existing control objects. In this paper, particle swarm optimization and quadratic performance index are used to optimize the control parameters of the discrete PID controller. The optimized results are given at last. By simulation studies and analysis, the optimal parameters of the PID controller are found by particle swarm optimization algorithm, and the quadratic performance index has a good effect on optimal control.
Modulation of the platelet thromboxane A2 and aortic prostacyclin synthesis by dietary selenium and vitamin E.

Vitamin E and selenium (Se) interact synergistically as an important antioxidant defense mechanism. Se, an essential component of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and vitamin E decompose fatty acid hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxides generated by free radical reactions. Vitamin E and GSH-Px may modulate arachidonic acid metabolism and the activity of cyclooxygenase enzymes by affecting peroxide concentration. The balance between arterial wall prostacyclin (PGI2) production and platelet thromboxane (TX)A2 directly influences platelet activity. In order to elucidate the differential role of dietary vitamin E and Se in aortic PGI2 and platelet TXA2 synthesis, 1-mo-old F344 rats were fed semipurified diets containing different levels of vitamin E (0, 30, 200 ppm) and Se (0, 0.1, 0.2 ppm) for 2 mo. Thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and 6-keto-PGF1α, were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) after incubation of whole blood and aortic rings at 37°C for 10 and 30 min, respectively. Vitamin E deficiency reduced plasma vitamin E to 5–17% of control-fed rats, and supplementation increased it to 53% of the control-fed rats. Se supplementation in vitamin E-supplemented animals increased plasma GSH-Px by 17%, compared to vitamin E-deficient rats. Se and vitamin E supplementation did not have a similar effect on TXB2 and PGI2 synthesis. Se deficiency did not alter platelet TXB2 synthesis, but significantly decreased aortic PGI2 synthesis. It was necessary to supplement with both antioxidants in order to increase, PGI2 synthesis. Se and vitamin E deficient groups had a higher TXB2/PGI2 ratio (0.17±0.08) compared to Se- and vitamin E-supplemented groups (0.03±0.01). These results confirm previous reports in humans and animals and are in accordance with epidemiological data indicating an inverse relationship between plasma Se and platelet aggregation. Thus, further suggesting that vitamin E and Se may have a specific role in controlling TXA2 and PGI2 synthesis.
The causes and evaluation of chronic hypercapnea.

La principale cause est la bronchopneumopathie obstructive chronique mais il y a aussi de nombreuses autres causes: neuromusculaires, obesite, hypoventilation centrale et primitive, maladies du collagene, maladies endocriniennes, metaboliques etc...
Undulating Tubular Liposomes through Incorporation of a Synthetic Skin Ceramide into Phospholipid Bilayers

Nonspherical liposomes were prepared by doping L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (PC) with ceramide VI (a skin lipid). Cryo-transmission electron microscopy shows the liposome shape changing from spherical to an undulating tubular morphology, when the amount of ceramide VI is increased. The formation of tubular liposomes is energetically favorable and is attributed to the association of ceramide VI with PC creating regions of lower curvature. Since ceramides are the major component of skin lipids in the stratum corneum, tubular liposomes containing ceramide may potentially serve as self-enhanced nanocarriers for transdermal delivery.
Genome‐scale modeling of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and prediction of pathway insertion

BACKGROUND: Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has been used widely as a model system for the study of photosynthetic organisms and higher plants. The aim of this work was to integrate the genomic information, biochemistry and physiological information available for Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to reconstruct a metabolic network for system biology investigations. RESULTS: A genome-scale Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 metabolic network, including 633 genes, 704 metabolites and 831 metabolic reactions, was reconstructed for the study of optimal Synechocystis growth, network capacity and functions. Heterotrophic, photoautotrophic and mixotrophic growth conditions were simulated. The Synechocystis model was used for in silico predictions for the insertion of ethanol fermentation pathway, which is a novel approach for bioenergy and biofuels production developed in the authors' laboratory. Simulations of Synechocystis cell growth and ethanol production were compared with actual metabolic measurements which showed a satisfactory agreement. CONCLUSION: The Synechocystis metabolic network developed in this study is the first genome-scale mathematical model for photosynthetic organisms. The model may be used not only in global understanding of cellular metabolism and photosynthesis, but also in designing metabolic engineering strategies for desirable bio-products. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry