cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reworking the Science Curriculum: A Case Study in the Interdependence between Introductory Biology and Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism has emerged as the major influence in revising science curricula and teaching, yet misunderstanding about the history and theoretical underpinnings of multiculturalism has made the separation of political and education reform contentious and difficult. Within the context of a new college-wide pluralism and diversity requirement, a large introductory biology course at Hunter College of the City University of New York is now the testing ground for an interdependent model of multicultural education. The implications for multiculturalism, science pedagogy, and the pivotal role of introductory courses are discussed.
Dissociative photoionization study of O2

Abstract Dissociative photoionization of O2 is studied by an energy–mass analyzing system and synchrotron radiation. The kinetic energy distribution spectra of the O+ ion fragments and the dissociative photoionization efficiency curves for the O+ fragments with zero and 0.8 eV kinetic energies are observed at photon energies from 18.5 to 24.7 eV. Two vibrational progressions are observed in the zero kinetic energy O+ spectrum and identified as Rydberg series nsσg (n=4 and 5) converging to the 32Πu ionic state of O2. The spectroscopic constants for these Rydberg states are obtained. Post dissociative autoionizations are observed for the O*(2P)nd″(n=3∼5) atomic states in the zero kinetic energy O+ spectrum. A shape resonance structure for the B2Σ−g ionic state is observed in the 0.8 eV kinetic energy O+ spectrum. The related dissociation mechanisms are discussed.
Electrical Discharges in Mixtures of Light and Heavy Water

Pulsed electrical discharges in pure solutions and mixtures of light and heavy water are examined. The concentration of H 2 O 2 formed by electrical discharge in 100% H 2 O was found to be 1.4 times smaller than that of D 2 O 2 produced by electrical discharge in 100% D 2 O. This difference in peroxide formation was due to the high reactivity of OH radicals with other species in the plasma channel, thereby reducing OH recombination to form H 2 O 2 , while the lower reactivity of OD radicals with other species allowed more OD recombination reactions to form D 2 O 2 . A new method based on Raman spectroscopy was also developed to quantify H 2 O 2 , D 2 O 2 , and HDO 2 in mixtures containing all three species.
Hepatocyte nuclear factor–1β expression in clear cell adenocarcinomas of the bladder and urethra: diagnostic utility and implications for histogenesis

Summary The histogenesis of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the bladder/urethra is uncertain. Hepatocyte nuclear factor–1 β is a homeodomain protein that has been reported to be frequently overexpressed in ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma in comparison with rare or no expression in other types of epithelial ovarian tumors. We assessed the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor–1 β in a series of 18 clear cell adenocarcinomas of the bladder and urethra and compared it with that of invasive high-grade transitional/urothelial carcinoma (n = 35); adenocarcinomas of the bladder, urethra, and paraurethral glands (n = 21); as well as nephrogenic adenomas of the bladder (n = 8). Staining intensity and extent were evaluated using a 4-tiered grading system (0-3). A case was considered positive for hepatocyte nuclear factor–1 β if 10% or more of tumor cells showed at least weak nuclear staining or if any moderate or strong nuclear staining was observed. All 18 clear cell adenocarcinomas exhibited nuclear staining in at least 50% of tumor cells (16 strong, 1 moderate, and 1 weak with focal strong nuclear staining) in comparison with positive nuclear staining (moderate) in 1 of 21 bladder adenocarcinoma, 1 of 35 invasive high-grade transitional/urothelial carcinoma (weak to moderate staining), and 2 of 8 nephrogenic adenomas (1 weak and 1 moderate to strong staining). We concluded that hepatocyte nuclear factor–1 β is a useful marker in differentiating clear cell adenocarcinomas of the bladder/urethra from invasive high-grade transitional/urothelial carcinoma and other types of bladder adenocarcinomas and to a lesser extent from nephrogenic adenomas. Hepatocyte nuclear factor–1 β is of no diagnostic utility in discriminating primary bladder/urethral clear cell adenocarcinomas from metastatic clear cell adenocarcinomas of the female genital tract to the bladder/urethra. From a histogenesis standpoint, although the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor–1 β in both gynecologic and urologic tract clear cell adenocarcinomas may point to a Mullerian derivation/differentiation, this immunohistochemical evidence is insufficient to completely exclude an urothelial association.
Brain networks for exploration decisions utilizing distinct modeled information types during contextual learning

Exploration permits acquisition of the most relevant information during learning. However, the specific information needed, the influences of this information on decision making, and the relevant neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. We modeled distinct information types available during contextual association learning and used model-based fMRI in conjunction with manipulation of exploratory decision making to identify neural activity associated with information-based decisions. We identified hippocampal-prefrontal contributions to advantageous decisions based on immediately available novel information, distinct from striatal contributions to advantageous decisions based on the sum total available (accumulated) information. Furthermore, network-level interactions among these regions during exploratory decision making were related to learning success. These findings link strategic exploration decisions during learning to quantifiable information and advance understanding of adaptive behavior by identifying the distinct and interactive nature of brain-network contributions to decisions based on distinct information types.
High optical contrast in VO2 thin films due to improved stoichiometry

Abstract The optical contrast at the semiconductor-metal transition (65 °C) in VO2 thin films can be dramatically increased when they are reactively evaporated at 3 nm min-1, 590 °C and under oxygen at 12 mTorr. The anomalous behavior is strongest at 1.5–2.0 eV (red light), where the transmittance for a metallic film 200 nm thick is five times higher than the semiconductor's, instead of the expected 50% decrease. Deliberate gradients in vanadium flux and substrate temperature, post- deposition oxidation and reduction, microscopic examination, optical modelling and the phase diagram consistently support the conclusion that these new type II VO2 films are more stoichiometric than previous type I films.
GSS—A CAD-based graphic sawing simulator for hardwood logs

Abstract With the objective of studying the breakdown process for hardwood logs, a graphic sawing simulator (GSS) was developed to provide the capability for repeated sawing. Based on polyhedral solid modelling concepts and device-independent graphics, the GSS represents a solid log as a nonregular polyhedron and enables decomposition of the log (“sawing”) via regularized CSG Boolean operations.
De Novo Ceramide Synthesis Participates in the Ultraviolet B Irradiation-Induced Apoptosis in Undifferentiated Cultured Human Keratinocytes

Ultraviolet irradiation is a major environmental cause of skin cancers, whereas ultraviolet-induced DNA repair and apoptosis are defense mechanisms that rescue and/or protect keratinocytes from this risk. Multiple pathways are involved in ultraviolet-induced keratinocyte apoptosis, including activation of p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase, protein kinase C, and CD95, each of which are associated with caspase activation. Alternatively, ceramides could serve as ultraviolet-induced, second messenger lipids, because they induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a variety of cell types, including keratinocytes. We investigated the role of ceramide versus caspase, and the responsible pathway for ceramide generation in ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis of cultured normal human keratinocytes maintained in low calcium (0.07 mm) medium. Ultraviolet B (40 mJ per cm2) significantly inhibited cultured normal human keratinocyte proliferation, assessed as [3H-methyl]thymidine-thymidine incorporation into DNA, 2 h after irradiation. Terminal nick deoxynucleotide end-labeling-positive apoptotic cells (14.8% at 24 h and 34.4% at 48 h) and trypan blue-positive apoptotic cells (8.4% at 24 h and 28.6% at 48 h) became evident in a time-dependent manner after ultraviolet B irradiation, in parallel with activation of caspase-3. The ceramide content of irradiated cultured normal human keratinocytes increased significantly by 8 h, whereas glucosylceramide only modestly increased, and sphingomyelin content remained unaltered. Metabolic studies with radiolabeled serine, palmitic acid, and phosphorylcholine revealed that the ultraviolet B-induced increase in ceramide results primarily from increased de novo synthesis rather than accelerated sphingomyelin hydrolysis. Increased ceramide synthesis, in turn, could be attributed to increased activity of ceramide synthase (i.e., 1.7-fold increase 8 h after ultraviolet B irradiation), whereas serine palmitoyltransferase activity did not change. Both fumonisin B1, an inhibitor of ceramide synthase, and ISP-1, myriocin an inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase, significantly attenuated the ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis in a caspase-3-independent fashion, whereas co-incubation with a caspase-3 inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-chloromethyl-ketone) further attenuated the ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis. Thus, increased de novo ceramide synthesis signals ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis, by a pathway independent of, but in concert with, caspase-3 activation.
Is improved contrast sensitivity a natural consequence of visual training

Many studies have shown that training and testing conditions modulate specificity of visual learning to trained stimuli and tasks. In visually impaired populations, generalizability of visual learning to untrained stimuli/tasks is almost always reported, with contrast sensitivity (CS) featuring prominently among these collaterally-improved functions. To understand factors underlying this difference, we measured CS for direction and orientation discrimination in the visual periphery of three groups of visually-intact subjects. Group 1 trained on an orientation discrimination task with static Gabors whose luminance contrast was decreased as performance improved. Group 2 trained on a global direction discrimination task using high-contrast random dot stimuli previously used to recover motion perception in cortically blind patients. Group 3 underwent no training. Both forms of training improved CS with some degree of specificity for basic attributes of the trained stimulus/task. Group 1's largest enhancement was in CS around the trained spatial/temporal frequencies; similarly, Group 2's largest improvements occurred in CS for discriminating moving and flickering stimuli. Group 3 saw no significant CS changes. These results indicate that CS improvements may be a natural consequence of multiple forms of visual training in visually intact humans, albeit with some specificity to the trained visual domain(s).
Measurement of thin film parameters using substrate excitation of leaky modes

Abstract Using substrate excitation achieved by prism coupling into the substrate, thin film leaky mode m-lines can be measured and the thickness and refractive index determined, without pressure applied to the film.
The Ebola Virus Matrix Protein Bends Biological Membranes

Ebola is one of the most virulent pathogen that causes severe hemorrhagic fever with fatality rate as high as 90%. There is an urgency in the development of treatment as there are no known drugs or vaccines approved by the FDA and the virus poses a serious health and potential biological threat. The Ebola viral matrix protein 40 (VP40), is the most abundantly express protein of the viurs and alone harbors the ability to form virus like particles (VLPs) that are indistinguishable from the authentic virus. The mechanism of VP40 assembly at the plasma membrane before the release of the virions remains poorly understood. In order to better understand the process of viral egress, it is crucial to understand how VP40 is able to bend the plasma membrane to regulate formation of VLPs. Here we take a detailed look at how VP40 alone is able to bend giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) membranes, a model for VLP egress. Here, we imaged GUV's containing PC:PE with and without anionic lipids enriched in the plasma membrane such as PS and phosphoinositides to determine VP40 budding selectivity. The results demonstrate PS-dependent bending and vesiculation from GUV's membrane. The vesiculation is not enhanced in the presence of cholesterol and completely inhibited in GUVs composed of polyvalent phosphoinositides. In concert with budding from live human cell models, the bending and VLP formation is unique to PS containing membranes. GUVs have previously been utilized to understand membrane scission and to expose the role of viral proteins in membrane bending. Elucidating the effect of VP40 on GUVs composed of lipids that mimic biological membranes will help understand the mechanistic details of an otherwise illusive membrane remodeler.
Effects of verapamil on the acquisition of ethanol tolerance.

Summary This study investigated the effects of verapamil on the acquisition of tolerance to the ataxic effects of ethanol. Four groups of rats (n=20/group) were randomly assigned to oral treatment regimes. One group received chronic ethanol treatment (starting at 5mg/kg/day and increasing by 1gm/kg at weekly intervals to an eventual dose of 9gm/kg/day). A second group received the same dose of chronic ethanol together with verapamil (10mg/kg twice daily). A third group received the same dose of chronic verapamil while the fourth group received chronic placebo treatment. Every fourth day all rats received at least a 2gm/kg ip test dose of ethanol. Following this, change in motor coordination was measured on an accelerating Rota-Rod treadmill. After six weeks the chronic ethanol group developed tolerance to the test dose of ethanol, while the ethanol and verapamil group did not. Blood ethanol concentrations were not different between the groups. The chronic verapamil and placebo groups developed sensitization to the effects of ethanol but were not different from each other. Chronic treatment with verapamil appeared to delay the acquisition of chronic tolerance to ethanol.
Reaction of carbon and sulphur isotopes in apollo 11 samples with solar hydrogen atoms.

Kaplan and Smith1 have observed that the lunar fines are significantly enriched in the heavier isotopes of carbon (13C) and sulphur (34S) with respect to the same isotopes in fine-grained basaltic rocks of the Apollo 11 landing site in the Mare Tranquillitatis. As a consequence they suggested that this effect may be caused by the removal of lighter isotopes (12C and 32S) from the unshielded lunar surface by the action of the solar wind. The mechanism of removal is thought to involve the conversion of 12C and 32S into 12CH4 and H232S, which are subsequently lost from the Moon. On the other hand, it has been pointed out at the Lunar Science Conference for Apollo 11 (January 5–8, 1970, Houston, Texas) that the solar wind may actually deposit isotopically heavier carbon on the lunar surface which then might account for the observed enrichment in the lunar fines.
Self-Consistent and Efficient Electro-Thermal Analysis for Poly/Metal Gate FinFETs

A self-consistent and efficient computational 3-D modeling methodology for analyzing thermal and electrical transport in nano-scale devices is developed. The methodology is applied for the first time to multi-finger DG-FinFETs to compute the device characteristics, spatial power distribution, and spatial temperature distribution using the experimentally extracted thermal conductivity of confined thin Si layer. The effect of device dimensions on temperature rise and device performance for poly-gate and metal-gate devices is investigated. Results show some favorable aspects of mid-gap metal-gate device over the band-edge metal-gate device and poly-gate device from both heating and device performance perspective. The mid-gap metal-gate device causes 10 % less heating in the equal performance case with respect to polygate counterpart, and offers an order of magnitude lower leakage power for the equal on-current case with respect to band-edge metal-gate counterpart.
Design of semiconductor microcavity emitters and detectors for optical memory and interconnect systems

This paper presents a numerical design study of monolithically integrated microcavity detecting and emitting devices for applications in optical memory and interconnect systems. Combinations of 650 nm AlGaInP/AlGaAs resonant cavity light-emitting diodes and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers are examined. The device structures include resonant cavity p-i-n photodetectors embedded within distributed Bragg reflector mirrors. The photodetectors consist of an undoped quantum well absorbing layer positioned at an antinode of the resonant standing wave. Classical spontaneous and stimulated emission intracavity absorption models are developed to estimate the embedded photodetector spectral responsivity. This embedded photodetector configuration provides an effective means for studying the spontaneous and stimulated emission components of microcavity light emitting devices.
Pharmacokinetics of Metoclopramide in Neonates

Despite its wide use as a prokinetic agent in neonates and infants with gastroesophageal reflux (GER), the pharmacokinetics of metoclopramide have not been characterized in this pediatric subpopulation. A single-dose pharmacokinetic study of oral metoclopramide (0.1 to 0.15 mg/kg) was performed in 10 fasted premature infants (weight 1.1 to 3.2 kg) ranging from 31 to 40 weeks postconceptional age. Metoclopramide was quantitated from repeated blood samples (n = 9 over 24 hours) by high-performance liquid chromatography. A one-compartment open model with first-order absorption best described the plasma concentration-time data. No correlations were observed between gestational, postnatal, or postconceptional age and any of the pharmacokinetic parameters studied. Comparison of the pharmacokinetic parameters from the study cohort and those reported previously from a similar study of older infants revealed no statistically significant differences. However, a prolonged apparent plasma clearance (Cl/F) of metoclopramide was observed in 30% of the infants studied, and the mean Cl/F and apparent steady-state volume of distribution (Vdss/F) were approximately 1.4- and 2.1-fold higher, respectively, than values reported in previous studies of metoclopramide disposition in adults. These data suggest that metoclopramide pharmacokinetics may exhibit a developmental dependency. Thus, a metoclopramide dose of 0.15 mg/kg given orally every 6 hours is recommended for the initiation of prokinetic therapy with this agent in infants who are < or = 31 weeks postconceptional age.
Ultrastructural features of Allantosoma intestinalis, a Suctorian ciliate isolated from the large intestine of the horse.

. Allantosoma intestinalis, a suctorian ciliate isolated from the intestine of the horse, was studied utilizing light and electron optical methods. These small sausage-shaped organisms have a varying number of tentacles (between one and 12) located at each extremity of the body. The microtubular axoneme of each tentacle in cross-section consists of two files of microtubules arranged in a daisy-like configuration. Haptocysts occur in the tentacle shaft, abutted to the plasma membrane of the knob of the tentacle, and in the cell body. The haptocysts are bottle-shaped, with prominent annular striations around their midportion. The cell is covered by three membranes, an outer plasma membrane, an outer alveolar, and an inner alveolar membrane. A thin epiplasmic layer is found beneath the inner alveolar membrane, and a single row of microtubules underlies the epiplasm. The subpellicular microtubules are arranged parallel to each other forming a corset around the cell along the long axis: such a system is not characteristic of suctorians. A field of diminutive kinetosomes (each 180 nm long, max. of 15 per field), lacking cilia, was found below the cortex. The function of these prokinetosomes is unknown. A ciliated swarmer has not been observed, only the nonciliated adult. The characteristics of Allantosoma are compared with those of other suctorian genera.
Influence of ocean freshening on shelf phytoplankton dynamics

[1] Climate change-induced freshening of the ocean can enhance vertical stratification and alter circulation patterns in ways that influence phytoplankton dynamics. We examined the timing of spring phytoplankton blooms and the magnitude of net primary productivity in the Nova Scotian Shelf (NSS) - Gulf of Maine (GoM) region with respect to seasonal and interannual changes in surface water freshening from 1998 to 2006. The general pattern of temporal westward progression of the phytoplankton bloom corresponds with the gradient of increasing sea surface salinity from the NSS in the east to the western GoM. Increased freshening enhances the spatial gradients in bloom timing by stimulating earlier blooms upstream (NSS), but it has less impact downstream (the western GoM). Strong spatial gradients (increasing westward) of mean chlorophyll concentration and net primary productivity during post-bloom months (May-June) indicate that lower sea surface salinity upstream can likely impede nutrient fluxes from deep water and therefore affect overall productivity.
The F-Box Protein Met30 Is Required for Multiple Steps in the Budding Yeast Cell Cycle

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ubiquitin ligase SCFMet30 is essential for cell cycle progression. To identify and characterize SCFMet30-dependent cell cycle steps, we used temperature-sensitive met30 mutants in cell cycle synchrony experiments. These experiments revealed a requirement for Met30 during both G1/S transition and M phase, while progression through S phase was unaffected by loss of Met30 function. Expression of the G1-specific transcripts CLN1, CLN2, and CLB5 was very low in met30 mutants, whereas expression of CLN3 was unaffected. However, overexpression of Cln2 could not overcome the G1 arrest. Interestingly, overexpression of Clb5 could induce DNA replication in met30 mutants, albeit very inefficiently. Increased levels of Clb5 could not, however, suppress the cell proliferation defect of met30 mutants. Consistent with the DNA replication defects, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed significantly lower levels of the replication factors Mcm4, Mcm7, and Cdc45 at replication origins in met30 mutants than in wild-type cells. These data suggest that Met30 regulates several aspects of the cell cycle, including G1-specific transcription, initiation of DNA replication, and progression through M phase.
Effects of Biofreeze and chiropractic adjustments on acute low back pain: a pilot study.

Objective: This randomized controlled study was designed to determine the pain-relieving effect of Biofreeze (Performance Health Inc., Export, PA) body surface application and chiropractic adjustments on subjects with acute low back pain (LBP). Methods: The data were collected at the baseline, 2 weeks after treatment, and 4 weeks after treatment for final analyses. Diversified manual adjustments were provided by licensed chiropractors twice a week for 4 weeks to both control and experimental groups. Biofreeze was applied to the lower back area 3 times a day for 4 weeks in the experimental group. Outcome assessments included visual analog scale, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, heart rate variability for stress, and electromyography for low back muscle activity. Results: A total of 36 subjects were recruited in the study (25 male). The average age was 34 years. Significant pain reduction was found after each week of treatment in the experimental group (P b.05). The Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire did not show significant changes in both groups. There were no significant differences for pain reduction in the control group. Heart rate variability analysis showed no significant change (P N.05) in the experimental group after 4 weeks of Biofreeze and chiropractic adjustments. There were no statistically significant changes in the electromyography readings between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Biofreeze combined with chiropractic adjustment showed significant reduction in LBP. © 2008 National University of Health Sciences. Key indexing terms:
Verification of Dynamic Separation of Duty Policy for Role-based Business Processes

Separation of duty (SoD) is a widely used security principle to help prevent frauds in a business process. Though SoD has been studied by many researchers, most of them are concerned with specifications of various types of SoD constraints for policy enforcement. For large organizations that employ SoD policies, the ability to automatically verify if a given user-role assignment complies with SoD policies is of the great value for security management. This paper proposes an algorithm for constraint checking of simple dynamic SoD. Unlike most previous work that enforces SoD policy at run time (when roles are activated), our approach examines policy enforcement build-time (prior to run rime, i.e. when roles are assigned to users but not activated).
Effects of intravenous fumonisin B1 in rabbits: Nephrotoxicityxs and sphingolipid alterations

Fumonisin B1 is hepatotoxic in all species, but nephrotoxicity has only been reported in rats. It is a specific inhibitor of sphinganine N-acyltransferase. Our objective was to determine the target organs for fumonisin toxicosis in the rabbit. We administered fumonisin B1 ( > 95% pure) intravenously to adult rabbits and examined selected clinical, biochemical, and histological parameters for up to 5 days. In a pilot study, rabbits were given fumonisin B1 at 1, 0.5, 0.3, 0.15, or 0 mg/kg daily for 4 or 5 days and then euthanized. Additional rabbits were given a single dose of fumonisin B1 at 1 mg/kg and euthanized on day 2 or 4. In the formal time-course study, rabbits were given a single dose of fumonisin B1 at 0 or 1.25 mg/kg and euthanized on days 1, 3, or 5. Rabbits given multiple doses of fumonisin B1 were lethargic and anorectic, and had decreased urine production. Liver- and renal-associated clinical chemistry parameters were elevated. Renal lesions consisted of severe proximal tubular necrosis. Liver lesions were variable and consisted of mild necrosis, hepatocyte vacuolation, and bile stasis. The sphinganine-to-sphingosine ratio, in both target and nontarget tissues, was markedly elevated in treated rabbits. A single dose of fumonisin B1 induced renal but not hepatic injury. Therefore, the target organs for fumonisin B1 toxicity in rabbits are kidney and liver, with the kidney being more sensitive.
Growth and Characterization of Heteroepitaxial Nickel Films on Diamond Substrates

In the present study epitaxial Ni(001) films have been grown on natural C(001) substrates (type la and Ha) and homoepitaxial C(001) films. Two deposition techniques including electron-beam evaporation of Ni in a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system and evaporation of Ni from a resistively heated tungsten filament have been employed. As evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the Ni films deposited by electron-beam evaporation were found to replicate the very fine, unidirectional scratches present on the as polished C(001) substrates. Indeed, the coverage and uniformity of the deposited films would imply a two-dimensional (2-D) growth mode. In comparison, the thermal evaporation of Ni on C(001) substrates results in a highly textured and faceted surface morphology indicative of three-dimensional (3-D) nucleation and growth. Moreover, Rutherford backscattering/channeling measurements have demonstrated that the Ni(001) films deposited by electron-beam evaporation are of superior crystalline quality. Differences in the observed microstructure and apparent growth modes of the epitaxial Ni(001) films have been attributed to the presence of oxygen incorporation in those layers deposited by thermal evaporation.
Viability of platelets following storage in the irradiated state. A pair-controlled study

Gamma irradiation of blood products is a standard practice recommended for the prevention of posttransfusion graft-versus-host disease in susceptible hosts. We studied the effects of irradiation on stored platelet concentrates and evaluated whether platelets could be stored for 5 days in the irradiated state without adverse effects on their viability. Using a pair-controlled design in which each of six normal subjects acted as his or her own control, we compared in vitro storage characteristics and in vivo kinetics of platelet concentrates exposed to 30 Gy and stored for 5 days with those of platelet concentrates simply stored for 5 days without irradiation. Irradiation had no significant effects on in vitro storage characteristics (platelet count, mean platelet volume, pH, and white cell count) or on in vivo kinetics, including initial recovery and mean platelet survival. Using the multiple-hit model, initial recovery was 49.6 +/- 10.8 percent, and mean platelet survival was 5.6 +/- 1.05 days for irradiated concentrates, compared with 51.3 +/- 13.0 percent and 5.9 +/- 0.50 days, respectively, for the unirradiated control concentrates. We conclude that irradiation of platelet concentrates with up to 30 Gy has no effect on their in vivo recovery or survival, and that irradiation administeredmore » before storage of platelet concentrates does not interfere with their clinical efficacy.« less
Bee-to-bee contact drives oxalic acid distribution in honey bee colonies*

Nine divided hives were constructed to study the distribution of oxalic acid (OA). Experimental colonies were split into two equal, queenright sections with one of three divider types. The first divider allowed trophallaxis to occur between adult bees on each side, but did not allow bee-to-bee contact. The second divider did not allow trophallaxis or bee-to-bee contact. The third divider allowed both bee-to-bee contact and trophallaxis between the two sides. All three dividers allowed gas exchange of volatile materials. The objective was to investigate factors that contribute to the distribution of OA in a hive by monitoring Varroa destructor mortality. Forty mL of a 3.5% OA sugar water solution was trickled on one side of the divider. Sticky boards were used to quantify mite fall before, during, and after OA treatment on both treated and untreated sides. Trophallactic interactions and fumigation did not significantly influence the distribution of OA. Bee-to-bee contact was the primary route for OA distribution.
Effects of feed additives on the development on the ileal bacterial community of the broiler chicken

Intensifying concerns about the use of antimicrobials in meat and poultry production has enhanced interest in the application of prebiotics, probiotics and enzymes to enhance growth and prevent disease in food animals. Growth-promoting antibiotics enhance growth of animals by reducing the load of bacteria in the intestine, by reducing colonization by intestinal pathogens or by enhancing the growth and/or metabolism of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Recently, molecular ecology, utilizing DNA-sequence heterogeneity of the 16S rRNA gene, has revealed a surprising diversity of uncharacterized bacteria inhabiting this ecosystem. We used this approach to determine the effect of growth-promoting antibiotics on the development and composition of the ileal bacterial community. Pairwise comparisons, correspondence analysis and community diversity indices revealed significant differences among the treatments (bacitracin/virginiamycin or monensin) and controls. Antibiotics reduced the diversity of the ileal bacterial community and induced communities rich in Clostridia throughout the life of the broiler chicken. These results indicate that some bacterial species, such as lactobacilli, were suppressed and also suggest that many intestinal Clostridia may be non-pathogenic. Future studies should focus on characterizing the important bacterial species needed to stabilize the intestinal microbiota and identifying those commensals that stimulate and enhance development of intestinal function.
Performance evaluation of resource allocation policies for energy harvesting devices

We focus on resource allocation for energy harvesting devices. We analytically and numerically evaluate the performance of algorithms that determine time fair energy allocation in systems with predictable and stochastic energy inputs. To gain insight into the performance of networks of devices, we obtain results for the simple cases of a single node and a link. Due to the need for low complexity algorithms, we focus on simple policies (some of which proposed in the past as heuristics) and analytically derive performance guarantees. We also evaluate the performance via simulation, using real-world energy traces that we collected for over a year, and in a testbed of energy harvesting devices developed within the EnHANTs project.
PREVENTING BACK INJURIES IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS: THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO MODELING ON SAFE PATIENT LIFTING BY NURSES

This study evaluated video scoring and feedback about scoring as a safety intervention among 6 nursing staff. The dependent variable was safety behavior on one-person transfers. Following baseline, 5 nursing staff participated in an information phase. A video scoring phase was then introduced for all 6. A feedback phase was added for 2 participants. All participants experienced treatment withdrawal. Information resulted in improvements for all 5 participants who received it. Further improvements were observed during video scoring for the 5 participants who improved following information. No improvements were observed for the participant who received only video scoring. Safety feedback further improved safety for the 2 participants who received it. However, participants' behavior returned to video scoring levels during withdrawal.
The Oxygen Tension Modulates Acetaminophen-Induced Mitochondrial Oxidant Stress and Cell Injury in Cultured Hepatocytes

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction play an important role in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatocyte cell death. However, exact mechanisms involved in the process are controversial, in part, because of the disparity in findings between in vitro and in vivo studies. A major difference in this context is the oxygen tension, with cells in culture being exposed to 21% oxygen, whereas those in the liver experience a gradient from 3 to 9% oxygen. To determine if oxygen tensions could modulate hepatocyte responses to APAP, primary mouse hepatocytes were treated with 5mM APAP for up to 15 h under various oxygen tensions and mitochondrial dysfunction (2,3-bis[2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxyanilide inner salt assay, 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1,3,3-tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide [JC-1] fluorescence ratio) and cell death (lactate dehydrogenase release) was evaluated. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species were measured using Mitosox Red or dihydrorhodamine fluorescence and nitrotyrosine staining, respectively. Exposure of hepatocytes to 5mM APAP at 21% O(2) resulted in mitochondrial oxidant stress formation, deterioration of mitochondrial function, and loss of membrane potential as early as 6 h and massive cell death at 15 h. Culture of cells at 10% O(2) resulted in no increase in mitochondrial oxidant stress and better preserved mitochondrial function at 6 h and significant protection against cell death at 15 h. Furthermore, dihydrorhodamine fluorescence was significantly attenuated at 10% oxygen. Cells cultured at 5% oxygen were also protected but showed evidence of hypoxia (accumulation of lactate and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducing factor-1α). These results suggest that oxygen tension can modulate hepatocyte responses to APAP, with low physiological levels (10%) decreasing mitochondrial oxidant stress and delaying hepatocyte cell death.
Validity of the parenting scale for parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The present study examined the validity of the parenting scale for parents of elementary school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Parents from 109 families with children who had been diagnosed with ADHD (106 mothers and 93 fathers) and from 70 families with non-problem children (69 mothers and 59 fathers) completed the parenting scale and reported on their children's behavior problems. Factor analyses revealed two interpretable factors for both mothers and fathers, corresponding to the overreactivity and laxness factors identified in previous studies of the parenting scale. Overreactivity and laxness scores were significantly higher for mothers and fathers of ADHD children than of non-ADHD children; this effect appeared to be accounted for by comorbid aggression and conduct problems among ADHD children. Results support the validity of the parenting scale for use with parents of ADHD children.
Mechanisms of Human Papillomavirus-Induced Oncogenesis

Papillomaviruses are small nonenveloped viruses with 55-nm-diameter icosahedral capsids that contain double-stranded DNA genomes of approximately 8,000 bp. They are widely distributed throughout the animal kingdom, specifically infect squamous epithelia, and cause the generation of warts. An
International Cities in the Dual Systems Model: The Transformation of Los Angeles and Washington

The popularization of ‘World City’ as an analytical concept dates to 1966. Taking up a term introduced fifty years earlier by Patrick Geddes, Peter Hall's now classic description of The World Cities explored the evolution of a handful of key urban areas from national into global roles and functions. The original emphasis on size and comprehensive economic functins has since been extended by the argument that a distinct class of global cities are a characteristic product of the technologies and economy of the late twentieth century. As well, such cities are thought to embrace common spatial forms that respond to a specific balance of centralizing and decentralizing tendencies in the location of commercial, financial, and manufacturing industries.
Insights into Human β-Cardiac Myosin Function from Single Molecule and Single Cell Studies

β-Cardiac myosin is a mechanoenzyme that converts the energy from ATP hydrolysis into a mechanical force that drives contractility in muscle. Thirty percent of the point mutations that result in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are localized to MYH7, the gene encoding human β-cardiac myosin heavy chain (β-MyHC). Force generation by myosins requires a tight and highly conserved allosteric coupling between its different protein domains. Hence, the effects of single point mutations on the force generation and kinetics of β-cardiac myosin molecules cannot be predicted directly from their location within the protein structure. Great insight would be gained from understanding the link between the functional defect in the myosin protein and the clinical phenotypes of patients expressing them. Over the last decade, several single molecule techniques have been developed to understand in detail the chemomechanical cycle of different myosins. In this review, we highlight the single molecule techniques that can be used to assess the effect of point mutations on β-cardiac myosin function. Recent bioengineering advances have enabled the micromanipulation of single cardiomyocyte cells to characterize their force–length dynamics. Here, we briefly review single cell micromanipulation as an approach to determine the effect of β-MyHC mutations on cardiomyocyte function. Finally, we examine the technical challenges specific to studying β-cardiac myosin function both using single molecule and single cell approaches.
Improving the Robustness of the G.722 Wideband Speech Codec to Packet Losses for Voice Over Wlans

Since the G.722 wideband speech codec offers higher quality and naturalness than G.711, is low in complexity, has low delay, and tandems well with other codecs, it is an attractive codec for voice over IP and voice over wireless LANs. However, packet losses in G.722 not only require good concealment of the lost frame, but a lost frame results in a mismatch of the encoder/decoder states for the next correctly received frame following the lost frame. Although proprietary schemes exist, the G.722 codec has no standardized packet loss concealment (PLC) method. We present a new PLC method for G.722 and propose an efficient approach to sending the side information to resynchronize the encoder and decoder that greatly improves the robustness of the G.722 codec to packet losses
Efficient Estimation of More Detailed Internet IP Maps

Router-level maps of the Internet implicate a large body of research on network management, overlay networks, performance evaluation, and security. The inaccuracies in these maps result in misleading conclusions. In this paper, we propose AROMA (accurate router-level map), a tool to infer router-level, layer-3 maps of the Internet. AROMA uncovers more routers and links in targeted (mapped) networks than existing tools with less probing overhead. For example, AROMA reveals the same number of routers and links as the Rocketfuel tool after sending less than 5.1% of the number of probes used by Rocketfuel, and reveals at least 100% more links and routers than Rocketuel while using the same number of probe packets. We use AROMA to draw the maps of four major ISP networks and revisit the conclusions drawn by earlier research on the Internet IP structure. Surprisingly, AROMA maps consistently reveal that core routers have a higher degree than edge routers in contrast to the recently suggested higher connectivity of routers at the network edge. The maps also reveal that routers' degree distribution follows a power-law in contrast to the recently suggested Weibull distribution.
Managing the Division of Labor: The Discursive Construction of Treatment in Two Hospital Obstetrical Units

Medicine, as a scientific discipline, is discursively constructed, and medical discourse is constitutive of medical work. In the modern hospital, the official record of this activity is the patient’s medical chart. The medical chart both records the patient’s progress and inscribes the expert division of labor, documenting the structuring of participation and the manner in which the work is performed. This paper examines the impact of institutional structure on medical work through a comparison of notes recorded in the obstetrical units of two hospitals where the division of labor is differently distributed. Both cases involved a patient who was admitted to the hospital in apparently-normal latent labor but was found on initial examination to display signs of placental abruption, a life-threatening obstetrical emergency. By comparing the recording and management of this condition on the two units, I demonstrate the relationship of organizational structure to the structuring of medical work. In so doing, I reveal the subtext constructed by the writers’ discursive practices, through which their professional and institutional identities are enacted and displayed.
Overexpression of fasciculation and elongation protein ζ-1 (FEZ1) induces a post-entry block to retroviruses in cultured cells

Two mutant Rat2 fibroblast cell lines, R3-2 and R4-7, have been previously isolated by a selection for retrovirus resistance. We have now further analyzed the basis of the block to retroviral infection in the R3-2 line. Using Affymetrix GeneChip analysis, several genes were identified as differentially expressed in the mutant R3-2 line compared with the wild-type cells. One of the candidate gene products, FEZ1 (fasciculation and elongation protein ζ-1), a protein kinase C (PKC)ζ-interacting protein homologous to the Caenorhabditis elegans synaptic transport protein UNC-76, was found to be up-regulated >30-fold in the resistant R3-2 line. FEZ1 overexpression in Rat2 cells conferred a potent resistance to infection by genetically marked retroviruses, and the degree of retroviral resistance in both Rat2 fibroblasts and 293T cells tightly correlated with the expression level of FEZ1 transcripts. FEZ1-overexpressing Rat2 cells showed a similar phenotype to that of the mutant R3-2 line: Infection resulted in normal viral DNA synthesis but a reduction in the formation of circular DNA, indicating a block after reverse transcription but before nuclear entry. Partial knockdown of FEZ1 expression in R3-2 by RNA interference (RNAi) significantly reduced the resistance of this line to infection. Thus, our data suggest that FEZ1 overexpression is sufficient to explain the resistant phenotype of R3-2 cells and identify FEZ1 as a new gene capable of causing retrovirus resistance.
Safety Enhancing Mechanisms for Pervasive Computing Systems in Intelligent Environments

Pervasive computing systems provide personalized and intimate services to improve users' quality of life by integrating computation and communication into the environments. With the capability to interact with the physical world and the promise in assisting or managing aspects of users' daily lives, the requirement for safety is high and imminent. The difficulty in providing safety is the result of the dynamicity, complexity, heterogeneity and uncertainly typical in pervasive computing. After examining and analyzing worst-case scenarios of safety violation, we identify four fundamental elements whose individual safety assurances add greatly to the overall system safety. We propose safety enhancing mechanisms for each of the four elements and their interactions.
Effects of vitamin D supplementation on alveolar macrophage gene expression: preliminary results of a randomized, controlled trial

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a factor in a number of infectious and inflammatory lung diseases. In the lung, alveolar macrophages play a key role in inflammation and defense of infection, but there are little data exploring the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D on innate lung immunity in humans. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of vitamin D supplementation on gene expression of alveolar macrophages. Methods: We performed a parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to determine the effects of vitamin D on alveolar macrophage gene expression. Vitamin D3 (1000 international units/day) or placebo was administered to adults for three months. Bronchoscopy was performed pre- and post-intervention to obtain alveolar macrophages. Messenger RNA was isolated from the macrophages and subjected to whole genome exon array analysis. The primary outcome was differential gene expression of the alveolar macrophage in response to vitamin D supplementation. Specific genes underwent validation by polymerase chain reaction methods. Results: Fifty-eight subjects were randomized to vitamin D (n = 28) or placebo (n = 30). There was a marginal overall difference between treatment group and placebo group in the change of 25-hydroxyvitaminD levels (4.43 ng/ml vs. 0.2 ng/ml, p = 0.10). Whole genome exon array analysis revealed differential gene expression associated with change in serum vitamin D levels in the treated group. CCL8/MCP-2 was the top-regulated cytokine gene and was further validated. Conclusions: Although only a non-significant increased trend was seen in serum vitamin D levels, subjects treated with vitamin D supplementation had immune-related differential gene expression in alveolar macrophages. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.org: NCT01967628.