cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using interactive Internet technology to promote physical activity in Latinas: Rationale, design, and baseline findings of Pasos Hacia La Salud

Internet-based interventions show promise as an effective channel for promoting physical activity. However, a paucity of research has been conducted among underserved groups despite recent increases in Internet access and physical activity-related health disparities in these communities. Thus, the current randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of an individually tailored, Internet-based physical activity intervention for Latinas. This program was culturally and linguistically adapted for the target population through extensive formative research. Two hundred eighteen sedentary Latinas were randomly assigned to the Tailored Physical Activity Internet Intervention or the Wellness Contact Control Internet Group. The Physical Activity Internet Intervention, based on Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model, utilizes a website with features including self-monitoring, goal setting, discussion forum, links to online resources, individually tailored and motivation-matched physical activity feedback reports, and exercise tip sheets. Participants receive regular emails over the first 6months with a tapered dose during the second 6months (maintenance phase) to alert them to new content on the website. The main outcome is differences in minutes/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity at six months as measured by the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall and accelerometer data. High reach, low cost, culturally relevant Internet-based interventions that encourage physical activity among Latinas could help reduce health disparities and thus have a substantial positive impact on public health.
RescueMe: An Indoor Mobile Augmented-Reality Evacuation System by Personalized Pedometry

Emergency applications have recently become widely available on modern smart phones. Nearly all of these commercial applications have focused on providing simple accident information in outdoor settings. AR in indoor environments poses unique challenges, due to the unavailability of GPS indoors and WiFi-based positioning limitations. In this paper, we propose the use of Rescue Me, a novel system based on indoor mobile AR applications using personalized pedometry and one that recommends the most optimal, uncrowded exit path to users. We have developed the Rescue Me application for use within large scale buildings, with complex paths. We show how Rescue Meleverages the sensors on a smart phone, in conjunction with emergency information and daily-based user behavior, to deliver evacuation information in emergency situations.
Efficient Quantum Computation with Probabilistic Quantum Gates

With a combination of the quantum repeater and the cluster state approaches, we show that efficient quantum computation can be constructed even if all the entangling quantum gates only succeed with an arbitrarily small probability p. The required computational overhead scales efficiently both with 1/p and n, where n is the number of qubits in the computation. This approach provides an efficient way to combat noise in a class of quantum computation implementation schemes, where the dominant noise leads to probabilistic signaled errors with an error probability 1-p far beyond any threshold requirement.
Determination of Aldose Reductase Activity in the Eye by Localized Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The polyol pathway plays an important role in the formation of diabetic complications of the eye. Due to variations in the pharmacokinetic properties of aldose reductase inhibitors and variations in the degradation of the blood-ocular barrier, it is often difficult to determine the proper intraocular levels of aldose reductase inhibitor required for inhibition of aldose reductase activity in ocular tissues. Utilizing localized magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), the present method can determine adequate inhibition of aldose reductase activity in the lens by noninvasively measuring polyol pathway activity in the eye. New Zealand White rabbits, under anesthesia, were administered an intravitreal injection of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-glucose (3FDG). Localized MRS was then used to assess polyol pathway activity by determining the levels of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-sorbitol (3FS) and 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-fructose (3FF) metabolite formation from 3FDG in the eye. MRS was able to follow the loss of 3FDG from the vitreous into the anterior segment of the eye and particularly into the lens and aqueous. The primary metabolism of 3FDG observed by MRS was the formation of 3FS in the lens that is catalyzed by aldose reductase. Production of 3FS was linear in time and decreased with the oral administration of an aldose reductase inhibitor.
Fluoroaryl-substituted ketiminate complexes of aluminum

Abstract The ketiminate complex AlCl[OC(Me)CHC(Me)N(p-C6H4F)]2 (4) has been prepared from the β-aminoenone, O C(Me)CH C(Me)N(H)(p-C6H4F) (3) by lithiation of 3 with n-BuLi, followed by reaction with AlCl3 and by the reaction of 3 with Me2AlCl. A second compound, [AlCl2{O C(Me)CH C(Me)N(H)(p-C6H4F)}4][AlCl4] (5), was also isolated from the AlCl3 reaction. The structures of 4 and 5 were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.
A prospective study of gastric acid analysis and esophageal acid exposure in patients with gastroesophageal reflux refractory to medical therapy.

A number of factors have been proposed to account for the lack of response to medical therapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux; however, no controlled studies are available in the literature. The goal of this study was to determine possible causes of medical refractoriness in patients with gastroesophageal reflux. Gastric acid output and esophageal acid exposure were measured in patients who continue to have reflux symptoms despite aggressive antisecretory therapy. In addition, an upper endoscopy was also performed in each patient. Patients with a drug-controlled acid output 1 mEq/hr and a supine esophageal pH < 4 for more than 1.7% of the time measured were considered resistant to therapy. Twenty -four patients met the inclusion criteria (13 male and 11 female; mean age, 52). Drug-controlled gastric acid output was more than 1 mEq/hr in 25% of patients and less than 1 mEq/hr in the remainder. Of those patients with a gastric acid output of less than 1 mEq/hr (18 patients), 8(44%) had a supine esophageal pH < 4 for more than 1.7% of the time, suggesting that factors other than gastroesophageal reflux likely contributed to their reflux-like symptoms. Acid suppression appears adequate in the majority of patients with gastroesophageal reflux refractory to medical therapy. The exact cause of persistent reflux-like symptoms in patients who fail medical treatment is uncertain but may be related to non-acid-related factors such as esophageal hypersensitivity to physiologic reflux, increased intake of air resulting in aerophagia, or other factors such as bile reflux.
Nanotribological studies of dendrimer-mediated metallic thin films

Recent studies on ultra-thin Au films on dendrimer-mediated substrates showed that the nanohardness of thin metal films is significantly increased by the presence of a dendrimer interlayer. This increase is attributed to the enhanced adhesion and modified growth mode of the dendrimer-mediated Au films as well as the confined nature of the dendrimer interlayer itself. This paper presents the results of extensive nanotribological studies of 10 nm Ti and thin films deposited onto the PAMAM dendrimer-mediated Si wafers using direct current magnetron sputtering. Ramped load nanoscratch tests were performed using a Nano Indenter® II system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed to investigate the chemical interactions between the metal films, the interlayers and the environment. The nanoscratch surfaces and friction coefficient profiles for the thin films indicate that the scratch critical load is increased by the presence of dendrimer interlayer; that is the scratch load bearing capacity is improved. This is related to the formation of a mixed nanocomposite and increased interfacial adhesion. Critical load improvement is also related to the generation (size) of the dendrimer. The effect is more pronounced for the thicker G8 dendrimer than that for the G4 dendrimer interlayer. The scratch failure mechanism studied through atomic force microscopy analyses of the scratches tracks is similar to the observed wear behavior of the dendrimer-mediated Cr and Cu films. These results are important for the development and potential application of polymer-mediated metallic thin film tribo-materials.
Theoretical evidence for low kinetic overpotentials in Li-O2 electrochemistry

We develop a density functional theory model for the electrochemical growth and dissolution of Li2O2 on various facets, terminations, and sites (terrace, steps, and kinks) of a Li2O2 surface. We argue that this is a reasonable model to describe discharge and charge of Li-O2 batteries over most of the discharge-charge cycle. Because non-stoichiometric surfaces are potential dependent and since the potential varies during discharge and charge, we study the thermodynamic stability of facets, terminations, and steps as a function of potential. This suggests that different facets, terminations, and sites may dominate in charge relative to those for discharge. We find very low thermodynamic overpotentials (<0.2 V) for both discharge and charge at many sites on the facets studied. These low thermodynamic overpotentials for both discharge and charge are in very good agreement with the low kinetic overpotentials observed in recent experiments. However, there are other predicted paths for discharge/charge that have higher overpotentials, so the phase space available for the electrochemistry opens up with overpotential.
Localization of protein‐binding sites within families of proteins

We address the question of whether or not the positions of protein-binding sites on homologous protein structures are conserved irrespective of the identities of their binding partners. First, for each domain family in the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP), protein-binding sites are extracted from our comprehensive database of structurally defined binary domain interactions (PIBASE). Second, the binding sites within each family are superposed using a structural alignment of its members. Finally, the degree of localization of binding sites within each family is quantified by comparing it with localization expected by chance. We found that 72% of the 1847 SCOP domain families in PIBASE have binding sites with localization values greater than expected by chance. Moreover, 554 (30%) of these families have localizations that are statistically significant (i.e., more than four standard deviations away from the mean expected by chance). In contrast, only 144 (8%) families have significantly low localization. The absence of a significant correlation of the binding site localization with the average sequence and structural conservations in a family suggests that localization can be helpful for describing the functional diversity of protein–protein interactions, complementing measures of sequence and structural conservation. Consideration of the binding site localization may also result in spatial restraints for the modeling of protein assembly structures.
Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV infection in Pacific countries.

A generalized epidemic of HIV infection has been evolving in Papua New Guinea over the last decade whereas in other Pacific Island countries and territories (PICT) HIV transmission has generally been less widespread. Programmes to detect HIV infection in pregnant women and to prevent mother to child transmission (MTCT) during either delivery or breastfeeding can decrease the incidence of infection in infants. The limited health infrastructure present in some PICT may delay the implementation of effective programmes to decrease MTCT of HIV. We used a standardized questionnaire to survey health-care providers in 22 PICT for information on the epidemiology of HIV infection and strategies used during 2004 to prevent MTCT of HIV infection in their country. We supplemented these survey responses with data obtained from regional organizations supporting national responses to HIV. We obtained responses from 21 PICT. The reported prevalence of known HIV infection was >150 per 100 000 persons in Papua New Guinea approximately 100 per 100 000 persons in French Polynesia Guam New Caledonia and Tuvalu and < 50 per 100 000 persons in the remaining 14 PICT. Other than in Papua New Guinea where an estimated 500 pregnant women had HIV infection diagnosed in 2004 reported HIV infection among pregnant women was rare. Ten PICT reported that an HIV antibody test was offered as a routine component of antenatal care and 11 reported that antiretroviral medications were available for the prevention of MTCT of HIV infection. The prevalence of HIV infection differs greatly between PICT with a varying risk of MTCT of HIV infection. Successful prevention of MTCT of HIV infection throughout the PICT will require improved uptake of antenatal HIV antibody testing and better access to antiretroviral medications. (authors)
Techniques for LI-BDN synthesis for hybrid microarchitectural simulation

Computer designers rely upon near-cycle-accurate microarchitectural simulation to explore the design space of new systems. Unfortunately, such simulators are becoming increasingly slow as systems become more complex. Hybrid simulators which offload some of the simulation work onto FPGAs can increase the speed; however, such simulators must be automatically synthesized or the time to design them becomes prohibitive. Furthermore, FPGA implementations of simulators may require multiple FPGA clock cycles to implement behavior that takes place within one simulated clock cycle, making correct arbitrary composition of simulator components impossible and limiting the amount of hardware concurrency which can be achieved. Latency-Insensitive Bounded Dataflow Networks (LI-BDNs) have been suggested as a means to permit composition of simulator components in FPGAs. However, previous work has required that LI-BDNs be created manually. This paper introduces techniques for automated synthesis of LI-BDNs from the processes of a System-C microarchitectural model. We demonstrate that LI-BDNs can be successfully synthesized. We also introduce a technique for reducing the overhead of LI-BDNs when the latency-insensitive property is unnecessary, resulting in up to a 60% reduction in FPGA resource requirements.
Cooling Curve Prediction of Asphaltic Concrete

During cold wealther periods, asphalt concrete highway construction is frequently postponed because the hot asphalt concrete cools too rapidly for proper compaction to take place. If the cooling rates and asphalt concrete temperatures for hot asphalt could be predicted as a function of time, then construction on many cold weather days could proceed when construction would otherwise be prohibited. A simple predictive method is available on a hand‐held Hewlett‐Packard 97 programmable calculator. The research reported in this paper tests the predictive method by comparing predicted temperatures with measured temperatures under both laboratory and field conditions. The predictive method proves satisfactory for predicting cooling curves up to 20 min. Reported also are the laboratory measures of thermophysical properties of typical asphalt concrete and base materials encountered in Ohio.
Evidence for a Mechanism by Which ω-3 Polyunsaturated Lipids May Affect Membrane Protein Function†

We have calculated the lateral pressure profile from well-converged, experimentally validated, molecular dynamics simulations of hydrated lipid bilayer membranes containing highly polyunsaturated fatty acids. The three simulations, each 30 ns in length, contain ω-3 fatty acids, ω-6 fatty acids, and a mixture of ω-3 fatty acids and cholesterol and were continued from previously published simulations that demonstrated excellent agreement with a wide variety of experimental measurements. We find that the distribution of lateral stress within the hydrophobic core of the membrane is sensitively dependent on the degree of chain unsaturation and on the presence of cholesterol. Replacing ω-3 fatty acids with ω-6 chains, or incorporating cholesterol into the membrane, shifts the repulsive lateral chain pressure away from the lipid/water interface toward the bilayer interior. This may support a previously proposed mechanism by which lipid composition may affect conformational equilibrium for integral membrane proteins.
Development and viability of frozen-thawed cattle embryos

Abstract Embryos recovered 7 to 8 days after estrus were frozen from −7 to −30°C at 0.3°C/min, from −30 to −33°C at 0.1°C/min, and then plunged into liquid nitrogen. They were thawed in a 25°C waterbath. In a preliminary study, 15 of 18 embryos continued to develop during the 24-hour culture post-thaw in either Ham's F-10 or modified Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline (PBS). In the main study, 5 of 20 embryos developed to 60-day pregnancies when embryos were transferred within 5 hours after thawing. The incidence of extended estrous cycles (pregnancy or presumed embryonic mortality) was 10 of 14, when the zona pellucida was intact after thawing, and 0 of 6, when it was ruptured or absent (P vs 9 of 20, respectively, P⋍.1). Quality of the embryos, at recovery from the donor and after thawing, affected development in culture (19 of 27 embryos excellent at recovery developed vs 5 of 13 poor to very good, P⋍.1; 23 of 33 embryos good to excellent after thawing developed vs 1 of 7 poor, P in vitro .
RODM: a control information base

Operational management of computers and computer networks was formerly performed exclusively by an operator or a team of operators equipped only with consoles for the display of status messages. Each system component independently determined its own set of such messages, identifying conditions needing attention. To meet future challenges, however, a structured approach to systems and network management and associated automation will be necessary. The amount and complexity of the status information needed for control and coordination will make it unlikely that operators will be able to keep up with such needs unaided. This control information must be made available to a family of systems and network management applications (including operator display programs). The NetView® Resource Object Data Manager (RODM) is designed to facilitate the storage and retrieval of control information. It provides services for defining a structured data model of a computer system. The control information is not kept simply in the form of messages, but instead the data are organized into units called objects. This allows the model to effectively capture interrelationships and dependencies as well as status information.
Name Change for Sansabella tumida Hoare, 2008

Eugen Karl Kempf, Frechen, Germany has pointed out that Sansabella tumida Hoare, 2008 is preoccupied by Sansabella tumida Coryell and Sohn, 1938. the name is here changed to Sansabella yochelsoni , named for the late Ellis L. Yochelson of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Project 1.5-1 Radiation Control at Facilities: Application of the PICASSO System

The Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) is a cooperative effort between military establishments of the Russian Federation, United States, and Norway to reduce potential environmental threats from military installations and activities in the Arctic region and enhancing the environmental security of all three countries. The goal of this project is to enhance the ability of the Russian Navy to effectively and safely perform radioecological monitoring of sites at facilities dismantling nuclear submarines and handling and disposition of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and the radioactive waste by-products. Radioecological monitoring is needed to protect workers at the sites engaged in work involving the dismantlement of nuclear submarines, the local public of the surrounding communities, and the environment. Radioecological monitoring is being accomplished by the installation of a centralized radiological surveillance system, the PICASSO Environmental Monitoring system developed by the Institute for Energy Technology, Halden, Norway. The Russian Institute for Nuclear Safety, Moscow, Russia, modified the system for use at Russian Federation Naval bases and developed a working model for its intended application. The working model includes Russian manufactured terrestrial and underwater gamma detectors, smart controllers, radiomodems for off-site transmission of data coupled with the PICASSO Environmental Monitoring system installed into local computers, work stations, and a centralized server to monitor the real-time activity of the particular site. The selected sites for installation of PICASSO are the Polyarninsky Shipyard No. 10 and the RTP Atomflot shipyards. The AMEC project teams visited Polyarninsky Shipyard No. 10 and the RTP Atomflot shipyards in June 2003 to monitor the progress of the installation of the detection and monitoring systems. The implementation of the PICASSO system will be integrated with other AMEC projects at both sites. Plans are being developed to implement the use of this system at most Russian Federation Naval sites handling SNF.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Role of adherent cells in immune responses to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A

The roles of adherent and nonadherent T cells in the responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A) were studied. [3H]thymidine uptake by mononuclear cells from human thymus and peripheral blood was used to measure the relative influence of monocytes and B cells on the responses to these mitogens. The response to Con A was dependent on two populations of T cells, one adherent to cotton or nylon and the other nonadherent. The first population appeared to potentiate the latter. In contrast, the response to PHA was dependent only on the nonadherent T cell subpopulation. The responses to PHA and to Con A were both dependent on monocytes to approximately the same extent, but the response to Con A, unlike the response to PHA, was also slightly dependent on B cells.
Gene transfer into the mammalian inner ear using HSV-1 and vaccinia virus vectors.

The introduction of foreign genes into cells has become an effective means of achieving intracellular expression of foreign proteins, both for therapeutic purposes and for experimental manipulation. Gene delivery to the nervous system has been extensively studied, primarily using viral vectors. However, to date less work has focused on gene delivery to the inner ear, and existing studies have primarily used adenovirus and adeno-associated virus. Using two recombinant viral vectors, herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), and vaccinia virus, bearing the Escherichia coli lacZ gene, we tested gene delivery to the guinea pig cochlea in vivo with β-galactosidase staining as an assay. The HSV-1 and vaccinia virus vectors were both found to infect and elicit transgene expression successfully in many cells in the guinea pig cochlea, including cells in the organ of Corti. These data demonstrate the feasibility of gene delivery to the inner ear using these two viral vectors. Such techniques may facilitate study of the auditory systems, and might be used to develop gene therapy strategies for some forms of hearing loss.
Invariant problems in dynamic programming- average reward criterion

Abstract A dynamic programming problem is called invariant if its transition mechanism depends only on the action taken and does not depend on the current state of the systm. Replacement and maintenance problems are two typical types of problems which arise in applications and are often invariant. The paper studies properties of invariant problems when the state space is arbitrary and the action space is finite. The main result is a method of obtaining optimal policies for this case when the optimality criterion is that of maximizing the average reward per unit time. Results are illustrated by examples.
Predictions of displacements and stresses in cracked reinforced concrete containment vessels subjected to seismic loads

Abstract A three dimensional, nonlinear finite element analysis capability for analysis of cracked reinforced concrete nuclear containment vessels is described. A bilinear shear stress-shear strain model, based on experiments, is used to study the distribution of radial and tangential shear produced by horizontal seismic loading. Results show substantial redistribution of tangential shear, and significant increases in radial shear, peak bending stress, and vessel displacement, as compared to conventional linear analysis results.
Inhibition of dexamethasone binding to human glucocorticoid receptor by New World primate cell extracts

To determine if New World primates express an inhibitor that influences glucocorticoid receptor (GR) binding characteristics, we examined [3H] dexamethasone binding in cytosol prepared from B95-8 lymphoid cells, derived from the cotton top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), in combination with cytosol prepared from human or rat tissues. B95-8 cytosol inhibited specific binding of [3H]dexamethasone (P < 0.01) when mixed with cytosol prepared from either a human lymphoid cell line (HL) or rat thymus. The inhibitory activity was heat labile and trypsin sensitive. Peak inhibitory activity was found in the 150–200 kd fractions after Sephacryl G-200 ultrafiltration. Scatchard analysis of [3H]dexamethasone binding using mixed cytosol showed a diminished GR apparent binding affinity when compared to HL cytosol. Kinetic studies using mixed cytosol indicated that B95-8 cytosol did not affect the apparent dissociation rate of [3H] dexamethasone. These data demonstrate that B95-8 cells contain a competitive inhibitor that prevents binding of dexamethasone to its cognate receptor.
Solubility of Trace Metals from Fly Ash from the Combustion of Lignite in an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustor

Abstract Fly ash has been collected from the baghouse of an experimental atmospheric fluidized bed combustor (AFBC) burning Beulah, N.D., lignite. The bulk ash has been size-separated after collection, and chemical analyses have been performed on the largest fraction, which had a mass median diameter of 2.μm. This lignite AFBC ash lacks the predominant aluminosilicate core characteristic of fly ash from the combustion of pulverised bituminous coal. Instead, it consists primarily of calcium carbonate. It appears that a large fraction of the ash is derived from the limestone bed material, rather than from the lignite fuel. The bulk concentrations of trace metals are within normal ranges, although the enrichment factors for Mn, Cr, Mg, Ni, K, and Ca are exceptionally large.
Dihydrofolate Reductase from Neisseria sp

Members of the genus Neisseria are relatively nonsusceptible to trimethoprim, an inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase. For example, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of trimethoprim for N. gonorrhoeae ranges from 2 to 70 mug/ml, whereas the MIC for Escherichia coli is 0.2 mug/ml or less. In an effort to understand this difference, dihydrofolate reductase was partially purified from five Neisseria species and compared with the enzyme from E. coli. N. gonorrhoeae dihydrofolate reductase was similar to that from E. coli in molecular weight (18,000) and affinity for the substrates reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and dihydrofolate (K(m) = 13 and 8 muM, respectively). However, the gonococcal enzyme had a decreased affinity for trimethoprim, with an apparent K(i) of 45 x 10(-9) M, some 30-fold greater than the E. coli value of 1.2 x 10(-9) M. These enzymes also differed in their isoelectric points and pH activity profiles. Within the genus Neisseria, the dihydrofolate reductase isolated from N. meningitidis and N. lactamica resembled the N. gonorrhoeae enzyme, and only small differences were detected for the N. flavescens and Branhamella catarrhalis dihydrofolate reductases. These data indicate that the relatively poor affinity of trimethoprim for the dihydrofolate reductase from these organisms may be largely responsible for the relative nonsusceptibility of Neisseria sp. to trimethoprim. The contribution of other resistance mechanisms to the overall nonsusceptibility was assessed. Strains of N. gonorrhoeae with altered cell envelope permeability had MIC values less than twofold different from those of isogenic wild-type strains. Also, a direct relationship was observed between the affinity of trimethoprim analogs for gonococcal dihydrofolate reductase and the MIC of these compounds for the gonococcus. These observations suggest that the cell envelope of N. gonorrhoeae is not impermeable to trimethoprim. Changes in the amount of dihydrofolate reductase activity could cause alterations in the susceptibility of the gonococcus to trimethoprim, as demonstrated with N. gonorrhoeae strains selected for trimethoprim resistance after chemical mutagenesis. However, the level of dihydrofolate reductase activity in wild-type N. gonorrhoeae was similar to that of E. coli, indicating that the difference in the susceptibility of these organisms is not due to greater amounts of enzyme in N. gonorrhoeae.
Mood States and Acquiescence

The study sought to evaluate the influence of extreme response style on mood state factors isolated. The factors obtained after partialling out response bias from intercorrelations of adjectives were compared with those obtained from the original set. A sample of the 349 high school students were administered a 63-adjective feeling-and-mood inventory. A principal axis analysis of the adjective intercorrelations disclosed seven mood states, all monopolar. After extreme response-bias score was partialled out of the intercorrelations the matrix of partial correlations was analyzed and seven factors were identified. Three of the mood states identified were bipolar and four were monopolar.
Multiple defects in counterregulation of hypoglycemia in modestly advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), little is known about hormonal responses to hypoglycemia. In particular, beta-cell responses to hypoglycemia have not been carefully investigated and potentially because of confounding factors or insufficient power, conflicting data have been obtained regarding growth hormone responses. We therefore compared hormonal responses including rates of insulin secretion during a 2-hour hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic clamp in a relatively large number of nondiabetic (n = 21) and moderately insulin-deficient subjects with T2DM (homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function [HOMA-%B], 751 ± 160 vs 1144 ± 83 [pmol/L]/[mmol/L], P 0.6). We conclude that multiple defects exist in hormonal responses to hypoglycemia in T2DM with moderate beta-cell failure. These include delayed and reduced decreases in insulin secretion, and impaired increases of plasma glucagon and growth hormone.
Microfluidic sample preparation for diagnostic cytopathology

The cellular components of body fluids are routinely analyzed to identify disease and treatment approaches. While significant focus has been placed on developing cell analysis technologies, tools to automate the preparation of cellular specimens have been more limited, especially for body fluids beyond blood. Preparation steps include separating, concentrating, and exposing cells to reagents. Sample preparation continues to be routinely performed off-chip by technicians, preventing cell-based point-of-care diagnostics, increasing the cost of tests, and reducing the consistency of the final analysis following multiple manually-performed steps. Here, we review the assortment of biofluids for which suspended cells are analyzed, along with their characteristics and diagnostic value. We present an overview of the conventional sample preparation processes for cytological diagnosis. We finally discuss the challenges and opportunities in developing microfluidic devices for the purpose of automating or miniaturizing these processes, with particular emphases on preparing large or small volume samples, working with samples of high cellularity, automating multi-step processes, and obtaining high purity subpopulations of cells. We hope to convey the importance of and help identify new research directions addressing the vast biological and clinical applications in preparing and analyzing the array of available biological fluids. Successfully addressing the challenges described in this review can lead to inexpensive systems to improve diagnostic accuracy while simultaneously reducing overall systemic healthcare costs.
Aggregation of triphenylmethane dyes in aqueous solution : dimerization and trimerization of crystal violet and ethyl violet

Abstract The self-association of crystal violet and ethyl violet in aqueous solution has been studied using multiwavelength linear regression of the concentration dependent absorbance data. Dimerization ( K 1 ) and trimerization ( K 2 ) equilibrium constants were determined to be 680 M −1 and 730 M −1 for crystal violet, respectively, and 3970 M −1 and 1180 M −1 for ethyl violet. Although not imposed by the numerical analysis of the data, resolved spectra of the dimer and trimer were obtained having approximately the same integrated absorptivity per mole of dye as that of the monomer. A reasonable model of the dimer structure is presented and discussed in terms of the excitonic coupling of the transition moments for the two visible bands in the momomer absorbance spectrum.
Multiple Effects of Home and Day Care Crowding

As an environmental psychologist, her research interests are children's environments and environments for persons with special needs. She is currently doing research on the relationship between noise and preschool children's acquisition of prereading skills, environmental factors in preschool inclusive classrooms, and children's use of outdoorplay equipment. With a background in facility planning, she is also involved in architectural programming projects, of which a playground for both sighted and blind children is the most recent.
Effect of comorbid conditions on adherence to colorectal cancer screening.

Potential barriers to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening include preexisting medical conditions (comorbidities), physician recommendation, psychosocial factors, and screening preparedness. This study's purpose was to investigate the impact of comorbid conditions on CRC screening among African Americans. A stage-matched randomized clinical trial was performed. Asymptomatic African Americans over age 50, with a primary care physician, and eligible for CRC screening were recruited at The Mount Sinai Hospital from 2005 to 2008. One hundred sixty-one patients were assessed for referral for, and completion of, CRC screening, comorbid conditions, “readiness to change,” and number of physician visits within the observation period. Data was compared to a pretrial index to predict the likely effect of comorbid conditions on CRC screening. One hundred fifty-nine patients completed the study; 108 (68.9%) were referred for and 34 (21.2%) completed CRC screening. No demographic characteristics were associated with CRC screening completion. CRC screening referrals were similar for all patients, regardless of comorbidities or clinical visits. Comorbidities rated as having extreme influence on CRC screening showed a trend toward lower screening rates. There was a significant increase in screening rates among participants in advanced stages of readiness at enrollment. These data suggest that while comorbidities did not predict colonoscopy completion, they may play a role in concert with other factors. This is the only study to assess the effect of screening colonoscopy in an African American primary care setting. We must continue to explore interventions to narrow the disparate gap in screening and mortality rates.
Responses of the domestic fowl to hyper and hypoglycemic agents.

RECENTLY, increasing attention has been paid to the effects of various hyper- and hypoglycemic agents in studies of mammalian carbohydrate metabolism. Both cobaltous chloride (1) and Synthalin A (2) have been used to damage the pancreatic alpha cells in efforts to study the role which glucagon-release might play in the carbohydrate scheme; l-tryptophan (3) and certain sulfonylureas (4, 5) have been studied for their bloodsugar-lowering effects. Little work has been done on responses of the fowl to either anti-insulin or insulin-like substances. Yet responses of mammals to these substances prompt the study of them in animals, such as the fowl, whose normal bloodglucose level is quite high compared with that of mammals, but which are in themselves unresponsive to diabetogenic techniques. Herein are reported experiments with two of these substances, cobaltous chloride and 1-butyl-3-p-tolysulfonylurea (Orinase1), on carbohydrate metabolism in the domestic fowl. Some experimental responses of chickens of diffe...
Definitions of ‘High Technology’ Used by State Programs in the USA: A Study of Variation in Industrial Policy under a Federal System

Rationales for high technology development programs are suggested, and results to a survey of how state and federal agencies concerned with high technology development define such industry are presented. The general similarity found between federal and state definitions contradicts theoretical expectations of variation, and suggests the natural federal logic may be suppressed in this case. Speculation is made that state assistance is in general not following the directions set by Japan.
Surface-mediated production of hydroxyl radicals as a mechanism of iron oxide nanoparticle biotoxicity

Emerging applications of nanosized iron oxides in nanotechnology introduce vast quantities of nanomaterials into the human environment, thus raising some concerns. Here we report that the surface of γ-Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles 20-40 nm in diameter mediates production of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH(•)) under conditions of the biologically relevant superoxide-driven Fenton reaction. By conducting comparative spin-trapping EPR experiments, we show that the free radical production is attributed primarily to the catalytic reactions at the nanoparticles' surface rather than being caused by the dissolved metal ions released by the nanoparticles as previously thought. Moreover, the catalytic centers on the nanoparticle surface were found to be at least 50-fold more effective in OH(•) radical production than the dissolved Fe(3+) ions. Conventional surface modification methods such as passivating the nanoparticles' surface with up to 935 molecules of oleate or up to 18 molecules of bovine serum albumin per iron oxide core were found to be rather ineffective in suppressing production of the hydroxyl radicals. The experimental protocols developed in this study could be used as one of the approaches for developing analytical assays for assessing the free radical generating activity of a variety of nanomaterials that is potentially related to their biotoxicity.
Modeling and simulation of the effect of fiber breakage on creep behavior of fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites

A theoretical model and computer simulation methodology was developed to predict the effect of fiber fracture on creep behavior of continuous fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites. Initially, a single fiber model was developed based upon the fiber statistical characteristics and a shear-lag analysis to establish the computation simulation route. Then, the methodology was extended to predict the creep behavior of a multiple fiber composite. A failure criterion was also incorporated in the model to predict the rupture life of the composite. A parametric study was also conducted to investigate the effects of properties of the constituents on the longitudinal creep behavior of the SCS-6/Ti composite.
Bioabsorbable screw divergence angle, not tunnel preparation method influences soft tissue tendon graft-bone tunnel fixation in healthy bone.

Bone tunnel fixation of a soft tissue tendon graft is the weak link immediately following ACL reconstruction. This biomechanical study evaluated the influence of extraction drilled or step dilated bone tunnels and bioabsorbable screw divergence on soft tissue tendon graft fixation. From an initial group of 50 available specimens, similar apparent bone mineral density porcine tibiae (1.2 +/- 0.24 g/cm2) were divided into two groups of ten specimens each. Group 1 (extraction drilled) received 9 mm diameter tunnels. Group 2 (step dilated) received 7 mm diameter tunnels that were dilated to 9 mm. Grafts were secured in tunnels using 10 mm diameter, 35 mm long tapered screws. After high resolution CT scanning to evaluate screw divergence, constructs were pretensioned on a servo hydraulic device between 10 and 50 N for 10 cycles, and isometric pretensioned at 50 N for 1 min, prior to 500 sub-maximal loading cycles (50-200 N) and load to failure testing at 20 mm/min. Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to evaluate group differences. Coefficient of determination values (r2) were calculated to further delineate statistically significant relationships. Tunnel preparation method did not display statistically significant effects on insertion torque, displacement during cyclic testing, relative stiffness during cyclic testing, load at failure, stiffness during load to failure testing or displacement during load to failure testing. Screw divergence or = 15 degrees significantly reduces soft tissue tendon graft-bone tunnel fixation.
Pharmacological Treatment of Portal Hypertension

The available pharmacological treatments for portal hypertension are reviewed. Vasoconstrictor treatments include vasopressin (VP), the synthetic VP analogue tGLVP, combined nitroglycerin (NTG)-VP, somatostatin (SRIF), SRIF analogues and non-selective beta-blockers. Vasodilator treatments include short- and long-acting organic nitrates. Infusions of VP > 1.0 U/min can cause severe side-effects. tGLVP can control variceal bleeding and improve survival and causes fewer complications than VP. SRIF is as effective as tGLVP in controlling bleeding and improving survival and has minimal side effects. Beta-blockers are effective in preventing the first variceal haemorrhage and are well tolerated.
Visible and Invisible Barriers to the Incorporation of Faculty of Color in Predominantly White Law Schools

Despite efforts to diversify faculty in predominantly White institutions, most law schools remain predominantly male and Caucasian. Based heavily on aspects of Law Professor Derrick Bell's work and...
Myocardial catecholamine and neuropeptide Y depletion in failing ventricles of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Correlation with beta-adrenergic receptor downregulation.

BACKGROUND Myocardial adrenergic neurotransmitters and beta-adrenergic receptor levels were measured in left and right ventricular myocardial specimens obtained from 30 patients with biventricular failure resulting from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS AND RESULTS Nonfailing myocardium obtained from 12 organ donors provided control data. Norepinephrine, dopamine, and neuropeptide Y concentrations were significantly decreased in failing compared with nonfailing control hearts. The mean ratio of dopamine to norepinephrine and of dopamine to neuropeptide Y in failing hearts was also significantly decreased compared with nonfailing control hearts. Compared with nonfailing control hearts, Bmax and beta 1-receptor density were significantly decreased in failing hearts and there were weak but significantly positive correlations of Bmax and beta 1-adrenergic receptors with norepinephrine, dopamine, and neuropeptide Y. CONCLUSIONS Norepinephrine and its cotransmitter neuropeptide Y are depleted in failing human ventricular myocardium. Decreased norepinephrine stores correlate weakly with beta 1-adrenergic receptor downregulation consistent with the hypothesis that norepinephrine depletion occurs in response to increased adrenergic drive. Decreased dopamine relative to norepinephrine implies that an abnormality of dopamine conversion to norepinephrine is not present in failing human heart.
Age dependency of spontaneous anti-autologous erythrocyte plaque-forming cells among cultured rabbit appendix cells

Abstract The development in rabbit appendix cell cultures of plaque-forming cells (PFC) against autologous erythrocytes (RRBC), which we have reported recently (1), is now shown to depend strongly upon the age of the rabbit. Appendix cells from rabbits younger than 6 weeks produce no anti-autologous RRBC PFC. Cells from rabbits 8–16 weeks of age are most active. But, only a few anti-autologous RRBC plaque-forming cells developed in appendix cell cultures from the 6-month- to 5-year-old rabbits we have tested.
Phosphorus partition in blood and serum, serum calcium and plasma phosphatase during healing of late rickets.

The partition of phosphorus in whole blood and serum, the serum calcium and plasma phosphatase have been studied in 2 patients during the slow healing of late rickets of the low phosphorus type. The evidence obtained indicates that the organic acid-soluble (ester) phosphorus of corpuscles is markedly decreased in active late rickets. The lowest value observed was 41.5 mg. per 100 cc. (normal for the age, 66 mg.). This fraction of the blood phosphorus responds very quickly when antirachitic treatment is given, and may reach the normal value before any definite change in serum inorganic phosphorus is observed. The intake of vitamin D by one patient was apparently insufficient to maintain the increased level of corpuscle ester phosphorus. Relatively much greater increases in vitamin D intake were necessary to induce a second rise, and the normal level was not attained until after the serum inorganic phosphorus had been normal for a period of about 4 weeks.The plasma phosphatase values of both patients were 5...
Tyrosine metabolism in vivo in teneral and mature cockroaches, Periplaneta americana

Abstract Radiorespirometric studies on the relative metabolism of tyrosine side-chain carbons to 14 CO 2 in cockroaches, Periplaneta americana , showed high production of 1- 14 CO 2 but very minor 2- 14 CO 2 shortly after ecdysis. This pattern continued for several days with a decrease in 1- 14 CO 2 and an increase in 2- 14 CO 2 , giving in vivo confirmation of extensive biosynthesis of a two-carbon side-chain metabolite of tyrosine during the period of cuticular tanning. N -acetyl-dopamine was identified chromatographically as the major metabolite. In cockroaches 60 days after ecdysis metabolism of tyrosine by side-chain oxidation was greatly reduced. 14 CO 2 from carbons 1, 2, and 3 was 29, 24, and 20 per cent respectively of the tyrosine injected after 25 hr, indicating a different pathway in old insects with extensive catabolism of the entire sidechain after the initial decarboxylation.
Epidermal Growth Factor in Alkali-Burned Corneal Epithelial Wound Healing

We conducted a double-masked study to evaluate the effect of epidermal growth factor on epithelial wound healing and recurrent erosions in alkali-burned rabbit corneas. Epithelial wounds 10 mm in diameter healed completely under the influence of topical epidermal growth factor, whereas the control corneas did not resurface in the center. On reversal of treatment, the previously nonhealing epithelial defects healed when treated with topical epidermal growth factor eyedrops. Conversely, the epidermal growth factor-treated and resurfaced corneas developed epithelial defects when treatment was discontinued. Histopathologic examination disclosed hyperplastic epithelium growing over the damaged stroma laden with polymorphonuclear leukocytes when treated with epidermal growth factor eyedrops, but it did not adhere to the underlying tissue. Hydropic changes were seen intracellulary as well as between the epithelial cells and the stroma.