cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proceedings of the 8th ACM conference on Electronic commerce

These proceedings present the technical contributions to the 8th ACM Conference on Electronic Commerce EC'07, held June 11-15, 2007, at the Federated Computer Research Conference in San Diego, California, USA. Since its inception in 1999, ACM EC has served as the leading scientific conference on advances in theory, systems, and applications for electronic commerce. The natural focus of the conference is on computer science issues, but the conference is interdisciplinary and addresses many facets of electronic commerce including (1) theory and foundations; (2) languages; (3) automation, personalization, and targeting; (4) security, privacy, encryption, and digital rights; (5) applications and empirical studies; and (6) social factors. In addition to the main technical program, EC'07 featured three workshops and four tutorials. The call for papers attracted 154 submissions from academia and industry around the world, including Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Each paper was reviewed by at least three program committee members on the basis of scientific novelty, technical quality, and importance to the field. The program committee selected 42 papers for presentation at the conference, of which 40 are published in the proceedings. At the authors' request, only abstracts for the remaining papers are included along with pointers to full versions of these "working papers". This accommodates the practices of fields outside of computer science in which journal rather than conference publishing is the norm and conference publishing sometimes precludes journal publishing. Several papers were invited to a special issue of Games and Economic Behavior. Moshe Tennenholtz (Technion University) will join David Parkes as a guest editor of this special issue and invited papers will be subject to a thorough round of additional review. In addition, a couple of papers will be invited for fast-track journal publication in the ACM Transactions on the Web (TWEB).
Nuclear membrane behavior during mitosis in normal and heteroploid Myxomycetes

Photomicrographic evidence is presented of the difference in behavior of nuclear membranes during mitosis in amoebae, zygotes and plasmodia of Myxomycetes. One of the species was cultured on bacteria and possessed a normal cycle of plasmogamy and karyogamy between the amoebal and plasmodial phases. The second species was axenically grown in liquid media and had become highly heteroploid and lacked the ability to develop into plasmodia, existing only in the amoeboid form. The significance of the amoeboid form of mitosis in the heteroploid axenically cultured strain is discussed in relation to the difference in nuclear membrane behavior and the possible significance of such behavior.
MODIFYING OBJECTIVE FUNCTIONS AND CONSTRAINTS FOR MAXIMIZING VISUAL CORRESPONDENCE OF CHOROPLETHIC MAPS

Class-interval selection is viewed as the problem of maximizing an objective function subject to one or more constraints on a feasible solution. A previously-developed method for optimizing the visual correlation between two choroplethic maps, one of which has its classintervals already specified, is extended to include weighting enumeration districts by land area, considering the internal homogeneity of mapping categories, placing a lower limit on class size, and using a regionalization as the pre-specified referent with which visual similarity is to be maximized. Examples presented for all of these elaborations suggest that, although the method must be used with caution when the intercorrelation is low, this optimization approach might be adapted to a variety of problems in statistical mapping. On estime que la difficulte de choisir l'intervalle de categorie consiste a maximiser une fonction objective soumise a une ou plusieurs contraintes pour une solution possible. On avait deja concu une methode pour...
Electronic spectral studies of nickel(II) alanine complexes

Abstract The electronic absorption spectrum of hydrated nickel(II) exhibits three bands, a broad band λ max at 658 nm and two sharp bands with λ max at 394 and 302 nm. The electronic absorption spectrum of Ni(II) and D- and L-alanine in aqueous solution shows the same three characteristic bands, but with λ max at 618,370 and 302 nm, with the absorption intensities increased for the first two bands. The three bands are assigned to the three spin-allowed d-d transitions 3 A 2 g → 3 T 2 g, 3 A 2 g → 3 T 1 g(F) and 3 A 2 g → 3 T 1 g(P) of octahedral nickel(II). Information about the Ni(II) complex formation mechanism and nature of the products was obtained from isosbestic points and pH profile studies of electronic spectra and amino acid racemization rates.
Growth Retardation and Leaky SCID Phenotype of Ku70-Deficient Mice

Ku70, Ku80, and DNA-PKcs are subunits of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), an enzyme implicated in DNA double-stranded break repair and V(D)J recombination. Our Ku70-deficient mice were about 50% the size of control littermates, and their fibroblasts were ionizing radiation sensitive and displayed premature senescence associated with the accumulation of nondividing cells. Ku70-deficient mice lacked mature B cells or serum immunoglobulin but, unexpectedly, reproducibly developed small populations of thymic and peripheral alpha/beta T lineage cells and had a significant incidence of thymic lymphomas. In association with B and T cell developmental defects, Ku70-deficient cells were severely impaired for joining of V(D)J coding and recombination signal sequences. These unanticipated features of the Ku70-deficient phenotype with respect to lymphocyte development and V(D)J recombination may reflect differential functions of the three DNA-PK components.
An overview of women's health in the U.S. since the mid-1960 s

Women's health became intertwined with the second wave of feminism in the 1960s. The process and history of the interactions among physicians, feminists, health care consumers, activists, and politicians have brought women's health into the foreground of health research and curricular agendas in several ways. It identified major gaps in research and practice and initiated a critique of the current health care system at all levels; it originated from, and remains connected with, the non-medical community; it is interdisciplinary and requires interdisciplinary teams for research and clinical practice, as well as collaboration with colleagues in non-medical academic fields; it developed new curriculum focused on women's health; it emphasizes race, class, sexual orientation, and other diversities among women. The continuing presence of activists and feminist scholars will insure that health and science include women's needs to provide better health for all.
Effect of D2O on Uptake in Yeast.

SummaryDeuterium inhibited uptake of glucose, potassium, and phosphate. Potassium uptake inhibition was probably due to the depressed rate of glucose catabolism in D2O. Glucose and phosphate uptake inhibition was due to direct isotope effects on the transport processes. Uptake and the effects of D2O on uptake were the same for deu-terio-glucose as for ordinary glucose. Results of experiments on the effects of D2O on sor-bose and glucose transport indicated that these sugars enter the cell by different mechanisms. It was concluded that the immediate effects of D2O in depressing the rates of growth and glucose catabolism were due to inhibition of glucose and phosphate uptake.The author is indebted to Dr. J. J. Katz, of Ar-gonne National Laboratory, who generously supplied the deuterated glucose and to Mrs. L. S. Winn for skilled technical assistance.
Hour-glass dusk and rhythmic dawn timers control diapause in the codling moth

Abstract In the codling moth, Carpocapsa pomonella , of 72 hr, with 8-hr photophases and interrupted nights, produce significant depressions of the diapause curve 8 hr after dusk and 8 hr before dawn. These maxima for diapause inhibition are phase-locked to dusk and dawn. The dusk inhibition curve tends to be linear with time up to 8 hr after dusk, does not reset, and thus has typical ‘hour-glass’ characteristics. The dawn timer is rhythmic, with an approximately 24-hr period. On photocycles shorter than 72 hr, the two timers interact with each other significantly.
Articulating, antagonizing, and displacing: A model of employee dissent

In this paper, I reconceptualize organizational dissent as the expression of disagreements and contradictory opinions that result from the experience of feeling apart from one's organization. Employees experience dissent when they recognize incongruence between actual and desired states of affairs. The theory of unobtrusive control (Tompkins & Cheney, 1985), the theory of independent‐mindedness (Garden & Infante, 1987; Infante & Gorden, 1987), and the Exit‐Voice‐Loyalty model of employee responses to dissatisfaction (Hirschman, 1970) provide the framework for a model of employee dissent. The proposed model incorporates four elements: (a) triggering agent; (b) strategy selection influences; (c) strategy selection; and (d) expressed dissent. Examining variations in employees’ expressions of dissent may contribute to our understanding of employee involvement practices, democratic organizational structures, and employee empowerment efforts.
Significant Aerodynamic Research at NACA/NASA Langley During the First Century of Flight

The Wright brothers were credited with having flown the first manned, heavier-than-air, powered aircraft in December 1903. During the first few years of the century, however, the U.S. was relatively slow in accepting the newly introduced airplane. Pre-World War I advances in aviation in Europe created some concern that the U.S. was lagging behind other nations in the development of aircraft. This lead to the establishment in the U.S. in 1915 of a government-funded organization that was charged to direct and conduct research and experiments in aeronautics. The initial organization was the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The organization was renamed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958 in order to include space research. The research in aeronautics has been continuous since the early 1920’s and has resulted in many advances in aviation. The purpose of this paper is to relate some of the aerodynamic research conducted at NACA/NASA–Langley that has contributed to the growth of aviation during the first century of flight.
Computed tomography-guided vertebroplasty using a stereotactic guidance system (stereo-guide).

Background In order to make it easy to perform computed tomography (CT)-guided vertebroplasty a stereotactic guidance system called the "stereo-guide" was designed. A method to perform CT-guided vertebroplasty using this system is described.
Single parent households and increased child asthma morbidity.

AbstractObjectives: To characterize whether single parent households are associated with pediatric asthma-related repeat healthcare utilization and to examine family-level psychosocial variables that may explain this relationship. Methods: We analyzed a prospective cohort of 526 children aged 1–16 years hospitalized for asthma or bronchodilator-responsive wheezing whose caregivers self-reported their marital status. Those reporting being “single” were considered the at-risk category. The outcome was repeat asthma-related utilization (emergency room (ER) revisit or hospital readmission) within 12 months. We assessed, a priori, four psychosocial variables (household income, caregiver risk of psychological distress, ratio of in-home children to adults, and regular attendance at childcare or a secondary home). Results: Among all children enrolled in the cohort, 40% returned to the ER or hospital for asthma within 12 months. Of all caregivers, 59% self-identified as single. Single status was significantly asso...
Red and romantic behavior in men viewing women

In many non-human primate species, a display of red by a female increases attraction behavior in male conspecifics. In two experiments, we investigate an analogous effect in humans, specifically, whether red on a woman's shirt increases attraction behavior in men. In Experiment 1, men who viewed an ostensible conversation partner in a red versus a green shirt chose to ask her more intimate questions. In Experiment 2, men who viewed an ostensible interaction partner in a red versus a blue shirt chose to sit closer to her. These effects were observed across participants' perceptions of their own attractiveness (Experiment 1) and general activation and mood (Experiment 2). Our findings suggest that red acts as a basic, non-lexical prime, influencing reproduction-relevant behavior in like manner across species. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ignition of Polymers in a Hot Oxidizing Gas

Abstract Experiments were performed using a shock tube in which both pure polymer and propellant specimens, mounted on the end wall, are suddenly exposed to a hot stagnant gas at about 1800 °K and 47 atm. The test gas consists of oxygen/nitrogen mixtures in which the oxygen mole fraction is varied from 0.18 to 1.00. The resultant ignition delay is observed to increase sharply as the mole fraction of oxygen is reduced and typical ignitability limits are 0.2 ˜ 0.3 mole fraction or 10 ˜ 15 atm oxygen partial pressure. Ignition delay time is found to be sensitive to total pressure as well as partial pressure. The effect of imbedded oxidizer is found to be significant when the ambient oxygen mole fraction is below 0.5 mole fraction. The theoretical ignition delay predictions of the gas phase and heterogeneous theories are shown to be too close for the experimental data to distinguish between them. A simple flat-surface stagnant exposure (a one-dimensional model) is found to be inadequate to resolve the questio...
EUS Detection of Pancreatic Endocrine Tumors in Asymptomatic Patients with Type 1 Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia

Abstract Background EUS is highly sensitive, specific, and cost-effective for localization of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. EUS screening of asymptomatic patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 has not been described. Methods EUS was used to evaluate all patients with known or suspected pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Asymptomatic patients with either a confirmed genetic or clinical diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 were evaluated with EUS. The results were correlated with surgical and histopathologic findings. Results A total of 65 patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 underwent 132 EUS procedures over an 8-year period, including 13 asymptomatic patients. Five of the 13 asymptomatic patients had normal serum gastrin levels, and 8 had levels less than 4 times the upper limit of normal. EUS demonstrated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in 11 of these patients, ranging in size from 0.4 to 4 cm (mean 10 mm). Ten of the 11 patients with tumors at EUS underwent surgical exploration, and 23 of 28 (82%) tumors removed surgically had been identified by EUS. At a mean follow-up of 44 months, no liver or lymph node metastases were demonstrated in any patient. Conclusions In this first cohort study of asymptomatic patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 undergoing screening EUS, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors were identified before the development of significant biochemical test abnormalities. Aggressive early surgical treatment may improve the prognosis for these patients.
Sensitivity-enhanced static 15N NMR of solids by 1h indirect detection.

Abstract A method for enhancing the sensitivity of 15 N spectra of nonspinning solids through 1 H indirect detection is introduced. By sampling the 1 H signals in the windows of a pulsed spin-lock sequence, high-sensitivity 1 H spectra can be obtained in two-dimensional (2D) spectra whose indirect dimension yields the 15 N chemical shift pattern. By sacrificing the 1 H chemical shift information, sensitivity gains of 1.8 to 2.5 for the 15 N spectra were achieved experimentally. A similar sensitivity enhancement was also obtained for 2D 15 N– 1 H dipolar and 15 N chemical shift correlation spectroscopy, by means of a 3D 1 H/ 15 N– 1 H/ 15 N correlation experiment. We demonstrate this technique, termed PRINS for proton indirectly detected nitrogen static NMR, on a crystalline model compound with long 1 H T 1ρ and on a 25-kDa protein with short 1 H T 1ρ . This 1 H indirect detection approach should be useful for enhancing the sensitivity of 15 N NMR of oriented membrane peptides. It can also be used to facilitate the empirical optimization of 15 N-detected experiments where the inherent sensitivity of the sample is low.
Purification and characterization of cytochrome b5 from the housefly (Musca domestica)

Abstract 1. 1. Isopropanol treatment of Musca domestica (house fly) microsomes extracted cytochrome b5 and resulted in a minimum 5.2-fold purification. 2. 2. Cytochrome b5 was highly purified from the isopropanol extract using ion exchange and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatogrphy. 3. 3. A polyclonal antiserum was produced against the purified cytochrome b5. 4. 4. Purified house fly cytochrome b5 had a molecular mass of 19.7 kDa, slightly higher than those reported for rabbit and rat microsomal cytochrome b5 (16.6–16.7 kDa), but lower than cytochrome b5 from Mediterranean fruit fly (21 kDa). 5. 5. Reduced house fly cytochrome b5 absorbed maximally at 424 nm, similar to other cytochromes b5. 6. 6. Amino acid analysis of house fly cytochrome b5 produces at higher percentage of hydrophobic amino acid residues and less acidic residues than other cytochromes b5. 7. 7. In immuno-blot analysis, house fly cytochrome b5 shared antigenic epitope(s) with the dipteran species Musca autumnalis (face fly), Stomoxys calcitrans (stable fly) and to a lesser extent, Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). 8. 8. Anti-house fly cytochrome b5 did not recognize cytochrome b5 from Apis mellifera (honey bee), Tricoplusia ni (cabbage looper), Tetranychus urticae (two-spotted spider mite) or Rattus rattus (rat).
Heat transfer in curved and straight channels with transitional flow

Abstract Heat transfer in a channel with a straight portion followed by a portion with mild curvature is studied at Dean numbers from 300 to 750. The channel aspect ratio is 40, radius ratio is 0.979, and the ratio of shear layer thickness to channel inner radius is 0.011. Important Nusselt number increases occur due to a variety of laminar-to-turbulent transitional phenomena which occur mostly in the upstream straight portion of the channel but then continue to cause important variations in the downstream curved portion. Nusselt numbers from concave and convex surfaces with these transitional phenomena show the effects of curvature, streamwise development, Dean number, buoyancy and flow tripping.
Cocaine and aortic dissection

Aortic dissection is a rare, potentially catastrophic vascular emergency. Early recognition of the clinical manifestations, rapid confirmation using imaging modalities, urgent administration of appropriate medication and expedient selection of definitive long-term therapy are key to preserving life and reducing morbidity. In recent years it has become increasingly clear that there is a relation between cocaine and aortic dissection. Cocaine serves as both a predisposing factor to aortic dissection due to its effect on aortic connective tissue and as a precipitating factor due to its propensity to produce abrupt and severe hypertension. While similarities exist in the clinical features and diagnostic methods between cocaine-related aortic dissection and aortic dissection unrelated to cocaine use, there are important differences in management between these two syndromes which are rooted in the pharmacology and physiology of cocaine. An understanding of these differences is key to effective early and long-term management of cocaine-related aortic dissection.
Purchasing Protection? The Effect of Political Spending on U.S. Trade Policy

The issue of whether or not money influences policymaking has been widely debated in American politics. While a direct link between money and policy outcomes has proven difficult to make, bureaucra...
Does the relationship between asthma and obesity differ by neighborhood

Summary Background Prior studies suggest that obesity may cause asthma. Obesity and asthma are prevalent in low-income urban neighborhoods, but the impact of obesity on asthma in such neighborhoods has not been examined. Methods The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene surveyed 6119 adults age 18–54 years in 2002. Obesity was defined as body mass index≥30kg/m 2 and current asthma as physician diagnosed asthma plus recent symptoms. We calculated prevalence (risk) differences (RD) and population attributable risk percents (PAR%). Results Obese individuals had a 2.0% (95% CI: 0.5%, 3.6%; p =0.01) higher risk of current asthma than normal weight individuals overall. Obesity was more common in low-income neighborhoods compared with middle-to-upper-income neighborhoods (23% vs. 14%, p p =0.02). The risk of current asthma associated with obesity was similar in low-income (RD: 1.3%, 95% CI: −1.5%, 4.0%; p =0.36) and middle-to-upper-income neighborhoods (RD: 2.0%, 95% CI: 0.1%, 3.9%; p =0.04). The PAR% for asthma due to obesity was not greater in low-income (7.3%) than in middle-to-upper-income neighborhoods (7.7%). Conclusions It is unlikely that the excess asthma prevalence in urban low-income neighborhoods is disproportionately attributable to obesity. Instead, alternative causes of excess asthma should be sought.
POPULATION III GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS: CONSTRAINTS ON STELLAR MASSES AND EXTERNAL MEDIUM DENSITIES

Population (Pop.) III stars are theoretically expected to be prominent around redshifts z {approx} 20, consisting of mainly very massive stars with M{sub *} {approx}> 100 M{sub sun}, though there is no direct observational evidence for these objects. They may produce collapsar gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), with jets driven by magnetohydrodynamic processes, whose total isotropic-equivalent energy could be as high as E{sub iso} {approx}> 10{sup 57} erg over a cosmological-rest-frame duration of t{sub d} {approx}> 10{sup 4} s, depending on the progenitor mass. Here, we calculate the afterglow spectra of such Pop. III GRBs based on the standard external shock model and show that they will be detectable with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT)/XRT and Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) instruments. We find that in some cases a spectral break due to electron-positron pair creation will be observable in the LAT energy range, which can put constraints on the ambient density of the pre-collapse Pop. III star. Thus, high-redshift GRB afterglow observations could be unique and powerful probes of the properties of Pop. III stars and their environments. We examine the trigger threshold of the BAT instrument in detail, focusing on the image trigger system, and show that the promptmore » emission of Pop. III GRBs could also be detected by BAT. Finally we briefly show that the late-time radio afterglows of Pop. III GRBs for typical parameters, despite the large distances, can be very bright: {approx_equal} 140 mJy at 1 GHz, which may lead to a constraint on the Pop. III GRB rate from the current radio survey data, and {approx_equal} 2.4 mJy at 70 MHz, which implies that Pop. III GRB radio afterglows could be interesting background source candidates for 21 cm absorption line detections.« less
Positronium reactions with diamagnetic organic molecules

Rate constants for the interaction of ortho-positronium atoms with a series of diamagnetic organic compounds have been determined. Nitrated aromatic molecules interact far more readily with ortho-positronium than do nitrated aliphatic molecules. The observed rate constants for the aromatic molecules show a distinct dependency on the nature of the substituents and their relative positions in the aromatic ring. This dependency may be attributed to steric interactions which influence the relative electron charge density on the atoms in the molecule and alter the molecular energy levels.
Pharmaceutical container labels: enhancing preference perceptions with alternative designs and pictorials

Abstract The appropriate use of pharmaceuticals, as well as their hazards, are not commonly known to most people. In fact, the only information available to consumers at the time of consumption is usually the material found on the product label. Unfortunately, people often have difficulty with the labels because the print on the label is too small for them to read. Two alternative (tag and fold-out) designs were developed to increase the available surface area on a fictitious prescription drug label. The alternative label designs, with and without pictorials depicting instructions and warnings, were compared to a standard control label. In Expt. l, 84 undergraduates rated the labels on several preference dimensions, including: ease of reading the labels, likelihood of noticing the warnings, likelihood of reading the warnings, preference for each of the labels, and likelihood that they would recommend each label for use by a friend or family member. Across all dimensions, undergraduates preferred the alternative labels, especially the tag labels, and labels with pictorials. In Expt. 2, the ratings of 58 older adults (mean age = 73 years) showed a similar pattern of results. Implications of these results and recommendations for future research in this area are discussed.
The origin of sulfur in biotin

The comparative ability of Escherichia coli K-12 hpb lambda-, a biotin overproducing strain, to incorporate 35S from isotopically labeled L-methionine, L-cystine, and the sulfane sulfur of thiocystine was determined. Comparison of the specific activity of sulfur in biotin produced by the organism with that of the 35S-labeled amino acids demonstrates that the sulfur of cystine is transferred to biotin with an efficiency of at least 75%, that the sulfur of methionine does not contribute to biotin significantly, and that the sulfane sulfur of thiocystine contributes approximately one-third of the sulfur to newly synthesized biotin and is essentially equivalent in utilization to that of the other two sulfur atoms in the molecule.
HDG Methods for Naghdi Arches

In this paper, we introduce and analyze a class of hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin methods for Naghdi arches. The main feature of these methods is that they can be implemented in an efficient way through a hybridization procedure which reduces the globally coupled unknowns to approximations to the transverse and tangential displacement and bending moment at the element boundaries. The error analysis of the methods is based on the use of a projection especially designed to fit the structure of the numerical traces of the method. This property allows to prove in a very concise manner that the projection of the errors is bounded in terms of the distance between the exact solution and its projection. The study of the influence of the stabilization function on the approximation is then reduced to the study of how they affect the approximation properties of the projection in a single element. Consequently, we prove that when polynomials of degree $$k$$ k are used, the methods converge with the optimal order of $$k+1$$ k + 1 for all the unknowns and that they are free from shear and membrane locking. Finally, we show that all the numerical traces converge with order $$2k+1$$ 2 k + 1 . Numerical experiments validating these results are shown.
A New West American Species of Pseudosquilla (Stomatopoda) 1)

Le Stomatopode est-pacifique rapporte jusqu'a present a Pseudosquilla oculata (Brulle) est decrit comme une nouvelle espece, P. adiastalta. Cette nouvelle espece differe de P. oculata par l'absence des taches oculiformes sur la carapace.
Nonlinear dynamics in economics and finance

The apparent success of \`chaos' in the physical sciences has had inevitable repercussions on economics. In this paper I describe theoretical models that show that complicated deterministic dynamics may arise even in the most standard economic environment, and some of the attempts to evaluate empirically the importance of these nonlinearities in economics and finance. There seems to be no evidence that \`deterministic chaos' can adequately describe economic data, but some evidence of a role for nonlinearities.
In vitro model of glial scarring around neuroelectrodes chronically implanted in the CNS

Abstract A novel in vitro model of glial scarring was developed by adapting a primary cell-based system previously used for studying neuroinflammatory processes in neurodegenerative disease. Midbrains from embryonic day 14 Fischer 344 rats were mechanically dissociated and grown on poly- d -lysine coated 24 well plates to a confluent layer of neurons, astrocytes, and microglia. The culture was injured with either a mechanical scrape or foreign-body placement (segments of 50 μm diameter stainless steel microwire), fixed at time points from 6 h to 10 days, and assessed by immunocytochemistry. Microglia invaded the scraped wound area at early time points and hypertrophied activated astrocytes repopulated the wound after 7 days. The chronic presence of microwire resulted in a glial scar forming at 10 days, with microglia forming an inner layer of cells coating the microwire, while astrocytes surrounded the microglial core with a network of cellular processes containing upregulated GFAP. Vimentin expressing cells and processes were present in the scrape at early times and within the astrocyte processes forming the glial scar. Neurons within the culture did not repopulate the scrape wound and did not respond to the microwire, although they were determined to be electrically active through patch clamp recording. The time course and relative positions of the glia in response to the different injury paradigms correlated well with stereotypical in vivo responses and warrant further work in the development of a functional in vitro test bed.
The role of resources and appraisals in predicting burden among Latina and non-Hispanic white female caregivers: a test of an expanded socio-cultural model of stress and coping.

Objectives: The goal of this study is to propose and evaluate an expanded socio-cultural model of stress and coping that examines the role of culturally situated factors, such as coping abilities and the caregiver's self-efficacy beliefs, as mediators of outcomes among Latina and non-Hispanic white female caregivers. Methods: Using baseline data from 89 Latina and 96 non-Hispanic white female caregivers enrolled in an intervention study in the San Francisco area, exogenous and mediating factors were regressed on levels of burden among self-identified caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. Results: Results from structural equation modeling provided empirical evidence for a model in which the effects of ethnicity and other background variables are mediated through coping resources and appraisals of self-efficacy for managing care. Conclusion: This study adds to the existing literature that underscores the importance of evaluating the role of culturally mediated valu...
A comparison of women's expectations of labor with the actual event.

: In an interview administered 24 to 72 hours postpartum, 70 women were asked to rate how similar their birth experience was to their expectations and to describe how the event was similar to, or different from, their expectations. Only 27 percent of the subjects described their overall experience as “about like” expected. Unfulfilled expectations of pain relief were a prominent theme among the 978 responses categorized. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.
Experimental determination of time constants for ion-induced transients in static memories

Time constants for voltage transients following high energy ion strikes on static memories are determined from a series of experiments measuring cross sections for single-event upset. For a given strike location within the circuit, the transient time constant saturates with increasing deposited energy. These maximum transients, for strikes at the two known sensitive areas, 'off' p-channel drain and 'off' n-channel drain, were measured at 6 and 0.8 ns, respectively. >
X-ray CT imaging and finite element computations of the elastic properties of a rigid organic foam compared to experimental measurements: insights into foam variability

A combined computational/experimental technique was developed to analyze the compressive elastic properties of a rigid organic foam. This technique combines X-ray computed tomography, image analysis, and large-scale finite element computations utilizing a new numerical technique. Predictions of Young’s modulus were validated with uniaxial compression testing. Good agreement was obtained between imaging/finite element computations and experimental mechanical measurements within experimental error, and the limited knowledge existing on the solid material comprising the backbone of the foam. Using the new combined experimental/theoretical procedures, it was found that the predicted Young’s modulus of the solid backbone differed by more than a factor of 100 % between two different grades of the foam, in accordance with the findings of other researchers. A significant variability of the backbone modulus was also found within the same grade. Density measurements identified the variability between different grades of foam and different as-received sample thicknesses within the same grade of foam.
Application of Gabor transform on cylindrical guided waves to detect defects in underground pipes

Defects in underground pipes are detected by applying Gabor transforms on experimental guided wave signals and comparing the experimental group velocity plots with the theoretical group velocity dispersion curves. Gabor transform, which is a powerful signal processing tool, maps a signal into a two-dimensional space of time and frequency. Thus it provides information about both when and at what frequency a signal arrives. Focus of this paper is to study the applicability of cylindrical guided waves to detect defects in underground pipes using Gabor transform. Cylindrical guided waves are generated by piezo-electric transducers. Guided waves are propagated through pipes that are buried in the soil by placing transmitters on one end of the pipes and the receivers on the other end. The recorded signals are then processed using 2-D Gabor Transform or Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT). Gabor transform converts the time-amplitude signal into a time frequency signal which reveals the group velocities hidden in the signal. These experimentally obtained group velocities are then compared with the theoretical velocities for cylindrical pipes embedded in the soil. From the comparison of the theoretical and experimental group velocities, an effort has been made to identify which modes are propagating through the embedded defective pipes and which modes are having difficulty to propagate through the defective pipe wall. From this knowledge pipe wall defects can be detected.
Space for Everything (A Commentary)

[We] constantly have to take into account the simultaneity and extension of events and possibilities. . . . There are many reasons why this should be so: the scale of modem power; the degree of personal responsibility that must be accepted for events all over the world; the fact that the world has become indivisible; the unevenness of economic development within that world; the scale of exploitation. All these play a part. Prophesy now involves a geographical rather than historical projection: it is space not time that hides consequences from us. -John Berger The Look of Things, 1974
Flow-mediated dilation is associated with endothelial oxidative stress in human venous endothelial cells

Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is recognized as a non-invasive endothelial function bioassay. However, FMD's relationship with endothelial cell oxidative stress in humans is yet to be determined. Here, we sought to determine if FMD was associated with endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and endothelial oxidative stress in humans. Twenty-seven apparently healthy young men (26.5±5.9 years) underwent brachial artery FMD testing and endothelial cell biopsy from a forearm vein. Non-normalized FMD (%) and three different brachial artery FMD normalizations were performed: (1) peak shear rate (%/SR); (2) area under the SR curve until peak dilation (%/AUC); and (3) AUC 30 seconds before peak dilation (%/AUC30). Immunofluorescence quantification was used to assess eNOS expression and nitrotyrosine (NT), a criterion marker of endothelial oxidative stress. Values for eNOS and NT expression were reported as a ratio of endothelial cell to human umbilical vein endothelial cell average pixel intensity. NT expression was significantly correlated with FMD normalized by AUC30 (r = -0.402, p 0.05). There were no significant correlations between eNOS expression and normalized and non-normalized FMD (r range = -0.168 to -0.066, all p>0.05). In conclusion, brachial artery FMD is associated with venous endothelial cell oxidative stress. However, this association is observed only when FMD is normalized by AUC30.
Nonlinear anisotropic viscoelastic stresses in blood vessels.

Abstract Through the consideration of a micro-structural system with emphasis on the nonlinear deformation and molecular anisotropy a constitutive equation for nonlinear viscoelastic materials is developed. This constitutive and other appropriate field equations are applied to the stress analysis problem of blood vessels. In order to effect a solution for such a complicated system simplifications are sought and the blood vessel is considered as a long, thick-walled viscoelastic cylinder which is transversely isotropic and incompressible. The overall radial and circumferential stresses are calculated for a given internal pressure by considering a modified deformation in a quasi-static situation. The necessary material relaxation functions for the calculation of these stresses are reduced to only four, c1111(t), c1122(t), c111111(t1, t2), c111122(t1, t2) and can be measured in one simple experiment. The measured material relaxation functions for a canine carotid artery are representable with essentially one time dependent function as follows: c 1111 (t) = 13.50 − 0.90t 0.25 psi . c 1122 (t) = 3.66 − 0.73t 0.25 psi . c 111111 (t 1 ,t 2 ) = −10.61 + ( 1 2 t 1 0.25 + 1 2 t 2 0.25 ) psi . c 111122 (t 1 ,t 2 ) = −14.22 +2.03( 1 2 t 1 0.25 + 1 2 t 2 0.25 ) psi . In general the radial displacement follows the period and shape of the applied internal pressure with an obvious creep behavior. The tangential stresses are much higher at the inner wall of the blood vessel as compared to those obtained on the basis of linear viscoelastic theory. Future research in the dynamic response and temperature effects would be a step forward in understanding the behavior of the blood vessels.
The material is the metaphor is the method…You say you want a revolution…?

The Industrial Revolution, loosely defined as the century spanning 1750-1850, was perhaps the most significant blip in history ever to occur in the four-or-so billion years of the Earth. In that 0.0000025% of the lifespan of the planet, the wheels were set in motion to significantly alter its future existence. Emboldened by massive leaps in power and production technology, much of Europe and North America created the embryo of the "consumer culture" that - depending upon where you live - is either an aspirational goal, the bane of our existence, or a guilty pleasure. "Handmade" became a slur, and Western culture adopted an attitude that was best summarized by the Olympic motto - Citius, Altius, Fortius ("Faster, Higher, Stronger") - a motto which, not surprisingly, was proposed in the later 19th Century. In the quest to achieve and sustain the levels of production "necessary" for profitability, companies spanned the surface of the globe - and penetrated deep into it - in search of the required raw materials. Today, we are still willfully ignorant to increasingly anonymous and labyrinthine supply chains. Products arrive in our homes, offices, schools, and distribution centers with no chain of custody, and often with no marker for the origins of their raw materials. Language: en
20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) metabolism in coronary endothelial cells.

We have investigated the role of endothelial cells in the metabolism of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), a vasoactive mediator synthesized from arachidonic acid by cytochrome P450 ω-oxidases. Porcine coronary artery endothelial cells (PCEC) incorporated 20-[3H]HETE primarily into the sn-2 position of phospholipids through a coenzyme A-dependent process. The incorporation was reduced by equimolar amounts of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic or 8,9-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, but some uptake persisted even when a 10-fold excess of arachidonic acid was available. The retention of 20-[3H]HETE increased substantially when methyl arachidonoyl fluorophosphonate, but not bromoenol lactone, was added, suggesting that a Ca2+-dependent cytosolic phospholipase A2 released the 20-HETE contained in PCEC phospholipids. Addition of calcium ionophore A23187 produced a rapid release of 20-[3H]HETE from the PCEC, a finding that also is consistent with a Ca2+-dependent mobilization process. PCEC also converted 20-[3H]HETE to 20-carboxy-arachidonic acid (20-COOH-AA) and 18-, 16-, and 14-carbon β-oxidation products. 20-COOH-AA produced vasodilation in porcine coronary arterioles, but 20-HETE was inactive. These results suggest that the incorporation of 20-HETE and its subsequent conversion to 20-COOH-AA in the endothelium may be important in modulating coronary vascular function.
Resource constrained dataflow retiming heuristics for VLIW ASIPs

This paper addresses issues in code generation of time critical loops for VLIW ASIPs with heterogenous distributed register structures. We discuss a code generation phasing whereby one first considers binding options that minimize the significant delays that may be incurred on such processors. Given such a binding we consider retiming, subject to code size constraints, so as to enhance performance. Finally a compatible schedule, minimizing latency, is sought. Our main focus in this paper is on the role retiming plays in this complex code generation problem. We propose heuristic algorithms for exploring code size/performance tradeoffs through retiming. Experimental results are presented indicating that the heuristics perform well on a sample of dataflows.
Laser NO(2) fluorescence measurements in flames.

NO2 fluorescence measurements have been made in a CH4/O2/N2 flame at atmospheric pressure using a pulsed tunable dye laser. The results indicate that it should be possible to achieve sub-ppm sensitivities for NO2 in flames using currently available lasers.
The use of extended Boolean logic in information retrieval

An extended Boolean retrieval strategy has previously been introduced in which the individual Boolean operators can be treated more or less strictly, depending on the perceived strength of association of the query terms. The extended Boolean system is illustrated by examples and evaluation output is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the operations.
Maize and the free trade agreement between Mexico and the United States

Setting the price of maize in rural Mexico above the world price is inefficient and likely to have negative distributional effects because many subsistence producers, and all landless workers, are net buyers; in fact it screens out the relatively poor rather than the relatively rich. The policy objective, therefore, should be to move toward free trade. This would yield large gains in efficiency. The Free Trade Agreement provides an ideal opportunity to pursue this objective. It will provide freer entrance into the United States for other agricultural products as well as a broad range of manufactured products. Ensuring secure and sustained access for labor-intensive agricultural and manufactured products can help ease the impact on the labor market of a transition away from subsistence maize cultivation.
Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate reduces lung reperfusion injury.

Abstract Background. The inflammatory cascade has emerged as the primary mediator of reperfusion injury. Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a rapid response transcription factor that activates genes responsible for the mediators of inflammation. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has been shown to protect against lung injury. We hypothesized that the antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of NF-κB and upregulator of HSP70, would decrease lung injury after ischemia and reperfusion. Methods. Using our isolated, ventilated, blood-perfused rabbit lung model, all groups underwent lung harvest followed by 10-h storage (4°C) and blood reperfusion for 30 min. Group I lungs ( n = 5) served as controls. In group II lungs ( n = 5), both lung and blood donors received PDTC (100 mg/kg) intravenously 30 min before harvest. NF-κB activity was evaluated with electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and Western blot was performed for HSP70. Results. Group II demonstrated superior pulmonary function. Although HSP70 expression was somewhat elevated in group II lungs, NF-κB binding activity was not different between the groups. Conclusions. PDTC improves pulmonary function after ischemia and reperfusion in an isolated rabbit lung model. The improved function correlates with elevated HSP70 expression during initial reperfusion, independent of NF-κB activity.
Wnt/Frizzled signaling in the vasculature: New angiogenic factors in sight

Wnt growth factors function via Frizzled receptors to affect cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration. Wnt/Frizzled signaling is now linked to human hereditary disorders with retinal vascular defects, implicating Wnts as angiogenic factors. Here, we discuss Wnts and a novel Frizzled ligand, Norrin, in physiological and pathological angiogenesis.
ARE THERE RACIAL/ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN VA PTSD TREATMENT RETENTION?

BACKGROUND: Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can result in significant social and physical impairments. Despite the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) expansion of mental health services into primary care clinics to reach larger numbers of Veterans with PTSD, many do not receive sufficient treatment to clinically benefit. This study explored whether the odds of premature mental health treatment termination varies by patient race/ethnicity and, if so, whether such variation is associated with differential access to services or beliefs about mental health treatments. METHODS: Prospective national cohort study of VA patients who were recently diagnosed with PTSD (n = 6,788). Self-administered surveys and electronic VA databases were utilized to examine mental health treatment retention across racial/ethnic groups in the 6 months following the PTSD diagnosis controlling for treatment need, access factors, age, gender, treatment beliefs, and facility factors. RESULTS: African American and Latino Veterans were less likely to receive a minimal trial of pharmacotherapy and African American Veterans were less likely to receive a minimal trial of any treatment in the 6 months after being diagnosed with PTSD. Controlling for beliefs about mental health treatments diminished the lower odds of pharmacotherapy retention among Latino but not African American Veterans. Access factors did not contribute to treatment retention disparities. CONCLUSIONS: Even in safety-net healthcare systems like VA, racial and ethnic disparities in mental health treatment occur. To improve treatment equity, clinicians may need to more directly address patients' treatment beliefs. More understanding is needed to address the treatment disparity for African American Veterans. Language: en