cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developmental Changes in the Lag Effect: An Encoding Hypothesis for Repeated Word Recall.

Abstract A differential encoding hypothesis for the lag effect in free recall was tested developmentally. Fourth- and eighth-grade children and college adults were shown a list of words, with some repeated at various lag intervals. Lag functions in repeated word recall were found to vary with age. An encoding hypothesis, modified to provide specificity for the time at which differential encoding takes place, was used to account for the results. Finally, it was suggested that the lag paradigm could be utilized to assess developmental differences in processing strategies, as perhaps a more sensitive, and general, alternative to the overt rehearsal technique.
Contextual Factors Surrounding Reputation Damage With Potential Implications for Reputation Repair

We explore the contextual factors surrounding reputation damage and their potential implications for reputation repair. We propose a model that examines how (1) the multidimensional property of reputation, (2) organizational age, (3) the diversity of market segments served by the organization, and (4) third parties influence a firm's perceived capability to cope with a reputation-damaging event and the external visibility of the event, which, in turn, determine the difficulty of the firm's reputation-repairing activities.
Mechanisms of Cell Death in Heart Disease

The major cardiac syndromes, myocardial infarction and heart failure, are responsible for a large portion of deaths worldwide. Genetic and pharmacological manipulations indicate that cell death is an important component in the pathogenesis of both diseases. Cells die primarily by apoptosis or necrosis, and autophagy has been associated with cell death. Apoptosis has long been recognized as a highly regulated process. Recent data indicate that a significant subset of necrotic deaths is also programmed. In the review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms that underlie these forms of cell death and their interconnections. The possibility is raised that small molecules aimed at inhibiting cell death may provide novel therapies for these common and lethal heart syndromes.
Networked Collaborative Design and Control for Collaborative Product Development Using Haptic Interface

AbstractThis paper presents a collaborative product development and prototyping by using distributed haptic interfaces along with deformable objects modeling. Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE) is a promising technique for industrial product development and virtual prototyping. Network control problems such as network traffic and network delay in communication have greatly limited collaborative virtual environment applications. The problems become more difficult when high-update-rate haptic interfaces and computation intensive deformable objects modeling are integrated into CVEs for intuitive manipulation and enhanced realism. A hybrid network architecture is proposed to balance the computational burden of haptic rendering and deformable object simulation. Adaptive artificial time compensation is used to reduce the time discrepancy between the server and the client. Interpolation and extrapolation approaches are used to synchronize graphic and haptic data transmitted over the network. The proposed te...
Clinical and Ethical Considerations for the Treatment of Cybersex Addiction for Marriage and Family Therapists

The Internet has become a forum for various kinds of sexual activity, and an addiction to sexual activities on the Internet has become increasingly common. Cybersex addiction is not currently included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, and research on the ethical treatment of cybersex addiction is limited. As cybersex addiction is entering the therapeutic arena with more frequency, a myriad of clinical and ethical issues can pervade individual and couples counseling surrounding this issue. It benefits marriage and family therapists to be aware of the ethical issues that may arise in treatment. Common ethical issues include trivializing the effects the addiction has on couple and family cohesiveness, unconscious self-of-therapist values such as opinions toward pornography, and lack of therapeutic competence regarding cybersex addiction. These ethical concerns are not common within the literature and are not addressed in therapist training programs....
Hyperviscosity for unstructured ALE meshes

An artificial viscosity, originally designed for Eulerian schemes, is adapted for use in arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian simulations. Changes to the Eulerian model dubbed ‘hyperviscosity’ are discussed, which enable it to work within a Lagrangian framework. New features include a velocity-weighted grid scale and a generalised filtering procedure, applicable to either structured or unstructured grids. The model employs an artificial shear viscosity for treating small-scale vorticity and an artificial bulk viscosity for shock capturing. The model is based on the Navier–Stokes form of the viscous stress tensor, including the diagonal rate-of-expansion tensor. A second-order version of the model is presented, in which Laplacian operators act on the velocity divergence and the grid-weighted strain-rate magnitude to ensure that the velocity field remains smooth at the grid scale. Unlike sound-speed-based artificial viscosities, the hyperviscosity model is compatible with the low Mach number limit. The new model outperforms a commonly used Lagrangian artificial viscosity on a variety of test problems.
Development of transient power quality indices based on time-frequency distribution

For an assessment of the power quality in power distribution systems, classical Fourier series-based power quality indices are normally employed. The classical Fourier series-based power quality indices assume the periodicity of the disturbance so that the applications are limited to the harmonics. Hence, it is necessary for us to redefine power quality indices for the "transient" disturbances. In this paper, development of time-frequency based power quality indices are discussed for an assessment of transient power quality. The time and frequency localized information of the transient disturbance signals will be utilized for a new definition of the transient power quality indices. As an example of time-frequency based power quality indices, new definition of transient telephone interference factor has been carefully derived and verified in comparison with traditional telephone interference factor. Time-frequency based power quality indices allow one to quantify the effects of transient disturbances by time and frequency localized information.
Secretory response of glucagon to hemorrhage

Glucagon has been implicated in the hormonal-metabolic response to injury and in the restitution of blood volume. Evidence for this has been obtained largely from observations of peripheral glucagon concentrations. The secretory response to mild or moderate hemorrhage remains undefined. Experiments have been conducted in conscious dogs surgically prepared with indwelling catheters in the portal vein (PV), femoral artery (FA), and femoral vein (FV). In addition, electromagnetic flow probes were placed about the PV and the hepatic artery (HA). Animals were subsequently subjected to either a 10% (7.5 ml/kg), 20% (15 ml/kg), or 30% (22.5 ml/kg) 3-min hemorrhage. The portal venous delivery rate (PVDR) of immunoreactive plasma glucagon (IRG), portal venous IRG concentration (PVIRG), and peripheral arterial IRG (AIRG) demonstrated variable changes following hemorrhage. When hemorrhage resulted in marked deterioration in PVBF, then PVDR did not correlate with either changes in PVIRG or AIRG. These preliminary results suggest that inferences regarding changes in PVDR of IRG cannot reliably be based solely on changes in hormonal concentrations, especially when measured only in the periphery. Moreover, since marked increases in peripheral plasma glucose levels were observed at times when PVDR of IRG was severely depressed following 20% and 30% hemorrhage it is suggested that glucagon may not play the dominant role in the early hyperglycemic response to hemorrhage.
Computing research methods multi-perspective digital library: a call for participation

For the past three years, SIGCSE has sponsored a design research project on teaching Computing Research Methods (CRM) [4]. The initial phase of the work included an ITiCSE working group that gathered a great deal of literature on and about: computing research; CRM; and teaching CRM [3]. During the literature review, we discovered a number of similar current and prior efforts, some of which had even met with limited success within their discourse community. However, because the CRM literature is divided across publishers, indices, and discourse communities, none of the earlier efforts established the common ground necessary for meaningful dialog on curricular issues (see section 1.1. of [1])To establish that common ground, we decided to foster a scholar-produced digital resource to facilitate integrating teaching / learning research methods across the computing curriculum [1]. Scholar-produced digital resources are digital libraries that are produced by scholarly communities of practice, rather than by external stakeholders such as commercial publishers or libraries. These digital libraries are rich interactive web locales that ". . . include aggregations of resources that support research, such as field-based topic gateways and bibliographies; products of original research such as novel multimedia publications and handbook type web publications, communication forums such as preprint archives and pure e-journals; and research tools such as non-proprietary software available via the web." [2]We started work on the CRM Multi-Perspective Digital Library (CRM-MPDL) in early 2007. A second ITiCSE working group [1] focused on the faculty perspectives in CRM-MPDL. A SIGCSE special projects grant funded student research assistants for CRM-MPDL. As a consequence, students have become a very active and vocal constituency in the project, and they have made significant progress on a set of student design and content elements for CRM-MPDL.To date, we have developed an international participatory design community [4]; conducted and published an extensive literature review and glossary [3]; developed some initial curricular materials [4]; and constructed a prototype design for the faculty perspective in a multiperspective digital resource to integrate teaching research methods across the computing curriculum [1].One of the goals of the project has been to build a tool that is useful to faculty, students, industry, administrators, and anyone else who is interested in teaching or learning about CRM. A prototype of CRM-MPDL is ready to be tested, interacted with, and critiqued. The goal of this poster is to solicit participation from the ITiCSE conference attendees. An international audience is necessary for us to get the most comprehensive feedback for the tool. We have a growing set of content materials and a growing set of design materials. A laptop will be available at the poster for attendees to experience CRM-MPDL on site.
Heritability, variance components and correlation of morphological and phenological traits in hazelnut.

Most traits of interest in hazelnut are quantitative, yet there is little information available on heritability, variance components, or correlations. In this study, 13 morphological and four phenological traits were observed for 3 years on 41 parental genotypes, and for 2 years on seed-lings representing 35 progenies. Narrow-sense heritability estimates obtained by regression of offspring means on midparent values were all high, ranging from 0.56 for amount of kernel fibre to 0.89 for nut depth. Data on the parent genotypes was used to analyse variance components and showed that genotypic variance accounted for most of the phenotypic variance for all traits, and there was very little variation among trees within genotypes. Genotype-year interaction accounted for only a very small part of the phenotypic variance for most traits, and changes in genotype rank were few and minor. Thus, selection based on genotype means is appropriate. The largest genotype-year interaction components were observed for time of nut maturity, time of stigma exsertion, time of catkin elongation, number of nuts per cluster and amount of kernel fibre. For these five traits, evaluation over a period of years is advised. Correlation coefficients were large and positive for four nut size traits, indicating some redundancy in these measurements. Three of the phenological traits (time of stigma exsertion, time of catkin elongation, and time of leaf budbreak) were also highly and positively correlated. A large genetic correlation (0.44 < r < 0.73) was noted between good blanching and early phenology (catkin elongation, stigma exsertion and leaf budbreak), although plots of individual seedling values showed a large degree of scattering. Genetic correlations also indicated that seedlings with small nuts also tend to have compressed nuts, short husks and catkins that elongate later, but plots of individual seedling values showed large scattering. Correlations among the six traits directly related to the objectives of the Oregon State University hazelnut breeding programme (kernel weight, per cent kernel, nut shape index, blanching ability, relative husk length and nut maturity) were very low, indicating that they can be handled as independent traits.
Lessons from broadband development in Canada, Japan, Korea and the United States

Abstract Broadband network development does not always track closely a nations overall wealth and economic strength. The International Telecommunication Union reported that in 2005 the five top nations for broadband network market penetration were: Korea, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Denmark and Canada. The ITU ranked the United States sixteenth in broadband penetration. Aside from the obvious geographical and demographic advantages accruing to small nations with large urban populations, broadband development thrives when it becomes a national priority. Both developed and developing nations have stimulated capital expenditures for infrastructure in ways United States public and private sector stakeholders have yet to embrace. Such investments have accrued ample dividends including the lowest broadband access costs in the world. For example, the ITU reports that in 2002 Japanese consumers paid $0.09 per 100 kilobits per second of broadband access compared to $3.53 in the United States. Economic policies do not completely explain why some nations offer faster, better cheaper and more convenient broadband services while other nations do not. This paper will examine best practices in broadband network development with an eye toward determining the optimal mix of legislative, regulatory and investment initiatives. The paper will track development in Canada, Japan and Korea as these nations have achieved success despite significantly different geographical, political and marketplace conditions. The paper also notes the institutional and regulatory policies that have hampered broadband development in the United States. The paper also will examine why incumbent local exchange and cable television operators recently have begun aggressively to pursue broadband market opportunities. The paper will analyze incumbents’ rationales for limited capital investment in broadband with an eye toward determining the credibility of excuses based on regulatory risk and uncertainty. The paper concludes with suggestions how national governments might expedite broadband infrastructure development.
CD8+ T cell contraction is controlled by early inflammation

Pathogen-specific CD8+ T cells expand in number after infection and then their numbers invariably contract by 90–95%, leaving a stable memory cell pool. The chief features of this response are programmed early after infection; however, the factors regulating contraction are mostly undefined. Here we show that antibiotic treatment before Listeria monocytogenes infection induced numbers of protective memory CD8+ T cells similar to those in control infected mice, by a pathway without contraction. The absence of contraction correlated with decreased early inflammation and interferon-γ production and an increased fraction of CD8+ T cells expressing the interleukin 7 receptor at the peak of the response. Thus, contraction is controlled by early inflammation but is not essential for the generation of protective memory CD8+ T cells after infection.
The Social Model of Disability Under the Shadow of the Revolution: Ex-combatants Negotiating Identity in Nicaragua

The social model of disability, which defines disability as the product of social discrimination rather than the physical, cognitive, or sensory differences of individuals, became the dominant logic of the international disability field with the 2006 passage of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As such, grassroots disability associations around the world are advocating for new rights. These campaigns promote a new identity frame of disabled persons as a universally oppressed group. This identity, however, does not benefit all groups equally and actually threatens some. Using qualitative methods, I compare the usage of the disability identity by two grassroots associations in Nicaragua. Ex-Contra soldiers with disabilities use the identity to obfuscate their discredited history as “traitors” and, instead, represent themselves as unjustly discriminated against disabled persons deserving special benefits and human rights protections. Ex-Sandinista soldiers with disabilities also make claims, but only reluctantly as disabled, preferring to self-identify as war wounded. Because of changes in law, however, Ex-Sandinista soldiers are increasingly unable to make claims as war heroes, but must instead access benefits as persons with disabilities “in general.” This case demonstrates how actors strategically use the social model of disability in relation to local political culture and group identity.
The effect of a pyrazole derivative on plasma free fatty acids in man.

Abstract The level of plasma free fatty acids after an overnight fast is significantly lowered by oral administration of 5-methylpyrazole-3-carboxylic acid. The adipokinetic effects of epinephrine and human growth hormone in normal subjects are markedly reduced by pretreatment with the drug. The compound did not alter blood sugar levels. The pharmacological inhibition of lipolysis offers another means by which the mechanisms of the control of energy metabolism may be investigated.
The Road to IFRS Convergence in the U.S.: What It May Mean for the Hospitality Industry

ABSTRACT The United States decided to implement IFRS for its publicly traded companies. The road map calls for the SEC to decide how to proceed to the mandatory use of IFRS in 2011. Developing a plan around IFRS implementation is becoming increasingly important for hospitality companies. The research institute of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals has published a white paper discussing the impact of the convergence of the IFRS on the hospitality industry. The transition from U.S. GAAP to IFRS will certainly cause some challenges for publicly traded lodging companies. The question is whether individual lodging properties, which mainly use USALI as a guide for financial transactions, will be affected by this transition.
Reply to "Genomic analysis of primary tumors does not address the prevalence of metastatic cells in the population" and "Genetic background is an important determinant of metastatic potential"

Reply to "Genomic analysis of primary tumors does not address the prevalence of metastatic cells in the population" and "Genetic background is an important determinant of metastatic potential"
Coupled Surface–Subsurface Modeling across a Range of Temporal and Spatial Scales

Ablueprint for modeling fully integrated surface, subsurface, and land-surface processes that was originally put forth 40 years ago ([Freeze and Harlan, 1969][1]) is now becoming a reality. Although truly coupled models have only recently appeared in the literature ([VanderKwaak and Loague, 2001][2
Conserved synteny at the protein family level reveals genes underlying Shewanella species’ cold tolerance and predicts their novel phenotypes

Bacteria of the genus Shewanella can thrive in different environments and demonstrate significant variability in their metabolic and ecophysiological capabilities including cold and salt tolerance. Genomic characteristics underlying this variability across species are largely unknown. In this study, we address the problem by a comparison of the physiological, metabolic, and genomic characteristics of 19 sequenced Shewanella species. We have employed two novel approaches based on association of a phenotypic trait with the number of the trait-specific protein families (Pfam domains) and on the conservation of synteny (order in the genome) of the trait-related genes. Our first approach is top-down and involves experimental evaluation and quantification of the species' cold tolerance followed by identification of the correlated Pfam domains and genes with a conserved synteny. The second, a bottom-up approach, predicts novel phenotypes of the species by calculating profiles of each Pfam domain among their genomes and following pair-wise correlation of the profiles and their network clustering. Using the first approach, we find a link between cold and salt tolerance of the species and the presence in the genome of a Na(+)/H(+) antiporter gene cluster. Other cold-tolerance-related genes include peptidases, chemotaxis sensory transducer proteins, a cysteine exporter, and helicases. Using the bottom-up approach, we found several novel phenotypes in the newly sequenced Shewanella species, including degradation of aromatic compounds by an aerobic hybrid pathway in Shewanella woodyi, degradation of ethanolamine by Shewanella benthica, and propanediol degradation by Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 and Shewanella sp. W3-18-1.
Bayesian look ahead one stage sampling allocations for selecting the largest normal mean

From two independent normal populations with unknown means and a common known variance, samples of unequal sizes are observed at stage 1. The goal is to find that population with the larger mean. Using the Bayes approach, optimum allocations ofm additional observations, at stage 2, are derived under the linear and the 0–1 loss.
Synaptic Vesicle Size and Number Are Regulated by a Clathrin Adaptor Protein Required for Endocytosis

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is thought to involve the activity of the clathrin adaptor protein AP180. However, the role of this protein in endocytosis in vivo remains unknown. Here, we show that a mutation that eliminates an AP180 homolog (LAP) in Drosophila severely impairs the efficiency of synaptic vesicle endocytosis and alters the normal localization of clathrin in nerve terminals. Most importantly, the size of both synaptic vesicles and quanta is significantly increased in lap mutants. These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of endocytosis and reveal a role for AP180 in regulating vesicle size through a clathrin-dependent reassembly process.
Controllers with diagnostic capabilities. A neural network implementation

Designing controllers with diagnostic capabilities is important as in a feedback control system, detection and isolation of failures is generally affected by the particular control law used. Therefore, a common approach to control and failure diagnosis problems has significant merit. Controllers capable of performing failure diagnosis have additional diagnostic outputs to detect and isolate sensor and actuator faults. A linear such controller is usually called a four-parameter controller. Neural networks have proved to be a very powerful tool in the control systems area, where they have been used in the modelling and control of dynamical systems. In this paper, a neural network model of a controller with diagnostic capabilities (CDC) is presented for the first time. This nonlinear neural controller is trained to operate as a traditional controller, while at the same time it provides reproduction of the failure occurring either at the actuator or the sensor. The cases of actuator and sensor failure are studied independently. The validity of the results is verified by extensive simulations.
Melting of a finite paraffin slab as applied to phase-change thermalcontrol.

An approximate mathematical model was established for the melting of a finite paraffin slab, a problem of interest for phase-change thermal control devices. The method is based on the numerical computer solution of the two-phase, one-dimensional heat-conduction equations with moving interface and variable thermal properties in both the solid and liquid regions. Results from the theoretical model are compared with experimental results for n-octadecane in a bellows-type test cell, and with information published in the literature. The numerical analysis appears to provide a good rigorous treatment of the unidimensional melting problem in an idealized model.
NMR free induction decay and spin echoes in oriented model membrane bilayers

A method is demonstrated which produces Carr-Purcell NMR spin echoes for protons in the lamellar potassium oleate-D2O system oriented between glass plates. When the hydrocarbon chains are oriented at an angle of cos−1(3−12) with the magnetic field, the dipolar interactions are removed and the free induction decay is inhomogeneity limited. The Carr-Purcell spin echo can be obtained only at this angle. It is proposed to use this method to measure diffusion in oriented membrane systems.
Accounting for non-photosynthetic vegetation in remote-sensing-based estimates of carbon flux in wetlands

Monitoring productivity in coastal wetlands is important due to their high carbon sequestration rates and potential role in climate change mitigation. We tested agricultural- and forest-based methods for estimating the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (f APAR), a key parameter for modelling gross primary productivity (GPP), in a restored, managed wetland with a dense litter layer of non-photosynthetic vegetation, and we compared the difference in canopy light transmission between a tidally influenced wetland and the managed wetland. The presence of litter reduced correlations between spectral vegetation indices and f APAR. In the managed wetland, a two-band vegetation index incorporating simulated World View-2 or Hyperion green and near-infrared bands, collected with a field spectroradiometer, significantly correlated with f APAR only when measured above the litter layer, not at the ground where measurements typically occur. Measures of GPP in these systems are difficult to capture...
Return to Competitive Sports After Medial Epicondyle Fractures in Adolescent Athletes: Results of Operative and Nonoperative Treatment

Background:The optimal treatment of medial epicondyle fractures in pediatric athletes remains unclear.Purpose:To evaluate the outcomes of operative and nonoperative management of medial epicondyle fractures in young athletes.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:The records of all children with fractures of the medial epicondyle over a 5-year period, with a minimum 2 years of follow-up at a pediatric tertiary referral center, were reviewed. Patients with intra-articular entrapment of the fracture fragment or ulnar nerve entrapment were excluded. Treatment decisions were made primarily based on injury mechanism and elbow laxity or instability. Patients were contacted and asked to complete a modified Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire.Results:Complete data with 2-year follow-up were available for 20 athletes: 6 treated nonoperatively and 14 treated operatively. At the latest follow-up, both groups achieved excellent DASH scores. Half of each cohort required phys...
Regional time-density measurement of myocardial perfusion

The measurement of time-density relationships of the myocardium in studies of Magnetic Resonance perfusion data sets is a clinical technique used in assessing myocardial perfusion. Traditionally, to measure the time-density relationship a physician draws a region on the same 2-D image of the myocardium in sequential cardiac cycles. Throughout multiple cardiac cycles the density changes in this region are measured. A major limitation of this technique is change in anatomy relative to the selected region on the myocardium during consecutive cardiac cycles. This causes measurement errors, which are amplified if the traced region does not encompass the entire myocardial thickness, or includes a boundary exterior to the epicardial or endocardial surface. The technique described in this paper uses approximately the same myocardial region throughout the entire perfusion study, which insures inclusion of the entire endocardial to epicardial region and exclusion of exterior regions. Moreover, this region can be subdivided into smaller regions of interest. This can be accomplished by careful segmentation and reformatting of the data into polar coordinates. This allows sectioning both axially and transaxially through the myocardium permitting regional assessment of perfusion specific values such as maximum and/or the time to reach maximum density. These values can then be illustrated using density-mapped colors or time-density curves. This measurement and display technique may provide enhanced detection and evaluation of regional deficits in myocardial contractility and perfusion.
Dextranomer in chronic wound healing.

Abstract Dextranomer is a relatively new agent for the cleansing of suppurative wounds. It has been available in Sweden since 1975 and in the United States since 1978. The idea of using dextranomer in the therapy of exudative lesions was initially conceived by Ult Rothman in the Plastic Surgery Clinic in Malmo, Sweden; he had originally contemplated the use of water-resistant dextran for purposes of wound cleaning. 1
Genomewide Linkage Analysis for Internal Carotid Artery Intimal Medial Thickness: Evidence for Linkage to Chromosome 12

Carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT) is a heritable quantitative measure of atherosclerosis. A genomewide linkage analysis was conducted to localize a quantitative-trait locus (QTL) influencing carotid IMT. Carotid IMT was measured in 596 men and 629 women from 311 extended families (1,242 sib pairs) in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort. B-mode carotid ultrasonography was used to define mean IMT of the carotid artery segments. Multipoint variance-component linkage analysis was performed. Evidence for significant linkage to internal carotid artery (ICA) IMT (two-point log odds [LOD] score 4.1, multipoint LOD score 3.4) was found 161 cM from the tip of the short arm of chromosome 12; these results were confirmed using the GENEHUNTER package (multipoint LOD score 4.3). No LOD scores >2.0 were observed for common carotid artery (CCA) IMT. Association analysis of a single-nucleotide–polymorphism variant of SCARB1 (minor allele frequency 0.13), a gene in close proximity to the region of peak linkage, revealed a protective association of the missense variant allele in exon 1 of SCARB1, with decreased ICA IMT compared with subjects homozygous for the common allele. Although the exon 1 variant contributed 2% to overall variation in ICA IMT, there was no significant change in the peak LOD score after adjustment in the linkage analyses. These data provide substantial evidence for a QTL on chromosome 12 influencing ICA IMT and for association of a rare variant of SCARB1, or a nearby locus, with ICA IMT. Because this rare SCARB1 variant does not account for our observed linkage, further investigations are warranted to identify additional candidate-gene variants on chromosome 12 predisposing to atherosclerosis phenotypes and clinical vascular disease.
The Oxidoreductase Behavior of Protein Disulfide Isomerase Impedes Fold Maturation of Endoplasmic Reticulum-Processed Proteins in the Pivotal Structure-Coupled Step of Oxidative Folding: Implications for Subcellular Protein Trafficking

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), the chief endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident oxidoreductase chaperone, is known to catalyze the maturation of disulfide bond-containing proteins primarily through oxidation and isomerization functions. The rate-determining step in the oxidative regeneration path of disulfide bond-containing proteins generally couples chemical thiol−disulfide-exchange reactions to a physical conformational folding reaction. We have determined the impact of PDI and its subdomains on the rate-determining step in ribonuclease A folding and on the physical structure-forming step of select ER-processed proteins including RNase A. This was facilitated through application of a novel chemical tool to exclusively populate native disulfide-containing intermediates in unstructured forms. The described biochemical inroad permits a deconvoluted study of the physical half-process in the rate-determining step from its chemical counterpart. Analysis of folding kinetics of RNase A and other proteins reve...
Photosensitive polymers containing diaryliodonium salt groups in the main chain

Photosensitive polyimidothioethers were prepared by the base-catalyzed condensation of bisthiols with 4,4′-(N-maleimido)diphenyliodonium chloride. Copolymers with other bismaleimide monomers were also prepared. The ultraviolet-induced degradation of two of the copolymers was studied and the effects of light intensity on the rate of photolysis determined. It was also demonstrated that the range of spectral sensitivity of these polymers can be extended into the visible region through the use of dye sensitizers.
Calcaneal Avulsion Fractures A Case Series of 33 Patients Describing Prognostic Factors and Outcomes

Background. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prognostic predictors of complications and need for secondary surgery in a series of calcaneal avulsion fractures. Methods. Thirty-three patients who sustained extra-articular calcaneal avulsion fractures from 2002 to 2011 were retrospectively identified. Main outcome measurement was need for secondary surgical procedures. Secondary complications such as soft tissue complications and loss of fixation were noted. Prognostic factors for outcome measures were identified. Results. There was a need for secondary operations in 12 cases. Of those, 10 (83%) had wound complications and 5 (41.7%) had failure of fixation. Two subjects required below knee amputation. Of the entire cohort of 33 patients, 13 (39.4%) had soft tissue complications. Of the 22 that underwent surgery, 6 (27%) had failure of fixation. Increased age was significantly associated with wound complications (P = .029). Hypothyroidism (P = .003), peripheral vascular disease (P = .022), and prese...
Oxidative Stress Promotes Endothelial Cell Apoptosis and Loss of Microvessels in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Objective— Endothelial cell apoptosis caused by oxidative stress may lead to the loss of microvessels (rarefaction) in hypertension. We examine here the effects of antioxidants on cell apoptosis and rarefaction. Methods and Results— The juvenile spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were treated with superoxide scavengers, Tempol or Tiron, during growth. After the treatment, oxidative stress status, endothelial cell apoptosis rate, and microvessel length density in skeletal muscle and mesentery were evaluated in comparison with age-matched controls. Untreated 16-week-old SHR had higher oxidative stress ( P P 3 [ P 3 ). In the SHR, but not in WKY rats, systemically applied antioxidants attenuated oxidative stress and cell apoptosis rate ( P 3 for Tempol [ P 3 for Tiron [ P Conclusions— Antioxidant treatment with cell-permeable superoxide scavengers inhibits endothelial cell apoptosis and prevents microvessel rarefaction in the SHR during growth.
Alternative Splicing in the Pore-Forming Region of shaker Potassium Channels

We have cloned cDNAs for the shaker potassium channel gene from the spiny lobster Panulirus interruptus . As previously found in Drosophila , there is alternative splicing at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the coding region. However, in Panulirus shaker , alternative splicing also occurs within the pore-forming region of the protein. Three different splice variants were found within the P region, two of which bestow unique electrophysiological characteristics to channel function. Pore I and pore II variants differ in voltage dependence for activation, kinetics of inactivation, current rectification, and drug resistance. The pore 0 variant lacks a P region exon and does not produce a functional channel. This is the first example of alternative splicing within the pore-forming region of a voltage-dependent ion channel. We used a recently identified potassium channel blocker, κ-conotoxin PVIIA, to study the physiological role of the two pore forms. The toxin selectively blocked one pore form, whereas the other form, heteromers between the two pore forms, and Panulirus shal were not blocked. When it was tested in the Panulirus stomatogastric ganglion, the toxin produced no effects on transient K+ currents or synaptic transmission between neurons.
A low distortion switching audio power amplifier

A full bridge power converter that utilizes one-cycle control is proposed for audio power amplification. Experimental results demonstrate that the new power amplifier overcomes the nonlinearity of the switching power converter and achieves high power ripple rejection and low output signal distortion. It is suitable for high efficiency and high fidelity audio power amplification applications. >
Corporate Social Responsibility and Bank Performance

This is an empirical study of the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), financial performance and risk at U.S. banks from 1998-2010. The results are striking. First, there is a positive relationship between CSR and both operating performance and firm value. This result is most pronounced in the largest banks. Second, there is a negative relationship between bank risk-taking and aspects of a bank’s CSR environment that are central to the bank’s operating activities. Third, those same aspects were negatively related to whether or not the bank received assistance through TARP during 2008-2009, while aspects consistent with green-washing were positively related to a bank receiving TARP assistance. Overall, these results suggest that improving the quality of CSR at banks might go a long way towards improving individual bank performance and reducing the risk associated with U.S. financial institutions.
Nutritional Factors and Vertical Transmission of HIV-1 Epidemiology and Potential Mechanisms

: Transmission of HIV from mothers to children may occur through the transplacental, intrapartum, or breastfeeding routes. Adequate nutritional status may reduce vertical transmission by affecting several maternal or fetal and child risk factors for transmission including enhancing systemic immune function in the mother or fetus/child; reducing the rate of clinical, immunological, or virological progression in the mother; reducing viral load or the risk of viral shedding in lower genital secretions or breast milk; reducing the risks of low birth weight or prematurity; or by maintaining the integrity of the fetus/child gastrointestinal integrity. In prospective observational studies, low plasma vitamin A levels were associated with higher risks of vertical transmission. However, findings from randomized, controlled trials suggest that supplements of vitamin A or other vitamins are unlikely to have an effect on vertical transmission during pregnancy or the intrapartum period. The effect of other nutrient supplements, such as zinc and selenium, is unknown. Similarly, whether nutrition supplements of mothers during the breastfeeding period has an effect on transmission is unknown. The potential benefits of direct supplementation of children born to HIV-infected women on transmission of HIV, as well as on the risk and severity of childhood infections and mortality, are also important to examine.
Oral exposure to Trypanosoma cruzi elicits a systemic CD8⁺ T cell response and protection against heterotopic challenge.

Trypanosoma cruzi infects millions of people in Latin America and often leads to the development of Chagas disease. T. cruzi infection can be acquired at or near the bite site of the triatomine vector, but per os infection is also a well-documented mode of transmission, as evidenced by recent microepidemics of acute Chagas disease attributed to the consumption of parasite-contaminated foods and liquids. It would also be convenient to deliver vaccines for T. cruzi by the oral route, particularly live parasite vaccines intended for the immunization of reservoir hosts. For these reasons, we were interested in better understanding immunity to T. cruzi following oral infection or oral vaccination, knowing that the route of infection and site of antigen encounter can have substantial effects on the ensuing immune response. Here, we show that the route of infection does not alter the ability of T. cruzi to establish infection in muscle tissue nor does it impair the generation of a robust CD8+ T cell response. Importantly, oral vaccination with attenuated parasites provides protection against wild-type (WT) T. cruzi challenge. These results strongly support the development of whole-organism-based vaccines targeting reservoir species as a means to alleviate the burden of Chagas disease in affected regions.
Impact of a parent-child sexual communication campaign: results from a controlled efficacy trial of parents

Background Prior research supports the notion that parents have the ability to influence their children's decisions regarding sexual behavior. Yet parent-based approaches to curbing teen pregnancy and STDs have been relatively unexplored. The Parents Speak Up National Campaign (PSUNC) is a multimedia campaign that attempts to fill this void by targeting parents of teens to encourage parent-child communication about waiting to have sex. The campaign follows a theoretical framework that identifies cognitions that are targeted in campaign messages and theorized to influence parent-child communication. While a previous experimental study showed PSUNC messages to be effective in increasing parent-child communication, it did not address how these effects manifest through the PSUNC theoretical framework. The current study examines the PSUNC theoretical framework by 1) estimating the impact of PSUNC on specific cognitions identified in the theoretical framework and 2) examining whether those cognitions are indeed associated with parent-child communication
The Neuman Systems Model Institute: Testing Middle-Range Theories

The credibility of the Neuman systems model can only be established through the generation and testing of Neuman systems model-derived middle-range theories. However, due to the number and complexity of Neuman systems model concepts/concept interrelations and the diversity of middle-range theory concepts linked to these Neuman systems model concepts by researchers, no explicit middle-range theories have yet been derived from the Neuman systems model. This article describes the development of an organized program for the systematic study of the Neuman systems model. Preliminary work, already accomplished, is detailed, and a tentative plan for the completion of further preliminary work as well as beginning the actual research conduction phase is proposed.
Continuous-wave sodium guidestar laser systems

We discuss laser design and guidestar tests of our continuous-wave, single-frequency, 589-nm laser system based on a doubly resonant sum-frequency ring containing an LBO crystal pumped by 1064 nm and 1319 nm continuous-wave Nd:YAG injection-locked ring lasers
Mutual coupling of antenna configurations in phased array systems

Square patch antennas were analyzed for the effects of mutual coupling between the neighboring antennas. Circularly polarized patches have been considered with both co-polarization and cross polarization between two patches. The frequency variations in dual-feed arrays were also observed as a function of element separation. The results of mutual coupling between adjacent antennas from this paper can be used to develop new arrays, especially for narrow band frequency applications. The results can easily be extended to higher frequencies up to millimeter wavelengths.
Effects of Thrombin on Interactions Between β3-Integrins and Extracellular Matrix in Platelets and Vascular Cells

The β3-integrin family consists of αIIbβ3 (also known as glycoprotein IIb/IIIa) and αvβ3. αIIbβ3 is found on platelets and megakaryocytes and has an essential role in hemostasis. αvβ3 has a broader distribution, and it functions in angiogenesis, neointimal formation after vascular injury, and leukocyte trafficking. There are important interactions between thrombin and β3-integrins relative to both “inside-out” (integrin activation) and “outside-in” (modification of cellular events by ligand binding to integrins) signaling. Thrombin, by binding to G protein-coupled, protease-activated receptors, is a potent activator of αIIbβ3. Conversely, outside-in signaling through αIIbβ3 amplifies events initiated by thrombin and is necessary for full platelet spreading, platelet aggregation, granule secretion, and the formation of a stable platelet thrombus. In smooth muscle cells, αvβ3-integrins influence various responses to thrombin, including proliferation, c-Jun NH 2-terminal kinase-1 activation, and focal adhesion formation. Other interactions between β3-integrins and thrombin include β3-integrin promotion of the generation of thrombin by localizing prothrombin to cellular surfaces and/or enhancing the formation of procoagulant microparticles and the requirement of β3-integrin function for platelet-dependent clot retraction. In summary, there is increasing evidence that interactions between β3-integrins and thrombin play important roles in the regulation of hemostatic and vascular functions. Series Editor: Marschall S. Runge ATVB In Focus Extracellular Mediators in Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis Previous Brief Review in this Series: •Brasier AR, Recinos A III, Eledrisi MS. Vascular inflammation and the renin-angiotensin system. 2002;22:1257–1266. •Moser M. Patterson C. Thrombin and vascular development: a sticky subject. 2003;23:922–930. •Major CD, Santulli RJ, Derian CK, Andrade-Gordon P. Extracellular mediators in atherosclerosis and thombosis: lessons from thrombin receptor knockout mice. 2003;23:931–939. •Yin Y-J, Salah Z, Grisaru-Granovsky S, Cohen I, Even-Ram SC, Maoz M, Uziely B, Peretz T, Bar-Shavit R. Human protese-activated receptor 1 expression in malignant epithelia: a role in invasiveness. 2003;23:940–944.
Effects of Habitat Type and Drying on Ascogregarina barretti (Eugregarinida: Lecudinidae) Infection in Aedes triseritatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

The intensity and prevalence of parasitism by Ascogregarina barretti (Vavra) in Aedes triseriatus (Say) did not differ between tires and tree holes in field samples taken in September 1996. There was significant variation in the intensity of parasitism among containers that was not significantly correlated with the pH, conductivity, or temperature of the container water. In an experiment manipulating habitat drying, treatments had a significant effect on A. barretti infection of Ae. triseriatus, only during midsummer in one of two years. Containers maintained at maximal volume had the lowest prevalence of parasitism, and containers that dried out had the greatest prevalence. In this experiment, there was also a season-dependent difference in the intensity and prevalence of infection between tree holes and tires. The first larvae to reach the fourth instar in tires in the early summer had lower intensity and prevalence of infection than did larvae in tree holes during the same period. The seasonal difference in intensity of parasitism between tires and tree holes was not related to differences in pH, conductivity, and temperature.