cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth retardation: use of sulfation factor as a bioassay for growth hormone.

A bioassay for measurement of human growth hormone based upon the observation that normal human serum, in vitro, will favor the incorporation of S-35 into immature rat cartilage is described. The factor in serum is called "sulfation factor." Sulfation factor determinations were performed on 27 normal children, 15 with hypopituitarism, 26 dwarfs without demonstrable endocrine or other diseases, 11 children with a variety of non-pituitary diseases causing dwarfism, and 1 adult with acromegaly. The mean activity (± S. E.) of sulfation factor was 0.84 ± 0.057 S. F. units in the normal children, 0.45 ± 0.024 S. F. units in idiopathic hypopituitary patients (p There was an excellent correlation between sulfation factor and other laboratory determinations of pituitary function. Hypophysectomized rats receiving bovine growth hormone showed substantial increase of sulfation factor as compared to control hypophysectomized rats. Sulfation factor activity appears to be a valid and useful indicator of growth hormone activity in serum.
Programmable materials for protein delivery and regenerative medicine

Human tissues dynamically change their properties in response to environmental stimulation. Great effort has been made to develop synthetic materials with the ability to recapitulate the dynamic nature of natural tissues for drug delivery and regenerative medicine. While significant progress have been achieved, it remains a challenge to develop materials whose multiple functions and properties can be molecularly regulated at the right time at the right frequency for the right duration. This presentation will introduce how to develop programmable aptamer-functionalized hydrogels and how the functionalities of these hydrogels are specifically regulated with high fidelity at the DNA and protein levels. Our data have shown that aptamers could be effectively incorporated into hydrogels and that the incorporation of aptamers into hydrogels did not compromise the capability of aptamers in recognizing target molecules. Importantly, the aptamers were able to hold protein drugs with high binding strength and specificity. With the rational design of aptamer sequences, different release kinetics could be achieved. We believe that these programmable hydrogels hold great potential for a variety of biomedical applications ranging from drug delivery to regenerative medicine.
ATM regulates glioma migration and invasion primarily via MEK-ERK and not AKT signaling (735.8)

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal brain cancer with a life expectancy of only 12-15 months. Current standard treatment for GBM is surgery and chemoradiation. However, there are many difficulties when it comes to treating this aggressive brain cancer due to inherent radio- and chemo-resistance. Hence, there is a critical need for new therapeutic approaches to make radiation/chemotherapy more effective. Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) patients are extremely sensitive to ionizing radiation. The protein mutated in A-T, ATM (A-T mutated), controls the cells’ response to radiation and is referred to as the DNA damage response (DDR). ATM is a master protein kinase that targets numerous proteins during the DDR including regulators of cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair, and apoptosis. In addition, we have shown that without any radiation, ATM might regulate glioma dispersal. Using a highly specific inhibitor of the ATM kinase (ATMi), we recently showed that ATM regulates both ERK and AKT signaling and controls...
The New Trade in Heroin: Spreading America's Street Culture

This paper addresses behavioral impacts when hard drugs re-emerge as the drug of choice of a larger proportion of the American population. However, the use has increased with the youth of the nation and is no longer confined to urban inner-city population. The availability and the purity of certain drugs help to increase the incidence of heroin as an example. Risk factors are hypothesized for further investigation, but interventions that may be helpful are also considered.
Equal Protection Outside the Clause

W HEN the Declaration of Independence stated that "all men are created equal" it but documented the idea of equality which has ancient roots in Western civilization.? The idea seems to have first passed from the philosophical to the juridical in American history in Charles Sumner's argument against school segregation in Roberts v. Boston in 1850.2 The constitutional responsibility for ensuring the equality of equals is principally cast in the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, but judicial misinterpretation and conceptualism have prevented the clause from playing its full role, and it is limited to state action by its very terms. This is a study in other supra-statutory judicial methods for ensuring equality and an analysis of relative advantages in areas where they, as well as the equal protection clause, are applicable.
Apolipoprotein E–low density lipoprotein receptor interaction: influences of basic residue and amphipathic α-helix organization in the ligand

Conserved lysines and arginines within amino acids 140-150 of apolipoprotein (apo) E are crucial for the interaction between apoE and the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR). To explore the roles of amphipathic alpha-helix and basic residue organization in the binding process, we performed site-directed mutagenesis on the 22-kDa fragment of apoE (amino acids 1-191). Exchange of lysine and arginine at positions 143, 146, and 147 demonstrated that a positive charge rather than a specific basic residue is required at these positions. Consistent with this finding, substitution of neutral amino acids for the lysines at positions 143 and 146 reduced the binding affinity to about 30% of the wild-type value. This reduction corresponds to a decrease in free energy of binding of approximately 600 cal/mol, consistent with the elimination of a hydrogen-bonded ion pair (salt bridge) between a lysine on apoE and an acidic residue on the LDLR. Binding activity was similarly reduced when K143 and K146 were both mutated to arginine (K143R + K146R), indicating that more than the side-chain positive charge can be important.Exchanging lysines and leucines indicated that the amphipathic alpha-helical structure of amino acids 140-150 is critical for normal binding to the low density lipoprotein receptor.
Long-Term Weekly Iron Supplementation Improves and Sustains Nonpregnant Women’s Iron Status as Well or Better than Currently Recommended Short-Term Daily Supplementation

This 7-mo double-blind study compared the efficacy of two iron supplementation schemes in improving iron nutrition among 116 healthy fertile-age women. They were randomly distributed in three groups, receiving: Group 1, iron + folate (60 mg and 250 microg, respectively) daily for 3 mo (currently recommended scheme), and folate (250 microg) weekly the subsequent 4 mo. Group 2, folate daily, and 60 mg iron only once weekly for 3 mo, and then weekly iron + folate for 4 mo. Group 3, folate daily for 3 mo and then weekly for 4 mo. At baseline, 16% had depleted stores (plasma ferritin <15 microg/L) and 16% had hemoglobin levels <125 g/L. Eight percent had hemoglobin levels <120 g/L. In Group 1 hemoglobin and ferritin increased at 3 mo but returned to near basal conditions after 4 mo of weekly folate. In Group 2, hemoglobin and ferritin increased progressively throughout the 7 mo but mostly after 3 mo. Group 3 did not change. Side effects were highest with daily iron. Weekly iron supplementation over 7 mo (30 doses) improved and sustained iron nutrition at least as effectively and was better tolerated than 90 daily iron supplements consumed during 3 mo.
On the computational complexity of ordinary differential equations

The computational complexity of the solution y of the differential equation y ′( x ) = f ( x, y ( x )), with the initial value y (0) = 0, relative to the computational complexity of the function f is investigated. The Lipschitz condition on the function f is shown to play an important role in this problem. On the one hand, examples are given in which f is polynomial time computable but none of the solutions y is computable. On the other hand, if f is polynomial time computable and if f satisfies a weak form of the Lipschitz condition then the (unique) solution y is polynomial space computable. Furthermore, there exists a polynomial time computable function f which satisfies this weak Lipschitz condition such that the (unique) solution y is not polynomial time computable unless P = PSPACE.
Compact Radio Sources with the Steepest Spectra

We used the 1.4 GHz NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and 365 MHz Texas survey catalogs to select relatively compact (θ ≤ 25'') radio sources having exceptionally steep spectral indices α ≥ 1.5 (where the flux density Sν at frequency ν scales as Sν ∝ ν-α). Our sample of 74 sources (of ~30,000 total sources common to both surveys) with S(365 MHz) ≥ 200 mJy in the 10 sr between δ = -35°30' and δ = 71°30' should be complete for spectra as steep as α = 3.2, but we found only four sources with α > 2.5. Most known sources with such steep spectra are pulsars (coherent radio sources), relic radio galaxies, and high-redshift radio galaxies (synchrotron sources with spectra steepened by radiation losses). In fact, six of our sources have been identified with known pulsars and one with a high-redshift (z = 3.79) radio galaxy. In order to find possible new populations of steep-spectrum sources and classify the rest, we made VLA images of our sources with 15 and 05 resolution at 1.4 and 5 GHz, respectively. There are 25 doubles, 24 multicomponent sources, 16 unresolved (θ 02) sources, and six known pulsars. Three sources have undetermined morphologies as they were not reobserved with the VLA. The smallest sources have exceptionally steep spectra for their angular sizes. New pulsars, if any, are likely to be of special interest since they are strong but were missed by pulse-detection surveys. Preliminary radio, infrared, and optical observations suggest that most are high-redshift extragalactic sources.
Hydrodynamic Dimensions, Electrophoretic Mobility, and Stability of Hydrophilic Quantum Dots

Luminescent semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have great potential for use in biological assays and imaging. These nanocrystals are capped with surface ligands (bifunctional molecules, amphiphilic polymers, phospholipids, etc.) that render them hydrophilic and provide them with functional properties. These coatings alters their hydrodynamic radii and surface charge, which can drastically affect properties such as diffusion within the cell cytoplasm. Heavy atom techniques such as transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering probe the inorganic core and do not take into account the ligand coating. Herein we use dynamic light scattering to characterize the hydrodynamic radius (RH) of CdSe−ZnS QDs capped with various hydrophilic surface coatings (including dihydrolipoic acid and amphiphilic polymers) and self-assembled QD−protein bioconjugates. Experiments were complemented with measurements of the geometric size and zeta potential using agarose gel electrophoresis and laser Doppler velocimetry. We fi...
Communication Research and the American Labor Union

This article summarizes some of the writing and research relevant to communication and labor unions, reports the results of a questionnaire survey concerning future cooperative research programs, and presents specific data from a survey of union practices and opinions in oral communication. Much of the writing and research in this area is found in surveys of communication needs or descriptive treatments of training programs. Fewer investigators have concentrated on the behavioral foundations of labor-management interaction and even fewer have conducted intra-union research in organizational communication. There does seem to be some union support for future efforts in intra-union communication research- particularly from the State Central Body Presidents. Research is suggested primarily in the areas of how to communicate the importance of communication; communication patterns between various union dyads; characteristics of successful and unsuccessful communicators; and labor communication in conflict situations. The survey of oral communication shows the current status and disparity between training needed and training offered.
Iterative and one-step reconstruction from nonuniform samples by convex projections

We apply the method of projections onto convex sets (POCS) to recover a signal or image from nonuniform samples and prior knowledge. Both iterative and one-step algorithms to implement POCS are furnished. We discuss our results in relation to the recent work by Sauer and Allebach [ IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst.CAS-34, 1497 ( 1987)], who considered the same problem from a different point of view.
Bence Jones proteins and light chains of immunoglobulins—III Inv antigenicity: A genetic expression with serologic dependency on the intact kappa light chain molecule

Abstract The Inv antigenicity of a κ light polypeptide chain is related to a single genetic site located at position 191 in the constant region of the molecule. The demonstration that selective cleavage of a κ light chain into its constituent variant half and constant half resulted in a concomitant loss of Inv antigenicity reflected the dependency of Inv antigenicity upon the structural integrity of the κ light polypeptide chain.
Steroidogenic capabilities of the early mouse embryo.

Preimplantation embryos from ICR albino mice were used to determine progesterone and estradiol-17β production during incubation in BMOC-2. Following culture of 40 embryos/culture at either the morula, early blastocyst or late blastocyst stages, progesterone and estradiol-17β contents were 192±27 and 82±22 pg, 289±50 and 147±46 pg and 157±28 and 88±23 pg, respectively, for incubated samples and 306±68 and 89±40 pg, 404±63 and 125±44 pg, and 241±54 and 86±39 pg, respectively for control samples. Although, there were significant stage of development and treatments effects (P<0.05) for progesterone, production of this steroid was not evident. These data suggest that the early preimplantation mouse embryo does not produce progesterone or estradiol-17β in a defined culture system.
A physical model for firespread in brush

The elements of a theory for the process of free spread of fire through brush are presented in terms of simple stepwise processes, which are analyzed separately but joined by their common physical parameters. The stepwise processes analyzed are: (1) Preheating (by radiation) and outgassing of volatile-bearing structure ahead of the flame; (2) Intermittent ignition of the combustible gas mixture so produced; (3) Attachment of flame to fuel after heating by flame bath; (4) Steady burning after flame attachment. Dimensionless spread rate, flame length, and burning zone depth are derived and displayed as functions of fuel-bed height, depth of leafy layer, moisture content, fuel loading, and several less-physical parameters. Very elementary account is taken of the effect of wind by adjusting the flame-tilt angle.
A Literary Examination of Electronic Meeting System Use in Everyday Organizational Life

This article is based on imagining the widespread daily use of electronic meeting systems (EMS) technology in organizations. Three famous meetings from popular literature—the Mad Tea Party, Twelve Angry Men, and the Last Supper—are used as case studies to illustrate dynamics common in organizational groups. The implications of technology use for the management of these dynamics is discussed, and suggestions are offered for an agenda and new metaphors to guide the next generation of EMS research.
Cloning and characterization of feline brain natriuretic peptide.

Abstract Brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac hormone involved in regulation of fluid balance and blood pressure homeostasis of mammalian species. BNP sequence is species-specific and considered to be a significant prognostic and diagnostic marker for cardiac dysfunction. Using conventional polymerase chain reaction and amplification of cDNA 3′- and 5′-ends, a total of 1500 nucleotides encompassing the entire feline BNP gene were characterized. The feline BNP gene is organized in three exons separated by two introns. The complete transcript of 736 nucleotides was characterized, including 396 nucleotides encoding feline preproBNP. The preproBNP consisted of a signal peptide of 26 amino acids and a proBNP of 106 residues. The predicted mature BNP comprised 35 amino acids with likely 26- and 29-aa isomers, including a histidine residue at the C-terminus. Based on the similarity of BNP prepropeptide sequences, a phylogenetic relationship is presented for mammalian species including human, cat, cattle, dog, mouse, rat, sheep and swine.
Immigration: The New American Dilemma

The American dilemma was once distinctively American, rooted in the particular history of the United States and in the conflict between liberal principles and exclusionary practice. The contemporary American dilemma takes a different form, arising from the challenges that emerge when international migration confronts the liberal nation-state. Solving the earlier dilemma called for extending and deepening citizenship so that it would be fully shared by all Americans. However, that more robust citizenship is only for Americans, who alone can cross U.S. borders as they please. Consequently, rights stop at the national boundary, where the admission of foreigners is controlled and restricted. Because entries are rationed, migration policies select a favored few, creating new forms of de jure inequality that separate citizens from resident aliens and distinguish among resident foreigners by virtue of their right to territorial presence. Thus, the encounter between citizens wanting to preserve their national com...
A boundary parametric approximation to the linearized scalar potential magnetostatic field problem

We consider the linearized scalar potential formulation of the magnetostatic field problem in this paper. Our approach involves a reformulation of the continuous problem as a parametric boundary problem. By the introduction of a spherical interface and the use of spherical harmonics, the infinite boundary conditions can also be satisfied in the parametric framework. That is, the field in the exterior of a sphere is expanded in a harmonic series of eigenfunctions for the exterior harmonic problem. The approach is essentially a finite element method coupled with a spectral method via a boundary parametric procedure. The reformulated problem is discretized by finite element techniques which lead to a discrete parametric problem which can be solved by well conditioned iteration involving only the solution of decoupled Neumann type elliptic finite element systems and L/sup 2/ projection onto subspaces of spherical harmonics. Error and stability estimates given show exponential convergence in the degree of the spherical harmonics and optimal order convergence with respect to the finite element approximation for the resulting fields in L/sup 2/. 24 references.
Returns vs. Endowments in the Earnings Attainment Process for Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Men and Women1

Three explanations typically are offered for differences in earnings: (1) individuals have different levels of human capital and hold different jobs (endowments differ), (2) rewards to human capital and job characteristics differ (returns differ), and (3) some combination of differences in endowments and returns explain variations in earnings. We argue that the structure of labor markets in nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) areas differs from that in metropolitan (metro) areas such that returns, as well as endowments, vary. These variations in returns favor metropolitan workers, explaining the predominant portion of the metro/nonmetro earnings gap. We examine the earnings differences for metro and nonmetro men and women in both 1977 and 1987, showing that returns outweigh endowments in explaining that gap for both men and women, although their importance decreases over the ten-year period. Research to improve our understanding of how differences in labor market structure produce differential returns has begun and may yield yet another avenue for action for policymakers interested in reducing metro/nonmetro inequalities.
The effects of platelet-rich plasma on bone marrow stromal cell transplants for tendon healing in vitro.

Purpose In this study, we investigated the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow–derived stromal cell (BMSC)–seeded interposition in an in vitro canine tendon repair model. Methods Bone marrow, peripheral blood, and tendons were harvested from mixed-breed dogs. Bone marrow–derived stromal cells were cultured and passaged from adherent cells of bone marrow suspension. Platelet-rich plasma was purified from peripheral blood using a commercial kit. A total of 192 flexor digitorum profundus tendons were used for the study. Tendons repaired with a simple suture were used as a control group. In treatment groups, a collagen gel patch was interposed at the tendon repair site before suture. There were 3 treatment groups, according to the type of collagen patch: a patch with PRP, a patch with BMSC, and a patch with PRP and BMSC. The repaired tendons were evaluated by biomechanical testing and by histological survey after 2 and 4 weeks in tissue culture. To evaluate viability, cells were labeled with PKH26 red fluorescent cell linker (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) and surveyed under confocal microscopy after culture. Results The maximum breaking strength and stiffness of the healing tendons with the BMSC-seeded PRP patch were significantly higher than those of the healing tendons without a patch or with a cell-seeded patch (p Conclusions Platelet-rich plasma enhanced the effect of BMSC-seeded collagen gel interposition in this in vitro model. Based on these results, we now plan to investigate this effect in vivo .
Induction of interleukin 1 by Legionella pneumophila antigens in mouse macrophage and human mononuclear leukocyte cultures

Abstract Exposure to Legionella pneumophila antigens has been reported to result in both an adjuvant effect and pathophysiological changes such as fever, headache, myalgia and arthralgias. Immunoenhancement and inflammatory changes have been associated with the production of interleukin 1, and we, therefore, sought an involvement of interleukin production in the alteration of biological responsiveness following exposure to Legionella pneumophila antigens. Killed Legionella pneumophila cells, incubated with mouse splenocytes, induced the formation of a soluble substance which enhanced splenocyte antibody production to heterologous antigen. The immunoenhancing substance was also produced by mouse peritoneal macrophages and supernatants from these cultures were demonstrated to also contain thymocyte co-mitogenic activity. Following gel filtration, this co-mitogenic activity eluted in the 15,000 molecular weight range suggesting an involvement of interleukin 1. Experiments with Legionella pneumophila cells, and cell extracts containing endotoxin, and purified endotoxin suggested that the interleukin 1 activity was induced by both endotoxin and non-endotoxin antigens. The Legionella pneumophila antigens were also found to be potent inducers of interleukin 1 activity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures. These results suggest that Legionella pneumophila antigens are potent inducers of interleukin 1 in both mouse and human cells. The induction of this monokine may partially acount for both the immunoenhancing property of this bacterial species and the associated pathophysiological changes following infection with this microorganism.
The calculi of emergence: computation, dynamics and induction

Abstract Defining structure and detecting the emergence of complexity in nature are inherently subjective, though essential, scientific activities. Despite the difficulties, these problems can be analyzed in terms of how model-building observers infer from measurements the computational capabilities embedded in nonlinear processes. An observer's notion of what is ordered, what is random, and what is complex in its environment depends directly on its computational resources: the amount of raw measurement data, of memory, and of time available for estimation and inference. The discovery of structure in an environment depends more critically and subtlely though on how those resources are organized. The descriptive power of the observer's chosen (or implicit) computational model class, for example, can be an overwhelming determinant in finding regularity in data. This paper presents an overview of an inductive framework-hierarchical ϵ-machine reconstruction—in which the emergence of complexity is associated with the innovation of new computational model classes. Complexity metrics for detecting structure and quantifying emergence, along with an analysis of the constraints on the dynamics of innovation, are outlined. Illustrative examples are drawn from the onset of unpredictability in nonlinear systems, finitary nondeterministic processes, and cellular automata pattern recognition. They demonstrate how finite inference resources drive the innovation of new structures and so lead to the emergence of complexity.
Changes in Lectin Binding by Differentiating Cutaneous Keratinocytes From the Newborn Rat

Surface glycoconjugates of cells from the basal layer of the skin of the newborn rat bind the isolectin I-B4 from Griffonia simplicifolia (GS I-B4) (alpha-D-galactosyl specificity). Surface glycoconjugates of the differentiated cells from the spinous and lower granular layers bind Ulex europeus agglutinin I (UEA) (alpha-L-fucosyl specificity). The change from GS I-B4 binding to UEA binding was studied in rat keratinocytes that were cultured as a monolayer in low-calcium medium until confluence, and then induced to stratify and terminally differentiate by raising the calcium concentration of the medium. The cells in the monolayer had basal cell morphology and exhibited surface binding of GS I-B4. However, at confluence, 30-40% of these cells also showed surface binding of UEA. There was an increase with time in the number of cells which bound both GS I-B4 and UEA. Raising the calcium concentration of the medium resulted in an increase in UEA binding. Cells of the upper layers of the stratifying cultures showed intense UEA binding but did not show any GS I-B4 binding. Double staining of frozen sections of newborn rat skin with fluorescein-conjugated GS I-B4 and rhodamine-conjugated UEA revealed that the surfaces of cells from the lower spinous layer bound both lectins. Thirty percent of the major glycoprotein fraction, that was isolated from the membranes of the epidermal cells of the newborn rat and was bound to an affinity column of UEA-Sepharose 4B, was also bound to an affinity column of GS I-B4-Sepharose 4B. These results indicate that surface glycoconjugates of rat keratinocytes differentiating in culture exhibit a change from GS I-B4 binding to UEA binding; the change in the cell surface glycoconjugates that results in the appearance of UEA binding, a feature of differentiated cells, occurs independently of stratification; and the change from GS I-B4 binding to UEA binding probably involves an "intermediate" glycoconjugate that binds both GS I-B4 and UEA and is found on the surface of cells from the lower spinous layer of the epidermis of the newborn rat.
SU-E-T-88: Evaluating Gantry Sag on Linear Accelerators and Introducing an MLC-Based Compensation Strategy

Purpose: Gantry sag is one of the well‐known sources of mechanical imperfections that compromise the spatial accuracy of radiation dose delivery. This study aims to quantify the gantry sag on multiple linacs and to investigate a multiple leaf collimator (MLC)‐base strategy to compensate for gantry sag. Methods: We used the Winston‐Lutz method to measure the gantry sag on three Varian linacs. A ball‐bearing phantom was imaged with a square radiation field during gantry rotation. The images were analyzed to derive the radiation isocenter and subsequently the gantry sag, that is, the superior‐inferior wobble of the radiation field center from the radiation isocenter as a function of gantry angle. Compensation for gantry sag was attempted by offsetting the MLC leaves at 90‐degree collimator angle. The amount of offset was the opposite of measured gantry sag, which was gantry angle‐specific. Results: Gantry sag was reproducible within a six‐month period. On the three linacs, the maximum gantry sag was found to vary from 0.7 mm to 1.0 mm, depending on the linac and the collimator angle. The radiation field center moved inferiorly, or away from the gantry, when the gantry was rotated from 0 to 180 degrees. Comparison of gantry sag at 0‐ and 90‐degree collimator angles showed that the uncertainty in MLC leaf positions did not increase the gantry sag. Instead, gantry sag was caused primarily by nonideal gantry rotation. After the MLC compensation was applied, the maximum gantry sag was reduced to less than 0.2 mm. Conclusions: The results indicated that gantry sag on a linac can be quantitatively measured with sub‐millimeter precision, using a simple ball‐bearing phantom and the electronic portal imaging device. Reduction of gantry sag is feasible by applying a gantry angle‐specific correction to MLC leaf positions at 90 degree collimator angle.
Using real options to value losses from cyber attacks

When traditional assets are lost, the loss is typically considered to be the summation of the purchase price and the costs of labor and material used to put an asset into production, reduced by depreciation charges and insurance recoveries. With digital assets, traditional loss valuation fails to reflect the full loss to the company, as much of a digital asset's value is based on intangibles. Here, the argument is made that without a full valuation of digital assets, managers do not know the true loss they have experienced should the asset be lost. Consequently, optimal managerial decisions cannot be made. Real options analysis using binomial trees are suggested as a means to measure the full value of digital assets, and their resulting losses.
Perturbing Structural Design Towards Minimizing Variation in Vibratory Response

Real structures are always subject to uncertainties due to material imperfection, machining tolerance, and assemblage error, etc. These uncertainties lead to variations in structural vibratory responses. In order to reduce the likelihood of unexpected failures in structures, we need to minimize the response variations, which is the underlying idea of robust design. In this paper, we present an inverse sensitivity-based algorithm that allows us to tailor the structural design such that, under the same level of uncertainties, the response variations can be effectively reduced. We first develop a direct relation between the structural uncertainties and the response variations including the means and variances. We then formulate an optimal identification algorithm that will yield design perturbation to minimize the response variances while maintaining the mean values. Case analyses are carried out to validate the validity and efficiency of the new algorithm.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Constructing the Global in Two Rural Communities in Australia and Japan

This article examines discursive constructions of the global in two rural communities, one in Australia and one in Japan. Based on an analysis of interviews with 195 Australians and Japanese, the a...
Management of Pediatric Cardiac Trauma in the ED

Cardiac trauma, though rare in children, is associated with a variety of clinical syndromes and found most often in cases of multisystem injury. Blunt chest trauma may manifest as cardiac contusion, though complications including cardiac tamponade, aortic injury, or structural cardiac damage may result. Commotio cordis may result if the impact occurs at a specific time in the cardiac cycle. Diagnosis of cardiac injury may be complicated and necessitate a high index of suspicion, involving the consideration of cardiac enzymes, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, computed tomography, or angiography. Children, particularly, may present without classic signs and symptoms making the diagnosis more challenging. Penetrating cardiac traumas are far rarer, but often require rapid, aggressive resuscitation.
An Electronically-Scanned 1.8–2.1 GHz Base-Station Antenna Using Packaged High-Reliability RF MEMS Phase Shifters

This paper presents the first 4-element base-station antenna that is passively scanned using low-loss RF MEMS phase shifters. The design is based on packaged RF MEMS SPDT switches, which are capable of handling Watts of RF power with high reliability. The results agree very well with simulations and show pattern scanning to 9° with a measured gain of 8.6-8.3 dB at 2 GHz. The array is capable of handling 5-10 W of power with no distortion.
Nrl and Sp Nuclear Proteins Mediate Transcription of Rod-specific cGMP-phosphodiesterase β-Subunit Gene: INVOLVEMENT OF MULTIPLE RESPONSE ELEMENTS *

cGMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE) is the key effector in rod photoreceptor signal transduction. Mutations in the gene encoding its catalytic β-subunit (β-PDE) cause retinal degenerations leading to blindness. We report that the short −93 to +53 sequence in the upstream region of this gene is sufficient for β-PDE transcription in both Y79 human retinoblastoma cells and Xenopus embryo heads maintainedex vivo. This sequence also functions as a minimal rod-specific promoter in transgenic Xenopustadpoles. The Nrl transcription factor binds in vitro to the βAp1/NRE regulatory element located within this region and transactivates it when overexpressed in nonretinal 293 embryonic kidney cells. We also found a G/C-rich activator element, β/GC, important for promoter activity in Y79 retinoblastoma cells andXenopus embryos. Both the ubiquitous Sp1 and the central nervous system-specific Sp4 transcription factors are expressed in retina and interact with this element in vitro. Electrophoretic mobilities of β/GC-Y79 nuclear protein complexes are altered by antibodies against Sp1 and Sp4. Thus, our results implicate Nrl, Sp1, and Sp4 in transcriptional regulation of the rod-specific minimal β-PDE promoter. We also conclude thatXenopus laevis is an efficient system for analyzing the human β-PDE promoter and may be used to study other human retinal genes ex vivo and in vivo.
Impacts of Intervention Incorporates with Interest Rate Policy on Taiwan's Economy in E-commerce Environment

Fully sterilized intervention, an operation that involves a pure swap of foreign and domestic assets which leaves the money supply unchanged, gained it popularity through the experience among developed countries in the early 1980s. Ideally, it provides an independent policy tool that allows monetary authorities to pursue internal and external stabilization objectives simultaneously. In this paper, we employ a vector error correction model (VECM) to examine the dynamic interactions between exchange rate condition and policy reactions by Taiwanese monetary authorities, as Taiwan is ready to join the WTO and to help businesses take full advantages of e-commerce. We found that little efforts were made to sterilize interventions in the short term after an exchange rate shock occurred. The intention of not to sterilize interventions is to alleviate the exchange rate pressure by drastically changing domestic short term interest rates to force private sectors instantaneously adjust shares between domestic and foreign assets in their portfolios where there are speculative positions. Presumably, this official effort to avoid great fluctuations of exchange rates would offer businesses more freedoms in dealing with challenges in e-commerce environment. The result also suggests that, unlike the experience in developed countries, an independent monetary policy may not always be preferred by policy markers in small open economies.
The effect of varying the crystal structure on the magnetism, electronic structure and thermodynamics in the Gd 5 (Si x Ge 1- x ) 4 system near x=0.5

The crystal structure, magnetic and other physical properties of the intermetallic Gd 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 4 phases are strongly dependent on the Si:Ge ratio (x). Especially intriguing behavior is observed when the chemical composition in this system is near x ≅ 0.5, where small changes in the stoichiometry result in drastic variations in the chemical bonding, electronic structure, crystal structure, and magnetism. Furthermore, the fully reversible magnetic/crystallographic (T C ≅ 270 K) and the irreversible thermoelastic crystallographic (between ∼ 500 and ∼ 750 K) transformations exist near this critical chemical composition. Both of these transformations involve the same two crystallographic modifications: the monoclinic Gd 5 (Si 2 Ge 2 )-type (β) and the orthorhombic Gd 3 Si 4 -type structures (a and γ). First principle calculations of the electronic structure and exchange coupling of these materials are in nearly quantitative agreement with the experiment. It appears that the unusual behavior observed in the near critical Gd 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 4 phases is closely related to the stability of the well-defined sub-nanometer thick atomic slabs coupled with the flexibility of their arrangements.
Gonadal sex reversal in triploid rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Sex determination in salmonids is primarily governed by sex chromosomes; however, phenotypic expression and successful development of the gonads may be influenced by additional factors. Exposure to exogenous steroids during the critical period of gonadal differentiation will reverse the expected phenotypic sex of both female and male trout. Triploidy, a viable condition in rainbow trout (RBT), alters the degree of gonadal development in a gender-specific manner. Males produce testes with similar morphology and function as diploid fish, but females produce underdeveloped ovaries devoid of growing oocytes. One possible explanation for this observed gender difference is that the timing of meiotic initiation may influence ovarian/testicular development in triploid RBT. To determine whether the early entrance of germ cells into meiosis results in the lack of ovarian development in triploid females, the objective of this study was to sex-reverse genotypic triploid female RBT (XXX) into phenotypic males and genotypic triploid male RBT (XXY) into phenotypic females. Male fish were exposed to estradiol-17beta (E(2)) and females were exposed to the non-aromatizable androgen 17alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone (MDHT). Over 90% of the male fish treated with exogenous E(2) developed gonadal structures indistinguishable from the gonads of triploid females. Triploid female RBT treated with MDHT developed testes; however, not all fish treated with this androgen were completely sex reversed. The results of this investigation are consistent with the hypothesis that the failure of ovarian development in triploid RBT is due to the early onset of meiosis and does not appear to be due to genotypic sex. J. Exp. Zool. 284:466-472, 1999.
Anatomic and visual results in asymptomatic clinical rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repaired by scleral buckling.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report presenting characteristics as well as anatomic and visual results in asymptomatic clinical rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repaired by scleral buckling. METHODS: Review of 28 eyes of 27 patients with an asymptomatic clinical retinal detachment—defined as a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with subretinal fluid extending more than 2 disk diameters posterior to the equator—which were repaired by scleral buckling from January 1989 through December 1996 with follow-up of 6 months or longer. RESULTS: With a single scleral buckling procedure, anatomic reattachment of the retina occurred in all eyes; one eye redetached 14 months after the initial surgery secondary to a new retinal break and was successfully reattached. All eyes had best-corrected presenting and final visual acuity of 20/50 or better. Final best-corrected Snellen visual acuity was within 1 line of best-corrected presenting visual acuity in 82% of eyes; three eyes improved more than 1 line of Snellen visual acuity and two eyes lost more than 1 line. CONCLUSION: Anatomic and visual results in asymptomatic clinical rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after scleral buckling surgery are excellent. Strong consideration should be given to repair of these detachments.
Preoperative irradiation for cancer of the rectum and rectosigmoid: preliminary review of recent experience (1957-1962).

A comparison of the records of patients with cancer of the rectum who underwent surgical resections for cure during the period January 1, 1957, through December 31, 1962, with a similar series treated during the years 1939 to 1951, indicates an improved overall survival rate. The improved survival rate occurred in the group of patients who had metastasis to lymph nodes, proved by examination of the resected specimen. Refinements of surgical technic may have accounted for this improvement.
NG-nitro-L-arginine inhibits non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic relaxation in rabbit urethral smooth muscle

Electrical field stimulation induced a relaxation response in female rabbit urethral smooth muscle strips precontracted with phenylephrine. The relaxation response was inhibited by tetrodotoxin, but not by atropine, propranolol, or hexamethonium. The relaxation response thus results from stimulation of inhibitory non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic nerves. The electrically induced relaxation response was inhibited by an inhibitor of nitric oxide biosynthesis, NG-nitro-L-arginine. This inhibition was overcome by addition of a precursor of nitric oxide, L-arginine. An inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, methylene blue, reduced the relaxation response, and a selective cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, M & B 22948, potentiated the relaxation response. These data indicate that agents which affect the biosynthesis of nitric oxide are associated with the urethral relaxation response evoked by electrical field stimulation, and that cyclic GMP may mediate the relaxation response.
Gene expression in the trabecular meshwork and the influence of intraocular pressure

The trabecular meshwork (TM) tissue is responsible for maintaining the physiologic intraocular pressure (IOP) of the ocular globe. To perform this function the TM must rely on a variety of mechanisms. These mechanisms, acting either independently or in a coordinated manner, are governed by the expression of TM genes. Expression profiles of TM from adult intact tissue and infant cultured cells revealed the high level of diversity of the TM transcriptome, with only about 1% of its genes represented by more than 4 clones in any of the libraries. The profiles also revealed genes whose presence is associated with previously undescribed TM functions such the one that protects the TM tissue against calcification. These findings support the existence of numerous regulatory mechanisms in the TM and may help explaining the low percentage of glaucoma patients associated with each mutated glaucoma gene. Failure to maintain a physiological pressure can result in elevated IOP, a condition often associated with the development of glaucoma. Experimentally, different time-periods of an elevated pressure insult lead to the altered expression of distinct sets of genes. Thus, the ability of the TM to respond to mechanical and biochemical insults is possibly driven by induction or repression of a number of genes that, most likely, are different from those involved in regulation of normal IOP. None of the genes currently linked to glaucoma was present in the expression profile libraries whereas their expression in the TM was highly induced by effectors known to be causative of glaucomatous conditions. This analysis leads to the speculation that glaucoma candidate genes might be more related to genes responding to insults than to those involved in the maintenance of normal TM physiology. A recent study implicating the common stress mediator NF-kappaB in glaucoma would support this notion. Future library profiles utilizing distinct RNA sources together with differential expression studies between normal and glaucoma-triggering conditions and individual characterization of selected genes will help elucidate the relevant mechanisms for the regulation of IOP.
Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry as a high throughput affinity screen to identify RNA binding ligands

Abstract The continuing evolution of analytical instrumentation based on high performance mass spectrometry has catalyzed the development of more sophisticated and broadly applicable schemes by which biological macromolecules can be interrogated. These schemes are increasingly employed to characterize not only the intrinsic properties of biomolecules such as molecular weight, amino acid or base sequence, and extent of post-translational modification, but also to study extrinsic properties of molecules such as interactions with other biological molecules including multimer formation, substrate–ligand binding, and molecular recognition. In this work we summarize the evolution of mass spectrometry-based analytical schemes employed to characterize non-covalent biological complexes and describe the development of a parallel high throughput screening (HTS) strategy to identify small molecules that bind RNA targets using ESI-FTICR. The MASS (multitarget affinity/specificity screening) assay takes advantage of the `intrinsic mass' label of each compound and target RNA by obtaining high resolution, high precision mass measurements of intact RNA–ligand complexes. The ability to analyze complex mixtures allows ligand mixtures to be screened in the presence of multiple RNA targets simultaneously. The identity of the small molecule(s) which bind, the RNA target to which it binds, and the compound-specific binding affinity can be determined in one set of rapid experiments.
A method for monitoring spontaneous locomotor activity and resting behavior in fishes.

Abstract A method is described for quantitative temporally definable measurements of fishes using the black bullhead ( Ictalurus melas ). The system is based on the photosensor principle and it designed to scan the position of a single fish at a time in reference to an opaque mark affixed to the side of a circular activity channel. The quantitative advantages and the usefulness of the technique in neurobehavioral studies are discussed.
Capstone experience: analysis of an educational concept for nursing.

In the United States, nursing education prepares registered nurses for practice through generic programs of study that vary in length from 2 to 4 years. All have differing graduation requirements and purported student outcomes. Often, baccalaureate-prepared nurses with a liberal arts foundation are required to complete a comprehensive “capstone experience,” which may facilitate degree differentiation upon graduation. However, there is little consensus in higher education regarding the defining aspects of such an experience. The purpose of this article is to analyze and clarify the concept of capstone experience in the context of baccalaureate nursing education. Using a traditional approach of concept analysis [Walker, L. O., & Avant, K. C. (2004). Strategies for theory construction in nursing (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson], an extensive review of pertinent literature was completed. As a result, critical or defining attributes, antecedents, and consequences of capstone experiences were determined. Case examples, including a real model case, highlight these aspects, and a definition of capstone experience is offered. Implications for nursing education, research, and practice are provided, and a useful list of evaluative criteria for capstone experiences is presented.