cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Education for Marketing Research

ARKETING research is a relative newcomer among the subjects taught in our colleges of commerce. Nevertheless it is being offered by a rapidly growing list of universities, already numbering evidently in the hundreds. Such rapid growth naturally has been somewhat disorderly, resulting in wide divergence of objectives and subject matter among the many courses bearing the title "marketing research," or its equivalent. The value to marketing research teachers of realistic advice on the methods and content of their courses is obvious. Practitioners of this field also have a vital concern with the quality of marketing research education, and to this end should advise teachers about appropriate preparation for their field, just as do the medical, legal, engineering, and other professions. In view of this need for mutual understanding between the teachers, on the one hand, and those who will benefit from better educated future marketing researchers, on the other, the writer conducted a trial survey of the research practitioners. This article presents the results.
Dating Aggression and Sleep Problems in Emerging Adulthood

Using a multimethod approach, we examined relations between dating aggression and sleep in emerging adulthood. Participants were 108 dating couples from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds (...
Human Rights Advocacy and State Repression Substitutability

When governments improve human rights in one area, do they simultaneously increase other types of human rights violations? State leaders have a variety of repressive techniques at their disposal. As a result, studies focusing only one repressive tactic in isolation—for example, political imprisonment or state-sponsored killing—can lead to biased conclusions about the conditions under which we can expect broad improvements in human rights. In this paper, we develop a theory to explain when states will employ one means of repression over available alternatives, focusing particularly on the effects of international naming and shaming campaigns on political imprisonment and government killing. When an international spotlight increases the relative costs of a particular repressive tactic, governments decrease use of the targeted policy and increase other, relatively less costly human rights violations. Using new quantitative data on the type of violation shamed by United Nations Humans Rights Commission (UNCHR) resolutions, we show that state leaders do indeed engage in repression substitution; the naming and shaming of one type of physical integrity rights violation by the UNHRC often leads to increases in other types of repression, especially in democracies. ∗Paper prepared for the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Seattle, Washington. A previous version of this paper was presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association. Thanks to Matthew Krain for helpful comments and suggestions and to Taylor Lee, Steve Liebel, Omar Salem, and Delina Wright for invaluable research assistance. Please do not cite without permission. Last edited 17 August 2011. †Assistant Professor of Political Science. Email: courtenayconrad@uncc.edu ‡Assistant Professor of Political Science. Email: jdemeritt@unt.edu
Effects of 2 weeks hypergravity on the composition of the intervertebral disc.

Background The effects of loading on connective tissues similar to the intervertebral disk have primarily been studied using articular cartilage organ culture in vitro techniques. The effects of in vivo loading on the intervertebral disk are less well documented. Methods The lumbar annuli of rats centrifuged at 2G for 2 wk were compared with those of similar rats kept under analogous conditions at 1G. The studies involved the water, hydroxyproline (collagen), and uronic acid (proteoglycan, PG) content of the L4-5 and L5-6 annuli. Comparisons were also made between the 2G animals and the previous Cosmos 2044 spaceflight animals at 0G. Results The water content of annuli did not differ between the control and 2G annuli; however, the PG content of the tissue was decreased in the 2G animals and the collagen content slightly increased, resulting in an increased collagen-PG ratio in the 2G animals. When the annuli were immersed in water for 2 h, more PG leached from the annuli of the 2G animals than the control animals, suggesting an alteration in the nature of the PG population comprising the annuli. Interestingly, the direction of changes in the 2G annuli was identical to that of the previous Cosmos 2044 0G animals when they were compared with their respective controls. Therefore, directly opposite experimental conditions (2G and 0G) produced similar results. Conclusion Previous studies regarding PG synthesis and content in cartilaginous tissues suggest alterations in intratissue pH and hydration to be among the factors involved in controlling the PG population. If the observed changes are permanent, they may affect the integrity of the intervertebral disk although it is likely they are totally reversible on return to 1G after an interim period, providing injuries are avoided.
Transgenic Models for the Study of Protein Kinase A-Regulated Signal Transduction

Protein kinase A (PKA) is a ubiquitous serine-threonine kinase involved in the transduction of cellular signals through the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Knockout and, transgenic manipulation of PKA subunits has resulted in the generation of mice with deficits in developmental processes, neuronal signaling, metabolic regulation, cardiovascular parameters, and, reproductive function. These observations indicate that targeting the PKA system may be of therapeutic value in a myriad of human diseases. This review will provide a comprehensive compilation of PKA mouse mutants generated to date and, discuss future directions within this complex signaling system that are amenable to pharmacological manipulation.
Selective photodepletion of malignant T cells in extracorporeal photopheresis with selenorhodamine photosensitizers

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has been used successfully in the treatment of erythrodermic cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), and other T cell-mediated disorders. Not all patients obtain a significant or durable response from ECP. The design of a selective photosensitizer that spares desirable lymphocytes while targeting malignant T cells may promote cytotoxic T cell responses and improve outcomes after ECP. A series of selenorhodamines built with variations of the Texas red core targeted the mitochondria of malignant T cells, were phototoxic to malignant T cells presumably via their ability to generate singlet oxygen, and were transported by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). To determine the selectivity of the photosensitizers in the ECP milieu, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)-stimulated and non-stimulated human lymphocytes were combined with HUT-78 cells (a CTCL) to simulate ECP. The amide-containing analogues of the selenorhodamines were transported more rapidly than the thioamide analogues in monolayers of MDCKII-MDR1 cells and, consequently, were extruded more rapidly from P-gp-expressing T cells than the corresponding thioamide analogues. Selenorhodamine 6 with the Texas red core and a piperidylamide functionality was phototoxic to >90% of malignant T cells while sparing >60% of both stimulated and non-stimulated T cells. In the resting T cells, (63±7)% of the CD4+ T cell compartment, and (78±2.5)% of the CD8+ cytotoxic T cell population were preserved, resulting in an enrichment of healthy and cytotoxic T cells after photodepletion.
The Risk of Psychiatric Detention, Demographic Variables and Deterrence of Dissent

This chapter examines a set of demographic variables and other attributes to determine which characteristics and political causes presented the greatest risk of frequent and lengthy forcible hospitalization among a group of dissenters known to be detained at some point in their nonconformist activities. We also investigate the extent to which state response to dissidence may have served deterrence functions in Soviet society. The calculations reported have been derived from two datasets, the Smith-Oleszczuk data on psychiatric detainees used in the previous analyses (n=674), and our larger dataset on Soviet Repressed Dissidents (n=2749), also structured as described here in Chapter 2.
The Dynamics of Neighborhood Structural Conditions: The Effects of Concentrated Disadvantage on Homicide over Time and Space:

Several recent spatial analyses conclude the strong positive association typically found between neighborhood concentrated disadvantage and crime in cross–sectional studies significantly differs ac...
Selective Denervation for Persistent Knee Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Report of 50 Cases

Abstract Background Despite the general success of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), up to 20% of patients report dissatisfaction following surgery. One potential cause of this dissatisfaction is residual pain secondary to neuroma formation in the sensory nerve branches that innervate the knee. We found, after performing a retrospective review, that up to 9.7% of patients following primary TKA and up to 21% of revision cases exhibited persistent knee pain attributable to neuroma formation. Despite the high incidence of this pathology, little is known about the effective diagnosis or treatment of neuroma formation following TKA. Methods Between 2011 and 2014, 50 patients with persistent symptomatic neuroma pain following TKA underwent selective denervation. These patients had demonstrated the appropriate selection criteria and had failed conservative management. Patients were evaluated by the visual analog scale pain score and the Knee Society Score to determine the outcome of the described treatment. Results Thirty-two patients (64%) rated their outcome as excellent, 10 (20%) as good, 3 (6%) as fair, and 2 (4%) reported no change. The mean visual analog scale pain score was improved from 9.4 ± 0.8 to 1.1 ± 1.6 following surgery ( P ≤ .001). The mean Knee Society Scores increased from 45.5 ± 14.3 to 94.1 ± 8.6 points ( P ≤ .0001). Three patients (6%) required the second neurectomy due to recurrent pain and received excellent pain relief postoperatively. There were 2 complications of superficial skin peri-incisional hyperemia related to dressings. Average follow-up duration was 24 months (range, 16-38 months). Conclusion Our study suggests that selective denervation provides an effective and long-lasting option for the management of this pathology.
Scalable Feedback Protocol Asymptotically Achieving Broadcast Channel Sum-capacity

Distributed feedback-protocols are developed for multi-user diversity to (a) keep the feedback amount fixed regardless of the number of users (denoted as U); (b) maintain identical protocols; (c) asymptotically achieve sum-capacity; and (d) minimize power consumption. With proposed methods, the users with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) larger than a threshold T k send feedback messages at slot k. Tk is designed for the probability of feedback transmission at any slot to be p. With proper p, the probability of feedback from the user with the largest SNR is prescribed probability s regardless of U. Then, all four objectives are achieved with the proposed feedback methods.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced cardiovascular adverse events: a meta-analysis

SummaryWhat is known and objective Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been studied in randomized, controlled trials and meta-analyses in an effort to determine their cardiovascular (CV) risks, no consensus has been reached. These studies continue to raise questions, including whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selectivity plays a role in conferring CV risk. We performed a meta-analysis of current literature to determine whether COX-2 selectivity leads to an increased CV risk. Methods We utilized randomized, controlled trials and prospective cohort studies. We selected eight NSAIDs based on popularity and COX selectivity and conducted a search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Primary endpoints included any myocardial infarction (MI), any stroke, CV death, and a combination of all three (composite CV outcomes). Twenty-six studies were found that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Comparisons were made between all included drugs, against placebo, and against non-selective NSAIDs (nsNSAIDs). Drugs were also compared against COX-2 selective inhibitors (COXIBs) with and without inclusion of rofecoxib. Results and discussion Incidence of MI was increased by rofecoxib in all comparison categories [all NSAIDs (OR: 1·811, 95% CI: 1·379–2·378), placebo (OR: 1·655: 95% CI: 1·029–2·661), nsNSAIDs (OR: 2·155, 95% CI: 1·146–4·053), and COXIBs (OR: 1·800, 95% CI: 1·217–2·662)], but was decreased by celecoxib and naproxen in the COXIB comparison [(OR: 0·583, 95% CI: 0·396–0·857) and (OR: 0·609, 95% CI: 0·375–0·989, respectively]. Incidence of stroke was increased by rofecoxib in comparisons with all NSAIDs and other COXIBs [(OR: 1·488, 95% CI: 1·027–2·155) and (OR: 1·933, 95% CI: 1·052–3·549), respectively]. Incidence of stroke was decreased by celecoxib when compared with all NSAIDs, nsNSAIDs, and COXIBs [(OR: 0·603, 95% CI: 0·410–0·887), (OR: 0·517, 95% CI: 0·287–0·929), and (OR: 0·509, 95% CI: 0·280–0·925), respectively]. No NSAID reached statistical significance in regard to CV death. Incidence of the composite endpoint was increased by rofecoxib when compared against all NSAIDs, placebo, and other COXIBs [(OR: 1·612, 95% CI: 1·313–1·981), (OR: 1·572, 95% CI: 1·123–2·201) and (OR: 1·838, 95% CI: 1·323–2·554), respectively]. Incidence of composite endpoint was decreased by celecoxib in the all NSAIDs and COXIBs comparisons [(OR: 0·805, 95% CI: 0·658–0·986) and (OR: 0·557, 95% CI: 0.404–0.767), respectively]. When rofecoxib was removed from the COXIBs group, no difference was found with any comparison, suggesting rofecoxib skewed the data. What is new and conclusion This instead of the meta-analysis suggests that COX-2 selectivity may not play a role in the CV risk of NSAIDs. Rofecoxib was the only drug to demonstrate harm and skewed the data of the COX-2 selective group.
Efferent influences on the bioelectrical activity of the retina in primates.

The existence of retinopetal (sometimes referred to as “efferent” or “centrifugal”) axons in the mammalian optic nerve is a topic of long-standing debate. Opposition is fading as efferent innervation of the retina has now been widely documented in rodents and other animals. The existence and function of an efferent system in humans and non-human primates has not, though, been definitively established. Such a feedback pathway could have important functional, clinical, and experimental significance to the field of vision science and ophthalmology. Following a comprehensive literature review (PubMed and Google Scholar, until July 2016), we present evidence regarding a system that can influence the bioelectrical activity of the retina in primates. Anatomical and physiological evidences are presented separately. Improvements in histological staining and the advent of retrograde nerve fiber tracers have allowed for more confidence in the identification of efferent optic nerve fibers, including back to their point of origin. Even with the accumulation of more modern anatomical and physiological evidence, some limitations and uncertainties about crucial details regarding the origins and role of a top–down, efferent system still exist. However, the summary of the evidence from earlier and more modern studies makes a compelling case in support of such a system in humans and non-human primates.
Incorporating activity space and trip chaining into facility siting for accessibility maximization

Location models have been widely used to support locational decisions for various service provision. One common objective of location models has been to ensure maximal accessibility of sited facilities to demand populations. Accessibility evaluation in location models often assumes that trips originate from fixed locations (usually home) and are single purpose. These assumptions contradict the empirical evidence that suggests trips also commonly originate from non-home locations and may involve multiple stops. In this study, a new multi-objective location model is developed that extents the classic p-median problem (PMP) to account for a more realistic assessment of accessibility. Based on the individual accessibility assessment, notions of trip chaining and activity space are incorporated into the model development. In addition to fixed home locations, stops along chained trips are allowed for potential service site visits, and activity space is introduced as an additional dimension to evaluate accessibility of alternative opportunities. The effectiveness of the new model is demonstrated using an application in Tucson, AZ.
Prosperity-Pull or Recession- Push?: Mexican Immigrant Self- Employment across the Business Cycle

Immigrant populations may either be pulled into self-employment by the lure of high wages relative to wage and salary work, or they may be pushed into self-employment as a survival mechanism in the face of unemployment. Research that focuses on Mexican immigrant self-employment in the United States tends to stress the prosperity-pull hypothesis and pay little attention to recession-push hypotheses. The focus of this article is to understand the extent that Mexican immigrants enter self-employment as a response to unemployment. Using a unique panel dataset that captures fast-paced labor market changes over the 1994 to 2013 period, I find that Mexican immigrants – and Mexican immigrant men in particular – are more likely to become self-employed in economically bad times than native workers and less likely to become self-employed than native workers in good times. The threshold where Mexican immigrants have a higher rather than lower probability to become self-employed is at eight percent unemployment. These results filter throughout various subcategories and are consistent with recession-push hypotheses.
The gastric microbiome, its interaction with Helicobacter pylori, and its potential role in the progression to stomach cancer.

Gastric adenocarcinoma is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, accounting for more than 720,000 deaths annually [1]. The strongest known risk factor for this devastating disease is infection with Helicobacter pylori, which drives the development of premalignant lesions (such as gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia) that can lead to gastric cancer (Fig 1). However, although H. pylori is the most common bacterial infection worldwide and colonizes greater than 50% of the global population, only 1%–3% of infected individuals ever develop gastric cancer. Open in a separate window Fig 1 Alterations in the gastric microbiota following Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric disease progression. (A) Schematic representation of the predominant phyla of the gastric microbiota based on H. pylori infection status. H. pylori-negative individuals harbor a microbiota that is more complex and highly diverse compared to H. pylori-positive individuals. (B) Schematic representation of the predominant genera at different stages within the gastric carcinogenesis cascade. Following infection with H. pylori, Proteobacteria and specifically H. pylori dominate the gastric microbiota. This leads to the development of chronic gastritis. In the later stages of the disease, ranging from intestinal metaplasia to gastric adenocarcinoma, a number of genera are enriched. These include Escherichia-Shigella and Burkholderia within the Proteobacteria phylum; Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae, Streptococcus, and Veillonella within the Firmicutes phylum; and Prevotella within the Bacteroidetes phylum.
A LIGHTWEIGHT MODEL FOR REPRESENTING AND REASONING WITH TEMPORAL INFORMATION IN BIOMEDICAL ONTOLOGIES

Over the past decade, the number, size, and complexity of databases for health-related research have grown dramatically. Ontologies are being developed and used by many scientific communities to support sharing, integration, and management of the diverse information in these databases. As critical as ontologies have become, ontology language such as OWL typically provide minimal support for modeling the complex temporal relationships that are common in biomedical research data. As a result, ontologies often cannot fully express the temporal knowledge needed by many biomedical applications and thus users and developers must pursue ad hoc solutions to these challenges. In this paper, we present a methodology and set of tools for representing temporal information in biomedical ontologies. This approach uses a lightweight temporal model to encode the temporal dimension of biomedical data. It also uses the OWLbased Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) and the SWRL-based OWL query language SQWRL to reason with and query the temporal information represented using this model.
Towards a neurally-inspired computer architecture

The first two main rounds of neural computing focused on adaptation and self-organization in neural networks, and on use of analog VLSI for compartmental modeling of the neuron, respectively. This paper is a prospectus for a third round of neural computing: analyzing the architecture of the primate brain to extract neural information processing principles and translate them into biologically-inspired operating systems and computer architectures. The way in which the cerebellum interacts with other brain regions in learning how to better control and coordinate movements provides a case study to introduce key ideas for these three rounds of neural computation. It is argued that the third round will develop and exploit general insights into brain architectures, their function and dynamics, that will provide a principled combination of cooperative computation, learning and perceptual robotics (i.e., the integration of action, perception and computation). This new effort is motivated by recent advances in computational neuroscience research, studying examples of system evolution ranging from low-level vision to how the interactions between frontal and parietal cortices serve action recognition (the mirror system), and language. The paper also notes the vast difference between the slow biological evolution of diverse brains and the needs of computer technology for explicit tools for the design and testing of novel programs and architectures, and suggests the challenges of developing a reflection methodology for wrapping modules with descriptions that can be automatically updated as the module itself adapts through learning. The Appendix provides a road map for approaching the voluminous literature on brain theory and neural networks.
Socio-Ethical Issues and International Management

Businesses are expected to be socially responsible and conduct themselves ethically. While there are some emerging agreements, at least in the United States, regarding the social responsibilities of domestic firms, social responsibility and the ethical aspects of international management are being hotly debated. Disagreements arise due to the nature of international business and the different perspectives that nations hold regarding these issues. National priorities and cultural differences confound the problems further. This chapter examines these issues and highlights these differences.
Evaluating Boston Harbor Cleanup: An Ecosystem Valuation Approach

In this study, we develop an economic evaluation of the Boston Harbor Cleanup, a court-mandated action started in 1986, through a comparison of cleanup costs and relevant ecosystem service values. Our results suggest that the ecosystems in the study area provide services to society with a capitalized value ranging from $30 to $100 billion. The $4.7 billion cost of the Boston Harbor Cleanup is about 5%-16% of the total asset value of ecosystem services. Although it is not clear what fraction of the ecosystem value is due to the cleanup, our results suggest that the cost of the cleanup may be justified by our high- or midpoint-estimates of the value of ecosystem services.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Creation

This chapter delves more deeply into hazard mitigation and disaster risk reduction, both of which are intended to take place prior to an event but most often do not. Among other topics, this chapter discusses the ways in which policies geared at disaster risk reduction can simply lead to gentrification, as only those who can afford the cost of reduced risk may remain and as state and local governments elect to prioritize economic development above resilience and risk reduction. The chapter also describes the ways in which risk is exacerbated for those who are displaced in the process.
Assessment of Tripartite Factors of Emotion in Children and Adolescents I: Structural Validity and Normative Data of an Affect and Arousal Scale

The authors developed and evaluated a self-report measure for children designed to assess factors of the tripartite model of emotion (Clark & Watson, 1991). Factor analytic results from a large, multi-ethnic sample (n = 1,289) supported the structural validity of the scale, with the additional suggestion that negative affect appeared to contain two lower order dimensions in the item pool. Confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample of 300 children and adolescents suggested favorable structure. Consistent with prediction, positive and negative affect emerged as relatively orthogonal dimensions. Physiological hyperarousal was found to be positively correlated with negative affect. Normative data are presented, and tests for differences by sex, grade level, and ethnicity demonstrated nonsignificant or minimal differences between groups. The implications for the assessment of tripartite factors and their relation to psychopathology in youth are discussed.
Pheophorbide Derivatives Isolated From Açaí Berries (Euterpea oleracea) Activate an Antioxidant Response Element In Vitro

Activity-guided fractionation was used to isolate and identify two components of the Brazilian acai berry (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) with the ability to induce antioxidant response element (ARE)-dependent gene transcription in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells. Using an ARE-Luciferase reporter construct in cultured HepG2 cells, a suite of fractions from dried and powdered acai berries were evaluated for transcriptional up-regulation of the luciferase gene. Active fractions were further refined until several pure compounds were isolated and identified. These compounds belong to the pheophorbide class of molecules, and are composed of the methyl and ethyl esters of the parent pheophorbide A, all of which are classified as photosensitizers. Using standard pheophorbides, dose response studies were carried out, and ARE-activation could be observed at concentrations as low as 8.2 μM and 16.9 μM for pheophorbide A methyl ester and pheophorbide A, respectively. These studies not only suggest a possible source of antioxidant properties for the acai berry, but may also explain the recently identified photosensitizing abilities of acai products as well.
Identification of Current Material State in Composites using a Dielectric State Variable

Abstract Damage development in composites is a complicated process, unlike metals where the failure is triggered by unstable growth of a single crack; failure in composites is triggered by interaction of multiple local damage events. The ‘beginning of the end’ in composites is well described in terms of ‘criticality’ and, identification of material state is an important step for predicting this criticality. Current non-destructive evaluation techniques can accurately map the damage zone but are incapable of identifying the material state. In the current research, the main intention is to observe and model the variation in dielectric response as a function of defect development and coupling to characterize the current material state (Characteristic Damage State (CDS), damage interaction) in unidirectional, woven glass fiber reinforced polymer composites loaded in quasi-static axial tension. The changes in dielectric response are correlated with change in material state validated by damage patterns obtained using edge replication techniques.
Dual Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorders: Combining Naltrexone With Other Medications

Abstract Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are among the most prevalent of all the addictions in the world. Increasing the number of medications available for treating AUD is a worldwide priority. Currently, naltrexone (NTX) is the “gold standard” used to treat AUD. Although NTX can reduce alcohol drinking and alcohol relapse in many individuals, it is not effective for all alcohol-dependent individuals, and it is not without side effects. Our research demonstrates that combining NTX with drugs that have been developed to treat other disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or tobacco craving, often results in a combined medication that can reduce alcohol intake when used in low doses that allow for avoidance of the potential side effects of each drug. Combinatorial pharmacotherapeutics is a useful approach for treating AUD and may be particularly valuable for individuals who want to reduce their alcohol intake, but who find NTX alone to be ineffective.
Hophornbeam copperleaf (Acalypha ostryifolia Riddell)

Get someone else to blow your horn and the sound will carry twice as far. Will RogersIt is said that love makes the world go ‘round—the announcement lacks verification. It's wind from the dinner horn that does it. O. HenryThe finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time. Henry David Thoreau
Surfactant Adsorption on Shale Samples: Experiments and an Additive Model

Adsorption of surfactants in shales is not well studied. The goal of this work is to quantify and understand surfactant adsorption in several shale samples. Shale samples were obtained from several...
Do oyster farms actually reduce the property values? Empirical evidence from Rhode Island

While there in general appears to be public support for shellfish aquaculture operations, the construction of oyster farms often meets opposition where an important argument is devaluation of housi...
The Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplast division protein FtsZ1 counterbalances FtsZ2 filament stability in vitro.

Bacterial cell and chloroplast division are driven by a contractile "Z ring" composed of the tubulin-like cytoskeletal GTPase FtsZ. Unlike bacterial Z rings, which consist of a single FtsZ, the chloroplast Z ring in plants is composed of two FtsZ proteins, FtsZ1 and FtsZ2. Both are required for chloroplast division in vivo, but their biochemical relationship is poorly understood. We used GTPase assays, light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and sedimentation assays to investigate the assembly behavior of purified Arabidopsis thaliana (At) FtsZ1 and AtFtsZ2 both individually and together. Both proteins exhibited GTPase activity. AtFtsZ2 assembled relatively quickly, forming protofilament bundles that were exceptionally stable, as indicated by their sustained assembly and slow disassembly. AtFtsZ1 did not form detectable protofilaments on its own. When mixed with AtFtsZ2, AtFtsZ1 reduced the extent and rate of AtFtsZ2 assembly, consistent with its previously demonstrated ability to promote protofilament subunit turnover in living cells. Mixing the two FtsZ proteins did not increase the overall GTPase activity, indicating that the effect of AtFtsZ1 on AtFtsZ2 assembly was not due to a stimulation of GTPase activity. However, the GTPase activity of AtFtsZ1 was required to reduce AtFtsZ2 assembly. Truncated forms of AtFtsZ1 and AtFtsZ2 consisting of only their conserved core regions largely recapitulated the behaviors of the full-length proteins. Our in vitro findings provide evidence that FtsZ1 counterbalances the stability of FtsZ2 filaments in the regulation of chloroplast Z-ring dynamics and suggest that restraining FtsZ2 self-assembly is a critical function of FtsZ1 in chloroplasts.
Oxidation of ultrahigh temperature ceramics: kinetics, mechanisms, and applications

Abstract Materials capable of oxidizing in a protective manner at ultrahigh (>1700 °C) temperatures are needed to push beyond this barrier defined by SiC. Although possessing attractive mechanical properties and oxidation resistance, SiC-based materials are ultimately temperature limited by the melting point of SiO2. The vast array of ultra-high and high temperature ceramic literature indicates the majority of these materials, like borides, carbides, MAX-phases, and high-entropy ceramics, fall woefully short regarding oxidation resistance. However, for specific applications, like low-orbit aeropropulsion, high ballistics coefficient atmospheric re-entry, and hypersonic cruise, there are a few promising materials. In the present review, oxidation criteria are gathered to build application specific heuristics and are then applied to a multitude of ultra-high temperature ceramics to gauge material efficacy. Discussion of oxidation kinetics, mechanisms and reaction products is offered for each material, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and the remaining gaps in our knowledge.
ASTM Standards for Forensic Sciences

Since 1989, ASTM Committee E 30 on Forensic Sciences has been formulating voluntary concensus standards for the forensic sciences. This Special Communication is a report on the accomplishments of E 30, and on plans for the production of additional standards in the near future.
WANTED: Female Corporate Directors (A Review of Professor Douglas M. Branson's No Seat at the Table)

In his 2007 book No Seat at the Table, Professor Douglas Branson aptly describes how patterns of male dominance inherent in the legal structures of corporate governance reproduce themselves again and again to keep women out of executive suites and boardrooms, and then he offers a practical way to break this cycle of dominance-through paradigm shifting. A central value of Professor Branson's book derives from this thesis, as well as his use of nontraditional empirical data and interdisciplinary literature (in addition to more traditional decisional law and legal scholarship) to support the positions he takes. Moreover, No Seat at the Table is an invaluable resource because it collects in one volume varied research materials and related information at the intersection of women and corporate boards and because it offers further support for diversification of boards of directors as part of the overall effort to strengthen corporate governance practices and promote more productive, efficient, and trustworthy corporations.This review is designed to explore these strengths - and a few related weaknesses - in Professor Branson's approach. Specifically, the review highlights three key strengths of Professor Branson's work: his thorough and useful report of 2001 and 2005 proxy data from public company filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, his account of the effects of tokenism in the boardroom, and his analysis of the obstacles women face in climbing the rungs to the top of the corporate ladder. The review then evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of his proposed paradigm shifting as an effective way to procure female advancement to executive ranks and board positions. Finally, the review examines the potential shortcomings of Professor Branson's observation and suggestion that the differences between men and women are inconsequential and should be minimized and, further, how these statements (when taken out of context) conflict with his efforts to keep women in the pipeline toward upper management.
A Hierarchical Sensory-Motor Architecture of Oscillating Cortical Area Subnetworks

We show how hierarchical networks may be constructed of interconnected oscillatory network modules developed previously as models of olfactory cortex, or caricatures of “patches”of neocortex. The architecture is such that the larger system is itself a special case of the type of network of the submodules, and can be analysed with the same tools used to design the subnetwork modules. A particular subnetwork is formed by a set of neural populations whose interconnections also contain higher order synapses. These synapses determine attractors for that subnetwork independent of other subnetworks. Each subnetwork module assumes only minimal coupling justified by known anatomy. An N node module can be shown to function as an associative memory for up to N/2 oscillatory and N/3 chaotic memory attractors.
Radiological Safety Analysis of the Hot Fuel Examination Facility/South

The Hot Fuel Examination Facility/South, located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, supports the nation's nuclear energy program by providing a facility for destructive and nondestructive testing of reactor fuel and materials. Irradiated subassemblies and test devices are transferred from the adjacent Experimental Breeder Reactor II or other irradiation facilities into the hot cells. The reliability of those systems required to inhibit the release of radioactivity to the environment is reviewed, and the operations at the facility are described. For each of two hypothetical accidents, release fractions were developed for noble gases, iodines, cesiums, and particulate radionuclides based on realistic but conservative data. The methodologies of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)- both ICRP-2 and ICRP-30- were used to determine the radiological consequences at off-site receptors. By either technique, dose commitments from inhalation and submersion were small fractions of current federal guidelines. The relative contribution of each radionuclide was determined; iodine and cesium were more significant than plutonium for the decay times considered.
Comparison of Innovations-Based Analytical Redundancy Methods

Innovations-based analytical redundancy methods process the "innovations" ("residuals") of a normal-mode Kalman filter to detect and isolate failures and to correct state estimates. Failures are often manifested by sudden transitions in a bias vector in the process input or output. This paper discusses ad compares two methods for estimating these bias transitions and for correcting the state estimates: the first is the maximum likelihood method developed by Friedland and the second is the generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) method of Willsky and Jones. After a review of the underlying theory and algorithms a simulation study is reported in which the two algorithms are tested on a dynamic model of the pitch motion of an aircraft that was used in an earlier study by Friedland. Both algorithms are found to work very well when the failure amplitude is at a 10? level (where ? is the res noise present on the sensor). The GLR method, which is more complex and requires more computer memory to implement, however, performs substantially better than the simpler maximum likelihood method at a failure amplitude of 2?. Severl possibilities for combining the best features of each algorithm are suggested.
A multi-threaded simulator for a distributed control system

The goal of our research is to develop a methodology for distributed control where the control activity is governed by a concurrent program that has "artificially intelligent" features. The test bed for this system is a computer-controlled model railroad. A high-level Petri net that incorporates the attributes of neural networks, timing, and Petri net color is used to model the system. A multi-threaded simulator provides the means to test centralized, partially distributed, and fully distributed control paradigms. This paper presents the model, the functionality, the development, and the features of the simulation software.
Literacy and language: disentangling measures of access, utilization, and quality.

A 47-year-old man was found to have advanced lung cancer. After discussing options with his primary care physician, the patient decided in favor of palliative care. His physician referred him for home hospice. Two months later, the patient’s brother called because the patient had been having intractable pain. Because the patient had lost his insurance, home hospice had rejected the referral and sent him to a social worker, who gave the patient a Medicaid application. Neither the patient nor his brother had been able to read or complete the form. The brother eventually submitted the form with the assistance of the physician. Two weeks after the patient died, his brother received a letter informing him that the patient had qualified for Medicaid.
Unanalyzed evidence in law enforcement agencies: A national examination of forensic processing in police departments

Research Summary This study investigated forensic evidence processing in a nationally representative sample of state and local law-enforcement agencies (n = 3,153). For a 5-year period, agencies reported that 14% of all unsolved homicides (an estimated 3,975 cases) and 18% of all unsolved rapes (an estimated 27,595 cases) contained forensic evidence that had not been submitted to a forensic crime laboratory for analysis. Approximately 40% of these unanalyzed homicide and rape cases were reported to have contained DNA evidence. The lack of a suspect in the case was the most frequently cited reason for not submitting forensic evidence for analysis. Policy Implications Despite an increased diffusion of knowledge regarding the value of forensic evidence in the prosecution and defense of criminal cases, the investigative capabilities of forensic science are not being realized by law enforcement. Additional training for law enforcement on the use of forensic science to develop investigative leads is critical, as is the creation of departmental policies that prioritize and streamline the analysis of forensic evidence for homicide and rape cases—even in “no-suspect” cases. Ensuring adequate resources and information sharing for forensic processing especially of violent crimes, is also critical.
Research in high-confidence distributed information systems

A high-confidence system is one in which the designers, implementers, and users have a high degree of assurance that the system will not fail or misbehave due to errors in the system, faults in the environment, or hostile attempts to compromise the system. Consequences of such system behavior are well understood and are predictable under an operational context envisioned by its creators. High-confidence systems (HCS) are highly secure and robust: they can withstand various threats, malicious attacks, and hardware/software component failures. Correctness, predictability, reliability, availability, security, and survivability are the key properties that constitute the basis of high confidence. We expect to have confidence in networked embedded software applications in our homes, workplaces, and vehicles. We need to understand well the implications of software design and structuring for vulnerability in these systems to failures, extreme environmental events, and security attacks. This will require both fundamental and empirical research to establish, test, validate, and improve secure networked and software-enabled system construction principles.
In Vivo Augmentation of Tumor-Specific CTL Responses by Class I/Peptide Antigen Complexes on Microspheres (Large Multivalent Immunogen)

Tumor membrane Ag immobilized on cell size microspheres (large multivalent immunogen (LMI)) was previously shown to augment tumor-specific CTL activity and reduce tumor growth, and a clinical trial examining this approach is in progress. In the current study, LMI treatment has been examined using adoptive transfer of TCR-transgenic CD8 T cells to visualize Ag-specific cells during the response. OT-I T cells specific for H-2K(b)/OVA(257-264) were transferred into mice that were then challenged with LMI made by immobilizing H-2K(b)/OVA(257-264) on microspheres (K(b)/OVA(257-264)-LMI) alone, or along with i.p. challenge with OVA-expressing E.G7 tumor. K(b)/OVA(257-264)-LMI caused significant reduction of tumor growth when administered to E.G7-bearing mice. When administered alone, the K(b)/OVA(257-264)-LMI caused only weak clonal expansion of OT-I cells in the spleen and lymph nodes, although most of the OT-I cells up-regulated expression of CD44 and VLA-4. In contrast, K(b)/OVA(257-264)-LMI administration to E.G7-bearing mice stimulated no detectable expansion of OT-I cells in the spleen and lymph nodes but caused a rapid increase in the number of OT-I cells in the peritoneal cavity, the site of the growing tumor. These results demonstrate the potential for using class I/tumor peptide complexes for immunotherapy. In addition, they suggest a model for the mechanism of CTL augmentation in which recognition of the LMI Ag results in altered trafficking of the tumor-specific CD8 T cells so that they reach the site of a growing tumor more rapidly and in greater numbers, where they may further expand and acquire effector function.
Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activates guanine nucleotide exchange factor GIV/Girdin to orchestrate migration–proliferation dichotomy

Signals propagated by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) can drive cell migration and proliferation, two cellular processes that do not occur simultaneously--a phenomenon called "migration-proliferation dichotomy." We previously showed that epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling is skewed to favor migration over proliferation via noncanonical transactivation of Gαi proteins by the guanine exchange factor (GEF) GIV. However, what turns on GIV-GEF downstream of growth factor RTKs remained unknown. Here we reveal the molecular mechanism by which phosphorylation of GIV by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) triggers GIV's ability to bind and activate Gαi in response to growth factors and modulate downstream signals to establish a dichotomy between migration and proliferation. We show that CDK5 binds and phosphorylates GIV at Ser1674 near its GEF motif. When Ser1674 is phosphorylated, GIV activates Gαi and enhances promigratory Akt signals. Phosphorylated GIV also binds Gαs and enhances endosomal maturation, which shortens the transit time of EGFR through early endosomes, thereby limiting mitogenic MAPK signals. Consequently, this phosphoevent triggers cells to preferentially migrate during wound healing and transmigration of cancer cells. When Ser1674 cannot be phosphorylated, GIV cannot bind either Gαi or Gαs, Akt signaling is suppressed, mitogenic signals are enhanced due to delayed transit time of EGFR through early endosomes, and cells preferentially proliferate. These results illuminate how GIV-GEF is turned on upon receptor activation, adds GIV to the repertoire of CDK5 substrates, and defines a mechanism by which this unusual CDK orchestrates migration-proliferation dichotomy during cancer invasion, wound healing, and development.
A semiotic perspective on biological objects and biological functions

L'A. propose une interpretation des concepts d'objet biologique et de fonction biologique en se basant sur le concept triadique de signe developpe par Peirce. Cette analyse representationnelle des concepts biologiques permet de saisir la dependance contextuelle fondamentale des processus biologiques. Son insistance sur la dependance contextuelle est motivee par la conviction selon laquelle a cause de cela l'integration des theories biologiques se fait differemment de ce qui a ete prevu par une philosophie de la science toujours ancree dans la physique. La theorie semiotique est l'un des outils conceptuels pouvant contribuer a la necessaire reorientation de la philosophie de la science
International Information in U.S. Government Documents

The following selected, annotated listing of over 30 government titles and/or series provides basic, as well as detailed, information on foreign countries. The information contained in these documents is compiled by the U.S. government and, for the most part, is to be used by government employees in overseas' positions. The material, however, should be of use to travelers, tourists, businessmen, teachers, military personnel, or any individual who needs information about a foreign country. In addition to containing an abundance of information and statistics on foreign countries, these government documents provide other features that make them a valuable resource. These include: