cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preclinical evaluation of sunitinib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, as a radiosensitizer for human prostate cancer.

Background: Many prostate cancers demonstrate an increased expression of growth factor receptors such as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) which have been correlated with increased resistance to radiotherapy and poor prognosis in other tumors. Therefore, response to radiation could potentially be improved by using inhibitors of these abnormally activated pathways. We have investigated the radiosensitizing effects of sunitinib, a potent, multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor of the VEGFR and PDGFR receptors, on human prostate cancer cells. Methods: The radiosensitizing effects of sunitinib were assessed on human prostate cancer cell lines DU145, PC3 and LNCaP by clonogenic assay. Sunitinib’s ability to inhibit the activities of its key targets was determined by immunoblot analysis. The radiosensitizing effects of sunitinib in vivo were tested on human tumor xenografts growing in nude mice where response was assessed by tumor growth delay. Results: Clonogenic survival curve assays for both DU145 and PC3 cells showed that the surviving fraction at 2 Gy was reduced from 0.70 and 0.52 in controls to 0.44 and 0.38, respectively, by a 24 hr pretreatment with 100 nM sunitinib. LNCaP cells were not radiosensitized by sunitinib. Dose dependent decreases in VEGFR and PDGFR activation were also observed following sunitinib in both DU145 and PC3 cells. We assessed the ability of sunitinib to radiosensitize PC3 xenograft tumors growing in the hind limb of nude mice. Sunitinib given concurrently with radiation did not prolong tumor growth delay. However, when animals were treated with sunitinib commencing the day after fractionated radiation was complete, tumor growth delay was enhanced compared to radiation alone. Conclusions: We conclude, based on the in vivo results, that sunitinib and radiation do not interact directly to radiosensitize the PC3 tumor cells in vivo as they did in vitro. The fact that tumor growth delay was enhanced when sunitinib was given after radiotherapy was completed suggests that sunitinib may be acting on the irradiated tumor stroma and suppressing its ability to sustain regrowth of the irradiated tumor. Based on these preclinical findings, we suggest that the combination of sunitinib and radiation for the treatment of prostate cancer deserves further development.
Eating fat or being fat and risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer among women

This article first reviews the relationship between intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and atherosclerosis; then the relationship between fat intake, obesity, and disease; and finally, some of the determinants of obesity and weight gain. The percentage of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet is the major determinant of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease among populations. In addition, fat intake is directly related to obesity. The degree of obesity is a major determinant of blood glucose and insulin, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. Weight gain, especially after adolescence, and high fat intake may contribute, to a greater extent, to metabolically active intra-abdominal fat and risk of disease. Fat in diet, weight gain, or obesity may play an important role in sex-steroid hormone metabolism. Hormonal changes may contribute to an increased risk of breast cancer. The risks associated with eating fat may be related to the time of development of obesity (i.e., weight gain) and the balance between effects on sex-steroid hormone metabolism and insulin-glucose metabolism.
The Effects of Stress on Respiratory Disease and Transient Colonization of Turkeys with Listeria monocytogenes Scott A

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes contaminates poultry processing plants due to its ubiquitous nature and high resistance to disinfection. The sources of the persistent, biofilm-forming strains that colonize processing plants are unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if intrinsic colonization of turkeys is a possible source of contamination. Male poults were subjected to cold stress from 4–12 days of age; poults were unchallenged or were exposed to an aerosol and oral challenge of either an avian pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli (Ec), the Scott A strain of L. monocytogenes (Lm), or to a combination (Ec–Lm). At 7 wk, all cold-stressed poults were treated with an immunosuppressive dose of dexamethasone (Dex) and exposed to the same bacterial challenges. Birds were necropsied at 1 wk and 2 wk post-Dex treatment. Percent mortality, body and organ weights, and airsacculitis scores were determined. Liver and knee synovial tissues were sampled, using transport swabs, and cultured by direct platin...
Chin Tremors Associated with Paroxetine in a Patient with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Context There have been many cases of medication-induced tremors. We report a patient who developed significant chin tremors after the administration of paroxetine. Case report A 68-year-old Vietnamese female with a past medical history including GIST and pancreatic cancer status post Whipple procedure and six months of adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine presented with symptoms of anxiety for which she was treated with paroxetine. Within 2 weeks she developed chin tremors which resolved after paroxetine was discontinued. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a temporary chin tremor associated with paroxetine. The exact mechanism of this phenomenon is unclear. However, it has been suggested that movement disorders such as chin tremors may be related to elevated serotonin levels causing an inhibition of central dopamine. Image: Statue of Jumbo ( Tufts University's official mascot ) on the north side of Barnum Hall at Tufts University campus. Medford, MA, USA.
Watch and Learn An Innovative Video Trigger Curriculum to Increase Resident Screening for Social Determinants of Health

Objective. To determine the effectiveness of an innovative curriculum, using trigger videos modeling screening for social determinants of health (SDH), on the comfort and screening practices of pediatric residents during well-child care. Methods. A nonrandomized controlled study of an educational intervention was performed. Resident surveys assessing knowledge, comfort, and screening practices for SDH were performed pre- and post-intervention. Subsets of control and intervention residents were observed pre- and post-intervention to determine changes in SDH screening practices. Results. Thirty-six residents completed the study. Intervention residents spent more time screening (P = .04), and inquired more frequently about family supports (P = .046) and housing conditions (P = .045). Intervention residents were less likely to note lack of knowledge and discomfort as barriers to screening. Conclusions. A curriculum incorporating trigger videos modeling SDH screening increased screening time and inquiry for a ...
On the Radiation of Sound from an Unflanged Circular Pipe

A rigorous and explicit solution is obtained for the problem of sound radiation from an unflanged circular pipe, assuming axially symmetric excitation. The solution is valid throughout the wave-length range of dominant mode (plane wave) propagation in the pipe. The reflection coefficient for the velocity potential within the pipe and the power-gain function, embodying the characteristics of the radiation pattern, are evaluated numerically. The absorption cross section of the pipe for a plane wave incident from external space, and the gain function for this direction, are found to satisfy a reciprocity relation. In particular, the absorption cross section for normal incidence is just the area of the mouth. At low frequencies of vibration, the velocity potential within the pipe is the same as if the pipe were lengthened by a certain fraction of the radius and the open end behaved as a loop. The exact value of the end correction turns out to be 0.6133.
The Effect of Environmental Conditions on Tropical Deep Convective Systems Observed from the TRMM Satellite

This study uses measurements of radiation and cloud properties taken between January and August 1998 by three Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) instruments, the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) scanner, the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), and the Visible and InfraRed Scanner (VIRS), to evaluate the variations of tropical deep convective systems (DCS) with sea surface temperature (SST) and precipitation. This study finds that DCS precipitation efficiency increases with SST at a rate of approx. 2%/K. Despite increasing rainfall efficiency, the cloud areal coverage rises with SST at a rate of about 7%/K in the warm tropical seas. There, the boundary layer moisture supply for deep convection and the moisture transported to the upper troposphere for cirrus-anvil cloud formation increase by approx. 6.3%/K and approx. 4.0%/K, respectively. The changes in cloud formation efficiency, along with the increased transport of moisture available for cloud formation, likely contribute to the large rate of increasing DCS areal coverage. Although no direct observations are available, the increase of cloud formation efficiency with rising SST is deduced indirectly from measurements of changes in the ratio of DCS ice water path and boundary layer water vapor amount with SST. Besides the cloud areal coverage, DCS cluster effective sizes also increase with precipitation. Furthermore, other cloud properties, such as cloud total water and ice water paths, increase with SST. These changes in DCS properties will produce a negative radiative feedback for the earth's climate system due to strong reflection of shortwave radiation by the DCS. These results significantly differ from some previous hypothesized dehydration scenarios for warmer climates, and have great potential in testing current cloud-system resolving models and convective parameterizations of general circulation models.
Challenging Medical Students to Confront their Biases: A Case Study Simulation Approach

We used three approaches to determine whether first-year medical students would begin to confront their biases in response to a simulated encounter with an incarcerated, African-American patient. The patient presented with fatigue in a Biochemistry course workshop. Two hundred five students watched and helped a classmate conduct a simulated interview with the patient who had been imprisoned for attempted murder. We then studied whether the students confronted their biases against the patient using (a) a survey of individual students regarding these biases, (b) one of a number of questions on a formal assignment concerning the case completed in a team format, and (c) an unprompted extra-credit opportunity to reflect as a team on issues of their choice. On the survey, eighty five percent of students confronted their biases against the patient, and they began to reflect critically about these biases. Critical reflection on teams occurred more frequently outside the formally assigned exercise (Effect Size = 0.75, crucial practical importance). Thus, most first-year medical students can be led, even in basic sciences courses, to confront their biases. In this way, they may also begin to mitigate their biases against patients. Such self-regulation of biases by health care professionals on a regular basis should help to decrease health care disparities.
Digital/analog arithmetic with continuous-valued residues

Residue number system (RNS) representations, which allow fast addition and multiplication, have found niche applications in signal processing. These representations are based on integer-valued residue “digits” with respect to integer moduli. We introduce RNS representations with continuous or analog digits, and study their dynamic range, accuracy, and optimal choice of the moduli. Like positional number systems with continuous digits, our representations offer advantages in robustness and fault tolerance. As an interesting application, we point to recent findings in computational neuroscience that attribute a rat's uncanny ability to return to a home position, even in the absence of visual clues, to a related hex-grid-based residue representation of its position.
A real-time call admission control algorithm in high-speed networks

A real-time call admission control algorithm is developed for admitting real time traffic streams with quality of service (QoS) constraints in high-speed networks operating in a packet-switched mode under a fixed routing strategy. The theory developed is based on a calculus for network delay at each network node with general traffic arrival process at the network edge. The authors give the necessary and sufficient conditions for the schedulability of real-time connections at each network node under non-preemptive earliest-due date scheduling policy for deterministic QoS guarantees. These necessary and sufficient conditions form the mathematical basis for the deterministic QoS guarantees in real-time communication services. The manner in which the end-to-end delay bound is to be divided into local delay bounds which together satisfy the end-to-end QoS requirements is finally proposed.
Trehalose transporter from African chironomid larvae improves desiccation tolerance of Chinese hamster ovary cells

Dry preservation has been explored as an energy-efficient alternative to cryopreservation, but the high sensitivity of mammalian cells to desiccation stress has been one of the major hurdles in storing cells in the desiccated state. An important strategy to reduce desiccation sensitivity involves use of the disaccharide trehalose. Trehalose is known to improve desiccation tolerance in mammalian cells when present on both sides of the cell membrane. Because trehalose is membrane impermeant the development of desiccation strategies involving this promising sugar is hindered. We explored the potential of using a high-capacity trehalose transporter (TRET1) from the African chironomid Polypedilum vanderplanki[21] to introduce trehalose into the cytoplasm of mammalian cells and thereby increase desiccation tolerance. When Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) were stably transfected with TRET1 (CHO-TRET1 cells) and incubated with 0.4M trehalose for 4h at 37°C, a sevenfold increase in trehalose uptake was observed compared to the wild-type CHO cells. Following trehalose loading, desiccation tolerance was investigated by evaporative drying of cells at 14% relative humidity. After desiccation to 2.60g of water per gram dry weight, a 170% increase in viability and a 400% increase in growth (after 7days) was observed for CHO-TRET1 relative to control CHO cells. Our results demonstrate the beneficial effect of intracellular trehalose for imparting tolerance to partial desiccation.
More Ornamented Males Exhibit Increased Predation Risk and Antipredatory Escapes, but not Greater Mortality

Secondary sexual traits not only confer benefits to their bearer through increased mate acquisition, but may also have inherent costs, including the attraction of predators. Here, we examined the relationship between conspicuous secondary sexual traits and predation costs using two male morphs of Schizocosa wolf spiders: brush-legged and non-ornamented. In the field, we ran two predation experiments using artificial enclosures to directly test mortality costs of predation on the two male morphs. Using a natural predator, a larger wolf spider in the genus Hogna, we found no difference in predation on brush-legged vs. non-ornamented males. However, predation was depends on environmental conditions. More individuals were preyed upon at night (vs. during the day) and on rock litter (vs. leaf litter), but the two male morphs were preyed upon equally to each other across environmental treatments. A laboratory experiment incorporated staged interactions between a single predator (Hogna) and each male morph to examine finer details of predation events. Again, we found no differential mortality between brush-legged and non-ornamented males. However, brush-legged males were attacked sooner and were more likely to escape the attack. Our results show an association between sexual ornamentation and predation risk as well as escape behavior.
The absence of VPAC2 leads to aberrant antibody production in Aspergillus fumigatus sensitized and challenged mice

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) facilitates a “pro-allergy” phenotype when signaling through its G protein-coupled receptor, VPAC2. We have shown that VPAC2 knock-out (KO) mice developed an allergic phenotype marked by eosinophilia and elevated serum IgE. Therefore, we hypothesized that the humoral response to allergen challenge in these mice was TH2 dominant similar to wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice. Antibody responses in WT and KO mice were measured after Aspergillus fumigatus conidia inhalation. In contrast to previous reports, basal levels of serum IgG2a and IgA were significantly higher in naive VPAC2 KO animals. Antibody availability in the serum as well as the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after fungal challenge was dominated by the pro-inflammatory isotype IgG2a and the mucosal isotype, IgA. IgA localizing cells dominated in the peribronchovascular areas of allergic KO mice while IgE immune complexes were found in WT allergic lungs. This research shows for the first time that VPAC2 has a significant effect on antibody regulation, in the context of allergy.
INTERFEROMETRIC IMAGING CONCEPTS WITH REDUCED FORMATION-KEEPING CONSTRAINTS*

The Origins program and corresponding next generation observational facilities seek orderof-magnitude advances in optical angular resolution via long baseline interferometry. We consider systems involving a collection of separate free-flying, light collecting spacecraft, or optical processing spacecraft, where all the spacecraft are required to fly in precise formation in order to form the image of a very distant object. In the investigation discussed here, we consider the reduction of system complexity by the use of novel imaging system architectures that relieve constraints on formation keeping. Considering the system configuration, as currently conceived for both starlight nulling and imaging, there are numerous inter-spacecraft positioning and system geometry constraints that must be satisfied to assure successful image formation. We discuss each of these constraints, in turn, and attempt to alleviate the constraint by means of various alternative approaches, including enhanced algorithms, advanced signal processing, nonlinear optics, and novel optoelectronic systems which have the potential to alleviate or even eliminate the constraint.
Effects of temperature, salinity, and fish size on growth and consumption of juvenile bluefish

Consumption and growth rates of juvenile bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix increased with increasing temperature and decreased with increasing fish size in short-term (7 days) experiments. Salinity had no effect on growth or consumption rate in a short-term experiment. In a long-term (90 days) mesocosm experiment, consumption and growth rates declined with increasing body size. Predictive equations developed from short-term experiments did not adequately predict observed consumption rates in the mesocosm experiment. However, growth in the mesocosm experiment was similar to field growth. Also, mesocosm consumption rates and consumption rates calculated using field growth and mesocosm growth efficiencies were similar to published independent field estimates of consumption rate. Our results indicate that experiments to determine the effects of temperature and the allometry of body size on growth and consumption rates should be conducted over long time periods simulating field conditions. Juvenile bluefish have rapid growth and their individual cumulative consumption is large. This result suggests that bluefish may have a large effect on their prey populations. This effect has yet to be quantified.
Experimentally Produced Devitrification Textures in Natural Rhyolitic Glass

Experimental devitrification of natural rhyolitic glass was undertaken in an attempt to produce, under known conditions, analogs of naturally devitrified rocks. The results should facilitate the recognition and interpretation of devitrification textures. Previous studies have shown that alkali-rich aqueous solutions increase devitrification rates sufficiently to produce solid pieces of devitrified obsidian in the laboratory, but none of these has provided a systematic study of experimentally produced devitrification textures. Cylinders of natural volcanic glass, 4.6 mm in diameter and 10 to 20 mm long, were sealed in 5-mm-diameter gold capsules, along with either pure water or alkali-rich solutions. Runs were made in externally heated pressure vessels in the temperature range 240° to 700°C and in the pressure range 0.5 to 4 kb. Textures recognized in the products of the runs closely resembled hydration and devitrification texture s in some rhyolitic rocks. Although hydration fronts and strain birefringence were developed during some experimental runs, no perlitic fractures were observed. Devitrified products contained spherulites, micropoikilitic quartz, orb texture, axiolites, and miarolitic cavities. Two stages of devitrification are distinguished. The glassy stage is characterized by glassy or felsitic textures with isolated spherulites, and the spherulitic stage by spherulitic textures and micropoikilitic quartz. A hypothetical third stage in this succession, not represented in products from this study, most likely has a granophyric or granitic texture, with no evidence of glassy precursors.
The importance of oral Spanish teaching to multilingual students: A case study of USIU.

This paper explores important aspects of teaching Spanish, both spoken and written, to multilingual students, with specific reference to United Sates International University (USIU), a private institution located in Nairobi, Kenya. The beginner students of Spanish at the University speak at least 3 languages, one of which is Kiswahili. This polyglot characteristic, the strong African oral tradition and the fact that Kiswahili and Spanish have similar aspects like pronunciation, offer the students great advantages in learning Spanish. Initially, however, students generally show some resistance to learning the oral skills because their intention is to acquire writing skills. Research conducted for this paper among the University students and the foreign language teachers in Nairobi, provides useful comparisons between two methodologies of teaching Spanish (and probably other foreign languages as well) one of these emphasizes the acquisition of oral skills and the other, which involves a more traditional method of teaching, emphasizes acquisition of written skills. The research findings discussed in this paper offer strategies that can help promote the teaching of spoken Spanish, including the study of the complex grammar at the beginning level. The findings also demonstrate that acquisition of oral skills facilitates the acquisition of knowledge about the Hispanic world culture, and is also crucial to development of higher levels of oral proficiency which is essential to using the language in real life situations. Key words: multilingual, oral skills, second language, learning, strategies.
Type I host resistance and Trichothecene Accumulation in Fusarium -infected Wheat Heads

Problem statement: The objective of this study was to examine the inf luence of the type I host resistance and pathogen variation with respect to mycotoxin and aggressiveness, on infection, FHB disease development and mycotoxin accumulation in planta. Approach: Greenhouse experiments were conducted utilizing a spray inoculation method. Fiv e single isolates of F. graminearum were tested. Three wheat cultivars were used; Alse n (moderately resistant), 2375 (moderately susceptible) and Wheaton (susceptible). At anthesis spikes were spray inoculated to run off with inoculum at the concentration of 10,000 co nidia ml -1 . Inoculated whole spikes were sampled at different growth stages up to soft dough. Kernel s of sampled spikes were dissected from the spike and analyzed for mycotoxins. Results: The highest FHB severity and mycotoxin accumulation was observed in the susceptible cultivar Wheaton. Thoug h deoxynivalenol (DON) did not peak and decline in all experiments, when a peak in the DON content was present it was earlier in 2375 (early milk) than in either Alsen (early dough) or Wheaton (late milk). Though the isolates did not rank similarly in all experiments and in all cultivars, generally iso lates Butte86Ada-11 and B63A were more aggressive and isolates 49-3 and B45A were less aggressive in terms of disease severity and mycotoxins accumulation. The levels of 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol and nivalenol were less than 4.5, 0.8 and 0.3% to that of DON in a given sa mple. Conclusion: DON levels appear to provide a more precise measure of mycotoxin contamination of grain. The use of mixtures of isolates, representative of the local population, in resistan ce screening appears advisable in order to avoid th e misinterpretation of a cultivar's resistance with t he use of single isolate. Screening of cultivars li kely requires both greenhouse and the field testing.
Blimp-1 is required for maintenance of long-lived plasma cells in the bone marrow

Long-lived plasma cells, residing primarily in the bone marrow, continuously secrete antibody and provide an important component of humoral memory. However, when such cells secrete autoantibodies or become transformed, they can be pathogenic. We have shown recently that the transcriptional repressor B lymphocyte–induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp-1) is required for the formation of plasma cells. To determine what role Blimp-1 might play in maintenance of plasma cells, we generated mice in which the gene encoding Blimp-1 could be deleted in an inducible manner. Deletion of Blimp-1 either in vitro or in vivo leads to loss of previously formed B220LOCD138HI plasma cells. Using BrdU incorporation, we confirmed that Blimp-1 is required for the maintenance of nondividing, long-lived plasma cells in the bone marrow. Blimp-1 is also required for long-term maintenance of antigen-specific immunoglobulin in serum. Thus Blimp-1 is required not only for the formation but also for the maintenance of long-lived plasma cells. This finding provides the possibility of new drug design strategies for autoimmunity and multiple myeloma focused on blocking Blimp-1 expression or activity.
Performance of Substance Abusers With Memory Deficits on Measures of Malingering

The effects of memory impairment on various malingering indices were assessed in a substance abusing population. Groups were formed by using scores from the Delayed Memory Index of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised and selecting individuals from an addictions recovery unit in the top and bottom quintiles. Quintile group differences were found for number correct on free and forced-choice recall on the 21-Item Wordlist; total time for grouped and ungrouped dots on the Rey Dot Counting procedure; and addition errors on the Memorization of 16 Items test. All differences found were in the direction of better performance by subjects with better Delayed Memory Index scores; however, all of the differences were small. With the exception of the free recall index from the 21-Item Wordlist, all subjects had scores on the malingering measures beyond the cutoffs typically used to detect malingering in clinical populations. These findings suggest that, even in memory-impaired populations, memory measures of malingering are valid.
DYNAMIC RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF NATURAL AND IMITATION MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Suitability of Mozzarella cheese for various products involves the measurement of rheological properties of the cheese related to its meltability. The rheology in this work is determined dynamically with a Rheometrics RDA 700 mechanical spectrometer using 25 mm diameter parallel plates fabricated from aluminum. Bonding the cheese specimen directly to the plates with cyanoacrylate ester adhesive proved the most effective in countering the problem of specimen slip. Viscosity proved sensitive to addition of calcium casenate, following an Arrhenius relationship with temperature. Both elastic and viscous components of the shear modulus increased with a 1% addition but a 2% addition decreased the elastic component below that observed for natural Mozzarella under the same conditions.
Introduction: Afrofuturism in Black Theology – Race, Gender, Sexuality, and the State of Black Religion in the Black Metropolis

Afrofuturism is an evolving field of study in Black cultural studies. Its theories and scholarship are heavily influenced with particularities in science fiction, speculative fiction, new media, di...
When a Baby Dies: A Standard of Care

When a baby dies, parents' hopes and dreams for that child die. Instead of planning a nursery, they must think about burial or cremation. Bereaved parents may never have experienced a death in their family. They may be unaware of what options are available and what decisions need to be made. One hospital has been addressing the needs of parents whose babies die during pregnancy or shortly after birth since the early 1980s. Using the RTS program as a model, this article provides a historical overview of the program, defines the theoretical framework underlying perinatal bereavement care, and describes practical ways to support patients and families experiencing pregnancy or perinatal loss. Care providers such as hospital personnel, clergy, and/or funeral directors are responsible for informing bereaved parents and guiding them through this unfamiliar territory. Case studies and practical examples of creating meaningful memories as part of healthy mourning are included.
Work Like Any Other, Work Like No Other: Establishing Decent Work for Domestic Workers

Extending labor rights to domestic workers is crucial not only from the standpoint of the workers but also in light of the renewed emphasis on and demand for paid care work in the home. This article explores the legal challenges that must be addressed in order to ensure decent work for domestic workers. It does so at a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle to provide justice for domestic workers, to ensure that they enjoy the same substantive labor rights extended to workers generally. For the first time, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has agreed to consider adopting labor standards that allow for the specificity of the unique circumstances of domestic service workers. This article therefore combines a global perspective with a local focus on the particular status of domestic workers in the United States. Part II overviews domestic service and underscores some of the distinct qualities of both the work and the domestic service employment relationship. While the situation of domestic workers varies widely within and among countries, the workers share in common a deprivation of rights that turns on their invisibility within private households. Parts III and IV focus on the work of the ILO as it relates to domestic service. Part III considers the applicability of existing ILO standards to domestic service while Part IV examines the proposed ILO standards relating to domestic service. The effectiveness of ILO standards ultimately rests on ILO member states embracing them and taking steps to ensure that national laws comply with them. Thus Part V examines key national labor laws in the United States, evaluates their significance for domestic workers, and considers the extent to which they presently align with the proposed ILO principles of decent work for domestic workers. In short, Part V poses and answers the question: How close is the United States to ensuring decent work for domestic workers? Part V also provides some initial guidance on steps the United States must take in order to fill the existing gaps in its national labor laws as applied to domestic workers.
Results of HIV voluntary counseling and testing in Futian district of Shenzhen city in 2011-2012

Objective To analyze the results of HIV voluntary counseling and testing(VCT)in Futian of Shenzhen city in 2011 and 2012 and to provide evidence for the adjustment of VCT strategy.Methods The data of HIV VCT in Futian District was collected and analyzed.Results Totally 7 105 persons were voluntarily consulted in 2011-2012 with a male:female ratio of 1.4:l;most of them were in the age group of 15~44 years 80.9%)including male heterosexual contact not being commercial and fixed(3.9%),female commercial sex services(16.4%),male homosexual contacts(9.7%),with operation history(2.3%)and drug addicts(0.1%).Antibody to HIV were detected from 108 VCT consultants with the positive rate of 1.5%(108/7105) among them male homosexual contact accounted for 25%.Conclusions Most of the HIV VCT consultants were males and their main high risk behavior was sexual contact,the proportion of male homosexual contact among the positives was higher,suggesting that health education aimed at the behavioral changes of the high risk group after HIV VCT should be stgrngthened.
Reduction of "dark gate" defects in replacement-metal-gate process and middle-of-line contacts for advanced planar CMOS and FinFET technology

We systematically analyzed that the "dark gate" defects were detected by bright field inspection and e-beam as one of the top yield limiters (i.e. the defects of gate-to-contact shorts/leakage) and correlated to physical failure modes in multiple steps through RMG and MOL process steps. A few effective/novel solutions in process steps are successfully demonstrated with planar CMOS technology, and are useful for robust RMG/MOL process and yield step-up with 128Mb SRAM/Logic for both planar CMOS and FinFET technology.
AGAINST POWER? DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN ACQUISITIVE RESISTANCE AND SUBVERSION

Critiques of contemporary political-economic formations, while grounded in an array of theoretical traditions, have often centered on strategies for relocating power (as embodied in accumulated wealth, control of labor and corporate entities, or the state) in institutions that are nominally more egalitarian or democratic. Such alternative institutions are intended to better represent those who have been historically harmed by the use of power. This article argues for an analytical distinction between such strategies of capturing power on behalf of those without it, and strategies for reducing power differentials directly or annihilating the capacity to accumulate power. We adopt the analytical term subversion to describe these latter efforts to reduce the intensity of, and undermine the capacity to reproduce or deepen, power relationships. Rather than focusing on redistribution or inversion of asymmetrical power relations to benefit the disempowered, subversive strategies work toward decreasing the possibility of accumulating power or, in the extreme case, completely evacuating existing unequal power relations. Thinking about political engagement in terms of limiting the possibility of asymmetrical power relationships (regardless of who holds that power) helps to illuminate a distinction between reactive politics against injustice and proactive politics that pursue alternative, increasingly just conceptual norms. We draw on threads in critical, political, and urban geographies to articulate a particularly geographic concept of “fleeing-in-place” as subversive resistance to hegemony, the undermining of the possibility of asymmetrical socio-spatial power relations within existing contemporary political economies. We propose strategies for research that better highlight the differences between resistance and subversion.
Cerebral Blood Flow Regulation (Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, and Nitric Oxide)

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), oxygen (O 2 ), and nitric oxide (NO) profoundly affect the cerebrovasculature and are key players in the regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and brain metabolism (i.e., cerebral metabolic rate of O 2 , CMRO 2 ). The brain is highly perfused and is extremely sensitive to any alteration in its blood supply. If the brain's circulation is completely obstructed, loss of consciousness occurs within seconds and irreversible pathological changes occur within minutes. Thus, the physiological mechanisms that regulate cerebral circulation are designed to ensure the constancy of CBF and CMRO 2 over a wide range of internal and external conditions. This may even occur at the expense of adequate blood flow to other organs. This chapter explores the physiological effects of CO 2 , O 2 , and NO on the cerebrovasculature and discusses their potential mechanisms of action. The effects of hyper- and hypocapnia, hypoxia, and hyperoxia, and the involvement of NO in cerebral ischemia are discussed.
Every Apple has a Voice: Using Stable Isotopes to Teach about Food Sourcing and the Water Cycle

Abstract. Agricultural crops such as fruits take up irrigation and meteoric water and incorporate it into their tissue ( fruit water ) during growth, and the geographic origin of a fruit may be traced by comparing the H and O stable isotope composition (δ2H and δ18O values) of fruit water to the global geospatial distribution of H and O stable isotopes in precipitation. This connection between common fruits and the global water cycle provides an access point to connect with a variety of demographic groups to educate about isotope hydrology and the water cycle. Within the context of a 1-day outreach activity designed for a wide spectrum of participants (high school students, undergraduate students, high school science teachers) we developed introductory lecture materials, in-class participatory demonstrations of fruit water isotopic measurement in real time, and a computer lab exercise to couple actual fruit water isotope data with open-source online geospatial analysis software. We assessed learning outcomes with pre- and post-tests tied to learning objectives, as well as participant feedback surveys. Results indicate that this outreach activity provided effective lessons on the basics of stable isotope hydrology and the water cycle. However, the computer lab exercise needs to be more specifically tailored to the abilities of each participant group. This pilot study provides a foundation for further development of outreach materials that can effectively engage a range of participant groups in learning about the water cycle and the ways in which humans modify the water cycle through agricultural activity.
Goals of Mathematics Instruction: Seven Thoughts and Seven Illustrations of Means

The goal of this chapter is to present what the author sees as the state-of-the-art approach to mathematics instruction, and the state-of-the-art use of mathematical Olympiads in bringing instruction closer to ‘real’ mathematics and identifying young talents. One of the principle goals of mathematics instruction ought to be showing in a classroom what mathematics is and what mathematicians do. This cannot be achieved by teaching but rather by creating an environment in which students learn mathematics by doing it. As in ‘real’ mathematics, this ought to be done by solving problems that require not just plugging numbers into memorized formulas and one-step deductive reasoning, but also by experimenting, constructing examples, and utilizing synthesis in a single problem of ideas from various branches of mathematics, built on high moral foundations. The author’s eight recent Springer books present fragments of ‘live’ mathematics, and illustrations of these ideas. The chapter also describes the role of mathematical olympiads in instruction and includes some problems used at the Colorado Mathematical Olympiad over the past 34 years.
Dose-Dependent Pharmacokinetics of L-693,612, a Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitor, Following Oral Administration in Rats

The disposition of L-693,612, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, was examined in rats following oral doses of 0.05 to 25 mg/kg. Area under the blood concentration–time curve (AUC) increased linearly with dose up to 0.25 mg/kg. However, the linear range did not extend to 5 and 25 mg/kg doses; AUC rose only 10-fold overall despite a 500-fold increase in dose. A similar pattern of disproportionality occurring after i.v. administration indicated that the nonlinear behavior after oral doses was not due to dose-limited absorption, but rather it arose because blood clearance increased with dose. Concentration-dependent erythrocyte/plasma partitioning arising from saturation of binding to erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase could explain the dose-dependent blood clearance. At blood concentrations (<25 µM) achieved in the linear dose range, L-693,612 was extensively sequestered in red blood cells, bound to carbonic anhydrase, with a constant low free fraction in plasma available for elimination. At doses which saturated the binding capacity of carbonic anhydrase, blood clearance increased, since for low hepatic extraction compounds, the rate of elimination is dependent upon the free fraction in blood. Dose-dependent increases in distribution volumes were consistent with the view that high-affinity binding to carbonic anhydrase confined this compound largely to blood volume at low doses, but saturation of binding sites increased availability to peripheral tissues after high doses. Increasing the dose had a minimal effect on terminal half-life because it reflected the concentration–time profile during a period of linear distribution into erythrocytes.
Technical note: a simple, rapid assay for alpha-amylase in bovine pancreatic juice

A procedure is described for the determination of alpha-amylase activity in bovine pancreatic juice. Bovine pancreatic juice was incubated with potato amylopectin for 6 min, and then alkaline potassium ferricyanide was added to stop the enzymatic reaction. Tubes were placed in a boiling water bath for 10 min and then cooled, and 40 mL of distilled water was added. Optical density was read at 420 nm, and the amount of end product (reducing sugars) was determined by comparison with maltose standards. Ten dilutions of bovine pancreatic secretion were assayed to determine the intraassay precision of this method, resulting in a CV of 1.05%. A pooled sample was assayed five times over five separate days to determine the interassay precision, resulting in a CV of 7.3%. This alpha-amylase assay provides a repeatable, rapid, and economical determination of alpha-amylase activity from bovine pancreatic juice.
Carbon and Nitrogen Pools in Deep Soil Horizons at Different Landscape Positions

Labile and bulk pools of carbon and nitrogen (C and N) play different functional roles in soil organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the (i) effects of land use [corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) plantation] and (ii) vertical distribution of labile [potassium permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), water extractable organic carbon (WEOC), water extractable nitrogen (WEN)] and bulk [total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN)] pools of C and N in soil to a depth of 105 cm at different topographic positions within a watershed. Alfalfa had 10.02 to 14.86 Mg ha⁻¹ greater TC than corn–soybean and black walnut plantation on the shoulder position in the surface horizon (0–15 cm), whereas the subsurface horizon (15–105 cm) showed no significant differences for TC measured at all topographic positions. Soil POXC was significantly higher in alfalfa than corn–soybean in the surface layer of 0 to 15 cm by 1748.6, 1904.03, and 2878.67 kg ha⁻¹ at the shoulder, backslope, and footslope positions, respectively. However, no differences were observed for POXC at the shoulder position when all subsurface layers were combined at 15- to 105-cm depth. In general, the labile pools of C and N showed differences with land use and topographic positions and followed alfalfa > black walnut plantation > corn–soybean. The study results suggest that for accurate assessment of land use on C and N gains and/or losses both bulk and labile pools should be measured including the entire root zone depth. Topographic differences should be accounted for assessing C and N pools at the watershed scale.
The Emerging Role of Chromatin Remodeling Factors in Female Pubertal Development

To attain sexual competence, all mammalian species go through puberty, a maturational period during which body growth and development of secondary sexual characteristics occur. Puberty begins when the diurnal pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release from the hypothalamus increases for a prolonged period of time, driving the adenohypophysis to increase the pulsatile release of luteinizing hormone with diurnal periodicity. Increased pubertal GnRH secretion does not appear to be driven by inherent changes in GnRH neuronal activity; rather, it is induced by changes in transsynaptic and glial inputs to GnRH neurons. We now know that these changes involve a reduction in inhibitory transsynaptic inputs combined with increased transsynaptic and glial excitatory inputs to the GnRH neuronal network. Although the pubertal process is known to have a strong genetic component, during the last several years, epigenetics has been implicated as a significant regulatory mechanism through which GnRH release is first repressed before puberty and is involved later on during the increase in GnRH secretion that brings about the pubertal process. According to this concept, a central target of epigenetic regulation is the transcriptional machinery of neurons implicated in stimulating GnRH release. Here, we will briefly review the hormonal changes associated with the advent of female puberty and the role that excitatory transsynaptic inputs have in this process. In addition, we will examine the 3 major groups of epigenetic modifying enzymes expressed in the neuroendocrine hypothalamus, which was recently shown to be involved in pubertal development and progression.
Do Retail Investors Use SEC Filings? Evidence from EDGAR Search

We address whether retail investors use SEC filings when making trading decisions. We find that retail investor trading, both buying and selling, is significantly related to EDGAR search for 10-K and 10-Q filings, more so than to Google search. This is true for firms with high or low visibility, firm-days with and without press coverage, and during or excluding earnings-announcement and filing windows. The results of lead-lag and two-stage-least square analyses are consistent with search leading to trade. In addition, the direction of retail investors’ trading is consistent with the direction of earnings changes reported in the downloaded filings, suggesting that retail investor trading direction is influenced by the accounting information they read in the filings. We also find that the significantly positive relation between retail trading and EDGAR search is strongest for the most easily readable 10-K and 10-Q filings. Finally, we find that retail investor trading-predicted returns are higher on days with heavier EDGAR search, consistent with retail investors making more profitable, or at least less loss making, trades when doing more research on EDGAR. Overall, our results provide strong evidence that retail investors use EDGAR filings data in making their trading decisions.
Head movement with semantic effects: Aspectual verb raising in Cantonese

This paper argues that head movement is an operation available in Narrow Syntax (contra Chomsky 2000, i.a.). It provides independent support to a line of research which suggests that head movement can impose interpretive effects. The novel evidence comes from Cantonese aspectual verbs and their interaction with other quantificational elements. I argue that aspectual verbs such as hoici 'begin' can undergo head movement, which can enrich the scope possibility of the verb.