cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
White‐tailed deer fawn survival, home range, and habitat composition in northwest Louisiana

Low fawn recruitment, particularly related to coyote (Canis latrans) predation, has been seen as a potentially important factor limiting growth in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations in the southeastern United States. We quantified fawn survival up to 3 months of age and home range size and habitat composition up to 1 month of age in 2 ecotypes on Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, USA, during 2009 and 2010. Overall fawn mortality was 50%, which is generally consistent with other studies in the southeast. We observed differences in fawn mortality between different vegetation communities, with 5 of 6 fawns depredated before 30 days on the hardwood-dominated ecotype and 1 of 6 fawns dying (from apparent internal trauma and subsequent starvation) before 30 days on the pine-dominated ecotype. Fawns in the hardwood ecotype had larger home ranges and core areas than in the pine ecotype but female home ranges and core areas did not differ by ecotype. Known parturition sites were closer to habitat edges and developed areas than random sites within female home ranges, suggesting females were seeking areas of their home range with greater cover at parturition. Fawn survival, home range, and habitat use varied considerably depending on the ecotype. Provision of additional fawning cover in the form of small openings or timber harvests in areas of mature, closed canopy forest may aid in survival following parturition. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
PtrSplit: Supporting General Pointers in Automatic Program Partitioning

Partitioning a security-sensitive application into least-privileged components and putting each into a separate protection domain have long been a goal of security practitioners and researchers. However, a stumbling block to automatically partitioning C/C++ applications is the presence of pointers in these applications. Pointers make calculating data dependence, a key step in program partitioning, difficult and hard to scale; furthermore, C/C++ pointers do not carry bounds information, making it impossible to automatically marshall and unmarshall pointer data when they are sent across the boundary of partitions. In this paper, we propose a set of techniques for supporting general pointers in automatic program partitioning. Our system, called PtrSplit, constructs a Program Dependence Graph (PDG) for tracking data and control dependencies in the input program and employs a parameter-tree approach for representing data of pointer types; this approach is modular and avoids global pointer analysis. Furthermore, it performs selective pointer bounds tracking to enable automatic marshalling/unmarshalling of pointer data, even when there is circularity and arbitrary aliasing. As a result, PtrSplit can automatically generate executable partitions for C applications that contain arbitrary pointers.
Massive hemorrhage following definitive esophageal chemoradiation: teaching case of a fatal aortoesophageal fistula and lessons learned.

Key Clinical Message Esophageal self-expandable metal stents and radiotherapy are valuable in combination for palliation and definitive treatment of esophageal cancer. However, risk of aortoesophageal fistula is significant in patients with evidence of malignant aortic invasion. Use of thoracic endovascular repair may represent an approach to early intervention in high-risk patients.
Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases with IL-1 Blockade

To provide evidence that therapeutic blockade of IL-1 can provide benefit for patients with hearing loss. In this review, we assess clinical trials of the IL-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra), the soluble IL-1 receptor (rilonacept), antibodies to interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) (canakinumab, gevokizumab), and anti-IL-1α (xilonix) for clinical indications not related to hearing loss but rather to disease conditions that are common to inflammatory diseases. One purpose of this review is to distinguish between autoinflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases. Whereas autoinflammatory diseases are due to dysfunctional T cells and B cells, autoinflammatory diseases are due to overproduction of macrophage cytokines particularly IL-1β. A causative role for IL-1 in autoinflammatory diseases is derived from clinical studies blocking the IL-1 receptor or neutralizing monoclonal antibodies or soluble receptors. Off-label use of anakinra is common for a broad spectrum of inflammatory diseases. Neutralization of IL-1β is used to treat not only hereditary autoinflammatory diseases but also atherosclerosis. Rilonacept reduces arterial wall inflammation in patients with chronic kidney disease. Neutralization of IL-1α has prolonged life in patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. Compared to other cytokine blocking therapies, reducing the activities of IL-1 has an excellent safety record. Blocking IL-1 therapies can be used to treat a wide spectrum of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.
On intellectual diversity and differences that may not make a difference

AbstractCalls for diversity in higher education have been ongoing for, at least, a century. Today, the diversity movement in higher education is in danger of being co-opted in the US by a move to make ‘intellectual diversity,’ i.e. the diversity of political opinion, on par with the cultural and historical diversity that one finds within differently racialized populations. Intellectual diversity is thought to track different modes of thinking between conservatives and progressives that need policy interventions to promote and protect. Here I offer an account of a mode of thinking to probe what conservative, libertarian, progressive, and critical theory orientations, as modes of thinking, should show in order to present themselves as tokens of ‘intellectual diversity.’ Ultimately, I gesture to the conclusion that intellectual diversity as a mode of thinking degrades into either infinite particularity or impossible singularity that do little establish a call for policy intervention.
Abstract 20438: Rescuing an Acquired Cardiac Retinoic Acid Deficiency Prevents Hypertrophy and Sudden Cardiac Death in a Pressure-Overload/Chronic Catecholamine Model of Hypertrophy and Heart Failure

Introduction: Recently, we have investigated a pressure-overload/chronic catecholamine guinea pig model (ACi) of cardiac hypertrophy (HYP) and HF with the unique features of acquired long QT syndrome and sudden cardiac death (SCD) by quantitative global-scale proteomics using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. Hypothesis: By compiling proteins altered significantly both compensated HYP and HF, it may be possible to identify novel early contributors to pressure overload- induced HF pathogenesis. Results: Pathway mapping of proteins differentially regulated in HYP that were also changed in HF (p Conclusion: The data support a causal role for ATRA deficiency in the pathogenesis of pressure overload-induced HF and susceptibility to SCD.
Gender difference in myogenic tone of rat arterioles is due to estrogen-induced, enhanced release of NO

The characteristics of arteriolar myogenic responses of female rats have not been investigated. Thus experiments were conducted on isolated gracilis muscle arterioles (approximately 55 microm diame...
Abdominal Wall Anatomy, Pathology, and Intervention

A single reason why a surgeon will use ultrasound is the need to further investigate findings obtained through a complete physical examination. Abdominal wall pathology is frequent and not limited to hernias. Multifrequency transducers (7.5–12 MHz) should be used to scan this region since they have better resolution and variable penetration. In the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative settings, abdominal wall masses and groin pathology require further definition by various imaging modalities. The advances in ultrasonography have made this technology an extremely user-friendly, portable, safe, and economic modality for the surgeon to further investigate various conditions. In this chapter, we describe and correlate normal anatomy with ultrasound findings; we identify common indications for ultrasound investigation such as neoplasias, ventral hernias, and postoperative complications not limited to infection, hematoma, and seromas; we define indications for ultrasound-guided biopsies and placement of catheters, as needed. Furthermore, ultrasound has been increasingly used for the identification of possible presence of bowel adhesions to the abdominal wall, thus providing a safe route of access for the laparoscopic surgeon. Recently, ultrasound has been used to guide aspiration of fluid collections, biopsy of masses, and nerve blocks. In this era of health-care cost containment, ultrasound constitutes an important tool in the surgeon’s armamentarium.
Bryophytes as experimental models for the study of environmental stress tolerance: Tortula ruralis and desiccation-tolerance in mosses

The development of a complete understanding of how plants interact with the environment at the cellular level is a crucial step in advancing our ability to unravel the complexities of plant ecology particularly with regard to the role that many of the less complex plants (i.e., algae, lichens, and bryophytes) play in plant communities and in establishing areas for colonization by their more complex brothers. One of the main barriers to the advancement of this area of plant biology has been the paucity of simple and appropriate experimental models that would enable the researcher to biochemically and genetically dissect the response of less complex plants to environmental stress. A number of bryophytes model systems have been developed and they have been powerful experimental tools for the elucidation of complex biological processes in plants. Recently there has been a resurgent interest in bryophytes as models systems due to the discovery and development of homologous recombination technologies in the moss Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Brach & Schimp. In this report we introduce the desiccation-tolerant moss Tortula ruralis (Hedw.) Gaert., Meyer, and Scherb, as a model for stress tolerance mechanisms that offers a great deal of promise for advancing our efforts to understand how plants respond to and survive the severest of stressful environments. T. ruralis, a species native to Northern and Western North America, has been the most intensely studied of all bryophytes with respect to its physiological, biochemical, and cellular responses, to the severest of water stresses, desiccation. It is our hope that the research conducted using this bryophyte will lay the foundationfor not only the ecology of bryophytes and other less complex plants but also for the role of desiccation-tolerance in the evolution of land plants and the determination of mechanisms by which plant cells can withstand environmental insults. We will focus the discussion on the research we and others have conducted in an effort to understand the ability of T. ruralis to withstand the complete loss of free water from the protoplasm of its cells.
SoTL Principles and Program Collaboration in the Age of Integration

The increasing acceptance of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) on our campus has led to spreading SoTL principles outside of the usual faculty classroom research projects and teaching/learning center. Three programs examined how SoTL principles aided in integration and initiative building. The programs are the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Program, and the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching. Attempts at integration and collaboration have successfully brought SoTL principles into community building, consensus building, and program assessment. A unified voice, mutual respect, and responsiveness to institutional needs have been the necessary conditions to support the work, which may have directly and indirectly effected change in the campus culture
Metrics of Patient, Public, Consumer, and Community Engagement in Healthcare Systems: How Should We Define Engagement, What Are We Measuring, and Does It Matter for Patient Care?; Comment on “Metrics and Evaluation Tools for Patient Engagement in Healthcare Organization- and System-Level Decision-Making: A Systematic Review”

In a rigorous systematic review, Dukhanin and colleagues categorize metrics and evaluative tools of the engagement of patient, public, consumer, and community in decision-making in healthcare institutions and systems. The review itself is ably done and the categorizations lead to a useful understanding of the necessary elements of engagement, and a suite of measures relevant to implementing engagement in systems. Nevertheless, the question remains whether the engagement of patient representatives in institutional or systemic deliberations will lead to improved clinical outcomes or increased engagement of individual patients themselves in care. Attention to the conceptual foundations of patient engagement would help make this systematic review relevant to the clinical care of patients.
Graphical Modeling Of High-Dimensional Time Series

We consider the problem of inferring the conditional independence graph of a high-dimensional stationary multivariate real-valued Gaussian time series. A p-variate Gaussian time series graphical model associated with an undirected graph with p vertices is defined as the family of time series that obey the conditional independence restrictions implied by the edge set of the graph. We present a novel formulation of joint graphical lasso in frequency domain, suitable for dependent time series, generalizing current time-domain approaches to i.i.d. time series. The approach is nonparametric. First a sufficient statistic set in frequency domain is developed, and then a penalized log-likelihood of the sufficient statistic set is optimized. An optimization algorithm based on alternating minimization is presented and illustrated via numerical examples.
Wood capacitance is related to water content, wood density, and anatomy across 30 temperate tree species

SUMMARY Water released from wood tissue during transpiration (capacitance) can meaningfully affect daily water use and drought response. To provide context for better understanding of capacitance mechanisms, we investigated links between capacitance and wood anatomy. On twig wood of 30 temperate angiosperm tree species, we measured capacitance, water content, wood density, and anatomical traits, i.e., vessel dimensions, tissue fractions, and vessel-tissue contact fractions (fraction of vessel circumference in contact with other tissues). Across all species, the strongest predictors of capacitance were wood density (WD) and predawn lumen volumetric water content (VWCL-pd, r2adj=0.44, P
Salvage Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy: Tips and Tricks for Challenges Caused by Different Primary Treatments

Abstract Introduction and Objectives: Salvage robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (sRALP) is a technically demanding procedure because of significant alterations in anatomical landmarks and l...
Pediatric Hospitalists at the Front Line of Gun Violence Prevention: Every Patient Encounter Is an Opportunity to Promote Safe Gun Storage

Pediatric hospitalists have a critical role to play in the prevention of firearm death and injury in children. Gun violence is the second leading cause of death for children and adolescents.1 Just over half of these deaths are homicide, with the remaining attributed to suicide and unintentional shootings. There are more child deaths from gun violence than child deaths from cancer, heart disease, and lung disease combined.1 These startling statistics should urge all pediatricians to act, including those invested in the care of hospitalized children. This uniquely American problem is driven, in part, by access to unsecured firearms. In America, 4.6 million children live in a household with at least 1 loaded, unlocked gun.2 Access to unsecured firearms puts children at risk for unintentional shootings and adolescents at risk for suicide.3 Responsible storage (keeping guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition) can decrease these risks.3 The majority of children in gun-owning households are aware of where their parents store the gun, with more than one-third reporting previously handling the gun.4 We cannot rely on curious children to not find a gun that is “hidden” or to know what to do if they encounter a gun. Educational programs that are focused on teaching children about gun safety do not work. In fact, after completing gun safety training programs, preschool- and school-aged children are just as likely to approach and play with a handgun as those not given the training.5 Access to a firearm is key modifiable risk factor for adolescent suicide in the United States.6 Of the adolescents screened in 1 study, …
Academia in Anarchy: 50 years on

In 1970, James Buchanan and Nicos Devletoglou published Academia in Anarchy: An Economic Diagnosis. Even though the book focuses on the industry Buchanan worked in for nearly 70 years, it is the only one of his non-autobiographical, non-textbook, books not included in his collected works. I evaluate the arguments of Buchanan and Devletoglou in light of the past 50 years of scholarship on the economics of higher education.
Yoga and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (Y-MBCT i )

Insomnia is the most frequently reported sleep disorder and may manifest as early morning awakening, or difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. While preliminary data exist regarding the use of meditation-based interventions for individuals suffering from chronic sleep disturbances, data on standardized treatment models using yoga and meditation interventions together in an integrated and evidence-based manner are rather lacking. The Yoga and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Insomnia (Y-MBCTi) model integrates the cognitive-behavioral treatments for insomnia with the principles and practices of standardized yoga and mindfulness meditation in a customized manner. Healthcare professionals can use this model in their routine clinical practice to address the sleep-related problems of their patients in a targeted, time-limited, and standardized way. With a case series consisting of data from four chronic insomnia sufferers, we discuss the utility of the Y-MBCTi, which can be used alone or in combination with other evidence-based approaches like hypnotic medications and agents used to treat sleep conditions such as excessive sleepiness.
Duopolistic optimization of alternative vehicle fueling stations

Abstract The widespread adoption of alternatively fueled vehicles will be important for both its global environmental impact and improving local air quality. This transition will require the prediction of the optimal location of alternative fueling stations to maximize the exposure of potential customers to alternatively fueled vehicles and ensure profitability for firms that initially provide the alternative fuel. The proliferation of shale drilling was instrumental in lowering the cost of natural gas making natural gas powered vehicles even more attractive. Here, we develop a model to forecast the optimal location of alternative vehicle fueling stations within a built environment with competing fueling options. First, on the supply side, we develop a new location model that both optimizes the locations and pricing of alternative vehicle fueling stations and simultaneously captures duopolistic market forces. Second, we develop a demand model considering five key factors that are expected to describe behavior of consumers in an urban environment based on available. The supply and demand side models are optimized to estimate expected profitability. We take into consideration both the local demand for fuel and the local willingness and capability to purchase alternatively fueled vehicles when determining the demand for alternative fueling stations. Our model is applied to Pittsburgh and the surrounding Allegheny County region. Markets where two firms simultaneously move into the area, and where a fast-follower firm subsequently enters after the first-mover firm are contrasted. We find that for a modest number of stations two firms can profitably compete for the market share. Additionally, our model anticipates the most desirable locations to situate the alternative vehicle fueling stations in the region and pricing of alternative fueling stations under both monopolistic and duopolistic market forces. This can serve to inform policy makers and business of the best locations to situate alternative fueling stations to maximize the chances of successfully transitioning our automotive infrastructure from polluting gasoline to a cleaner alternative.
Broadening our Understanding of Human Resource Management for Improved Environmental Performance

This article evaluates the effect of different human resource management (HRM) practices on organizations’ environmental performance. We develop a model to evaluate the influence of a broad range o...
Promoting Democracy in Ethnically Divided Societies: The Benefits of Combining Partition and Power-Sharing

Recent conflict resolutions have attempted to explain the best route ofresolving ethnic conflicts within divided societies. This research attempts to engage in the recent debate surrounding conflict resolution which highlights the effects of partition and power-sharing programs upon democratic consolidation. By using a focused-structured comparison of three cases, partition is found to be insufficient in attaining democracy. A combination of partition and power-sharing leads to more democratic consolidation within divided societies. Further, a society which is affluent and gender equal, neighbors other liberal democracies, and fully develops power-sharing institutions will enjoy significant advantages in securing stable and lasting democratic outcomes. This article is available in Res Publica Journal of Undergraduate Research: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol18/iss1/ 10
Responsibility in Weather Modification Operation

Recent experience has shown that weather modification can be used to produce beneficial changes in atmospheric processes. The possibility of using this new technology as a watershed management tool requires consideration of the conditions under which the tool is used and the responsibilities required for its use. Evidence resulting from a number of projects indicates that both benefits and disbenefits may result from treatment of extremely variable weather systems. The need for responsible operations can be met by assuring that the individuals involved in these activities have the requisite experience, education and ethical standards. A means for meeting this need is proposed through the identification of individuals with the necessary qualifications on a basis similar to engineering registration.
VITAMIN A, VITAMIN D, CARTILAGE, BONES, AND TEETH.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses vitamin A, vitamin D, cartilage, bones, and teeth. These two inseparables, vitamins A and D, the David and Jonathan of nutrition, whose faithful alliance in natural distribution and in similarity of many chemical and physical properties has caused so much trouble to hosts of physiologists, biochemists, chemists and medical men, also work in harmony at the time of their active careers in the animal body. Although their functions are different, they are both concerned with the building up and maintenance of bone structure. There are already some suggestions as to the nature of these effects, as reviewed herein; the next few years should witness further progress in this direction. As a final word, it should be said, although this has not been emphasized herein, that there are really three inseparables, vitamin A, vitamin D, and the parathyroid hormone; the alliance between vitamin D and the hormone, in particular, is as close as that between the two vitamins.
Chemoenzymatic Preparation of Nucleoside Triphosphates

The design and synthesis of alternative nucleoside triphosphate substrates for DNA and RNA polymerases holds continued promise to create biochemical probes and precursors for synthesis of nucleic acid mimics. The azole carboxamide nucleotides are of particular interest, as they display multiple conformations in the context of DNA replication. An efficient chemoenzymatic preparation of azole carboxamide deoxyribo- and ribonucleoside triphosphates is presented. Nucleoside diphosphate is prepared from nucleoside 5'-O-tosylate by displacement with tris(tetra-n-butylammonium) pyrophosphate. Enzymatic phosphorylation of the azole carboxamide deoxyribonucleoside diphosphate to its triphosphate is based on ATP as the phosphate donor and nucleoside diphosphate kinase as the catalyst, coupled with phospho(enol)pyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate kinase as an ATP regeneration system. Enzymatic phosphorylation of the azole carboxamide ribonucleoside diphosphate requires PEP as the phosphate donor and pyruvate kinase as the catalyst. The optimized purification uses boronate affinity gel to yield highly purified nucleoside triphosphate.
Ultraviolet Radiation Affects the Immune System

Photoimmunology is the study of the effects of nonionizing radiation on normal and abnormal immune function. Photoimmunology is therefore an intersection of photobiology, dermatology, and immunology. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) definitely can affect the immune system. Scattered reports about effects of UVR on lymphocytes have been available for years, but it is only recently that systematic studies have shown that circulating and noncirculating components of the immune system can be selectively altered by ultraviolet radiation of intact normal skin. Effects are not confined to irradiated skin but are also systemic; for example, exposure of normal skin of animals to UVR inhibits contact sensitization of unexposed skin and diminished antigen processing by spleen cells.
Stop-and-restart style execution for long running decision support queries

Long running decision support queries can be resource intensive and often lead to resource contention in data warehousing systems. Today, the only real option available to the DBAs when faced with such contention is to carefully select one or more queries and terminate them. However, the work done by such terminated queries is entirely lost even if they were very close to completion and these queries will need to be run in their entirety at a later time. In this paper, we show how instead we can support a Stop-and-Restart style query execution that can leverage partially the work done in the initial query execution. In order to re-execute only the remaining work of the query, a Stop-and-Restart execution would need to save all the previous work. But this approach would clearly incur high overheads which is undesirable. In contrast, we present a technique that can be used to save information selectively from the past execution so that the overhead can be bounded. Despite saving only limited information, our technique is able to reduce the running time of the restarted queries substantially. We show the effectiveness of our approach using real and benchmark data.
Native myocardial T1 is elevated in subjects with coronary microvascular dysfunction and no obstructive CAD

Background Women with signs and symptoms of ischemia but no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), often have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) evidenced by the Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) studies [1,2]. CMD is associated with higher risk of adverse cardiac events including heart failure compared to healthy women [1,2]. Elevated native T1 values are known to be suggestive of myocardial fibrosis. We hypothesized that the native myocardial T1 would be abnormally elevated indicating fibrosis in WISE subjects with CMD.
Olfactory and Limbic Systems

These two systems are reviewed together as they are closely related to each other, and a number of structures are common to both systems. Olfactory sensation serves an obvious function in providing us with information regarding this aspect of the surroundings. However, the sense of olfaction may arouse a wide variety of emotional responses which are largely governed by limbic system activity. Thus the limbic system receives a considerable input from olfactory sources in addition to input derived from many other areas.
Tumor-associated mutations in O6-methylguanine DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) reduce DNA repair functionality

MGMT is the primary vehicle for cellular removal of alkyl lesions from the O-6 position of guanine and the O-4 position of thymine. While key to the maintenance of genomic integrity, MGMT also removes damage induced by alkylating chemotherapies, inhibiting the efficacy of cancer treatment. Germline variants of human MGMT are well-characterized, but somatic variants found in tumors were, prior to this work, uncharacterized. We found that MGMT G132R, from a human esophageal tumor, and MGMT G156C, from a human colorectal cancer cell line, are unable to rescue methyltransferase-deficient Escherichia coli as well as wild type (WT) human MGMT after treatment with a methylating agent. Using pre-steady state kinetics, we biochemically characterized these variants as having a reduced rate constant. G132R binds DNA containing an O6-methylguanine lesion half as tightly as WT MGMT, while G156C has a 40-fold decrease in binding affinity for the same damaged DNA versus WT. Mammalian cells expressing either G132R or G156C are more sensitive to methylating agents than mammalian cells expressing WT MGMT. G132R is slightly resistant to O6-benzylguanine, an inhibitor of MGMT in clinical trials, while G156C is almost completely resistant to this inhibitor. The impared functionality of expressed variants G132R and G156C suggests that the presence of somatic variants of MGMT in a tumor could impact chemotherapeutic outcomes.
Localization of sequence segments forming a kappa-bungarotoxin-binding site on the alpha 3 neuronal nicotinic receptor.

To identify the sequence segments of the alpha 3 subunit of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (N-nAChR) forming the binding site for the cholinergic antagonist kappa-bungarotoxin (kappa-BGT), overlapping peptides corresponding to the complete alpha 3 sequence were tested for their ability to bind 125I-labeled kappa-BGT. Two peptides located within the N-terminal extracellular domain specifically bound kappa-BGT in a solid phase assay, i.e. peptide N alpha(3)51-70 with a Kd approximately 300 nM and peptide N alpha(3)1-18 with slightly lower affinity (Kd approximately 500 nM). Preincubation of 125I-kappa-BGT with peptides N alpha(3)51-70 or N alpha(3)1-18 resulted in greater than 90% inhibition of kappa-125I-BGT binding to native N-nAChR expressed on the neuronal cell line PC12. Under the same conditions, two additional peptides, N alpha(3)180-199 and N alpha(3)183-201, were found to inhibit kappa-125I-BGT binding to PC12 by approximately 50%. These latter peptides represent sequences that are homologous to those shown previously to bind alpha-bungarotoxin. Peptide N alpha(3)51-70 (400 microM) also reduced by approximately 4-fold the observed rate of association of kappa-BGT to PC12 cells. The results of these experiments identify sequence segments of the alpha 3 subunit which are likely to interact with kappa-BGT and may indicate the relative contribution that these segments make in the formation of the high affinity kappa-BGT-binding site of this N-nAChR subtype.
El giro lingüístico hoy (o dónde fueron a parar los significados)

In this article I analyze some milestones of the twentieth century philosophy of language such as the development of semantic externalism in the seventies and the revival of contextualism in recent decades. I seek to expose the internal logic of this evolution as a result of the difficulties for defending a Fregean notion of identity of “thought” or of propositional content. Seen from this perspective, the latest stages in the linguistic turn seem to indicate that the ultimate consequence of Frege’s “extrusion of thoughts fromthe mind” can only be their elimination.
LAW AND ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION IN AN ANTI-CLASSIFICATION AGE

Does our legal system permit the economic exploitation of extreme vulnerability? Focusing on predatory housing loans — a thriving business at the dawn of the 21st century — this Article argues that the answer in most cases is yes. Under an individualistic neoliberal paradigm, borrowers are held liable for their contracts, even if they were targeted with predatory practices. Further, borrowers’ attempts to resort to antidiscrimination law, and frame their exploitation as “reverse redlining,” have offered no real answer. An important yet undertheorized explanation for this problem is the impact of the Supreme Court’s anti-classification jurisprudence on lower courts. In an anti-classification age, even outside of the constitutional arena courts are reluctant to accept race-based arguments. As a result, colorblind analysis of predatory lending permits economic exploitation to thrive. This Article proposes a unique solution to this deadlock: embedding the analysis of individual borrowers in the context of their neighborhood, a move that neither denies nor relies on their race. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, and public health, the Article explains how residing in distressed neighborhoods — the most embattled neighborhoods of our country — creates conditions especially fertile for exploitation. Based on this interdisciplinary analysis, the Article suggests an alternative legal framework which would circumvent the anti-classification problem. The new framework is tailored around the idea of individual dignity, which includes the right to freedom from economic exploitation. To protect such right it is suggested to utilize contract law and particularly the doctrine of unconscionability — which is highly apposite for a contextual analysis of predatory agreements.More broadly the Article argues that one of the important lessons to be learned from the tragic subprime crisis is how urgent it is to find an appropriate legal response to market exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Notably, the contractual framework suggested in this Article for predatory housing loans is useful for handling other exploitative loans, such as pay-day loans and auto-title loans. Further, the proposed framework is valuable beyond the contexts of lending and distressed neighborhoods, to address other forms of economic exploitation perpetuated by contract. Given persistent weakness in our economy, establishing an anti-exploitation norm in the market seems more important than ever.
Max Weber - ein bibliographischer Bericht

Der Beitrag gibt einen Uberblick uber die Rezeption der Soziologie MAX WEBERS in der seit 1960 erschienenen Literatur. Angesichts der Breite und Spezialisierung dieser Literatur werden sechs Bereiche der WEBER-Rezeption unterschieden und nacheinander behandelt: (1) WEBERS vergleichende Studien und historische Typologien, (2) seine methodologischen und erkenntnistheoretischen Beitrage, (3) seine Stellung als Theoretiker des 'burokratischen Zeitalters', (4) seine allgemeinpolitischen und hochschulpolitischen Auffassungen, (5) die marxistische Auseinandersetzung mit WEBER sowie Vergleiche zwischen dem Weberschen und dem Marxschen Ansatz und schlieslich (6) die Biographie MAX WEBERS im Kontext der zeitgenossischen Geistesgeschichte.
Fractal heterogeneity in minimal matrix models of scars modulates stiff-niche stem-cell responses via nuclear exit of a mechanorepressor

Scarring is a long-lasting problem in higher animals, and reductionist approaches could aid in developing treatments. Here, we show that copolymerization of collagen I with polyacrylamide produces minimal matrix models of scars (MMMS), in which fractal-fibre bundles segregate heterogeneously to the hydrogel subsurface. Matrix stiffens locally-as in scars-while allowing separate control over adhesive-ligand density. The MMMS elicits scar-like phenotypes from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs): cells spread and polarize quickly, increasing nucleoskeletal lamin-A yet expressing the 'scar marker' smooth muscle actin (SMA) more slowly. Surprisingly, expression responses to MMMS exhibit less cell-to-cell noise than homogeneously stiff gels. Such differences from bulk-average responses arise because a strong SMA repressor, NKX2.5, slowly exits the nucleus on rigid matrices. NKX2.5 overexpression overrides rigid phenotypes, inhibiting SMA and cell spreading, whereas cytoplasm-localized NKX2.5 mutants degrade in well-spread cells. MSCs thus form a 'mechanical memory' of rigidity by progressively suppressing NKX2.5, thereby elevating SMA in a scar-like state.
Neuroprotection of mild hypothermia beginning at different time intervals on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

The effects of mild hypothermia beginning at different time intervals on cerebral ischemia was studied in SD rats which were divided into sham-operated, normothermia (37–38°C) ischemia and mild hypothermia (31–32°C) group. The latter was subdivided into: 240 min hypothermia, 30 min normothermia plus 210 min hypothermia, 60 min normothermia plus 180 min hypothermia and 90 min normothermia plus 150 min hypothermia. Global cerebral ischemia was induced by modified 4-vessel occlusion model. 240 min reperfusion following 20 min cerebral ischemia. Results showed that in normothermia group, the amount of SOD, GSH-Px, GSH, ATP, K+ were lower and MDA, lactate, water content, Ca++ were higher than those in sham-operated group. Mild hypothermia beginning immediately within 60 min delayed the consumption of SOD, GSH-Px, GSH, ATP and decreased the accumulation of MDA, lactate, water content and Ca++ as compared with normothermia group. Mild hypothermia beginning immediately within 30 min significantly decreased the elevation of Na+, Ca++ and increased K+ in brain tissue when compared with normothermia. Mild hypothermia beginning immediately at 90 min has little effect on the content of SOD, GSH-Px, GSH, MDA, lactate, ATP, water content and Na+, K+, Ca++ as compared with the normothermia group. Mild brain hypothermia beginning immediately after ischemia delay consumption of endogenous antioxidant enzyme and energy metabolism, decrease accumulation of lactate and lipid peroxidation and the development of brain edema, which is involved in the mechanism of cerebral protection by mild hypothermia. Mild hypothermia limits ischemia injury beginning immediately within 30 or 60 min, but lost its function when beginning at 90 min following ischemia.
EMOTION REGULATION: A THEME IN SEARCH OF DEFINITION

Contemporary interest in emotion regulation promises to advance important new views of emotional development as well as offering applications to developmental psychopathology, but these potential contributions are contingent on developmentalists' attention to some basic definitional issues. This essay offers a perspective on these issues by considering how emotion regulation should be defined, the various components of the management of emotion, how emotion regulation strategies fit into the dynamics of social interaction, and how individual differences in emotion regulation should be conceptualized and measured. In the end, it seems clear that emotion regulation is a conceptual rubric for a remarkable range of developmental processes, each of which may have its own catalysts and control processes. Likewise, individual differences in emotion regulation skills likely have multifaceted origins and are also related in complex ways to the person's emotional goals and the immediate demands of the situation. Assessment approaches that focus on the dynamics of emotion are well suited to elucidating these complex developmental and individual differences. In sum, a challenging research agenda awaits those who enter this promising field of study.
Pulmonary hypertension is prevalent in catheter and arterio-venous access hemodialysis

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been described in patients undergoing hemodialysis and proposed to arise from overflow in arterio-venous grafts or fistulae. Whether PH is prevalent in patients undergoing catheterbased dialysis is unknown. Patients undergoing hemodialysis with an echocardiogram in two urban dialysis centers over a four-year period were included. Demographic data, comorbidities, dialysis access, laboratory and echocardiographic data were collected. A right ventricular systolic pressure of ≥45 mmHg defined PH. Forty out of ninety-one (44%) patients met the criteria for PH. The prevalence of catheter-based hemodialysis was similar in the two groups (30% in the PH vs. 33% in the no-PH group). PH patients were more likely to have extended hemodialysis vintage (52.6±58.2 vs. 31.0±33.7 months, P<0.05). Advanced left heart disease was not more prevalent in patients with PH although they were more likely to have right atrial and right ventricular enlargement (P<0.05). Mean serum phosphate was lower in the PH group (4.7±1.4 vs. 5.5±1.8 mg/dL, P<0.05). On multivariate analysis, lower phosphate levels were associated with higher risk of PH. We concluded that PH is prevalent in hemodialysis regardless of access type and may be because of disordered calcium and phosphate metabolism.
Galilean satellites: Evolutionary paths in deep resonance

While the Laplace resonance among the three inner Galilean satellites possesses stable configurations where the mean motions taken by pairs are in nearly 2:1 ratios, or 'deep resonance', the current satellite configuration is unstable near this exact commensurability. There is presently noted, however, a continuous path of stable conditions branching toward deep resonance which furnishes a track for the tidal evolution of the system and renders scenarios involving (probably episodic) evolution from deep resonance viable; this eliminates the requirement for rapid tidal dissipation of Jupiter by the alternative equilibrium hypothesis.
Influence of gonadal hormones on the development of parental behavior in adult virgin prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are a socially monogamous species and both sexes are parental after the birth of pups. In contrast, sexually inexperienced adult prairie voles differ in their behavior towards pups such that virgin males are paternal whereas virgin females are often infanticidal. To test whether there exists a discrete perinatal 'sensitive period' during which gonadal hormones influence this behavior, and to distinguish between the relative contributions of estrogenic and androgenic mechanisms to this influence, prairie voles were exposed to testosterone propionate (TP), the anti-androgen flutamide, or the aromatase inhibitor 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-doine (ATD) either prenatally via their pregnant dam for the last 15-19 days of the 22-day gestational period or postnatally on days 1-7. None of the treatments altered the high paternal responsiveness of males or the high infanticide rate in females when compared with controls. Females exposed prenatally to ATD, however, had levels of parental behavior that were significantly higher than the lowest levels observed in prenatally TP-treated females. These results suggest that sex differences in the parental behavior of adult virgin prairie voles are not generated exclusively by androgenic or estrogenic mechanisms during a restricted prenatal or early postnatal 'sensitive period' and that the parental behavior of virgin females may be more susceptible to any influence of gonadal hormones during development than males.
901-74 Delayed and Incomplete Reversal of Impaired Metabolic Vasodilation in Patients with Heart Failure During Long-term Circulatory Support with a Left Ventricular Assist Device

Impaired vasodilation in response to metabolic stimuli in the peripheral circulation is an important determinant of exercise intolerance in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The pathogenesis of impaired metabolic vasodilation in patients with CHF is uncertain but may be related in part to chronic reductions in peripheral blood flow in patients with low cardiac output (CO). A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is an implantable mechanical pump that provides a non-pharmacologic means to markedly Increase CO in patients with severe CHF for long periods of time. Whether long-term mechanical restoration of normal resting CO with an LVAD enhances metabolic vasodilation in the peripheral circulation of patients with CHF is unknown. Accordingly, peak forearm blood flow (FBF, ml/min/l00 ml) after 5 minutes of brachial artery occlusion (a maximal metabolic vasodilation stimulus) was measured with venous occlusion plethysmography in 8 patients with NYHA Class IV CHF (mean age 52 yrs, mean EF 22%) before, and 1 and 8 weeks (wks) after continuous LVAD support and in 8 normal subjects. Mean arterial pressure (MAP, mmHg) was measured during each FBF measurement in the contralateral arm by cuff method. MAP, peak FBF, and maximum vascular conductance (calculated in arbitrary units as FBF/MAP) after arterial occlusion were as follows: Before LVAD 1wk post 8 wks post Normals MAP 65 ± 4 93 ± 6 * 92 ± 5 * 89 ± 9 Peak FBF 5.9 ± 1.6 9.5 ± 4.8 16.4 ± 2.8 * 31.5 ± 2.7 † Conductance 0.10 ± 0.03 0.10 ± 0.05 0.18 ± 0.03 * 0.36 ± 0.05 † * indicates p l 0.05 vs. Before LVAD † indicates p l 005 vs. 8 wks post-LVAD Mean CO increased from 2.3 l/min before LVAD to 5.4 l/min 1 and 8 wks during LVAD support. Despite early normalization of CO and MAP within 1 week after LVAD, the maximum vascular conductance after brachial artery occlusion did not change after 1week, and remained less than that observed in normal subjects after 8 weeks of LVAD support. The delayed and incomplete reversal of abnormal metabolic vasodilation during long-term continuous LVAD support suggests that mechanisms in addition to reduced CO contribute to decreased metabolic vasodilation in patients with CHF.
Loss of AP-2α impacts multiple aspects of ventral body wall development and closure

Human birth defects involving the ventral body wall are common, yet little is known about the mechanism of body wall closure in mammals. The AP-2alpha transcription factor knock-out mouse provides an exceptional tool to understand this particular pathology, since it has one of the most severe ventral body wall closure defects, thoracoabdominoschisis. To gain insight into the complex morphological events responsible for body wall closure, we have studied this developmental process in AP-2alpha knock-out mice. Several tissues involved in normal ventral body wall closure are defective in the absence of AP-2alpha, including those associated with the primary body wall, the umbilical ring, and the mesoderm of the secondary body wall. These defects, coupled with the expression pattern of AP-2alpha, suggest that AP-2alpha is involved in multiple developmental mechanisms directing the morphogenesis of the ventral body wall, including cell migration, differentiation, and death. There is a failure of migration and fusion of the body folds at the umbilical ring, as well as in the formation and migration of the abdominal bands and ventral musculature. Furthermore, the mechanism of cell deposition at the umbilical ring is disturbed. Consequently, the mesodermal compartment of the body wall is underdeveloped. We also suggest that AP-2alpha is required for signaling from the surface ectoderm to the underlying mesoderm for proper development and closure of the ventral body wall. These findings provide a fundamental understanding of how AP-2alpha functions in the closure of the ventral body wall, as well as offer insight into related human birth defects.
Color Filters for LCD Miniature Displays

Miniature displays are growing rapidly for applications in head-mounted displays, electronic viewfinders, and projection displays. In this paper, we successfully pushed color filter-technology down to a 5 micron pixel size in LCD miniature displays. A PMMA barrier layer encapsulates the color filter to achieve chemical and heat stability during processing steps.
Taking Stress Out of Student Teaching

(1984). Taking Stress Out of Student Teaching. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 58, No. 1, pp. 18-21.