cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obesity and Disability: Time to Act

Today, 34% of Americans have a BMI above 30.1–3 The dramatic rise in obesity has generated considerable concern due to the increased risk that excess weight poses for chronic diseases. The economic burden is substantial, with medical spending estimated to be 42% higher for someone who is obese and obesity-related healthcare costs estimated at $147 billion annually.4 Although smoking is the leading preventable cause of U.S. mortality,5, 6 obesity causes greater morbidity5 and some speculate that deaths due to poor diet and inactivity may exceed those from smoking.6, 7 Increased weight may be more problematic for people living with impairments than for the nondisabled population. However, little attention has been devoted to this group despite evidence that people with disabilities are more likely to be obese than the general population.8–10 This is troubling considering that people with disabilities are at risk for the same weight-related chronic conditions experienced by the general population, while also being at increased risk for chronic medical conditions associated with disability.11–13 The combination of disability and weight gain can create a vicious cycle, posing additional health burdens and further restricting functioning and independence. Further, people living with disabilities may be at greater risk than their peers without disabilities for weight gain due to low levels of activity.14, 15 Physical activity barriers include those facing the general population (e.g., time, motivation), in addition to physical limitations of the impairment, reduced opportunities for physical activity and sports participation, inaccessible environments,16 and fewer health-promotion programs which target appropriate exercise options.8, 17–19 Nearly 20% of the population, or about 54 million people experience some type of disabling condition.20 Despite the nation’s focus for more than a decade on eliminating health disparities among specific racial and ethnic minority groups,21–24 people with disabilities represent a consistently underserved group with substantial health disparities.25 This paper argues that people with disabilities should be an emerging population of concern within public health efforts related to obesity. The three core public health functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance26 are used as a framework to address this serious public health threat for this group.
Physical loss of long-period comets

Loss of long-period comets from the solar system through a variety of physical processes is investigated. It is shown that planetary collision, defined as a comet passing within the Roche radius of any planet, has a probability of 1.35 x 10 to the -7th per perihelion passage for a long-period comet on a randomly oriented orbit. Sublimation of all volatiles for a one-kilometer radius hydrate ice nucleus would require on the order of 600 to 27,600 perihelion passages, depending on the surface albedo and assuming a perihelion distance of one astronomical unit. Analysis of observational records indicates that for dynamically 'new' comets in the Oort-Schmidt sense there is about a 10% probability of the comet randomly disrupting on its first perihelion passage. This probability drops to 4% per perihelion passage for older long-period comets, and less than 1% for short-period comets. The consequences of these loss mechanisms when incorporated into Monte-Carlo studies of long-period comet evolution are also discussed.
Modeling and Simulation of Human Operator in Mental Task Handling Qualities

Abstract Effective human control of a complex system depends in part on the design of decision aids that have (high-level) models of human mental processes. Since the human operator utilizes the computer as a medium of interaction with the task environment, it is important that tightly coupled and interoperable human mental models be incorporated into HCI. This paper reports on a pilot study of simulating mental task performance in a desk top HCI platform.
Globalization and the Poor: The Student Anti-Sweatshop Movement

The technology that has permitted globalization has not only facilitated the movement of goods and services, FDI, and financial instruments. It has also made it easier for people to move across borders. The increased speed and reduced cost of transportation have been particularly important in this. So too has been the spread of economic growth. That process not only raises income levels, thereby facilitating travel, but also causes the dislocations that often compel the need to relocate. Beyond all of this, advances in communications have also encouraged migration. As people learn about and aspire to the higher standards of living experienced elsewhere, they are more likely to migrate. It is no surprise, consequently, to learn that immigration rates to the United States have steadily increased in the years since World War II. During the 1990s that rate was 3.6 per 1,000 of the United States population. By comparison the rate was 1.7 during the 1960s, 2.1 in the 1970s, and 3.1 during the 1980s (U.S. Census Bureau 2000, Table 5, p. 19). Furthermore, the United States is not alone in experiencing increased population inflows. The foreign population as a percentage of the total population increased in sixteen of seventeen European countries for which the World Bank provides data on the subject (World Bank 2001, Table 6.13). What is of interest is that this increased migration has occurred in the absence of any global agreement to promote the flow of people among nations.
Maternal infanticides in Fiji

Abstract Objective: This essay contributes to the cross-cultural literature on childhood homicides by examining 16 infanticidal homicides that occurred in Fiji over an 11-year period. The results are compared with infanticide studies conducted in other societies. Method: Official police data recorded in a Homicide and Manslaughter register are analyzed. These are supplemented by newspaper reports of infanticides and semi-structured interviews conducted with key criminal justice and medical personnel intimately associated with infanticide cases. Results: The findings show that most infanticide defendants were young, poor, Fijian, with little formal education, living with nonparental kin at the time of the crime. The infanticides were precipitated by unwanted pregnancies brought on by nonmarital and extramarital sex. Pregnancy is carried to full gestation without knowledge of family, friends and neighbors of offenders and the infant is killed immediately following birth. Conclusions: The current findings demonstrate that the patterns of maternal infant killings in Fiji are congruous in many significant ways with those in advanced industrialized societies. It is concluded that additional research in non-Western, nonindustrialized nations is imperative to contribute to the development of sound conclusions about, and remedies for infanticide.
Drug-Induced Torsade de Pointes

A73-year-old man with mild coronary artery disease and a dilated cardiomyopathy presented to the emergency room with a hemodynamically stable wide-QRS tachycardia. His 12-lead ECG revealed episodes of ventriculoatrial block, and a diagnosis of ventricular tachycardia (VT) was made (Figure 1⇓). Intravenous procainamide restored sinus rhythm. Tachycardia recurred, and a second bolus of intravenous procainamide again restored sinus rhythm. The patient was started on concomitant amiodarone 800 mg/d. The next day, the patient had significant prolongation of the QT interval with prominent U waves (Figure 2 …
Behavior of WDM system for intensity modulation

Evaluation and experimentation performed on a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network system, whose optical architecture has been previously proposed for reflective-based intensity modulation sensors, is described. The key role of WDM devices for accurately transmitting optical signals is outlined, and, in particularly, the effect of wavelength-channel mismatch is discussed. A system for referencing the optical power is discussed. Special effort has been made to determine fiber behavior under common stress, which is then studied as a function of constraints due to the choice of wavelength used for measuring or referencing the light signals passing through the network.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Single-Phase Induction Motor with One Distributed Winding

A single-phase induction motor with one winding develops starting torque if the stator iron is not symmetrical about the winding axis. Four methods of producing the dissymmetry are described. The most significant design variables are rotor resistance, the location of the dissymmetry, and the difference of the magnetizing reactances perpendicular to and along the dissymmetry. Test and calculated data are shown. The motor can be used where low starting torque is required and, under certain conditions, it is superior to other motors.
The functions of sleep

Theories of the function of sleep and review of sleep research, and study of mind-body relationship. Effects on sleep of stress, activity, drugs. Role of dreaming.
The Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale (G-SAS): A reliability and validity study

Two hundred seven patients with DSM-IV Pathological Gambling Disorder completed both the Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale (G-SAS) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale--modified for Pathological Gambling (PG-YBOCS) at baseline visit and weekly or biweekly thereafter during the 12-week study period. The week 1 to week 2 visit data were used to assess test-retest reliability. Weekly or biweekly data were used for the G-SAS validity. The PG-YBOCS reliability and validity data have been published previously. We used the PG-YBOCS as the established scale and compared the G-SAS performance with the PG-YBOCS. Test-retest reliability was statistically significant. The correlations between the G-SAS and the PG-YBOCS and Clinical Global Impression rating were excellent. Findings suggest that the G-SAS is reliable and valid in assessing changes in symptoms during a drug treatment study.
Terrestrial magnetospheric imaging: numerical modeling of low-energy neutral atoms

Imaging of the terrestrial magnetosphere can be performed by detection of low energy neutral atoms (LENAs) that are produced by charge exchange between magnetospheric plasma ions and cold neutral atoms of the Earth's geocorona. As a result of recent instrumentation advances it is now feasible to make energy-resolved measurements of LENAs from less than 1 keV to greater than 30 keV. To model expected LENA fluxes at a spacecraft, we initially used a simplistic, spherically symmetric magnetospheric plasma model. We now present improved calculations of both hydrogen and oxygen line-of-sight LENA fluxes expected on orbit for various plasma regimes as predicted by the Rice University Magnetospheric Specification Model. We also estimate expected image count rates based on realistic instrument geometric factors, energy passbands, and image accumulation intervals. The results indicate that presently proposed LENA instruments are capable of imaging of storm time ring current and potentially even quiet time ring current fluxes, and that phenomena such as ion injections from the tail and subsequent drifts toward the dayside magnetopause may also be deduced.
Estrogen receptor immunoreactivity within subregions of the rat forebrain: neuronal distribution and association with perikarya containing choline acetyltransferase.

Abstract Administration of the neuroactive steroid hormone estrogen has been shown to effect cholinergic basal forebrain neuronal function. Antibodies directed against the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) revealed dark (type 1) and light (type 2) nuclear positive neurons within the islands of Calleja, endopiriform nucleus, lateral septum, subfields of the cholinergic basal forebrain, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, striohypothalamic region, medial preoptic region, periventricular, ventromedial, arcuate and tuberal mammillary nuclei of the hypothalamus, reuniens and anterior medial thalamic nuclei, amygdaloid complex, piriform cortex and subfornical organ. In contrast, only a few scattered ERα labeled neurons were found in cortex and hippocampus. ERα stained cell bodies were not seen in the striatum. Counts of ERα labeled neurons in intact female rats revealed significantly more type 2 neurons within the basal forebrain subfields. Quantitation of ERα immunoreactive neurons revealed a significant decrease in the relative number of type 1 neurons within the medial septum (MS), horizontal limb of the diagonal band (HDB) and substantia innominata/nucleus basalis (SI/NB) following ovariectomy. Quantitation following choline acetyltransferease (ChAT) immunohistochemistry revealed a significant decrease in the number of ChAT positive neurons within the MS, HDB and SI/NB, but not VDB following ovariectomy. Following ovx, the percentage of double labeled cholinergic basal forebrain neurons also declined significantly within the MS, VDB, HDB and SI/NB. These observations suggest that estrogen effects a subpopulation of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons and may provide insight into the biologic actions of this steroid in Alzheimer's disease.
Isolation of complementary DNA clones encoding the human lymphocyte glycoprotein T1/Leu-1

The T1/Leu-1/CD5 molecule, a human T-cell surface glycoprotein of relative molecular mass (Mr) 67,000, has been implicated in the proliferative response of activated T cells and in T-cell helper function. A similar involvement in T-cell proliferation has been reported for Ly-1, the murine homologue of T1. Here we report the complete amino-acid sequence of the T1 precursor molecule deduced from complementary DNA clones. The protein contains a classical signal peptide; a 347-amino-acid extracellular segment; a transmembrane region; and a 93-amino-acid intracellular segment. The extracellular segment contains many cysteine residues and is composed of two related structural domains separated by a proline/threonine-rich region. The T1 molecule has structural features characteristic of other receptor molecules.
Retinoic acid and thyroid hormone induce gene expression through a common responsive element

Studies of steroid receptors have led to the identification of a superfamily of ligand-inducible regulatory proteins that includes receptors for thyroid hormones and retinoic acid. This family of receptors regulates gene expression through binding to short cis-acting sequences referred to as hormone-response elements. Identification of a functional retinoic acid responsive element is crucial to our understanding of the mechanisms by which retinoic acid receptors activate gene expression and regulate cell differentiation. One impediment to such a study is the absence of any identified gene whose transcription is directly dependent on the receptor-hormone complex. Because the DNA-binding domains of the retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptors are highly related (62% identical in their amino acid sequences), we have investigated the possibility that the retinoic acid receptor could activate gene expression through a thyroid hormone response element. We now report that a human retinoic acid receptor expressed from cloned complementary DNA or the endogenous retinoic acid receptor present in F9 teratocarcinoma cells can activate gene expression from promoters fused to a natural or synthetic thyroid hormone response element. The product translated in vitro from the human retinoic acid receptor cDNA can bind to a thyroid hormone response element with high affinity. The unexpected implication of these findings is that retinoic acid and thyroid hormones, acting through their respective receptors, could control overlapping gene networks involved in the regulation of vertebrate morphogenesis and homeostasis.
Glycoprotein nature of mitochondrial structural protein and neutral sugar content of mitochondrial proteins and structural proteins.

Summary Heterogeneity of mitochondrial structural protein preparations from rat liver was confirmed by both acid and alkaline polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. Several of the structural protein bands staining for proteins were found to be glycoproteins. Both total protein and structural protein of the mitochondria were found to contain fucose, arabinose, mannose, galactose and glucose; xylose was absent.
Scanning tunneling microscopy of the local atomic structure of two-dimensional gold and silver islands on graphite.

Small, two-dimensional islands of silver and gold formed in situ by evaporation onto graphite cleaved in ultrahigh vacuum are imaged atom by atom with a scanning tunneling microscope. These islands contain ordered regions of roughly 50 atoms in rectangular lattices, incommensurate with the substrate lattice, that are not close packed as in the bulk fcc structure. In one series of images, the shorter lattice spacing remained constant at 2.35 +- 0.15 A whereas the longer decreased from 4.05 +- 0.1 to 3.5 +- 0.1 A over a period of roughly 10 min.
Explaining hospital performance via the cube one framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a relatively new theoretical perspective – the Cube One framework – which along with the Cube One Input-Output model provide a conceptual explanation of overall hospital performance. Further, this framework provides information pertinent to organizational improvement. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple sources of data, including the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) patient satisfaction ratings, the “US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals” (disaggregated) ratings, the American Hospital Directory efficiency metrics, and Glassdoor employee satisfaction ratings, were used to test five hypotheses. Findings – Three sets of capabilities: patient-, employee-, and efficiency-related were positively associated with hospital performance. The model explained 38 percent of the variance in hospital performance. Practical implications – By adopting a multi-disciplinary, three-dimensional approach, the frame...
8.6.3 Systems Thinking Applied to Teaming

The Aerospace Institute (TAI) provides the learning environment for staff at The Aerospace Corporation (a Federally Funded Research and Development Centre). The staff averages over 23 years of industry with advanced degrees. Our knowledgeable space engineering and scientific staff particularly challenges TAI when presenting concepts related to teaming. Most people equate team-related training as applied psychology. This may make engineers and scientists uncomfortable. TAI applied systems thinking to the description of teaming and found some surprising results. It yielded a multifaceted Team Map. One facet reveals the team-based competencies, such as roles and responsibilities. Another facet conveys the team life cycle and the specific attributes for each role in the life cycle phase. The third useful facet provides the associated data of team relationships. The map has several practical applications; it provides a reference for teams, a descriptor for tool application, and a source to develop team diagnostics. The Aerospace Institute used it in curriculum evolution to differentiate among its team related course offerings.
Translesion synthesis across 1,N6-(2-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethylpropan-1,3-diyl)-2'-deoxyadenosine (1,N6-γ-HMHP-dA) adducts by human and archebacterial DNA polymerases.

The 1,N6-(2-Hydroxy-3-hydroxymethylpropan-1,3-diyl)-2′-deoxyadenosine (1,N6-γ-HMHP-dA) adducts are formed upon bifunctional alkylation of adenine nucleobases in DNA by 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane, the putative ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of 1,3-butadiene. The presence of a substituted 1,N6-propano group on 1,N6-γ-HMHP-dA is expected to block the Watson-Crick base pairing of the adducted adenine with thymine, potentially contributing to mutagenesis. In this study, the enzymology of replication past site-specific 1,N6-γ-HMHP-dA lesions in the presence of human DNA polymerases (hpols) β, η, κ, and ι and archebacterial polymerase Dpo4 was investigated. Run-on gel analysis with all four dNTPs revealed that hpol η, κ, and Dpo4 were able to copy the modified template. In contrast, hpol ι inserted a single base opposite 1,N6-γ-HMHP-dA but was unable to extend beyond the damaged site, and a complete replication block was observed with hpol β. Single nucleotide incorporation experiments indicated that although hpol η, κ, and Dpo4 incorporated the correct nucleotide (dTMP) opposite the lesion, dGMP and dAMP were inserted with a comparable frequency. HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis of primer extension products confirmed the ability of bypass polymerases to insert dTMP, dAMP, or dGMP opposite 1,N6-γ-HMHP-dA and detected large amounts of −1 and −2 deletion products. Taken together, these results indicate that hpol η and κ enzymes bypass 1,N6-γ-HMHP-dA lesions in an error-prone fashion, potentially contributing to A→T and A→C transversions and frameshift mutations observed in cells following treatment with 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane.
Cell signaling by receptor-tyrosine kinases

Recent structural studies of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) have revealed unexpected diversity in the mechanisms of their activation by growth factor ligands. Strategies for inducing dimerization by ligand binding are surprisingly diverse, as are mechanisms that couple this event to activation of the intracellular tyrosine kinase domains. As our understanding of these details becomes increasingly sophisticated, it provides an important context for therapeutically countering the effects of pathogenic RTK mutations in cancer and other diseases. Much remains to be learned, however, about the complex signaling networks downstream from RTKs and how alterations in these networks are translated into cellular responses.
Personal knowledge networks in the mobile millennium

In the present day Knowledge Society, which is increasingly mobile, workers are expected to bring to bear vast amounts of knowledge to deal with situations they face — often instantly. Under these circumstances, there is little time to employ traditional methods of searching for information and processing it to deal with the problem at hand. What we need then is a tool that constantly finds information, organizes and presents it at the point of need — perhaps, on a mobile computer such as the iPhone. This is the focus of the Vijjana project at West Virginia University.
The Role of Derivational Morphology in the Reading Comprehension of Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners.

This study examined the relationship between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in English among Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) followed from fourth through fifth grade. Students’ ability to decompose derived words while reading was assessed using an experimental task. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the contribution of performance on this task to reading comprehension above and beyond word reading skills, phonological awareness, and breadth of vocabulary knowledge. The relationship between morphological awareness and reading comprehension was found to strengthen between fourth and fifth grade, and in fifth grade, morphological awareness was found to be a significant predictor of reading comprehension. The findings were robust across two measures of reading comprehension and two methods of scoring the experimental task of morphological awareness, and thus support the inclusion of derivational morphology in a model of the English reading comprehension of Spanish-speaking ELLs.
THE EFFECTS OF WINTER LENGTH ON THE GENETICS OF APPLE AND HAWTHORN RACES OF RHAGOLETIS POMONELLA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

Host plant-associated fitness trade-offs are central to models of sympatric speciation proposed for certain phytophagous insects. But empirical evidence for such trade-offs is scant, which has called into question the likelihood of nonallopatric speciation. Here, we report on the second in a series of studies testing for host-related selection on pupal life-history characteristics of apple- (Malus pumila L.) and hawthorn- (Crataegus mollis L. spp.) infesting races of the Tephritid fruit fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh). In particular, we examine the effects of winter length on the genetics of these flies. We have previously found that the earlier fruiting phenology of apple trees exposes apple-fly pupae to longer periods of warm weather preceding winter than hawthorn-fly pupae. Because R. pomonella has a facultative diapause, we hypothesized that this selects for pupae with more recalcitrant pupal diapauses (or slower metabolic/development rates) in the apple-fly race. A study in which we experimentally manipulated the length of the prewintering period for hawthorn-origin pupae supported this prediction. If the period preceding winter is important for apple- and hawthorn-fly pupae, then so too should be the length (duration) of winter; the rationale for this prediction is that "fast developing" pupae that break diapause too early will deplete their energy reserves and disproportionately die during long winters. To test this possibility, we chilled apple- and hawthorn-origin pupae collected from a field site near Grant, Michigan, in a refrigerator at 4°C for time periods ranging from one week to two years. Our a priori expectation was that longer periods of cold storage would select against allozyme markers that were associated with faster rates of development in our earlier study. Since these electromorphs are typically found at higher frequencies in hawthorn flies, extending the overwintering period should favor "apple-fly alleles" in both races. The results from this "overwinter" experiment supported the diapause hypothesis. The anticipated genetic response was observed in both apple and hawthorn races, as allele frequencies became significantly more "apple-fly-like" in eclosing adults surviving longer chilling periods. This indicates that it is the combination of environmental conditions before and during winter that selects on the host races. Many tests for trade-offs fail to adequately consider the interplay between insect development, host plant phenology, and local climatic conditions. Our findings suggest that such oversight may help to explain the paucity of reported fitness trade-offs.
Combined level-to-level and within-level overlay control

Conventional overlay control minimizes the registration error between aligned level pairs. Post alignment corrections are applied to the adjustable parameters on the exposure tool. These can be grouped into grid terms relating to stepper stage control and field terms related to mask, stage and lens control. To minimize alignment time and alignment mark real estate on the wafer, common practice is to align at a fixed field location over a sufficient number of fields to represent the grid. A problem with conventional overlay control is that it places no constraint on the magnitude of field terms at first-level or any subsequent level; it requires only that they be matched between the alignment pairs. Incorporation of field-stitching overlay control within each level establishes the constraint that field terms remain consistent with the wafer stage stepping at each process level. A novel target layout and analysis method enables the simultaneous determination of both conventional overlay and neighboring-field error. Application of our method at first level and subsequent alignment levels precludes the random walk of field terms, thereby improving the consistency of field matching. The net result is an improvement in overlay control, particularly in cases where 'single-point' alignment or mixed tool set matching is required.
4-Hydroxynonenal Induces Apoptosis via Caspase-3 Activation and Cytochrome c Release

We investigated the mechanism by which 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), a major aldehydic product of lipid peroxidation, induces apoptosis in tumor cells. Treatment of human colorectal carcinoma (RKO) cells with HNE-induced poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase (PARP) cleavage and DNA fragmentation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The induction of PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation paralleled caspase-2, -3, -8, and -9 activation. Pretreatment of cells with an inhibitor of caspase-3, z-DEVD-fmk, or a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk, abolished caspase activation and subsequent PARP cleavage. Constitutive expression of high levels of Bcl-2 protected cells from HNE-mediated apoptosis. In addition, Bcl-2 overexpression inhibited cytochrome c release from mitochondria and subsequent caspase-2, -3, and -9 activation. These findings demonstrate that HNE triggers apoptotic cell death through a mitochondrion-dependent pathway involving cytochrome c release and caspase activation. Bcl-2 overexpression protected cells ...
Spectral responsivity-based calibration of photometer and colorimeter standards

Several new generation transfer- and working-standard illuminance meters and tristimulus colorimeters have been developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) [1] to measure all kinds of light sources with low uncertainty. The spectral and broad-band (illuminance) responsivities of the photometer (Y) channels of two tristimulus meters were determined at both the Spectral Irradiance and Radiance Responsivity Calibrations using Uniform Sources (SIRCUS) facility and the Spectral Comparator Facility (SCF) [2]. The two illuminance responsivities agreed within 0.1% with an overall uncertainty of 0.2% (k = 2), which is a factor of two improvement over the present NIST photometric scale. The first detector-based tristimulus color scale [3] was realized. All channels of the reference tristimulus colorimeter were calibrated at the SIRCUS. The other tristimulus meters were calibrated at the SCF and also against the reference meter on the photometry bench in broad-band measurement mode. The ag...
PERMEABILITY OF THE BLOOD-C. N. S. BARRIER TO SODIUM BROMIDE IN EXPERIMENTAL POLIOMYELITIS.

The concentration of the normal constituents of the cerebrospinal fluid is a reflection of their concentration in the blood, changes in the latter concentration leading to corresponding changes in the spinal fluid. On the other hand, when foreign substances are introduced into the blood stream, they either fail to reach the spinal fluid or reach it in small amounts. This apparently does not depend on diffusibility, since
The Economics of Fashion Demand

I. Introduction: fashion and economics, 376. — II. The state of fashion theory, 380. — III. The economic foundations of fashion, 385; the pursuit of rarity, 385; factor of demonstrability, 387; fashion as demonstrated command over current factors of production, 390. — IV. Some implications for economic fields, 393; value and welfare, 393; economic competition and organization, 395; economic development and cycles, 396. — V. Conclusion, 398.
Gramicidin Currents Report P-Glycoprotein in Patch Clamp Recordings

P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, actively excludes chemotherapeutics leading to reduced efficacy of these agents, and the phenomenon of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells. Thus, development of functional assays to better characterize P-gp and minimize MDR is important for cancer therapy. Previous report demonstrated that efflux of gramicidin D, a pore-forming antibiotic peptide, by P-gp reduced pore formation, resulting in decreased cellular accumulation of 86Rb+. This result suggested that gramicidin D is a substrate of P-gp [1]. This work presented here establishes a novel approach to monitor the efflux activity of P-gp directly and in real time. This approach takes advantage of the single molecule sensitivity of patch clamp techniques to measure currents through pores of the ion channel forming peptide, gramicidin A (gA), which is also a substrate of P-gp. Therefore, changes in whole cell gA currents directly report the efflux of gA by P-gp. For instance, parental cells that do not express P-gp show whole cell gA currents in a dose dependent manner, whereas resistant cells that overexpress P-gp show significantly reduced gA currents. P-gp inhibitors restore gA currents to the level comparable to that in parental cells, which provides the ability to screen for competitive inhibitor of P-gp. In addition, this assay provides easy access to extracellular and intracellular solution, and direct control of cell membrane potential and intracellular concentration of molecules such as ATP and Ca2+. Results demonstrate that membrane depolarization enhances the activity of P-gp while hyperpolarization reduces P-gp activity.Reference:1.Assaraf, Y.G. and M.J. Borgnia, Probing the interaction of the multidrugresistance phenotype with the polypeptide ionophore gramicidin D via functional channel formation. Eur J Biochem, 1994. 222(3): p. 813-24.
GaAs/AlGaAs multi-quantum-well far-infrared photodetectors grown by the MOVPE process

We demonstrate that GaAs/AlGaAs multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structures grown by atmospheric pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy have state-of-the-art structural, optical, and electrical properties. The 50-well MQW structures, with well thicknesses ranging from 14 to 90 angstroms, were analyzed by atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence, and deep-level transient spectroscopy with the aid of a theoretical model for the eigenstates of the MQWs. It is shown that the MQW structures have a layer-to-layer thickness uniformity, interface roughness, and heterojunction abruptness of only one monolayer. A selectively doped MQW structure shows an infrared absorption efficiency of 15% at a wavelength of 11 micrometers .
A political analysis of decentralisation: coopting the Tuareg threat in Mali

The decentralisation programme in Mali received a boost when municipal elections were finally held in 1998–99. This programme, initiated in 1992, is notable for its scope and the degree of autonomy extended to rural and urban communes. Given Mali's history of failed attempts at decentralisation, the current administration's commitment to the programme suggests that political motives are driving the reform. The decentralisation effort began as an attempt to placate separatist Tuareg groups in the north of Mali, and was subsequently extended to include the rest of the country. I argue that the extent of the programme, as well as the relative zeal with which it has been carried out, are products of a political strategy of cooptation on the part of President Alpha Oumar Konare. This political analysis of decentralisation serves as a supplement to policy analyses of decentralisation in general.
Collagenase and collagenolytic activity in human osteoarthritic cartilage

Forty-nine specimens of human cartilage were taken from 3 sites on the tibial plateau (center of osteoarthritic lesion, edge of lesion, and remote site) and graded histologically by the scale of Mankin. The tissue was homogenized and centrifuged to obtain an insoluble pellet. This was resuspended in buffer and incubated at 37 degrees C, pH 7.5. Collagen digestion was quantitated by the release of hydroxyproline-containing peptides. The highest collagenolytic activity (4.6%) was found in the center of lesions, declining in remote sites to 2.4% and in controls to 1.1%. Moderately severe disease of grade 6--9 had the highest collagenolytic activity. Approximately 55% of the metal-dependent collagenolytic activity was in a latent form, activatable by amino-phenylmercuric acetate; the remainder was self-active. A method was developed for the extraction of collagenase from cartilage; the extracted enzyme produced the typical 75:25 cleavage products of type I collagen.
Suburbanization and drought: A mixed methods vulnerability assessment in rainy Massachusetts

Abstract This paper presents evidence that water restrictions in suburbanizing eastern Massachusetts towns are becoming more common, controlling for climate. We then assess the relationship between these suburban droughts and residential development. Focusing on the suburbs of Boston, seven towns independent of the Boston water supply system were selected to represent differing levels of sprawl-style growth. Water restrictions are becoming more frequent in all of the towns studied, and models demonstrate that restrictions are increasing in duration, independent of climate. Interviews suggest that residential development is playing a central role in this increasing sensitivity to suburban drought, though other factors are also important. Long-term planning and integration of land-use planning and water management emerged as two key paths for attenuating the impacts of development.
Insights into the Global Distribution of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans were measured in 63 pairs of tree bark and soil samples. Maps of lipid-adjusted concentrations in bark and fluxes to soil indicated that Vancouver Island, the Midwestern United States, Germany, and Hong Kong were areas of high PCDD/F deposition. Concentrations and fluxes in the regions north of the 60th parallel, particularly the Canadian Arctic, were low, indicating that PCDD/F do not move appreciably from warm to cold latitudes. Linear regressions of the PCDD/F concentrations in tree bark versus fluxes to soil showed that total concentrations in bark can be used to estimate total fluxes to soil in a particular region. Comparison of the homologue profiles for each pair of bark and soil samples indicated that the pairs fell into three categories: 1. bark and soil both resembled source profiles; 2. bark and soil both resembled sink profiles; and 3. bark resembled a source profile but the soil resembled a sink profile. This variation in homologue profiles...
Effect of clonidine on secretion of fluid and ions by the parotid and submandibular glands of the rat.

Abstract Secretion in response to this α2-adrenergic agonist was evaluated in the presence and absence of several adrenergic antagonists, reserpine and sympathectomy (Sx). In both glands, the response was qualititatively but not quantitatively similar to that induced by the α1-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, in the presence of propranolol. With clonidine, the volume of submandibular saliva was much higher but the Ca concentration was 3–4 times lower than that of the parotid; both salivas had low Na but high K concentrations. Clonidine-induced secretion was almost completely blocked by the α1-adrenergic antagonist, prazosin and a mixed α-adrenergic antagonist, phentolamine. and markedly reduced by the α2-adrenergic antagonist, yohimbine, but unaffected by the β-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol. Reserpine reduced the parotid, but enhanced the submandibular secretory response to clonidine. Results in Sx glands were similar. Thus, in the rat glands clonidine may activate α1-rather than α2-adrenoceptors, which appear to play a part similar to α1-adrenoceptors only after reserpine or Sx.
The contribution of meson exchange to the α-α potential

The graphs for the exchange of the ω-meson and a neutral scalar meson σ are used to calculate the α-α potential. The phase shifts for this potential are compared with experiment and reasonable agreement is obtained using coupling constants similar to those used in nucleon-nucleon calculations.
Session 29: Modeling and simulation variability modeling and technology optimization

This session presents novel approaches to modeling variability and technology optimization. The session begins with an invited paper by Christie et al., on rapid design flows for advanced technology path-finding. A rigorous approach to the dynamic large-scale stability of semiconductor circuits and devices is the subject of the second paper by Cappelluti et al., A proposal for breaking through the 60mV/dec. Subthreshold swing limit using ferroelectric materials is presented by Salahuddin and Datta. The role of high-k spacers in sub-20nm FinFETs is discussed next in a paper by Sachid et al., The rest of the session discusses variability issues and their impact on device design. The need to limit layout restrictions is presented by H. Onodera. H. Dadgour et al., will then address grain orientation effects in emerging Metal-Gate Devices. A study of Metal-Gate FinFET variability is presented next by O'uchi et al., This session concludes with a presentation on transport-based dopant mapping in advanced FinFets by Lansbergen et al.
Large Nonlinear Responses of Spatially Nonhomogeneous Stochastic Shell Structures Under Nonstationary Random Excitations

A novel approach for determining large nonlinear responses of spatially homogeneous and nonhomogeneous stochastic shell structures under intensive transient excitations is presented. The intensive transient excitations are modeled as combinations of deterministic and nonstationary random excitations. The emphases are on (i) spatially nonhomogeneous and homogeneous stochastic shell structures with large spatial variations, (ii) large nonlinear responses with finite strains and finite rotations, (iii) intensive deterministic and nonstationary random disturbances, and (iv) the large responses of a specific spherical cap under intensive apex nonstationary random disturbance. The shell structures are approximated by the lower order mixed or hybrid strain based triangular shell finite elements developed earlier by the author and his associate. The novel approach consists of the stochastic central difference method, time coordinate transformation, and modified adaptive time schemes. Computed results of a temporally and spatially stochastic shell structure are presented. Computationally, the procedure is very efficient compared with those entirely or partially based on the Monte Carlo simulation, and it is free from the limitations associated with those employing the perturbation approximation techniques, such as the so-called stochastic finite element or probabilistic finite element method. The computed results obtained and those presented demonstrate that the approach is simple and easy to apply.
Acute and chronic deficits in the urinary bladder after spinal contusion injury in the adult rat.

Abstract Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) permanently alters bladder function in humans. Hematuria and cystitis occur in both human SCI as well as in rodent models of SCI. Others have reported early SCI-dependent disruption to bladder uroepithelial integrity that results in increased permeability to urine and urine-borne substances. This can result in cystitis, or inflammation of the bladder, an ongoing pathological condition present throughout the chronic phase of SCI in humans. The goals of our study were twofold: (1) to begin to examine the inflammatory and molecular changes that occur within the bladder uroepithelium using a clinically-relevant spinal contusion model of injury, and (2) to assess whether these alterations continue into the chronic phase of SCI. Rats received either moderate SCI or sham surgery. Urine was collected from SCI and sham subjects over 7 days or at 7 months to assess levels of excreted proteins. Inflammation in the bladder wall was assessed via biochemical and immunohistoch...
The therapeutic potential of orphan GPCRs, GPR35 and GPR55

The G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily of integral proteins is the largest family of signal transducers, comprised of ~1000 members. Considering their prevalence and functional importance, it’s not surprising that ~60% of drugs target GPCRs. Regardless, there exists a subset of the GPCR superfamily that is largely uncharacterized and poorly understood; specifically, more than 140 GPCRs have unknown endogenous ligands—the so-called orphan GPCRs. Orphan GPCRs offer tremendous promise, as they may provide novel therapeutic targets that may be more selective than currently known receptors, resulting in the potential reduction in side effects. In addition, they may provide access to signal transduction pathways currently unknown, allowing for new strategies in drug design. Regardless, orphan GPCRs are an important area of inquiry, as they represent a large gap in our understanding of signal transduction at the cellular level. Here, we focus on the therapeutic potential of two recently-deorphanized GPCRs: GPR35/CXCR8 and GPR55. First, GPR35/CXCR8 has been observed in numerous tissues/organ systems, including the gastrointestinal tract, liver, immune system, central nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Not surprisingly, GPR35/CXCR8 has been implicated in numerous pathologies involving these tissues/systems. While several endogenous ligands have been identified, GPR35/CXCR8 has recently been observed to bind the chemokine CXCL17. Second, GPR55 has been observed to be expressed in the central nervous system, adrenal glands, gastrointestinal tract, lung, liver, uterus, bladder, kidney and bone, as well as, other tissues/organ systems. Likewise, it is not surprising that GPR55 has been implicated in pathologies involving these tissues/systems. GPR55 was initially deorphanized as a cannabinoid receptor and this receptor does bind many cannabinoid compounds. However, the GPR55 endogenous ligand has been found to be a non-cannabinoid, lysophophatidylinositol an
Benchmark Data for Evaluation of Aeroacoustic Propagation Codes With Grazing Flow

Increased understanding of the effects of acoustic treatment on the propagation of sound through commercial aircraft engine nacelles is a requirement for more efficient liner design. To this end, one of NASA s goals is to further the development of duct propagation and impedance reduction codes. A number of these codes have been developed over the last three decades. These codes are typically divided into two categories: (1) codes that use the measured complex acoustic pressure field to reduce the acoustic impedance of treatment that is positioned along the wall of the duct, and (2) codes that use the acoustic impedance of the treatment as input and compute the sound field throughout the duct. Clearly, the value of these codes is dependent upon the quality of the data used for their validation. Over the past two decades, data acquired in the NASA Langley Research Center Grazing Incidence Tube have been used by a number of researchers for comparison with their propagation codes. Many of these comparisons have been based upon Grazing Incidence Tube tests that were conducted to study specific liner technology components, and were incomplete for general propagation code validation. Thus, the objective of the current investigation is to provide a quality data set that can be used as a benchmark for evaluation of duct propagation and impedance reduction codes. In order to achieve this objective, two parallel efforts have been undertaken. The first of these is the development of an enhanced impedance eduction code that uses data acquired in the Grazing Incidence Tube. This enhancement is intended to place the benchmark data on as firm a foundation as possible. The second key effort is the acquisition of a comprehensive set of data selected to allow propagation code evaluations over a range of test conditions.