cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lytic peptide-mediated sensitization of TRAIL-resistant prostate cancer cells to death receptor agonists

Abstract Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) and agonistic antibodies to death receptors (DR) 4 and 5 have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their ability to selectively induce apoptosis in malignant cells while demonstrating little cytotoxicity in normal cells. Although these candidates are promising in cancer therapy, a number of tumor cells are resistant to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. We describe the use of a cationic amphipathic lytic peptide, KLA (single letter sequence HHHHHKLAKLAKKLAKLAKC), for the chemosensitization of TRAIL-resistant LNCaP and PC3-PSMA human prostate cancer cells to DR agonistic antibodies. ‘Single-agent’ treatment with DR agonistic antibodies did not result in loss of viability of these cells confirming the resistance of these cells. However, the combination treatment of KLA followed by DR agonists resulted in greater cell death compared to the individual treatments acting alone, indicating synergistic action between the two components of the combination treatment. The combination of lytic peptide and DR agonists resulted in a significant increase in activated caspase-3 cleavage and cytochrome-C protein levels in cells, indicating a role for the caspase-mediated apoptotic pathway. In addition, KLA treatment also resulted in increased localization of DR5 and lipid rafts in LNCaP cells. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that lytic peptides can be employed for sensitizing TRAIL-resistant prostate cancer cells to DR-mediated apoptosis resulting in novel combination treatments for the ablation of advanced cancer cells.
The Equations of Motion in Einstein's New Unified Field Theory

It is shown that the field equations of Einstein's latest unified field theory do not lead to the Lorentz equations of motion for charged particles in an electromagnetic field, if these particles are considered to be singularities of the field. To a fourth-order approximation, the motion of such particles is not influenced by the electromagnetic field, no matter how much charge is placed on the particles.
Hyposialylation of neprilysin possibly affects its expression and enzymatic activity in hereditary inclusion‐body myopathy muscle

Autosomal recessive hereditary inclusion-body myopathy (h-IBM) is caused by mutations of the UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase gene, a rate-limiting enzyme in the sialic acid metabolic pathway. Previous studies have demonstrated an abnormal sialylation of glycoproteins in h-IBM. h-IBM muscle shows the abnormal accumulation of proteins including amyloid-β (Aβ). Neprilysin (NEP), a metallopeptidase that cleaves Aβ, is characterized by the presence of several N-glycosylation sites, and changes in these sugar moieties affect its stability and enzymatic activity. In the present study, we found that NEP is hyposialylated and its expression and enzymatic activity reduced in all h-IBM muscles analyzed. In vitro, the experimental removal of sialic acid by Vibrio Cholerae neuraminidase in cultured myotubes resulted in reduced expression of NEP. This was most likely because of a post-translational modification consisting in an abnormal sialylation of the protein that leads to its reduced stability. Moreover, treatment with Vibrio Cholerae neuraminidase was associated with an increased immunoreactivity for Aβ mainly in the form of distinct cytoplasmic foci within myotubes. We hypothesize that, in h-IBM muscle, hyposialylated NEP has a role in hampering the cellular Aβ clearing system, thus contributing to its abnormal accumulation within vulnerable fibers and possibly promoting muscle degeneration.
Microtubules in some unicellular glands of two leeches.

What appear to be two types of unicellular glands are found in the integument of the leech, Helobdella stagnalis. Type I cells are characterized by a peripheral, subplasmalemmal sack of rough endoplasmic reticulum and accumulations of secretory product in the form of small membrane bound droplets. Type II cells are characterized by large numbers of closely opposed sacks of rough endoplasmic reticulum and secretory product in the form of large, evidently amorphous accumulations of secretory product.
Design for high purity oxygen absorption and nitrogen stripping for fish culture

Abstract High purity oxygen is economically justifiable for enhancement of dissolved oxygen (DO) in fish hatchery waters. Since 0·14 kg (0·3 lb) of oxygen is required for the production of 0·45 kg (1 lb) of fish weight gain, the added cost is about $0·04 kg −1 ($0·02 lb −1 ) of fish production. This is negligible compared to the labour and amortization costs of conventional hatchery facilities which amount to $3·30 to $4·40 kg −1 ($1·50 to $2·00 lb −1 ). Hatchery production could therefore be doubled in an existing facility, without capital expansion, for a relatively minor cost if the DO in the hatchery water was supplemented above air saturation concentrations with high purity oxygen. In addition, troublesome dissolved nitrogen could be simultaneously stripped during this type of oxyen addition. Maintenance of high DO also offers the potential for more efficient feed conversion, reduced disease threat, and tolerance of higher ammonia concentrations and temperature. Efficient oxygen absorption is imperative to good hatchery production. The following design procedures will be presented in the form of a nomograph offering an economical alternative to present techniques.
Effect of Calcium Buffers and Whole Plant Processing on Starch Digestibility of Sorghum Based Diets in Holstein Cows

Abstract In 48 digestion trials, Holstein cows randomly were assigned to one of four diets formulated to contain .75, 1.00, 1.25, and 1.50% calcium in complete rations of 35:65 ratio of forage to concentrate, dry basis. In experiment 1, forage was sorghum-sudan hay; in experiment 2, sorghum silage. There were no significant differences among treatments in digestibility of dry matter, starch, energy, protein, or cell wall, or in fecal pH in either experiment. Linear relationships were significant among fecal starch percentage, fecal pH, and starch digestibility. In experiment 3, three methods of whole plant processing for grain sorghum silage were compared: a) whole plant conventional chop, b) same material, grain rolled prior to ensiling, and c) regrowth with grain rolled prior to ensiling. Starch and energy digestibility were highest in silages from regrowth harvested sorghum. This study provides evidence that suggests additional calcium carbonate and plant processing increase starch digestiblity in sorghum based diets fed to lactating dairy cows.
STEWARDING A LIVING COLLECTION: The National Park Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection

This article concerns the archive of materials known as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection (VVMC). It differs from previous work about the VVMC by focusing on the National Park Service (NPS) and its role in the Collection's perpetuation. Because the NPS has collected all of the objects left at the Memorial since the 1980s, they argue that they are the caretakers of a Collection curated by the public. However, I argue that their stewardship has given them an active role in the Collection's shape and size, making them the VVMC's coproducers. Here, I look at several important moments in the VVMC's early history, including the Memorial dedication in 1982, the VVMC's ratification in 1984, and the drafting of the VVMC management plan in 1986. I hope to not only re-insert the institution into the VVMC “equation,” but also to stimulate discussion about the merits and challenges of the publicly produced collection.
A Systems Analysis of Irrigation Water Quality in Environmental Assessments Related to Foodborne Outbreaks

Irrigation water quality can affect food safety and health and has been identified as a possible source of pathogens in produce linked to disease outbreaks. Many irrigation wa er sources are subject to contamination from various sources in surrounding watersheds. A systems-based, watershed scale analysis is therefore necessa y to comprehensively identify both sources of contamination and the conditions in the environment that facilitated or created that contamination, termed here ‘environm ntal antecedents’. Three nationwide disease outbreaks linked to produce in the United States (US) are used to illustrate this concept of a watershed scale assessment to investigate potential impacts of irrigation water quality on food safety.
A fluorometric assay for glutathione

Abstract A highly specific, sensitive, and simple method for the determination of submicrogram amounts of glutathione has been developed. GSH is reacted at pH 8 with o -phthaladehyde yielding a product whose fluorescence at 420 mμ is linear from 0.065 to 32.5 mμmoles/ml. Under the specified reaction conditions, little or no fluorescence is obtained from oxidized glutathione, sulfhydryl-containing amino acids, peptides, purines, or other related compounds.
Expression of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA repair gene RAD6 that encodes a ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, increases in response to DNA damage and in meiosis but remains constant during the mitotic cell cycle

The RAD6 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a ubiquitin-conjugating (E2) enzyme and is required for the repair of damaged DNA, mutagenesis, and sporulation. Here, we report our studies on the regulation of RAD6 gene expression after UV damage, during the mitotic cell cycle, in meiosis, and following heat shock and starvation. RAD6 mRNA levels became elevated in cells exposed to UV light, and at all UV doses the increase in mRNA levels was rapid and occurred within 30 min after exposure to UV. RAD6 mRNA levels also increased in sporulating MATa/MAT alpha cells, and the period of maximal accumulation of RAD6 mRNA during meiosis is coincident with the time during which recombination occurs. However, RAD6 mRNA levels showed no periodic fluctuation in the mitotic cell cycle, were not elevated upon heat shock, and fell in cells in the stationary phase of growth. These observations suggest that RAD6 activity is required throughout the cell cycle rather than being restricted to a specific stage, and that during meiosis, high levels of RAD6 activity may be needed at a stage coincident with genetic recombination. The observation that RAD6 transcription is not induced by heat and starvation, treatments that activate stress responses, suggests that the primary role of RAD6 is in the repair of damaged DNA rather than in adapting cells to stress situations.
Severe respiratory failure following charcoal application in a toddler

Charcoal has been commonly used for enteral detoxication with few adverse effects. In toddlers charcoal can often be simply applied via a gastric tube. Regurgitation and aspiration is considered a rare event. We report the case of a 19-month-old boy who suffered endobronchial charcoal contamination followed by acute airway obstruction and severe respiratory failure despite a commonly used tube placement verification technique. Immediate intubation, tracheal suctioning, intravenous bronchodilators, and high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) were used to control hypercarbia and hypoxia. Eventually charcoal removal by bronchoscopy was successful. Chest X-ray investigation did not reflect the true amount of charcoal deposited endobronchially at any time. We conclude that gastric tube application of charcoal in children carries a risk of aspiration. This may lead to life-threatening respiratory failure with the need to provide artificial ventilation and bronchial lavage.
Control of neurogenesis and tyrosine hydroxylase expression in neural progenitor cells through bHLH proteins and Nurr1.

Abstract The production of dopamine (DA) neurons from neural progenitor cells (NPC) is of particular interest as these neurons degenerate in Parkinson’s disease. Here, we report that the characteristics of NPC from the ventral midbrain (NPC VM ) and the striatum (NPC STR ) are intrinsically determined. A detailed analysis of the VM during development revealed Ngn2 and Mash1 expression in a DA progenitor domain. Interestingly, over-expression of either Ngn2 or Mash1 induced neurogenesis from expanded NPC VM . Whereas Ngn2 inhibited cell division and the production of neurons even in the presence of mitogens, Mash1 allowed the progenitors to divide while retaining neurogenic potential. However, none of the new neurons derived by over-expressing Ngn2 or Mash1 were positive for DA neuronal markers such as tyrosine hydroxylase. Nurr1 over-expression increased TH levels in a dose-dependant manner within both neurons and glia, suggesting a non-neuronal-specific activation of this enzyme by Nurr1. Double infection with Nurr1 and either Ngn2 or Mash1 resulted in the production of small numbers of TH + neurons, which were larger in size when derived from NPC VM compared to NPC STR . These data provide proof of concept that over-expression of multiple transcription factors can drive the fate of NPC first towards neurons, and then towards the DA phenotype. However, further factors may be required to generate fully functional DA neurons.
How well does microsolvation represent macrosolvation? A test case: Dynamics of decarboxylation of 4-pyridylacetic acid zwitterion

We present a systematic comparison of a cluster model to a continuum solvation model for the rate of decarboxylation of 4-pyridylacetic acid zwitterion. Geometries of the zwitterion and the transition state were optimizedfor the gas-phase reaction, for one model of reaction in aqueous solution in a previous study, and for five additional models of reaction in aqueous solution in the present study. The aqueous calculations include models in which one or two waters are treated explicitly, either without or with a surrounding continuum of bulk solvent; the latter is called a mixed discrete-continuum model. Bulk solvation effects are modeled both by solvation model SM5.42 and by a COSMO united atom solvation model; both of these models contain bulk electrostatics and short-range terms. Kinetic isotope effects were calculated by conventional transition state theory. We find that a discrete model of solvation with two explicit water molecules underestimates the free energy of activation for the decarboxylation reaction by at least 17 kcal/mol.
Quantitative measures of gastrovascular flow in octocorals and hydroids: toward a comparative biology of transport systems in cnidarians

Using microscopy, the gastrovascular systems of four hydroids (Eirene viridula, Cordylophora lacustris, Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, and Podocoryna carnea) and two distantly related alcyonacean octocorals (Acrossota amboinensis and Sarcothelia sp.) were examined and compared within a phylogenetic framework. Despite a range of stolon widths (means 53–160 μm), the hydroid species exhibited similar patterns of gastrovascular flow: sequentially bidirectional flow in the stolons, driven by myoepithelial contractions emanating from the center of the colony. Unlike the hydroids, the gastrovascular system of A. amboinensis (mean stolon widths for 5 colonies, 0.57–1.21 mm) exhibited simultaneously bidirectional flow with incomplete, medial baffles (width 4–20 μm) separating the flow. Baffles visualized with transmission electron microscopy consisted of endoderm, mesoglea, and occasionally another layer of tissue. Mean flow rates of the gastrovascular fluid for seven stolons ranged from 125 to 275 μm s−1, with maximum rates of 225–700 μm s−1. In Sarcothelia sp., stolons were of comparable width (means for 13 colonies 0.55–1.4 mm) to those of A. amboinensis. These stolons, however, were divided by several partitions (width 8–25 μm), both complete and incomplete, which were spaced every 100.5±5.1 μm (mean±SE; range 27.1–283.7 μm) and appeared structurally similar to baffles. In lanes defined by these partitions, ciliary motion was visible in image sequences, and flow was unidirectional. Within a single stolon, flow moved in different directions in different lanes and changed direction by moving from lane to lane via occasional spaces between the partitions. Mean flow rates for 30 stolons ranged from 75 to 475 μm s−1, with maximum rates of 85–775 μm s−1. For both octocorals, flow rates of the gastrovascular fluid were not correlated with the width of the stolon lumen. While octocoral gastrovascular systems probably exhibit differences based on phylogenetic affinities, in all species studied thus far, gastrovascular flow is entirely driven by cilia, in contrast to the hydroid taxa.
MicroRNA-27b is a regulatory hub in lipid metabolism and is altered in dyslipidemia.

Cellular and plasma lipid levels are tightly controlled by complex gene regulatory mechanisms. Elevated plasma lipid content, or hyperlipidemia, is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression and have emerged as important modulators of lipid homeostasis, but the extent of their role has not been systematically investigated. In this study we performed high-throughput small RNA sequencing and detected ≈150 miRNAs in mouse liver. We then employed an unbiased, in silico strategy to identify miRNA regulatory hubs in lipid metabolism, and miR-27b was identified as the strongest such hub in human and mouse liver. In addition, hepatic miR-27b levels were determined to be sensitive to plasma hyperlipidemia, as evidenced by its ≈3-fold up-regulation in the liver of mice on a high-fat diet (42% calories from fat). Further, we showed in a human hepatocyte cell line (Huh7) that miR-27b regulates the expression (messenger RNA [mRNA] and protein) of several key lipid-metabolism genes, including Angptl3 and Gpam. Finally, we demonstrated that hepatic miR-27b and its target genes are inversely altered in a mouse model of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. Conclusion: miR-27b is responsive to lipid levels and controls multiple genes critical to dyslipidemia. (HEPATOLOGY 2013)
Group VIA Phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β) Participates in Angiotensin II-induced Transcriptional Up-regulation of Regulator of G-protein Signaling-2 in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Rgs2 (regulator of G-protein signaling-2)-deficient mice exhibit severe hypertension, and genetic variations of RGS2 occur in hypertensive patients. RGS2 mRNA up-regulation by angiotensin II (Ang II) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is a potentially important negative feedback mechanism in blood pressure homeostasis, but how it occurs is unknown. Here we demonstrate that group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β) plays a pivotal role in Ang II-induced RGS2 mRNA up-regulation in VSMC by three independent approaches, including pharmacologic inhibition with a bromoenol lactone suicide substrate, suppression of iPLA2β expression with antisense oligonucleotides, and genetic deletion in iPLA2β-null mice. Selective inhibition of iPLA2β by each of these approaches abolishes Ang II-induced RGS2 mRNA up-regulation. Furthermore, using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, we demonstrate that restoration of iPLA2β-expression in iPLA2β-null VSMC reconstitutes the ability of Ang II to up-regulate RGS2 mRNA expression. In contrast, Ang II-induced vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation and Ang II receptor expression are unaffected. Moreover, in wild-type but not iPLA2β-null VSMC, Ang II stimulates iPLA2 enzymatic activity significantly. Both arachidonic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine, products of iPLA2β action, induce RGS2 mRNA up-regulation. Inhibition of lipoxygenases, particularly 15-lipoxygenase, and cyclooxygenases, but not cytochrome P450-dependent epoxygenases inhibits Ang II- or AA-induced RGS2 mRNA expression. Moreover, RGS2 protein expression is also up-regulated by Ang II, and this is attenuated by bromoenol lactone. Disruption of the Ang II/iPLA2β/RGS2 feedback pathway in iPLA2β-null cells potentiates Ang II-induced vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein and Akt phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner. Collectively, our results demonstrate that iPLA2β participates in Ang II-induced transcriptional up-regulation of RGS2 in VSMC.
Discussion of "Overview of New Orleans Levee Failures: Lessons Learned and Their Impact on National Levee Design and Assessment" by G. L. Sills, N. D. Vroman,

The article concludes that the primary IHNC north breach failure was a result of “differences between actual conditions and assumptions used as design.” Specifically, the breach was attributed to elevation differences and rotational failure as a result of wall deflections and the formation of a “gap” on the flood side of the I-wall. The article also concludes that overtopping was the only possible failure mechanism for earthen levees. While these failure modes are certainly possible, they are neither exclusive, nor exhaustive. Additional failure modes exist and should be accounted for and incorporated into the failure analyses. There were two major breaches along the IHNC east bank: a short 50-m breach at the north end and a much longer breach of 250 m near the southern end. These two major failures of the floodwall were strongly influenced by deep excavations that had been completed adjacent to the outboard side of the hurricane flood protection system just prior to hurricane Katrina Bea 2006a, 2008a. These excavations were part of a site demolition and clearing operation removal of structures, utilities, underground storage tanks, and contaminated soils for a new navigation lock to be constructed in the East Bank Industrial Area EBIA located immediately outside of the floodwall levee Fig. 1. Multiple excavations were dug to depths in excess of 7.6 m 25 ft that were backfilled with loose sand as a result of sand placement below the water table and “native” soils from this area Fig. 2. These excavations penetrated the buried marsh layers that underlie this entire area down to depths in excess of 9 m Figs. 3 and 4. Since the sheet piling supporting the floodwall were driven to tip elevations above the bottom of the marsh layers of approximately 3 m, seepage and water pressures generated by the hurricane Katrina surge waters were able to rapidly communicate under the levee floodwall and destabilize the flood protection structures. The impacts of these excavations on the performance of the flood protection system at the North Breach were evaluated by the authors. The primary failure mode impacted by the excavation work was floodwall underseepage piping. Fig. 5 summarizes results from a two-dimensional finite-element analysis of the seepage gradients and pressures at the north breach Bea 2008a. The overlying less-permeable fill and levee soils act as a blanket on Fig. 1. Color Excavations for soil borrow pit on waterside of floodwall at Lower 9th Ward Bea 2008a
Reflection from an Absorbing Multilayer System

The reflection efficiency of an absorbing multilayer system is calculated, as are details of line profiles. The theory presented is valid for a thin layer of heavy atoms (lead) held in place by a webbing of light material (stearate chain). As an approximation, the indices of refraction of both layers are assumed to be of the form η=1-δ0λ2.07+iβ0λ3.62.The multilayer is assumed mounted on a completely absorbing substrate.
Prospective displacement and velocity-based cine 4D CT

Four dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) image sorting is currently a retrospective procedure. Mismatches in displacement and/or phase of a patient's respiratory signal, corresponding with two dimensional images taken at subsequent couch positions, become visible as artifacts in reconstructed 4D CT images. These artifacts appear as undefined or irregular boundaries in the 4D CT images and cause systematic errors in patient contouring and dose calculations. In addition, the substantially higher dose required for 4D CT, compared with 3D CT, is of concern. To minimize these problems, we developed a prospective respiratory displacement and velocity based cine 4D CT (PDV CT) method to trigger image acquisition if the displacement and velocity of the respiratory signal occurred within predetermined tolerances simultaneously. The use of velocity avoids real-time phase estimation. Real-time image acquisition ensures data sufficiency, while avoiding the need for redundant data. This may potentially result in a lower dose to the patient. PDV CT was compared with retrospective 4D CT acquisition methods, using respiratory signals of 24 lung cancer patients (103 sessions) under free breathing conditions. Image acquisition was simulated for each of these sessions from the respiratory signal. The root mean square (RMS) of differences between displacements and velocities of the respiratory signal corresponding to subsequent images was calculated in order to evaluate the image-sorting accuracy of each method. Patient dose reductions of 22 to 50% were achieved during image acquisition depending on the model parameters chosen. The mean RMS differences over all sessions and image bins show that PDV CT produces similar results to retrospective displacement sorting overall, although improvements of the RMS difference up to 20% were achieved depending on the model parameters chosen. Velocity RMS differences improved between 30 and 45% when compared with retrospective phase sorting. The efficiency in acquisition compared with retrospective phase sorting varied from approximately 10% for displacement and velocity tolerances of 1 mm and 4 mm/s, respectively, to 80 to 93% for 4 mm and 4 mm/s. The lower variation in the displacement and velocity of the respiratory signal in each image bin indicates that PDV CT could be a valuable tool for reducing artifacts in 4D CT images and lowering patient dose, although the cost may be increased acquisition time.
Avoiding the pratfalls of program assessment

Most agree that assessment is an important step in improving an academic program. However, implementation often falls short of expectations due to common missteps. In this paper, we identify and discuss common program assessment pratfalls. We also describe the assessment program and the manner in which we have taken steps to avoid each of these pratfalls.
Why Girls Fight: Female Youth Violence in the Inner City

This article considers the resort to violence by inner-city female youth, including the external forces impinging on them. In addition to underscoring that girls actively pursue and enjoy physically dominating others, I argue that the incidence of violence by girls in low-income areas, particularly “street fighting,” has been significantly underestimated in official statistics and generally by scholars. Engaging in violence was found to serve a number of functions for inner-city girls, similar to their male counterparts. Mothers were found to play an integral role in the anatomy of their daughters’ use of violence. The article addresses the need to situate girls’ violent behavior simultaneously on the level of individual psychology, on the cultural landscape of a neighborhood, and within the institutional framework that shapes both, in order to contextualize it properly. The article also considers how the method of ethnography is well suited to this end.
Sexual fears are increasing.

This study compared scores from three samples of college students (N = 810) on the Sexual Aversion Scale, a measure of sexual anxiety based on DSM-III—R criteria for diagnosing sexual aversion disorder Measurements were taken in 1988, 1991, and 1992. There was a significant increase in sexual anxiety during this period, most of it attributable to fear of acquiring AIDS. Although the women reported more sexual anxiety than the men over-all, there was no difference on fear of AIDS. These findings could foreshadow an increase in sexual dysfunctions and desire disorders.
Scattering of Visible Radiation by Finite Clouds

Abstract A theoretical model of the scattering of shortwave radiation is applied to clouds finite in horizontal extent. The resulting irradiance patterns are then compared with calculations for horizontally semi-infinite clouds. This analysis shows, that the irradiance fields are dramatically dependent upon energy passing through the vertical sides of the finite sized clouds. Directional reflectance of individual cubic clouds is shown to be approximately 25% less than for semi-infinite clouds of optical depths ranging from 20 to 80. Directional reflectance from the top of cubic clouds for small solar zenith angle continues to increase at large optical depths (∼70) while the infinite cloud becomes nearly asymptotic at this point. It is shown that for a solar zenith angle of 60°, the directional reflectance for a 2/10 sky cover of cubic clouds is 0.29 while for 2/10 coverage of semi-infinite cloud the directional reflectance is 0.185. Implications of differences between the cubic cloud results and the semi-...
The Qur'an and tolerance: An interpretive essay on Verse 5:48

A master narrative on the Qur'an's attitudes toward non-Muslims dominates both classical Qur'anic exegesis and orientalist studies. During the Meccan period of revelation, according to this narrative, the Qur'an's message is generally one of tolerance toward non-believers, whether polytheist Arabs or Jews and Christians. This position was dictated by the Muslim community's military weakness. But when Muhammad relocated to Medina the Qur'an becomes increasingly belligerent towards non-Muslims until finally, near the end of the revelation, it commands war against polytheists until they convert and against Jews and Christians until they submit to Muslim domination. In this essay, the author challenges this master narrative by studying the evolution of Qur'anic views on tolerance. He argues that if the Qur'anic text is considered as a whole, the apparently belligerent verses emerge as limited in scope and application while an ethic of pluralism (best expressed in Q. 5:48) is consistently upheld.
N-Acetylaspartylglutamate activates cyclic AMP-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptors in cerebellar astrocytes

N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is the most prevalent peptide in the mammalian nervous system. NAAG meets the traditional criteria of a neurotransmitter, including localization in synaptic vesicles, depolarization-induced release, low potency activation of some N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, and highly selective activation of a cAMP-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) with potency approaching that of glutamate. The peptide is present in cultured cortical glia in high concentration and is hydrolyzed by cell surface peptidase activity. In the present work, we tested the hypothesis that NAAG selectively activates a subclass of metabotropic receptors on cultured rat cerebellar glia, primarily astrocytes. These glial cells express mRNA for mGluR subtypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. We were not able to detect message for mGluR2 in these cells using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Cerebellar glia responded to NAAG, glutamate, and trans-ACPD with a decrease in forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation. AP4, an agonist of the group III receptors mGluR4, mGluR6, mGluR7, and mGluR8, had little or no effect on stimulated cAMP levels. Treatment with low micromolar NAAG significantly increased uptake of radioactive thymidine by cultured astrocytes through activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. Antagonists of group II mGluRs prevented the decrease in cAMP and the increase in uptake of thymidine by NAAG. Cultured cerebellar astrocytes expressed 20 pmol NAAG per mg protein, a value that is at least 30-fold lower than that expressed by mixed glial cultures prepared from mouse cortex. We conclude that cerebellar astrocytes respond to NAAG via the mGluR3 receptor and that the peptide may selectively activate this receptor subtype in astrocytes following release from neurons or glia.
An overview of D-3He fusion reactors

Abstract D- 3 He fusion reactors offer a number of potentially attractive features including low radiation damage levels and low radioactivity. There have been a number of reactor studies, which will be reviewed. The emphasis would be on the tandem mirror reactor, due to its potential for converting much of the fusion power by direct conversion of charged particles with high conversion efficiency. It can also operate at relatively high β to maximize fusion power density. The 3 He fuel supply from various sources will be examined. The safety and waste disposal issues will be discussed. The cost of electricity, including the fuel cost, will be estimated.
P2-S3.10 HSV-2 serologic testing and psychosocial harm: a systematic review

Background Serologic testing for herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) in persons without a history of genital herpes is currently not recommended partly due to the concern that HSV-2 diagnosis would lead to negative psychosocial sequelae, such as anxiety and depression. We conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence as to whether HSV-2 serologic testing among asymptomatic persons results in persistent negative psychosocial consequences. Methods Eight electronic databases and unpublished data sources were searched to identify studies measuring the psychosocial impact of HSV-2 serologic testing in persons without a history of genital herpes. To be included, studies had to test for HSV-2 using an HSV type-specific serologic test and to perform at least one psychosocial assessment of participants after they received HSV serologic results. We compared psychosocial responses in HSV-2 positive persons over time and vsHSV-2 negative persons (when available). Results Nine studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Studies were published from the years 2000–2008 and were conducted in the USA (N=6), Australia (N=2), and the UK (N=1). In total, 1355 participants were included; 596 (44%) participants were HSV-2 positive, and of these 341 (57%) lacked prior history of genital herpes. Participants were recruited from a variety of settings (ie, STD clinics, HMO enrollees, college campuses). Follow-up ranged from immediately after diagnosis to 1 year afterwards. Seven studies reported that HSV-2 diagnosis by serologic test did not have a persistent negative impact on participants9 mental health (anxiety, depression, self-esteem) or sexual attitude and satisfaction. Two studies reported a negative impact of testing; one found that 5 HSV-2 seropositive college students had increased distress 3 months post-testing as compared to HSV-2 negatives, and the other found self-reports of sexual undesirability up to one year after diagnosis. A genital herpes diagnosis was perceived as moderately severe for participants prior to testing; however, after HSV-2 testing, the perceived severity of a herpes diagnosis was lower among those testing HSV-2 positive. Conclusions Diagnosis of HSV-2 by type-specific serologic testing did not result in long-term psychosocial harm in most asymptomatic persons. Concerns about sustained emotional impact should not deter clinicians from testing individuals without a history of genital herpes for HSV-2.
Somatic response as a function of no signal, random signal, or signaled shock with variable or constant durations of shock

Gastric ulcertation was studied in rats exposed to predictable shock (signaled) or unpredictable shock (either random signals and shock or shock alone), where these shock programs were delivered under conditions of either fixed or variable shock durations. Results were compatible with previous work, suggesting that predictable shocks are less ulcerogenic than unpredictable ones. In addition, the present study suggests that this relationship obtains when unpredictability is defined as signals and shocks at random or as shocks with no signals. Also, predictable shock was less ulcerogenic than unpredictable shock irrespective of when the shock durations were fixed or variable.
Age-related Alterations in IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 Concentrations in Parotid Acinar Cells from BALB/c and Non-obese Diabetic Mice:

IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 have been implicated in the destruction of parotid gland acinar cells (but not duct cells) in autoimmune sialoadenitis. Here we report the temporal alterations of these cytokines in parotid acinar cells that may lead to this specificity in cell death in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model for Sjogren's syndrome. Immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections of parotid gland from 5- and 10-week-old BALB/c and NOD mice confirmed the presence of many peri-acinar lymphoid nodules but few T-cells and macrophages between acinar cells. RT-PCR on enzymatically dispersed mouse parotid acinar cells (MPACs) showed no bands for CD3∊, CD20, or F4/80 regardless of mouse strain or age. By ELISA, MPACs from 10-week-old NODs showed a small but highly significant (p < 0.003) increase in IL-1β and a large significant decrease (p < 0.008) in IL-6 compared to 5-week-old NODs. Norepinephrine-stimulated amylase release from MPACs was not different regardless of mouse strain or age. These data show that a...
The Future of the Theme Park and Attraction Industry: A Management Perspective:

The study solicited opinions from 122 general managers representing North American theme parks and attractions regarding the future of the industry. The findings revealed that economic forces, employees, and changing demographic forces were perceived to have the greatest impact on the future operation of the industry. General managers also thought that consumers would most likely seek interactive adventure, fantasy and mystery, movies and television shows, and science fiction/futuristic themes. The future health of the industry was associated with the impact of economic forces and the quality of service provided. Other dimensions such as the franchising of the industry, the impact of the senior market, and the ability of small attractions to invest were perceived to have a negative impact on the future health of the theme park and attraction industry.
The Self-Employment of Men and Women: What are their Motivations?

Do men and women carry different motivations for entering self-employment? Earlier researchers have suggested that, as primary care givers for children and families, women face a more stringent time constraint relative to men. Thus, where men see self-employment as a chance for greater financial opportunity, women see a chance to take work that allows more time at home. This paper investigates this hypothesis using unique data that allow analysis of individual self-employment as a function of traditional economic and demographic variables as well as variables that partially capture individuals’ opinions and perceptions of pecuniary and nonpecuniary aspects of entrepreneurism. Results suggest that men who choose self-employment are influenced principally by pecuniary concerns, while women are influenced principally by family concerns and by the opinions of their family, friends, and peers.
Resource Allocation Effects of Price Reactions to Disclosures

Capital market participants collectively may possess information about the valuation implications of a firm's change in strategy not known by the management of the firm proposing the change. We ask whether a firm's management can exploit the capital market's information in deciding either whether to proceed with a contemplated strategy change or whether to continue with a previously initiated strategy change. In the case of a proposed strategy change, we show that managers can extract the capital market's information by announcing a potential new strategy, and then conditioning the decision to implement the new strategy on the size of the market's price reaction to the announcement. Under this arrangement, we show that a necessary condition to implement all and only positive net present value strategy changes is that managers proceed to implement some strategies that gamer negative price reactions upon their announcement. In the case of deciding whether to continue with a previously implemented strategy change, we show that it may be optimal for the firm to predicate its abandonment/continuation decision on the magnitude of the costs it has already incurred. Thus, what looks like "sunk-cost" behavior may in fact be optimal. Both demonstrations show that, in addition to performing their usual role of anticipating future cash flows generated by a manager's actions, capital market prices can also be used to direct a manager's actions. It follows that, in contrast to the usual depiction of the information flows between capital markets and firms as being one way — from firms to the capital markets — information also flows fi^om capital markets to firms.
A comparison of the performance of finite difference time-domain, finite element time-domain, and discrete surface integral equation methods on high performance parallel computers

Volume based time-domain methods have played a pronounced role in the modeling of the interaction of electromagnetic waves within complex media. Currently a number of highly robust and computationally efficient techniques are in use. Those of interest to this paper are the finite difference time-domain (FDTD) method, the finite element time-domain (FETD) method, and the discrete surface integral equation (DSI) method. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparison of the performance of the FDTD, FETD, and DSI techniques on high performance distributed memory parallel computers. Efficient parallel algorithms for each method based on spatial (domain) decomposition techniques is presented. The comparison of the techniques is based on: computational efficiency, memory requirements, accuracy, and scalability on parallel computers. To this end, a number of numerical examples based on the analysis of printed microwave circuits and antennas are presented. >
Igniting Passion and Possibilities Through the Arts: Conflict, Collaboration and Leadership Through Live Stage Performances

Leaders today require critical thinking skills and full awareness of the complexities of social and cultural interaction. These may be best taught through the liberal arts. This article examines the use of live dramatic stage performances for teaching and learning contemporary management and leadership lessons, highlighting the value of collaborating across traditional university boundaries through the use of the arts within the management curriculum. We describe the successful working relationships and our effective implementation model with cross-campus colleagues and students in the theater department to integrate live stage plays into our core management and leadership coursework. Students and faculty from both domains have found the activity to be engaging, provocative, relevant, and valuable. A key finding from this work has been how malleable, smooth, and straightforward the process has been to successfully—and powerfully—integrate the arts and humanities directly into management education and leadership development.
The amino acid sequence of putidaredoxin, an iron-sulfur protein from Pseudomonas putida.

Abstract The iron-sulfur protein putidaredoxin from Pseudomonas putida contains 106 amino acids arranged in a single peptide chain. The complete amino acid sequence has been determined. The molecular weight including 2 atoms each of iron and sulfur is 11,594. The molecule contains 6 cysteine residues. It is suggested that positions 39, 45, 48, and 85 (or 86) may be chelated to the iron in the iron sulfide reactive center.
The Probe Method for Measurement of Thermal Conductivity

The line heat source method and the probe method for measurement of thermal conductivity are based on the same (or a very similar) theory. Both methods have been used to measure thermal conductivity of insulations, soils, biological materials, liquids, rocks, ceramics, and glass over a wide range of temperatures and other environmental conditions.
Fast, rank adaptive subspace tracking and applications

High computational complexity and inadequate parallelism have deterred the use of subspace-based algorithms in real-time systems. We proposed a new class of fast subspace tracking (FST) algorithms that overcome these problems by exploiting the matrix structure inherent in multisensor processing. These algorithms simultaneously track an orthonormal basis for the signal subspace and preserve signal eigenstructure information while requiring only O(Nr) operations per update (where N is the number of channels, and r is the effective rank). Because of their low computational complexity, these algorithms have applications in both recursive and block data processing. Because they preserve the signal eigenstructure as well as compute an orthonormal basis for the signal subspace, these algorithms may be used in a wide range of sensor array applications including bearing estimation, beamforming, and recursive least squares. We present a detailed description of the FST algorithm and its rank adaptive variation (RA-FST) as well as a number of enhancements. We also demonstrate the FST's rapid convergence properties in a number of application scenarios.
Identifying tractable decentralized control problems on the basis of information structure

Sequential decomposition of two general models of decentralized systems with non-classical information structures is presented. In model A, all agents have two observations at each step: a common observation that all agents observe and a private observation of their own. The control actions of each agent is based on all past common observations, the current private observation and the contents of its memory. At each step, each agent also updates the contents of its memory. A cost function, which depends on the state of the plant and the control actions of all agents, is given. The objective is to choose control and memory update functions for all agents to either minimize a total expected cost over a finite horizon or to minimize a discounted cost over an infinite horizon. In model B, the agents do not have any common observation, the rest is same as in model A. The key idea of our solution methodology is the following. From the point of view of a fictitious agent that observes all common observations, the system can be viewed as a centralized system with partial observations. This allows us to identify information states and obtain a sequential decomposition. When the system variables take values in finite sets, the optimality equations of the sequential decomposition are similar to those of partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDP) with finite state and action spaces. For such systems, we can use algorithms for POMDPs to compute optimal designs for models A and B.
Structure of a topoisomerase II–DNA–nucleotide complex reveals a new control mechanism for ATPase activity

Type IIA topoisomerases control DNA supercoiling and disentangle chromosomes through a complex ATP-dependent strandpassage mechanism. Although a general framework exists for type IIA topoisomerase function, the architecture of the full-length enzyme has remained undefined. Here we present the structure of a fully catalytic Saccharomyces cerevisiae topoisomerase II homodimer complexed with DNA and a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog. The enzyme adopts a domain-swapped configuration wherein the ATPase domain of one protomer sits atop the nucleolytic region of its partner subunit. This organization produces an unexpected interaction between bound DNA and a conformational transducing element in the ATPase domain, which we show is critical for both DNA-stimulated ATP hydrolysis and global topoisomerase activity. Our data indicate that the ATPase domains pivot about each other to ensure unidirectional strand passage and that this state senses bound DNA to promote ATP turnover and enzyme reset.