cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conservation and Variation in Human and Common Chimpanzee CD94 and NKG2 Genes

To assess polymorphism and variation in human and chimpanzee NK complex genes, we determined the coding-region sequences for CD94 and NKG2A, C, D, E, and F from several human (Homo sapiens) donors and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). CD94 is highly conserved, while the NKG2 genes exhibit some polymorphism. For all the genes, alternative mRNA splicing variants were frequent among the clones obtained by RT-PCR. Alternative splicing acts similarly in human and chimpanzee to produce the CD94B variant from the CD94 gene and the NKG2B variant from the NKG2A gene. Whereas single chimpanzee orthologs for CD94, NKG2A, NKG2E, and NKG2F were identified, two chimpanzee paralogs of the human NKG2C gene were defined. The chimpanzee Pt-NKG2CI gene encodes a protein similar to human NKG2C, whereas in the chimpanzee Pt-NKG2CII gene the translation frame changes near the beginning of the carbohydrate recognition domain, causing premature termination. Analysis of a panel of chimpanzee NK cell clones showed that Pt-NKG2CI and Pt-NKG2CII are independently and clonally expressed. Pt-NKG2CI and Pt-NKG2CII are equally diverged from human NKG2C, indicating that they arose by gene duplication subsequent to the divergence of chimpanzee and human ancestors. Genomic DNA from 80 individuals representing six primate species were typed for the presence of CD94 and NKG2. Each species gave distinctive typing patterns, with NKG2A and CD94 being most conserved. Seven different NK complex genotypes within the panel of 48 common chimpanzees were due to differences in Pt-NKG2C and Pt-NKG2D genes.
Change Mechanisms in EMG Biofeedback Training: Cognitive Changes Underlying Improvements in Tension Headache

Forty-three college students suffering from recurrent tension headache were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback training conditions. Although all subjects were led to believe they were learning to decrease frontal EMG activity, actual feedback was contingent on decreased EMG activity for half of the subjects and increased EMG activity for the other half. Within these 2 groups, subjects also viewed bogus video displays designed to convince them they were achieving large (high success) or small (moderate success) reductions in EMG activity. Regardless of actual changes in EMG activity, subjects receiving high-success feedback showed substantially greater improvement in headache activity (53%) than subjects receiving moderate success feedback (26%). Performance feedback was also related to changes in locus of control and self-efficacy. Changes in these 2 cognitive variables during biofeedback training were also correlated with reductions in headache activity following treatment, whereas changes in EMG activity exhibited during training were uncorrelated with outcome. These results suggest that the effectiveness of EMG biofeedback training with tension headache may be mediated by cognitive changes induced by performance feedback and not primarily by reductions in EMG activity.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY APPLIED TO MODE CHOICE PREDICTION

In an effort to improve transit ridership prediction, this manuscript proposes a conceptually unique mode choice model derived from the field of experimental psychology. The “psychophysical“ model, as it is called, differs from earlier modal split models in its substantive use of psychological theory. The result is a modal split model with a sound behavioral foundation.
Meeting the challenge of public health information delivery in the digital age.

Abstract Objective To discuss the current status of public health messaging and how pharmacists can become more active participants. Summary Public health needs can be addressed by using Internet videos as a model to disseminate medical information. Introducing student pharmacists to new ways of developing and delivering targeted public health messages can increase their awareness that public health intervention is part of the emerging scope of practice. Conclusion For pharmacy to affect change in public health at the local and national level, pharmacists should consider providing public health advocacy messages through virtual platforms.
Redundancy reduction in stochastic optimal control systems

This paper is concerned with the properties of optimal control policies for linear stochastic discrete-time systems in which knowledge of the current state of the system is contained in a uniform sequence of noisy linear measurements which has been pre-processed by a data compression technique before being used to generate the control policy. The specific goal is the generation of analytical methods for comparing the performance indices of different control policies which result when different data-compression schemes are used. A general solution for generating all of the optimal control policies can be found by applying the usual procedures of dynamic programming. The optimal policies are found to be independent of the probability of processing a data point (the data-compression scheme) ; however, the performance index depends on this probability. The estimation error covariance expected value is defined, certain of its bounds are discussed, and it is then used to generate bounds on the performance index...
Compiler-directed proactive power management for networks

Increasing use of parallel computation platforms (both off-chip and on-chip) makes communication analysis and optimization an important target. While there have been numerous studies that target network performance of parallel architectures, the efforts that target network power consumption (in terms of both modeling and optimization) are relatively new. One of the common characteristics of most of the prior approaches to network power management is that they are hardware-based and reactive in the sense that they manage power consumption of the network as a response to observed message traffic. Consequently, they can miss important opportunities for saving power and can incur performance penalties due to inaccuracies in predicting future idle and active times of communication links. Motivated by this observation, this paper proposes a compiler-directed proactive approach to network power management for the class of loop-intensive applications running on small-sized networks used exclusively by a single embedded application at a time.As compared to hardware-based approaches, the proposed compiler-directed approach has two potential benefits. First, based on high-level communication analysis, it determines the points at which a given communication link is idle and can be turned off (i.e., powered down) to save power. Therefore, an idle link can be put in the low-power state without waiting for a certain period of time to make sure that the link has really become idle (as in the case of hardware schemes). Second, since the compiler can also determine the point at which a turned-off link will be needed in the future, it can pre-activate it (i.e., before it is actually needed) to eliminate the turn on (reactivation) performance penalty. Our simulations with seven array-intensive applications and an embedded on-chip network clearly show that the proposed compiler-directed approach is better than a hardware-based scheme from both power and performance perspectives.
Improving rail network velocity: A machine learning approach to predictive maintenance

Abstract Rail network velocity is defined as system-wide average speed of line-haul movement between terminals. To accommodate increased service demand and load on rail networks, increase in network velocity, without compromising safety, is required. Among many determinants of overall network velocity, a key driver is service interruption, including lowered operating speed due to track/train condition and delays caused by derailments. Railroads have put significant infrastructure and inspection programs in place to avoid service interruptions. One of the key measures is an extensive network of wayside mechanical condition detectors (temperature, strain, vision, infrared, weight, impact, etc.) that monitor the rolling-stock as it passes by. The detectors are designed to alert for conditions that either violate regulations set by governmental rail safety agencies or deteriorating rolling-stock conditions as determined by the railroad. Using huge volumes of historical detector data, in combination with failure data, maintenance action data, inspection schedule data, train type data and weather data, we are exploring several analytical approaches including, correlation analysis, causal analysis, time series analysis and machine learning techniques to automatically learn rules and build failure prediction models. These models will be applied against both historical and real-time data to predict conditions leading to failure in the future, thus avoiding service interruptions and increasing network velocity. Additionally, the analytics and models can also be used for detecting root cause of several failure modes and wear rate of components, which, while do not directly address network velocity, can be proactively used by maintenance organizations to optimize trade-offs related to maintenance schedule, costs and shop capacity. As part of our effort, we explore several avenues to machine learning techniques including distributed learning and hierarchical analytical approaches.
Experimental modeling of hydrogen producing steps in a novel sulfur–sulfur thermochemical water splitting cycle

Abstract One of the more well-known examples of thermochemical water splitting cycles is the sulfur–iodine cycle, which utilizes iodine and sulfur dioxide to transform water into hydrogen and oxygen. A novel sulfur–sulfur cycle has been developed based on the original sulfur–iodine cycle, seeking an overall more favorable chemical process. The initial stages of the original and novel cycles are the same, in using sulfur dioxide and iodine with an excess of water to form two strong acids, hydrogen iodide and sulfuric acid. The secondary reactions differ greatly and are based on a previously unwanted side reaction where the two strong acids regenerate iodine and water along with hydrogen sulfide, as shown in the equations below. The hydrogen sulfide can then be steam reformed to hydrogen and sulfur dioxide, completing the cycle. Excess sulfuric acid can also be treated to regenerate water and sulfur dioxide. I 2 ( l ) + S O 2 ( g ) + 2 H 2 O ( l ) → 2 H I ( l ) + H 2 S O 4 ( l ) 8 H I ( l ) + H 2 S O 4 ( l ) → 4 I 2 ( l ) + 4 H 2 O ( l ) + H 2 S ( g ) This study seeks to explore the reaction kinetics of this two-step reaction by altering the various reaction temperatures and the initial concentration of water and to develop a robust and simple predictive model based on the resulting experimental data. The results suggest that an increase in the initial concentration of water will increase the rate of both reactions substantially and that it is beneficial to carry them out in the same vessel. A predictive model was successfully developed that allows for monitoring the progression of iodine through the reaction system in a batch setting. The results of the experimental and modeling work warrants further development of this novel sulfur–sulfur thermochemical water splitting cycle.
An Integrated Model of the Main States of Consciousness

This model of the main states of consciousness synthesizes interdisciplinary data. It describes and differentiates four main states of consciousness: “ordinary waking states of consciousness,” “differentiated waking states of consciousness” – including “ultraconsciousness states,” “REM sleep” and “slow-wave sleep.” Each state is described along the following dimensions: sleep – wakefulness, rhythm and rest – activity rhythm; activity of the hypnogenic and activating physiological system; brain hemispheric activity; the threshold of the extero- and interoceptive stimuli reception; perceptual dominance of stimuli from external or internal sources; activity-vividness of imagination; degree of rational feeling of experiences; changing one's experience of control over the content and form of one's own experiences; active or passive state of mind – changing dominance of either contemplation or action; feed-back relation with the surroundings. This model together with the conception of metabolism of information ...
Perceptual Adaptation to Spectrally Shifted Vowels: Training with Nonlexical Labels

Although normal-hearing (NH) and cochlear implant (CI) listeners are able to adapt to spectrally shifted speech to some degree, auditory training has been shown to provide more complete and/or accelerated adaptation. However, it is unclear whether listeners use auditory and visual feedback to improve discrimination of speech stimuli, or to learn the identity of speech stimuli. The present study investigated the effects of training with lexical and nonlexical labels on NH listeners’ perceptual adaptation to spectrally degraded and spectrally shifted vowels. An eight-channel sine wave vocoder was used to simulate CI speech processing. Two degrees of spectral shift (moderate and severe shift) were studied with three training paradigms, including training with lexical labels (i.e., “hayed,” “had,” “who’d,” etc.), training with nonlexical labels (i.e., randomly assigned letters “f,” “b,” “g,” etc.), and repeated testing with lexical labels (i.e., “test-only” paradigm without feedback). All training and testing was conducted over 5 consecutive days, with two to four training exercises per day. Results showed that with the test-only paradigm, lexically labeled vowel recognition significantly improved for moderately shifted vowels; however, there was no significant improvement for severely shifted vowels. Training with nonlexical labels significantly improved the recognition of nonlexically labeled vowels for both shift conditions; however, this improvement failed to generalize to lexically labeled vowel recognition with severely shifted vowels. Training with lexical labels significantly improved lexically labeled vowel recognition with severely shifted vowels. These results suggest that storage and retrieval of speech patterns in the central nervous system is somewhat robust to tonotopic distortion and spectral degradation. Although training with nonlexical labels may improve discrimination of spectrally distorted peripheral patterns, lexically meaningful feedback is needed to identify these peripheral patterns. The results also suggest that training with lexically meaningful feedback may be beneficial to CI users, especially patients with shallow electrode insertion depths.
Size-dependent vulnerability of marine fish larvae to predation: An individual-based numerical experiment

Cowan, J. H., Jr, Houde, E. D., and Rose, K. A. 1996. Size-dependent vulnerability of marine fish larvae to predation: an individual-based numerical experiment. ‐ ICES J. mar. Sci., 53: 23‐37. Twenty-day simulations of responses by a larval fish cohort were investigated with an individual-based model of predation by ctenophore, medusa, and planktivorous fish predators. Results indicate that the relationship between larval size and vulnerability to predation was generally dome-shaped for invertebrate predators and could be dome-shaped for fish predators if they foraged optimally by size, and depended upon attributes of both predators and larval fish prey. For the predators that did not forage optimally, cohort-specific mortality generally decreased as the mean length of larvae in a cohort increased, but bigger or faster-growing larvae within a cohort were not always most likely to survive. Until larvae grew through a ‘‘window’’ of vulnerability and reached a threshold length when susceptibility to the predators decreased more rapidly with larval length than encounter rate increased, mean length or growth rate of surviving larvae on each day was slightly lower, or not diVerent from those that died in most of the simulations. After the threshold length was reached, predators began to catch smaller larvae, which resulted in larger survivors. The time necessary to grow through the window and reach the threshold length depended on growth rate of the larvae, size of the predators, and the variance structure of these parameters. These results indicate that size and growth rate of fish larvae are partially decoupled by the predation process and, ultimately, act diVerentially to determine cohort survival rate, although both may be most important after larvae have reached the threshold length. In these simulations, the threshold length was reached after a significant portion (56‐99%) of total larval mortality had occurred; time to reach the threshold was generally shorter for the faster growing cohorts. Initially, both fast- and slow-growing individuals within a larval cohort diVered little in size and, therefore, were nearly equally vulnerable to predation. However, reduced risk of predation occurred when all members of a cohort had reached the threshold length, which suggests that mean growth rate of individuals within a cohort, not their size, is probably the more important parameter aVecting cumulative mortality, especially when the rate is high. We propose that characteristics of larval survivors may be more influenced by attributes of the predators to which they were exposed in early life, rather than by their initial status within a cohort with respect to length at hatching and potential growth rate. ? 1996 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Embolization of systemic to pulmonary artery collaterals in the management of hemoptysis in pulmonary atresia

Abstract Massive hemoptysis is a rare but potentially lethal complication in cyanotic patients with pulmonary atresia. 1 Most such patients are adolescents or young adults who have not had total correction of their cardiac defects but who have survived because of abundant systemic to pulmonary artery collateral vessels. Ironically, hemoptysis is believed in most cases to be due to endobronchial rupture of these enlarged collaterals. Major episodes of hemoptysis are a significant problem in the management of these patients, whose cardiac and pulmonary function may be tenuous. Transcatheter bronchial artery embolization has been used to treat severe hymoptysis due to a variety of causes. Hemoptysis secondary to cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, aspergillomas and other origins may be controlled in approximately 90% of patients by embolic therapy. 2–5 There are no reports however, in English of use of transcatheter embolization to control hemoptysis in patients with pulmonary atresia bleeding from enlarged systemic to pulmonary artery collateral vessels.
Sequential Bayesian Inference for Detection and Response to Seasonal Epidemics

We study sequential Bayesian inference in continuous-time stochastic compartmental models with latent factors. A motivating application of our methods is to modeling of seasonal infectious disease outbreaks, notably influenza. Assuming continuous observation of all the epidemiological transitions, our focus is on joint inference of the unknown transition rates and the dynamic latent states, modeled as a hidden Markov factor. Using insights from nonlinear filtering of jump Markov processes we develop a novel sequential Monte Carlo algorithm for this purpose. Our approach applies the ideas of particle learning to minimize particle degeneracy and exploit the analytical jump Markov structure. We demonstrate inference in such models with several numerical illustrations and also discuss predictive analysis of epidemic countermeasures using sequential Bayes estimates.
Subtle chest radiographic abnormalities in patients with traumatic aortic rupture

Objective: We reviewed admission chest radiographs of 107 patients with surgically proven traumatic aortic rupture (TAR) to determine if any of the studies appeared normal or nearly normal with regard to the aortomediastinal contour. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 107 patients with proven traumatic aortic rupture admitted to our institution from 1982 through 1992. Three radiologists reviewed these chest radiographs and by consensus excluded studies that had either a markedly abnormal aortomediastinal contour or were suboptimal technically. The remaining radiographs were evaluated to define any subtle abnormalities of the aortomediastinal contour that might indicate mediastinal hemorrhage. Results: There were no patients with TAR who had an entirely normal chest radiograph. Thirteen patients (12%) had subtly abnormal aortomediastinal contours, all of which had been prospectively interpreted as abnormal. Findings included an abnormal aortic contour or silhouette (13 patients), increased mediastinal/chest width ratio (6), a widened left paraspinal stripe (3), a widened right paratracheal stripe (2), and a widened right paraspinal line (1). Only 1 of the 13 patients had a mediastinal width greater than 8.0 cm. Conclusion: In this series no patient with proven TAR had a normal aortomediastinal contour, but abnormalities may be subtle and detection requires careful inspection of the aortic contour, and paraspinal and paratracheal soft tissues.
Learning to facilitate deliberation: practicing the art of hosting

Deliberation is increasingly embraced as a mode of policy-making, and this paper focuses on how facilitators of deliberative policy processes become critical, pragmatic practitioners of their complex craft. We analyze how deliberation facilitators learn to do their work through ethnographic study of an approach to facilitation known as the Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations that Matter. We identify three ways in which people learning to facilitate transform knowledge so that they become skilled facilitators. They do so by metabolizing hosting techniques to understand and incorporate or eschew them their repertoire; by situating hosting knowledge to apply or adapt it in particular contexts; and by coproducing knowledge of hosting with a community of practitioners. We demonstrate how these learning processes support public policy deliberations through illustrations and discuss the potential contributions of the Art of Hosting for enhancing societal capacities for deliberative policy-making.
Metabolism and mechanism of action of some new purine antimetabolites

Abstract Studies on 8-aza-6-thioinosine (azaMPR) have revealed a very complex picture of its chemistry and metabolism. Under physiologic conditions, azaMPR rearranges at a significant rate to N-β- d -ribofuranosyl[1,2,3]thiadiazolo [5,4-d] pyrimidine-7-amine (TPR). This ribosylamine (TPR) is, in turn, unstable under these conditions undergoing isomerization, via opening of the ribofuranose ring, to give the four possible ribosylamines — the α- and β-ribofuranoses and the α- and β-ribopyranoses and, after a longer period, loss of the sugar moiety giving the biologically inactive [1,2,3]thiadiazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-7-amine. An examination of extracts of cells treated with azaMPR showed the presence of three nucleotides — 8-aza-6-thioinosinic acid and N-α- and β- d -ribofuranosyl[1,2,3]thiadiazolo [5,4-d] pyrimidin-7-amine 5′-phosphates (TPRP and α-TPRP). TPR, which is more cytotoxic than azaMPR, gives rise in treated cells to TPRP and its α-anomer only. AzaMPR and TPR are both excellent substrates for adenosine kinase and selectively reduce guanine nucleotide pools and inhibit the synthesis of RNA and DNA without affecting protein synthesis. It is possible that TPRP is the biologically active metabolite, but this has not been established. 8-Aza-S-methyl-6-thioinosine and 8-aza-O6-methylinosine are also highly cytotoxic nucleosides, as are the corresponding ethyl compounds. The thio compounds, poor substrates for adenosine deaminase and excellent substrates for adenosine kinase, owe their biologic activity to their conversion to the alkylthio ribonucleotides. On the other hand, the O6-alkyl compounds are substrates for both the deaminase and the kinase, and conversion to 8-azainosinic acid probably contributes to their activity. The conversion of 8-aza-O6-methylguanosine to 8-azaguanosine is entirely responsible for its activity since it is a good substrate for the deaminase, is not a substrate for the kinase, and its activity is blocked by 2′-deoxycoformycin, a potent inhibitor of the deaminase. 2-Amino-6-chloro-1-deazapurine (ACD), a highly cytotoxic purine analog with activity against leukemia L1210, is converted to its ribonucleotide in cells, presumably by hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase. Since the ribonucleoside of ACD is inactive, it would appear not to be a substrate for either purine nucleoside phosphorylase or any cellular kinase. The mechanism of action of ACD ribonucleotide is currently under investigation.
The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence on Children

R. Geffner. R. S. Igelman. and J. Zellner. (Eds.). 2003 The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence on Children Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press. 309 pp. Paperback ISBN 0-7890-2161-7: $39.95. The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence on Children is an edited volume of exceptional articles that address distinct aspects of the relationship between children's exposure to violence and the many developmental disturbances that can occur. Contributors to this volume come from a range of backgrounds and apply their expertise to provide the reader with clear and concise explanations of current clinical research, theoretical and methodological issues, prevention and intervention strategies, and legal and policy implications. Published empirical studies that address the emotional and behavioral disturbances children can suffer after exposure to violence between their parents have steadily increased over the past decade. The range of expertise and breadth of topics in this volume combine to make a valuable contribution to the existing literature. After an informative introduction that highlights key topics discussed in this volume, the book is divided into four sections. The first section covers clinical research in children's adjustment to family conflict. It begins with Onyskiw's review of 47 studies and provides empirical evidence to support the central message of this book: Children exposed to domestic violence are at risk for a wide range of adjustment difficulties and health problems. Onyskiw goes on to identify methodological challenges and provides recommendations for future studies. Whitson and El-Sheikh examine the moderating effect of emotionality and emotional regulation. Kalil and colleagues provide a detailed investigation of how maternal abuse influences child behavior problems in low-income mothers. Winstok and Eisikovits explore the effect of spousal violence on adolescents' perceptions of affinity with their families. This section ends with Alien and colleagues suggesting that the strategies children use to cope with violence depend more on situational factors than on child characteristics. The second section reviews models of prevention and intervention that reduce the negative effects of partner violence on children. Kerig proposes an intervention model that integrates theory, research, and clinical work and complements the model with excellent examples of direct application. Carter and colleagues describe a pilot program to develop interagency treatment protocols that use individual, group, and family therapy to treat the children exposed to domestic violence and their parents. …
Origins, Evolution, and Future of Satellite Navigation

The Global Positioning System (GPS or NAVSTAR) has been called the most significant civil spin-off of the cold war. It evolved from technology efforts in the Navy and in the Air Force but was almost canceled before gaining approval by the Department of Defense. While it offers phenomenal accuracy (centimeters for landing aircraft), it still requires some expansions to satisfy integrity, continuity, and availability requirements. Most of all, for this system to be formally accepted (and certified) internationally, the world will need greater confidence in commitments by the U.S. and greater participation by the world community. (Author)
Authorship in the interstices of history, biography, reality and memory: Histoire(s) du Cinema and Cabra Marcado para Morrer

Este artigo contrasta Histoire(s) du cinema de Jean-Luc Godard e Cabra Marcado Para Morrer de Eduardo Coutinho, estao engajadas com a questao da autoria no cinema. Enquanto a imagem de Godard enfatiza a capacidade que tem um filme de transmitir a visao de mundo pessoal de um artista, a presenca de Coutinho na tela funciona menos como um meio de subjetivar a obra do que como um catalizador instigando cetas reacoes nos "atores" filmados.
Interstitial cells of Cajal generate electrical slow waves in the murine stomach

1. The gastric corpus and antrum contain interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) within the tunica muscularis. We tested the hypothesis that ICC are involved in the generation and regeneration of electrical slow waves. 2. Normal, postnatal development of slow wave activity was characterized in tissues freshly removed from animals between birth and day 50 (D50). Slow wave amplitude and frequency increased during this period. Networks of myenteric ICC (IC-MY) were present in gastric muscles at birth and did not change significantly in appearance during the period of study as imaged by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. 3. IC-MY networks were maintained and electrical rhythmicity developed in organ culture in a manner similar to normal postnatal development. Electrical activity was maintained for at least 48 days in culture. 4. Addition of a neutralizing antibody (ACK2) for the receptor tyrosine kinase, Kit, to the culture media caused progressive loss of Kit-immunoreactive cells. Loss of Kit-immunoreactive cells was associated with loss of slow wave activity. Most muscles became electrically quiescent after 3-4 weeks of exposure to ACK2. 5. In some muscles small clusters of Kit-immunoreactive IC-MY remained after culturing with ACK2. These muscles displayed slow wave activity but only in the immediate regions in which Kit-positive IC-MY remained. These data suggest that regions without Kit-immunoreactive cells cannot generate or regenerate slow waves. 6. After loss of Kit-immunoreactive cells, the muscles could not be paced by direct electrical stimulation. Stimulation with acetylcholine also failed to elicit slow waves. The data suggest that the generation of slow waves is an exclusive property of IC-MY; smooth muscle cells may not express the ionic apparatus necessary for generation of these events. 7. We conclude that IC-MY are an essential element in the spontaneous rhythmic electrical and contractile activity of gastric muscles. This class of ICC appears to generate slow wave activity and may provide a means for regeneration of slow waves.
Modulation of cell-cycle regulatory signaling network by 2-methoxyestradiol in prostate cancer cells is mediated through multiple signal transduction pathways.

2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME 2 ), a promising anticancer drug, induces growth arrest and apoptosis in various androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and -independent (DU145 and PC-3) prostate cancer cell lines. Moreover, flow cytometric analysis indicated a novel dual impact of 2-ME 2 on the cell division cycle of prostate cancer cells. Chronic exposure of high doses of 2-ME 2 enhance the accumulation of cells in S and G2/M phases, while cell numbers in the Gl phase were reduced significantly by this treatment. Because cyclin B1 overexpression, induction of cdc2 phosphorylation, and its regulatory proteins weel and phospho-cdc25C (interphase and mitotic forms) by 2-ME 2 treatment correlated with the induction of apoptosis, growth arrest at the G2/M phase, and accumulation of the S phase, we reasoned that cyclin B1 and cdc2 phosphorylation and its upstream regulatory molecular networks may be associated with the ultimate impacts of 2-ME 2 . Because phosphorylation of cdc2 and upregulation of weel by 2-ME 2 can be abolished by both extracellular receptor kinase (ERK) inhibitor (U0126) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor (SP600125), our studies indicate that the 2-ME 2 -induced upregulation of weel and subsequent cdc2 phosphorylation are mediated through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-ERK-JNK signaling pathways.
To Cry or Not to Cry Analyzing the Dimensions of Professional Vulnerability

In this article, the authors analyze the concept of professional vulnerability, as it relates to crying and the nursing profession. The span of potential professional vulnerability extends through all the nursing clinical, academic, and research environments. A dimensional analysis is the method used to analyze systematically how the concept of professional vulnerability is socially constructed and contextually situated in nursing. Professional vulnerability is demonstrated to have both negative and positive significances. Nurses' construction of vulnerability as a strength makes a significant difference in providing effective, positive holistic care. The objective of this analysis is to challenge the conventional views toward emotional and moral vulnerability in particular, leading to a holistic vision of hope and encouragement to benefit the future of nursing.
Alterations in the oligodendrocyte lineage, myelin, and white matter in adult mice lacking the chemokine receptor CXCR2

Oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) proliferation and migration are critical for the development of myelin in the central nervous system (CNS). Previous studies showed that localized expression of the chemokine CXCL1 signals through the receptor CXCR2 to inhibit the migration and enhance the proliferation of spinal cord OPCs during development. Here, we report structural and functional alterations in the adult CNS of Cxcr2-/- mice. In Cxcr2-/- adult mice, we observed regional alterations in the density of oligodendrocyte lineage cells in Cxcr2-/- adult mice, with decreases in the cortex and anterior commissure but increases in the corpus callosum and spinal cord. An increase in the density and arborization of spinal cord NG2 positive cells was also observed in Cxcr2-/- adult mice. Compared with wild-type (WT) littermates, Cxcr2-/- mice exhibited a significant decrease in spinal cord white matter area, reduced thickness of myelin sheaths, and a slowing in the rate of central conduction of spinally elicited evoked potentials without significant changes in axonal caliber or number. Biochemical analyses showed decreased levels of myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In vitro studies showed reduced numbers of differentiated oligodendrocytes in Cxcr2-/- spinal cord cultures. Together, these findings indicate that the chemokine receptor CXCR2 is important for the development and maintenance of the oligodendrocyte lineage, myelination, and white matter in the vertebrate CNS.
Analysis of biomaterials deposited on soft contact lenses

Formation of opaque deposits on the anterior (air) surface of hydrophilic soft contact lenses is a problem worthy of investigation by all concerned. These deposits have been analyzed for biomaterials by chemical, biochemical, electrophoretic, and immunological techniques. Qualitative and quantitative chemical colorimetric tests revealed the presence of variable amounts of protein (5-10 microgram/lens), carbohydrate (1.0-1.2 microgram/lens), and phospholipids (0.01-0.05 micronmole/lens). Cholesterol and glucose were not present at detectable levels. Fluorescent antibody tests with appropriate controls gave positive tests for albumin, lysozyme, gamma-G-globulin, and alpha1-lipoprotein in the deposits, all proteins present in tear fluid. Deposits were most effectively removed from the lenses by the combination of heat, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) detergent, and the thiol reagent dithiothreitol (DTT). SDS-denatured protein migrated on polyacrylamide gels with electrophoretic patterns corresponding to molecular weights for those proteins detected by the above antibody tests. The nature of the bonding interactions of biomaterials to the lenses was probed by chemical reagents used to remove them, employed singly and in all possible combinations. Urea, guanidine hydrochloride, potassium thiocyanate, potassium perchlorate, hydroxylamine, and EDTA were much less effective than SDS and DTT. These data suggest that apolar interactions plus disulfide bonds may be important in stabilizing the deposit structure, and point to improved cleaning procedures.
Searching for Precursors to Metal−Metal Bonded Dipalladium Species: A Study of Pd24+ Complexes

Reactions of Pd3(OAc)6 with lithium salts of mononegative bidentate N,N-ligands, L, of various types, such as formamidinates, benzamidinates, triazinates, and guanidinates, were investigated in a search for ways to obtain Pd24+ compounds that could serve as precursors to paddlewheel complexes with a metal−metal bond and a Pd25+ core. It was found that the reactions are complex and that either square planar mononuclear or dinuclear species may be formed depending on the reaction conditions or the method of isolation. For Pd2L4 compounds, α and β isomers were sometimes obtainable. In the α isomer, all N,N-ligands serve as bridges, whereas in the β isomer, two ligands bridge the Pd24+ unit and each of the other two chelate to a metal atom. Electrochemistry shows that the paddlewheel compounds Pd2(TolNC(H)NTol)4, Pd2(PhNC(Ph)NPh)4, and Pd2(PhNC(Ph)NPh)3(OAc) and the orthometalated complex cis-Pd2[η2-C6H4NC(Ph)N(H)Ph]2(μ-OAc)2 have reversible oxidation waves between 0.70 and 0.92 V vs Ag/AgCl, which makes them...
Akt and emerging models for tumor cell energetics

Differences in energy metabolism between normal and cancer cells have been recognized for decades, but the responsible signaling pathways are just now being defined. Glucose metabolism is needed for growth and survival factor signaling, and a single oncogene, AKT, can recapitulate the aberrant glucose metabolism of tumors. Here, recent progress on understanding the biochemical basis for aberrant ATP production in tumors and how this understanding could lead to potential new therapies is reviewed.
Symmetry breaking in confined fluids

The recent progress in the theoretical investigation of the symmetry breaking (the existence of a stable state of a system, in which the symmetry is lower than the symmetry of the system itself) for classical and quantum fluids is reviewed. The emphasis is on the conditions which cause symmetry breaking in the density distribution for one component fluids and binary mixtures confined in a closed nanoslit between identical solid walls. The existing studies have revealed that two kinds of symmetry breaking can occur in such systems. First, a one-dimensional symmetry breaking occurs only in the direction normal to the walls as a fluid density profile asymmetric with respect of the middle of the slit and uniform in any direction parallel to the walls. Second, a two-dimensional symmetry breaking occurs in the fluid density distribution which is nonuniform in one of the directions parallel to the walls and asymmetrical in the direction normal to the walls. It manifests through liquid bumps and bridges in the fluid density distribution. For one component fluids, conditions of existence of symmetry breaking are provided in terms of the average fluid density, strength of fluid-solid interactions, distance at which the solid wall generates a hard core repulsion, and temperature. In the case of binary mixtures, the occurrence of symmetry breaking also depends on the composition of the confined mixtures.
Taking Cognitive Dualism Seriously: Revisiting the Durkheim-Spencer Debate on the Rise of Individualism

The question of the extent to which Durkheim's argument in Division of Labor in Society is continuous with or radically departs from the work of Herbert Spencer has been the subject of a long-standing debate. In this article, the author revisits this issue in light of recent scholarship that points to the pervasive role of the notions of “representation” and “dualism” in Durkheim's overall thought. The analysis shows that Durkheim's conception of the rise of individualism is significantly different from that of Spencer, precisely because it is based on idiosyncratic concepts with no analogue in Spencer's system. Because of this difference, Durkheim's critique of Spencer largely misses the mark and in fact requires an ambiguous projection of Durkheim's own theory-laden notion of individualism toward Spencer, in order to suggest that Spencer begs the question. The author concludes that Durkheim and Spencer had largely incommensurable ideas as to the primary consequence of the division of labor: The rise of ...
An Argument Against Abridging Consumer Right of Bankruptcy

As our economy now operates, consumer credit is an essential ingredient in the mass merchandising of goods and services, credit sources and users share a joint responsibility in orginating credit and both share in its beneficial effects. Thsoe had debt losses which occur are small relative to sales and are absorbed by consumers who pay in full. In this mileu, abridging the right of bankruptcy would provide negligible benefits to consumers as a whole and to the economy. It would create serious inequity between (1) consumers who avoid debt through procrastination and those who avoid it through bankruptcy and (2) consumers and business firms. The first inequity would be accentuated by present differences in state laws governing debt collection. It would still exist, however, if all states had a uniform collection law. Consumer right to bankruptcy is a needed safety-value in our credit-oriented economy.
The direct conversion of hydroxyproline to proline

Carrot slices convert added free trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline to L-proline by a path that brings about the loss of one half of the tritium from 5[3H]trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline. The first intermediate in this path is therefore most likely 4,5-dehydro-L-proline.
The reduced, denatured somatomedin B domain of vitronectin refolds into a stable, biologically active molecule.

The high-affinity binding site in human vitronectin (VN) for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) has been localized to the NH 2 -terminal cysteine-rich somatomedin B (SMB) domain (residues 1-44). A number of published structural and biochemical studies show conflicting results for the disulfide bonding pattern and the overall fold of the SMB domain, possibly because this domain may undergo disulfide shuffling and/or conformational changes during handling. Here we show that bacterially expressed recombinant SMB (rSMB) can be refolded to a single form that shows maximal activity in binding to PAI-1 and to a conformation-dependent monoclonal antibody (mAb 153). The oxidative refolding pathway of rSMB can be followed in the presence of glutathione redox buffers. This approach allowed the isolation and analysis of a number of intermediate folding species and of the final stably folded species at equilibrium. Competitive surface plasmon resonance analysis demonstrated that the stably refolded rSMB regained biological activity since it bound efficiently to PAI-1 and to mAb 153. In contrast, none of the folding intermediates bound to PAI-1 or to mAb 153. We also show by NMR analysis that the stably refolded rSMB is identical to the material used for the solution structure determination [Kamikubo et al. (2004) Biochemistry 43, 6519] and that it binds specifically to mAb 153 via an interface that includes the three aromatic side chains previously implicated in binding to PAI-1.
First-phase insulin release in normal children.

Normal values for the first-phase insulin release during an intravenous glucosetolerance test are not yet well defined for children and adolescents. In this study, 69 normal subjects (aged 7 to 22 years) who had no family history of type I diabetes, a normal glycohemoglobin value, and a negative islet cell antibody test result underwent a standard intravenous glucose tolerance test. The mean (±SEM) first-phase insulin release increased with age and pubertal status: 7 to 10 years, 93±10.1 mIU/L; 11 to 15 years, 172.7±22.3 mIU/L; and 16 to 22 years, 163±28.5 mIU/L. The mean intraindividual variability in 11 subjects who underwent a second test was 23.6%. Acute stress, as estimated by observer assessment or by blood catecholamine levels, did not significantly correlate with firstphase insulin release. We conclude that first-phase insulin release is markedly lower in prepubertal children than in adolescents and young adults.
C-reactive protein, but not homocysteine, is related to cognitive dysfunction in older adults with cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. Recent studies implicate homocysteine (HCY) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in this increased risk, as both are associated with cognitive dysfunction in demented and non-demented patients. However, it remains unclear whether they confer added risk in older adults with CVD. A total of 126 older CVD patients underwent blood and neuropsychological evaluation as part of a prospective examination of the neurocognitive consequences of CVD. A subset of these participants (n = 37) also underwent neuroimaging to quantify the degree of white matter disease. After adjusting for demographic and medical factors, no significant relationship emerged between HCY and cognitive performance. In contrast, CRP showed significant independent relationships to test performance, including global cognitive performance, attention/psychomotor function, executive function, memory, and visuospatial abilities. Neither HCY nor CRP was related to extent of white matter disease or whole brain volume on magnetic resonance imaging. Further study is needed to identify mechanisms by which inflammatory processes impact on cognitive function and to determine whether reducing circulating levels of inflammatory markers results in improved cognition.
Study on crack scattering in aluminum plates with Lamb wave frequency-wavenumber analysis

The multimodal characteristic of Lamb waves makes the interpretation of Lamb wave signals difficult in either the time or frequency domain. In this work, we present our study of Lamb wave propagation characterization and crack scattering using frequency–wavenumber analysis. The aim is to investigate three dimensional (3D) Lamb wave behavior in the presence of crack damage via the application of frequency–wavenumber analysis. The analysis techniques are demonstrated using simulation examples of an aluminum plate with a through-thickness crack. Both in-plane and out-of-plane components are acquired through a 3D elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT), while the out-of-plane component is also experimentally obtained using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer for verification purposes. The time–space wavefield is then transformed to the frequency–wavenumber domain by a two dimensional (2D) Fourier transform and the out-of-plane EFIT results are compared to experimental measurements. The experimental and simulated results are found to be in close agreement. The frequency–wavenumber representation of in-plane and out-of-plane components shows clear distinction among various Lamb wave modes that are present. However, spatial information is lost during this 2D transformation. A short space 2D Fourier transform is therefore adopted to obtain the frequency–wavenumber spectra at various spatial locations, resulting in a space–frequency–wavenumber representation of the signal. The space–frequency–wavenumber analysis has shown its potential for indicating crack presence.