cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4131: Blocking endogenous TBX2 abrogates prostate cancer bone metastasis through WNT signaling

Bone metastasis is a crucial turning point in the progression of PCa and is seen in > 90% of the lethal cases. Identifying factors that mediate the metastatic spread and subsequent remodeling of the bone is highly relevant to successful therapeutic intervention in advanced human prostate cancer (PCa). TBX2, a transcription factor that belongs to the T-box family negatively regulates p21 cell cycle inhibitor and is known to play critical roles during embryonic development and cancer progression. Interestingly, a recent report found TBX2 over-expression in the bone metastases from patients with castrate resistant prostate cancer. We found TBX2 over-expression in human prostate cancer specimens and in aggressive androgen independent human PCa cell lines. Further, we found TBX2 over-expression in bone metastases in multiple xenograft mouse models of human PCa progression. Blocking endogenous TBX2 in PC3 and ARCaPM PCa cells through the use of a dominant negative construct resulted in decreased proliferation, colony formation and invasion in vitro. Utilizing various pre-clinical xenograft mouse models, we found that blocking endogenous TBX2 in PCa cells leads to decreased invasion and abrogation of bone and soft tissue metastasis in vivo. Further, utilizing the intra-tibial mouse model of growth in the bone microenvironment, we found that blocking endogenous TBX2 in PCa cells dramatically reduces bone remodeling. Additionally we found that TBX2 acts upstream of the canonical WNT (WNT3A) signaling in PCa and positively regulates its transcription by binding to its promoter. Further, rescue of WNT3A levels in PCa cells in the context of blocking endogenous TBX2 rescues the metastatic ability of the cells in vivo. Taken together, our findings highlight a novel and critical role of TBX2 in PCa progression, metastasis and the subsequent bone remodeling, and that TBX2 function in PCa is mediated through the canonical WNT signaling. Citation Format: Srinivas Nandana, Manisha Tripathi, Peng Duan, Gina Chu, Haiyen E. Zhau, Robert J. Matusik, Leland W.K. Chung. Blocking endogenous TBX2 abrogates prostate cancer bone metastasis through WNT signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4131.
Successful in vitro fertilization and generation of transgenics in Black and Tan Brachyury (BTBR) mice

The Black and Tan Brachyury (BTBR) mouse strain is a valuable model for the study of long-term complications from obesity-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus and autism spectrum disorder. Due to technical difficulties with assisted reproduction, genetically modified animals on this background have previously been generated through extensive backcrossing, which is expensive and time-consuming. We successfully generated two separate transgenic mouse lines after direct zygote microinjection into this background strain. Additionally, we developed in vitro fertilization (IVF) methods for the BTBR mouse. We found low rates of fertilization and implantation in this strain, and identified the BTBR oocyte as the primary culprit of low success with BTBR IVF. We achieved an increase in live born pups from 5.9 to 35.6 % with IVF in the BTBR strain by use of BTBR females at a younger age (18-25 days), collection of oocytes 15-17 h after superovulation, and the use of supplemented fertilization media. This method eliminates the need for time consuming assisted embryo manipulations that are otherwise required for success with BTBR oocytes. This advancement provides an exciting opportunity to directly generate BTBR transgenics and gene-edited mice using both traditional and emerging genomic editing techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9. These methods also allow effective colony preservation and rederivation with these strains. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing embryo manipulations in BTBR mice.
The Urban Household as a Multi-Product Firm

Any attempt at explaining urban poverty in the Caribbean in general and in Martinique in particular must at some point focus on the lower-class household or the extended family. It is the ‘factory’ where poverty is reproduced both on an everyday basis and transgenerationally. It is the family unit that has the power to help its members, to some degree, wage constant war against the several forms of material poverty they may experience. Scrutiny on the household as the locus of the reproduction of poverty is important on two grounds. On the one hand, the household functions as a microinstitutional basis of the reproduction of poverty and is the repository of the strategies that people develop to solve their problems. Second, such scrutiny reveals the structural constraints, generated by the wider system, that may have a direct impact on the failure or success of the struggle to overcome the burden of poverty. That second aspect will not be addressed fully here because it will require a sharper focus on the political economy of Martinique and on the ecology of state policies and politics.
A data quality filter for PMU measurements: Description, experience, and examples

Networks of phasor measurement units (PMUs) continue to grow, and along with them, the amount of data available for analysis. With so much data, it is impractical to identify and remove poor quality data manually. The data quality filter described in this paper was developed for use with the Data Integrity and Situation Awareness Tool (DISAT), which analyzes PMU data to identify anomalous system behavior. The filter operates based only on the information included in the data files, without supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, state estimator values, or system topology information. Measurements are compared to preselected thresholds to determine if they are reliable. Along with the filter's description, examples of data quality issues from application of the filter to nine months of archived PMU data are provided. The paper is intended to aid the reader in recognizing and properly addressing data quality issues in PMU data.
Reconciling seasonal hydraulic risk and plant water use through probabilistic soil–plant dynamics

Current models used for predicting vegetation responses to climate change are often guided by the dichotomous needs to resolve either (i) internal plant water status as a proxy for physiological vulnerability or (ii) external water and carbon fluxes and atmospheric feedbacks. Yet, accurate representation of fluxes does not always equate to accurate predictions of vulnerability. We resolve this discrepancy using a hydrodynamic framework that simultaneously tracks plant water status and water uptake. We couple a minimalist plant hydraulics model with a soil moisture model and, for the first time, translate rainfall variability at multiple timescales - with explicit descriptions at daily, seasonal, and interannual timescales - into a physiologically meaningful metric for the risk of hydraulic failure. The model, parameterized with measured traits from chaparral species native to Southern California, shows that apparently similar transpiration patterns throughout the dry season can emerge from disparate plant water potential trajectories, and vice versa. The parsimonious set of parameters that captures the role of many traits across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum is then used to establish differences in species sensitivities to shifts in seasonal rainfall statistics, showing that co-occurring species may diverge in their risk of hydraulic failure despite minimal changes to their seasonal water use. The results suggest potential shifts in species composition in this region due to species-specific changes in hydraulic risk. Our process-based approach offers a quantitative framework for understanding species sensitivity across multiple timescales of rainfall variability and provides a promising avenue toward incorporating interactions of temporal variability and physiological mechanisms into drought response models.
On Generalized Lengths of Factorizations in Dedekind and Krull Domains

The study of factorization in integral domains has played an important role in commutative algebra for many years. Much of this work has con­centrated on the study of unique factorization domains (UFDs). Beyond the realm of UFDs, there is a large class of integral domains for which each nonunit can be factored as a product of irreducibles, yet the factorization may not be unique. Classically, Dedekind domains are such domains. A Dedekind domain D is a UFD if and only if its ideal class group is trivial. Hence the size of the class group becomes a measure of how far the domain D is from having “unique factorization”. The concept of the class group and its relation to factorization properties extends also to the more general class of Krull domains. It is within the context of these domains that we consider in this paper general questions concerning the lengths of factorization in the non-UFD setting.
The “vowels in hand” system: a time-out with five quite contrary letters

AbstractThis article introduces the Vowels in Hand (VH) method. Developed for choral directors, the VH method communicates vowel preferences to choral singers in rehearsal in order to speed up the ...
Cool or school?: the role of building attributes in explaining residential energy burdens in California

This paper quantifies the dimensions of an important energy efficiency conversation: the energy burden of low-income households. Due to budgetary constraints, low-income households face a stark consumption trade-offs described as “cool or school”. This study is the first to apply multivariate building energy regression modeling to assess the independent effects of various building characteristics and appliances on a household’s energy burden in the USA. We find that more attic insulation and newer air conditioners significantly predict lower energy burdens. Furthermore, homeowners enjoy ~ 27% more attic insulation compared to renters. Our results offer empirical support for programs that offer deep retrofits to low-income households. We conclude by offering suggestions for leveraging weatherization funding to fund building energy retrofits.
How Much Would You Pay to Use Facebook? A Behavioral Perspective

There has been a great deal of discussion of the welfare effects of digital goods, including social media. The discussion bears on both private practice and potential regulation. A pilot experiment, designed to monetize the benefits of Facebook use, found a massive disparity between willingness to pay and willingness to accept. The median willingness to pay to use Facebook for a month was $1. By contrast, the median willingness to accept to cease using Facebook for a month was $59. The sheer magnitude of this disparity – a “superendowment effect” – suggests that in the context of the willingness to pay question, people are giving protest answers, signaling their intense opposition to being asked to pay for something that they had formerly enjoyed for free. Their answers are expressive, rather than reflective of actual welfare effects. There is also a question whether the willingness to accept measure tells us much about the actual effects of Facebook on people’s lives and experiences. It may greatly overstate those effects. In this context, there may well be a sharp disparity between conventional economic measures and actual effects on experienced well-being.
Dual Nationality and Military Service: Strategy Number Two

This paper is part of a team project sponsored by the German Marshall Fund, and organized by Professors Kay Hailbronner and David Martin, on the subject of dual nationality. The paper deals with one specific area of traditional concern - the effect of dual nationality on either voluntary or compulsory military service. The various problems could be addressed either by trying to diminish the number of dual nationals (strategy number 1) or by fixing any problematic consequences of dual nationality in the military service context (strategy number 2). Persuaded by arguments that dual nationality engenders only minor problems while yielding offsetting benefits, and highly skeptical that dual nationality could be substantially reduced at acceptable costs, the author opts for strategy number two - addressing the specific problems that result when dual nationality policies and military service policies collide. The paper begins with brief commentary on the sources of dual nationality, the reasons for its rise, and the concerns (and benefits) it generates. The paper then examines various issues that can arise in Germany, the United States, and several of their respective migration source countries, including especially Turkey and Mexico. In analyzing those issues, the paper considers relevant domestic laws, three major international conventions on nationality, and 22 bilateral treaties. Four distinct but related problems are explored - eligibility requirements for voluntary enlistment in the armed forces; military conscription, especially the problems associated with dual or conflicting obligations; loss of nationality by either individual renunciation before military service or denationalization after foreign military service; and special problems that arise when the individual's states of nationality are engaged in armed conflict with one another.
Adoption Research: Building Blocks for the Next Decade.

Basic national and state adoption indicators are now unavailable and must await future data collection efforts. The focus of future efforts on the adoption of children in foster care is appropriate. Case-level adoption data with unique child indicators must be developed to advance the field and further clarify the odds of adoption and disruption. Available psychosocial research clearly indicates that adoption generally results in successful outcomes. Yet, more comparative research on differences between long-term outcomes for children who are adopted and those remaining in foster care would better estimate the value of adoption to children and the public. Rigorous research on strategies to successfully place children for adoption is essential.
Stochastic Differential Games and Intricacy of Information Structures

This chapter discusses, in both continuous time and discrete time, the issue of certainty equivalence in two-player zero-sum stochastic differential/dynamic games when the players have access to state information through a common noisy measurement channel. For the discrete-time case, the channel is also allowed to fail sporadically according to an independent Bernoulli process, leading to intermittent loss of measurements, where the players are allowed to observe past realizations of this process. A complete analysis of a parametrized two-stage stochastic dynamic game is conducted in terms of existence, uniqueness and characterization of saddle-point equilibria (SPE), which is shown to admit SPE of both certainty-equivalent (CE) and non-CE types, in different regions of the parameter space; for the latter, the SPE involves mixed strategies by the maximizer. The insight provided by the analysis of this game is used to obtain through an indirect approach SPE for three classes of differential/dynamic games: (i) linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) zero-sum differential games with common noisy measurements, (ii) discrete-time LQG zero-sum dynamic games with common noisy measurements, and (iii) discrete-time LQG zero-sum dynamic games with intermittently missing perfect state measurements. In all cases CE is a generalized notion, requiring two separate filters for the players, even though they have a common communication channel. Discussions on extensions to other classes of stochastic games, including nonzero-sum stochastic games, and on the challenges that lie ahead conclude the chapter.
Firearm Violence: A Global Priority for Nursing Science.

Purpose This purpose of this article is to frame firearm violence as a health and public health problem, to illustrate the magnitude of the problem, to examine factors that increase the risk to be injured by a firearm, or conversely, that confer protection, and to identify relevant priority areas for nursing science. Organizing construct Firearm violence results in physical and psychological injuries and is a global health priority. Firearm violence is categorized as intentional (interpersonal and self-inflicted) and unintentional (interpersonal and self-inflicted) and accounts for an estimated 196,000 to 220,000 nonconflict deaths annually. Methods We reviewed the theoretical and scientific literature to analyze the magnitude and geographic distribution of firearm violence, the factors associated with firearm injury, the consequences of firearm violence, and areas where nursing science can make an impact on prevention, outcomes, and recovery. Findings Firearm violence is a significant public health problem that affects the health of individuals, families, and communities. The burdens and contributors to firearm violence vary worldwide, making it important to understand the local context of this global phenomenon. Relevant areas of inquiry span primary prevention focusing on individual and environmental risk factors; and focus on managing the physical and psychological consequences postinjury; and mitigating long-term consequences of firearm violence. Conclusions Reducing the global burden of firearm violence and improving the health and safety of individuals, families, and communities provide compelling reasons to integrate this area into nursing science. Clinical relevance The goals of nursing are to keep people healthy and safe and to help return those injured to their optimal levels of health and well-being. Understanding the factors that come together to injure people with a firearm in various physical, social, economic, and cultural environments positions nurses to both extend the dialogue beyond pro-gun versus anti-gun and to design and carry out rigorous studies to reduce firearm violence.
Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia subtype glucokinase V91L mutant induces necrosis in β-cells via ATP depletion.

Abstract Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia subtype glucokinase (GCK-HH) is caused by an activating mutation in glucokinase (GCK) and has been shown to increase β-cell death. However, the mechanism of β-cell death in GCK-HH remains poorly understood. Here, we expressed the GCK-HH V91L GCK mutant in INS-1 832/13 cells to determine the effect of the mutation on β-cell viability and the mechanisms of β-cell death. We showed that expression of the V91L GCK mutant in INS-1 832/13 cells resulted in a rapid glucose concentration-dependent loss of cell viability. At 11 mM D -glucose, INS-1 832/13 cells expressing V91L GCK showed increased cell permeability without significant increases in Annexin V staining or caspase 3/7 activation, indicating that these cells are primarily undergoing cell death via necrosis. Over-expression of SV40 large T antigen, which inhibits the p53 pathway, did not affect the V91L GCK-induced cell death. We also found that non-phosphorylatable L -glucose did not induce rapid cell death. Of note, glucose phosphorylation coincided with a 90% loss of intracellular ATP content. Thus, our data suggest that the GCK V91L mutant induces rapid necrosis in INS-1 cells through accelerated glucose phosphorylation, ATP depletion, and increased cell permeability.
We Never Change, Do We? Economic Anxiety and Far‐Right Identification in a Postcrisis Europe*

Objective Macro‐level studies have consistently found a connection between economic crises and support for far‐right parties. However, research on the micro foundations for this electoral support has generally found little or no correlation between an individual's economic environment and far‐right voting. We test one possible explanation for this seeming paradox, namely, that determinants of far‐right identification differ across time and particularly in times of crisis. Methods Utilizing traditional representative data from Eurobarometer surveys in a manner that strips away confounding issues generally found in the extant literature, we directly test whether individuals concerned about their personal economic situation, or that of their country, are more likely to identify with far‐right ideological beliefs during economic crises. Results Ultimately, we find little evidence to support the claim that the Great Recession of 2007–2009 and its aftermath shifted the determinants of support for far‐right ideology, though prospective pocketbook concerns do increase the likelihood of identifying with the far right. Conclusions We discuss the implications of these findings and offer additional avenues for future research.
Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Corrosion-Fatigue Prognosis

In this paper, we present a novel physics-informed neural network modeling approach for corrosion-fatigue. The hybrid approach is designed to merge physics- informed and data-driven layers within deep neural networks. The result is a cumulative damage model where the physics-informed layers are used to model the relatively well understood physics (crack growth through Paris law) and the data-driven layers account for the hard to model effects (bias in damage accumulation due to corrosion). A numerical experiment is used to present the main features of the proposed physics-informed recurrent neural network for damage accumulation. The test problem consists of predicting corrosion-fatigue of an Al 2024-T3 alloy used on panels of aircraft wing. Besides cyclic loading, the panels are also subjected to saline corrosion. The physics-informed neural network is trained using full observation of inputs (far-field loads, stress ratio and a corrosivity index – defined per airport) and very limited observation of outputs (crack length at inspection for only a small portion of the fleet). Results show that the physics-informed neural network is able to learn the correction in the original fatigue model due to corrosion and predictions are accurate enough for ranking damage in different airplanes in the fleet (which can be used to prioritizing inspection).
A timeless model for the verification of quasi-periodic distributed systems

A cyber-physical system often consists of distributed multi-rate periodic processes that communicate using message passing; each process owns a local clock not synchronized with others. We call such systems quasi-periodic distributed systems. Traditionally, one would model them using timed automata, thereby having to deal with high-complexity verification problems. Recently, several researchers proposed discrete-time abstractions based on the calendar model to make the verification more tractable. However, even the calendar model contains a notion of time in the form of a global clock. We propose a novel, timeless computation model for quasi-periodic distributed systems to facilitate their verification. The main idea behind our model is to judiciously replace synchronization using a global clock and calendar with synchronization over lengths of message buffers. We introduce a simple domain-specific language for programming of such systems and use it to formalize the semantics of both the calendar and timeless model. Then, we prove that our timeless model is an overapproximation of the calendar model. Finally, we evaluate our timeless model using several benchmarks.
Abuse and Mistreatment of Athletes at US Universities: Legal Implications for Institutional Duty-to-Protect

The recent spate of high-profile cases detailing abuse, mistreatment, and catastrophic injuries, suffered by college athletes have raised concerns regarding their well-being and the quality of care they receive. Post-hoc investigations have often followed in such cases, in an attempt to determine the cause and what preventive actions could have been taken. With disturbing regularity, such investigations have uncovered institutional dereliction of duty to protect and failure to prevent continued misconduct by those with the ability and opportunity to do so. This study presents a documentary investigation into issues college athletes raised during their exit interviews at one university in the United States. This study details the communication chain from athlete to administration and whether athlete concerns received attention commensurate with the gravity of the issues raised. Findings presented here indicate that administrative officials appeared less concerned with athlete well-being than with avoiding attracting attention to potential institutional malfeasance. The congruity of these results with evidence from the broader college athlete population as well as legal implication for institutional duty of care are discussed.
Winning hearts and votes: Social services and the Islamist political advantage: by Steven Brooke, Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press, 2019, 234 pp., $39.95 (hardcover), ISBN-10: 1501730622

Steven Brooke’s Winning Hearts and Votes represents a major step forward in the systematic study of political Islam, social service provision, and clientelism. In contrast to many of the traditiona...
Safety signals for QT prolongation or Torsades de Pointes associated with azithromycin with or without chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine.

Abstract Background Combinations of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin have been promoted as treatments for COVID-19 based on small, uncontrolled clinical trials that have not assessed potential risks. Risks of treatment include QT segment prolongation, Torsades de Pointes (TdP), and death. This comparative pharmacovigilance analysis evaluated the risk of these events. Methods Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) (>13 million total reports) were used. Queries extracted reports based on exposures of HCQ/chloroquine (CQ) alone, azithromycin alone, HCQ/CQ + azithromycin, amoxicillin alone, HCQ/CQ + amoxicillin alone. Amoxicillin served as a control. Events of interest included death and TdP/QT prolongation as well as accidents/injuries and depression as control events. Proportional Reporting Ratios (PRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated where a lower limit of the of 95% CI (Lower95CI) value of ≥2.0 is interpreted as a potential safety signal. Results Lower95CIs for HCQ/CQ alone showed no potential safety signals for TdP/QT prolongation, death, or any of the control events included. The PRRs and 95% CIs for TdP/QT prolongation was 1.43 (1.29–2.59) with HCQ/CQ use alone and 4.10 (3.80–4.42) for azithromycin alone. For the combined HCQ/CQ + azithromycin group, the PRR and 95% CI was 3.77 (1.80–7.87). For the control of amoxicillin, there were no safety signals when used alone or in combination with HCQ/CQ. Conclusions HCQ/CQ use was not associated with a safety signal in this analysis of FAERS data. However, azithromycin used alone was associated with TdP/QT prolongation events and should be used with caution.
Disease- and Treatment-related Complications in Older Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Comparison of Adult-onset vs Elderly-onset Disease

Background The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in older adults are rising. There is a limited comparative assessment of risk of disease- and treatment-related complications in older patients (older than 60 years) with adult-onset (age at disease onset, 18-59 years; AO-IBD) vs elderly-onset IBD (age at disease onset, older than 60 years; EO-IBD). We compared clinical outcomes in older patients with IBD with AO-IBD vs EO-IBD. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing risk of disease-related complications (IBD-related surgery, hospitalization, treatment escalation, clinical flare, or disease complication) and treatment-related complications (serious infection, malignancy, or death) in older patients with AO-IBD vs EO-IBD through Cox proportional hazard analysis, adjusting for age at cohort entry, disease phenotype, disease duration, prior surgery and/or hospitalization, medication use, disease activity at cohort entry, and comorbidities. Results We included 356 older patients with IBD (AO-IBD, 191 patients, 67 ± 5 y at cohort entry; EO-IBD, 165 patients, 72 ± 8 y at cohort entry). No significant differences were observed in the risk of disease-related complications in older patients with prevalent vs incident IBD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.58-1.25), although risk of IBD-related surgery was lower in older patients with prevalent IBD (aHR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.25-0.89). Older patients with prevalent IBD were significantly less likely to experience treatment-related complications (aHR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39-0.87). Conclusion Patients with AO-IBD have lower risk of treatment-related complications as they age compared with patients with EO-IBD, without a significant difference in risk of disease-related complications.
Children Who Receive Special Education Services for ADHD: Early Indicators and Evidence of Disproportionate Representation in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K: 2011):

Approximately one in 10 children in the United States is diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a disability that can negatively affect academic achievement, yet relatively...
Kansas U.S. Senate Campaign: An Open Seat, But Not Enough of an Opening for Democrats

The retirement of four-term Senator Pat Roberts signaled the start of an expensive and nationalized open seat race. Though they had not elected a senator from the state since 1932, Kansas Democrats and outside interests saw an opening after statewide and congressional victories in 2018 ended a decade-long electoral drought. Despite a significant fundraising gap (but aided by Super PAC spending), Republican representative Roger Marshall was able to clear a crowded primary election field and defeat Democrat Barbara Bollier by a double-digit margin in the general election, continuing the long stretch of Republican dominance in Kansas Senate elections.
The Keys to Majority-Party Effectiveness in Congress

The fact is that no theoretical treatment of the United States Congress that posits parties as analytic units will go very far . – David Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection (1974, 27) First, let me admit that if I were writing The Electoral Connection today I would back off from claiming that “no theoretical treatment of the United States Congress that posits parties as analytic units will go very far.” Still, I have not seen any evidence that today’s congressional party leaders “whip” or “pressure” their members more frequently or effectively than did their predecessors thirty years ago. – David Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection (2nd Edition, 2004, xvii) The victors were celebrating across Michigan that night. In the Upper Peninsula, Bart Stupak was celebrating his reelection to an eighth term in Congress. On November 7, 2006, the Roman Catholic, pro-life, former police officer once again handily defeated the same Republican he had overcome in 2002 and 2004, each time more than doubling his opponent’s vote share . Far to the southeastern part of the state, Joe Knollenberg was celebrating a much tighter race. Also a white, male, Roman Catholic, seven-term member of Congress, the incumbent was feeling the changing nature of his district – still able to rely on the Republican-leaning city of Troy and the conservative suburbs of Oakland County, but noticing the rising tide of Democratic support near Detroit, and a Democratic surge in the 2006 election year more generally. The previously safe Republican had to spend nearly $3 million to defeat his Democratic opponent by six points. Yet, despite a more uncertain race, and thus a more satisfying victory, Knollenberg’s celebration was perhaps a bit less enthusiastic than that of the Stupak camp .
The Uses and Abuses of Incumbency: People v. Ohrenstein and the Limits of Inherent Legislative Power

ly between legislating and campaigning for reelection. Nevertheless, in practice, the two functions are so inseparably intertwined that there is no way to regulate the latter without impinging unacceptably on the former. Any serious attempt to deprive legislators of the opportunity to use the advantages available to them as incumbents would have the highly undesirable effect of crippling their ability to perform effectively the various functions that fall within the proper domain of the legislative
Experimental Studies of Circumstellar, Interstellar and Interplanetary Refractory Grains Analogs

The history of refractory matter in the universe can be extremely complex. After synthesis in stellar interiors and migration to the stellar surface, refractory atoms and molecules can be expelled in a variety of ways as part of a circumstellar outflow. If conditions are right, nucleation occurs and circumstellar grains begin to grow via a series of potentially independent chemical pathways. Depending upon conditions within the circumstellar shell, numerous changes might occur in the structure of the grain prior to its ejection into the interstellar medium. Once in the interstellar medium, grains can be destroyed via shock processes or could survive and accrete the refractory vapor liberated in the destruction of other grains. This materials could then be metamorphosed via UV, X-ray or proton bombardment. During the collapse of a giant molecular cloud to form a protostar, a new set of metamorphic influences might be encountered including thermal annealing, partial melting, distillation, hydrous alteration, oxidation (or reduction), growth and coagulation.
Publications of Ellis R. Kerley (1924-1998).

Ellis R. Kerley (1924–1998) published at least 40 works between the years 1957 and 1988. These include four reviews, 10 abstracts, 23 articles and book chapters, and three monographic works.
THE PERCEPTION AND IMPACT OF NATURAL HAZARDS ON FISHING COMMUNITIES OF KUTUBDIA ISLAND, BANGLADESH*

Natural hazards lead to unexpected and often dire situations for people who have few resources and little control over the environment in which they live. Kutubdia, an island in the southeastern part of Bangladesh, experiences frequent natural hazards that impact the livelihoods of its people and put them in vulnerable situations. The research elaborated here is the result of 300 household surveys collected from persons in Kutub- dia's fishing communities. The surveys investigated the perception and consequences of natural hazards on the fishing communities. The results indicated that the experience of natural hazards—cyclones, erosion, and flooding are examples—have increased over the years. Coastal erosion displaced seventy-two (24 percent) fishers, forcing them to relocate their houses several times and imposing multiple challenges on their lives. Literacy was not associated with perceptions of environmental changes or changes in fishing. However, young fishers—less than forty years of age—perceived that environmental changes had affected fish catch more than their older colleagues. Keywords: natural hazards, perception, fishing communities, Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh In Bangladesh, fish and fisheries are an inseparable part of the day-to-day life and livelihoods of the people. The fisheries sector plays a significant role in alleviating protein shortages, providing jobs, earning foreign currencies, and the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh. The fisheries sector contributes 4.43 percent to the national GDP and 22.21 percent to the total agricultural GDP (DoF 2011). Currently, fisheries are the second largest export sector in Bangla- desh (Chowdhury, Sukhan, and Hannan 2010; Wahab and others 2012). In the fiscal year of 2010-2011, the total of the country's export earnings from this sec- tor was 2.73 percent (DoF 2011). An estimated 1.4 million people are engaged fulltime and 12 million people as part time in the fisheries sector (Ahmed, Halim, and Sultana 2012). An overwhelming majority of these people are con- centrated in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. The total population living in the coastal zone of Bangladesh is about 36 million (Islam 2004). The livelihoods of coastal communities are highly dependent on agriculture, fishing, forestry, transportation, and salt farming (Miah, Bari, and Rahman 2010). Although the people of Bangladesh are, in *We would like to acknowledge the Gandhi Scholarship and Beck Research Fund provided by the Depart-
Vascular ECE-1 mRNA expression decreases in response to estrogens

DNA microarrays were used to identify new targets of estrogen in the vasculature. Ovariectomized rats were treated with estradiol, genistein or daidzein, for four days. [33P]dCTP-labelled probes synthesized from mesenteric artery RNA were hybridized with DNA microarrays. Analysis of the microarray data identified endothelin converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) as a gene whose expression was inhibited by treatment with estrogen, genistein, or daidzein. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to confirm the data from the DNA microarrays. Reversal of the estrogen and phytoestrogen effect on ECE-1 expression by ICI 182,780 suggested that the inhibition was an estrogen receptor response. An inhibition of ECE-1 mRNA expression by estrogen or the phytoestrogens has not been previously reported. These data highlight the power of DNA microarray technology to identify new gene expression targets of estrogen in the vasculature. Moreover, the data suggest that genistein and daidzein inhibit ECE-1 expression by an estrogen receptor-mediated mechanism.
High temperature direct contact membrane distillation based desalination using PTFE hollow fibers

Abstract Thermally driven direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD)-based desalination process involving a microporous hydrophobic membrane separates a hot brine feed and a cold distillate which condenses the water vapor coming from the hot brine through the gas-filled membrane pores. Conventionally DCMD has been explored for hot brines and other aqueous solutions below 100 °C. For feed brines above 100 °C, desalination by a conventional membrane technique, such as, reverse osmosis (RO) requires cooling of the feed solution costing additional energy since RO cannot utilize the heat available in the feed solution; DCMD process is ideally suited for such a process. Produced water obtained from steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process is one such example where DCMD can potentially be a very useful process. This process has been explored earlier with flat porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes. In this paper, desalination by the DCMD technique has been explored in the temperature range of 50–120 °C for brine solutions containing 10,000 ppm sodium chloride using microporous PTFE hollow fiber membranes. The pressure of the solution went up to 2–3 atm. There was no leakage of salt under any conditions. The highest water vapor flux achieved was 115 kg/m 2 h at 118 °C, which is close to an order of magnitude higher than that for seawater reverse osmosis (RO) processes. A simulated SAGD produced water was also successfully desalinated.
The Relationship between the Location of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Facilities and Child Death from Trauma: A County-level Ecologic Study

Objectives To describe the relationship between the location of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) facilities and county-level child death from trauma in the contiguous USA. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional ecologic study using county-level data on death due to trauma in children 0 to 14 years of age from 1996 to 1998. These data were linked to 1997 county-level data on availability of PICU facilities. Results In 1997, PICU facilities were present in 9% of USA counties. There were 18,337 childhood deaths from trauma in the study period. The presence of PICU facilities in a county was associated with lower mortality from trauma (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.72; 95% CI 0.67-0.78) compared to counties without PICU facilities. After controlling for residence in rural and low-income counties, and the presence of adult medicosurgical intensive care units, the presence of PICU facilities in a county remained associated with lower rates of death from trauma (IRR = 0.82; 95% CI 0.75-0.89). Conclusion The presence of PICU facilities is related to lower mortality rates due to traumatic injuries at the county level. This finding may reflect the concentration of pediatric subspecialty care in counties with PICUs. This association merits further study with individual-level observations.
Loss of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor: differential action on transcriptional programs related to cell cycle control and immune function

Functional inactivation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene product (RB) is a common event in human cancers. Classically, RB functions to constrain cellular proliferation, and loss of RB is proposed to facilitate the hyperplastic proliferation associated with tumorigenesis. To understand the repertoire of regulatory processes governed by RB, two models of RB loss were utilized to perform microarray analysis. In murine embryonic fibroblasts harboring germline loss of RB, there was a striking deregulation of gene expression, wherein distinct biological pathways were altered. Specifically, genes involved in cell cycle control and classically associated with E2F-dependent gene regulation were upregulated via RB loss. In contrast, a program of gene expression associated with immune function and response to pathogens was significantly downregulated with the loss of RB. To determine the specific influence of RB loss during a defined period and without the possibility of developmental compensation as occurs in embryonic fibroblasts, a second system was employed wherein Rb was acutely knocked out in adult fibroblasts. This model confirmed the distinct regulation of cell cycle and immune modulatory genes through RB loss. Analyses of cis-elements supported the hypothesis that the majority of those genes upregulated with RB loss are regulated via the E2F family of transcription factors. In contrast, those genes whose expression was reduced with the loss of RB harbored different promoter elements. Consistent with these analyses, we found that disruption of E2F-binding function of RB was associated with the upregulation of gene expression. In contrast, cells harboring an RB mutant protein (RB-750F) that retains E2F-binding activity, but is specifically deficient in the association with LXCXE-containing proteins, failed to upregulate these same target genes. However, downregulation of genes involved in immune function was readily observed with disruption of the LXCXE-binding function of RB. Thus, these studies demonstrate that RB plays a significant role in both the positive and negative regulations of transcriptional programs and indicate that loss of RB has distinct biological effects related to both cell cycle control and immune function.
Infrared Search for Young Stars in H I High-Velocity Clouds

We have searched the IRAS Point Source Catalog and HIRES maps for young stellar objects (YSOs) in the direction of five H I high-velocity clouds (HVCs). In agreement with optical searches in the halo, no evidence was found for extensive star formation activity inside the high-latitude HVCs. Specifically, we have found no signs of star formation or YSOs in the direction of the A IV cloud or in the very high velocity clouds HVC 110-07-465 and HVC 114-10-440. We have identified only one young star in the direction of the M I.1 cloud, which shows almost perfect alignment with a knot of H I emission. Because of the small number of early-type stars observed in the halo, the probability of such a positional coincidence is low; thus this young star appears to be physically associated with the M I.1 cloud. We have also identified a good YSO candidate in the H I shell-like structure observed in the core region of the low-latitude cloud complex H (HVC 131+01-200). This region could be a supernova remnant with several other YSO candidates formed along the shock front produced by the explosion. In agreement with recent theoretical estimates, these results point to a low but significant star formation rate in intermediate and high Galactic latitude HVCs. For M I.1 in particular, we estimate that the efficiency of the star formation process is M(YSO)/M(H I) 10-4 to 10-3 by mass. Such efficiency is sufficient to account for (1) the existence of the few young blue stars whose ages imply that they were born in the Galactic halo and (2) the nonprimordial metallicities inferred for some HVCs if their metal content proves to be low.
Metronidazole for the treatment of vaginal infections.

Introduction: Metronidazole, undoubtedly the most widely known and used member of the nitroimidazole drug class, remains not only first line therapy for bacterial vaginosis (BV) and trichomoniasis, but serves as drug of first choice. Available and used both orally and topically with high efficacy rates, especially for trichomoniasis, nevertheless numerous unanswered questions remain regarding mechanism of action. Given the extraordinary global frequency of vaginitis due to BV and trichomoniasis, especially the high recurrence rate observed in BV, it is timely to critically examine the therapeutic role of metronidazole in management decisions.Areas covered: Search methodology used PUBMED literature review. In spite of many years of successful use, multiple questions exist regarding optimal dose and duration of therapy especially in the management of BV. Antimicrobial drug resistance remains uncommon in spite of extensive use. The use of metronidazole for vaginitis is reviewed in this article together with ...
Distributed Reference-Free Fault Detection Method for Autonomous Wireless Sensor Networks

Compact and low-cost sensors used in wireless sensor networks are vulnerable to deterioration and failure. As the number and scale of sensor deployments grow, the failure of sensors becomes an increasingly paramount issue. This paper presents a distributed, reference-free fault detection algorithm that is based on local pair-wise verification between sensors monitoring the same physical system. Specifically, a linear relationship is shown to exist between the outputs of a pair of sensors measuring the same system. Using this relationship, faulty sensors may be detected within subsystems of the global system. Moreover, faulty sensors suffering from sparse spikes in their measurements can be identified with spike magnitudes and times accurately estimated. An appealing feature of the proposed method is that the need for reference sensors and complete knowledge of the system input are not required. Due to the pair-wise nature of the proposed algorithm, it can also be performed in a completely decentralized fashion. This ensures the method can be scaled to large sensor networks and lead to significant energy savings derived from reduced wireless communication compared to centralized approaches.
Physical Attractiveness, Age, and Sex as Determinants of Reactions to Resumes.

Physical attractiveness, age, and sex were manipulated to determine their effect on the evaluation of 54 (18 per job) hypothetical applicants' resumes for 3 different jobs (tax manager of an industrial firm, postmaster, and vice principal of a high school) by 60 MBA students (20 MBA student-raters per job), evenly divided between the 2 sexes and among 3 age levels, who voluntarily participated in the 3 experiments. As hypothesized, physical attractiveness favorably influenced ( p < .01) the suitability ratings for all jobs; raters’ sex was not significant but applicants’ sex significantly ( p < .03) affected ratings for the job of tax manager; and applicants’ age as a main effect was significant ( p < .05) for 1 job (vice principal) but the raters’ age was not significant for any. A number of interactions, some of which were hypothesized, emerged as significant ( p < .05), which indicated that age and sex biases operate in a subtle and complex fashion and are moderated by a number of social and personal attributes of the raters and the ratees.