cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utility of endtidal carbon dioxide monitoring in detection of hypoxia during sedation for brain magnetic resonance imaging in children with developmental disabilities.

Summary Background: We have shown previously that children with developmental disabilities have three times higher incidence of sedation-related hypoxia when compared with normal children. Objectives: Our objectives were to describe the changes in endtidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) values and the utility of ETCO2 monitoring in earlier identification of hypoxia during sedation for brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with developmental disabilities. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of a convenience sample of 150 children with developmental disabilities aged 1–10 years who received intravenous sedation for brain MRI. Children were sedated and monitored according to the institution’s sedation protocol. We recorded ETCO2 levels, hypoxia, and adverse events during sedation. Hypoxia was defined as SpO2 < 93%. A change in ETCO2 level ≥ 10 mm Hg from presedation baseline, an intra-sedation ≥ 50 mm Hg, and loss of capnographic waveform were considered as significant ETCO2 abnormalities. Results: Of the children, 80.7% (121/150) were sedated with a combination of pentobarbital and fentanyl. ETCO2 abnormalities were noted in 42.6% (64/150) of sedation encounters. Hypoxia occurred in 18% (27/150) of subjects. ETCO2 abnormalities were documented in 19(70%) patients with hypoxia before changes in pulse oximetry were noted. ETCO2 changes were noted a mean of 4.38 ± 1.89 min prior to occurrence of hypoxia. Conclusions: ETCO2 abnormalities and hypoxia occur commonly during sedation in children with developmental disabilities. ETCO2 monitoring is useful in early recognition of impending hypoxia during sedation in children with developmental disabilities.
Language Rights and Minorities (Bi-Lingual) (Sprachenrechte Und Minderheiten (Zweisprachig))

This article describes the right to language in national and international law. The rights of linguistic minorities are most often recognized as emanations of the right to equal protection, the right to political participation, and/or the right to self-defense at trial. This article places language rights in the context of history and the transformation of the state. The article is presented as a bi-lingual parallel text in English and German. Parallel texts enable language acquisition and formation of exact comparative legal terms.
Isolation and characterization of rat trophoblast cells.

Abstract Previous immunohistochemical studies of the rat placenta using specific alloantisera and/or monoclonal antibodies showed that the basal zone trophoblasts stained for Pa and Aa class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens and for the human SP1-related antigen. In an effort to isolate the basal zone trophoblast cells from the rat placenta, we used these markers to assess the degree of purification of the cells separated by density gradient centrifugation using either Ficoll-Hypaque or Percoll as the gradient medium. The cells were put either on the top or at the bottom of discontinuous density gradients in the range of 1.005-1.10 g/ml. The cell separation profiles for the two media were different. With Percoll, most of the trophoblast cells (80-95%) were collected at the density gradients 1.04/1.06 and 1.06/1.08, whereas with Ficoll-Hypaque, these gradients separated only a small fraction (4-23%) of the trophoblast cells, and most of them pelleted at the bottom of the tube. The trophoblast cells separated by Ficoll-Hypaque, however, showed fewer contaminant cells than those separated by the Percoll gradients.
Chapter 2 High-Frequency Current Modulation of Semiconductor Injection Lasers

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the basic background on direct modulation characteristics of semiconductor injection lasers of various structures, explains their various modes of behavior in physical terms, and explores the ultimate limitations in attaining the ever-increasing modulation bandwidths. The emphasis of previous experimental and theoretical work was more on investigating modulation characteristics of existing laser structures than on developing ideal laser structures for high-speed modulation. The chapter places its emphasis on the latter. A systematic investigation of how various device parameters affect high-frequency characteristics yields general guidelines for constructing a laser geared toward high-speed modulation. Although the focus of the chapter is GaAlAs/GaAs-type ternary lasers, the GaInAsP/InP-type quaternary lasers are expected to have substantially similar characteristics. The chapter points out cases for which differences occur.
Neuropsychological function in patients with Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease from the Indiana kindred (F198S).

Three patients with Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) caused by a serine-for-phenylalanine substitution at codon 198 of the prion protein gene (PRNP) were compared to 9 age- and education-matched non-mutation-carriers from the same large Indiana kindred (GSS-IK) on a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Clinically significant impairments in intelligence, secondary memory, attention and cognitive processing speed, executive ability, and manual motor skills were noted in 2 patients. The wide range and the severity of the cognitive deficits indicated generalized cerebral dysfunction consistent with global dementia. One patient, symptomatic for less than 1 year, had more selective deficits involving memory, motor skills, and verbal fluency, suggesting early subcortical involvement.
Histone and ribosomal RNA repetitive gene clusters of the boll weevil are linked in a tandem array.

imb_1006 463..472 Histones are the major protein component of chromatin structure. The histone family is made up of a quintet of proteins, four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 & H4) and the linker histones (H1). Spacers are found between the coding regions. Among insects this quintet of genes is usually clustered and the clusters are tandemly repeated. Ribosomal DNA contains a cluster of the rRNA sequences 18S, 5.8S and 28S. The rRNA genes are separated by the spacers ITS1, ITS2 and IGS. This cluster is also tandemly repeated. We found that the ribosomal RNA repeat unit of at least two species of Anthonomine weevils, Anthonomus grandis and Anthonomus texanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is interspersed with a block containing the histone gene quintet. The histone genes are situated between the rRNA 18S and 28S genes in what is known as the intergenic spacer region (IGS). The complete reiterated Anthonomus grandis histoneribosomal sequence is 16 248 bp.
Alpha)3(beta)1 integrin regulates epithelial cytoskeletal organization

Epithelial cell morphology and cytoskeletal organization are determined by interactions, with both adjacent cells and the extracellular matrix, which are mediated by integrins and cadherins. Little is known, however, of the relative contributions of integrins and cadherins to maintaining the sub-cortical cytoskeleton characteristic of epithelial cells. Since most studies that utilize integrin-blocking antibodies result in a loss of both cell-cell adhesion and sub-cortical cytoskeletal organization, it has been difficult to distinguish whether integrins and cadherins both mediate cytoskeletal assembly in epithelial cells. Therefore, cells derived from kidney collecting ducts of (alpha)3(beta)1 integrin-deficient mice were used to examine the role of integrins in epithelial cell morphology and cytoskeletal organization. In primary cell culture, (alpha)3(beta)1 integrin-deficient kidney collecting duct cells maintain cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesions but fail to form the sub-cortical cytoskeleton that is characteristic of epithelial cells, and instead assemble actin stress fibers. Moreover, the cell-cell junctions in mutant cells were irregular, rather than being uniformly oriented perpendicular to the culture substrate. These results demonstrated that integrins have an primary and essential function in establishing and maintaining the sub-cortical cytoskeleton that is characteristic of epithelial cells. To further study the role of (alpha)3(beta)1 integrin in establishing and maintaining cytoskeletal organization in tubular epithelial cells, we derived immortalized cell lines from wild-type and (alpha)3(beta)1 integrin-deficient kidney collecting ducts that duplicated the cytoskeletal and cadherin organization observed in primary cells. E-cadherin and (alpha)- and (beta)-catenin were complexed together in equal amounts in membranes of wild-type and (alpha)3(beta)1 integrin-deficient cells. However, association of the cadherin:catenin complex with (alpha)-actinin was greatly decreased in mutant cells, indicating that integrin-mediated assembly of the sub-cortical cytoskeleton is essential for subsequent association of the cytoskeleton with the cadherin:catenin complex. These results present direct evidence for integrin:cadherin cross-regulation in which cadherin function is dependent on the presence of an integrin.
New insights into the colonization of the deep sea: Systematics and zoogeography of the Munnidae and the Pleurogoniidae comb. nov. (Isopoda; Janiroidea)

Summary The Munnidae (sensu Wolff 1962) are a heterogeneous group of tiny marine isopods (Asellota; Janiroidea) generally characterized by stalked eyes and an ambulatory epibenthic existence. They are found in shallow water in many parts of the world, especially in colder regions, and are a small component of the deep-sea fauna. This paper deals with the systematics and zoogeography of these isopods in two sections. The first section redefines the Munnidae and erects a new family with an old name, the Pleurogoniidae. The relationships of the genera in these two new taxa are discussed and the systematics of two related families, the Antiasidae and the Abyssianiridae, is clarified. The second section examines the zoogeographic data on the basis of this new systematic information. The Munnidae are found to be an essentially cosmopolitan, shallow-water family with a few species in the deep sea with very broad depth ranges, perhaps related to the apparent eurytopy of many munnid species. The evidence suggests ...
Women's health issues: a review of the current literature in the social work journals, 1985-1992.

To assess the ways in which social work is addressing issues in women's health care, the profession's journals from 1985-1992 were searched, yielding 36 articles. Over half addressed issues of rcproduction and sexuality including prcgnancy, Family nlanninc, abortion, substance abuse in pregnancy, and fetal oroteciion poficies. ~emainin~ articles addrs including AIDS/HIV/STDs, cancer, illnesses associated with aging, PMS, Turner's Syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Foci, methodologies, and recommendations are discussed and the authors critically analyze the articles' reflections of the status of women's health as a social work concern.
Mathematical analysis of the radiation from a magnetic line source on a cylindrically capped wedge covered by a plasma sheath

Radial eigenfunctions appropriate for the dielectric (or plasma) layered medium and air are used to obtain an exact solution of the problem of radiation from a magnetic line source (or a slotted antenna) on a conducting infinite wedge with a cylindrical cap covered by a dielectric (or plasma) sheath. In order to satisfy the boundary conditions at the interfaces between the dielectric (or plasma) and the air, it is necessary to expand the radial eigenfunctions of one medium in terms of those of the other.
Truncation of the Mrp20 protein reveals new ribosome‐assembly subcomplex in mitochondria

Mitochondrial ribosomal protein 20 (Mrp20) is a component of the yeast mitochondrial large (54S) ribosomal subunit and is homologous to the bacterial L23 protein, located at the ribosomal tunnel exit site. The carboxy-terminal mitochondrial-specific domain of Mrp20 was found to have a crucial role in the assembly of the ribosomes. A new, membrane-bound, ribosomal-assembly subcomplex composed of known tunnel-exit-site proteins, an uncharacterized ribosomal protein, MrpL25, and the mitochondrial peroxiredoxin (Prx), Prx1, accumulates in an mrp20ΔC yeast mutant. Finally, data supporting the idea that the inner mitochondrial membrane acts as a platform for the ribosome assembly process are discussed.
A new modeling algorithm for implicit surface polygonalization

We propose a new implicit surface polygonalization algorithm based on front propagation. The algorithm starts from a simple seed (e.g. a triangle) that can be automatically initialized, and always enlarges its boundary contour outwards along its tangent direction suggested by the underlying volume data. Our algorithm can conduct mesh optimization and Laplacian smoothing on-the-fly and generate meshes of much higher quality than the Marching-cubes algorithm. Experimental results on both real and synthetic volumetric datasets are shown to demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of the new algorithm.
N-glycosyl bond formation catalyzed by human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase.

The removal of damaged bases by DNA glycosylases is thought to be effectively irreversible, because of an overall equilibrium that favors hydrolysis over synthesis of the N-glycosyl bond. Surprisingly, human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) can make damaged DNA by catalyzing formation of an N-glycosyl bond between 1,N6-ethenoadenine (eA) and abasic DNA. We attribute the ready reversibility of this glycosylase reaction to the exceptionally tight binding and slow subsequent hydrolysis of DNA containing an eA lesion. In principle, reversibility could provide a mechanism for direct reversal of base damage by a DNA glycosylase, allowing the glycosylase to bypass the rest of the base excision repair pathway.
Proving Value and Improving Practice: Using System Data to Analyze User Behaviors

Today's library systems collect and supply a wealth of transaction data. The unobtrusive data collected by these systems can help us understand our users' search and information-retrieval behaviors. Analyzing user behaviors challenges or reinforces our practices, and the changes we make should not be simply consumer preferences but based upon the analysis of usage patterns and search behavior. Institutions of any size can use a cyclical grounded theory model to look at the unobtrusive data that is available from systems such as WorldCat Local, Google Analytics, and others to reveal our users' information-seeking behaviors. The author's model shows how system-generated data can be a part of an assessment strategy for ongoing improvement that can be implemented by small academic libraries. By articulating inputs consisting of goals, users, and performance indicators, and by utilizing a grounded-theory approach, libraries can observe behaviors that can inform, as well as reveal, outputs.
Polynomial ordination: Field and computer simulation testing of a new method

Recent studies suggest problems resulting from using essentially linear ordination techniques on non-linear ecological data. A new non-linear method, termed polynomial ordination, was developed in response to these problems. Its effectiveness was compared to that of two standard techniques, Bray-Curtis ordination and principal components analysis, by testing with both simulated and field data. The original species axes are resolved into their principal components. If significant curvilinear relationships between principal components are present, new axes are defined along these curves. The coordinates of positions of the sample points along the axes are then determined. Using simulated data, the coordinates of the sample points on the first axis were compared to their coordinates on the original simulated gradient. Two statistics were used to evaluate how well the gradient was recovered. Of the methods tested, polynomial ordination best placed the samples in the correct order, although principal components analysis better recovered their absolute positions. Ordinations of vegetation samples along a Sonoran Desert bajada by all three methods suggested that soil particle size is a major environmental gradient affecting the species composition of the vegetation.
Electoral Support for Tax Cuts: A Case Study of the 1980 American Presidential Election

The 1980 American presidential election, in which Ronald Reagan pledged to cut federal income taxes by 30%, provides a case study for the electoral impact of tax cuts and the sources of voter suppo...
The p80 TNF receptor-associated kinase (p80TRAK) associates with residues 354–397 of the p80 cytoplasmic domain: similarity to casein kinase

The cytoplasmic domain of the p80 TNF receptor associates with a protein kinase, termed p80TRAK, that phosphorylates both the p60 and p80 TNF receptors. To determine the region of the cytoplasmic domain that is necessary for binding of p80TRAK and the region that it phosphorylates, a series of deletions of the p80 cytoplasmic domain were constructed and expressed as glutathione-S-transferase fusion proteins. These fusions were then used to examine the binding of p80TRAK derived from cellular extracts. We found that out of 174 residues (266–439) in the cytoplasmic domain of p80 receptor, 44 residues (354–397) were sufficient for binding of p80TRAK. Interestingly, this was also the region that contained the phosphorylation site for p80TRAK. Phosphoamino acid analysis of this region revealed phosphorylation primarily on serine residues. Furthermore, we found that, like p80TRAK, purified casein kinase 1 (CK1) also binds to residues 354–397 of the p80 TNF receptor and causes its phosphorylation. Additionally, the activity of p80TRAK was inhibited by CK1-7, the CK1-specific inhibitor. Thus, our results indicate that p80TRAK associates with a short stretch of ∼44 residues located in the cytoplasmic domain of the p80 TNF receptor and that this kinase is similar to CK1.
Study of ( p , n ) Reactions between 100 and 400 MeV

Excitation functions of ($p,n$) reactions have been determined for proton energies between 100 and 400 MeV using targets of ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{45}$, ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{64}$, ${\mathrm{Rh}}^{103}$, ${\mathrm{Te}}^{130}$, and ${\mathrm{W}}^{186}$. The energy dependence of the cross sections was found to vary from ${E}^{\ensuremath{-}1.31}$ to ${E}^{\ensuremath{-}0.75}$ over this range of mass numbers. This variation is apparently related to the increase in attenuation of the incident and outgoing nucleon waves with increasing target mass number. The experimental cross sections were compared with Monte Carlo cascade calculations based on a simple model which did not take refraction of the incident protons into account and which made use of a square-well nuclear potential. Serious deviations were observed between the calculated and the experimental energy dependencies, indicating the necessity of employing a more sophisticated model than one based on simple intranuclear nucleon-nucleon cascades.
A composable cryptographic library with nested operations

We present the first idealized cryptographic library that can be used like the Dolev-Yao model for automated proofs of cryptographic protocols that use nested cryptographic operations, while coming with a cryptographic implementation that is provably secure under active attacks.
Race, issue engagement, and political participation: Evidence from the 1987 general social survey

Abstract Previous research suggests that attitudes on particular issues motivate political activity directed at these issues, but do not motivate political participation more generally. Using data from a national sample of the 1987 U.S. adult population that replicated the political participation items from Verba and Nie's (1972) classic study, I study the relevance of views on a salient issue of the time, government help for blacks, for political participation by African Americans and by whites. Although these views generally did not affect participation within either race, they did affect voting by whites, who were more likely to vote if they opposed government aid to blacks. Additionally, those African Americans who most strongly favored such help were less likely to vote than other African Americans. The findings indicate that views on government help for blacks differentially motivate African-American and white voting levels.
Successful pregnancy outcome after cervical dilation with multiple laminaria tents in preparation for second-trimester elective abortion: A report of two cases

Two patients at 22 weeks' gestation underwent extensive cervical dilation with laminaria tents for elective abortion but continued their pregnancies instead. Both had normal deliveries. For the unusual patient who chooses not to carry out an abortion initiated with cervical dilation, successful pregnancy is possible and therapeutic intervention such as cervical cerclage seems inadvisable.
Risky Business: Of Dogs and Ethics in a Story by Yayā aqqī

Yahyā Haqqī’s short story “Antar and Juliet” depicts a tragic encounter between two characters from different social worlds. Although the story could be read as a depiction of the stark reality of class difference, this article explores the characters’ varying degrees of willingness to expose themselves to risk. Using ideas about tragedy and ethics developed by Martha Nussbaum, it is argued that the story portrays the good life as one constituted by ties to others, but also as one that, because of its openness to the world, brings with it the very real possibility of disaster.
Observations of preburst heating and magnetic field changes in a coronal loop at 20 cm wavelength

The Very Large Array (VLA) has been used at 20 cm wavelength to study the evolution of a burst loop with 4″ resolution on timescales as short as 10 s. The VLA observations show that the coronal loop began to heat up and change its structure about 15 min before the eruption of two impulsive bursts. The first of these bursts occurred near the top of the loop that underwent preburst heating, while the second burst probably occurred along the legs of an adjacent loop. These observations evoke flare models in which coronal loops twist, develop magnetic instabilities and then erupt. We also combine the VLA observations with GOES X-ray data to derive a peak electron temperature of Te = 2.5 × 107 K and an average electron density of Ne ≈ 1 × 1010 cm−3 in the coronal loop during the preburst heating phase.
A low complexity, medium data rate, ultra-wideband communication method and system

This paper describes a low complexity, medium data rate, short-range, ultra-wideband (UWB) communication system suitable for low-cost and low-power personal area wireless network (PAN) applications. The system combines pulsed and orthogonal frequency communication techniques. The data bits to be transmitted are encoded with antipodal base-band signals generated using a set of orthogonal sinusoidal sub-carriers. The resulting signal is amplitude modulated into a radio-frequency signal with a bandwidth greater than 500MHz. This approach maximizes transmitted signal power for a fixed maximum power spectral density (PSD) and bandwidth. Using an antipodal modulation scheme minimizes the bit error rate of the communication system. The system can use the UWB frequency band plan defined for the multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing standard (MB-OFDM), and adapt the transmitted signal spectrum to the bands authorized in a given geographical area. Experimental tests were carried out for a carrier frequency of 3.96 GHz and a bandwidth of 500 MHz (at - 10dB level), and with a maximum transmitted PSD limited to - 41.3 dBm/MHz. The proposed system has a demonstrated operational line-of-sight communication distance of 7 m for a data rate in the range 16 - 25 Mbit/s and a bit error rate less than 10-4 without an error correction code.
The effects of location, experiences with the civil disturbances and religion on death anxiety and manifest anxiety in a sample of Northern Ireland university students.

A total of 315 Northern Ireland university students were compared to 302 Republic of Ireland university students in terms of death anxiety, manifest anxiety, and perception of dangerousness of aspects of their environment and attitudes toward the civil disturbances in Northern Ireland. Also using these variables in the Northern Ireland sample, Protestants were compared to Catholics, those having had experiences with the disturbances were compared to those not having had such experiences, and those living in nominally dangerous areas of Belfast were compared to those living in nominally safer areas of Belfast. Students living in Northern Ireland had higher death anxiety and stronger fears than students living in the Republic. Those having had experiences with the civil violence had higher manifest anxiety and stronger fears than those not having has such experiences. Persons living in safe environments thought the disturbances to be more serious than those living in more dangerous environments, a result which is discussed in terms of the media and cognitive dissonance. Finally, an argument is made that the influence of religious denomination is an overemphasized variable in the understanding of the civil disturbances. Language: en
Training specificity and transfer in time and distance estimation

Learning is often specific to the conditions of training, making it important to identify which aspects of the testing environment are crucial to be matched in the training environment. In the present study, we examined training specificity in time and distance estimation tasks that differed only in the focus of processing (FOP). External spatial cues were provided for the distance estimation task and for the time estimation task in one condition, but not in another. The presence of a concurrent alphabet secondary task was manipulated during training and testing in all estimation conditions in Experiment 1. For distance as well as for time estimation in both conditions, training of the primary estimation task was found to be specific to the presence of the secondary task. In Experiments 2 and 3, we examined transfer between one estimation task and another, with no secondary task in either case. When all conditions were equal aside from the FOP instructions, including the presence of external spatial cues, Experiment 2 showed “transfer” between tasks, suggesting that training might not be specific to the FOP. When the external spatial cues were removed from the time estimation task, Experiment 3 showed no transfer between time and distance estimations, suggesting that external task cues influenced the procedures used in the estimation tasks.
Analysis of the backward-Euler/Langevin method for molecular dynamics

This paper develops the theory of a recently introduced computational method for molecular dynamics. The method in question uses the backward-Euler method to solve the classical Langevin equations of a molecular system. Parameters are chosen to produce a cutoff frequency ωc, which may be set equal to kT/h to simulate quantum-mechanical effects. In the present paper, an ensemble of identical Hamiltonian systems modeled by the backward-Euler/Langevin method is considered, an integral equation for the equilibrium phase-space density is derived, and an asymptotic analysis of that integral equation in the limit Δt 0 is performed. The result of this asymptotic analysis is a second-order partial differential equation for the equilibrium phase-space density expressed as a function of the constants of the motion. This equation is solved in two special cases: a system of coupled harmonic oscillators and a diatomic molecule with a stiff bond.
Two derivative-free optimization algorithms for mesh quality improvement

High-quality meshes are essential in the solution of partial differential equations (PDEs), which arise in numerous science and engineering applications, as the mesh quality affects the solution accuracy, the solver execution time, and the problem conditioning. Mesh quality improvement is necessary when the mesh is of less than desirable quality (either from mesh generation or deformation). Nondifferentiable objective functions arise when the goal of the mesh optimization is to improve the worst quality element in the mesh. We propose two derivative-free methods for mesh optimization, namely the pattern search (PS) and multidirectional search (MDS) mesh quality improvement methods, to be used with nondifferentiable objective functions representing the overall mesh quality. Experimental results show that these two methods are successful in improving the worst quality mesh elements. The PS method yielded higher quality 2D meshes than did the MDS method; however, its execution time was longer. In the 3D case, most of the meshes converged to meshes of approximately the same quality because the initial meshes were fairly close to optimal. In 3D, the PS method required longer to execute than did the MDS method.
Computer simulation and modelling of mechanical properties of particulates

Abstract The mechanical properties of particulate systems are studied from a micromechanics point of view. Two approaches, namely, computer simulation and micro-structural continuum modelling are used. The computer simulation method is used to study the uniformity of the strain field and effect of particle rotations. These results are then used to evaluate the applicability of the micro-structural continuum model. Potential applications of the micro-structural continuum model in the study of mechanical properties of soils are discussed.
A Comparative Content Analysis of Advertising Practices to Children

The large and influential nature of the children's market on purchasing behavior is manifest at the global level. This study addresses a gap in the advertising literature by content analyzing children's commercials from three countries, Mexico, Turkey, and the United States, thereby providing a contemporary baseline for the practice of advertising in three distinctive global markets. Dimensions addressed include ad structure elements and ad message strategies, with comparisons made among the three countries. A comparative profile of the findings for each country reveals that the American ads, not surprisingly, relative to the commercials of both Mexico and Turkey, show evidence of more sophisticated advertising practices, such as use of more sophisticated execution techniques (e.g., animation). Both Mexican and Turkish ads appear to serve an instrumental purpose in providing information rather than the emotional and entertainment quality that emerged in the American ads. Potential explanations for the fin...
Apoptosome: a platform for the activation of initiator caspases

Apoptosome refers to the adaptor protein complex that mediates the activation of an initiator caspase at the onset of apoptosis. In mammalian cells, caspase-9, caspase-8, and caspase-2 rely on the apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (Apaf-1)-apoptosome, death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), and PIDDosome, respectively, for activation. In Drosophila, activation of the caspase-9 homolog Dronc requires assembly of an apoptosome comprised of Dark/Hac-1/Dapaf-1. In Caenorhabditis elegans, activation of the caspase CED-3 is facilitated by the CED-4-apoptosome. Recent biochemical and structural investigation revealed significant insights into the assembly and function of the various apoptosomes. Nonetheless, conclusive mechanisms by which the initiator caspases are activated by the apoptosomes remain elusive. Several models have been proposed to explain the activation process. The induced proximity model summarizes the general process of initiator caspase activation. The proximity-driven dimerization model describes how initiator caspases respond to induced proximity and offers an explanation for their activation. Regardless of how initiator caspases are activated, enhanced activity must be correlated with altered active site conformation. The induced conformation model posits that the activated conformation for the active site of a given initiator caspase is attained through direct interaction with the apoptosome or through homo-oligomerization facilitated by the apoptosome.
Competition, disturbance and local diversity patterns of substratum-bound clonal organisms: A simulation

Abstract We have conducted a series of simulations in order to compare the relative diversification effects of disturbance and intransitive (i.e., A > B , B > C but C > A ) competition on a hypothetical set of clonal organisms. We found large significant differences between these two effects only when disturbance levels were low or absent. We suggest that natural assemblages should be examined for the frequency of intransitive interactions along disturbance gradients in order to assess the significance of these competitive relationships. We also argue that intransitive competition ought to be incorporated into nonequilibrium disturbance models; diversification effects of disturbance and intransitive competition need not be mutually exclusive.
The Effect of Policies for Selecting the Solution of a DisCSP on Privacy Loss

Distributed constraint satisfaction (distributed CSP) addresses the problem of assigning values to a set of variables, to satisfy the secret constraints of several participants. Many have argued so far about how to formalize the privacy requirements on input constraints. However, we notice that not sufficient attention was given to formalizing the description of what solution is desired. Different criteria of selecting a solution have strong consequences on an inherent privacy loss. We conclude proposing a way to minimize privacy loss by specifying expectations about how a solution has to be chosen among possible candidates.
Negative feedback mechanism of cholesterol synthesis in experimental nephrosis.

SummaryFeeding of cholesterol resulted in marked inhibition of hepatic cholesterol synthesis in nephrotic and normal animals. A faulty hepatic feedback mechanism cannot be invoked to explain nephrotic hypercholesterolemia.
Educating Kidney Transplant Professionals and Candidates May Improve Utilization, Allocation Efficiency and Lifetime Survival

In this edition of the American Journal of Transplantation, Grams et al. review the national trends for extended criteria donor (ECD) candidate listing across the United States (1). They use the algorithm published by Merion et al. in 2005, which summarized that candidates who will benefit from an ECD kidney graft over waiting for an standard criteria donor (SCD) graft include older adults, diabetics and those at centers with waiting times for SCD organs greater than 1350 days (2). Grams et al. found centers vary from 0 to 100% in listing candidates for ECD kidneys among those expected to benefit per the Merion algorithm, and also in adults over age 65. The authors discuss whether transplant professionals and patients have been appropriately influenced by the Merion and other publications discussing ECD benefit. The ECD policy was created by the UNOS Kidney Committee to increase the efficiency of allocation of this group of higher risk organs by allocating these organs by candidate waiting time. This allows centers to know with a high likelihood the next candidates who will be offered ECD organs so that these candidates can be readied for transplantation to decrease cold ischemic time. The extreme listing practices of some centers, from 0 to 100%, do not allow them to realize the intended benefits of this ECD policy (1).
A new vapor-liquid equilibrium cell and VLE data for mixtures of 1-propanol+p-xylene

Abstract Chen, A.-Q., Urbanus, G.J. and Chao, K.-C., 1994. A new vapor-liquid equilibrium cell and VIE data for mixtures of 1-propanol + p -xylene. Fluid Phase Equilibria , 94: 281-288. A vapor-liquid equilibrium cell of a new design to withstand high temperature, high pressure and corrosive fluids is constructed. Vapor-liquid equilibrium is measured for mixtures of 1-propanol and p -xylene at 160.0 and 221.1°C at pressures to 26 bar. The VLE data are correlated with Wong and Sandler's equation of state method using activity coefficient model parameters.
Noncommutative AdS3 with quantized cosmological constant

We examine a recent deformation of three-dimensional anti-de Sitter gravity based on noncommutative Chern–Simons theory with gauge group U(1, 1) × U(1, 1). In addition to a noncommutative analogue of 3D gravity, the theory contains two gauge fields which decouple in the commutative limit. It is well known that the level is quantized in noncommutative Chern–Simons theory. Here we show that it implies that the cosmological constant goes like −1 over an integer squared. We also construct the noncommutative AdS3 vacuum by applying a Seiberg–Witten map from the commutative case. The procedure is repeated for the case of a conical space resulting from a massive spinning particle.
Real time development of structure in partially molten state stretching of PP as detected by spectral birefringence technique

Abstract Our main focus in this study is to investigate the deformation behavior of PP in temperature range where the PP is partially molten using a newly developed uniaxial stretching system. This system allows the real time study of the structural reorganization processes as reflected in birefringence coupled with true stress and true strain at temperature and deformation rates used in industrial film process. This instrument revealed that birefringence–stress relationship is linear beyond an initial yielding point until the onset of strain hardening beyond which negative deviation from this linearity is observed. At lower strains the films were found to continue to change significantly during holding stage leading to increase in birefringence. These changes observed in holding stage decreases with decrease of stretching speed and temperature and with increase of total strain. Increased strain rates result in destruction of crystallites that involves block rotations of these regions leading to observation of lower birefringence at faster rates. The latter process generates large amount of stretched amorphous chains that gradually convert to crystalline state during holding.
Mixed Layer Density Ratio from the Levitus Data

Abstract An analysis of the Levitus data is employed to examine Stommel's mixed layer density ratio regulator hypothesis. Three different methods of computing the lateral density ratio (Rl≡αΔT/βΔS) are used and the least squares method was found to have the least variance in the density ratio over the temperature range of 7°–17°C. Seasonal mean and annual mean density ratios in the North Pacific Ocean are calculated. The spring season has the highest density ratio of 2.1, and the fall season has the lowest of 1.64. The vertical variation in the lateral density ratio is small, in the upper 50 m, especially during the winter season. Overall, in the world's ocean, the mixed layer annual mean density ratios in the 7°–17°C range show remarkably consistent values, in support of Stommel's hypothesis. However, our estimate shows a systematically lower density ratio than that of Stommel in each ocean. Only the South Pacific and South Atlantic have density ratios equal to or slightly over 2. The North Pacific, Nort...
People Power as Immanent Collectivity: Re-imagining the Miracle of the 1986 EDSA Revolution as Divine Justice

The Philippine People Power Revolution (EDSA) was remarkable for its non-aggressive overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship. The spontaneity and creativity of the people to answer the summons to defend dissonant army troops contrasts with the administrative efficiency and armed might of the military army. The people acted as a collectivity, with its own collective power, opposing the military. This non-aggressive collective power was rooted in a distinctive Filipino culture and religiosity that hailed the EDSA Revolution as a miracle of divine justice.
Drug Delivery Systems for Intraperitoneal Therapy

Disorders associated with the peritoneal cavity include peritoneal adhesions and intraperitoneal (IP) malignancies. To prevent peritoneal adhesions, physical barrier devices are used to prevent organs from contacting other structures in the abdomen and forming adhesions, or pharmacological agents that interfere with adhesion formation are administered intraperitoneally. IP malignancies are other disorders confined to the peritoneal cavity, which are treated by combination of surgical removal and chemotherapy of the residual tumor. IP drug delivery helps in the regional therapy of these disorders by providing relatively high concentration and longer half-life of a drug in the peritoneal cavity. Various studies suggest that IP delivery of anti-neoplastic agents is a promising approach for malignancies in the peritoneal cavity compared to the systemic administration. However, IP drug delivery faces several challenges, such as premature clearance of a small molecular weight drug from the peritoneal cavity, lack of target specificity, and poor drug penetration into the target tissues. Previous studies have proposed the use of micro/nanoparticles and/or hydrogel-based systems for prolonging the drug residence time in the peritoneal cavity. This commentary discusses the currently used IP drug delivery systems either clinically or experimentally and the remaining challenges in IP drug delivery for future development.
An optimal physical database model

Abstract A generalized model for the performance optimization of physical relational database access has been developed and implemented. The model consists of a set of algorithms and cost equations. It assists the database designer in specifying and selecting optimal physical organization within given systems' constraints. The model is an extension of previous work. It is more comprehensive and flexible. It addresses problems that have not been considered in previous models; it integrates into one model aspects that were treated individually before and it produces database access configurations that can work within reasonable system constraints.
Circuit Conditions for Parametric Amplification

ABSTRACT It is shown that signals may be amplified in a circuit which consists exclusively of passive elements if a non-linear or a time-varying reactance is present. Emphasis is placed on describing the physical model which makes amplification possible and the circuit conditions which must be satisfied. The differences between parametric amplifiers and mixers or modulators are discussed. † Magnetic amplifiers (Kalb and Bennett 1935, Manley 1951) are not members of the family of devices which are mentioned here; their method of operation is based on different principles.
A Randomly Coiled, High-Molecular-Weight Polypeptide Exhibits Increased Paracellular Diffusion in Vitro and in Situ Relative to the Highly Ordered α-Helix Conformer

Purpose. The current investigation was conducted to examine the effect of secondary structure of model polypeptides on their hindered paracellular diffusion.
More on the European Parliament as a Conditional Agenda Setter: Response to Moser

Moser analyzes the cooperation procedure using a model that assumes (1) one dimension and (2) complete information. I show that because of these two restrictive assumptions and his misunderstanding of the strategic implications of Article 189a(1) of the Maastricht Treaty (an article also present in the Single European Act and the Treaty of Rome), Moser's conclusions are mistaken. In particular, his predicted outcomes are incorrect, and his major institutional prediction (that the European Parliament plays no role in decision making except in the second round of the cooperation procedure) is contradicted by thousands of parliamentary amendments, the major part of which are accepted in the first round.
Textural evidence for liquid immiscibility in tholeiites

The residual liquids of many tholeiitic basalts and andesites, on cooling, split into iron-rich and silica-rich fractions, which may quench to brown glassy globules and clear glass respectively. More commonly, however, cooling is sufficiently slow for the iron-rich liquid to crystallize to globular single crystals of pyroxene. Depending on the cooling rate, these crystallized globules range in shape from spheres to elongated globules bounded by crystal faces. The fine grain size of the mesostasis of most tholeiites is partly due to these small crystallized globules. The silica-rich fraction, on the other hand, is more commonly quenched to a glass, and when preserved as globules in the crystallized iron-rich fraction, it may be bounded by negative crystal faces of the surrounding pyroxene. Globules of the iron-rich liquid commonly nucleate on the surface of the plagioclase crystals where they can become trapped, later crystallizing to spherical pyroxene grains that mostly contain a minor opaque phase. In contrast, iron-rich globules that form next to pyroxene grains commonly become attached to these crystals, giving them lobate boundaries. The immiscible silica-rich liquid becomes trapped between these lobes and, with sufficiently slow cooling, results in finger-like quartzo-feldspathic inclusions extending in from the margins of the pyroxene grains. These textures can provide evidence of immiscibility in a wide range of volcanic and hypabyssal rocks, even when no glass is present.
Placenta growth factor induces 5-lipoxygenase–activating protein to increase leukotriene formation in sickle cell disease

Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have increased inflammation, a high incidence of airway hyperreactivity (AH), and increased circulating leukotrienes (LT). We show that expression of 5-lipoxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase activating protein (FLAP), key catalytic molecules in the LT pathway, were significantly increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) in patients with SCD, compared with healthy controls. Placenta growth factor (PlGF), elaborated from erythroid cells, activated MNC and THP-1 monocytic cells to induce LT production. PlGF-mediated increased FLAP mRNA expression occurred via activation of phosphoinositide-3 (PI-3) kinase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). HIF-1α small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced PlGF-induced FLAP expression. FLAP promoter-driven luciferase constructs demonstrated that PlGF-mediated luciferase induction was abrogated upon mutation of HIF-1α response element (HRE), but not the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) site in the FLAP promoter; a finding confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis. PlGF also increased HIF-1α binding to the HRE in the FLAP promoter. Therefore, it is likely that the intrinsically elevated levels of PlGF in SCD subjects contribute to increased LT, which in turn, mediate both inflammation and AH. Herein, we identify a mechanism of increased LT in SCD and show HIF-1α as a hypoxia-independent target of PlGF. These studies provide new avenues to ameliorate these complications.
The Political Economy of the Sino-Middle Eastern Relations

This paper attempts to understand the Sino-Mideast relations in terms of energy cooperation and the subsequent cooperation in the areas of trade and arms sales. It also examines the political economy of China’s energy policy toward the Middle East. The paper argues that the objective of China’s engagement in the Middle East is energy security rather than undermining the United States’ interests in the region. Contrary to realist assumptions, China is utilizing the existing Western institutions to achieve its goals in the region, a step highly welcomed and encouraged by Middle Eastern states. The paper attempts to develop a tridimensional and triangular approach to the political economy of the region in relation to the rapid pace of China’s involvement in the Middle East. Such involvement is generating substantial intellectual interests and anxiety among major players in the region in terms of its nature, goals and mechanisms. In so doing, China maintains a balance in its relations with protagonists in the region and skillfully navigates its national interest in the region.
Antibacterials for any target

RNA-guided nucleases provide a strategy for killing specific bacterial species in complex populations.
Penicillin in the treatment of childhood gonorrhea.

Summary Twenty-one cases of gonorrhea in children were treated with penicillin byvarious methods of administration. Prompt cure was established in every case.