cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uniform approximation by a non-convex cone of continuous functions

Abstract Let Π be a collection of subsets of a compact set S in a normed linear space and K be all continuous functions ƒ on S whose level sets, {s: ƒ(s) ⩽ α} , are in Π for all α. Then K is a cone which is not necessarily convex. The problem under consideration is to find a best uniform approximation to a continuous function on S from K . In this article, under certain conditions on Π, extremal best approximations are identified, a best approximation and its uniqueness are characterized, and Lipschitzian selections are determined. The results are illustrated by approximation problems. Analysis is also presented for the special case when K is a convex cone. Applications are given to normed vector lattices and the isotone approximation problem on order-intervals.
Metabolic effects of propranolol in thyrotoxicosis. I. Nitrogen, calcium, and hydroxyproline

Abstract The effect of propranolol on the hypermetabolism of thyrotoxicosis was investigated in eight subjects with diffuse toxic goiter. After equilibration on a constant nitrogen, calcium, and hydroxyproline intake, nitrogen balance was determined before and during propranolol therapy prior to subtotal thyroidectomy and compared to similar data obtained in seven of the patients following surgically induced euthyroidism. Propranolol administration was associated with clinical amelioration and a rapid, statistically significant, improvement in nitrogen retention. A slight additional improvement in retention was noted in the postoperative euthyroid state. Oxygen consumption, measured serially in four patients, was not significantly changed by propranolol. Urinary loss of calcium, phosphorus, and hydroxyproline was unaffected by propranolol, but excretion of these substances was sharply reduced in the subjects restudied post-operatively. These data offer evidence of a previously unreported nitrogen sparing effect of oral propranolol during its shortterm administration in thyrotoxic man.
Dendrimeric organochalcogen catalysts for the activation of hydrogen peroxide: Origins of the "dendrimer effect" with catalysts terminating in phenylseleno groups

Several scenarios were evaluated to explain the large “dendrimer effect” observed in the bromination of cyclohexene with H2O2 and NaBr catalyzed by the addition of Frechet-type dendrimers terminating in −O(CH2)3SePh groups. Although phenylseleninic acid was an efficient catalyst for the oxidation of NaBr with H2O2, first-order rate constants for the selenoxide elimination were too small to produce PhSeO2H at a rate sufficient to explain the rates of catalysis and no dendrimer effect was observed in the rates of selenoxide elimination. An induction period was observed using 1-SePh as a catalyst for the oxidation of Br- with H2O2. The addition of preformed selenoxide 1-Se(O)Ph gave immediate catalysis with no induction period. However, rates of oxidation of the selenides with H2O2 under homogeneous or biphasic conditions or with t-BuOOH under homogeneous conditions were too slow to account for the rates of catalysis, and no dendrimer effect was observed in the rates of oxidation. The primary oxidant for con...
Critical Realignments and the Public Opinion Poll

An article originally published in Journal of Politics, v. 53, no. 2 (May 1991), p. 434-453.
Sexual maturation of male and female white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis): influence of physical or urine contact with adults

Young white-footed mice were reared from weaning (21–24 days of age) in contact with individual adult males or their urine, individual adult females or their urine, or water. At 40 days of age the young animals were killed and their body and reproductive organ weights (testes and seminal vesicles or uteri and ovaries) were compared. Males reared in contact with adult females or their urine had developed larger testes and seminal vesicles than those in contact with water, adult males, or male urine (generally P < 0.05). Females in contact with adult males or male urine had significantly ( P < 0.05) smaller ovaries than those in contact with water, adult female urine, or adult females. Body weights of females in contact with males or male urine also averaged significantly less than those in contact with water. Additionally, females in contact with adult males or adult male urine had significantly fewer corpora lutea than those exposed to water.
The Settlement Game: A Simulation Teaching Institutional Theories of Public Law

Many political science subfields use classroom simulations. Public law, however, suffers from a lack of such activities. Many mock trials exist, but these games focus on jurisprudence and not on the more institutional aspects of the subfield. This article presents the Settlement Game, an original simulation that takes 15 minutes to complete and helps teach important institutional theories such as adversarial legalism, “bargaining in the shadow of the law,” and “haves” versus “have-nots” concepts heretofore overlooked by the simulations literature. I introduce relevant theories and describe how the simulation works, discussing preclass assignments, its operation, and debriefing about its connection to theory. I close with comments about assessment of students and explain why the Settlement Game is useful.
The Toll-Like Receptor Gene Family Is Integrated into Human DNA Damage and p53 Networks

In recent years the functions that the p53 tumor suppressor plays in human biology have been greatly extended beyond “guardian of the genome.” Our studies of promoter response element sequences targeted by the p53 master regulatory transcription factor suggest a general role for this DNA damage and stress-responsive regulator in the control of human Toll-like receptor (TLR) gene expression. The TLR gene family mediates innate immunity to a wide variety of pathogenic threats through recognition of conserved pathogen-associated molecular motifs. Using primary human immune cells, we have examined expression of the entire TLR gene family following exposure to anti-cancer agents that induce the p53 network. Expression of all TLR genes, TLR1 to TLR10, in blood lymphocytes and alveolar macrophages from healthy volunteers can be induced by DNA metabolic stressors. However, there is considerable inter-individual variability. Most of the TLR genes respond to p53 via canonical as well as noncanonical promoter binding sites. Importantly, the integration of the TLR gene family into the p53 network is unique to primates, a recurrent theme raised for other gene families in our previous studies. Furthermore, a polymorphism in a TLR8 response element provides the first human example of a p53 target sequence specifically responsible for endogenous gene induction. These findings—demonstrating that the human innate immune system, including downstream induction of cytokines, can be modulated by DNA metabolic stress—have many implications for health and disease, as well as for understanding the evolution of damage and p53 responsive networks.
Generation of the dichloromethane complex [(η5-C5Me5) Re (NO) (PPh3) (ClCH2Cl)]+ BF4−, and its conversion to the oxidative addition product [(η5-C5Me5) Re (NO) (PPh3) (Cl) (CH2Cl)]+ BF4-

Abstract Reaction of (η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )Re(NO)(PPh 3 )(CH 3 ) and HBF 4 · OEt 2 in CH 2 Cl 2 at −78°C gives the dichloromethane complex [η 5 -C 5 Me 5 Re(NO)(PPh 3 )(ClCH 2 Cl)] + BF 4 − , which undergoes the title transformation at −35°C. The ReClCH 2 Cl carbon is attacked by halide nucleophiles (X − ) to give XCH 2 Cl and the chloride complex (η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )Re(NO)(PPh 3 )(Cl), and exhibits a 13 C NMR resonance that is coupled to phosphorus (d, 3 J (CP) 5.0 Hz) and geminal hydrogens (t, 1 J (CH) 186 Hz).
Single-molecule magnets: a family of MnIII/CeIV complexes with a [Mn8CeO8]12+ core.

Four heterometallic, enneanuclear Mn8Ce clusters [Mn8CeO8(O2CMe)12(H2O)4] (4), [Mn8CeO8(O2CMe)12(py)4] (5), [Mn8CeO8(O2CPh)12(MeCN)4] [Mn8CeO8(O2CPh)12(dioxane)4] (6), and [Mn8CeO8(O2CCHPh2)12(H2O)4] (7) have been prepared by various methods. Their cores are essentially isostructural and comprise a nonplanar, saddlelike [MnIII8O8]8+ loop containing a central CeIV ion attached to the eight μ3-O2− ions. Peripheral ligation around the [Mn8CeO8]12+ core is provided by eight μ- and four μ3-O2CR− groups. Terminal ligation on four MnIII atoms is provided by H2O in 4 and 7, pyridine in 5, and MeCN/dioxane in 6. Solid-state magnetic susceptibility studies, fits of dc magnetization vs field and temperature data, and in-phase ac susceptibility studies in a zero dc field have established that complexes 4, 5, and 7 possess S = 16, S = 4 or 5, and S = 6 ± 1 spin ground states, respectively, but in all cases there are very low-lying excited states. The large variation in the ground-state spins for this isostructural fam...
Array comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) analysis of premenopausal breast cancers from a nuclear fallout area and matched cases from Western New York

High-resolution array comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) analysis of DNA copy number aberrations (CNAs) was performed on breast carcinomas in premenopausal women from Western New York (WNY) and from Gomel, Belarus, an area exposed to fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. Genomic DNA was isolated from 47 frozen tumour specimens from 42 patients and hybridised to arrays spotted with more than 3000 BAC clones. In all, 20 samples were from WNY and 27 were from Belarus. In total, 34 samples were primary tumours and 13 were lymph node metastases, including five matched pairs from Gomel. The average number of total CNAs per sample was 76 (range 35–134). We identified 152 CNAs (92 gains and 60 losses) occurring in more than 10% of the samples. The most common amplifications included gains at 8q13.2 (49%), at 1p21.1 (36%), and at 8q24.21 (36%). The most common deletions were at 1p36.22 (26%), at 17p13.2 (26%), and at 8p23.3 (23%). Belarussian tumours had more amplifications and fewer deletions than WNY breast cancers. HER2/neu negativity and younger age were also associated with a higher number of gains and fewer losses. In the five paired samples, we observed more discordant than concordant DNA changes. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups of tumours: one comprised predominantly of Belarussian carcinomas and the other largely consisting of WNY cases. In total, 50 CNAs occurred significantly more commonly in one cohort vs the other, and these included some candidate signature amplifications in the breast cancers in women exposed to significant radiation. In conclusion, our high-density aCGH study has revealed a large number of genetic aberrations in individual premenopausal breast cancer specimens, some of which had not been reported before. We identified a distinct CNA profile for carcinomas from a nuclear fallout area, suggesting a possible molecular fingerprint of radiation-associated breast cancer.
Cross-protection and selectable marker genes in plant transformation

Selectable marker genes play an important role in plant transformation. The level of selection pressure is generally established by generating a kill curve for the selectable marker. In most cases, the lowest concentration which kills all explants is used. This study examined two selectable marker genes, phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT) and hygromycin phosphotransferase (HPT), in transformation of tobacco leaf disks. Experiments to determine the lethal level of the herbicide, glufosinate-ammonium (phosphinothricin) (PPT) using a leaf-disk regeneration assay established that no shoots regenerated at 2 to 4 mg PPT per 1. Likewise with the antibiotic, hygromycin (HYG), no plants regenerated at 50 mg hygromycin per 1. In contrast, after cocultivation of the leaf disks withAgrobacterium tumefaciens containing either the PAT or HPT gene in combination with a Bt gene for insect resistance, plants were successfully regenerated from leaf disks at 2 to 4 mg PPT per 1 and 50 mg hygromycin per 1. However, most plants regenerated at 2 and 3 mg PPT per 1 were found to be nontransformed (95–100% escapes) by i) Southern-blot analysis, ii) herbicide application test, and iii) insect feeding bioassay. On the other hand, plants that regenerated on 50 mg hygromycin per 1 and 4 mg PPT per 1 were transgenic as determined by Southern analysis, leaf assay for PPT or HYG resistance, and death of tobacco budworms feeding on these leaves. This study showed a significant level of cross-protection and/or transient expression of the PAT selectable marker gene allowing escapes (95–100%) at selection levels of 2 and 3 mg PPT per 1 which completely kill controls. On the other hand, the HPT gene at 50 mg is efficient in selecting for T-DNA integration.
Creep-Induced Cleavage Fracture in WIPP Salt Under Indirect Tension

The phenomenon of cleavage fracture initiation in rock salt undergoing concurrent creep was studied experimentally using the Brazilian indirect tension test technique. The tensile creep and cleavage fracture behaviors were characterized for rock salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. The Brazilian test consists of a compressive line load applied diametrically on a disk specimen to produce a region of tensile stress in the center of the disk. The damage processes were documented using video photography. The experimental results were analyzed in terms of a wing-crack fracture model and an independently developed, coupled time-dependent, mechanism-based constitutive model whose parameters were obtained from triaxial compression creep tests. Analytical results indicate that coupling between creep and cleavage fracture in WIPP salt results in a fracture behavior that exhibits time-dependent characteristics and obeys a failure criterion involving a combination of stress difference and tensile stress. Implications of creep-induced cleavage fracture to the integrity of WIPP structures are discussed.
Serial cytogenetic alterations resulting in transformation of a low-grade follicular lymphoma to Burkitt lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent or low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Histologic transformation to high-grade lymphoma, generally to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, occurs in 25-35% of cases. Although t(14;18), the cytogenetic hallmark of FL, has been found in approximately 85% of these cases, multiple secondary cytogenetic and molecular genetic changes underlie the transformation process. We report the case of a 58-year-old patient who presented with stage IVA, grade 2 FL that subsequently transformed to Burkitt lymphoma. Multiple chromosomal aberrations, including three novel translocations, were observed related to this transformation. Inversion (1)(p36.3q12) and t(3;14;18)(p23;q32;q21) occurred prior to transformation and may have contributed to the transformation process. A t(1;11)(q25;q13) was acquired simultaneously with t(8;22) and, in conjunction with other chromosomal abnormalities, coincided with an extremely aggressive clinical course. The frequent breakage of 1q observed in this case suggests that the region harbors important genomic signals for the transformation of FL.
Changes in Serum Leptin in Lean and Obese Subjects with Acute Hyperglycemic Crises

We aimed to determine the effect of insulin replacement on serum leptin concentration in lean and obese patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We compared serial leptin levels in 52 patients with DKA, 14 obese subjects with hyperglycemia, and 52 nondiabetic control subjects. Leptin levels on admission were significantly decreased in lean and obese patients with DKA and/or hyperglycemia compared with weight- and gender-matched controls. Insulin therapy resulted in a significant increase in leptin levels within 4 h, with peak stimulation at 12 h. Leptin levels on admission and at resolution of hyperglycemia were higher in obese DKA (9.7 ± 2 ng/ml and 26.5 ± 5 ng/ml, respectively; P < 0.001) and obese hyperglycemia subjects (11.9 ± 4 ng/ml vs. 24.4 ± 2 ng/ml; P < 0.001) than in lean DKA subjects (5.3 ± 0.3 ng/ml and 10.1 ± 2 ng/ml; P < 0.001). We conclude that insulin treatment in patients with acute hyperglycemic crises is followed by rapid and significant increase in leptin concentration, and this incr...
Cultured marrow stromal cells express common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia antigen (CALLA): implications for marrow transplantation

Summary. This study demonstrates the presence of an antigenic determinant associated with the common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia antigen (CALLA), and presumably CALLA itself, on stromal cells in normal human long-term marrow cultures by using two monoclonal anti-CALLA antibodies, J-5 and 24·1. Treatment of cultured stromal cells with antibody and complement resulted in the loss of most flat angulated cells and many of the fat-containing cells. However, long-term cultures were generated with cytotoxic antibody-treated marrow buffy coat cells, and the stromal cells in these cultures were also CALLA-positive. We conclude that CALLA-bearing stromal cells arise from CALLA-negative progenitors. CALLA therefore could be either a differentiation antigen acquired on mature marrow stromal cells or may arise as a proliferation-dependent antigen. These studies suggest that the generation of long-term cultures from cytotoxic antibody-treated marrow may be an appropriate in vitro model for the functional assessment of such marrow prior to its use in autologous transplantation.
A Generalization of Ahmad's Class of Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon Statistics

In the spirit of the recent work of Ahmad (1996) this paper introduces another class of Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test statistics. The test statistic compares the rth and sth powers of the tail probabilities of the underlying probability distributions. The choice of r+s= 4 improves the Pitman efficiency for uniform, exponential, lognormal and normal distributions and keeps the same efficiency as the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test for logistic and double exponential distributions. The two-sample test is modified for the one-sample problem with symmetric underlying distribution.
U.S. Antidumping Enforcement and Macroeconomic Indicators Revisited: Do Petitioners Learn?

We contribute to the literature on the political economy of U.S. antidumping enforcement through an analysis of the pattern—and macroeconomic determinants—of country-specific antidumping petitions filed by U.S. firms against 15 countries between 1981 and 1998 (examining quarterly data). We reconcile some seemingly inconsistent results from the prior literature by suggesting that “learning” by petitioners about the administration—in practice—of the U.S. trade laws has led to changes in the roles of the macroeconomic determinants over time.
Photodissociation spectroscopic observation of some hydrocarbon ion rearrangements

Abstract Photodissociation spectroscopy was used to characterize the non-fragmenting ion structures resulting from electron-impact ionization of several hydrocarbons in an ion cyclotron resonance ion trap. Structural conclusions were: the 1,4-pentadiene ion rearranges to the 1,3-pentadiene structure; the 1,4-octadiene ion rearranges to the 2,4-octadiene structure, and not to the 1,3-octadiene structure; the 1,4-cyclohexadiene ion rearranges to a conjugated structure, probably the 1,3-cyclohexadiene structure; methylcyclopentadiene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene yield an ion of the same structure, probably the 1,3-cyclohexadiene structure, although the methylcyclopentadiene structure cannot be ruled out; 1,3-cyclooctadiene and 1,4-cyclooctadiene yield the same ion, which may have the 1,3-cyclooctadiene structure, or may be a rearranged structure; 1,5-cyclooctadiene ion partially undergoes collision-induced rearrangement to this same ion structure. The generalization can be made that radical ions having two double bonds separated by a single carbon undergo facile rearrangement into conjugation.
Phosphorylation of Neuronal Survival Factor MEF2D by Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β in Neuronal Apoptosis

Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) has been identified to play important roles in neuronal death. Evidence from both in vitro and in vivo studies indicates that increased GSK3β activity contributes to neurodegeneration and to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. But the molecular mechanisms that underlie GSK3β-mediated neurotoxicity remain poorly understood. We reported here that myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D), a nuclear transcription factor known to promote neuronal survival, is directly phosphorylated by GSK3β. Our data showed that phosphorylation of MEF2D by GSK3β at three specific residues in its transactivation domain inhibits MEF2D transcriptional activity. Withdrawal of neuronal activity in cerebellar granule neurons activated GSK3β in the nucleus, leading to GSK3β-dependent inhibition of MEF2 function. This inhibition contributed to GSK3β-mediated neuronal toxicity. Overexpression of MEF2D mutant that is resistant to GSK3β inhibition protected cerebellar granule neurons from either GSK3β activation- or neuronal activity deprivation-induced toxicity. These results identify survival factor MEF2D as a novel downstream effector targeted by GSK3β and define a molecular link between activation of GSK3β and neuronal survival machinery which may underlie in part GSK3β-mediated neurotoxicity.
High Corruption Income in Ming and Qing China

We develop an economic model that explains historical data on government corruption in Ming and Qing China. In our model, officials' extensive powers result in corrupt income matching land's share in output. We estimate corrupt income to be between 14 to 22 times official income resulting in about 22\% of agricultural output accruing to 0.4\% of the population. The results suggest that eliminating corruption through salary reform was possible in early Ming but impossible by mid-Qing rule. Land reform may also be ineffective because officials could extract the same rents regardless of ownership. High officials' incomes and the resulting inequality may have also created distortions and barriers to change that could have contributed to China's stagnation over the five centuries 1400-1900s.
Current methods and research strategies for modeling atmospheric mercury

The atmospheric pathway of the global mercury cycle is known to be the primary source of mercury contamination to most threatened aquatic ecosystems. Current efforts toward numerical modeling of atmospheric mercury are hindered by an incomplete understanding of emissions, atmospheric transformations, and deposition processes. While much effort has been made to quantify the total mass flux of mercury to the atmosphere from various natural and anthropogenic sources, discrimination of the chemical and physical forms of these emissions is just beginning in response to early modeling exercises showing this discrimination to be critical for accurate modeling estimates of the sources responsible for observed mercury deposition. A similar discrimination of ambient concentrations of mercury throughout the atmosphere is needed in order to develop a clear understanding of atmospheric transformation processes, both chemical and physical, which govern the length scale of atmospheric mercury transport and patterns of its deposition in both wet and dry processes. In this paper, current atmospheric mercury modeling techniques and the information obtained from them are described. A strategy for future field research and numerical model development is proposed which is intended to allow a confident identification of the sources of atmospheric mercury responsible for observed contamination of aquatic ecosystems.
Impulse buying and variety seeking: Similarities and differences

Abstract Impulse buying and variety seeking seem to emerge from similar personality traits, yet the similarities and differences in the manifestation of these behaviors have not been fully explored. Despite the common origin, research on the two constructs has diverged as definitions of the phenomena have become more elaborate. Previous research on the two constructs shows that they are classifiable as low-effort, feeling-based behaviors with hedonic undertones. A middle-range theory that provides a more comprehensive depiction of how variety seeking and impulse buying are theoretically related is necessary. One way toward such a theory is the addition of a fourth “hidden” socio-normative dimension to the three-dimensional typology of purchase behaviors that Baumgartner (2002) proposes.
A versatile computer program for analysis of Mössbauer spectra

Abstract The features of a program to analyze spectra are described. The program is fast, can easily be extended, and has been successfully used to fit a large variety of spectra. Complementary spectra can be analyzed in a single least-squares procedure.
Structure determination of the functional domain interaction of a chimeric nonribosomal peptide synthetase from a challenging crystal with noncrystallographic translational symmetry.

The nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are a family of modular proteins that contain multiple catalytic domains joined in a single protein. Together, these domains work to produce chemically diverse peptides, including compounds with antibiotic activity or that play a role in iron acquisition. Understanding the structural mechanisms that govern the domain interactions has been a long-standing goal. During NRPS synthesis, amino-acid substrates are loaded onto integrated carrier protein domains through the activity of NRPS adenylation domains. The structures of two adenylation domain–carrier protein domain complexes have recently been determined in an effort that required the use of a mechanism-based inhibitor to trap the domain interaction. Here, the continued analysis of these proteins is presented, including a higher resolution structure of an engineered di-domain protein containing the EntE adenylation domain fused with the carrier protein domain of its partner EntB. The protein crystallized in a novel space group in which molecular replacement and refinement were challenged by noncrystallographic pseudo-translational symmetry. The structure determination and how the molecular packing impacted the diffraction intensities are reported. Importantly, the structure illustrates that in this new crystal form the functional interface between the adenylation domain and the carrier protein domain remains the same as that observed previously. At a resolution that allows inclusion of water molecules, additional interactions are observed between the two protein domains and between the protein and its ligands. In particular, a highly solvated region that surrounds the carrier protein cofactor is described.
Review Essay: Mr. Smith Does Not Go to Washington

A recent spate of books on the life and legacy of the political philosopher Leo Strauss, notably Steven B. Smith's Reading Leo Strauss: Politics, Philosophy, and Judaism, suggests a desperate effort to salvage Strauss and the Straussian school of political philosophy from the wreckage of American neoconservatism. Although a number of these works are quite thoughtful and helpfully counter many of the more extreme (and uglier) charges made concerning the meaning of Straussianism and its political influence, their general drift in fact confirms what the more responsible critics of this school have long maintained about its tendency to oppose positions that would help advance meaningful social change and social justice.
Surface Chemistry Studies of Copper Chemical Mechanical Planarization

Surface chemistry studies of the chemical mechanical planarization ~CMP! of copper are presented in this paper. Blanket copper samples were polished with an acidic alumina-based slurry which contains an organic acid salt ~phthalic acid salt! and an oxidizer (H2O2!. Surface studies using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ~XPS! were performed on copper samples after chemical etching or CMP in order to determine the effect that different polishing parameters ~i.e., pH and oxidizer concentration! have on the copper surface. XPS studies were also done on samples that were passively soaked in an acidic slurry mixture containing different concentrations of H2O2 to determine how the chemical action alone affects the removal of copper. The etching results revealed that a cuprous oxide (Cu2O) forms on the surface of etched metal while polished samples showed CuO and Cu~OH!2. The effect of these copper oxide films on the removal of copper in passive etching and chemical mechanical polishing is discussed.
Mechanisms of Glucocorticoid Receptor Action in Noninflammatory and Inflammatory Cells

Glucocorticoids exert profound and diverse physiological effects on a wide range of cell types. Produced and released from the adrenal cortex in response to stress, levels of glucocorticoids are under the control of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Glucocorticoids participate in numerous physiological processes such as glucose homeostasis; protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism; development; neuorobiology; and programmed cell death. Glucocorticoids exert potent immunosuppressive and antiinflammatory actions in a cell type–specific manner largely through the interruption of cytokine-mediated pathways. These antiinflammatory actions are also complemented by the ability of glucocorticoids to induce apoptosis in many cells including thymocytes, blood monocytes, and peripheral T cells. As a class of drugs, glucocorticoids are among the most widely prescribed in the world for the treatment of immune and inflammatory diseases, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and allergic rhinitis. They are also a component of many chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of leukemias, lymphomas, and myelomas because of their role in the induction of apoptosis. However, long-term use of glucocorticoids has been limited by adverse side effects ranging from suppression of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis and growth retardation to osteoporosis, in addition to the development of glucocorticoid resistance. These undesired side effects of glucocorticoids are hypothesized to occur mainly through activation of gene transcription, whereas the beneficial antiinflammatory effects of glucocorticoids involve mainly mechanisms of gene repression. Understanding the molecular basis of glucocorticoid-induced side effects requires an understanding of their actions on homeostatic signaling processes in all cell types. In this review, we discuss the basic cellular and molecular signaling mechanisms of glucocorticoid action during noninflammatory and inflammatory situations. The Glucocorticoid Receptor
Interaction of membrane/lipid rafts with the cytoskeleton: impact on signaling and function: membrane/lipid rafts, mediators of cytoskeletal arrangement and cell signaling.

The plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells contains microdomains that are enriched in certain glycosphingolipids, gangliosides, and sterols (such as cholesterol) to form membrane/lipid rafts (MLR). These regions exist as caveolae, morphologically observable flask-like invaginations, or as a less easily detectable planar form. MLR are scaffolds for many molecular entities, including signaling receptors and ion channels that communicate extracellular stimuli to the intracellular milieu. Much evidence indicates that this organization and/or the clustering of MLR into more active signaling platforms depends upon interactions with and dynamic rearrangement of the cytoskeleton. Several cytoskeletal components and binding partners, as well as enzymes that regulate the cytoskeleton, localize to MLR and help regulate lateral diffusion of membrane proteins and lipids in response to extracellular events (e.g., receptor activation, shear stress, electrical conductance, and nutrient demand). MLR regulate cellular polarity, adherence to the extracellular matrix, signaling events (including ones that affect growth and migration), and are sites of cellular entry of certain pathogens, toxins and nanoparticles. The dynamic interaction between MLR and the underlying cytoskeleton thus regulates many facets of the function of eukaryotic cells and their adaptation to changing environments. Here, we review general features of MLR and caveolae and their role in several aspects of cellular function, including polarity of endothelial and epithelial cells, cell migration, mechanotransduction, lymphocyte activation, neuronal growth and signaling, and a variety of disease settings. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Reciprocal influences between cell cytoskeleton and membrane channels, receptors and transporters. Guest Editor: Jean Claude Herve.
Square peg in a round hole or horseless carriage? Reflections on the use of computing in architecture

Abstract We start with two paradigms that have been used to describe the relationship of computation methods and tools to the production of architecture. The first is that of forcing a square peg into a round hole — implying that the use of a tool is misdirected, or at least poorly fits the processes that have traditionally been part of an architectural design practice. In doing so, the design practice suffers from the use of new technology. The other paradigm describes a state of transformation in relationship to new technology as a horseless carriage in which the process is described in obsolete and ‘backward’ terms. The implication is that there is a lack of appreciation for the emerging potentials of technology to change our relationship with the task. The paper demonstrates these two paradigms through the invention of drawings in the 14th Century, which helped to define the profession of architecture. It then goes on to argue that modern computational tools follow the same paradigms, and like drawings, stand to bring profound changes to the profession of architecture as we know it.
Long-range two-photon scattering spectroscopy ruler for screening prostate cancer cells

Optical rulers have served as a key tool for scientists from different disciplines to address a wide range of biological activity. Since the optical window of state of the art FRET rulers is limited to a 10 nm distance, developing long range optical rulers is very important to monitor real life biological processes. Driven by this need, the current manuscript reports for the first time the design of long-range two-photon scattering (TPS) spectroscopy rulers using gold nano-antenna separated by a bifunctional rigid double strand DNA molecule, which controls the spectroscopy ruler length. Reported data demonstrate that the TPS spectroscopy ruler's working window is a within a 25 nm distance, which is more than twice that of well recognized FRET optical ruler. A possible mechanism for the two-photon spectroscopy ruler's long range capability have been discussed using angle-resolved TPS measurement and FDTD simulations. Solution-phase experimental data demonstrated that a long-range TPS ruler using A9 aptamer can be used for the screening of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) (+) prostate cancer cells even at 5 cells per mL level. Reported result with PSMA (−) normal skin HaCaT cells indicate that TPS ruler based assay has the capability to enable distinction from non-targeted cell lines. Ultimately, the long range TPS ruler can be used towards better understanding of chemical and biological processes.
An innovative approach to providing collaborative education to undergraduate students in the area of child maltreatment

Frontline workers in the area of child welfare often enter the field without having taken any specialized coursework in the area of child maltreatment. This article discusses an interdisciplinary certificate program that is specifically designed to teach persons from various academic areas the knowledge and skills necessary to work with children who experience maltreatment. The child advocacy studies certificate program specifically focuses on coursework in the area of child maltreatment and child advocacy to better train future frontline workers in their vital roles. This certificate will decrease underreporting of child abuse cases by mandated reporters by making them more aware of the signs and symptoms of child maltreatment and also give students a greater understanding of how to work with individuals from various fields.
Recommended Schedules for Routine Immunization of Children and Adults

The current recommended schedules for the routine immunization of children and adults in the United States are presented in Figure 1 and Table 1. These recommendations were developed and approved by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), together with appropriate professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Physicians. They are considered to be well-established policies regarding vaccine schedules.
« Relocalisation et résilience : l'adaptation des Apaches à leur intégration par les Espagnols »

Cet article explore une tentative ambitieuse, bien qu’oubliee, par l’empire espagnol de relocaliser des milliers d’Apaches mescaleros, chiricahuas et de l’Ouest, qui ont du quitter leur territoire ancestral pour aller vivre sur huit establecimientos, ou villages, aux caracteristiques de reserves, situes sur la frontiere nord de la Nouvelle-Espagne, a partir de 1786. Les officiers militaires espagnols ont offert des dons, des rations et de la protection aux Apaches afin de diminuer leurs raids de betail et de les transformer en agriculteurs sedentaires. L’article examine donc les avantages et les desavantages de ce plan de relocalisation, tant du point de vue des Apaches que de celui des Espagnols. Selon l’auteur, une poignee d’Apaches pacifies ont su travailler de concert avec les Espagnols et les Mexicains a reduire la violence dans la region, et une majorite d’Apaches ont reussi a reaffirmer leur independance de maniere creative et a maintenir leur ascendant sur leur territoire a partir de 1831.
Are the Logical Foundations of Verifying Compiler Prototypes Matching user Expectations

The verifying compiler (VC) project proposals suggest that mainstream software developers are its targeted end-users. Like other software engineering efforts, the VC project success depends on appropriate end-user consultation. Industrial use of program assertions for the purpose of run-time assertion checking (RAC) is becoming commonplace. A likely next step on the path to VC adoption is the use of assertions in extended static checking (ESC), a fully automated form of static program verification (SPV). Unfortunately, all current VC prototypes supporting SPV, adopt a semantics which is unsound relative to the standard run-time interpretation of assertions. In this article, we report on the results of a survey in which we asked industrial developers what logical semantics they want program assertions to have, and whether consistency across RAC and SPV tools is important. Survey results indicate that developers are in favor of a semantics for assertions that is compatible with their current use in RAC.
The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Abstract Objective: To review the up-to-date literature concerning the pathogenesis of, risk factors for, prevention of, and therapy for the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, and to provide suggestions for management of this syndrome. Design: Literature review combined with on-site clinical experiences at the authors' institution of practice. Patient(s): Women who have risk factors for or manifest the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Intervention(s): Intravenous fluid management, thrombosis prevention techniques, paracentesis techniques, and critical care management protocols. Main Outcome Measure(s): Staging system of the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, criteria for outpatient versus hospitalization management, and indications for varying levels of interventional management. Result(s): The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, unique to the field of assisted reproductive technology, remains a largely elusive and unpredictable iatrogenic physiologic complication in the course of pharmacologic ovarian stimulation. Reliable information on risk factors, possible physiologic mechanisms, prevention techniques, and management is fortunately progressing, and overall advances are being made in this field. The present review is an attempt to summarize the modern literature regarding this syndrome and to use this current knowledge to provide a basis for acceptable management regimens. Conclusion(s): Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is a serious complication of assisted reproductive technology, with potential for critical morbidity and death. Physicians who prescribe medications known to be associated with this syndrome should be familiar with identifiable risk factors, means of prevention, and a system for staging and treating the disease and have a current knowledge base for putative models of pathogenesis.
DataLab: transactional data-parallel computing on an active storage cloud

Active storage clouds are an attractive platform for executing large data intensive workloads found in many fields of science. However, active storage presents new system management challenges. A large system of fault-prone machines with local persistent state can easily degenerate into a mess of unreferenced data and runaway computations. Our solution to this problem is DataLab, a software framework for running data parallel workloads on active storage clusters. DataLab provides a simple language for expressing workloads, works with legacy application codes, and achieves robustness through the use of distributed transactions. Our prototype implementation scales to 250 nodes on a large biometric image processing workload.
RealSpec: An Executable Specification Language for Prototyping Concurrent Systems

RealSpec is a declarative executable language for the prototyping of concurrent and real-time systems based on a dataflow functional model. RealSpec is developed on top of Lucid dataflow programming language by enhancing Lucid with features for real-time systems. This paper provides basic RealSpec language constructs for modeling concurrent processes, multithreading, and resource modeling. The producer consumer example is used to demonstrate the applicability of these language features.
A work of art: creating a site/classroom build from scratch

Creating a master build configuration for a computer lab and/or classroom is a major undertaking. At first, it seems overwhelming: not to mention, time consuming. To help with this, Arizona State University East Information Technology (ASUE IT) would like to share their process for creating this work of art.The process for creating a site build (in brief) is:Write a project plan with objectives and timelines (optional).Plan your build by mapping out what server shares, printers, and other resources you're going to use and which server(s) they will reside on.Create the shares on the servers.Organize all your tools in specified places (admin utilities, frequently used files).Map, write, and document your scripts (startup, login, logoff, and shutdown).Develop and document your profile strategy (Do you use a mandatory, dynamic, or default user based profile? Where are they served from?)Create a build document to make a record of your OS and application installations.Install the operating system and your applications. Back up regularly.Test and make available for testing.Get feedback on the test configuration.Polish your build, scripts, and other items (i.e. group policy.)By following an established process when creating a lab/classroom build, the development process will go faster and there will be fewer surprise items after deployment. This paper will discuss each of the above steps in detail.
A generic conceptual model linking wellness, health lifestyles, and user assistance

The concept of the wellness mobile is one wherein wireless handheld devices such as cell phones are equipped with a set of biosensors, thereby enabling real-time, self-wellness monitoring by the cell phone user, and an incremental reduction in the healthcare costs. It is envisioned that this maturing technology will provide a safe and protective environment for an increasing cell phone user-population to help combat anti-wellness factors such as stress, fatigue, and illness. Because these factors manifest themselves in the form of detectable biometric fluctuations, they can be tracked using inexpensive biometric sensors embedded on smart phones. However, the monitoring solutions provided primarily cater to medical data collection from patients with specific diseases or health conditions and are unsuitable for day-to-day wellness monitoring. With this in mind, the purpose of this position paper is to motivate future research in this area, and to present a novel conceptual model for understanding (and implementation of) wellness assessment that links typical day-to-day user activities, wellness state recognition, and timely user assistance for a healthier lifestyle based on the multi-modality evidences.
In vitro steroidogenic properties of a new hypertension-producing compound isolated from normal human urine.

The steroidogenic properties of a glycoprotein fraction (ASF), isolated from normal human urine, were studied in cat adrenal capsular collagenase-dispersed cells and its effects compared to those of ACTH and Angiotensin II (All). ACTH, All and ASF induced dose-related increases in both aldosterone and cortisol production. In order of potency, ACTH = AII > ASF in stimulating aldosterone production and ACTH > AII > ASF in stimulating cortisol production. Increases in cAMP accompanied the steroidogenic response to ACTH but not to All or ASF. The response to AII, but not to ASF, was inhibited (87% of normal) by equimolar concentrations of [Sar1, Thr8]AII, a specific AII antagonist. These results suggest that ASF is a true aldosterone secretagogue and that it initiates steroidogenesis by mechanisms similar to those of AII. However, the inability to block its effect with a specific antagonist of All provides evidence for its action on a separate receptor site.
Pregnancy after renal transplantation: a review of registry and single-center practices and outcomes

Registries from North America, Australia and Europe are rich sources of clinical data on pregnancy after kidney transplantation. Single-center reports of pregnancy outcomes are limited by small sample sizes but not by the potential reporting bias that can impact registry data. Despite the differences in data pools, the obstetric and graft outcomes reported by single centers and registries have been similar. The majority of pregnancies are successful in renal transplant patients, but the risk of complications like pre-eclampsia, low birth weight and premature birth is high. Pregnancy has no significant impact on graft function or survival when baseline function is normal.
The ageing neighbourhood: phonological density in naming

Ageing affects the ability to retrieve words for production, despite maintenance of lexical knowledge. In this study, we investigate the influence of lexical variables on picture naming accuracy and latency in adults ranging in age from 22 to 86 years. In particular, we explored the influence of phonological neighbourhood density, which has been shown to exert competitive effects on word recognition, but to facilitate word production, a finding with implications for models of the lexicon. Naming responses were slower and less accurate for older participants, as expected. Target frequency also played a strong role, with facilitative frequency effects becoming stronger with age. Neighbourhood density interacted with age, such that naming was slower for high-density than low-density items, but only for older subjects. Explaining this finding within an interactive activation model suggests that, as we age, the ability of activated neighbours to facilitate target production diminishes, while their activation p...