cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The drosulfakinin 0 (DSK 0) peptide encoded in the conserved Dsk gene affects adult Drosophila melanogaster crop contractions

Abstract We report that the drosulfakinin 0 (DSK 0; NQKTMSFNH2) structure and genomic organization are conserved. The DSK 0 C-terminus, SFNH2, is widely distributed in the animal kingdom suggesting it defines a novel peptide family. We also report the first description of DSK 0 activity. DSK 0, I (DSK I, FDDYGHMRFNH2), and II (DSK II, GGDDQFDDYGHMRFNH2) are encoded in sulfakinin (Dsk). Drosophila erecta , Drosophila sechellia , Drosophila simulans , and Drosophila yakuba shared 62.5–87.5% identity to Drosophila melanogaster DSK 0; Drosophila pseudoobscura shared 37.5% identity; numerous amino acids were one nucleotide different from a corresponding residue in D. melanogaster . DSK I and II were identical among the drosopholids. DSK 0 proteolytic processing sites were RR except D. yakuba contained KR and D. pseudoobscura contained HR, one nucleotide different from RR. DSK I and II processing sites were identical among the drosopholids. We established DSK 0 decreased adult (EC50=237 nM and R 2 =0.941), but not larval gut contractions. DSK 0 exists in the central nervous system including the subesophageal ganglion and an abdominal ganglion. Peptide and genomic conservation, activity, and spatial and temporal distribution support the conclusion that DSK 0 plays diverse biological roles in drosopholids including regulating gut muscle contraction.
III-nitride nanowires: novel materials for solid-state lighting

Although planar heterostructures dominate current solid-state lighting architectures (SSL), 1D nanowires have distinct and advantageous properties that may eventually enable higher efficiency, longer wavelength, and cheaper devices. However, in order to fully realize the potential of nanowire-based SSL, several challenges exist in the areas of controlled nanowire synthesis, nanowire device integration, and understanding and controlling the nanowire electrical, optical, and thermal properties. Here recent results are reported regarding the aligned growth of GaN and III-nitride core-shell nanowires, along with extensive results providing insights into the nanowire properties obtained using cutting-edge structural, electrical, thermal, and optical nanocharacterization techniques. A new top-down fabrication method for fabricating periodic arrays of GaN nanorods and subsequent nanorod LED fabrication is also presented.
The electrophoretic response of submicron particles to alternating electric fields

Abstract Electrophoretic light-scattering (ELS) experiments were carried out to study the translational motion of submicron polystyrene latex spheres (0.198 μm radius) under the influence of alternating electric fields in aqueous solution. The motion was measured by observing the autocorrelation of photons scattered by the moving particles. In all cases, the homodyne detection mode was used. For electric field frequencies from 50 Hz to 1 KHz (the highest frequency for which a Doppler shift could be seen), the magnitude of the particle's electrophoretic response decreased with increasing frequency. The observed low-frequency dispersion in the apparent electrophoretic mobility is anomalously large and cannot be explained by conventional electrohydrodynamic theories. For frequencies below 50 Hz, the response was highly nonlinear and large second harmonic components were observed in the motion of the particles. Electroosmotic perturbations due to the coupling of the electric field to the space charge near the surfaces of the ELS cell are estimated.
A structural model for barium platinum oxide, Ba3Pt2O7

Abstract A single crystal study of Ba3Pt2O7 shows that the structure tolerates a variable composition which can be written Ba3Pt2+xO7+2x. The crystal studied has a hexagonal cell of dimensions a = 10.108 ± 0.006 A and c = 8.638 ± 0.009 A, and a probable space group P 6 2c, Z = 4 . The density determined by water displacement is 7.99 g/cm3; the theoretical density for Ba3Pt2O7 is 7.94 g/cm3. The structure was determined from the set of 401 observed independent reflections obtained from 5189 reflections measured by automated counter methods. Refinement on F was carried to a conventional R of 8.0%. The structure has barium-oxygen layers with an essentially four-layer stacking sequence of the double hexagonal (ABAB) type. Platinum is found mainly in face-sharing octahedra, but is also distributed over some sites in which the coordination is nearly square planar and other sites in which the coordination is trigonal prismatic with three PtO bond lengths of 2.00 A and three long PtO distances of 2.65 A. The platinum with planar coordination is 0.08 A from the plane of the four oxygen atoms.
Computational simulation of block copolymer directed self-assembly in small topographical guiding templates

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCP) has attracted significant interest due to its promising potential as the next generation lithography candidate. In this paper we used Self-Consistent-Field-Theory (SCFT) to computationally simulate the equilibrium behavior of self-assembly inside a confinement well, which is also known as graphoepitaxy. More specifically, we studied the DSA of cylinder-forming block copolymers for contact hole/via patterning, mainly focusing on 1-hole DSA pattern inside confinement well. The SCFT simulation results of parametric studies for confinement well sizes ranging from 50nm to 90nm, different polymer film thicknesses and a range of the wall/substrate affinity parameter values, are presented, as well as verified by experiments.
A novel mouse Chromosome 2 congenic strain with obesity phenotypes.

Linkage studies have identified many chromosomal regions containing obesity genes in mice. However, only a few of these quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been used to guide the production of congenic mouse strains that retain obesity phenotypes. We seek to identify chromosomal regions containing obesity genes in the BSB model of spontaneous obesity because the BSB model is a multigenic obesity model. Previous studies identified QTLs on Chromosomes (Chrs) 2, 6, 7,12, and 15. BSB mice are made by backcross of lean C57BL/6J × Mus spretus. F1s were backcrossed to C57BL/6J mice to produce BSB progeny. We have constructed a new BSB cross and produced congenic mice with obesity phenotypes by marker-directed selection called B6.S–D2Mit194–D2Mit311. We found a highly significant QTL for percentage body lipid on Chr 2 just proximal to the Agouti locus. Chr 2 congenics were constructed to determine whether the main effects would be detectable. We observed highly significant linkage of the Chr 2 congenic containing Agouti and containing markers distal to D2Mit311 and proximal to D2Mit194. Thus, this congenic contains approximately 14.6 cM or 30 Mb (about 1.1% of the spretus mouse genome) and several hundred genes. The obesity phenotype of the QTL is retained in the congenic. The congenic can now be used to model the genetic and physiological basis for a relatively simple, perhaps monogenic, obesity.
The Pretty Prudent Public: Post Post-Vietnam American Opinion on the Use of Military Force

This article identifies a “post post-Vietnam” pattern in recent American public opinion on the use of military force. Data is drawn from eight cases of limited military force in the 1980s and the 1990–91 Persian Gulf war. Although other factors enter in, particularly the “halo effect” of quick-strike successes, the variations in public support are best explained by differences in principal policy objectives between force used to coerce foreign policy restraint by an aggressor state, and force used to influence or impose internal political change within another state. Distinctions are made both among and within the cases, showing the American public to have been much more supportive of the use of force when the principal objective was to restrain rather than remake governments. These findings have theoretical implications for the analysis of public opinion, prescriptive implications for U.S. foreign policy strategy, and normative implications for views of the role of the public in the foreign policy process.
BICIPITAL TENOSYNOVITIS IN THE DOG—EVALUATION WITH POSITIVE CONTRAST ARTHROGRAPHY

This paper describes seven dogs with traumatic bicipital tenosynovitis in which complete clinical, radiographic, and surgical evaluations were performed. All were adult dogs of medium to large breed and were presented with a chronic front limb lameness of several months' duration and shoulder muscle atrophy. Survey radiographs of the scapulohumeral joint showed new bone production almost exclusively in the region of the biceps tendon, i.e., the intertubercular groove and the supraglenoid tuberosity. Arthrograms in six of seven dogs revealed difficulty in filling or irregular filling of the bicipital tendon sheath, best seen on the mediolateral view of the shoulder. On surgical exploration, macroscopic lesions of the tendon and/or the sheath were observed in all dogs and included adhesions, fibrosis, scar tissue, edema, and thickening. Partial tear of the tendon was observed in three dogs.
Talos: assistive robotic platform

In this paper, we describe the approaches used to develop the TALOS robotic platform for use with assistive living environments and related work using an alternative custom robotic arm.
Food, Taste, and American Religions

The scholarship that brings together food and foodways (all of the activities and meanings surrounding food in a particular cultural setting) and religion in North America is widely interdisciplinary, drawing from history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, American studies, folklore studies, performance studies, and religious studies. This article surveys the scholarship on food and religion in American history and culture. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals controversial placement between 1998 and 2005 of billboards that used Christian imagery and language to promote vegetarianism serves as an example of the complex relationships among religion, food, and taste. The article then considers three book-length studies of religion and food, followed by studies of religion and foodways during the colonial period, in utopian communal groups of the nineteenth century, as a means of reproducing ethnic and regional identities, and as an ethic for transforming society and the planet. The article closes with a discussion of the future of the study of American religion and food.
Vibrations of Functionally Graded Shells

The behavior of functionally graded structures has received a great deal of attention in recent years. Usually, these structures are made out of a composite material with a modulus of elasticity, a Poisson’s ratio, and a density that vary through the thickness. The non-uniformity through the thickness introduces coupling between the transverse deformations and the deformations of the mid-surface. Previous publications have shown how to account for these added complexities and have presented extensive results in tabular form. In this article, available results are used to show that the behavior of functionally graded shells is similar to that of homogeneous isotropic shells. It is well known that for isotropic shells, results can be presented in non-dimensional form so that, once results are obtained for one material, they can be simply scaled to obtain the corresponding results for shells made out of another material. The same can then be done for functionally graded shells. In addition, if functionally graded shells behave like homogeneous shells, no new method of analysis is required. The second part of the paper examines why this is true.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Prescribing menopausal hormone therapy: an evidence-based approach

The constantly changing landscape regarding menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has been challenging for providers caring for menopausal women. After a decade of fear and uncertainty regarding MHT, reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative data and the results of recent studies have provided some clarity regarding the balance of risks and benefits of systemic MHT. Age and years since menopause are now known to be important variables affecting the benefit-risk profile. For symptomatic menopausal women who are under 60 years of age or within 10 years of menopause, the benefits of MHT generally outweigh the risks. Systemic MHT initiated early in menopause appears to slow the progression of atherosclerotic disease, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. During this window of opportunity, MHT might also provide protection against cognitive decline. In older women and women more than 10 years past menopause, the risk-benefit balance of MHT is less favorable, particularly with regard to cardiovascular risk and cognitive impairment. For women entering menopause prematurely (<40 years), MHT ameliorates the risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cognitive decline. Nonoral administration of estrogen offers advantages due to the lack of first-pass hepatic metabolism, which in turn avoids the increased hepatic synthesis of clotting proteins, C-reactive protein, triglycerides, and sex hormone-binding globulin. The duration of combined MHT use is ideally limited to less than 5 years because of the known increase in breast cancer risk after 3-5 years of use. Limitations to use of estrogen only MHT are less clear, since breast cancer risk does not appear to increase with use of estrogen alone. For women under the age of 60 years, or within 10 years of onset of natural menopause, MHT for the treatment of bothersome menopausal symptoms poses low risk and is an acceptable option, particularly when nonhormonal management approaches fail.
A discontinuous enrichment method for three-dimensional multiscale harmonic wave propagation problems in multi-fluid and fluid–solid media

An evanescent wave occurs when a propagating incident wave impinges on an interface between two fluid, solid, or fluid–solid media at a subcritical angle. Mathematical properties of such a wave make it difficult to capture with standard finite element discretization schemes. For this reason, the discontinuous enrichment method (DEM) developed in (Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 2001; 190:6455–6479; Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 2003; 192:1389–1419; Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 2003; 192:3195–3210; Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng 2004; 61:1938–1956; Wave Motion 2004; 39(4):307–317; Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng 2006; 66:2086–2114; Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng 2006; 66:796–815) is extended here to the solution of a class of three-dimensional evanescent wave problems in the frequency domain. To this effect, new DEM elements for three-dimensional elastodynamic problems are first proposed. Then, these and other DEM elements previously developed for the efficient solution of the Helmholtz problem are further enriched with free-space solutions of model evanescent wave problems, in order to achieve high accuracy at practical mesh resolution for fluid–fluid and fluid–solid applications. The performance of the extended DEM elements is reported to be better than that of its basic Helmholtz and Navier counterparts and superior to that achieved by the classical high-order polynomial finite element method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lumbar-pelvic coordination in the sitting position.

Abstract This study assessed the relationship of each movement direction on the lumbar spine and on the pelvis in regards to lumbar–pelvic coordination in the sitting position. Lumbar and pelvic motions were recorded using a flexible electrogoniometer in 12 healthy subjects during two different tasks in the sitting position. The coordination of the lumbar spine and pelvis was evaluated using the ratio of lumbar and pelvic angles (L/P ratio hereafter) in three motion phases. There were significant differences in the L/P ratio values between during the “forward bending” and “rising from a forward flexed position” phases ( P
Genotype coding, diversity, and dynamic environments: A study on an evolutionary neural network multi-agent system

This paper reports the effects that different coding schemes at the genetic level have on the evolution of neural network multi-agent systems that operate under dynamic (changing) environments. Types of NN encoding include direct encoding of weights and three different L-Systems. Empirical results show that even variations within the same type of coding scheme can have considerable effects on evolution. Several different analysis of both genotypes and phenotypes are used in order to explain the differences caused by the coding schemes.
Motivations for preventing versus assisting suicide.

The motivations of those seeking to prevent and assist suicide are conceptualized as defensive styles of repression versus sensitization adopted to deal with personal suicidal desires. Language: en
Atomic Fluorescence Flame Spectrometry

Fluorescence flame spectrometry is based upon the absorption of radiation by an atomic vapor to produce excited atoms, and the measurement of the radiation emitted when a fraction of these excited atoms lose their energy by a radiational process or processes called atomic fluorescence. Mitchell and Zemansky [1] and Pringsheim [2] have discussed much of the original research on the fluorescence of atomic vapors in quartz containers. However, the first reference to the fluorescence of atomic vapors in flames was reported in 1924 by Nichols and Howes [3] who observed the atomic fluorescence of calcium, strontium, barium, lithium, and sodium in a Bunsen burner flame. In 1927, Badger [4] published a classic paper on the atomic fluorescence of thallium, mercury, magnesium, copper, silver, cadmium, and sodium in an ordinary Bunsen burner flame as well as in a separated flame. Few references to flame fluorescence can be found between the years 1927 and 1962. However, in 1962, Alkemade [5] discussed the principles of atomic fluorescence flame spectrometry, particularly with regard to the measurement of quantum efficiencies. In 1964, Winefordner and Vickers [6] published the first paper on atomic fluorescence flame spectrometry as an analytical method. Since then, numerous manuscripts concerning the basis [7–9], the instrumentation [10–20], and the possible uses and advantages [21–35] of atomic fluorescence flame spectrometry have been published. In this chapter, the basis, instrumentation, and current and possible future uses of flame fluorescence spectrometry will be discussed.
A mixed-integer linear program for optimizing sensor locations along freeway corridors

Abstract How to optimally allocate limited freeway sensor resources is of great interest to transportation engineers. In this paper, we focus on the optimal allocation of point sensors, such as loop detectors, to minimize performance measurement errors. Although it has been shown that the minimization problem can be intuitively formulated as a nonlinear program, the formulation is so complex that only heuristic approaches can be used to solve the problem. In this paper, we transform the nonlinear program into an equivalent mixed-integer linear model. The linearized model is shown to have a graphical interpretation and can be solved using resource constrained shortest path algorithms. A customized Branch-and-Bound technique is then proposed to solve the resource constrained shortest path problem. Numerical experiments along an urban freeway corridor demonstrate that this sensor location model is successful in allocating loop detectors to improve the accuracy of travel time estimation.
The Inconsistent Youth of Charles Babbage

At Cambridge, Charles Babbage developed the mathematical foundation that helped him design and build his computing machines. Yet, his experience at college tells the story of a young man who was experimenting with his identity, exploring new ideas, and testing himself. Although something of a rebel, Babbage yearned to have a place in British society for himself and his mathematics.
Empowerment Rhetoric, Sexual Negotiation, and Latinas' AIDS Risk: Research Implications for Prevention Health Education

Heterosexually acquired HIV infections and their consequent deficiency syndrome continue to increase among Latinas despite more than a decade of prevention and education programs. Most programs targeting the non-IDU Latina attempt a reorientation of her personal beliefs and attitudes. They use “empowerment” education as a means of generating more sexually assertive women, in the hope that these will negotiate safer sex more effectively with their male partners. Despite the well-proven social paradox that knowledge and beliefs are not a good predictor of behavior, such programs maintain their popularity while missing fundamental understandings about Latinas, both idiosyncratic and subculture-specific, which are essential for effective prevention education. The failure of current programs which target Latinas is underscored, sadly, by the continued escalation of infections in this population. The state of empowerment rhetoric is examined and its deficits underscored in treating sexual negotiation as a funda...
Tryptophan interactions with glycerol/water and trehalose/sucrose cryosolvents: infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy and ab initio calculations

In order to correlate how the solvent affects emission properties of tryptophan, the fluorescence and phosphorescence emission spectra of tryptophan and indole model compounds were compared for solid sugar glass (trehalose/sucrose) matrix and glycerol/water solution and under the same conditions, these matrices were examined by infrared spectroscopy. Temperature was varied from 290 to 12 K. In sugar glass, the fluorescence and phosphorescence emission spectra are constant over this temperature range and the fluorescence remains red shifted; these results are consistent with the static interaction of OH groups with tryptophan in the sugar glass. In sugar glass containing water, the water retains mobility over the entire temperature range as indicated by the HOH infrared bending frequency. The fluorescence of tryptophan in glycerol/water shifts to the blue as temperature decreases and the frequency change of the absorption of the HOH bend mode is larger than in the sugar glass. These results suggest rearrangement of glycerol and water molecules over the entire temperature change. Shifts in the fluorescence emission maximum of indole and tryptophan were relatively larger than shifts for the phosphorescence emission-as expected for the relatively smaller excited triplet state dipole for tryptophan. The fluorescence emission of tryptophan in glycerol/water at low temperature has maxima at 312, 313, and 316 nm at pH 1.4, 7.0, and 10.6, respectively. The spectral shifts are interpreted to be an indication of a charge, or Stark phenomena, effect on the excited state molecule, as supported by ab initio calculations. To check whether the amino acid remains charged over the temperature range, the infrared spectrum of alanine was monitored over the entire range of temperature. The ratio of infrared absorption characteristic of carboxylate/carbonyl was constant in glycerol/water and sugar glass, which indicates that the charge was retained. Tryptophan buried in proteins, namely calcium parvalbumin from cod and aldolase from rabbit, showed temperature profiles of the fluorescence spectra that were largely independent of the solvent (glycerol/water or sugar glass) and temperature whereas the fluorescence and phosphorescence yields were dependent. The results demonstrate how the rich information found in tryptophan luminescence can provide information on the dipolar nature and dynamics of the matrix.
The anthropology of ethnicity

Frances Henry, ed. Ethnicity in the Americas. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co., 1976. vii + 438 pp. Bibliographical notes and index. $22.50.
Surface pressure measurements on a pitching swept wing in a water channel

We present the results of surface pressure measurements on a swept wing of NACA 0015 profile and a back sweep angle of 15 deg, which was pitched at a uniform angular velocity. The pitching axis was perpendicular to the flow direction so that the experiment simulated the pitch-up maneuver of a fixed-wing aircraft. The experiments were performed in an open-surface water channel. The object of the study was to understand the mechanics of vorticity production and dynamic stall in three-dimensional unsteady flows. The phase-locked pressure data which were obtained at several closely spaced spanwise locations of the wing were used to obtain information on the fluxes of spanwise and chordwise vorticity components, in addition to the usual information on the aerodynamic coefficients. The study showed that the three-dimensional dynamic stall over the slightly swept wing is less catastrophic and more gradual than the two-dimensional process over an unswept wing. Other important effects observed were a spanwise variation of the aerodynamic coefficients and the presence of spanwise periodicity in the production of vorticity following the onset of dynamic stall.
The Physician as an Educated Person

To the Editor.— As a first-year medical student, I believe I am in a unique position to respond to the commentary by Dr Rhoads. In the commentary, Dr Rhoads joins the ranks of those who decry the heavy emphasis on the sciences in premedical education. He also joins the ranks of those who suggest that the way to solve this problem is to suddenly shift gears and start overemphasizing humanities in the premedical curriculum. I see this as simplistic and perilous. There are three perils of overemphasizing humanities in premedical training. First, by increasing the amount of humanities studied, by necessity you decrease the amount of science taken. (There are only so many credit hours to be used.) This leads to the second problem of a weakened background for the clinical years. Problem one also leads indirectly to problem 3—the sciences and the humanities require a different type of study.
Static and dynamic characterization of regular truncated icosahedral and dodecahedral tensegrity modules

Static and dynamic properties of a pair of dual spherical tensegrity modules invented by Buckminster Fuller are investigated. They are regular truncated icosahedral and dodecahedral tensegrity modules. The computation of the Maxwell number and the use of Calladine's relation reveal that regular truncated icosahedral and dodecahedral tensegrity modules possess 55 infinitesimal mechanism modes. A reduced equilibrium matrix is presented for the initial shape finding to economically impose the existence of a pre-stress mode. Both the initial shape and the corresponding pre-stress mode are analytically obtained by using graphs of the icosahedral group and the reduced equilibrium matrix. For both icosahedral and dodecahedral modules the maximum values of the cable tension is always less than the absolute value of bar compression. In order to classify a large number of infinitesimal mechanism modes, modal analyses are conducted. Infinitesimal mechanism modes have the stiffness due to pre-stress and are associated with lowest natural frequencies. Their natural frequencies increase proportionally to the square root of the amplitude of pre-stress. It is found that there are only 15 distinct natural frequencies associated with the infinitesimal mechanism modes.
Versatile processor arrays based on segmented optical buses

We explore the potential of using optical waveguides and switches to build high performance parallel processing systems by introducing a new class of parallel computing architectures. This class of architectures are based on a special kind of reconfigurable buses called segmented buses. A segmented bus is a bus that can be dynamically partitioned into segments, called sub-buses, under program control. Such a bus can be used as a basic building block for constructing powerful parallel architectures. We show that parallel architectures based on segmented buses are versatile by embedding parallel communication patterns supported by a wide variety of networks such as linear array, ring, complete binary tree, X-tree, mesh-of-trees, multidimensional mesh, torus, multigrid and pyramid into segmented bus based architectures, and show that all these networks can be simulated with small slowdown factors.
Beethoven Instrumentalized: Richard Wagner's Self-Marketing and Media Image

Wagner’s ‘theatricality’, his tendency to make a production of himself, has been explained as evidence of his megalomania and as an attempt at self-aggrandizement. In this article Wagner’s extravagant behaviours and utterances are placed on a different discursive plane, as imaginative and highly successful forms of self-marketing. Beethoven, central to Wagner’s iconoclastic historiography of music and legitimation of his aesthetic project, was also a crucial element in Wagner’s effort to create his own distinct persona and to establish a ‘unique’ niche for his works. A close reading of Wagner’s novella A Pilgrimage to Beethoven (1840) and an analysis of his publicity campaign to attract and prepare the Dresden audience for his 1846 performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony reveal both the complexity and the mechanics of Wagner’s highly constructed self-image and talent at drawing a crowd. They also explain how and why Wagner’s instrumentalization of Beethoven needs to be viewed from this perspective as well.
Differential Effects of RUNX2 on the Androgen Receptor in Prostate Cancer: Synergistic Stimulation of a Gene Set Exemplified by SNAI2 and Subsequent Invasiveness

Changes to androgen signaling during prostate carcinogenesis are associated with both inhibition of cellular differentiation and promotion of malignant phenotypes. The androgen receptor (AR)-binding transcription factor RUNX2 has been linked to prostate cancer progression but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully defined. In this study, we investigated the genome-wide influence of RUNX2 on androgen-induced gene expression and AR DNA binding in prostate cancer cells. RUNX2 inhibited the androgen response partly by promoting the dissociation of AR from its target genes such as the tumor suppressor NKX3-1. However, AR activity persists in the presence of RUNX2 at other AR target genes, some of which are cooperatively stimulated by androgen and RUNX2 signaling. These genes are associated with putative enhancers co-occupied by AR and RUNX2. One such gene, the invasion-promoting Snail family transcription factor SNAI2, was co-activated by AR and RUNX2. Indeed, these two transcription factors together, but neither alone stimulated prostate cancer cell invasiveness, which could be abolished by SNAI2 silencing. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical analysis of SNAI2 in archived primary prostate cancer specimens revealed a correlation with the RUNX2 histoscore, and simultaneous strong staining for SNAI2, RUNX2, and AR (but not any pair alone) was associated with disease recurrence. Overall, our findings suggest cooperation between AR and RUNX in the stimulation of oncogenes such as SNAI2, which might be targeted for individualized prostate cancer therapy.
Use of risk stratification indices to predict mortality in critically ill children.

The complexity and high cost of neonatal and pediatric intensive care has generated increasing interest in developing measures to quantify the severity of patient illness. While these indices may help improve health care quality and benchmark mortality across hospitals, comprehensive understanding of the purpose and the factors that influenced the performance of risk stratification indices is important so that they can be compared fairly and used most appropriately. In this review, we examined 19 indices of risk stratification used to predict mortality in critically ill children and critically analyzed their design, limitations, and purposes. Some pediatric and neonatal models appear well-suited for institutional benchmarking purposes, with relatively brief data acquisition times, limited potential for treatment-related bias, and reliance on diagnostic variables that permit adjustment for case mix. Other models are more suitable for use in clinical trials, as they rely on physiologic variables collected over an extended period, to better capture the interaction between organ systems function and specific therapeutic interventions in acutely ill patients. Irrespective of their clinical or research applications, risk stratification indices must be periodically recalibrated to adjust for changes in clinical practice in order to remain valid outcome predictors in pediatric intensive care units. Longitudinal auditing, education, training, and guidelines development are also critical to ensure fidelity and reproducibility in data reporting. Conclusion: Risk stratification indices are valid tools to describe intensive care unit population and explain differences in mortality.
Ischemia/reperfusion injury in the liver of BALB/c mice activates AP‐1 and nuclear factor κB independently of IκB degradation

For many inherited and acquired hepatic diseases, liver transplantation is the only possible therapeutic strategy. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage to donor tissue is thought to be one component that may play a role in the decline of posttransplant tissue function and ultimately rejection. The transcription factors, AP-1 and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), play important roles in the acute cellular responses to tissue damage, as well as the inflammatory phase following I/R. We have found that the DNA binding activity of AP-1 was dramatically increased following warm ischemia at 1 to 3 hours postreperfusion. Induced DNA binding activity was composed of predominately c-Jun and JunD hetero- and homodimers as determined by electrophoretic mobility supershift assays. This increase in AP-1 activity occurred in the absence of significant changes in the steady-state protein levels of c-Jun and JunB. Maximal activation of Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) occurred within the 25 to 30 minutes postreperfusion, just before the peak in AP-1 DNA binding. These findings suggest that phosphorylation may play an important role in regulating AP-1 transcriptional complexes. Furthermore, JunD protein levels slightly increased at 3 hours postreperfusion, concordant with changes in AP-1 DNA binding activity. The activation of NF-κB at 1 hour postreperfusion was independent of proteolytic degradation of IκB-α or IκB-β. This activation of NF-κB DNA binding activity in the nucleus was preceded by an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of IκB-α. These studies suggest that JNK, IκB tyrosine kinase, and JunD are potential targets for therapeutic intervention during liver I/R injury.
A New Pattern Electroretinogram Paradigm Evaluated in Terms of User Friendliness and Agreement with Perimetry

Purpose To assess ease of use of the pattern electroretinogram optimized for glaucoma screening (PERGLA) paradigm by a novice operator; to study test–retest variability of the PERGLA parameters; and to compare results from the PERGLA to those from perimetry. Design Cohort study. Participants Twelve healthy control subjects and 16 patients with moderate to advanced glaucoma in at least 1 eye. Methods Pattern electroretinograms were recorded simultaneously from both eyes using a commercially available testing station. Each participant underwent PERGLA procedures in 2 sessions. One eye of each subject was tested on contrast sensitivity perimetry (CSP) in which a 0.4 cycles/degree Gabor patch served as a stimulus. Central visual fields results from conventional automated perimetry (CAP) were obtained from patients' records. Bland–Altman analysis was performed on PERGLA results to assess normal test–retest variability. Differences from mean normal (in decibels [dB]) were compared for PERGLA versus CSP and CAP. Main Outcome Measures Pattern electroretinogram amplitude, noise, phase, and test–retest variability (coefficient of variation); contrast sensitivity from CSP; perimetric sensitivity from CAP; and differences from mean normal for PERGLA, CSP, and CAP. Results The mean log amplitude (0.08±0.12 log μV) and the mean phase (1.92±0.07 π rad) for the control group were consistent with published PERGLA norms, as was test–retest variability for both amplitude (coefficient of variation [CV] = 8.2±7.0%) and phase (CV = 1.1±0.9%). The mean signal-to-noise ratio (8.7±4.5) was lower than published norms. The test–retest variability increased as PERGLA log amplitude decreased ( R 2 >0.12, P Conclusions A novice operator successfully replicated published PERGLA norms in a young control group for amplitude, phase, and repeatability. Higher test–retest variability was found in eyes with smaller signals. On average, PERGLA results were in reasonable agreement with those from perimetry, although there existed large individual differences which may limit the usage of PERGLA in screening or in following progression of glaucoma.
Manufacturing of microwave modules using low-temperature cofired ceramics

Low-Temperature Cofired Ceramics enables the creation of monolithic, three-dimensional, controlled-impedance microwave circuits/packages. Successful manufacture of these circuits requires the proper materials, processes, and equipment. Recent advances in new ceramics combined with the development of manufacturing automation are now available for production of high-performance, low-cost microwave modules. >
Preparation and Characterization of Pure-Phase Co2Y Ferrite Powders via a Scalable Aqueous Coprecipitation Method

Aqueous chemical coprecipitation methods have been developed to produce large quantities, 12 g per batch, of pure-phase Ba2Co2Fe12O22 Y-type hexaferrite powders. X-ray diffraction studies showed that sintering temperatures as low as 900°C were sufficient to produce a single-phase Y-type hexaferrite material. The method has also been shown to lend itself to efficient scale up, leading to large batch production. The growth of particles as a function of time and temperature in a single-step sintering process, as opposed to multiple annealing and sintering processes required in conventional ceramic processing, was explored. Size and shape of particles have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, while the magnetic properties were studied by vibrating sample magnetometry. Measured structural and magnetic properties are closely matched with those of bulk ceramic materials, indicating that the proposed approach may serve as a large-scale, cost-effective substitute to conventional ceramic processing of hexagonal ferrite materials.
Doppler frequency shift estimation for differentially coherent CPM

A communication scheme based on continuous-phase modulated (CPM) signals used in conjunction with trellis-coded modulation (TCM) is considered. To keep the complexity manageable, a detection scheme based on differential detection of CPM signals is used. Methods that estimate the Doppler-induced frequency shift from the receiver signal are studied. Since differential detection transforms a frequency shift into a phase shift, the phase estimation problem is examined first. Three Doppler frequency estimation schemes that are based on open-loop structures and that are designed to achieve different ranges of Doppler frequencies that can be estimated are introduced. These estimators show different degrees of complexity and (at least for high signal-to-noise ratios) significantly different estimation errors. Their performance is compared by using a simulation approach. >
Mortality in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: an unacceptably high rate

This editorial refers to ‘The survival of patients with heart failure with preserved or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction: an individual patient data meta-analysis’, by Meta-analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC), doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehr254 One important factor that has contributed to our thinking about heart failure in patients with normal or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been the perception that mortality in this group of patients is similar to that in those of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This may derive largely from the results of two prior independent epidemiological studies that showed that mortality in these two groups of patients did not differ substantially ( Figure 1A and B ).1,2 Furthermore, the study by Owan et al .1, which collected patient outcome data spanning the time period from 1987 to 2001, showed that there was no improvement in HFpEF mortality trends over each successive 4 year time period. This contrasted to the improvement in 5-year survival of patients with HFrEF from ∼27% to ∼35%, which was interpreted as reflecting the introduction and adoption of new medical therapies and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) over this time period. Figure 1 Comparison of survival between HFrEF and HFpEF from two epidemiological studies1,2 and an individual patient data meta-analysis including results of randomized studies.4 Note that although the differences in survival in A were statistically significant ( P = 0.03, with >4500 patients included in the analysis) the difference at any time point is small. Adapted from Owan TE, Hodge DO, Herges RM, Jacobsen SJ, Roger VL, Redfield MM. Trends in prevalence and outcome of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. N Engl J Med 2006; 355 :251–259, and Bhatia RS, Tu JV, Lee DS, Austin PC, Fang J, Haouzi A, Gong Y, Liu PP. Outcome of …
When First Impressions Don't Last: The Role Of Isolation And Adaptation Processes In The Revision Of Evaluative Impressions

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to examine the psychological processes underlying the revision of evaluative person impressions. It is proposed that the favorability of first impressions affects the extent to which people will draw in (i.e., adapt) or resist drawing in (i.e., isolate) subsequently processed information into an extant impression. These processes have consequences for impression change and the degree to which people are able to retrieve the evidential basis of their impressions. The findings from three experiments provided evidence for the present conceptualization. The findings are discussed in terms of their consequences for belief change and social information processing.
CD13 Regulates Dendritic Cell Cross-Presentation and T Cell Responses by Inhibiting Receptor-Mediated Antigen Uptake

Dendritic cell (DC) Ag cross-presentation is generally associated with immune responses to tumors and viral Ags, and enhancement of this process is a focus of tumor vaccine design. In this study, we found that the myeloid cell surface peptidase CD13 is highly and specifically expressed on the subset of DCs responsible for cross-presentation, the CD8(+) murine splenic DCs. In vivo studies indicated that lack of CD13 significantly enhanced T cell responses to soluble OVA Ag, although development, maturation, and Ag processing and presentation of DCs are normal in CD13KO mice. In vitro studies showed that CD13 regulates receptor-mediated, dynamin-dependent endocytosis of Ags such as OVA and transferrin but not fluid-phase or phagocytic Ag uptake. CD13 and Ag are cointernalized in DCs, but CD13 did not coimmunoprecipitate with Ag receptors, suggesting that CD13 does not control internalization of specific receptors but regulates endocytosis at a more universal level. Mechanistically, we found that phosphorylation of the endocytic regulators p38MAPK and Akt was dysregulated in CD13KO DCs, and blocking of these kinases perturbed CD13-dependent endocytic uptake. Therefore, CD13 is a novel endocytic regulator that may be exploited to enhance Ag uptake and T cell activation to improve the efficacy of tumor-targeted vaccines.
Quick tests for the determination of ammonia in poultry litter

The objective of this work was to test the ability of various available quick tests to determine ammonia concentration of poultry litters. A total of 136 samples was collected from brood chambers of poultry houses. Samples were equally divided between surface samples (top 25 mm) and core samples. Samples were frozen until analysis but received no further processing. Samples were analyzed for ammonia by autoanalyzer (standard) and several quick tests (conductivity, Quantofix N-Volumeter, and Reflectoquant). In addition, samples were analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy by scanning samples using a large-sample transport device on a FOSS-NIRSystems model 6500 (64 co-added scans from 400 to 2,498 nm). Results showed that, although ammonia could be determined with reasonable accuracy by near-infrared spectroscopy using data in the 1,100 to 2,498 nm spectral range (final calibration R2 of approximately 0.90), none of the quick tests, including near-infrared, worked as well as previously found with dairy manures. The best results were found using the Quantofix or Reflectoquant (R2 of approximately 0.75), and conductivity worked only with the core samples (R2 of approximately 0.75). It is believed that interferences due to the presence of uric acid (spectroscopy, Quantofix, and Reflectoquant) and sodium bisulfate used to treat the litter (conductivity) were the cause of the decreased accuracies as compared to results achieved previously with dairy manures.
Tiered Vectors: Efficient Dynamic Arrays for Rank-Based Sequences

We describe a data structure, the tiered vector, which is an implementation of the Vector ADT that provides O(1-Ɛ) worst case time performance for rank-based retrieval and O(nƐ) amortized time peroformance for rank-based insertion and deletion, for any fixed Ɛ > 0. We also provide results from experiments involving the use of the tiered vector for Ɛ = 1=2 in JDSL, the Data Structures Library in Java.
Energetic particles and currents - Results from Dynamics Explorer

The suprathermal plasma instruments on DE 1 and DE 2 (high-altitude plasma instrument, low-altitude plasma instrument, and energetic ion composition spectrometer) have provided new data on the distribution functions and composition of plasmas at altitudes from a few hundred to about 23,000 km. Of particular interest are the results that have been obtained on the injection and transport of plasma in the polar cusp, on the upward acceleration of ionospheric ions and electrons, and on the charge carriers of the various high-latitude Birkeland current systems (using independent measurements of the currents by the magnetic field instruments MAG-A and MAG-B). These results and other contributions of the Dynamics Explorer hot plasma and magnetic field measurements to the present understanding of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling are reviewed in this paper.
Health literacy and cancer communication with older adults.

Objective: The physiological, cognitive, language and communicative changes that take place as we enter into old age have become quite well documented within the social scientific literature. Many of these changes lead in some way to a lessening of previous interactive abilities and competencies. The new mantra for gerontologists attempting to help older adults compensate for these potential losses is to develop strategies to maintain existing abilities as long as possible. Methods: A literature review using online databases was performed. Results: Older adults who are diagnosed with cancer or help care for an individual coping with cancer must confront a health care system that demands a high level of health literacy to successfully manage the disease. Older adults may be at a distinct disadvantage in their ability to successfully cope with cancer because of age-related physiological, cognitive, psychological and communicative factors. Conclusion: This paper highlights the relevant research findings and theoretical positioning that points not only to possible pragmatic dilemmas faced by those adapting to cancer but also highlights streams of research that scholars may wish to focus upon to better understand how older adults and their formal and informal caregivers can improve their cancer health literacy. Practice implications: Providers, patients, and caregivers must all participate in creating a health care environment of shared meaning and understanding of health messages tailored to the aging patient diagnosed with cancer. Health communication scholars have various theoretical, methodological, and pragmatic communication-based approaches that provide important contributions to the complexities of caring for the aging patient.