cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative proteomics for identification of membrane proteins as biomarkers for pancreatic cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4456 Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Detection of pancreatic cancer at an early stage offers the best hope for cure. However, currently available tumor markers for the detection of pancreatic cancer in clinical practice lack the sensitivity and specificity required for detection of potentially curable lesions. To discover novel pancreatic cancer biomarkers, we used a quantitative proteomic approach called Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino acids in Cell culture, or SILAC, to identify differentially expressed membrane proteins. Specifically, we examined the relative changes in membrane protein abundance between a non-neoplastic pancreatic ductal cell line (HPDE) and a pancreatic cancer-derived cell line (Panc-1). Our rationale was that the membrane proteins that are overexpressed in Panc-1 could serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Overall, we were able to quantify changes in abundance of 220 proteins between these two cell lines. Some of the proteins identified in this screen as overexpressed in pancreatic-cancer-derived cells were already known to be involved in cancers. For example, one of the proteins identified in this study, EphA2, promotes tumorigenesis and is known to be overexpressed in several cancers. However, the large majority of the overexpressed proteins has not previously been implicated in pancreatic cancer and includes myeloid-associated differentiation marker, transmembrane protein 43 and a hypothetical transmembrane protein containing LRR domains. Thus, quantitative proteomics can be used as a screening tool for identification of differentially expressed proteins as potential biomarkers which can be further tested using other techniques such as immunohistochemistry for use in early detection of cancers.
WHY ECONOMIES SLOW: The Myth of the Resource Curse

(2004). WHY ECONOMIES SLOW: The Myth of the Resource Curse. Challenge: Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 6-38.
STRENGTH CHARACTERIZATION AND NATURE OF CRACK PROPAGATION IN SINTERED ALPHA SILICON CARBIDE

ABSTRACT A detailed study characterizing the strength and nature of crack propagation has been made in sintered alpha silicon carbide. Fracture phenomenology was studied fractographically using flexural (bend-bar type) specimens in the as machined (uncracked) and precracked condition and to a limited extent using uniaxial tensile specimens. The flexural strength (4-point bend) was found to be independent of temperature (20° to 1400°C). Failure occurred in a brittle, fast fracture (catastrophic) manner. In contrast, uniaxial tensile tests and flexural precracked specimens tested at 1200°C in air showed limited presence of slow crack growth. The extent of slow crack growth increased with increasing temperature. The mode of crack propagation during fast fracture and slow crack growth are discussed.
Building Trust Online: The Design of Robust Reputation Reporting Mechanisms for Online Trading Communities

Several properties of online interaction are challenging the accumulated wisdom of trading communities on how to produce and manage trust. Online reputation reporting systems have emerged as a promising trust management mechanism in such settings. The objective of this paper is to contribute to the construction of online reputation reporting systems that are robust in the presence of unfair and deceitful raters. The paper sets the stage by providing a critical overview of the current state of the art in this area. Following that, it identifies a number of important ways in which the reliability of the current generation of reputation reporting systems can be severely compromised by unfair buyers and sellers. The central contribution of the paper is a number of novel "immunization mechanisms" for effectively countering the undesirable effects of such fraudulent behavior. The paper describes the mechanisms, proves their properties and explains how various parameters of the marketplace microstructure, most notably the anonymity and authentication regimes, can influence their effectiveness. Finally, it concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for the managers and users of current and future electronic marketplaces and identifies some important open issues for future research.
Designing an inflation galaxy survey: How to measure σ(f_(NL))∼1 using scale-dependent galaxy bias

The most promising method for measuring primordial non-Gaussianity in the post-Planck era is to detect large-scale, scale-dependent galaxy bias. Considering the information in the galaxy power spectrum, we here derive the properties of a galaxy clustering survey that would optimize constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity using this technique. Specifically, we ask the question of what survey design is needed to reach a precision σ(f^(loc)_(NL))≈1. To answer this question, we calculate the sensitivity to f^(loc)_(NL) as a function of galaxy number density, redshift accuracy and sky coverage. We include the multitracer technique, which helps minimize cosmic variance noise, by considering the possibility of dividing the galaxy sample into stellar mass bins. We show that the ideal survey for f^(loc)_(NL) looks very different than most galaxy redshift surveys scheduled for the near future. Since those are more or less optimized for measuring the baryon acoustic oscillation scale, they typically require spectroscopic redshifts. On the contrary, to optimize the f^(loc)_(NL) measurement, a deep, wide, multiband imaging survey is preferred. An uncertainty σ(f^(loc)_(NL))=1 can be reached with a full-sky survey that is complete to an i-band AB magnitude i≈23 and has a number density ∼8 arcmin^(-2). Requirements on the multiband photometry are set by a modest photo-z accuracy σ(z)/(1+z)<0.1 and the ability to measure stellar mass with a precision ∼0.2 dex or better (or another proxy for halo mass with equivalent scatter). Finally, we estimate that for the idealized case of a survey measuring all halos down to a mass 10^(10)h^(-1) M⊙ on the full sky out to high redshift, in principle a precision of order σ(f_(NL))∼0.1 can be achieved.
Dynein binds to β-catenin and may tether microtubules at adherens junctions

Interactions between microtubule and actin networks are thought to be crucial for mechanical and signalling events at the cell cortex. Cytoplasmic dynein has been proposed to mediate many of these interactions. Here, we report that dynein is localized to the cortex at adherens junctions in cultured epithelial cells and that this localization is sensitive to drugs that disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. Dynein is recruited to developing contacts between cells, where it localizes with the junctional proteins beta-catenin and E-cadherin. Microtubules project towards these early contacts and we hypothesize that dynein captures and tethers microtubules at these sites. Dynein immunoprecipitates with beta-catenin, and biochemical analysis shows that dynein binds directly to beta-catenin. Overexpression of beta-catenin disrupts the cellular localization of dynein and also dramatically perturbs the organization of the cellular microtubule array. In cells overexpressing beta-catenin, the centrosome becomes disorganized and microtubules no longer appear to be anchored at the cortex. These results identify a novel role for cytoplasmic dynein in capturing and tethering microtubules at adherens junctions, thus mediating cross-talk between actin and microtubule networks at the cell cortex.
From Knowing to Not Knowing: Moving Beyond “Outcomes”

The ways that museums measure the success of their exhibitions reveal their attitudes and values. Are they striving to control visitors so that people will experience what the museum wants? Or are they working to support visitors, who seek to find their own path? The type of approach known as “outcome-based evaluation” weighs in on the side of control. These outcomes are sometimes codified and limited to some half-dozen or so “learning objectives” or “impact categories.” In essence, those who follow this approach are committed to creating exhibitions that will tell visitors what they must experience. Yet people come to museums to construct something new and personally meaningful (and perhaps unexpected or unpredictable) for themselves. They come for their own reasons, see the world through their own frameworks, and may resist (and even resent) attempts to shape their experience. How can museums design and evaluate exhibitions that seek to support visitors rather than control them? How can museum professionals cultivate “not knowing” as a motivation for improving what they do?
Automated genomic context analysis and experimental validation platform for discovery of prokaryote transcriptional regulator functions

The clustering of genes in a pathway and the co-location of functionally related genes is widely recognized in prokaryotes. We used these characteristics to predict the metabolic involvement for a Transcriptional Regulator (TR) of unknown function, identified and confirmed its biological activity. A software tool that identifies the genes encoded within a defined genomic neighborhood for the subject TR and its homologs was developed. The output lists of genes in the genetic neighborhoods, their annotated functions, the reactants/products, and identifies the metabolic pathway in which the encoded-proteins function. When a set of TRs of known function was analyzed, we observed that their homologs frequently had conserved genomic neighborhoods that co-located the metabolically related genes regulated by the subject TR. We postulate that TR effectors are metabolites in the identified pathways; indeed the known effectors were present. We analyzed Bxe_B3018 from Burkholderia xenovorans, a TR of unknown function and predicted that this TR was related to the glycine, threonine and serine degradation. We tested the binding of metabolites in these pathways and for those that bound, their ability to modulate TR binding to its specific DNA operator sequence. Using rtPCR, we confirmed that methylglyoxal was an effector of Bxe_3018. These studies provide the proof of concept and validation of a systematic approach to the discovery of the biological activity for proteins of unknown function, in this case a TR. Bxe_B3018 is a methylglyoxal responsive TR that controls the expression of an operon composed of a putative efflux system.
Designing and Implementing Multicultural Initiatives: Guiding Principles

This chapter provides guiding principles for designing and implementing successful multicultural initiatives. A rationale for why these elements transcend both higher education and student affairs settings is presented. In addition to providing guiding principles, this chapter includes advice for socially and politically conscious-minded professionals who are leading the implementation of multicultural initiatives on their campus.
Clinical diagnosis of influenza in the ED

Abstract Background Timely and accurate diagnosis of influenza remains a challenge but is critical for patients who may benefit from antiviral therapy. This study determined the test characteristics of provider diagnosis of influenza, final ED electronic medical record (EMR) diagnosis of influenza, and influenza-like illness (ILI) in patients recommended to receive antiviral treatment according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. In addition, we evaluated the compliance with CDC antiviral guidelines. Methods A prospective cohort of adults presenting to a tertiary care ED with an acute respiratory illness who met CDC criteria for recommended antiviral treatment were enrolled and tested for influenza. A clinical diagnosis of influenza was assessed by asking the clinician: “Do you think this patient has influenza?” Influenza-like illness was defined according to current CDC criteria. Results In this cohort of 270 subjects, 42 (16%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11%-20%) had influenza. Clinician diagnosis had a sensitivity of 36% (95% CI, 22%-52%) and specificity of 78% (95% CI, 72%-83%); EMR final ED diagnosis had a sensitivity of 26% (95% CI, 14%-42%) and specificity of 97% (95% CI, 94%-99%); ILI had a sensitivity of 31% (95% CI, 18%-47%) and specificity of 88% (95% CI, 83%-92%). Only 15 influenza-positive patients (36%) received antiviral treatment. Conclusion Clinician diagnosis, final ED EMR diagnosis, and ILI have low sensitivity for diagnosing influenza, and there is overall poor compliance with CDC antiviral treatment recommendations. Improved methods of influenza diagnosis are needed to help guide management in the clinical setting.
Disentangling: Conflict Discourse in Pacific Societies

Disentangling: Conflict Discourse in Pacific Societies. Karat Ann Watson Gegeo and Geoffrey M. White, eds. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1990. 505 pp. $49.50 (cloth)
An alternative by any other name: genre-splicing and mainstream genres in alternative comics

Alternative comics are typically defined by the supposed absence of superheroes and other mainstream genres, yet these genres have appeared repeatedly in key examples of alternative comics, including works by Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, and Jaime Hernandez. These cartoonists’ use of mainstream genres takes the form of what I call ‘genre-splicing,’ the combination of two or more genres in a way that fragments the fictional reality of the work or violates the norms of the genres employed. Genre-splicing provides a vehicle for many effects and aims, including thematic development, narrative pleasure, self-reflexivity, and disjunctive disruption. Alternative cartoonists’ use of genre-splicing not only punctures the myth that alternative comics are defined by mainstream genres’ absence, it also challenges the description of alternative comics as adult, literary, and artistic, in contrast to the juvenile and commercial nature of most mainstream comics. Despite their contradictions,...
Obstructive sleep apnea and acute myocardial infarction severity: Ischemic preconditioning?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by intermittent hypoxia (IH). In animal models, IH has been shown to protect the myocardium during periods of ischemia by reducing infarct size. However, this phenomenon of “ischemic preconditioning” has not been investigated among OSA patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). This study investigates the role of OSA on MI severity as measured by cardiac enzymes, specifically troponin-T, among patients with an acute MI. This is an observational cohort study of patients ≥18 years of age who were hospitalized with an acute MI. Each participant underwent portable sleep monitoring (Apnea Link Plus); OSA was defined as an apnea–hypopnea index ≥5/h. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between OSA and highly sensitive troponin-T levels. In our entire cohort of acute MI patients (n = 136), 77 % of the sample had evidence of sleep disordered breathing, with 35 % of the sample having OSA (i.e., an AHI >5). Higher AHI was associated with lower peak troponin-T levels in partially adjusted models (β = −0.0320, p = 0.0074, adjusted for age, gender, and race) and fully adjusted models (β = −0.0322, p = 0.0085) (additionally adjusted for smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, body mass index, history of prior cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, diabetes and baseline admission creatinine levels). The mean value of the log-transformed peak troponin-T variable was used to dichotomize the outcome variable. In both partially (OR 0.949, CI 0.905–0.995, p = 0.03) and fully adjusted (OR 0.918, CI 0.856–0.984, p = 0.0151) logistic regression models, the OR for AHI suggests a protective effect on high troponin-T level. Our study demonstrates that patients with OSA have less severe cardiac injury during an acute non-fatal MI when compared to patients without OSA. This may suggest a cardioprotective role of sleep apnea during acute MI via ischemic preconditioning.
End-of-life decision making and implementation in recipients of a destination left ventricular assist device

Background The use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as destination therapy (DT) is increasing and has proven beneficial in prolonging survival and improving quality of life in select patients with end-stage heart failure. Nonetheless, end-of-life (EOL) issues are inevitable and how to approach them underreported. Methods Our DT data registry was queried for eligible patients, defined as those individuals who actively participated in EOL decision making. The process from early EOL discussion to palliation and death was reviewed. We recorded the causes leading to EOL discussion, time from EOL decision to withdrawal and from withdrawal to death, and location. Primary caregivers were surveyed to qualify their experience and identify themes relevant to this process. Results Between 1999 and 2009, 92 DT LVADs were implanted in 69 patients. Twenty patients qualified for inclusion (mean length of support: 833 days). A decrease in quality of life from new/worsening comorbidities usually prompted EOL discussion. Eleven patients died at home, 8 in the hospital and 1 in a nursing home. Time from EOL decision to LVAD withdrawal ranged from Conclusions With expanding indications and improved technology, more DT LVADs will be implanted and for longer durations, and more patients will face EOL issues. A multidisciplinary team approach with protocols involving DT patients and their families in EOL decision making allows for continuity of care and ensures dignity and comfort at EOL.
Arteriovenous fistula creation may slow estimated glomerular filtration rate trajectory

Background. We practice the timely placement of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in patients facing chronic hemodialysis. We have anecdotally observed after AVF creation that there appears to be a slowing of the decline in kidney function as measured by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). There are physiologically plausible explanations as to how an AVF might alter kidney function, but this clinical observation has been attributed to improved compliance and/or other practices. The present retrospective observational analysis was performed to assess the possibility that a successfully created AVF could be associated with the slowing of the eGFR trajectory. Methods. We identified 123 patients between 2005 and 2010 with at least two eGFR determinations for 2 years before and up to 2 years after AVF creation. Inclusion eligibility was that the fistula was maturing by the nephrologists’ initial post-creation examination. Termination events were death, starting dialysis or transplantation. Each subject served as their own control for the pre- and post-AVF-creation eGFR measurements. Results. Subjects’ median age was 68 years and 56% were diabetic. The rate of change of the eGFR for the 2 years prior to AVF creation was �5.9 mL/min/year (95% CI: �5.3, �6.5) and after AVF creation �0.5 mL/min/year (95% CI: �1.1, 0.1) (interaction (P < 0.001). Conclusions. A functioning AVF may be associated with a slowing of the eGFR decline. Agreeing to timely AVF creation selects patients in an otherwise typical population and other confounders have not yet been eliminated. To do so a thorough prospective observational study is indicated.
Are indigenous forest reserves sustainable? An analysis of present and future land-use trends in Bosawas, Nicaragua

SUMMARY In recent years, indigenous tenure over forest lands has emerged as a means to conserve forests while recognizing indigenous rights. There is concern, however, that indigenous reserves may not be an appropriate policy tool for sustained forest conservation. Our research examined how recognition of indigenous common-property rights has controlled agricultural expansion and conserved forests in Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua. We used satellite imagery with empirical data gathered in the field on land-use institutions, population pressures, and land-use practices to compare whether indigenous communities under territorial management or public management are better able to (1) control the ‘fast threat’ of frontier expansion and (2) address the long-term ecological threats posed by indigenous land-use practices and institutional changes in the region. Our findings are that indigenous residents who share common-property rights over their territories are better able to control agricultural expansio...
Use of modified Boston brace for back injuries in athletes

The Boston Brace System was developed to attain functional realignment of the scoliotic spine. This system uses prefabricated thermoplastic pelvic modules which can be rapidly fitted to an individual patient. These modules are available in 20 sizes and designed with a forward flexion of 30 degrees on the anterior margin and 15 degrees on the posterior surface. The resultant antilordotic straightening of the lumbar spine is important in correcting the scoliotic spine and has been found to be therapeutically effective in managing a number of other conditions of the spine, including back injuries in the young athlete. A review of the results of treatment of 31 young athletes for back injuries over the past 3 years with the brace, with an average followup of 15 months, reveals good or excellent results in 28 of the 31, or 90%. Best results were attained in spondylolysis. Therapy for discogenic back pain with the brace was effective in only 50%. Modifications of initial brace design included changing from a posterior opening to an anterior opening module and from polypropylene to polyethylene brace construction. Most patients have continued full athletic participation while in the brace.
Doramectin efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes in pigs

Four controlled trials with growing pigs were performed to determine efficacy of doramectin against natural and induced populations of nematodes. In Trial 1 (T1), 20 pigs with natural infections were assigned to one of two like groups on the basis of weight, sex and worm egg counts. In Trial 2 (T2), 20 pigs with negative worm egg counts were assigned to one of two groups on the basis of weight and sex. Each pig was subsequently given (per os) 3000 Trichuris suis embryonated eggs; 2000 Ascaris suum embryonated eggs; 10000 Oesophagostomum spp. infective larvae and 10,000 Strongyloides ransomi infective larvae (SC injection). In Trial 3 (T3), 20 pigs with negative worm egg counts were assigned as in T2, and each pig was subsequently given (per os) 2000 A. suum embryonated eggs, 15000 Oesophagostomum quadrispinulatum infective larvae, and 2891 Hyostrongylus rubidus infective larvae. In Trial 4 (T4), 16 pigs with negative worm egg counts were each assigned to one of two groups as in T2 and were given (per os) 2670 T. suis embryonated eggs. On Day 0 of each trial, each pig of the control group was injected IM in the neck with sterile saline at the rate of 1.5 ml 50 kg-1. Each pig in the treated group of each trial was similarly injected with doramectin at the rate of 300 micrograms kg-1. All pigs were necropsied 14 or 15 days post-treatment and parasites recovered by standard parasitological procedures. Efficacies against natural infections were: A. suum, 100%; Oesophagostomum spp. 100%; H. rubidus, 99.4%; and Strongyloides ransomi, 99.9%. Efficacies against induced infections were: 4th stage A. suum, 100%; 4th stage O.dentatum, 99.9%; 4th stage O.quadrispinulatum, 97.1 and 99.6%; 4th stage H. rubidus, 100%; adult S. ransomi, 100%; adult Trichuris suis in mixed infection, 54.1%; and in pure infection, 95.3%.
Same Car, Different Driver? The Impact of Peacebuilding Partnerships and the Chiefdom System in Sierra Leone

Practitioners and scholars in the humanitarian internationale focus on partnership type as a hedge against many of the traditional challenges and undesirable outcomes associated with peacebuilding. 'Active' partnerships are strongly encouraged; 'dependent' partnerships are to be avoided. The West African nation of Sierra Leone and its government-sponsored Community-driven Development (CDD) programme are an ideal lens through which to examine whether and how conventional emphasis on partnership type affects peacebuilding outcomes. A political economy analysis of two empirical case studies of CDD from Sierra Leone's early peacebuilding phase reveals that partnership type is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition to accomplish peacebuilding goals. In both cases, CDD exacerbated social exclusion, especially among ex-combatants and war-affected youth, and failed to enhance meaningfully the skills, capacities and knowledge of local actors. Close attention should be paid to the potential positive and negat...
Bounds on degrees of p-adic separating polynomials

We study a discrete optimization problem introduced by Babai, Frankl, Kutin, and Stefankovic (2001), which provides bounds on degrees of polynomials with p-adically controlled behavior. Such polynomials are of particular interest because they furnish bounds on the size of set systems satisfying Frankl-Wilson-type conditions modulo prime powers, with lower degree polynomials providing better bounds. We elucidate the asymptotic structure of solutions to the optimization problem, and we also provide an improved method for finding solutions in certain circumstances.
How Much Time Should Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities Spend in Regular Education Classrooms and Elsewhere

Students with severe intellectual disabilities should be based in the same schools and classrooms in which they would be based if they were not disabled. However, a regular education classroom base in a home school is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for minimally acceptable education. These students should spend some of their time elsewhere. Nine of many factors to consider when determining the amount of time and the kinds of instruction that should be provided in regular education classrooms and other settings are addressed. The ideological and instructional assumptions underlying the benefits that can accrue from functioning in both regular education classrooms and elsewhere must be realized.
Nanomechanics of carbon nanotubes and composites

Computer simulation and modeling results for the nanomechanics of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube-polyethylene composite materials are described and compared with experimental observations. Young’s modulus of individual single-wall nanotubes is found to be in the range of 1 TPa within the elastic limit. At room temperature and experimentally realizable strain rates, the tubes typically yield at about 5–10% axial strain; bending and torsional stiffness and different mechanisms of plastic yielding of individual single-wall nanotubes are discussed in detail. For nanotube-polyethylene composites, we find that thermal expansion and diffusion coefficients increase significantly, over their bulk polyethylene values, above glass transition temperature, and Young’s modulus of the composite is found to increase through van der Waals interaction. This review article cites 54 references. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1538625#
Modeling the Moon's extended sodium cloud as a tool for investigating sources of transient atmospheres

Abstract A review is presented of wide-angle, low-light-level imaging observations of the Moon's extended sodium atmosphere and Monte Carlo simulation studies used in their interpretation. The observational results at quarter and full Moon show dramatically different morphology patterns. The computer model results show that both morphologies are consistent with a single source function and subsequent dynamical evolution of the ejected sodium atoms. Different viewing geometries essentially account for the observational differences. We thus find no need to modify source rates significantly during full Moon periods when the terrestrial magnetosphere shields the lunar regolith from possible solar wind sputtering sources.
Static, dynamic and stability analysis of structures composed of tapered beams

Abstract A new numerical method is proposed for the static, dynamic and stability analysis of linear elastic plane structures consisting of beams with constant width and variable depth. It is a finite element method based on an exact flexural and axial stiffness matrix and approximate consistent mass and geometric stiffness matrices for a linearly tapered beam element with constant width. Use of this method provides the exact solution of the static problem with just one element per member of a structure with linearly tapered beams and excellent approximate solutions of the dynamic and stability problems with very few elements per member of the structure in a computationally very efficient way. Very detailed comparison studies of the proposed method against a number of other known finite element methods with respect to accuracy and computational efficiency for cantilever tapered beams of rectangular and I cross section clearly favor the proposed method. A continuous beam, a gable frame and a portal frame consisting of tapered members are analyzed by the proposed method as well as by other known methods to illustrate the use of the method to structures composed of tapered beams.
Comparison of energy expenditure, economy, and pedometer counts between normal weight and overweight or obese women during a walking and jogging activity.

This study compared energy expenditure (EE), economy of movement, and pedometer counts between normal weight and overweight or obese women during a treadmill walking and jogging activity. Participants were 13 normal weight (BMI 22.2 ± 2.0 kg m−2) and 13 overweight or obese (BMI 27.2 ± 2.1 kg m−2) women and all were non-smokers, not regularly active, and able to run 1.609 km continuously at 2.23 m s−1. Each participant reported to the laboratory on three separate days within a 1-week period. During the first visit, tests for resting metabolic rate via indirect calorimetry, anthropometric measures, and VO2max were completed. On the subsequent two visits, participants were randomized to perform either a 1.609-km walk at 1.34 m s−1 or a 1.609-km jog at 2.23 m s−1. During each physical activity trial, all participants wore a pedometer to assess steps taken. EE during the 1.609-km walk was 280 ± 29 kJ for the normal weight and 356 ± 42 kJ for the overweight/obese women and during the 1.609-km jog was 393 ± 46 kJ for the normal weight and 490 ± 59 kJ for the overweight/obese women. In both trials, EE was statistically greater in the overweight/obese women. Economy of movement was not statistically different between the normal weight and overweight/obese women during the walk or jog. In both groups, pedometer counts were lower during the jog than the walk (P < 0.05). These data indicate significant differences in EE between normal weight and overweight/obese women during both a walking and jogging activity.
Magnetism, structure, and charge correlation at a pressure-induced Mott-Hubbard insulator-metal transition

We use synchrotron x-ray diffraction and electrical transport under pressure to probe both the magnetism and the structure of single-crystal NiS_2 across its Mott-Hubbard transition. In the insulator, the low-temperature antiferromagnetic order results from superexchange among correlated electrons and couples to a (1/2, 1/2, 1/2) superlattice distortion. Applying pressure suppresses the insulating state, but enhances the magnetism as the superexchange increases with decreasing lattice constant. By comparing our results under pressure to previous studies of doped crystals, we show that this dependence of the magnetism on the lattice constant is consistent for both band broadening and band filling. In the high-pressure metallic phase the lattice symmetry is reduced from cubic to monoclinic, pointing to the primary influence of charge correlations at the transition. There exists a wide regime of phase separation that may be a general characteristic of correlated quantum matter.
Elastic properties closures using second-order homogenization theories: Case studies in composites of two isotropic constituents

Abstract Property closures delineate the complete set of feasible effective property combinations in a given composite material, and are of tremendous interest in highly constrained design applications. In recent papers, we have presented novel mathematical procedures that can successfully delineate theoretical elastic–plastic property closures based on first-order bounding theories for polycrystalline metals. This framework has been called microstructure sensitive design (MSD) and is rigorously grounded in spectral representation of invertible linkages between a statistical description of the microstructure (averaged over an ensemble) and its macroscale (effective) properties. In this paper, we have successfully extended this mathematical framework to include second-order homogenization theories that make predictions of the effective properties utilizing two-point spatial correlations in the microstructure. An idealized composite material system comprising two isotropic constituents, but exhibiting anisotropic effective properties at the macroscale (derived through placement of the constituents in the internal structure of the composite), was utilized in this study to demonstrate the viability of the proposed mathematical approaches. The development of the novel mathematical framework presented in this paper entailed the following essential steps: (1) critical validation of some of the variants of the second-order homogenization theory for the anisotropic effective elastic properties using finite element models followed by selection of a specific variant that is sufficiently accurate for moderate contrast problems while being amenable to be incorporated in the MSD framework, (2) transformation of the selected second-order homogenization theory into an efficient spectral representation that is ideally suited for exploration using quadratic or sequential quadratic programming, (3) use of Pareto optimal solution methods to delineate closures, and (4) development of novel strategies for identifying specific sets of microstructures corresponding to a selected combination of effective properties.
Parents' schooling and the correlation between education and frailty

Abstract This study investigates whether parents' education or unobserved variables partially explain correlations between education and a measure of frailty in adults. Data sets are drawn from the 1986 wave of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) — the only wave available that asks questions pertaining to Activities of Daily Living that, in turn, allows the construction of a Disability Index. The Disability Index and respondent's schooling are treated as endogenous. Parental schooling is strongly associated with adult schooling. Mothers' but not fathers' schooling is strongly associated with the Disability Index when adult schooling is ignored. But once adult respondent's schooling is taken into account, parental schooling and Disability Index associations evaporate. Unobserved variables are not of great importance in explaining respondent's education and frailty associations. Respondent's schooling is found to be strongly associated with the Disability Index even after removing the influences of parents' schooling and unobserved variables. [JEL I1, I2]
Where is the Mizrahi–Palestinian border zone? Interrogating feminist transnationalism through the bounds of the lived

Gloria Anzaldua describes the border as an “open wound where the Third World grates against the First and bleeds. And before a scab forms, it hemorrhages again, the lifeblood of two worlds merging to form a third country – a border culture”. She proposes that this “third country” is where South/South feminist coalitions are possible without the mediation of US–European feminism. For Anzaldua, the border zone between transnational “hyphens” connotes fluidity and movement across boundaries. In the case of Euro-Israel, the volatile gender/race/nation South/South coalition among subaltern Arabs is forced upon both Mizrahi women and Palestinian women who have Israeli citizenship. These women do not want to be in this “third country”, which emerges from the dispossession of their lands, languages, and cultures. But they are stuck.
Mid-infrared photonics

Group IV and III–V semiconductor photonic devices are prime candidates for photonic and opto-electronic (OEIC) applications in the 1.8 to 5.0 µm infrared wavelength range. Si-based active photonics in the GeSn/SiGeSn heterosystem (LDs, PDs, LEDs, amplifiers, EOMs) offers the Si CMOS “foundry advantage” for high-volume low-cost OEIC manufacture. Two MIR applications stand out: (1) deployment of GeSn SOI-based OEICs in a new “supplemental” global fiber-optic network at ∼ 2 um wavelengths; (2) creation/deployment of GeSn-related photonic chem-bio-physical sensor OEICs (as well as night-vision-imaging chips) in hand-held tablets and smart phones. The new smart sensors will be part of a local or global network-of-sensors utilizing the “internet of things.”
Megakaryocyte development is normal in mice with targeted disruption of Tescalcin.

Abstract Background Tescalcin is an EF-hand calcium-binding protein that interacts with the Na+/H + exchanger 1 (NHE1). Levay and Slepak recently proposed a role for tescalcin in megakaryopoiesis that was independent of NHE1 activity. Their studies using K562 and HEL cell lines, and human CD34 + hematopoietic stem cells suggested an essential role for tescalcin in megakaryocyte differentiation. Objective To study the role of tescalcin in megakaryocyte development using a murine model of megakaryopoiesis. Methods We generated a mouse with targeted disruption of tescalcin and investigated megakaryocyte development. Results Tescalcin-deficient mice had a normal number of megakaryocytes and platelets. The morphology, polyploidization profile, and expression of Fli-1 in bone marrow-derived megakaryocytes were also normal. Conclusion Tescalcin does not appear to be necessary for normal megakaryocyte development.
Deposition and characterization of thin SiOx films

Thin (less than 500 A) homogeneous SiOx (1.5 < x < 2.0) films prepared from the glow discharge reaction of silane or a silane derivative with an oxidant such as nitrous oxide or oxygen have shown considerable promise as dielectric layers. The chemical composition and properties of these films are relatively insensitive to the glow discharge geometry, the gas composition and the power. Oxidant-rich plasma mixtures provide denser films and thus greater protection against atmospheric attack on the underlying material. The films were characterized using infrared spectroscopy, Auger depth profile analysis, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, multiple-drop liquid contact angle measurements and ellipsometry.
μ‐Opioid Receptor Redistribution in the Locus Coeruleus Upon Precipitation of Withdrawal in Opiate‐Dependent Rats

Administration of μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists is known to produce adaptive changes within noradrenergic neurons of the rat locus coeruleus (LC). Alterations in the subcellular distribution of MOR have been shown to occur in the LC in response to full agonists and endogenous peptides; however there is considerable debate in the literature whether trafficking of MOR occurs following chronic exposure to the partial-agonist morphine. In the present study, we examined adaptations in MOR following chronic opioid exposure using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy (EM), with receptor internalization as a functional endpoint. MOR trafficking in LC neurons, identified by tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, was characterized in rats that were morphine dependent in response to an antagonist, naltrexone, at a dose known to precipitate withdrawal. Following chronic morphine exposure, a subtle redistribution of MOR immunoreactivity from the membrane to the cytosol was detected within dendrites of LC neurons. Interestingly, an acute injection of naltrexone in rats exposed to chronic morphine produced a robust internalization of MOR, while administration of naltrexone failed to do so in naive animals. The findings provide anatomical evidence for modified regulation of MOR trafficking following chronic morphine treatment in brain noradrenergic neurons, and suggest adaptations in the MOR signaling pathways that regulate internalization as a consequence of chronic treatment and precipitation of withdrawal. Mechanisms underlying this effect might include differential MOR regulation in the LC, or downstream effects of withdrawal-induced enkephalin release from afferents to the LC.
Electron velocity enhancement by planar-doped barrier source in GaAs vertical FET

Experimental evidence of electron velocity enhancement by hot-electron injection into the channel of a GaAs vertical FET has been obtained for the first time. The maximum transconductance and the average electron velocity are 234 mS/mm and 6.4 × 107 cm/s, which are 1.4 and 1.9 times as large as those of a conventional vertical FET.
Optimizing the observing efficiency of the James Webb Space Telescope

ABSTRACT One of the goals of the operations system being developed at the Space Telescope Science Ins titute for theJames Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is to produce the most e±cient use of the observatory t hat is scienti¯callyjusti¯ed. To ¯rst order, this means maximizing the amount of time spent collecting photons on science targetswhile ensuring the health and safety of the observatory and obtaining the necessary cal ibration data. We presentrecent e®orts by the JWST E±ciency Working Group at STScI to quantify the expected observi ng e±ciency basedon current plans for the operations system. These include collecting the expected observa tory and instrumentoverheads and updating a set of prototypical observing programs that will approxi mate over one full year ofJWST observations. The combination of these two e®orts is being used to investig ate the expected observinge±ciency and determine revised strategies to minimize overheads and maximize this e±ciency.Keywords: e±ciency, optimization, operations, overheads, JWST, James Webb Space Telescope
Marketing capabilities and firm performance in fashion retailing

Intense competition and short product life cycles in fashion retailing present a number of marketing challenges for retail firms in both the USA and abroad. In order to survive in this industry, it is vital for participants to develop and leverage core marketing capabilities. The current study examines the effectiveness of different marketing capability factors in a cross‐section of the US specialty apparel and footwear retailing sector (n = 60 retail firms). Data were collected from marketing executives in a national mail survey. Specifically, marketing capabilities in image differentiation, promotions, external‐market knowledge and customer service are examined for their impact on firm level performance. A two‐stage structural equation model is used to test the study’s hypotheses. Results suggest that the most effective marketing capabilities, in terms of performance, are image differentiation and promotional capability.
Writing, copying, and autograph manuscripts in ancient Rome

A familiar image from the Roman world is a Pompeian portrait of a man and woman sometimes identified as Terentius Neo and his wife. He has a papyrus roll under his chin, while she looks out with a writing tablet in one hand, a stylus held to her lips in the other. The message of the attributes presented would seem to be: ‘ We can and do read and write’. But how should the message be interpreted? To judge from the houses in which this and similar portraits were found, the couple was not of the elite decurion class, but belonged to that difficult to define group of varying social, economic and cultural statuses recently described by Keith Hopkins as ‘sub-elites’. Does the display of book and pen then reflect the social reality of the sub-elite orders of Pompeian society, or is the self-representation rather an expression of social pretension, with the couple attempting to emulate the Roman elite? If the latter is the case, what does the image say about the habits of the Roman ruling class? This question has been raised in relation to the issue of literacy, particularly women's literacy, but the image invites another question.
Thermodynamics of multiphase systems A treatment of closed systems with homogeneous free-energy functions

Abstract The thermodynamic equilibrium conditions for closed multiphase systems are examined in detail. All systems are constrained in some way, most simply by conservation of atomic species, though more interesting systems can have complicated sets of constraints. For sets of constraints which are linear with respect to the independent variables, necessary conditions for system free-energy minima can be found using the technique of Lagrange multipliers. The equilibrium conditions are represented by the simple, but general, matrix equations 0 = α + Bn, 0=μ+BTλ, where the first relationship represents the system constraints on the independent variables n and the second relationship represents the necessary conditions prevailing at all system free-energy minima which are consistent with the system constraints. Free-energ functions are commonly taken to be homogeneous functions of degree one, which supposes that there is an intensive free-energy density. When this is the case, the Lagrange multipliers, λ, ca...
Terbutaline Raises High-Density-Lipoprotein-Cholesterol Levels

HIGH-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol has been found to be the best serum predictor of coronary-artery disease. High levels of HDL are associated with a low risk of coronary-artery disease, an...
Improving after-the-fact tracing and mapping: supporting software quality predictions

The software engineering industry undertakes many activities that require generating and using mappings. Companies develop knowledge bases to capture corporate expertise and possibly proprietary information. Software developers build traceability matrices to demonstrate that their designs satisfy the requirements. Proposal managers map customers' statements of work to individual sections of companies' proposals to prove compliance. Systems engineers authoring interface specifications record design rationales as they make relevant decisions. We developed an approach to tracing and mapping that aims to use fully automated information retrieval techniques, and we implemented our approach in a tool called RETRO (requirements tracing on target).
The interaction of polyamino acids with lipid monolayers.

Abstract Polyamino acids were utilized to study the role of specific amino acid side chains in polypeptide binding to lipid monlayers. Surface pressure changes and binding of labeled polyamino acids to lipid films were studied for combinations of 16 different polyamino acids and 11 different lipid films. The effects of helicalization, optical isomerism and charge interaction were investigated. Evidence is provided which suggests that helicalization does not contribute to surface pressure changes. The d and l optical isomers of polylysine were found to have differential interaction with phosphatidylserine films, leading to the conclusion that polylysine is bound with its optically active carbon juxtaposed to the optically active carbon of phosphatidylserine. In general, surface pressure changes occurred only when basic polyamino acids interacted with negatively charged lipid films. However, significant binding of labeled polylysine to lipid films with no net charge could be measured in the absence of an accompanying surface pressure change. It was concluded that polylysine could bind to phosphatidylcholine films by intertwining among the phosphorylcholine groups without distorting overall film properties. This finding agrees with previous work on lipid multilayers, and has significance in regard to lipid-protein interactions in natural membranes.