cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The series Bi2Sr2Can−1CunO2n+4 (1≤n≤5)

Abstract Phase relations at 850°C and 870°C, and melting transitions in air, oxygen, and helium have been studied for Bi2.1Sr1.9CuO6 and for the series Bi2Sr2Can−1CunO2n+4 for n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and ∞ (“CaCuO 2 ”) . Up to 870°C, the n=2 composition resides in the compatibility tetrahedron bounded by Bi2+x(Sr, Ca)3−yCu2O8, (Sr, Ca)14Cu24O41. Ca2CuO3, and a BiSrCaO phase. The n ≥ 3 compositions reside in the compatibility tetrahedron Bi2+x(Sr, Ca)3−yCu2O8(Sr, Ca)14Cu24O41 Ca2CuO3CuO up to 850°C. However, Bi2+x(Sr, Ca)4−yCu3O10 forms for n ≥ 3 after extended heating at 870°C. Bi2+xSr2−yCuO 6 (i.e. the Ca-free, very low-Tc phase) melts in air at 914°C, while the Bi2+x(Sr, Ca)3−yCu2O8 composition that coexists with (Sr, Ca)14Cu24O41 , Ca2CuO3, and CuO melts at 895°C. During melting, all of the compositions studied lose 1–2% by weight of oxygen from the reduction of copper.
Localization of a moving source using TDOA and FDOA measurements

A closed-form solution that estimates the position and velocity of a moving source using time difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) measurements of a signal received by a number of sensors is developed. The method requires only two least-squares minimization stages and is not iterative. The local convergence and large computation problems associated with the traditional linear iterative solutions can thus be eliminated. The estimation accuracy of the proposed method achieves the Cramer-Rao lower bound. Simulation results are included to examine the algorithm's performance and compare it with the Taylor-series technique.
Smallpox update 1

Smallpox is viewed as the most likely agent to be used as a biological weapon. Smallpox is very infectious; it is spread by droplet infection, causes a painful and disabling febrile disease, has no specific therapy, has a high incidence of complications, has a high fatality rate, and the population is at high risk since it has been over 30 years since routine vaccination was discontinued. The reinstitution of smallpox vaccination requires a change in the education of health care workers educated in the postvaccination era. Infant and child care-providers must be knowledgeable about smallpox and the potential complications from smallpox vaccination. This article will review the etiology, history, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, public health containment concerns, smallpox prevention, current vaccination policies, and complications of vaccination.
Realism, morality, and liberal democracy

The picture of liberal democratic realism that we have presented can withstand a powerful set of criticisms that have emerged in the last two decades. We have argued that realism does not misconstrue the value of the state, it does not justify the ruthless suppression of every domestic threat that could face the state, it does not depend upon a conception of international politics that rules out moral constraints, and it does not misunderstand the relationship between self-interest and morality. The defense of liberal democratic reason of state depends upon the state protecting and securing the values and welfare of individuals and groups living within its domain. Realism cannot be justified if the state has lost its legitimacy.
Qualitative Inquiry and the Deprivatization of Experience

Contemporary social life is increasingly deprivatized, that is, conducted under the auspices of formal and informal groups, organizations, bureaucracies, and institutions. In these circumstances, p...
On the dependence of energy exchange and corrugation in atom-surface scattering: Argon scattering from Ni(115)

The scattering of Ar from Ni(115) has been studied for a range of incident energies and surface temperatures. Both angular distributions integrated over all outgoing energies and time-of-flight studies at selected final angles have been carried out. Lobular angular distributions are observed for in-plane scattering with the beam incident in the uncorrugated [1¯10] azimuth whereas rainbow scattering distributions consistent with a corrugation amplitude of 0.4 A are observed in the strongly corrugated [¯5¯52] azimuth. The dependence of the final energy on initial energy and surface temperature is well described by the hard cube equation: E f /2 kT s =( α g E i /2 kT s )+ α s . To within the experimental error, α g and α s are the same for scattering with the beam incident in both azimuths. This incicates that energy transfer in atom-surface scattering does not depend strongly on the surface corrugation. However, the angular scattering distributions are not well described by hard cube models.
Skills in Professional Geography: An Assessment of Workforce Needs and Expectations

This study compares the skills of professional geographers and the needs of employer organizations across major sectors of the U.S. workforce. Following a series of focus groups, two surveys were developed to explore: (1) the extent to which specific skills were performed by geographers in different professional positions, and (2) the value of and anticipated demand for those skills from the perspective of employers. Overall, respondents in the focus groups and both surveys emphasized the need for general skills ranging from time management and writing ability to information management and computer literacy. Employers also cited many geographic skills as being vital for enhancing the work of professionals in all types of organizations. Competency in field methods, the ability to work across disciplinary boundaries, and spatial thinking were three skill areas that characterized the work of geographic professionals irrespective of specialty.
Pediatricians' Perspectives Regarding Community Child Health: Training, Involvement, and Expectations According to Age

OBJECTIVE: There are increasing opportunities for pediatricians to promote children's health through community involvement during and after residency training. Little is known about whether younger relative to established pediatricians have different experiences regarding community activities. In this study we examined whether pediatricians' training, perspectives, and involvement in community activities vary by age. METHODS: Eight hundred seventy-six pediatricians participated in a national, random-sample, mailed periodic survey of US members of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2004 (response rate: 58%). Chi2 statistics and median tests were used to measure associations of age ( or = 51 years) with training, perspectives, and involvement. RESULTS: Younger pediatricians reported more training in community child health during and before residency but were less likely to be involved currently (37.9% for or = 51 years). They were more likely to report that their current involvement was too little versus just right or too much (81.3%, 73.5%, 60.7%, and 47.1%, respectively). Younger pediatricians were more willing to spend > or = 1 hour/month on community child health activities (95.0%, 91.2%, 89.7%, and 85.4%, respectively). Younger versus older pediatricians were more likely to sense moderate or greater responsibility for improving children's health in their community (83.6%, 77.2%, 76.7%, and 70.2%, respectively) and expected their community work to increase during the next 5 years (80.0%, 67.5%, 59.7%, and 40.1%, respectively). Age findings persisted when adjusted for gender. CONCLUSIONS: Although practice constraints may limit community involvement, younger pediatricians anticipated growing participation in community activities. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether such expectations are realized. Language: en
Abstract 889: Growth differentiation factor 15 causes increased invasiveness and EMT in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer via activation of p38 MAPK.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC HER2 overexpression in breast cancer is frequently associated with aggressive and metastatic disease. De novo and acquired resistance to the first line therapy trastuzumab are major clinical issues that need to be addressed. We recently reported that the cytokine growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is overexpressed in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cell lines that have acquired or primary resistance to trastuzumab. GDF15, a distant member of the TGF-beta superfamily, has been associated with increased disease aggression in many malignancies. Our previous study showed that GDF15 activates the TGF-β receptor/src/HER2 signaling pathway, resulting in trastuzumab resistance. We recently observed that overexpression of GDF15 resulted in increased invasion in ovarian and breast cancer cells. In the present study, we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying GDF15-induced invasion of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells resistant to trastuzumab. We demonstrate that GDF15-mediated invasion of breast cancer cells involves increased p38 MAPK activity. HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells stably transfected with GDF15 showed EMT, increased cellular invasion, phosphorylation of p38, and increased MMP-2 and MMP-9 transcript expression. Furthermore, pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of p38 MAPK decreased invasion of breast cancer cells and improved response to trastuzumab. Also, knockdown of GDF15 suppressed expression of the p38 target genes MMP-2 and MMP-9. Finally, immunohistochemical analysis of a breast tumor tissue array showed a significant correlation (p=0.0053) between HER2 status and p38 phosphorylation in GDF15-positive breast cancers, as well as significant associations between GDF15 and MMP-2 (p=0.0027) and phosphorylated p38 and MMP-2 (0.0066) in HER2-overexpressing breast cancers. Our findings indicate a novel role for GDF15-stimulated p38 signaling in trastuzumab resistance, invasion, and tumor growth of HER2-overexpressing breast cancers. Citation Format: Jayashree P. Joshi, Zhengjia Chen, Rita Nahta. Growth differentiation factor 15 causes increased invasiveness and EMT in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer via activation of p38 MAPK. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 889. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-889
Alleviation of autoimmune disease in MRL-lpr mice by administration of Ye19.1, a monoclonal specific for the lpr T cell antigen, LTA.

Abstract The MRL-lpr murine model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has provided many insights into the pathology of human lupus. The model is characterized by an age-dependent expansion of a Thy-1+ αβ CD3 + CD4−, CD8− T-cell subset in the nodes and spleen. In this study, a lpr T-cell specific monoclonal antibody, Ye19.1, was found to bind to a 200 kDa cell surface molecule (termed LTA) which has a phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) enzymatic function. The significance of this marker in the development of autoimmune pathology in MRL lpr mice was also demonstrated; treatment of MRL-lpr mice with the Ye19.1 Ab was shown to retard the development of the autoimmune syndrome and to restore the T cell-dependent immune response to ovalbumin.
Women and Body Hair Social Perceptions and Attitudes

This study examines college students' attitudes toward and perceptions of a woman with body hair as a function of respondent gender and feminist attitudes. Participants reacted to a video of a White woman either with or without visible leg and underarm hair. Results supported the hypothesis that a woman with body hair will be seen as less sexually and interpersonally attractive than the same woman without body hair. Specifically, the woman with body hair was viewed as less sociable, intelligent, happy, and positive, and as more aggressive, active, and strong. Attitudes toward feminism predicted attitudes about body hair in general, which in turn predicted reactions to the model with body hair. Despite the fact that women students had more positive attitudes about body hair and more feminist attitudes than their male counterparts, there were no gender differences in reactions to the model with body hair. Implications regarding this pervasive cultural norm are discussed.
Association of Methotrexate Encapsulated in Negatively Charged Liposomes with Cells at Nanomolar Lipid Concentrations

AbstractAn in vitro liposome-cell association system has been developed that will allow the study of uptake and metabolism of liposomes by cultured cells at nanomolar lipid concentrations. The fate of cell associated liposomes is followed through the liposome encapsulated marker, methotrexate. Detection is based on the inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase by methotrexate, after its release from cells through boiling. Methotrexate in phospha-tidylglycerol (PG) liposomes is taken up by cells and then subsequently lost from the cells. Uptake is partially blocked by monensin. Loss from the cells is blocked by metabolic inhibitors, monensin, ammonium chloride, and chloroquine. Methotrexate in distearoylphosphatidylglycerol (DSPG) liposomes is taken up by cells slowly, and there is minimal lost of methotrexate after uptake. Pulse studies show that metabolism of PG liposomes after endocytosis is occurring at a much higher rate than that of DSPG liposomes, and substantial retention of encapsulated methotrexate o...
Thermodynamics of Mesophase Transitions from Calorimetric Measurements

Abstract The increasing amount of research on mesophases (liquid crystals), the availability of differential scanning calorimetry for rapid, quantitative thermodynamic evaluation, and the availability of compounds in a number of homologous series of compounds have led to studies that attempt to interpret the nature of mesophase transitions. This paper collects and reviews data for two homologous series and provides the general conclusions which can be drawn from the therodynamics of mesophase formation.
Evolutionary History of the Symbiosis Between Fungus-Growing Ants and Their Fungi

The evolutionary history of the symbiosis between fungus-growing ants (Attini) and their fungi was elucidated by comparing phylogenies of both symbionts. The fungal phylogeny based on cladistic analyses of nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA indicates that, in contrast with the monophyly of the ants, the attine fungi are polyphyletic. Most cultivated fungi belong to the basidiomycete family Lepiotaceae; however, one ant genus, Apterostigma, has acquired a distantly related basidiomycete lineage. Phylogenetic patterns suggest that some primitive attines may have repeatedly acquired lepiotaceous symbionts. In contrast, the most derived attines have clonally propagated the same fungal lineage for at least 23 million years.
DNA repair in a short- and a long-lived rodent species.

Previous studies have reported a direct correlation between the rate of uv-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis and the maximum lifespan for seven mammalian species drawn from five different orders. We now examine this correlation in laboratory populations of two rodent species, the house mouse, Mus musculus, and the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, both in the superfamily Muroidea. These species are similar in body size but Peromyscus exceeds Mus in lifespan by a factor of 2.5, as determined by live table studies in the same laboratory environment. The extent of uv-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis by third-passage primary fibroblast cell cultures was measured for these two species, and the rate of DNA synthesis was 2.5 times greater for the Peromyscus cells, consistent with the greater lifespan of Peromyscus and with the relationship of repair of uv damage to lifespan found previously among representatives of five orders of mammals. A determination of patch size (size of the repair regions) by bromouracil photolysis following ultraviolet irradiation revealed that the patch sizes were the same for the two species, and that the number of repaired sites was 2.2 times greater for Peromyscus than for Mus, in agreement with the ratio found by measurement of unscheduled DNAmore » synthesis. The number of single strand breaks induced by gamma rays, and the rate of rejoining of these breaks, as measured on alkaline sucrose gradients, were not significantly different in the two species.« less
A Faint Galaxy Counting System

A system for detecting and classifying faint objects on astronomical digital Pictures is described. Algorithm and implementation considerations are given, and its performance is evaluated. The optimal "phi" classifier (briefly described) is used to separate stars from galaxies. The major emphasis is on speed. A 512 by 1536 pixel picture can be scanned and fully processed in about 5 minutes total time on a PDP 11/34 minicomputer. On plates taken with the Palomar 1.2 m Schmidt telescope, stars can be reliably separated from galaxies down to a limiting red magnitude of 19.6. Objects down to about 21st magnitude in red light can be detected. This system is part of a larger system which includes a highly modified David W. Mann two-dimensional scanning microdensitometer for image acquisition, and an extensive image processing system, all operating under compatible formats and conventions.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evaluating the Plastic Anisotropy of AZ31 Using Microscopy Techniques

The tensile deformation mechanism of a rolled AZ31 alloy at 50°C, 150°C, and 250°C was investigated by a combination of in situ tensile testing, electron backscatter diffraction analysis, and ex situ atomic force microscopy analysis. With increasing temperature, there was a significant difference in the activity of the various deformation modes, along with a decrease in the plastic strain ratio. Extension twinning was only observed at 50°C, while at higher temperatures, a combination of basal and prismatic slip accounted for a large percentage of the observed deformation activity. Prismatic slip was prevalent at all testing temperatures and exhibited increased activity with increasing temperature. The activity of pyramidal 〈c + a〉 slip increased from 50°C to 150°C and then decreased at 250°C. Ex situ atomic force microscopy measurements suggested that the contribution from grain boundary sliding to the overall strains increased with increasing temperature. Overall, the in situ experiments combined with atomic force microscopy suggested that grain boundary sliding contributed more to the reduction in plastic strain ratio with increasing temperature than nonbasal slip activity.
Brouwer's degree without properness

A degree deg(f,y) is defined for every continuous function f:RN→RN, which possesses all the properties of Brouwer's degree provided that y is restricted to the complement of some closed set A(f) of “asymptotic” values. Sufficient conditions are given for A(f) to be nowhere dense. It is also shown that, in the opposite direction, A(f) having nonempty interior has a direct impact on the solutions of f(x)=y, which cannot be discovered by degree arguments.
Failure Analysis Case Study on a Fractured Tailwheel Fork

A failure analysis investigation was conducted on a fractured aluminum tailwheel fork which failed moments after landing of a privately owned, 1955 twin-engine airplane. Non-destructive evaluation via dye-penetrant inspection revealed no discernible surface cracks. The chemical composition of the sand-cast component was identified via optical emission spectroscopy and is comparable to an aluminum sand-cast alloy, AA 712.0. Metallographic evaluation via optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed a high degree of porosity in the microstructure as well as the presence of deleterious intermetallic compounds within interdendritic regions. Macro-hardness testing produced hardness values which are noticeably higher than standard hardness values for 712.0. The primary fracture surfaces indicate evidence of mixed mode fracture, via intergranular cracking, cleaved intermetallic particles, and dimpled cellular regions in the matrix. The secondary fracture surface demonstrates similar features of intergranular fracture.
Role of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging in the surgical management of early-stage breast cancer.

To examine the role of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) on time to surgery and rates of reoperation and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) using a population-based study of New Jersey breast cancer patients. The study included 289 African-American and 320 white women who participated in the Breast Cancer Treatment Disparity Study and underwent breast surgery for newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer between 2005 and 2010. Patients were identified through rapid case ascertainment by the New Jersey State Cancer Registry. Association between pMRI and time to surgery was examined by using linear regression and, with reoperation and CPM, by using binomial regression. Half (49.9 %) of the study population received pMRI, with higher use for whites compared with African-Americans (62.5 vs. 37.5 %). After adjusting for potential confounders, patients with pMRI versus those without experienced significantly longer time to initial surgery [geometric mean = 38.7 days; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 34.8–43.0; vs. 26.5 days; 95 % CI 24.3–29.0], a significantly higher rate of CPM [relative risk (RR) = 1.82; 95 % CI 1.06–3.12], and a nonsignificantly lower rate of reoperation (RR = 0.76; 95 % CI 0.54–1.08). Preoperative MRI was associated with significantly increased time to surgery and a higher rate of CPM, but it did not affect the rate of reoperation. Physicians and patients should consider these findings when making surgical decisions on the basis of pMRI findings.
Variations on the theme of agglomeration and growth: the gem and jewelry industry in Los Angeles and Bangkok

Abstract A brief overview of organizational and locational tendencies in the gem and jewelry industry is provided. The central gem and jewelry industrial districts of Los Angeles and Bangkok are then described in detail on the basis of both questionnaire surveys and personal interview data. The relations of production and exchange in both districts are shown to depend strongly on institutional arrangements that ensure security and trust. However, security and trust alone do not necessarily guarantee competitive success. Unlike producers in Los Angeles, producers in Bangkok have been extremely effective in securing forceful political expression of their needs and goals, and this helps in part to explain the vastly more dynamic character of the industry in Bangkok.
Cortisol function among early school-aged homeless children

Homelessness represents a context of extreme poverty and risk for child development. This study compared the relative influence of two classes of risk in the context of homelessness. Levels of socioeconomic resource-related risk and negative lifetime events were examined with respect to morning cortisol levels and cortisol response to a set of cognitive tasks. Participants were 66 children between the ages of 4 and 7 years staying in an emergency shelter for families. Adversities largely reflecting family level negative life events predicted higher levels of morning cortisol and differences in initial level and change over the course of the session of cognitive tasks. In contrast, a socioeconomic cumulative risk score was not associated with morning or session-related differences in cortisol.
Generating science-based growth: an econometric analysis of the impact of organizational incentives on university–industry technology transfer

In recent years, there has been a rapid rise in commercial knowledge transfers from universities to practitioners or university/industry technology transfer (UITT), via licensing agreements, research joint ventures, and startups. In a previous study in 1999, the authors outlined a production function model to assess the relative efficiency of UITT and conducted field research to identify several organizational factors that could enhance the effectiveness of university management of intellectual property portfolios. This paper extends this framework and evaluates the impact of organizational incentives on the effectiveness of UITT. It is found that universities having more attractive incentive structures for UITT, i.e. those that allocate a higher %age of royalty payments to faculty members, tend to be more efficient in technology transfer activities. University administrators who wish to foster UITT should be mindful of the importance of financial incentives.
On the Mechanism of Light Harvesting in Photosynthetic Purple Bacteria: B800 to B850 Energy Transfer

The rate of energy transfer from B800 to B850 in the peripheral light harvesting complex LH2 is modeled in detail. A method for determining ensemble average energy transfer rates in complex, coupled multichromophoric systems is reported and is employed to investigate the interplay of electron−phonon coupling (fast fluctuations of the protein) and site energy disorder (slow fluctuations) on the spectral overlap between donor and acceptor, and therefore the energy transfer rate. A series of model calculations for Rb. sphaeroides is reported. The disorder is found to have a marked influence on the calculated rate of energy transfer and is responsible for a faster energy transfer time than would occur in its absence and furthermore accounts for the weak temperature dependence observed in experiment. The excitonic nature of the acceptor (albeit dynamically localized) also has impact in terms of how B850 functions as an energy acceptor. These conclusions are further elucidated by calculations of Rps. acidophila...
Epidemiological aspects of ocular hypertension.

Abstract A number of epidemiologic factors have come to be associated with an elevated intraocular pressure. These factors include age, sex, blood pressure, juvenile diabetes mellitus, blood sugar, menstural cycle, menopause, inheritance, obesity, pulse rate, stature, myopia, aqueous production, time of day and season of the year. These factors are discussed in some detail with speculation as to how they may relate to the ocular hypertensive state.
Temporal compensation and phonetic change: Two phonetic developments in Hindi

Abstract After an overview of phonetic changes that seem to involve temporal compensation, two phonetic developments that occured in the history of the Hindi language are investigated: (i) compensatory lengthening of an initial-syllable vowel in relatively short words (along with the absence of such lengthening in relatively long words)and (ii) shortening of an initial-syllable vowel in relatively long words. It is claimed that temporal compensation at the word level must be taken into consideration in order to specify the precise conditions of these developments and that these conditions can be stated in a far more general form if the length of words is computed in terms of morae rather than in terms of syllables. Items in modern Hindi that violate these conditions are shown to be unassimilated borrowings or later formations.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy: application of imaging to optimize patient selection and assess response.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to be effective for advanced heart failure and discoordinate wall motion, although the nonresponse rate for patients meeting standard CRT criteria remains about 30%. Although electrical delay (wide QRS) is commonly used to select candidates, recent data show that direct measures of mechanical dyssynchrony rather than surrogate electrical measurements improve the identification of potential responders. This observation has stimulated the pursuit of imaging-based methods for characterizing dyssynchrony. Echocardiographic techniques have played a major role in this regard, but their accuracy and reliability have recently been scrutinized in multicenter clinical trials. This has shifted attention toward newer advanced echo methods and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Although CMR has a number of advantages over echocardiography for the assessment of dyssynchrony, these methods are relatively underdeveloped and not used widely clinically. This paper highlights imaging modalities for assessing wall motion and various methods for integrating the output from these complex imaging-based datasets into simple indices of dyssynchrony. Further, we investigate the role of imaging not only to improve selection of CRT responders but also to define CRT response.
Alkyl Based Selective Displacers for Protein Purification in Ion Exchange Chromatography

Robotic high-throughput batch screening was carried out to examine the efficacy of positively charged, alkyl based molecules as chemically selective displacers. Steric mass action (SMA) dynamic affinity plots were constructed, identifying some of the displacers as SMA selective. Saturation transfer difference NMR experiments were conducted, identifying other displacers as chemically selective. These analyses identified molecules which gave selective separations, but did not conform to either the SMA or chemically selective model. Finally, dynamic light scattering experiments were conducted to directly detect micelle formation of the displacers. The use of micelles potentially adds an orthogonal dimension of selectivity to the displacement process.
Experiments with open-domain textual Question Answering

This paper describes the integration of several knowledge-based natural language processing techniques into a Question Answering system, capable of mining textual answers from large collections of texts. Surprizing quality is achieved when several lightweight knowledge-based NLP techniques complement mostly shallow, surface-based approaches.
Distribution and levels of insulin-like growth factor I mRNA across the life span in the Brown Norway×Fischer 344 rat brain

Previous studies have reported changes in insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) mRNA expression during early postnatal development of the rat brain. Although changes in IGF-I gene expression have been documented in a wide range of central nervous system structures during early development and investigated in the hippocampus during aging, no study has compared changes in IGF-I gene expression in different brain regions across the life span. The present study assessed the distribution of IGF-I gene expression using in situ hybridization in rats aged 2-30 months. Dot blots were used as a quantitative assessment of cortical IGF-I mRNA. Results indicate that both the distribution and levels of brain IGF-I mRNA do not change significantly between 2 and 30 months of age in the rat. However, in spite of relatively constant levels of mRNA, other studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that cortical IGF-I protein levels decrease 36.6% between 11 and 32 months of age, suggesting that IGF-I function is decreased with increasing age.
Designing thin wavelet filters

In this paper we design thin n-D wavelet filters. Our wavelet filters are thin in the sense that each filter is essentially a 1-D filter, which is supported on a straight line. We first use the coset sum, a recently developed alternative to the tensor product, in order to obtain thin n-D wavelet filters that can capture directional information in 2n − 1 different directions. Furthermore the choice of directions is quite flexible, and it can be made so that there is no strong directional bias along lines parallel to the coordinate direction. One limitation of thin n-D wavelet filters constructed by the coset sum method is that they can capture only 2n − 1 directions. In order to overcome this limitation we discuss how to generalize the coset sum method so that thin n-D Haar wavelet filters with more than 2n − 1 directions can be obtained.
Protein Kinase C and Melanocyte Transformation

Melanoma cells which have been isolated from metastatic melanoma tissue are able to survive and proliferate in serum supplemented media. In contrast, normal human melanocytes require the presence of growth stimulators if they are to survive in culture. A tumor promotor, 12–0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and substances that increase intracellular levels of cyclic-adenosine-monophosphate (cAMP), such as cholera toxin or isobutylmethyl xanthine, have been widely used for this purpose. The phorbol diester receptor was shown in 1982 to be the phospholipid- and calcium-dependent enzyme protein kinase C (PKC). We therefore directed our studies to the role of PKC regulation in the growth of normal human melanocytes and their transformation. Our studies show that while melanoma cells are inhibited by TPA, the growth of normal melanocytes is stimulated in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitor, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methyl-piperizine dihydrochloride (H7), which has been found to be the most specific for PKC, had no effect on the growth of normal melanocytes, but inhibited the growth of melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. PKC was isolated from the membrane and cytosol of normal melanocytes and melanoma cells. The basal (resting) levels of PKC activity in normal melanocytes was low compared to that measured in melanoma cells, and after short-term (1 hour) treatment with TPA the PKC activity was greatest at the membrane, with the activity decreasing the cytosol. Upon prolonged (48 hours) treatment with TPA, this redistribution of activity continued in normal melanocytes and the total activity increased. In melanoma cells, however, the total PKC activity decreased, particularly in the membrane fraction. A difference in activity and distribution of the enzyme was also seen after short-term (1 hour) treatment with H7. There was very little effect seen on PKC in normal melanocytes; however, the effect on melanoma cells was similar to that seen after 48 hours of exposure to TPA with a decrease in total activity, particularly in the membrane fraction. These results indicate that the regulation of PKC, in particular its activation by TPA, is altered during the transformation of normal human melanocytes
Philosophy as an Art of Dying

This essay proposes a close look at the tradition of martyr-philosophers in the Western world (Socrates, Hypatia, Giordano Bruno, Edith Stein, Jan Patocka) and advances the claim that the death of ...
Assembling for Agency: Prisoners and College Students in a Life Writing Workshop

Rhetorical theorists have argued that agency is a communal experience, but material conditions in jail and society often prevent prisoners and college students from experiencing it in meaningful ways that embrace difference. Challenging those conditions by bringing both groups together in a writing workshop enables everyone to resist discourses that would name them and to inquire, collaboratively, about pressing social problems like gun violence. This essay shows how a prisoner and a college student sustained that inquiry in writing, moving from metanoia or regret into kairos—the seizing of their day and the experience of agency. The ultimate value of that experience transcends the here and now of the workshop to become the building block of a better public sphere.
Population Growth and Environmental Impact: Ideology and Academic Discourse in Israel

This article addresses the discourse of Israeli academics, policy makers, and environmental activists regarding the environmental implications of population growth in Israel. While there are compelling reasons that population growth should be a prominent topic for local environmental research and discussion, it is rarely considered in environmental campaigns or in the academic literature. I attribute this to the embeddedness of the Israeli environmental community within wider Israeli society. National ideologies and religiosity, coupled with immediate security and social concerns, bound what is considered “sanctioned” discourse regarding population growth, prescribing the rules of academic engagement for this controversial topic.
Performance of on-off modulated lightwave signals with phase noise

We analyze the performance of on-off-keying modulated signals in the presence of phase noise for different envelope detection structures. We obtain closed-form expressions for the error probability conditioned on a random envelope, and remove the conditioning via approximations. We also provide a tight lower bound in closed-form. We also compare the performance with that of frequency shift keying.
Angular limits, maximum principles, and level domains in the MacLane class

Let A denote the MacLane Class, that is, the class of (nonconstant) analytic functions on the unit disk D having asymptotic limits in a dense subset of the unit circle T. Of central interest here are three desirable properties that a function f∊A may possess: f has angular limits in a metrically dense subset of T f obeys a certain maximum principle, and the components of {|f|>λ} are Jordan regions for each λ∊(inf|f|,sup|f|). It is known, for example, that if f ∊A and f has no infinite asymptotic values, then all of these properties hold. In this note we consider various subclasses of A and give less restrictive conditions which guarantee that the properties are valid. In particular, we show that for the class N of normal functions, relatively weak radial conditions are sufficient.
Parents' Involvement in ASD Treatment: What Is Their Role?

Abstract The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) warrants a greater level of clinical attention to best treat those with ASD. The characteristics of ASD lead to impairment for both the child with the disorder and his/her family. To effectively treat children with ASD, parents need to be included in intervention efforts. Research suggests that parental involvement in treatment improves the generalizability of skills and increases the amount of intervention the child receives. Numerous benefits have been found in child and parent outcomes when parents are included in treatment. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact ASD can have on the parent-child relationship, the factors that influence treatment outcome, and the advantages of including parents in treatment. The different roles parents can have in treatment will also be discussed along with providing clinicians guidance on practical ways to involve parents in the treatment of children with ASD.
Urinary triclosan concentrations are inversely associated with body mass index and waist circumference in the US general population: Experience in NHANES 2003–2010

Abstract Background Humans are extensively exposed to triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal agent. Triclosan's effects on human health, however, have not been carefully investigated. Objective To examine whether triclosan exposure is associated with obesity traits. Methods This study included 2898 children (6–19 years old) and 5066 adults (20 years or older) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2003–2010 and had a detectable level of urinary triclosan. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between urinary triclosan and both body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Results Each standard deviation increase in urinary triclosan was associated with a 0.34 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.05, 0.64) kg/m 2 lower level of BMI ( P = 0.02) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.09, 1.74) cm smaller waist circumference ( P = 0.03) in boys, and a 0.62 (95% CI: 0.31, 0.94) kg/m 2 lower level of BMI ( P = 0.0002) and 1.32 (95% CI: 0.54, 2.09) cm smaller waist circumference in girls ( P = 0.001); a 0.42 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.77) kg/m 2 lower level of BMI ( P = 0.02) and 1.35 (95% CI: 0.48, 2.22) cm smaller waist circumference ( P = 0.003) in men, and a 0.71 (95% CI: 0.34, 1.07) kg/m 2 lower level of BMI ( P = 0.0002) and 1.68 (95% CI: 0.86, 2.50) cm smaller waist circumference ( P = 0.0001) in women. In both children and adults, there was a consistent trend for lower levels of BMI and smaller waist circumference with increasing levels of urinary triclosan, from the lowest to the highest quartile of urinary triclosan ( P ≤ 0.001 in all cases). Conclusion Triclosan exposure is inversely associated with BMI and waist circumference. The biological mechanisms linking triclosan exposure to obesity await further investigation.
Dynamics of the slope water off New England and its influence on the Gulf Stream as inferred from satellite IR data

Abstract The movements of warm core rings and the Gulf Stream front were studied in the New England slope water region by using both satellite IR data and available in situ sea surface temperature data. It is found that: (1) the rotating speed of the rings exhibits a marked seasonal variation with the maximum speed occurring in the winter and the minimum in the late fall; (2) the surface area of the rings increases monotonically with time; and (3) the Gulf Stream front at the north wall migrates seasonally and attains its northernmost position in the late fall. Based on these findings we calculated the horizontal eddy viscosity for the rings as 4 × 10 8 cm 2 5 . Furthermore, by comparing the seasonal variations of the rotational velocity of the rings and the total mass transport of the Gulf Stream, we suggest that the seasonal variation of the slope water hydrography through local air-sea interactions could play an important role in the dynamics of the Gulf Stream system.
Peroxidases as indicators of growth and differentiation in Aspen callus cultures

Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) callus tissue grown on a synthetic medium containing either an auxin (2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid) or cytokinin [6-(3-methyl-2-butenylamino) purine] differed in growth rate, total peroxidase activity, peroxidase isoenzyme expression, and in lignin, cell wall sugars and extractive content. Tissue treated with auxin increased more rapidly in fresh weight, but stopped growing sooner than did the cytokinin-treated tissues. Lignification also proceeded more rapidly, and lignin formed a greater fraction of the cell wall weight in auxin-treated tissue. For both treatments, peroxidase activity and growth rate were positively related (r = 0.96). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed some quantitative, but few qualitative, isoenzyme differences with hormonal treatment and growth rate.
Engineering strategies to mimic the glioblastoma microenvironment

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and deadly brain tumor, with a mean survival time of only 21months. Despite the dramatic improvements in our understanding of GBM fueled by recent revolutions in molecular and systems biology, treatment advances for GBM have progressed inadequately slowly, which is due in part to the wide cellular and molecular heterogeneity both across tumors and within a single tumor. Thus, there is increasing clinical interest in targeting cell-extrinsic factors as way of slowing or halting the progression of GBM. These cell-extrinsic factors, collectively termed the microenvironment, include the extracellular matrix, blood vessels, stromal cells that surround tumor cells, and all associated soluble and scaffold-bound signals. In this review, we will first describe the regulation of GBM tumors by these microenvironmental factors. Next, we will discuss the various in vitro approaches that have been exploited to recapitulate and model the GBM tumor microenvironment in vitro. We conclude by identifying future challenges and opportunities in this field, including the development of microenvironmental platforms amenable to high-throughput discovery and screening. We anticipate that these ongoing efforts will prove to be valuable both as enabling tools for accelerating our understanding of microenvironmental regulation in GBM and as foundations for next-generation molecular screening platforms that may serve as a conceptual bridge between traditional reductionist systems and animal or clinical studies.
An automated method for measuring wire tensions in multiwire chambers

Abstract A method is presented for measuring the tension of both signal and field wires in multiwire chambers. Without probes, electrodes, magnets, or mechanical parts, this device is well suited to fully assembled chambers where direct access or view of the wires is impossible.
Psychometric evaluation of the pittsburgh sleep quality index

Abstract The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) measures sleep quality and disturbance retrospectively over a 1-month period using self-reports. Although the PSQI has been used in a variety of populations, published psychometric data are limited. The goal of this study was to examine psychometric properties of the PSQI among four populations: bone marrow transplant patients (n=155); renal transplant patients (n=56); women with breast cancer (n=102); and women with benign breast problems (n=159). Results supported PSQI internal consistency reliability and construct validity. Cronbach’s alphas were 0.80 across groups and correlations between global and component scores were moderate to high. PSQI scores were moderately to highly correlated with measures of sleep quality and sleep problems, and poorly correlated with unrelated constructs. Individuals with sleep problems, poor sleep quality, and sleep restlessness had significantly higher PSQI scores in comparison to individuals without such problems.
Adenosine potentiation and antagonism may account for the diverse behavioral actions of Ro 5-4864.

Abstract The actions of the p -chloroderivative of diazepam, Ro 5-4864 on the spontaneous discharges of rat cerebral cortical neurons and its interactions with depressions evoked by adenosine and adenosine 5′-N-ethylcarboxamide (NECA) were observed. Iontophoretically applied Ro 5-4864 had variable actions on cortical neuronal activity, exciting some neurons and depressing others. During the period of applications, Ro 5-4864 antagonized the depressant effects of NECA, whilst having less of an action on adenosine depressions. Following Ro 5-4864 applications adenosine, but not NECA, depressions were potentiated in amplitude and duration for periods of up to 20 min. It is suggested that Ro 5-4864 has both antagonistic and potentiative interactions with adenosine.
Teaching business ethics: Questioning the assumptions, seeking new directions

An examination of leading textbooks suggests the predominance of a principle-based model in the teaching of business ethics. The model assumes that by teaching students the rudiments of ethical reasoning and ethical theory, we can hope to create rational, independent, autonomous managers who will apply such theory to the many quandary situations of the corporate world. This paper challenges these assumptions by asking the following questions: 1. Is the acquisition of principle-based ethical theory unproblematic? 2. What is the transferability of classroom learning to the business context? 3. Is it appropriate to consider complementary models in the teaching of business ethics? The last question is approached from the perspective of virtues-based ethics, from the insights of feminist ethics, and from a culturally grounded orientation to moral values and norms.