cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uptake of Glucose Analogues into Cultured Cerebral Microvessel Endothelium

Tritiated glucose analogues 3-O-methylglucose (3-OMG) and 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) were used to study glucose uptake properties in established lines of cultured mouse cerebral microvessel endothelium. Uptake of both analogues was similar in terms of rate and absolute amount for the first two minutes. Thereafter, intracellular accumulation of 2-DG continued at a more rapid rate because of intracellular phosphorylation of this substrate. The uptake of 3-OMG uptake was temperature-dependent, independent of Na+, and not inhibited by ouabain or 2,4-dinitrophenol. Phloretin and cytochalasin B both significantly inhibited 3-OMG uptake. Other hexoses in high concentration acted as competitive inhibitors at the endothelial cell membrane. Pre-incubation of cells with 50 mM D-glucose resulted in higher levels of 3-OMG accumulation than in control cells (counter-transport phenomenon). In contrast to findings at the blood-brain barrier in vivo, insulin was found to stimulate 3-OMG uptake. Maximal stimulation of approximately 3-fold was found at ambient insulin concentrations of 1,000 ng/ml or higher. The findings provide support at the cellular level for some components of the model of carrier-mediated glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier which has been postulated to exist in vivo. The effect of insulin is discussed in the light of new data that show stimulation of glucose analogue transport into isolated cerebral capillaries.
A random walk model of skin permeation.

A new mathematical model for permeability of chemicals in aqueous vehicle through skin is presented. The rationale for this model is to represent diffusion by its fundamental molecular mechanism, i.e., random thermal motion. Diffusion is modeled as a two-dimensional random walk through the biphasic (lipid and corneocyte) stratum corneum (SC). This approach permits calculations of diffusion phenomena in a morphologically realistic SC structure. Two concepts are key in the application of the model to the prediction of steady-state skin permeability coefficients: "effective diffusivity" and "effective path length," meaning the diffusivity and thickness of a homogeneous membrane having identical permeation properties as the stratum corneum. Algebraic expressions for these two variables are developed as functions of the molecular weight and octanol-water partition coefficient of the diffusing substance. Combining these with expressions for membrane-vehicle partition coefficient and permeability of the aqueous epidermis enables the calculation of steady-state skin permeability coefficients. The resulting four-parameter algebraic model was regressed against the "Flynn data base" with excellent results (R2 = 0.84: SE = 0.0076; F = 154; N = 94). The model provides insight into the contributions of stratum corneum diffusivity and effective path lengths to overall skin permeability and may prove useful in the prediction of non-steady-state diffusion phenomena.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors and retinoic acids inhibit growth of human neuroblastoma in vitro.

Background Neuroblastoma is a common childhood cancer with a poor overall prognosis. Retinoic acids (RAs) have been studied as a potential therapy, showing promise in recurrent disease. The histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI) M-carboxycinnamic acid bishydroxamide (CBHA) is another potential therapy, which we recently described. Combinations of RAs and HDACIs currently under investigation display synergy in certain neoplasms. In this study, we evaluate the effect of combinations of RAs and HDACIs on human neuroblastoma cells. Procedure Established cell lines were cultured in increasing concentrations of HDACIs, RAs, and combinations thereof. Following exposure, viable cell number was quantified by trypan blue dye exclusion on a hemacytometer. Cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide staining and FACS. Results All assayed HDACIs and RAs decreased viable cell number. Lower concentrations of each agent were effective when the two were combined. The primary reason for decreased cell number appears to be apoptosis following HDACI exposure and G1 arrest following RA exposure. Both effects are seen with cotreatment. Caspase inhibition abrogates the apoptotic response. Conclusions CBHA causes apoptosis of human neuroblastoma in vitro, an effect that can add to the effects of RA. HDACIs and RAs inhibit neuroblastoma in significantly lower concentrations when used together than when used individually. Combination therapy may improve the ultimate efficacy while reducing the side effects of these agents in clinical use. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 35:577–581, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chemical knockout of C-reactive protein in cardiovascular disease

Human C-reactive protein (CRP) has been implicated in the inflammatory responses associated with heart attacks and strokes. A small-molecule inhibitor of CRP limits myocardial infarction in rats and should facilitate mechanistic studies of cardiovascular disease.
Socio-Contextual Factors: Moving Beyond Individual Determinants of Sexual Risk Behavior among Gay and Bisexual Adolescent Males

This study investigated factors associated with sexual behavior that confers the greatest risk for HIV transmission (i.e., unprotected anal intercourse; UAI) among 52 sexually active gay and bisexual adolescent males in a Midwestern city ages 15-19. A logistic regression model found that ethnicity other than African American, more sexual partners in the past year, greater stigma towards homosexuality, and greater perceived peer sexual norms for risky behavior were significantly associated with UAI (x2 =27.96, df=5, p<.001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.56). Implications for prevention interventions are discussed.
Semistability at ∞ of finitely generated groups, and solvable groups☆

Abstract This article examines an end invariant of finitely generated groups, more delicate than the number of ends-semistability at ∞. A one-ended finitely presented group G, is semistable at ∞ if for some (equivalently any) finite CW-complex X, with π1(X) = G, all proper maps of [0, ∞) into the universal cover of X are properly homotopic. If G is semistable at ∞,then H2(G:ZG) is free abelian. We extend the definition of semistability at ∞ to finitely generated groups. We prove a subgroup theorem that allows one to begin with a finitely presented group G, pass through a sequence of finitely generated subgroups, G1 ⊃ G2 ⊃… ⊃ Gn, of G and by showing that Gn is semistable at ∞, (under our new definition) conclude that G is semistable at ∞. Certain finitely presented groups previously unknown to be semistable at ∞ are shown to be semistable at ∞ by this technique.
Assisting science in the Former Soviet Union

The turmoil and economic hardships in the former Soviet Union have not bypassed its scientific community. Governments and scientists around the world bemoan the collapse of the Soviet science infrastructure and the potential loss of Soviet weapons scientists to untrustworthy nations. In joint research collaborations, many see both the chance to assist science in the former Soviet Union and a wellspring of potentially commercial technology. The biggest effort to date is a joint agreement among Russia, the European Community, Japan, and the United States to set up an International Science and Technology Center in Moscow. The center will act as a clearinghouse for proposals from the former Soviet Union to fund research for former weapons scientists. The member nations could support proposals either singularly or jointly. Although all the details have yet to be worked out, the United States has pledged $25 million to this effort so far.
No One Said it was Quetzalcoatl: Listening to the Indians in the Conquest of Mexico*

This article argues that, contrary to popular opinion, there is little evidence that the indigenous people of Mexico ever believed that Hernando Cortes and his men were gods, and that there is no meaningful evidence that any story about the god Quetzalcoatl's returning from the East in 1519 ever existed prior to the conquest. In order to dismantle the contruct, the origins and durability of the myth are explained, and then an alternate explanation is offered as to what the indigenous were in fact thinking at the point of contact.
A polymeric membrane dressing with antinociceptive properties: analysis with a rodent model of stab wound secondary hyperalgesia.

Abstract The putative antinociceptive properties of a commercially available polymeric membrane dressing were tested by using a hind limb penetrating stab wound model in which secondary hyperalgesia could be evaluated from the hind paw. We examined the responses to mechanical and thermal stimuli applied to the hind paw remote to 2 small penetrating stab wounds of the calf. Application of the polymeric membrane dressing, but not gauze dressing, significantly reduced the development of both mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia induced by the penetrating stab wounds. In addition, animals with stab wounds showed a significant decrease in cage activity, and this decrease was prevented by application of the polymeric dressing. Analysis of spinal cord Fos expression demonstrated that the polymeric membrane, but not gauze, dressing significantly decreased stab wound–induced Fos expression in laminae I to VI of the ipsilateral L3-L5 cord segments. In addition, application of the polymeric membrane, but not gauze, dressing to the hind limb of naive animals elicited Fos expression in laminae III and IV of the lumbar spinal cord. The data indicate that this model might be useful for evaluation of the mechanisms underlying deep tissue injury–induced secondary hyperalgesia, but they also demonstrate that the polymeric membrane dressing tested is capable of significantly reducing secondary hyperalgesia. Perspective Surgery and other types of penetrating wounds cause pain that is not always relieved by opioids and/or less potent analgesics. The present results suggest that the polymeric membrane dressing tested here may be used alone or in conjunction with analgesics to relieve pain caused by penetrating tissue injury.
Initiation of a phase transition by preexisting nuclei

Preexisting nuclei are often invoked in situations where the observed kinetics of a phase transition is much faster than one would expect from the classical theory of homogeneous nucleation. We examine analytically the time‐dependent effects produced by such nuclei. Corrections to the number of nucleated particles, the time lag, and the transient rate of homogeneous nucleation are derived. For a high nucleation barrier the results are expected to be asymptotically accurate, both for the continuous (‘‘Zeldovich–Frenkel’’) and the discrete (‘‘Becker–Doring’’) nucleation models. This is confirmed by comparison with exact expressions available for a parabolic barrier in the continuous case, and with numerical solutions of the discrete Master equation. The probability formulation of the nucleation problem is also considered and the distribution of waiting times to detect the first ‘‘successful’’ nucleus is obtained.
Oxyrase Cell-Membrane Preparations Simplify Cultivation of Anaerobic Bacteria

Clinical microbiologists have sought to isolate, identify, and characterize anaerobic bacteria since the organisms and their role in wound infections were discovered. Methods to create an environment for anaerobic growth have not changed for 100 years. A new approach—the Oxyrase enzymatic method—promotes anaerobiosis in the solid culture medium itself, allowing colonies to form without barriers associated with jars, bags, and chambers. In response to space restraints, increased workload, and cost-cutting directives, we evaluated the Oxyrase method for the primary isolation of anaerobic bacteria from clinical wound specimens. By using plated media (containing the oxygen-reducing substance) to isolate and identify anaerobic bacteria, a single technologist could report culture results more rapidly because all cultures—aerobic and anaerobic—for a patient could be processed simultaneously.
Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous triflic acid confined in carbon nanotubes

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the effects of nanoscale confinement on the structural and dynamical properties of aqueous triflic acid (CF3SO3H). Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with diameters ranging from ∼11 to 14 A were used as confinement vessels, and the inner surface of the CNT were either left bare or fluorinated to probe the influence of the confined environment on structural and dynamical properties of the water and triflic acidic. The systems were simulated at hydration levels of n = 1–3 H2O/CF3SO3H. Proton dissociation expectedly increased with increasing hydration. Along with the level of hydration, hydrogen bond connectivity between the triflic acid molecules, both directly and via a single water molecule, played a role on proton dissociation. Direct hydrogen bonding between the CF3SO3H molecules, most commonly found in the larger bare CNT, also promoted interactions between water molecules allowing for greater separation of the dissociated protons from the CF3SO3− as the hydration level was increased. However, this also resulted in a decrease in the overall proportion of dissociated protons. The confinement dimensions altered both the hydrogen bond network and the distribution of water molecules where the H2O in the fluorinated CNTs tended to form small clusters with less proton dissociation at n = 1 and 2 but the highest at n = 3. In the absence of nearby hydrogen bond accepting sites from H2O or triflic acid SO3H groups, the water molecules formed weak hydrogen bonds with the fluorine atoms. In the bare CNT systems, these involved the CF3 groups of triflic acid and were more frequently observed when direct hydrogen bonding between CF3SO3H hindered potential hydrogen bonding sites. In the fluorinated tubes, interactions with the covalently bound fluorine atoms of the CNT wall dominated which appear to stabilize the hydrogen bond network. Increasing the hydration level increased the frequency of the OH⋯F (CNT) hydrogen bonding which was highly pronounced in the smaller fluorinated CNT indicating an influence on the confinement dimensions on these interactions.
Time-domain simulation of large-amplitude response of floating platforms

Abstract Two numerical simulation models to predict large-amplitude motions of floating platforms are presented. The first method is based on the application of the relative-velocity formulation of Morison's equation for force calculations. The second method developed in this work uses the three-dimensional potential theory in time domain. In this method, both the Froude-Krylov and scattering forces are calculated by considering finite wave amplitude effects in random waves. The effect of various nonlinearities on the low-frequency motions and high-frequency tether-tension response of a tension leg platform are studied using these simulation models in conjunction with power spectral methods. The presence of current and the nonlinear drag force are observed to have a significant effect on the low-frequency motions and tether tensions.
A towed, undulating CTD system

This paper describes a towed undulating CTD system recently acquired by the University of Delaware's shipboard technical support group. The vehicle is a GMI Scanfish MKII and the instrumentation package is Seabird Electronics 911+ system. The configuration of the system, method of deployment, and considerations for shallow water work are discussed.
On the Diversity Gain of AF and DF Relaying With Noisy CSI at the Source Transmitter

The problem of optimizing resource allocation over a half-duplex relay channel with noisy channel state information at the source transmitter (CSIT) is studied, with a focus on the asymptotically high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. A novel upper bound on the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) is derived, taking into account the quality of the CSIT. It is shown that from a DMT perspective, the decode-and-forward (DF) protocol is strictly optimal over a certain range of the multiplexing gains. When the quality of the CSIT is sufficiently high, the DMT performance of the DF protocol with noisy CSIT equals that of the dynamic DF protocol shifted above by a constant diversity gain, which depends only on the quality of the CSIT about the source-destination link. When the quality of the CSIT reduces, DF relaying is still DMT-optimal, but only over a smaller range of the multiplexing gains. In an intermediate range of the multiplexing gains, nonorthogonal schemes provide some additional gains when the CSIT quality is sufficiently low. It is also shown that the DMT of the amplify-and-forward (AF) protocol is offset by a constant term depending on the quality of the CSIT of the source-destination link only.
Collaborating with ‘virtual strangers’: Towards developing a framework for leadership in distributed teams:

The current study qualitatively explores emergent leadership themes within distributed teams in a large international Fortune 500 organization. Sixteen employees across different organizational sites were interviewed about experiences in both collocated and distributed teams. Previous research has typically highlighted how these teams fall on a continuum of virtuality, from purely face-to-face to entirely distributed, as well as emphasizing the importance of distributed team leaders using technology to create a virtual presence along this continuum. In addition, extant research emphasizes that leadership functions may need to vary depending on the geographic and temporal dispersion of the team. Consistent with traditional leadership theories, our findings suggest that distributed team leaders play an important role both in structuring group tasks and supporting socio-emotional group processes, and these functions vary by team distribution level. The idea that distributed teams are particularly conducive t...
Evaluation of cognition in cancer patients: Special focus on the elderly ,

Abstract Purpose The risks of both cognitive dysfunction and most cancers increase with age. A literature review was undertaken to identify how cognitive issues in older patients were being assessed in the oncology literature. Methods A systematic literature search was undertaken using a number of different search terms and databases to find all relevant articles in oncology and internal medicine journals. Results Eighty-eight articles were included in the review. Just over half of the articles studied a mixture of cancer types and had fewer than 100 patients. The vast majority of patients being studied were Conclusion The oncology literature contains little information about cognition in older cancer patients. More systematic and comprehensive studies of this important aspect of cancer care in the elderly are necessary.
Childhood epilepsy: child adaptation and family resources.

The purpose of the study was to (a) compare children with epilepsy and children with asthma in regard to psychosocial adaptation and family characteristics; and (b) compare family characteristics for children with epilepsy with good and poor psychosocial adaptation. Subjects were 111 children (54 with epilepsy and 57 with asthma) and their mothers. Children with epilepsy were found to have significantly lower self-concepts, more behavior problems at school, and more depression than children with asthma. In the epilepsy sample, family resources and adaptation were significantly lower for children with poor psychosocial adaptation when compared with children with good psychosocial adaptation.
Navajo and Caucasian Children's Verbal and Nonverbal‐Visual Behavior in the Urban Classroom

A formal observation technique was used in an urban classroom context to assess the verbal and nonverbal-visual behavior of 17 Navajo and 7 Caucasian children. Two statistical techniques revealed significant intergroup differences in verbal and nonverbal-visual style. A four-stage adaptation model is offered to show the differential adjustment of Navajo children to the urban classroom. Finally, the four behavioral types attributed to Navajo children in the urban classroom are related tentatively to Navajo households, representing four stages of acculturation to urban life.
Crown-annelated p-phenylenediamine derivatives as electrochemical and fluorescence responsive chemosensors: fluorescence studies

Two p-phenylenediamine derivatives, having aza-crown ether substituents, are described which show high selectivity for Mg2+ over Na+ in their fluorescence behavior.
Tomorrow’s Hospitality Leaders of America: Their Willingness to Accept a Future Expatriate Assignment

Previous research has shown that sending managers on international assignments is accompanied by both a high chance of failure and substantial investment in training and preparation. One strategy to reduce failures is to identify and recruit potential managers who are more willing in the future to accept an expatriate assignment in the first place. This study focused on students currently enrolled in hospitality management programs in the United States, as they represent the future leaders of the hospitality industry. The study investigated potential demographic variables, personality aspects, and background experiences to determine whether any were significantly associated with an increased willingness among students to accept an expatriate position when they join the industry in the future. A survey of students enrolled in 15 hospitality management programs in the United States yielded 819 responses that showed strong support for variables measuring self-ratings for openness, perceptions for learning op...
Mechanical and dielectric relaxation of crystalline polymers in relation to degree of crystallinity and morphology

Mechanical and dielectric relaxation as related to the morphology of crystalline polymers is reviewed. The behavior with temperature of the imaginary part of the complex dielectric constant and the mechanical loss factor, tan δ, at constant frequency is discussed in detail for two typical crystalline polymers: poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene) and polypropylene. Three relaxations are typically observed: a low temperature relaxation occurring at temperatures below the dilatometric glass transition temperature; a glass temperature relaxation occurring near the glass transition temperature; and a high temperature relaxation occurring between the glass temperature and the melting point. The activation parameters are given for these relaxations, and the influence of morphology on them is discussed along with possible molecular interpretations.
High-quality integration of fuel cells energy into electric grids

This paper investigates different converter topologies, and their control, that can be used as an interface between fuel cells and the DC bus in a power system. As an example, the integration of fuel cells energy to the DC bus in a DC zonal electric distribution system (DC ZEDS) will be focused on. The DC ZEDS example is reasonable as high-quality power supply is interesting the most for the US navy. Among the two topologies presented, one is new and its performance is compared to that of the conventional boost converter. The proposed topology utilizes a modified boost converter to enhance the integration of sustainable energy sources into the system. It gives continuous output current and some other advantages over the conventional one. However, it is more complex. A comparative study of the techniques presented in this paper will be conducted from performance as well as cost points of view. A prototype system has been designed and simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK to validate the proposed technique. Moreover, it has been examined experimentally to verify the results and conclusions deduced out of the study. Both simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique and its validity as a DC-DC converter for fuel cells integration to DC ZEDS and its outperformance over conventional DC-DC boost converters.
Interaction of a Photosensitizer with Dipalmitoyl Lecithin

Monomolecular films of lecithin spread on aqueous subphases containing chlorpromazine hydrochloride were studied. The effects of ultraviolet irradiation and pH were determined. The degree of penetration of the chlorpromazine into the lecithin film was found to be dependent on surface pressure, pH, and ultraviolet irradiation. The biological significance of the data is discussed in relationship to a mechanism for photosensitization.
Two- and three-proton pumped exciton-induced chemistry in liquid Kr

Abstract Multi-proton pumped, exciton mediated charge transfer reactions in N 2 O and F 2 doped liquid K are reported. Irradiation of F 2 /Kr solutions with ≈ 300 fs pulses at 320 nm leads to three-proton induced emission from Kr 2 (F(4 2 Γ). Based on transmission measurements, a three-photon cross section of 2×10 −81(±1) cm 6 s 2 is extracted, and attributed to access of Kr( n =2, j = 3 2 ) exciton. Irradiation of N 2 O/Kr solutions, at 320 and 225 nm leads respectively to three-proton induced and two-photon induced emission from KrO(2 1 Σ). Cross calibration of these signals, and using known two-photon cross sections for reaching Kr excitons, yields a three-photon cross section of 8×10 −81 cm 6 s 2 .
A new approach for adaptive control of a nonlinear system using neural networks

An approach for controlling a nonlinear system using an adaptive scheme implemented by neural networks is presented. Two neural networks are trained in three different stages. In the first stage, the nonlinear system is excited several times to teach the inverse dynamics of the system to a neural network. In the second stage, the system is again excited several times to train a second neural network with input signals that will control the nonlinear system in the desired way. After the first two stages of training, the system is operated with the second neural network as feedback, and its weights are adaptively adjusted to accommodate possible parameter variations in the nonlinear system. Results obtained with a simulation program developed to train the neural networks using the backpropagation algorithm and input-output-state data are presented. >
Introduction to a System for Implementing Neural Net Connections on SIMD Architectures

Neural networks have attracted much interest recently, and using parallel architectures to simulate neural networks is a natural and necessary application. The SIMD model of parallel computation is chosen, because systems of this type can be built with large numbers of processing elements. However, such systems are not naturally suited to generalized communication. A method is proposed that allows an implementation of neural network connections on massively parallel SIMD architectures. The key to this system is an algorithm that allows the formation of arbitrary connections between the "neurons". A feature is the ability to add new connections quickly. It also has error recovery ability and is robust over a variety of network topologies. Simulations of the general connection system, and its implementation on the Connection Machine, indicate that the time and space requirements are proportional to the product of the average number of connections per neuron and the diameter of the interconnection network.
Selectivity of Converting-Enzyme Inhibitors for Angiotensin I versus Bradykinin Hydrolysis Reactions

Selectivity of captopril, enalapril (MK-421), enalaprilat (MK-422), ketoace, and SA-300 for inhibiting kininase II when angiotensin (ANG) I versus bradykinin (BK) is the substrate has been studied in vitro. Potency for inhibiting purified rabbit lung ANG I-converting enzyme (ACE) using a tripeptide substrate with an ANG I-like (hippurylhistidylleucine, HHL) or a BK-like (hippurylphenylalanylarginine, HPA) cleavable dipeptide was determined. Inhibition of ANG I-induced and potentiation of BK-induced contractions of isolated guinea pig ileum strips was measured. For the enzyme assay, the inhibitor concentration which reduced the rate of HHL and HPA hydrolysis 50% (IC50) from the control value was estimated. All tested compounds more potently inhibited hydrolysis of the ANG I-related tripeptide by the purified enzyme. Ketoace, with a selectivity ratio (HPA IC50:HHL IC50) of 23, was the most substrate-dependent inhibitor. For the isolated ileum assay, the inhibitor concentration which augmented the contractile response to BK by 50% (AC50) or inhibited the contractile response to ANG I by 50% (IC50) was calculated. Only enalaprilat retained a selectivity ratio (BK AC50:ANG I IC50) in the guinea pig ileum system greater than one. Ketoace, with a ratio of 0.038, was the least ANG I-selective by this criterion. In vivo selectivity data on captopril seem more in accord with the ileum, rather than the enzyme, results. It was concluded that converting enzyme inhibitors differ in their relative selectivity for inhibiting kininase II reactions using different substrates.
Operation of the Low-Energy Demonstration Accelerator: the proton injector for APT

We report preliminary test results for a 6.7-MeV, 100-mA cw radio-frequency quadrupole. During the time this structure was in design, fabrication, assembly, tuning, and installation, we tested a 75-keV proton injector, 350-MHz high-power RF systems, EPICS controls, diagnostics, beam stop, and other hardware in preparation for the 670 kW beam test. Initial LEDA RFQ beam operation has commenced. This paper summarizes work in the past year, concentrating on RFQ assembly, tuning, installation, high-power conditioning and initial beam operation. We include summaries of injector tests, 1.25-MeV RFQ-beam tests, beam-transport and beam-stop performance, and cavity resonance control. The technology being developed in this first section of the APT (accelerator production of tritium) linac is also appropriate for several other applications, including the transmutation of waste and medical isotope production.
The impact of the AIDS epidemic on the health of the elderly in Tanzania

By the end of 1999, an estimated 24.5 million Africans were living with HIV/AIDS, accounting for more that seventy percent of all global infections. In Tanzania, an estimated 1.3 million people (of a total population of 33 million) were believed to be infected with HIV, and 140,000 had already died of AIDS. One in every 12 adults is infected. African couples have large families, partly so there will be adult children to support parents in old age. Instead, because of the AIDS epidemic, the elderly are often caring for their infected children, or orphaned grandchildren. The authors use longitudinal household data from Tanzania's Kagera region, to measure the impact of prime-age adult mortality on the level, and changes in physical well-being (as measured by body mass index, or BMI) of the elderly. They find that the elderly in non-poor households have higher BMI. Non-poor households are more likely to have an adult death, and the elderly in these households are more likely to suffer declining BMI in the months before the death of a prime-age adult. The elderly in both poor, and non-poor households experience a significant drop in BMI after an adult death, but BMI recovers over time, and there is no long-run association with BMI levels, and recent adult deaths. The elderly hit hardest are those in households nor receiving private transfers. Private transfers received by other household members raise the BMI of the elderly, especially after a recent adult death. There is no evidence that nongovernmental organizations, or public assistance to the household affects short-run changes in BMI. The elderly who have more living children are physically better off, but short-run increases in the number of teenagers in the household are associated with declines in BMI. Improving the incomes, and assets of the poor is key to improving the overall BMI of the elderly. The elderly who have more assets (such as better quality dwellings) tend to have higher BMI. Controlling for individual, and household characteristics, the elderly in communities with roads that are navigable year-round, have substantially higher BMI. Prevention of communicable diseases is key to reducing short-run fluctuations in BMI - through preventing HIV, and community immunization programs that benefit the elderly.
“An Absolute Revolving Door”: An Evaluation of Police Perception and Response to Proposition 36

Proposition 36 (aka SACPA) radically changed how the criminal justice system in California deals with drug offenders—from a crime control model to an addiction-treatment model. Although it was anti...
Natural Resources, Intergenerational Injustice, Environmental Degradation, Water Pollution and the Right to Healthcare

The extraction of and trade in natural resources, if not well regulated, impact on the ability of current generation to provide future generations with the same options, access and quality resources that they received from previous generations. They contribute to the degradation of the environment (New Zealand catastrophe 2011), pollute water (Acid Mine Drainage) and violate the right to water and sanitation and the right to healthcare. This paper focuses on recent cases of water pollution and environmental degradation as result of extraction of and trade in natural resources. It submits that the lack of adequate rules both at the national and international levels and the lack of political will diminish the capacity of current generation to meet their sustainable development objective and to respect their intergenerational obligations. The paper goes further to argue that corruption in environmental policy-making impedes the implementation of environmental friendly policies. It concludes with number of recommendations and good practices.
Hierarchical Read---Write Optimizations for Scientific Applications with Multi-variable Structured Datasets

Large-scale scientific applications spend a significant amount of time in reading and writing data. These simulations run on supercomputers which are architected with high-bandwidth, low-latency, and complex topology interconnects. Yet, few efforts exist that fully exploit the interconnect features for I/O. MPI-IO optimizations suffer from significant network contention at large core counts making I/O a critical bottleneck at extreme scales. We propose HieRO, which leverages the fast interconnect and performs hierarchical optimizations for I/O in scientific applications with structured datasets. HieRO performs reads/writes in multiple stages using carefully chosen leader processes who invoke the MPI-IO calls. Additionally, HieRO considers the application's domain decomposition and access patterns and fully utilizes the on-chip interconnect at each multicore node. We evaluate the efficacy of our optimizations with two scientific applications, WRF and S3D, with I/O access patterns commonly used in a wide gamut of applications. We evaluate our approaches on two supercomputers, the Edison Cray XC30 and the Mira Blue Gene/Q, representing systems with diverse interconnects and parallel filesystems. We demonstrate that algorithmic changes can lead to significant improvements in parallel read/write. HieRO is able to achieve more than $$40\times $$40× read time improvements for WRF and achieve up to $$40\times $$40× read and $$13\times $$13× write time improvements for S3D on 524288 cores.
Mentoring African American men : a study of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

This dissertation is a correlational designed study that examined the strength and direction of the relationship between mentoring, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, of African American men, exclusively in a business setting (N = 364), who were members of the National Black Masters of Business Administration Association (NBMBAA). Approximately 56% of the respondents were affiliated with the association. Participants completed a web-based survey via Zoomerang™, which included Mowday, Steers, and Porter's (1979) Organizational Commitment Scale and Spector's (1988) Job Satisfaction Scale, and employed Dillman's (2000) online survey protocol. This study used hierarchical multiple regression and mediational analysis to analyze the data. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that mentoring is a significant predictor of job satisfaction and a significant predictor of organizational commitment. The mediational analysis indicated that job satisfaction is a significant predictor of organizational commitment. Therefore, the results indicate that mentoring works through job satisfaction as a predictor of organizational commitment.
Abstract 2146: Role of apoptosis-inducing factor in the death of MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells after DNA damage

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a flavoprotein that plays a cytoprotective role within mitochondria and induces cell death when it translocates to the nucleus in response to apoptotic signals. The objective of this study was to pursue the relevance of AIF in cancer. We showed that AIF translocated to the nucleus and mediated caspase-independent cell death in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells following treatment with the DNA alkylating agent N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). We utilized small interfering RNA (siRNA) to down-regulate AIF expression in various human cancer cell lines and mouse trophoblast stem (TS) cells. AIF levels were reduced approximately 90% compared to untransfected cells. Analysis of AIF levels after subcellular fractionations demonstrated that nuclear translocation was compromised in these AIF knockdown cells. FACS analysis showed that AIF knockdown protected MDA-MB-231 against apoptosis induced by the chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of AIF increased MDA-MB-231 cell survival following UV radiation. Taken together, the results demonstrate a role for AIF in cancer cell death following radio- or chemotherapeutic treatments. Thus, the activation of AIF mediated cell death is a promising method to improve the treatment of breast cancer patients. This research was supported by funding from the American Cancer Society and the Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2146. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2146
Flight Behavior of Musca domestica and Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) in a Kansas Dairy Barn

Aerial density, flight thresholds, and periodicity were estimated for the house fly, Musca domestica L., and the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), from data collected by suction traps located in a dairy barn in Kansas between 1 July and 31 October 1970. M. domestica catches increased from July to August, declining to near zero by the end of October. S. calcitrans catches peaked in July and September with a major decline in August. Both species exhibited a diel periodicity in flight with maximal activity during the early afternoon. Secondary peaks were detected in the late afternoon or early evening. M. domestica activity peaked about two hours after S. calcitrans. Male and female S. calcitrans flight activity patterns were slightly different, but peaked at the same time. Both species flew at temperatures between 20 and 38 degrees C. At temperatures over 33 degrees C, stable fly activity decreased rapidly. No upper threshold for flight by M. domestica was detected. The median temperature-flight thresholds of male and female S. calcitrans were significantly different, with females flying at lower temperatures than males. The threshold for M. domestica flight was lower than for S. calcitrans. The shape of the temperature-flight relationship indicated that the flight threshold was determined by heat accumulation.
Quantum Plasmons and Magnetic Metafluids

We explore optical-frequency quantum and magnetic plasmon modes. Our results demonstrate the quantum-to-classical transition in individual nanoparticles and in nanoparticle dimers, as well as the emergence of optical-frequency magnetism in a metamaterial fluid. Article not available.
Agroecological Principles from a Bibliographic Analysis of the Term Agroecology

Agricultural developments over the previous half-century have highly increased food, feed and fiber production. Yet, global food output and distribution still falls short of feeding the world with unintended harm to the environment and society. Agriculture requires new approaches that meet the challenges of sustainable and equitable food production. One prevailing alternative, agroecology, is an approach that promotes environmental conservation, ecosystem health and social equality in the global food system. However, the field of agroecology remains disjointed by a number of working definitions and conflicting agendas. Lack of a clear definition of the term can lead to misuse or overgeneralization that hinders effective dialog, collaboration, and development of the discipline.
Inferring and monitoring invariants in robotic systems

System monitoring can help to detect anomalies, but crafting monitors for robot systems is difficult due to the inherent complexity, changing, and uncertain operating environment. We address this challenge by automatically inferring system invariants and synthesizing those invariants into monitors to detect faults with an approach inspired by state of the art software engineering methods. Our approach is novel in that: (1) It automatically derives invariants from messages; (2) The invariants types are tailored to match the spatial, temporal, and architectural attributes of robotic systems; and (3) It automatically classifies and synthesizes invariants into an online invariants monitor node. We have assessed the approach in the context of two unmanned aerial vehicle systems running robot operating system. We found that monitoring the inferred invariants can reduce system failure rates when facing unexpected contexts from 76 to 11 %, and can detect differences between the lab environment and the field deployments.
E-cigarettes and the need and opportunities for alternatives to animal testing

E-cigarettes have become within only one decade an important commodity, changing the market of the most mass-killing commercial product. While a few years ago estimates suggested that in the course of the 21st century one billion people would die prematurely from tobacco consumption, e-cigarettes continuously gaining popularity promise 10-30fold lower health effects, possibly strongly changing this equation. However, they still are not a harmless life-style drug. Acceptability simply depends on whether we compare their use to smoking or to not-smoking. In the absence of long-term follow-up health data of users, additional uncertainty comes from the lack of safety data, though this uncertainty likely only is whether they represent 3 or 10% of the risk of their combustible counterpart. This means that there is little doubt that they represent a prime opportunity for smokers to switch, but also that their use by non-smokers should be avoided where possible. The real safety concerns, however, are that e-cigarettes expose their users to many compounds, contaminants and especially flavors (more than 7,000 according to recent counts), which have mostly not been tested, especially not for long-term inhalation exposure. Neither the precautionary traditional animal testing nor post-marketing surveillance will offer us data of sufficient quality or sufficiently fast to support product development and regulatory decisions. Thus, alter­native methods lend themselves to fill this gap, making this new product category a possible engine for new method development and its implementation and validation.
Development of simulation tools for design of multiple beam folded waveguide TWTs

NRL large signal design codes have been developed recently to be suitable for accurate simulations of multiple beam traveling wave tubes (MB-TWT). MB-TWTs are attractive novel devices with enhanced power-bandwidth characteristics. However, they are more vulnerable to spurious oscillations than single beam TWTs. The results of performance and stability analysis of MB-TWTs with 3D EM codes, NRL 3D PIC code Neptune and recently developed 1D and 2.5D design codes TESLA-FW and CHRISTINE-FW are presented and discussed.
The National Space Weather Program: Two decades of interagency partnership and accomplishments

This paper describes the development of the United States National Space Weather Program (NSWP) from early interests in space environmental phenomena and their impact through the culmination of the program in 2015. Over its 21-year run, the NSWP facilitated substantial improvements in the capabilities of federal space weather services and fostered broad and enduring partnerships with industry and the academic community within the US and internationally. Under the management of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM) a coalition of ten federal agencies worked together from 1994 to 2015 to advance national space weather enterprise. The paper describes key events and accomplishments of the NSWP interagency partnership while recognizing the great achievements made by the individual agencies. In order to provide context, the paper also discusses several important events outside the NSWP purview. Some of these external events influenced the course of the NSWP, while others were encouraged by the NSWP partnership. Following the establishment of the Space Weather Operations, Research, and Mitigation Task Force of the National Science and Technology Council in the White House and the deactivation of the NSWP Council, the agencies now play a supporting role in the national effort as the Federal engagement in the National Space Weather Partnership graduates to a higher level.
For Heaven's Sake: Tian in Daoist Religious Thought

This essay is an overview of the role of Heaven in Daoist religious thought prior to the Tang Dynasty. Lao-Zhuang teachings portray Heaven as helper of the perfected person, who has parted with the human and thereby evinces a heavenly light. The Huainanzi compares possessing Heaven’s Heart to leaning on an unbudgeable pillar and drawing on an inexhaustible storehouse, enabling one to shed mere humanity as a snake discards its skin. The Heguanzi homologizes Heaven and Taiyi and by the Six Dynasties period some Daoist canonical sources give the face of Laojun to Heaven/Taiyi, increasing the anthropomorphization of Heaven.
Pleomorphic sarcoma of the breast.

This is an 81-year-old man with a history of small bowel carcinoid. He was undergoing routine surveillance (every 6 months) CT chest, abdomen and pelvis with contrast, which showed an incidental left breast mass in the lower inner quadrant, 12×9 mm concerning for breast neoplasm, there was left axillary lymphadenopathy (LAD) as well (figure 1). Correlation with clinical examination, mammography and ultrasound were recommended. A left breast ultrasound noted a hypoechoic irregular mass with indistinct margins, 7 mm in size at the 10 o’clock position on the left breast, 3 cm from the nipple (figure 2). Breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS) category 4. Bilateral mammogram demonstrated a 1.3 cm irregular shaped mass …