cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LT-IIc, A Bacterial Type II Heat-Labile Enterotoxin, Induces Specific Lethality in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells by Modulation of Autophagy and Induction of Apoptosis and Necroptosis.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a serious health problem with poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. To discover novel approaches to treat TNBC, we screened cholera toxin (CT) and the members of the bacterial type II heat-labile enterotoxin family (LT-IIa, LT-IIb, and LT-IIc) for cytotoxicity in TNBC cells. Only LT-IIc significantly reduced viability of the TNBC cell lines BT549 and MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 82.32 nM). LT-IIc had no significant cytotoxic effect on MCF10A (IC50 = 2600 nM), a non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cell line, and minimal effects on MCF7 and T47D, ER+ cells, or SKBR-3 cells, HER2+ cells. LT-IIc stimulated autophagy through inhibition of the mTOR pathway, while simultaneously inhibiting autophagic progression, as seen by accumulation of LC3B-II and p62. Morphologically, LT-IIc induced the formation of enlarged LAMP2+ autolysosomes, which was blocked by co-treatment with bafilomycin A1. LT-IIc induced apoptosis as demonstrated by the increase in caspase 3/7 activity and Annexin V staining. Co-treatment with necrostatin-1, however, demonstrated that the lethal response of LT-IIc is elicited, in part, by concomitant induction of necroptosis. Knockdown of ATG-5 failed to rescue LT-IIc-induced cytotoxicity, suggesting LT-IIc can exert its cytotoxic effects downstream or independently of autophagophore initiation. Collectively, these experiments demonstrate that LT-IIc acts bifunctionally, inducing autophagy, while simultaneously blocking autolysosomal progression in TNBC cells, inducing a specific cytotoxicity in this breast cancer subtype.
Receipt of systemic therapy in older versus younger patients (pts) with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

580Background: More than half of pts diagnosed with mRCC are age 65 or older. However, older pts are often under-accrued/under-represented in clinical trials, partly due to concerns about their abi...
Crafting the Eschaton: The Second Death and the Lake of Fire in Revelation:

The idea of a ‘second death’ (Rev. 2.11; 20.6, 14; 21.8) is found nowhere else in the NT except for Revelation. One of the more striking characteristics of the second death in the Apocalypse is its...
On Identifying Candidates for Drug Repurposing for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis using Gene Expression Data

The notion of repurposing of existing drugs to treat both common and rare diseases has gained traction from both academia and pharmaceutical companies. Given the high attrition rates, massive time, money, and effort of brand-new drug development, the advantages of drug repurposing in terms of lower costs and shorter development time have become more appealing. Computational drug repurposing is promising approach and has shown great potential in tailoring genomic findings to the development of treatments for diseases. However, there are still challenges involved in building a standard computational drug repurposing solution for high-throughput analysis and the implementation to clinical practice. In this study, we applied the computational drug repurposing approaches for Ulcerative Colitis (UC) patients to provide better treatment for this disabling disease. Repositioning drug candidates were identified, and these findings provide a potentially effective therapeutics for the treatment of UC patients. This preliminary computational drug repurposing pipeline will be extended in the near future to help realize the full potential of drug repurposing.
Supracapsular phacoemulsification: Description of the "Garde à vous" technique and comparative clinical results.

Phacoemulsification techniques can be divided into 2 categories: endocapsular and supracapsular techniques. Supracapsular techniques involve phacoemulsification of the nucleus outside and above the capsular plane. The "Garde-a-vous" technique described in this manuscript is a modified and improved version of the supracapsular procedure with up-to-date technology in micro-coaxial surgery. It maintains the known advantages of supracapsular techniques such as faster surgical times and lower rates of capsular tears and brings a standardized technique with well-defined surgical steps in order to achieve tilting of the nucleus in a vertical or oblique position in almost 100% of cases by performing a double-wave hydro-dissection. The authors also give the results of a non-randomized prospective study, comparing the "Garde-a-vous" technique and the standard "cracking" technique in 2856 cases. The results show that for the "Garde-a-vous group", the patients were significantly younger (P<0.001), the power of ultrasound used was greater (P<0.001) for lower UST (ultrasound time or average phacoemulsification time APT) and EPT (effective phacoemulsication time) (P<0.001), the duration of the procedure was shorter (P<0.001), patient discomfort was less (P<0.001), and the power of the implants used was lower (P<0.01). With regard to the gender of the patients, the percentage of topical anesthesia and the rate of intraoperative complications (posterior capsular rupture), there was no statistically significant difference.
Global Adversarial Attacks for Assessing Deep Learning Robustness

It has been shown that deep neural networks (DNNs) may be vulnerable to adversarial attacks, raising the concern on their robustness particularly for safety-critical applications. Recognizing the local nature and limitations of existing adversarial attacks, we present a new type of global adversarial attacks for assessing global DNN robustness. More specifically, we propose a novel concept of global adversarial example pairs in which each pair of two examples are close to each other but have different class labels predicted by the DNN. We further propose two families of global attack methods and show that our methods are able to generate diverse and intriguing adversarial example pairs at locations far from the training or testing data. Moreover, we demonstrate that DNNs hardened using the strong projected gradient descent (PGD) based (local) adversarial training are vulnerable to the proposed global adversarial example pairs, suggesting that global robustness must be considered while training robust deep learning networks.
Parklet: A New Urban Platform for Emergent Forms of Communication and Social Interaction in the Cities

Social interaction is critical to the physical and intellectual well-being of a functioning democracy. The excessive influence of technology and lack of urban design and planning’s attention to pedestrian experience has caused our interactions to become more private, isolated, and mostly virtual. The following project presents the product of a design-build studio which uses adaptive/Kinetic systems to generate a creative solution to this social problem. Specifically, it will showcase the efforts of students working on a Parklet project, repurposing urban space to advance local business ethics and social justice issues. The Parklet replaces a parking space, fostering increases in social connections, public vibrancy, and support for local businesses. To move beyond schematic design, and offer students an experiment in real-world design issues, this studio provided a hands-on atmosphere for collaborative and consensus design experience, learning-by-doing, detailing challenges, and offsite construction strategies. It was structured to promote lessons in collaboration, construction detailing and process, and adaptive design, including working with city officials to meet code and zoning regulations. Since the project’s site is located in a neighboring city, students prefabricated the pieces in school and shipped and assembled them on site in one day. The studio sought to promote CAAD education, teaching design, and construction, but also innovation and entrepreneurship, through computational technology. The pedagogical framework was defined around various considerations such as structural, functional, financial, aesthetical, technological, and collaboration with other disciplines such as structural engineering and construction management
Symmetry energy constraints from GW170817 and laboratory experiments

Abstract The LIGO-Virgo collaboration detection of the binary neutron-star merger event, GW170817, has expanded efforts to understand the Equation of State (EoS) of nuclear matter. These measurements provide new constraints on the overall pressure, but do not elucidate its origins, by not distinguishing the contribution to the pressure from symmetry energy which governs much of the internal structure of a neutron star. By combining the neutron star EoS extracted from the GW170817 event and the EoS of symmetric matter from nucleus-nucleus collision experiments, we extract the symmetry pressure, which is the difference in pressure between neutron and nuclear matter over the density region from 1.2 ρ 0 to 4.5 ρ 0 . While the uncertainties in the symmetry pressure are large, they can be reduced with new experimental and astrophysical results.
Heat transfer and computational fluid dynamics for molten salt reactor technologies

Abstract Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are characterized by the use of a fluoride or chloride salt as coolant. Two major design variants are being considered, characterized by solid or liquid fuel. The solid fuel option (often referred to as fluoride-cooled high-temperature reactors or FHRs) is more similar to other nuclear reactor concepts: salt is used to transfer heat from solid fuel to a secondary loop; fuel is typically made of small particles (i.e., TRISO) dispersed in a graphite matrix to form blocks, pebbles, or plates. In the liquid fuel design, instead, actinides are directly dispersed in the salt that, kept at high temperature (above 500°C), flows in and out of the reactor core. In the core, the salt is heated up by the fission reactions and heat is then transferred to a secondary loop when the fuel salt itself flows through the heat exchangers. Compared to light-water reactors, MSRs are expected be more economical because of higher power conversion efficiency, low-pressure containment, and absence of active safety systems [1].
Language barriers between nurses and patients: A scoping review.

Abstract Objective Global migration and linguistic diversity are at record highs, making healthcare language barriers more prevalent. Nurses, often the first contact with patients in the healthcare system, can improve outcomes including safety and satisfaction through how they manage language barriers. This review aimed to explore how research has examined the nursing workforce with respect to language barriers. Methods A systematic scoping review of the literature was conducted using four databases. An iterative coding approach was used for data analysis. Study quality was appraised using the CASP checklists. Results 48 studies representing 16 countries were included. Diverse healthcare settings were represented, with the inpatient setting most commonly studied. The majority of studies were qualitative. Coding produced 4 themes: (1) Interpreter Use/Misuse, (2) Barriers to and Facilitators of Quality Care, (3) Cultural Competence, and (4) Interventions. Conclusion Generally, nurses noted like experiences and applied similar strategies regardless of setting, country, or language. Language barriers complicated care delivery while increasing stress and workload. Practice Implications This review identified gaps which future research can investigate to better support nurses working through language barriers. Similarly, healthcare and government leaders have opportunities to enact policies which address bilingual proficiency, workload, and interpreter use.
Studies of Electronically Conducting Polymers for Corrosion Inhibition of Aluminum and Steel

Publisher Summary This chapter presents studies of electronically conducting polymers for corrosion inhibition of aluminum and steel. Preliminary results of immersion testing using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical noise methods on conducting polymer-coated steel and aluminum alloys are also presented. The polymers currently under study include an organic soluble polyaniline, a water-soluble polyaniline rendered insoluble through polymer–polymer complex formation, and an organic soluble alkyl-substituted polypyrrole. The metal panels used were cold-rolled steel (Bonderite 1000) and aluminum alloy (7075 T6 and 2024 T3). The organic soluble polyaniline (PANDA, Mw 70,400) was obtained from Monsanto (St. Louis, MO), contained dinonyl naphthalene sulfonic acid (DNSA) as counterion, and was dissolved in xylene. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to investigate the electrochemical response of the Monsanto (PANDA) polyaniline-coated steel (40–50 micron coatings) as a function of immersion time in 3% NaCl. The Nyquist plot in the chapter shows two regions of distinct electrochemical response.
A bounding question for almost flat manifolds

We study bounding question for almost flat manifolds by looking at the equivalent description of them as infranilmanifolds r\L x G/G. We show that infranilmanifolds P\L x G/G bound if L is a 2-step nilpotent group and G is finite cyclic and acts trivially on the center of the nilpotent Lie group L.
A Law Graduate's Guide: Navigating Law School's Hidden Career and Professional-Development Curriculum

Preparing to enter law practice takes learning a lot more than what law students experience in the classroom. This book's premise is that law school has a hidden professional-development curriculum beyond the traditional curriculum. Lawyers serve in many different practice settings doing many different kinds of legal work. Because of the variety of practice settings and legal fields in which lawyers work, law students have an opportunity and obligation to evaluate in law school their best career choices, to learn more about those practice settings outside of the classroom. This book organizes those activities based on the knowledge-skills-ethics construct used in the Carnegie Foundation’s report Educating Lawyers, applying the same explicitly for career and professional-development activities. That design gives this book the comprehensiveness and order that career and professional development warrants. Every law student deserves to find their best career and be as fully prepared for it as possible when they graduate. This book serves that end.
Resveratrol and liver disease: from bench to bedside and community

Liver diseases incorporate several maladies, which can range from benign histological changes to serious life-threatening conditions. These may include inborn metabolic disease, primary and metastatic cancers, alcoholic cirrhosis, viral hepatitis and drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Liver disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality with significant economic and social costs. Several novel approaches are currently being studied which may provide a better therapeutic outcome. The use of naturally occurring phytochemicals, some of them obtained from dietary sources, in the amelioration of illness have recently gained considerable popularity. These agents, having anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, provide a safe and effective means of ameliorating chronic disease. Resveratrol, a grape polyphenol, has shown considerable promise as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of the aforementioned liver ailments. Several studies have highlighted the hepatoprotective properties of resveratrol. Resveratrol has been shown to prevent hepatic damage because of free radicals and inflammatory cytokines, induce anti-oxidant enzymes and elevate glutathione content. Resveratrol has also been shown to modulate varied signal transduction pathways implicated in liver diseases. This review critically examines the current preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies on the preventive and therapeutic effects of resveratrol in liver diseases. The review highlights the pharmacological mechanisms involved in mediating the aforementioned effects. Toxicity, pharmacokinetics and clinical bioavailability of resveratrol are also reviewed in this article. The challenges involved, future directions and novel approaches such as site-specific drug delivery in the use of resveratrol for the prevention and treatment of liver disease are also discussed.
Weighing the Value of Vagueness: An Economic Perspective on Precision in the Law

Economics does not have an epistemology. Actors in an economic model know what they know by assumption. Even when there is uncertainty in the economic world, economic actors are presumed to know precisely the shape of that uncertainty. It might seem, then, that economists would have little to add to our understanding of the philosophical and psychological questions of what makes law sufficiently "definite" to command compliance. Yet, on some reflection and with characteristic hubris, it is possible for an economist to find a contribution to make, largely by exploiting the well-worn economic framework that asks the following: How do different types of legal rules influence behavior? What are the costs and benefits of a particular legal rule or doctrine? Applying this economic framework can shed substantial light on the questions raised by vagueness: How does the precision of law influence behavior? How does it affect the justification for the exercise of legal authority? Insight into these questions comes largely from economics' formalization of the concept of uncertainty. In this Paper I demonstrate how an economic analysis of uncertainty illuminates some of the behavioral assumptions animating vagueness doctrine. I then examine how economics facilitates a systematic exploration of the implicit balancing of costs and benefits inherent in legal decisions applying a vagueness analysis.
Rebuilding Justice: A Review of the Collapse of American Criminal Justice, by William J. Stuntz

America’s criminal justice system has led to extremely high incarceration and crime rates in many poor and working-class neighborhoods. William Stuntz’s final book, The Collapse of American Criminal Justice, suggests ways to improve America’s system of criminal justice. My review compares Stuntz’s view of American criminal justice with the views of empirical social scientists Mark Kleiman and David Kennedy, whose work is used around the country in successful social experiments to reduce crime. Stuntz believed that changes in law and society delegate too much power to prosecutors and not enough to judges, juries, and average citizens. Accordingly, reform in America’s criminal justice system needs to focus on rebuilding the rule of law and local democracy. In contrast, Kennedy and Kleiman believe that criminal justice reform should focus on increasing the swiftness and certainty of punishment. Kennedy and Kleiman’s ideas have been used to combat gang violence, eliminate open-air drug sales, and increase the effectiveness of probation for drug-using probationers. Overall, The Collapse of American Criminal Justice is a well-written, insightful, and important book, but a comparison with the empirical work of Kennedy and Kleiman strongly suggests that several of Stuntz’s recommendations to improve American criminal justice are impractical or unwise. Reforms in policing and probation are likely to be more successful than Stuntz’s proposed changes to criminal law and procedure.
Electron impact excitation cross sections of N2

Differential cross sections (DCSs) are presented for electron impact excitation of the C3Πu, E3Σ+g, and a'' 1Σ+g states in N2 from the ground state. Vibrationally-resolved DCSs are also presented for excitation of the C 3Πν (ν') state, where ν' = 0–4. The DCSs were obtained from measurements of energy-loss spectra in the region of 10.75 eV to 12.75 eV measured at numerous incident energies between 13 eV and 100 eV, and for scattering angles ranging from 5° to 130°. Relative excitation probabilities for the vibrational levels of the C 3Πu state are shown to demonstrate non-Franck-Condon behavior for excitation energies less than approximately 50 eV. Integral cross sections are also presented for these excitation processes. These results are compared with existing measurements.
Modulation of major histocompatibility complex class 1 genes in human retinoblastoma cells by interferons.

Purpose To examine the mechanism(s) of interferon (IFN) induced expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class 1 molecules on the human retinoblastoma cell line, Y-79. Methods Y-79 cells were incubated in the presence of IFN-alpha, -beta, and -gamma. Y-79 cell expression of MHC class 1 molecules was measured by flow cytometric analysis. HLA-B7 and oncogene transcription were evaluated by Northern blot analysis and nuclear runoff transcription assays. Results IFN-gamma increased MHC-class 1 antigen expression and induced a fivefold increase in its transcription rate. Posttranscriptionally, IFN-beta and -gamma increased steady state messenger RNA for the HLA-B7 gene. These effects were not associated with down regulation of N-myc oncogene nuclear transcription. Moreover, dexamethasone did not affect the IFN-gamma induced expression of MHC-class 1 molecules. Conclusions Both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms are implicated in the modulation of class 1 molecule expression by IFN. In addition, this modulation is not associated with down regulation of N-myc oncogene expression. Spontaneous or IFN-gamma induced MHC class 1 antigen expression in retinoblastoma Y-79 cells is resistant to glucocorticoid hormones.
Forelimb to Hindlimb Shape Covariance in Extant Hominoids and Fossil Hominins

Researchers often attempt to use limb proportions to ascertain the locomotor repertoires of fossil hominins. This can be problematic as there are few skeletons in the fossil record that preserve both a full forelimb and hindlimb; therefore, estimates of full limb lengths are typically associated with substantial error. In this study, two-block partial least squares analyses were used to examine covariation between forelimb and hindlimb elements in extant hominoids and fossil hominins. This has the benefit of including both forelimb and hindlimb in a type of functional analysis without necessitating an accurate length estimate. There is a high degree of covariation between forelimb and hindlimb segments in the mixed species sample, particularly in the proximal ulna, distal humerus, and proximal/distal femur and that shape covariation is significantly correlated with intermembral indices in the extant taxa. Overall, the fossil hominins most closely resembled modern humans with the exception of analyses utilizing the distal femur where some occupied a unique morphological position; thus, some fossil hominins likely possessed locomotor capabilities similar to modern humans, whereas others likely represent a unique morphological compromise between terrestrial bipedality and other positional behaviors not present among extant hominoids. Anat Rec, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events

Maulik PK, Eaton WW, Bradshaw CP. The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events. Objective: This study examined the association between life events and common mental disorders while accounting for social networks and social supports. Method: Participants included 1920 adults in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Cohort who were interviewed in 1993–1996, of whom 1071 were re-interviewed in 2004–2005. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. Results: Social support from friends, spouse or relatives was associated with significantly reduced odds of panic disorder and psychological distress, after experiencing specific life events. Social networks or social support had no significant stress-buffering effect. Social networks and social support had almost no direct or buffering effect on major depressive disorder, and no effect on generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse or dependence disorder. Conclusion: The significant association between social support and psychological distress, rather than diagnosable mental disorders, highlights the importance of social support, especially when the severity of a mental health related problem is low.
HIV-1 Escape From Small Molecule CCR5 Inhibitors In Vitro

We have generated HIV-1 isolates that are resistant to several small molecule CCR5 inhibitors by serial passage in vitro. We have investigated the molecular basis of this resistance through genetic and phenotypic studies. We find that different genetic pathways leading to small molecule inhibitor resistance can be taken by the same starting virus. Additionally, these viruses can exhibit different levels of cross resistance to RANTES derivatives. These studies provide insight into potential mechanisms of CCR5 inhibitor resistance. from 2005 International Meeting of The Institute of Human Virology Baltimore, USA, 29 August – 2 September 2005
Dosing study of remifentanil and propofol for tracheal intubation without the use of muscle relaxants

Sixty ASA I and II patients, premedicated with midazolam, were administered propofol 2 mg.kg−1 and remifentanil 3 μg.kg−1 (group R3), remifentanil 4 μg.kg−1 (group R4) and remifentanil 5 μg.kg−1 (group R5). Laryngoscopy and intubation were performed 1 min after the administration of the study drugs and the intubating conditions were assessed. Good to excellent conditions were observed in 12 patients in group R3 compared with 19 patients each in groups R4 and R5 (p = 0.004). Significant reductions in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) after administration of the study drug were observed in each group, p < 0.01. There was, however, no difference in mean MAP and HR between the three groups at all time points. We conclude that remifentanil 4–5 μg.kg−1 may reliably provide good to excellent conditions for tracheal intubation when administered after propofol 2 mg.kg−1.
Eclecticism and Integration: A Personal Retrospective View

As indicated in the title, this article presents a personal retrospective account of the development of the author's eclectic and integrative views of psychotherapy. Although this period covers more than 50 years, I have tried my best to recall events as accurately as possible.
Gas Flows with Several Thermal Nonequilibrium Modes

We study gas flows with any finite number of thermal nonequilibrium modes. The equations describing such flows are a hyperbolic system with several relaxation equations. An important feature is entropy increase dictated by physics for any irreversible process. Under physical assumptions we obtain properties of thermodynamic variables relevant to stability. By the energy method we prove global existence and uniqueness for the Cauchy problem when the initial data are small perturbations of constant equilibrium states. We give a precise formulation of the fundamental solution for the linearized system, and use it to obtain large time behavior of solutions to the nonlinear system. In particular, we show that the entropy increases but stays bounded. The resulting asymptotic picture of nonequilibrium flows is in a pointwise sense both in space and in time.
Curcumin and Vitamin E Protect against Adverse Effects of Benzo[a]pyrene in Lung Epithelial Cells

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a well-known environmental carcinogen, promotes oxidative stress and DNA damage. Curcumin and vitamin E (VE) have potent antioxidative activity that protects cells from oxidative stress and cellular damage. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the adverse effects of BaP on normal human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B), the potential protective effects of curcumin and VE against BaP-induced cellular damage, and the molecular mechanisms of action. MTT assay, flow cytometry, fluorescence microplate assay, HPLC, qRT-PCR, and western blot were performed to analyze cytotoxicity, cell cycle, reactive oxygen species (ROS), BaP diol-epoxidation (BPDE)-DNA adducts, gene expression, and protein expression, respectively. Curcumin or VE prevented cells from BaP-induced cell cycle arrest and growth inhibition, significantly suppressed BaP-induced ROS levels, and decreased BPDE-DNA adducts. While CYP1A1 and 1B1 were induced by BaP, these inductions were not significantly reduced by curcumin or VE. Moreover, the level of activated p53 and PARP-1 were significantly induced by BaP, whereas this induction was markedly reduced after curcumin and VE co-treatment. Survivin was significantly down-regulated by BaP, and curcumin significantly restored survivin expression in BaP-exposed cells. The ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 was also significantly increased in cells exposed to BaP and this increase was reversed by VE co-treatment. Taken together, BaP-induced cytotoxicity occurs through DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, ROS production, modulation of metabolizing enzymes, and the expression/activation of p53, PARP-1, survivin, and Bax/Bcl-2. Curcumin and VE could reverse some of these BaP-mediated alterations and therefore be effective natural compounds against the adverse effects of BaP in lung cells.
A potassium channel gene is expressed at neural induction

Abstract Voltage-dependent potassium currents exhibit specific time tables of functional differentiation and regulate the development of action potentials in amphibian spinal neurons. A Xenopus nucleotide sequence (XSha2) encoding a potassium current has been isolated by homology screening with the Drosophila Shaker gene. Functional expression in oocytes identifies it as a delayed rectifier. Southern analysis suggests that XSha2 is a member of a family of highly. related genes. XSha2 is expressed in the nervous system but is not detectable in skeletal muscle. Transcripts are apparent at the neural fold stage, and subsequent levels parallel those of the neural marker N-CAM. Thus molecular events required for the establishment of electrical excitability in the vertebrate embryo occur early during neurogenesis.
Confinement-induced enhancement of hole mobility in MEH-PPV

Abstract Template wetting nanofabrication was used to create high-aspect-ratio, nanotubular structures from the semiconducting polymer poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene). Carrier transport in these nanostructures was determined to be space-charge-limited and thermally activated, with low-field mobilities shown to up to three be orders of magnitude higher than those typically reported for thin-films of the same material. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy showed a 0.3–0.6 eV reduction in the leading-edge absorption energy of polymer nanotubular structures compared to thin-films or solutions. Photovoltaic devices constructed from the nanotubes demonstrated photovoltaic fill factors superior to those measured in similarly constructed thin-film devices. These results are indicative of a confinement-induced ordering present in the nanotubular material.
Significance tests for functional data with complex dependence structure.

Abstract We propose an L 2 -norm based global testing procedure for the null hypothesis that multiple group mean functions are equal, for functional data with complex dependence structure. Specifically, we consider the setting of functional data with a multilevel structure of the form groups–clusters or subjects–units, where the unit-level profiles are spatially correlated within the cluster, and the cluster-level data are independent. Orthogonal series expansions are used to approximate the group mean functions and the test statistic is estimated using the basis coefficients. The asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic is developed, under mild regularity conditions. To our knowledge this is the first work that studies hypothesis testing, when data have such complex multilevel functional and spatial structure. Two small-sample alternatives, including a novel block bootstrap for functional data, are proposed, and their performance is examined in simulation studies. The paper concludes with an illustration of a motivating experiment.
The constraints of colour: popular music listening and the interrogation of ‘race’ in post-apartheid South Africa

In post-apartheid popular culture, there is a tension between the persistence of ‘race’ as a structural category of difference, and its transformation in the lives of young South Africans. In this paper, through the examination of case-studies, I explore how popular music may allow for the mediation of this tension. Drawing on Heidegger's notion of an ‘equipmental whole’ to conceptualise ‘race’, I discuss the specific ways in which individuals may come to an awareness of the potential fluidity of racial identities, and the role of music-listening practices in this process. I argue that reflecting on articulations between music and racial categories allowed listeners to critique understandings of ‘race’ underpinning post-apartheid political discourse. Such a critique enabled listeners either instrumentally to affirm a reconfigured understanding of a racial identity, or to reject ‘race’ as a meaningful category of difference altogether.
Born Again in Balaka: Pentecostal versus Catholic Narratives of Religious Transformation in Rural Malawi

Pentecostal membership and born-again conversion have been growing in popularity across Africa. Yet despite the many explanations posited for their growth, few studies have attended to the local meanings attached to the born-again identity specifically. In this study, I compare narratives of born-again conversion among a sample of Pentecostal and Catholic young people in Malawi, in order to better understand its meaning and appeal as a religious identity. I argue that the born- again identity is highly salient for those who claim it; and that although its roots are in Pentecostalism, it has diffused widely into other denominations. I also argue that for these young people, it is described not primarily as a conversion of belief but as a conversion to a new moral lifestyle; and that the major difference between Pentecostals and Catholics is in their expressed sense of the attainability of this conversion, not of its desirability. The connection between the born-again lifestyle and the impact of modernity in the development context is also explored. Key words: Pentecostalism; Catholicism; Sub-Saharan Africa; youth; conversion.
Stage‐dependent effects of 20‐hydroxyecdysone on DNA synthesis of corpus allatum cells in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

DNA synthesis in cells of the corpus allata (CA) of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was studied immunocytochemically after in vivo labeling with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU); developmental changes during the 3rd, 4th, and last larval instars and effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone treatment were examined. During both the 3rd and 4th larval instars, the number of DNA-synthesizing cells fluctuated, and relatively low levels were observed during the middle stages. On day 0 of the last larval instar, the number of DNA-synthesizing cells per gland was 9.2, which then increased on day 1 and remained at levels ranging from 12.9 and 16.9 cells per gland. A major peak level (28 BrdU-labeled cells per gland) occurred on day 8, two days after larvae entered the wandering stage. When last instar larvae were fed 20-hydroxyecdysone-supplemented mulberry leaves starting on day 0 or 1, the number of DNA-synthesizing cells dramatically decreased to very low levels and these low levels were maintained throughout the remainder of the instar. However, no effect was observed when last instar larvae were fed 20-hydroxyecdysone-supplemented mulberry leaves starting on day 3, indicating the stage-specific action of 20-hydroxyecdysone. The mechanism by which 20-hydroxyecdysone treatment inhibits DNA synthesis of CA cells was further examined by using continuous in vitro BrdU labeling for a 2-day incubation. It was found that the decrease in responsiveness of DNA synthesis of CA cells of 20-hydroxyecdysone-treated larvae to stimu-lation by growth factors from hemolymph may have been, at least in part, responsible for the indirect inhibitory effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone. J. Exp. Zool. 297A:138–146, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
STUDIES ON SOUTH AMERICAN YELLOW FEVER : I. THE STRAINS OF VIRUS IN USE AT THE YELLOW FEVER LABORATORY IN BAHIA, BRAZIL.

It would appear that inoculation of rhesus monkeys served a diagnostic purpose in one of our cases, that of S. R. The disease was so mild that in the absence of an epidemic no clinician would have made the diagnosis without this laboratory procedure. It should be pointed out that following inoculation of liver emulsion, and sometimes even of blood, it is impossible to tell whether an early fever resulting is due to a protein reaction, to bacterial infection, or to true yellow fever. If plenty of animals are available the only safe plan is to take blood for subinoculation and for cultures, and to feed mosquitoes. Blood may be kept frozen for some time before inoculation if it is found to be necessary, or if it is desired to await the outcome of the disease in the animal bled. A combined blood and liver transfer showed the presence of virus in rhesus No. 46 twenty days after the original inoculation with kidney from the autopsy in the case of J. V. 0. The same animal had had an infected body wall and a bacteriemia. On the basis of later experience we can see some of our mistakes. In the second S. R. passage (rhesus No. 133) blood transfer should have been made at the time of initial fever, the day following inoculation. In the case of rhesus No. 60, mosquito infection from J. V. 0., transfer probably should have been made when the temperature reached 103.9°F. on the fifth day. Two days later, with a fever of 104.4°F., the blood appeared to be non-infective. A temperature of 104°F. in monkeys is usually a safe borderline between fever and no fever, but seemingly not always. Our experience with the South American viruses so far indicates that it takes much care, patience, and an abundance of monkeys to build up and maintain a high degree of virulence.
Disruption of Purkinje cell function prior to huntingtin accumulation and cell loss in an animal model of Huntington Disease

Huntington Disease (HD) is a devastating neurological disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of psychiatric, motor, and cognitive function. Purkinje cells (PCs), the output neurons of the cerebellar cortex, have been found to be vulnerable in multiple CAG repeat disorders, but little is known about the involvement of PC dysfunction in HD. To investigate possible PC abnormalities, we performed quantitative real time PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry experiments to explore the changes in PC markers in the R6/2 mouse model of severe HD. There were reductions in the transcript and protein levels of the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin and calbindin, as well as the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase 67. Immunohistochemistry supported these results, with the most substantial changes occurring in the PC layer. To determine whether the reductions in PC marker expression were due to cell loss, we performed stereology on both presymptomatic and end-stage R6/2 mice. Stereological counts indicated a significant reduction in PC number by end-stage but no change in presymptomatic animals (4 weeks of age). To assess cellular function prior to cell loss and symptom onset, we measured spontaneous firing in PCs from 4-week old animals and found a striking deficit in PC firing as indicated by a 57% decrease in spike rate. Interestingly, huntingtin inclusions were not widely observed in PCs until 12 weeks of age, indicating that soluble huntingtin and/or abnormalities in other cell types may contribute to PC dysfunction. Considering the roles for PCs in motor control, these data suggest that early PC dysfunction potentially contributes to motor impairment in this model of HD.
Quantitative measurement of texture orientation in biomedical images using an artificial neural network

Texture orientation is one of the most important attributes used in biomedical and clinical image interpretation. It provides critical clues of continuity and connectivity useful in relating adjacent image areas. We report a novel approach in which image data are convolved with directional convolution masks and the results are used as input to an artificial neural network for classification of image areas into a number of discrete texture orientation classes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 9, 351–355, 1998
Correlation of magnetotelluric data and geothermal drilling in the Valles Caldera region, New Mexico

The Jemez volcanic field in northern New Mexico is a natural laboratory to study the magnetotelluric (MT) response of sharply-varying, subsurface temperatures across a continental magmatic system. Over 60 geothermal wells provide unusually complete subsurface temperature data. Deep boreholes document that the 300°C isotherm occurs at only 2.0 to 4.5 km depth across the western margin of the Valles caldera. Precambrian basement is found at these depths and is highly resistive (>1000 ohm-m) outside the caldera. Within the caldera the effects of hot water and alteration products reduce the basement resistivity to less than 100 ohm-m. Inversion of MT data collected by Unocal Geothermal Division and SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) yield excellent correlation with borehole results in the upper 5 km. Inversion also maps a deeper (>10 km), uppercrustal conductive zone whose geometry closely matches the pattern of isotherms projected from the boreholes. A mechanism that can explain this deep conductive occurrence is intergranular (not fracture controlled) aqueous fluid connectivity at porosities of less than 1%.
Use of the biological stimulus in determining parameters of drug action, and its relationship to the drug effect: a contribution to the theory of drug action.

Abstract Drug action is considered a function of the biological stimulus, which in turn is proportional to the receptor occupancy; but the nature of the functional relationship is unknown, as is also the magnitude of the drug-receptor affinity and of the efficacy (the proportionality constant of the stimulus-occupancy relationship). Methods exist to determine the receptor affinity of (a) a drug of high efficacy provided it is possible to block part of the receptor irreversibly, or (b) a drug of low efficacy provided it can be observed together with a drug of high efficacy acting on the same receptor. The former method is generally accepted, the latter is shown to rest on a questionable simplification. An improvement of method (b) is presented which avoids all simplifying assumptions: making use of the affinity constant of the high-efficacy drug determined by method (a), and of the thesis that identical biological stimuli correspond to identical effects, it is shown that the equations of theoretical pharmacology yield the affinity constant of the low-efficacy drug. A more general version of the method allows to calculate the affinity constants of any two drugs acting on the same receptor, without previous knowledge of anything but the dose-response curves of the two drugs. In both cases, the relative efficacies of the two drugs can also be calculated and so can the stimuli corresponding to each drug concentration, so that it is possible to find empirically the nature of the functional relationship between the calculated stimulus and the observed drug effect.
Comparative survival of bay scallops in eelgrass and the introduced alga, Codium fragile , in a New York estuary

Eelgrass, Zostera marina, is generally regarded as the preferred habitat of bay scallops, but in some cases scallop populations have persisted or increased in areas lacking eelgrass. This suggests that some other substrate(s) may serve important ecological functions for bay scallops. One candidate is Codium fragile, a macroalgal species with which bay scallops are known to associate and in which we commonly find juvenile and adult bay scallops in eastern Long Island, New York. In this study, we examined whether survival of planted bay scallops differed in Codium, eelgrass, and Codium + eelgrass substrates at two sites during August and October of 2 years. Survival of tethered scallops and recoveries of live free-planted individuals varied with scallop size, planting season and year, but no differences were observed between the three substrates for a given scallop size and planting date. Crab (particularly Dyspanopeussayi) and whelk predation were implicated as important causes of tethered scallop mortalities while emigration and removal by predators likely contributed to scallop losses. Densities of naturally recruited 0+ years scallops recovered by visual and suction dredge sampling were similar in the eelgrass and Codium substrates. While our results suggest that Codium may offer some degree of predation refuge for bay scallops, further work needs to weigh the potential disadvantages of this substrate (such as low DO levels, potential attachment and transport of scallops, and differences in current flow, food availability and sedimentation relative to eelgrass) to determine if Codium may serve as a valuable habitat for bay scallops throughout their lifespan.
Direct bone formation during distraction osteogenesis does not require TNFα receptors and elevated serum TNFα fails to inhibit bone formation in TNFR1 deficient mice

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a process which induces direct new bone formation as a result of mechanical distraction. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is a cytokine that can modulate osteoblastogenesis. The direct effects of TNF on direct bone formation in rodents are hypothetically mediated through TNF receptor 1 and/or 2 (TNFR1/2) signaling. We utilized a unique model of mouse DO to assess the effects of 1) TNFR homozygous null gene alterations on direct bone formation and 2) rmTNF on wild type (WT), TNFR1(-/-) (R1KO), and TNR2(-/-) (R2KO) mice. Radiological and histological analyses of direct bone formation in the distraction gaps demonstrated no significant differences between the WT, R1KO, R2KO, or TNFR1(-/-) and R2(-/-) (R1 and 2KO) mice. R1 and 2KO mice had elevated levels of serum TNF but demonstrated no inhibition of new bone formation. Systemic administration by osmotic pump of rmTNF during DO (10 microg/kg/day) resulted in significant inhibition of gap bone formation measures in WT and R2KO mice, but not in R1KO mice. We conclude that exogenous rmTNF and/or endogenous TNF act to inhibit new bone formation during DO by signaling primarily through TNFR1.
Counselling Asian smokers: Key considerations for a telephone intervention

Detailed descriptions of effective intervention protocols for Asian smokers are uncommon which makes it difficult for others to successfully implement a protocol that has been proven to be effective. This article fills a gap by detailing such a protocol, specifically a telephone counselling intervention for Asian smokers. The protocol was tested in a large randomised trial with Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-speaking smokers and was shown to significantly increase quit rates. The article describes the approach used to develop the protocol and critical components of the intervention. In addition, the paper compares data on programme participation and satisfaction among Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-speaking smokers with those for English- and Spanish-speaking smokers from two studies conducted in the US and shows that the former are no less likely to engage in counselling and no less likely to be satisfied with the process.
Cooling Rate Studies in Aluminum Counter Gravity Lost Foam Casting

In this paper we present the results of the experimental study of the liquid metal front dynamics during the gravity pouring and the vacuum assisted counter-gravity lost foam casting techniques. The cooling rates of the castings produced by both techniques are compared.© 2002 ASME