cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1251: Expression of NADPH oxidase 5 (Nox5) modulates cellular morphology, proliferation and invasiveness of human melanoma UACC-257 cells

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA NADPH oxidase 5 (Nox5), one of the seven members of the NADPH oxidase gene family that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), has been implicated in physiological and pathophysiological processes. Recently, we have reported substantial overexpression of Nox5 in several human cancers including those of prostate, ovary and melanomas; expression in most non-malignant tissues was weak to modest. Despite being upregulated in many human cancers and implicated in promoting cell proliferation, the molecular mechanisms regulated by Nox5 are poorly understood. In this study, the functional significance of Nox5 was assessed in human UACC-257 melanoma cells by generating stable Nox5-overexpressing clones and knockdown clones. Overexpression of Nox5 in UACC-257 cells resulted in enhanced cell growth, increased BrdU positive cells and decreased phosphatase activity. Additionally, these cells had increased normoxic Hif-1α expression and decreased p27Kip1 expression. Conversely, knockdown of endogenous Nox5 in UACC-257 cells resulted in decreased cell growth, decreased BrdU positive cells, decreased Hif-1α expression and increased p27Kip1 expression. Cadherin switch, loss of E-cadherin expression and upregulation of N-cadherin was observed in Nox5 overexpressing cells indicative of an invasive phenotype; conversely, an upregulation of E-cadherin expression in Nox5 knockdown cells was noted. Cell invasion assay through matrigel-coated membranes also demonstrated enhanced invasion by Nox5 overexpressing cells. Additionally, 3D cultures of Nox5 overexpressing cells exhibit an amoeboid morphology compared to that of the Nox5 knockdown cells that were mesenchymal, suggestive of an amoeboid - mesenchymal (AMT) transition. Strikingly, cells that overexpress Nox5 were able to proliferate in serum-free conditions for over a month. In summary, our findings suggest that Nox5 expression in human melanoma UACC-257 cells could contribute to cell proliferation, invasion, amoeboid morphology, and the ability to grow in the absence of serum or growth factors in part due to the generation of high local concentrations of extracellular ROS that modulate multiple signaling networks that regulate Hif-1α, p27Kip1, and the cadherin switch. Citation Format: Smitha Antony, Yongzhong Wu, Guojian Jiang, Jennifer L. Meitzler, Han Liu, Agnes Juhasz, Jiamo Lu, Miriam R. Anver, Krishnendu K. Roy, James H. Doroshow. Expression of NADPH oxidase 5 (Nox5) modulates cellular morphology, proliferation and invasiveness of human melanoma UACC-257 cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1251. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1251
Lateral and flexural phonon thermal transport in graphene and stanene bilayers

Stanene, a low thermal conductivity two-dimensional (2D) sheet composed of group-IV element Sn, is a prototype material with novel properties such as 2D topological insulating behavior and near-room-temperature quantum Hall effects. Monolayer graphene, on the other hand, possesses unusual thermal properties, but has a zero bandgap. By stacking stanene and graphene monolayers vertically into a hetero-bilayer, an indirect bandgap can be obtained, making the hetero-bilayer a good candidate for special applications. In this work, the in-plane thermal conductivity (κ) and out-of-plane interfacial thermal resistance (R) in the hetero-bilayer are systematically investigated using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics and transient pump-probe methods. Effects of dimension, system temperature and van der Waals coupling strength on the thermal properties are examined. The predicted in-plane thermal conductivity of the graphene/stanene hetero-bilayer is 311.1 W m-1 K-1, higher than most 2D materials such as phosphorene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), MoS2 and MoSe2. Phonon power spectra are recorded for graphene and stanene individually to help the explanation of their κ difference. The inter-layer thermal resistance between graphene and stanene hetero-bilayers is predicted to be 2.13 × 10-7 K m2 W-1, which is on the same order of magnitude as several other 2D bilayer structures.
MR image-guided delivery of cisplatin-loaded brain-penetrating nanoparticles to invasive glioma with focused ultrasound

Systemically administered chemotherapeutic drugs are often ineffective in the treatment of invasive brain tumors due to poor therapeutic index. Within gliomas, despite the presence of heterogeneously leaky microvessels, dense extracellular matrix and high interstitial pressure generate a "blood-tumor barrier" (BTB), which inhibits drug delivery and distribution. Meanwhile, beyond the contrast MRI-enhancing edge of the tumor, invasive cancer cells are protected by the intact blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here, we tested whether brain-penetrating nanoparticles (BPN) that possess dense surface coatings of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and are loaded with cisplatin (CDDP) could be delivered across both the blood-tumor and blood-brain barriers with MR image-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), and whether this treatment could control glioma growth and invasiveness. To this end, we first established that MRgFUS is capable of significantly enhancing the delivery of ~60nm fluorescent tracer BPN across the blood-tumor barrier in both the 9L (6-fold improvement) gliosarcoma and invasive F98 (28-fold improvement) glioma models. Importantly, BPN delivery across the intact BBB, just beyond the tumor edge, was also markedly increased in both tumor models. We then showed that a CDDP loaded BPN formulation (CDDP-BPN), composed of a blend of polyaspartic acid (PAA) and heavily PEGylated polyaspartic acid (PAA-PEG), was highly stable, provided extended drug release, and was effective against F98 cells in vitro. These CDDP-BPN were delivered from the systemic circulation into orthotopic F98 gliomas using MRgFUS, where they elicited a significant reduction in tumor invasiveness and growth, as well as improved animal survival. We conclude that this therapy may offer a powerful new approach for the treatment invasive gliomas, particularly for preventing and controlling recurrence.
Dynamic PET Image reconstruction for parametric imaging using the HYPR kernel method

Dynamic PET image reconstruction is a challenging problem because of the ill-conditioned nature of PET and the lowcounting statistics resulted from short time-frames in dynamic imaging. The kernel method for image reconstruction has been developed to improve image reconstruction of low-count PET data by incorporating prior information derived from high-count composite data. In contrast to most of the existing regularization-based methods, the kernel method embeds image prior information in the forward projection model and does not require an explicit regularization term in the reconstruction formula. Inspired by the existing highly constrained back-projection (HYPR) algorithm for dynamic PET image denoising, we propose in this work a new type of kernel that is simpler to implement and further improves the kernel-based dynamic PET image reconstruction. Our evaluation study using a physical phantom scan with synthetic FDG tracer kinetics has demonstrated that the new HYPR kernel-based reconstruction can achieve a better region-of-interest (ROI) bias versus standard deviation trade-off for dynamic PET parametric imaging than the post-reconstruction HYPR denoising method and the previously used nonlocal-means kernel.
The Role of Strain in the Homoaromatization of Semibullvalenes

The low activation barrier to the Cope rearrangement of semibullvalenes has been attributed to the inherent ring-strain of this nucleus. Appropriate, Dewar–Hoffmann, substitution of semibullvalene results in the stabilization of the transition state and a further lowering of the Cope barrier. An alternative proposal for lowering/eliminating this barrier is the use of strain to destabilize the localized semibullvalene. Using density functional and Hartree–Fock calculations, we predict that additionally straining the semibullvalene nucleus, by small ring annelations, will lead to a lowering of the Cope barrier and ultimately to ground state neutral homoaromatics.
Which patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease should undergo liver biopsy

Patients should undergo biopsy to guide management and prognosis if suspected of having steatohepatitis or fibrosis.
The Macro-Informational Role of Derivatives: Evidence from the Sovereign CDS Market

The sovereign CDS market can predict future stock index returns, government bond yields, as well as real economic activities such as GDP growth and PMI across countries. A strategy that buys stock indices of countries in the top quintile (whose creditworthiness improved the most in the previous quarter according to sovereign CDSs) and sells indices from the bottom quintile generates an average return of 15% per year. The sovereign CDS market contains information on the creditworthiness of the underlying countries. Stock and bond markets gradually catch up with that information, especially during the days with credit rating outlook changes.
Proliferating Platforms, the Logical Layer, and the Normative Language Gap

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the implications for the creative process of digital platforms such as BitStrips, which are “simultaneously … cultural product and raw material offering [designers] new opportunities for cultural production.” While many commonly used platforms merely allow for the sharing of preexisting content, numerous emerging platforms are also means of creative expression. Designers and design educators must pay attention to the ways in which intellectual property law and contract law grant the owners of such platforms the right to control creativity. The authors therefore call on designers and artists to use their talents to create tangible critiques of the systems and assumptions that undergird intellectual property legislation and private ordering mechanisms (such as license agreements) in order to make their voices heard, provoke discussion, and resist marginalization, and to ensure that the value of future creativity is not so narrowly defined as to accrue only to those in control ...
Uncertainties and applications of satellite-derived coastal water quality products

Abstract Recent and forthcoming launches of a plethora of ocean color radiometry sensors, coupled with increasingly adopted free and open data policies are expected to boost usage of satellite ocean color data and drive the demand to use these data in a quantitative and routine manner. Here we review factors that introduce uncertainties to various satellite-derived water quality products and recommend approaches to minimize the uncertainty of a specific product. We show that the regression relationships between remote-sensing reflectance and water turbidity (in terms of nephelometric units) established for different regions tend to converge and therefore it is plausible to develop a global satellite water turbidity product derived using a single algorithm. In contrast, solutions to derive suspended particulate matter concentration are much less generalizable; in one case it might be more accurate to estimate this parameter based on satellite-derived particulate backscattering coefficient, whereas in another the nonagal particulate absorption coefficient might be a better proxy. Regarding satellite-derived chlorophyll concentration, known to be subject to large uncertainties in coastal waters, studies summarized here clearly indicate that the accuracy of classical reflectance band-ratio algorithms depends largely on the contribution of phytoplankton to total light absorption coefficient as well as the degree of correlation between phytoplankton and the dominant nonalgal contributions. Our review also indicates that currently available satellite-derived water quality products are restricted to optically significant materials, whereas many users are interested in toxins, nutrients, pollutants, and pathogens. Presently, proxies or indicators for these constituents are inconsistently (and often incorrectly) developed and applied. Progress in this general direction will remain slow unless, (i) optical oceanographers and environmental scientists start collaborating more closely and make optical and environmental measurements in parallel, (ii) more efforts are devoted to identifying optical, ecological, and environmental forerunners of autochthonous water quality issues (e.g., onsite growth of pathogens), and, (iii) environmental processes associated with the source, transport, and transformation of allochthonous issues (e.g., transport of nutrients) are better understood. Accompanying these challenges, the need still exists to conduct fundamental research in satellite ocean color radiometry, including development of more robust atmospheric correction methods as well as inverse models for coastal regions where optical properties of both aerosols and hydrosols are complex.
Tocqueville’s Moderate Penal Activity

As part of its political purpose, On the Penitentiary System teaches us the importance of moderate political action for resolving problems that emerge within constitutional liberal nations. Ferkaluk argues that Tocqueville sought to temper French fears of recidivism by rejecting an easy but risky solution modeled after Britain’s penal colonies. Instead, Tocqueville attempts to persuade the French to adopt penitentiary systems modeled after American institutions because they promote a balance between centralized and decentralized administrative power. In both arguments, Tocqueville teaches the French public how to be moderate in penal reform to obtain justice for the criminal and to avoid a reputation for injustice garnered by imperial actions.
Technique for Measuring AC Losses in Thin-Film Superconductors

An electrical ac loss measurement system has been developed for rapid and accurate measurement of flux motion and ac loss from 4.2 to 20 K in small tubular superconductors. In principle the measurement is similar to those of Buchhold[1], Easson and Hlawiczka [2], Campbell [3] and others, although several novel features are incorporated to improve the resolution, provide versatile temperature control, eliminate phase ambiguity of inductive cancellation, and allow rapid data reduction.
HIV-1 Genotyping and Virtual Phenotyping

Drug resistance testing is recommended for the management of patients with HIV-1 infection. Celera ViroSeq™ HIV-1 Genotyping System is the most widely used genotypic HIV drug resistance testing. The assay produces 1,302 nucleotide sequences comprising codons 1–99 of the protease gene and 1–335 of the reverse transcriptase gene. Genotyping result is linked to an interpretive algorithm, for example, Virco® TYPE HIV-1 to generate drug resistance profile.
EE-IoT: An Energy-Efficient IoT Communication Scheme for WLANs

While Narrow-Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) has been standardized by 3GPP to provide wireless Internet access for IoT devices, this service is expected to come with a monthly fee (e.g., $1 or $2 per month per device). As the number of IoT devices tends to be large, the service charge will impose a considerable financial burden on the end users. In this paper, we propose an Energy-Efficient IoT (EE-IoT) communication scheme by taking advantage of the existing WiFi infrastructure that is widely available in home, office, campus, and city environments. EE-IoT will not only avoid monthly service charge for the end users but also maintain a low power consumption for IoT devices. The key component of EE-IoT is an asymmetric physical (PHY) design, which enables an OFDM-based broadband AP to communicate with multiple QAM-based narrowband IoT devices at a low sampling rate (250 ksps) in both uplink and downlink. The trick in our design is that, instead of using the same carrier frequency as the AP, each IoT device tunes its carrier frequency to a particular subcarrier of the AP’s OFDM signal, making it possible to encode/decode the data on that subcarrier at a low sampling rate. Based on this new PHY, we propose a MAC protocol to enable EE-IoT in WLANs. We have built a prototype of EE-IoT on a USRP2 wireless testbed and evaluated its performance in an office building environment. Experimental results show that an AP can serve 24 IoT devices simultaneously and each IoT device can achieve more than 187 kbps in the downlink and more than 125 kbps in the uplink.
Ultrasonic Generation of Pulsatile and Sequential Therapeutic Delivery Profiles from Calcium-Crosslinked Alginate Hydrogels

Control over of biological processes can potentially be therapeutically regulated through localized biomolecular deliveries. While implantable hydrogels can provide localized therapeutic deliveries, they do not traditionally provide the temporally complex therapeutic delivery profiles required to regulate complex biological processes. Ionically crosslinked alginate hydrogels have been shown to release encapsulated payloads in response to a remotely applied ultrasonic stimulus, thus potentially enabling more temporally complex therapeutic delivery profiles. However, thorough characterizations of how different types of therapeutic payloads are retained and ultrasonically released need to be performed. Additionally, the impact of potentially disruptive ultrasonic stimulations on hydrogel structure and temperature need to be characterized to better understand what range of ultrasonic signals can be used to trigger release. To perform these characterizations, calcium-crosslinked alginate hydrogels were loaded with various model macromolecules (dextrans), chemotherapeutics, and protein signaling factors and exposed to a variety of single-pulse and multi-pulse ultrasonic signals at various amplitudes and durations. In response to single-pulsed ultrasonic exposures, quantifications of molecular release, degree of gel erosion, and increase in hydrogel temperature revealed that the ultrasonic stimulations required for statistically significant therapeutic deliveries often eroded and heated the gels to unacceptable levels. However, multi-pulse ultrasonic exposures were shown to achieve significant amounts of therapeutic release while keeping gel erosion and temperature increase at modest levels. Finally, experiments were performed demonstrating that ultrasonic stimulation could be used to generate drug release profiles shown to have potential therapeutic benefits (e.g., pulsatile and sequential anticancer delivery profiles). This work underscores the potential of using ultrasonically responsive polymeric hydrogels for providing on-demand control over more complex therapeutic deliver profiles and enhancing drug delivery strategies in cancer therapies and beyond.
The Impact of Vitamin E Isoforms on Asthma and Allergy

Asthma and allergic disease result from complex environmental and genetic interactions. These factors have been identified by epidemiological studies, randomized prevention trials, and animal models. Vitamin E is one of the environmental factors that can regulate responses to challenge with allergens. Reports for vitamin E have seemingly varied outcomes regarding benefits of vitamin E, but these differences are consistent with the differential functions of the isoforms of vitamin E. Mechanistic studies have identified opposing functions of the vitamin E isoforms α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol. Moreover, differences in global prevalence of asthma may be an outcome, at least in part, of differences in amount of isoforms of tocopherols. In order to interpret human and preclinical studies, reports need to include measurements of the tocopherol isoforms in the treatments, in vehicles for the treatments, and in the plasma and/or tissues before and after intervention. Studies of differential regulation of inflammation by tocopherol isoforms provide a foundation for development of interventions to improve lung function in disease and raise the possibility of early life dietary interventions to limit the development of lung disease.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation and combination antiretroviral therapy: cautions, complications, and considerations.

Due to the standard of care immunosuppression required as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are often felt to be high-risk for allog...
Mechanism and magnitude of bipolar electrogram directional sensitivity: Characterizing underlying determinants of bipolar amplitude.

Background The amplitude of bipolar electrograms (EGMs) is directionally sensitive, decreasing when measured from electrode pairs oriented oblique to a propagating wavefront. Objective The purpose of this study was to use a computational model and clinical data to establish the mechanism and magnitude of directional sensitivity. Methods Simulated EGMs were created using a computational model with electrode pairs rotated relative to a passing wavefront. A clinical database of 18,740 EGMs with varying electrode separation and orientations was recorded from the left atrium of 10 patients with atrial fibrillation during pacing. For each EGM, the angle of incidence between the electrodes and the wavefront was measured using local conduction velocity (CV) mapping. Results A theoretical model was derived describing the effect of the changing angle of incidence, electrode spacing, and CV on the local activation time difference between a pair of electrodes. Model predictions were validated using simulated and clinical EGMs. Bipolar amplitude measured by an electrode pair is decreased (directionally sensitive) at angles of incidence resulting in local activation time differences shorter than unipolar downstroke duration. Directional sensitivity increases with closer electrode spacing, faster CV, and longer unipolar EGM duration. For narrowly spaced electrode pairs ( Conclusion Directional sensitivity occurs because bipolar amplitude is reduced when the component unipolar EGMs overlap, such that neither electrode is "indifferent." At the electrode spacing of clinical catheters, this is predicted to occur regardless of catheter orientation. This suggests that bipolar directional sensitivity can be lessened but not overcome by recently introduced catheters with additional rotated electrode pairs.
Anatomy of the Epicardial Adipose Tissue

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is the fat depot located between the myocardium and the epicardium including the surroundings of the epicardial coronary vessels while the pericardial fat is located externally. Epicardial and intra-abdominal fat both evolve from brown adipose tissue. EAT is supplied by branches of the coronary arteries, whereas pericardial fat is supplied by branches of non-coronary arteries. In the adult human heart, EAT is more abundant in the atrioventricular and interventricular grooves. Microscopically, EAT not only is mainly composed of adipocytes but also contains nerve tissues, inflammatory, stromovascular, and immune cells. EAT is generally considered a white adipose tissue, albeit it displays also brown fatlike or beige fat features. No muscle fascia divides EAT and myocardium; therefore, the two tissues share the same microcirculation. This allows a direct interaction and crosstalk between the EAT and the myocardium. Under pathological circumstances, epicardial adipocytes display an intrinsic pro-inflammatory and atherogenic profile. A dense inflammatory infiltrate, mainly represented by macrophages, is commonly detected in epicardial fat of subjects with coronary artery disease.
Introduction to Sex-Positive Palliative Care: Best Practices and Interventions

Discussing difficult and personal topics is not new to those practicing palliative care. Specialty-level consultation is often sought to facilitate complex and uncomfortable conversations on death and dying. Palliative care (PC) providers focus on patient and family needs through the lens of whole-person care. Sexuality is an important component of every person's identity, yet providers often avoid this topic. Avoiding conversations about sexuality is especially strong when the patient has a serious illness. PC providers are recognized communication experts, although current curricula offer little training on how to incorporate discussions regarding this important aspect of personhood. Using case discussions, we offer strategies for examining sexuality and incorporating sex-positive interventions into practice. By highlighting how sexuality and PC intersect, we hope to foster a community of interdisciplinary PC providers who practice what we have termed sex-positive palliative care.
Iconography and wetsite archaeology of Florida’s watery realms: edited by R. Wheeler and J. Ostapkowicz, Gainesville, University of Florida Press, 2019, 217 pp., RRP US$90.00 (HB), ISBN 978-1-68340-078-3

Florida’s Watery Realms represents a remarkable scholarly effort to draw attention to the degree of significance that waterlogged deposits containing wooden artifacts, cordage, and other organic ma...
Elderly High Risk Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

The definition of “elderly” has varied over time and according to the regional life expectancy. In most developed countries, age more than 65 years is considered elderly, although in developing nations this age is 60 years.
Noncanonical Sequences Involving NHERF1 Interaction with NPT2A Govern Hormone-Regulated Phosphate Transport: Binding Outside the Box

Na+/H+ exchange factor-1 (NHERF1), a multidomain PDZ scaffolding phosphoprotein, is required for the type II sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter (NPT2A)-mediated renal phosphate absorption. Both PDZ1 and PDZ2 domains are involved in NPT2A-dependent phosphate uptake. Though harboring identical core-binding motifs, PDZ1 and PDZ2 play entirely different roles in hormone-regulated phosphate transport. PDZ1 is required for the interaction with the C-terminal PDZ-binding sequence of NPT2A (-TRL). Remarkably, phosphocycling at Ser290 distant from PDZ1, the penultimate step for both parathyroid hormone (PTH) and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) regulation, controls the association between NHERF1 and NPT2A. PDZ2 interacts with the C-terminal PDZ-recognition motif (-TRL) of G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase 6A (GRK6A), and that promotes phosphorylation of Ser290. The compelling biological puzzle is how PDZ1 and PDZ2 with identical GYGF core-binding motifs specifically recognize distinct binding partners. Binding determinants distinct from the canonical PDZ-ligand interactions and located “outside the box” explain PDZ domain specificity. Phosphorylation of NHERF1 by diverse kinases and associated conformational changes in NHERF1 add more complexity to PDZ-binding diversity.
Modification of the multiplex plasmid PCR assay for Borrelia miyamotoi strain LB-2001 based on the complete genome sequence reflecting genomic rearrangements differing from strain CT13–2396

Abstract The genome of Borrelia spp. consists of an approximate 1 megabase chromosome and multiple linear and circular plasmids. We previously described a multiplex PCR assay to detect plasmids in the North American Borrelia miyamotoi strains LB-2001 and CT13–2396. The primer pair sets specific for each plasmid were derived from the genome sequence for B. miyamotoi strain CT13–2396, because the LB-2001 complete sequence had not been generated. The recent completion of the LB-2001 genome sequence revealed a distinct number of plasmids (n = 12) that differed from CT13–2396 (n = 14). Notable was a 97-kilobase plasmid in LB-2001, not present in CT13–2396, that appeared to be a rearrangement of the circular plasmids of strain CT13–2396. Strain LB-2001 contained two plasmids, cp30–2 and cp24, that were not annotated for strain CT13–2396. Therefore, we re-evaluated the original CT13–2396-derived multiplex PCR primer pairs and determined their location in the LB-2001 plasmids. We modified the original multiplex plasmid PCR assay for strain LB-2001 to include cp30–2 and cp24. We also determined which LB-2001 plasmids corresponded to the amplicons generated from the original CT13–2396 primer sets. These observations provide a more precise plasmid profile based on the multiplex PCR assay and reflect the complexity of gene rearrangements that occur in B. miyamotoi strains isolated from the same geographic region.
Some Effects of Chemical Substitution and Applied Pressure on High Tc Copper Oxide Superconductors

Recent experiments on the effect of Na and Pr substitutions and applied pressure on high Tc copper oxide superconductors are briefly reviewed. The Na and Pr substituted systems that were investigated include (La2-xNax)CuO4-δ, (Y1-xNax)Ba2Cu3O7-δ, and (Y1-xPrx)Ba2Cu3O7-δ, while the compounds studied under pressure were YBa2Cu3O7-δ and (Y0.5Pr0.5)Ba2Cu3O7-δ. The substitution of monovalent Na for trivalent La in La2CuO4-δ results in a continuous transition from semiconducting to metallic behavior, accompanied by the appearance of two superconducting components, one with Tc ≈ 20 K and the other with Tc ≈ 40 K, while the substitution of monovalent Na, and Pr, which appears to have a valence ~ +3.9, for trivalent Y in YBa2Cu3O7-δ produces a continuous transition from metal to semiconductor and a gradual suppression of superconductivity. The onset of Tc of YBa2Cu3O7-δ was found to increase from 95 K at 8 kbar to 107 K at 149 kbar, whereas applied pressure was observed to induce semiconducting behavior and suppress superconductivity in the compound (Y0.5Pr0.5)Ba2Cu3O7-δ.
Evaluating Engineering Alloys in Compression

Testing in compression has several attractive features when compared to the more frequently employed tension test. To take full advantage of these features, it is necessary to obtain deformation that is as close to homogeneous as possible. This paper describes how homogeneous compression can be obtained, paying particular attention to specimen dimensions and lubrication techniques. Comparison is made to deformation under nonhomogeneous conditions. Stress-strain curves obtained in compression for various engineering materials are presented. These curves represent uniform or homogeneous compression. For some metals, there is excellent agreement between the compressive flow curves and those obtained in tension, provided the latter is corrected for necking. However, it is shown that, for high-strength steels, there is not the expected agreement between the compressive and tensile flow curves. The resistance to compressive deformation is greater than to tensile deformation. This effect, termed a strength differential effect, is shown to be independent of the amount of plastic strain. However, it is affected by temperature, since it increases as the temperature is lowered.
Chemistry, Biological Effects, and Mechanism of Action of Plant Growth Substances

Dose-response curves for all of the known plant growth substances are bell-shaped, as shown in Figure 3.1. At lower concentrations the effects are typically stimulatory reaching a maximum beyond which they become inhibitory. There are two general classes of hormones found in animal systems, steroid and peptide, both of which probably also occur in plant systems. The steroid class forms a hormone/receptor (defined as those molecules that specifically recognize and bind the hormone and, as a consequence of this recognition, can lead to other changes or series of changes which ultimately result in the biological response) complex in the cytoplasm, which is then transported into the nucleus where mRNA is synthesized, resulting in a given response (Figure 3.2a). The second class are peptide hormones which bind to a receptor at the plasmamembrane, altering the enzyme adenylate cyclase and activating cyclic AMP from ATP, which acts as a secondary messenger for a given response (Figure 3.2b). In order for hormone binding in either class to be specific, the following criteria must be met (Cuatrecasas et al. 1977): 1. There must be strict structural and steric specificity. 2. The response must be saturable, thereby indicating a finite and limited number of binding sites. 3. The response must be tissue-specific. 4. The hormone must bind with a high affinity in order to show physiological relevance. 5. Hormone binding must be reversible showing kinetics consistent with a physiological response observed and biological activity.
A Lawyer's Worst Nightmare: The Story of a Lawyer and His Nurse Clients Who Were Both Criminally Charged Because the Nurses Resigned En Mass

Imagine that a group of foreign registered nurses approach their lawyer because they feel abused and want to quit their jobs. They signed an employment contract agreeing to remain employed for three years and are unsure of their rights. The contract that they signed also contains a $25,000 liquidated damage provision. The lawyer advised his clients that they have to right to quit, and after they quit, the lawyer and his clients find themselves at the center of a massive criminal and civil controversy. Both the lawyer and his clients are criminally charged with endangering the welfare of critically ill pediatric patients and related crimes because the nurses resigned en masse without notice. You might think that such a case could not arise in Twenty-First Century America, but in 2007 that is exactly what occurred in Suffolk County New York and resulted in a New York appellate court having to prohibit the criminal prosecution of both the nurses and their attorney. Matter of Vinluan v. Doyle, ___A.D.3d___, 2009 WL 93065 (2d. Dep't. Jan. 13, 2009).This Essay examines this troubling case, where the court held that such a prosecution offended the Thirteenth Amendment and the attorneys First Amendment right to provide legal advice to his clients. This Essay explores the public policy issues raised by this case, whether nurses have the same right to withhold their labor as other employees, as well as certain issues which the court did not reach such as whether criminal prosecution of the nurses is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act. Additionally, this Essay explores legal issues surrounding the criminal prosecution of an attorney based on advice he may have given which the court ultimately found to be "profoundly disturbing." The Essay concludes by explaining that the liquidated damage provision, which may have sparked this entire controversy, was probably unenforceable as a penalty, another issue not reached by the court, that criminal prosecution of both the nurses and their attorney was unwarranted and that the Appellate Division decision was correctly decided.
Suppression of Ca2+ oscillations in cultured rat hepatocytes by chemical hypoxia.

Abstract The model of "chemical hypoxia" with KCN plus iodoacetic acid mimics the ATP depletion and reductive stress of hypoxia. Here, we examined the effects of chemical hypoxia on cytosolic free Na+ and Ca2+ in single cultured rat hepatocytes by multiparameter digitized video microscopy and ratio imaging of sodium-binding furan indicator (SBFI) and Fura-2. Intracellular Na+ increased from about 10 mM to more than 100 mM after 20 min of chemical hypoxia, whereas cytosolic free Ca2+ remained virtually unchanged. In normoxic hepatocytes, phenylephrine (50 microM) and Arg-vasopressin (20-40 nM) induced Ca2+ oscillations in 70 and 40% of cells, respectively. These Ca2+ oscillations were suppressed after one spike following the onset of chemical hypoxia. Phenylephrine and vasopressin also increased inositol phosphate formation by 22 and 147%, respectively. This effect was suppressed by KCN plus iodoacetate. Intracellular acidosis is characteristic of chemical hypoxia. Intracellular acidosis induced by 40 mM Na-acetate suppressed Ca2+ oscillations but did not inhibit hormone-induced inositol phosphate formation. Cytosolic alkalinization also suppressed Ca2+ oscillations. However, prevention of intracellular acidosis with monensin (10 microM) did not prevent suppression of Ca2+ oscillations during chemical hypoxia. Mitochondrial depolarization with uncoupler did not change free Ca2+ levels during chemical hypoxia, indicating that mitochondria do not regulate free Ca2+ during chemical hypoxia. From these results, we conclude: 1) chemical hypoxia does not block Na+ influx across the plasma membrane; 2) Chemical hypoxia inhibits hormone-stimulated Ca2+ flux pathways across cellular membranes by two different mechanisms: (a) by ATP depletion, which disrupts hormone-myo-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate coupling, and (b) by intracellular acidosis, which inhibits myo-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-stimulated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores; 3) during ATP depletion by chemical hypoxia, mitochondria do not take up Ca2+ to maintain cytosolic free Ca2+ at low concentrations.
Preserving the Federal Arbitration Act by Reining in Judicial Expansion and Mandatory Use

This Article considers the rationale for arbitration reform, as well as the arguments for no reform at all. Part II sets out the Federal Arbitration Act’s basic framework, and discusses the Supreme Court decisions which have arguably expanded the scope of the FAA and enabled a controversial use of modern arbitration. Part III considers specific proposals warranting congressional attention, including pending legislation under the proposed Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007. Part IV concludes in offering final thoughts for arbitration reform.
Compressible Turbulence Subjected to Shear and Rapid Compression

First, a review is presented of the physics and modeling of compressibility effects in homogeneous decaying, and shear-driven turbulence. Second, new findings are reported concerning the effects of rapid spherical (3D), and one-dimensional (1D) compression on initially isotropic turbulence. On the basis of the direct numerical simulation results of Coleman and Mansour (1991), it is shown that in 1D rapid compression the pressure-dilatation correlation \( \overline {puj,j} \) is responsible for unusually high energy transfer from the kinetic to pressure modes. This transfer mechanism leads to considerable turbulent kinetic energy losses even when turbulence is virtually incompressible. A parametric model for \( \overline {puj,j} \) is developed to capture this isotropic rapid effect, and the model results are compared with the Coleman-Mansour data. The model is then tested against direct simulations of turbulence/normal shock interactions (Lee, 1991). It is shown that apart from the energy transfer due to \( \overline {puj,j} \) another important mechanism within the shock is associated with the acceleration term (containing the mean pressure gradient).
Age, sex, ethnicity, body composition, and resting energy expenditure of obese African American and white children and adolescents

Background African Americans may have a lower resting energy expenditure (REE) than do whites, although the data are limited for obese children and adolescents and for boys. Differences in bone density and trunk lean body mass may account for some of these measured differences in REE. Objective We assessed the REE and body composition of obese African American and white children and adolescents. Design Obese, 5-17-y-old children and adolescents were evaluated (n = 203). Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. REE was measured by open-circuit calorimetry. African American and white children were compared. The relation between REE and the independent variables (age, sex, ethnic group, fat mass, and fat-free mass or lean tissue mass) was assessed. Results Of those evaluated, 66% were girls and 34% were African American. Age, sex, pubertal status, and body composition did not differ significantly by ethnic group. All the independent variables were significantly associated with REE. Using lean tissue mass to account for differences in bone density did not significantly alter the results. REE decreased with age and was lower in the girls than in the boys and in the African Americans than in the whites. When trunk fat-free mass was included in the model in place of whole-body fat-free mass, the ethnic difference in REE decreased. Conclusions Adjustment for trunk lean tissue mass partially explains the lower REE of obese African American children and adolescents. The lower relative REE of older obese children suggests the importance of early intervention in the prevention of childhood obesity. The lower REE of girls and of African Americans may contribute to the difficulty in weight management in these groups.
Affect-Loaded Questions in Japanese Storytelling: An Analysis of Grammar, Prosody, and Body Movements of Story Recipients’ Questions

The present study explores affective stance in conversational storytelling by investigating the ways in which unknowing story recipients display affective stances toward a teller’s story through questions that deploy multimodal resources. The data are based on videotaped natural face-to-face conversations between native Japanese speakers. While unknowing story recipients ask questions of the storyteller only to elicit factual information (“neutral questions”), they also ask questions layered with affect (“affect-loaded questions”). Building on studies on affect and stance, assessment, questions, and alignment and affiliation in storytelling, I demonstrate how unknowing story recipients ask affect-loaded questions to elicit and display affective stances toward story contents by exploiting linguistic and non-linguistic resources. First, I explicate how unknowing story recipients employ not only linguistic devices (e.g., emotion words, wh-questions, and deictic expressions such as sonna “like that”), but also prosody, facial expressions, body movements, and pre-/concurrent-laughter in order to load questions with affective stance that display, for example, disgust, humor, sarcasm, criticism, or surprise. Secondly, I show how unknowing story recipients use rhetorical questions to express their affect (rather than to elicit information from the storyteller). Thirdly, I demonstrate how affiliation of affective stance between storyteller and unknowing story recipients influences the trajectory of storytelling and how the participants negotiate their affective stances. This study sheds light on the interactional process of how participants in talk-in-interaction display affective stance through a range of multimodal resources, by examining how unknowing story recipients ask affect-loaded questions of the storyteller. It illuminates the social practice of story recipients’ active participation in storytelling activity that is embedded in social interaction, through their use of questions that dynamically co-construct and negotiate affective stance.
Facing the Rhetoric of Language Endangerment: Voicing the Consequences of Linguistic Racism

Jane Hill has made major contributions to the study of linguistic racism (1999, 2008), the discursive strategies of outside advocates for endangered languages (2002), and the representation of Nahuatl individuals as thoughtful yet constrained social actors from speech communities undergoing language shift (1985, 1998). Her work provides important precedents that enable readers to appreciate these speakers' “lived” experiences of their indigenous languages through understanding their indexical connections to culturally valued areas of use as well as to pervasive social inequalities. I discuss these precedents and their influence on my research on members of Western Mono and Arizona Tewa communities. [linguistic racism, language endangerment, language shift, linguistic marginalization, voices, Nahuatl, Western Mono, Arizona Tewa]
Predicting Leader behavior from a Measure of behavioral Intent

The article focuses on a study that investigates the problems of direct and objective observation of leader behavior in field settings. The study is designed to examine the importance of subordinat...
Catchability model selection for estimating the composition of fishes and invertebrates within dynamic aquatic ecosystems

We evaluated alternative catchability models for estimating the composition of fishes and decapods in two coastal rivers sampled via capture–recapture boat electrofishing, seine removal sampling, a...
Book Review: ‘Why Nations Fail,’ by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson attempt to explain why significant income disparity exists in today’s world among nations in their recent book called Why Nations Fail. Acemoglu and Robinson’s main argument is that political and economic institutions are fundamental cause for the income inequality in today’s world. They make a distinction between inclusive and extractive institutions in terms of their impact on the nation’s development. While inclusive political and economic institutions spur economic prosperity, extractive ones explain why some nations are poor. This book intensely discusses how institutions play a significant role for nation’s development. Application of their institutional analysis at the global and regional levels would give further insights in terms of impacts of institutions on development of nations.
Experimental rhinovirus infection in moderate asthma

Background: Rhinovirus (RV) is the most common cause for asthma exacerbations. Underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. A human model of experimental infection with RV has been introduced however published studies have thus far only recruited mild asthmatics. In order to be more representative of those who experience virus-induced exacerbations there is a need to establish the safety of this model in moderate asthma. Aim: To assess the safety of using the RV challenge model in subjects with moderate asthma treated with inhaled corticosteroids. Methods: Six subjects with moderately severe atopic asthma requiring maintenance inhaled corticosteroids were infected with RV16. Nasal lavage (NL) and clinic spirometry was performed on days 0,2,3,4,5,7,10. Symptom scores were recorded daily throughout the study. Clinical infection was confirmed using a combination of symptom scores, demonstration of RV16 RNA by RT-PCR in nasal lavage and at least a 4-fold increase in RV16 specific antibody titres on day 42. Results: All 6 subjects developed symptoms of a common cold 24-48 hours prior to an increase in lower respiratory symptoms. This was accompanied by a drop in morning FEV1 (mean fall of 25.6%). Whilst all subjects increased their use of bronchodilator, no subjects required oral corticosteroid therapy. RV16 was demonstrated in NL in all subjects. Conclusions: In this pilot study infection with RV16 in moderate asthma was well-tolerated resulting in a mild exacerbation. No unexpected adverse events or requirement for oral steroids occurred. The use of RV challenge in moderate asthma therefore appears safe. Results of future studies using this group of patients will better reflect those individuals with the greatest burden of disease.
The State of School Social Work: Findings from the National School Social Work Survey

School social work is a large and growing subspecialty in social work practice; however, little is known about present school social work practice from a national perspective. The National School Social Work Survey (n = 1,639) represents the first data in over ten years to describe the diverse practice contexts and interventions employed by school social workers. The survey also seeks to better understand school social work practice in light of the significant educational reforms of the past decade that are increasingly shaping student experiences. Findings from this survey indicate that the characteristics of school social workers, the context in which they practice, and their practice choices remain largely unchanged over the past 10 years. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed based on these findings.