cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contemporary approaches to the pharmacotherapeutic management of Parkinson's disease : An overview

A number of unresolved issues complicate the effective management of patients with Parkinson9s disease (PD). Chief among these is the role of neuroprotective versus symptomatic pharmacologic interventions. Until the etiology of PD is further defined, consensus on appropriate management of this illness is unlikely. Clinicians may best serve their patients by taking a pragmatic approach to the treatment of PD that utilizes potentially beneficial interventions in eligible patients. Such an approach would incorporate possible neuroprotective (e.g., selegiline, dopamine agonists, sustained-release levodopa) and dopamine-sparing (e.g., combination levodopa/dopamine agonist therapy) strategies whenever possible while retaining adequate symptomatic control.
Generation of molecular clusters of controlled size

Abstract A novel gasdynamic source capable of producing small clusters of controlled size is described. Two versions of this Multiple Expansion Cluster Source (MECS) are discussed: one which produces transition metal clusters of interest in catalysis and one which produces water clusters of atmospheric interest. The clusters are formed as an aerosol supported in an inert gas flow. They can be isolated from the carrier gas by impingment on a surface or by expansion through a sonic orifice into a vacuum region to form a molecular beam. A controlled mean size ranging from the dimer up to several thousand of the monomer species is possible. The full width at half maximum of the distribution of cluster sizes that is produced is as small as is theoretically possible with a condensation type process. For a mean size greater than ≈50, the FWHM has a constant value in diameter space of approximately twice the diameter of the monomer.
Angiotensin converting enzyme in cultured fibroblasts in Gaucher and Niemann-Pick diseases.

AbstractSimilar low levels of angiotensin converting enzyme activity were found in cultured fibroblasts from types 2 and 3 Gaucher disease, type A Niemann-Pick disease, and normal subjects. The highly elevated levels of angiotensin converting enzyme in serum and spleen in Gaucher disease is not due to a marked general cellular elevation of the enzyme, but may be due to elevated synthesis of ACE secondarily stimulated in Gaucher cells.
Manpower assignment strategies in serial production lines with limited personnel: evaluation of pull-push rules

Abstract The paper examines manpower assignment strategies for serial production lines. A user friendly computer program is developed that facilitates in evaluation of manpower assignment rules. The strategies associated with both pull and push production/inventory systems are examined. Pull system is most effective when the shipping mode follows just-in-time philosophy and ships the units as they are produced. Push system on other hand can be more effective if all the units must be shipped together in a batch. Furthermore, the strategy of cluster worker assignment is more effective than distributive worker assignment for a pull system, while both are almost equally good for a push mode of operation. This paper also validates a few well known rules of thumb available for the operation of a production line.
Examination of the Predictors of Latent Class Typologies of Bullying Involvement among Middle School Students.

This study employs latent class analysis to construct bullying involvement typologies among 3,114 students (48% male, 58% White) in 40 middle schools across the United States. Four classes were constructed: victims (15%); bullies (13%); bully/victims (13%); and noninvolved (59%). Respondents who were male and participated in fewer conventional activities were more likely to be members of the victims class. Students who were African American and reported being less successful at school had a higher likelihood of membership in the bullies class. Bully/victims shared characteristics with bullies and victims: Students with more feelings of anger toward others and a higher tendency toward sensation-seeking had a higher likelihood of membership in the bullies and bully/victims classes, whereas lower levels of social inclusion was associated with membership in the victims and bully/victims classes.
Viral latency locus augments B-cell response in vivo to induce chronic marginal zone enlargement, plasma cell hyperplasia, and lymphoma

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is associated with KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). This virus also causes B-cell lymphoma and B-cell hyperplasia. There exists no in vivo model for KSHV-associated B-cell malignancies or premalignant persistence in B cells. We generated a transgenic mouse that expresses multiple viral latent genes, including LANA, vFLIP, vCYC, all viral micro RNAs, and kaposin under the transcriptional control of their natural regulatory region. This promoter is B-cell specific, though it is a weak promoter. Mature B cells were chronically activated, leading to hyperglobulinemia triggered by increased plasma cell frequency and marginal zone (MZ) B-cell hyperplasia. The mice had an augmented response to T-dependent antigen as well as the TLR4 ligand LPS, leading to exacerbated MZ and germinal center responses and increased CD138+ plasma cells. It is the first model to assess the viral micro RNA function in vivo. These data support a potentially novel mechanism of viral persistence in which virally infected B cells become hyper-responsive to coincident, but unrelated, pathogen exposure, leading to preferential expansion and ultimately lymphoma in a small subset of cases.
The partitioning of ketones between the gas and aqueous phases

Abstract Most ketones are not significantly hydrated; they therefore retain their chromophore and they could be photolytically degraded in solution yielding a variety of products including carboxylic acids, aldehydes and radicals. It is difficult to accurately model the partitioning of ketones between the gas phase and aqueous phase because of the lack suitable estimates of the Henry's Law constants; consequently the fate and environmental effects of ketones cannot be confidently predicted. Here we report the experimental determination of the Henry's Law constants of a series of ketones that has yielded a simple straight line equation to predict the Henry's Law constants of simple aliphatic ketones: log H ∗ =0.23Σσ ∗ + 1.51; where H ∗ is the effective Henry's Law constant (M atm−1, and Σσ∗ is the Taft polar substituents constants. The results for 25°C are (M atm−1) CH3COCH3, 32; C6H5COCH3, 110; CH2ClCOCH3, 59; CH3COCOCH3, 74; CF3COCH3, 138. Acetophenone appears to have an abnormally high H ∗ . Most low molecular weight aliphatic ketones are predicted to characterized by H ∗ ⩾30 M atm −1 and therefore they are expected to be found in the aqueous phase at concentrations of ⩾5 − 0.5 μM (given a typical gas-phase concentration range of 1–10 ppbv). The expected rate of decomposition of ketones due to photolysis in hydrometers is briefly discussed.
The science of making ERORS: what error tolerance implies for capacity in neural networks

Discusses the development of formal protocols for handling error tolerance which allow a precise determination of the computational gains that may be expected. The error protocols are illustrated in the framework of a densely interconnected neural network architecture (with associative memory the putative application), and rigorous calculations of capacity ar shown. Explicit capacities are also derived for the case of feedforward neural network configurations. >
Analytical study of laminar free convection heat-transfer to supercritical helium

Abstract An analytical study of free convection heat transfer from a vertical plate to supercritical helium is presented. The thermophysical properties are approximately related to the enthalpy and used to solve the boundary layer equations. Quasilinearization techniques are used to solve the resulting ordinary differential equations. The comparison made between the analytical heat transfer coefficients and the published experimental coefficients indicates that the analytical description is adequate and will be especially valid in laminar flow free convection cases.
An industrial hygiene alert system

Informing management and field personnel of the latest developments in toxicity testing and regulatory legislation is sometimes a critical problem for industry. News concerning potential health hazards about existing or new chemicals must be transmitted in a timely, coordinated fashion. To meet this need, an industrial hygiene alert system was developed. The alert system consists of a one-page form listing: the chemical name, trade name(s) and synonyms, formula, common uses, industrial hygiene references, current standards, current status (regulatory), and required actions for chemicals which, based on the most currently available information, are considered hazardous. The alerts are distributed to key management in addition to personnel involved in research, development, medical, and industrial hygiene, both domestic and international. The alert system has two principal benefits: (a) it informs corporate management of chemical hazard information, and (b) it provides industrial hygiene direction at the pl...
Linking Arms: Recent Books on Interracial Coalition as an Avenue of Social Reform

Two recent books illustrate a preoccupation with interracial coalition. Lani Guinier and Gerald Torres's book, The Miner's Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy, forcefully argues that minorities should unite, beginning with local issues, in pursuit of social justice. Eric Yamamoto's book, Interracial Justice: Conflict and Reconciliation in Post-Civil Rights America, outlines a program for minorities to bury their grievances and work together toward essentially the same ends. The two books differ greatly in their organization, style, and scope. For example, one is elegant, even overwrought, while the other is lucid and terse. But they share the faith that America's hope lies with a heady coalition of the dispossessed. They argue that outsider scholars and communities, because of the legacy of oppression, enjoy a deeper, sharper sense of social justice than the more complacent majority. Accordingly, if blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, and down-and-out whites join forces, not only they but also the country as a whole will benefit. Part I of this Review briefly describes and compares the Guinier-Torres and Yamamoto books, noting their strengths and weaknesses. Part II explores the logic of coalition making. Part III shows that when race is an element, coalition making becomes more, not less, problematic. Part IV examines the historical record of interminority coalitions. The Conclusion urges reformers to replace the procedural objective of coalition with the substantive goal of social justice and to work to realize that goal both individually and collectively. The hope for a great union of dispossessed people standing shoulder to shoulder is, ultimately, an evasion, motivated by the unspoken desire to let someone else do the hard work. The "differential racialization" hypothesis posits that racial harms will vary from group to group and over time. It logically follows therefore, that redress for those harms will take culturally specific forms so that the collective dimension of struggle will very often take second place to the individual one.
Melatonin: Aeromedical, Toxicopharmacological, and Analytical Aspects,

Melatonin, a pineal hormone present in the blood of humans and other species, has a distinct diurnal variation in its biosynthesis and, therefore, in its concentration. This variation has suggested the possibility of a regulatory function in day/night-dependent physiological processes such as sleep and has led scientists to explore the effects of administered melatonin on the modulation of circadian rhythms. For the self-treatment of sleep disorders and other benefits, melatonin use has been extolled to the extent that 20 million new consumers were added to the U.S. retail market in 1995. Its principal aeromedical application has been in the experimental treatment of jet-lag effects. For aircraft passengers, melatonin administration at destination bedtime appears to improve sleep quality and to decrease the time required to reestablish normal circadian rhythms. For international aircrews that travel through multiple time zones without time to adapt to new environments, taking melatonin before arriving home may further impair already disturbed circadian rhythms. Its use to adjust to shiftwork changes by air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance workers, and support personnel is even more controversial. Limited studies suggest that giving this hormone to shift workers should be done only under controlled conditions and that taking it at the wrong time may actually impair job performance. Because of its possible interaction with certain medications and the changes in its concentrations observed in some clinical conditions, the practitioner must exercise caution during the medical certification of airmen. The variations in the concentration of melatonin can be effectively determined by radioimmunoassay, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analytical techniques. These techniques are capable of measuring the human daytime (10 pg/mL) and nighttime (30-120 pg/mL) melatonin in plasma/serum. Melatonin measurements in victims of accidental death may allow forensic scientists and accident investigators to use the relationship between its concentration and the time of day when death occurred. The most accurate estimations of the time of death result from analysis of melatonin content of the whole pineal body, whereas less accurate estimates are obtained from serum and urine analyses. Pineal levels of melatonin are unlikely to be altered by exogenous melatonin, but its blood and urine levels would change. High blood levels in a daytime crash victim would suggest exogenous supplementation. The possible interfering effects of postmortem biochemical processes on melatonin concentrations in whole blood and in other tissues are not well understood, and there is a need for the continuing research into melatonin's chronobiological properties to define its proper applications and limitations. The indiscriminate use of melatonin by aviation professionals may pose unacceptable safety risks for air travel.
Metronidazole for the treatment of feline giardiasis

There are several drugs available for the treatment of giardiasis in cats, including metronidazole. The purpose of this study was to determine whether metronidazole benzoate administered at a dose of 25 mg/kg, orally, twice a day for 7 days lessens or eliminates Giardia cyst shedding in cats with chronic infection. Twenty-six, adult, laboratory-reared cats were used in this study. Sixteen cats had been inoculated orally with cysts of a human Giardia sp. isolate and had completed a Giardia vaccine study in one animal holding room. The other ten cats were infected with the same Giardia sp. presumably by contamination from the adjacent room where the Giardia vaccine study cats were located. From each cat, a fecal sample was collected within 1 week of the start of treatment and then every 2 to 4 days for 15 days after treatment was completed. Fecal samples were analyzed for the presence of Giardia cysts using a commercially available direct immunofluorescence test (IFA). Clinical signs of drug toxicity were not detected during the study.
Dual Enrollment Options: Columbus State Community College Model for Successful Implementation.

Ohio Senate Bill 140 was enacted in 1989 to allow dual enrollment. The legislative intent and components are reviewed in this chapter, followed by an overview of criteria and procedures at Columbus State Community College. Methods that foster student success and growth are also discussed.
From 8-tap DCT to 4-tap integer-transform for MPEG to H.264/AVC transcoding

H.264 uses a 4-tap integer transform (DCT-like) to produce transform coefficients. This is different from the 8-tap DCT that is used in most prior video coding standards such as MPEG-x. The paper propose two integer algorithms for transcoding from 8-tap DCT data to 4-tap DCT-like data. The approximate nature of the integer transcoding algorithms is quantitively evaluated. The results show that the approximation is hidden in most cases when bit rate reduction is considered.
11 GHz bandwidth optical integrated receivers using GaAs MESFET and MSM technology

State-of-the-art performance of GaAs-FET-based monolithic optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) receivers is reported. The OEIC receiver achieves -3-dB bandwidth as high as 11 GHz for optical signals at a wavelength of 850 nm. The feedback resistance of the receiver is 1000 Omega and the effective transimpedance into a 50 Omega load is 565 Omega . The effective transimpedance-bandwidth (TZBW) product is 6.1 THz- Omega . This ultra-high-performance receiver was implemented via a high-yield, low-cost direct ion implanted GaAs MESFET technology with a 0.6- mu m gate length and a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) detector with 2- mu m lines*3- mu m spacings. >
The Case of Nut Poisoning (or Too Much of a Good Thing?): Implementation and Assessment

A young politician becomes a vegetarian in an effort to live a healthier life style. He chooses Brazil nuts as his main type of meat supplement making the nuts a substantial part of his regular diet. A few months later, the politician begins to experience symptoms characteristic of selenium overdose. Blood work confirms elevated selenium content in his system. Small student groups, from an upper-level analytical chemistry course, play the role of “research investigators” working for a facility associated with a local hospital. They are required to apply a modified selenium-determination method from the literature based on microwave extraction and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. Students are charged with determining the quantity of selenium in a sample of Brazil nuts and the quantity being ingested by the subject on a daily basis due to the nuts. A formal written report must be submitted specifying the method of analysis used and their detailed results. This case study requires students to conduct themselves in the same manner chemists would in the “real world” when faced with a new and challenging problem. Implementation and assessment results are also provided.
An Algorithm for the Accurate Reliability Evaluation of Triple Modular Redundancy Networks

There are several instances where the classical method of triple-modular redundancy (TMR) reliability modeling may provide predictions which are inadequate. It is shown that for even simple networks such as those exhibiting fan-in and fan-out, classical methods may predict a reliability that is higher than or lower than the actual reliability. Furthermore, the classical method gives no hint as to whether the predicted number is high or low. As a solution to this problem, a method of partitioning an arbitrary network into cells such that faults in a cell are independent of faults in other cells is proposed. An algorithm is then given to calculate the reliability of any such cell, by considering only the structure of the interconnections within the cells. The value of the reliability found is exact if TMR is assumed to be a coherent system. An approximation to the algorithm is also described; this can be used to find a lower bound to the reliability without extensive calculation.
Feedback Models for Collaboration and Trust in Crisis Response Networks

Scholars have devoted increasing efforts to understanding crisis response networks [10], [11] [32] especially networks comprised of disparate members who acknowledge no higher organizational authority. Coordination within these networks is difficult for several reasons, including the chaotic nature of the crisis, a need to balance shared goals (crisis amelioration) and organization-specific goals, and the lack of a central organizing authority [10], [11], [32]. More recently, scholars [32] have suggested crisis response networks might be able to coordinate effectively in the absence of a central organizing authority. Grounded in general system theory [5], [6], [18], [28], [36], and particularly the use of feedback loops [21], [26], this paper proposes a campaign of experimentation [2], [3] set in the Naval Postgraduate Schools Maritime Interdiction Operation that seeks to understand whether feedback loops comprised of reciprocal resource commitments can engender greater trust and commitment among organizations responding to a crisis.
Intrinsic low-field conduction in SIMOX buried oxides

SOI technology is a prime candidate for replacing bulk Si in low-power VLSI CMOS applications. One of the most advanced SOI technologies is SIMOX. One potential problem with SIMOX SOI substrates is the intrinsic low-field conduction through the buried oxide (BOX), which is to be distinguished from defect-related "piping" current. Intrinsic low-level current, summed up over a very large chip area, could add up to a significant leakage component. In addition, low-level leakage poses a long-term reliability problem due to the potential for BOX charge trapping. Thus, a fundamental understanding of this low-field conduction is necessary in order to provide insight about the physical properties of the SIMOX BOX responsible for this current. In this paper, we present one of the first comprehensive studies of the electric-field, temperature, and time dependence of intrinsic low-level SIMOX BOX conduction characteristics for both single and multiple implant substrates. Based on the observed power-law time dependence, we believe that the low-level conduction is due to electron detrapping from pre-existing traps. The effect of Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) stress on low-field leakage is also examined. It was found that high-field stress can fill traps within the BOX which can then easily detrap at room temperature.
Teaching engineering and engineering research: a symbiotic relationship

The author claims that there has been a valuable symbiotic relationship between teaching and research in the case of his academic career, which now spans over 40 years, and that it ought to be true for all engineering professors now and in the future. Through the author's research activity and that of his students, he has had the opportunity to become knowledgeable and proficient in important new domains of electrical engineering as they developed. Based on this experience he has designed and implemented a number of new courses in his department while the subject matter was new to academia. His research has been enhanced by virtue of teaching new material such as problem-solving techniques, engineering design methodology for both hardware and software and new computer languages such as Modula-2. >
Emotion regulation strategies as transdiagnostic processes: A closer look at the invariance of their form and function.

Recent investigations suggest that emotion regulation can be conceptualized as a trans- diagnostic process (Kring & Sloan, 2010). Specifically, the habitual use of putatively maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination, suppression), and the infrequent use of putatively adaptive strategies (e.g., acceptance, reappraisal) have been shown to predict various symptoms of psychopathology (Aldao et al., 2010). However, little is known about the extent to which the dif- ferent facets that constitute the process of implementing such strategies can be conceptualized as transdiagnostic. I propose the adoption of a functional behavioral approach to delineate which aspects of such implementation (i.e., form, function) are variant and which are invariant across disorders. This approach has the potential to further our understanding of the transdiagnostic and disorder- specific mechanisms by which emotion regulation is associated with the development, maintenance, and treatment of mental disorders.
Chemical Reactions in the Atmosphere

Chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere may be investigated by sending rockets into the region of interest or by simulating conditions in the laboratory. Ultraviolet solar radiation dissociates and ionizes all types of particles present in the chemosphere. This results in recombination reactions of radicals, charge transfers, and chemical reactions of ions with neutral particles. In addition bimolecular reactions between neutral particles and reactions involving excited molecules take place.
Generalized neighborhoods: a new approach to complex parameter feature extraction

A generalized neighborhood concept is presented which extends the usual techniques for feature extraction using parameter transforms. Generalized neighborhoods allow operators to use the joint information contained in distant portions of the same feature; i.e. to utilize the long-distance correlation present in the image. The generalized neighborhood techniques, by correlating local information over different portions of the image, produce up to two orders of magnitude improvement in accuracy over conventional techniques. The response also becomes more complicated; false features may be detected due to a peculiar form of correlated noise. A general framework, motivated by connectionist networks, is presented which eliminates this behaviour by introducing competitive processes in the parameter spaces. A novel approach to the generation of lateral inhibition links in the networks is proposed which is consistent with generalized neighborhoods. Experiments are provided that show results on range data. Complex surfaces and 3-D surface-intersection curves are reconstructed from the data. >
Large-Scale, Low-Frequency Variability in Wind-Driven Ocean Gyres

Abstract The authors investigate the spontaneous occurrence of large-scale, low-frequency variability of steadily forced, two-gyre, wind-driven circulations. The model dynamics is quasigeostrophic, the density stratification is represented in 1.5- and 2-layer approximations, and the wind stress pattern is either asymmetric or symmetric about the midbasin. The authors show that more generic variability arises when the forcing is strongly asymmetric, the Reynolds number is relatively large, and the baroclinic instability mechanism is active. The variability is explored for a wide range of values for the viscosity coefficient, that is, the Reynolds number. The regimes include steady circulation, periodic and quasiperiodic fluctuations near the beginning of the bifurcation tree, and chaotic circulations characterized by a broadband spectrum. Both the primary and secondary bifurcation modes and the spatiotemporal patterns within certain frequency bands in the chaotic regime are analyzed with an EOF decompositi...
Better to Fight Another Day: A Pre-Theory of Insurgent Coalitions*

The defense provided by interstate alliances operating in peacetime has often been considered a collective good subject to the free-riding and underprovision common to such goods I argue that within certain poorly integrated insurgent alliances, the exhaustion of allies may be a good valued almost as highly as the eventual collective victory. Coalition members might therefore limit their own participation in the conflict while encouraging allies to fully commit the lives of their supporters. Such free-riding is probably not common, however, partly because an organization's participation in the collective struggle offers important political and military benefits which are not collective in nature.
A technique for validating Booch object-oriented designs from extensions to the Descartes specification language

Software validation is the process of checking whether the software performs as required. Validation assumes much importance in the case of high assurance (real time, reliable, safety critical, and secure) systems, us even a slight deviation from the desired behavior is unacceptable. Descartes is an executable specification language. Specifications in Descartes are validated through rapid prototyping. This paper explains a traceability approach for validating Booch object oriented designs against validated object oriented Descartes specifications. The CASE tool developed in support of the technique is also explained in brief.
Talin activates integrins by altering the topology of the β transmembrane domain

Talin binding to integrin β tails increases ligand binding affinity (activation). Changes in β transmembrane domain (TMD) topology that disrupt α–β TMD interactions are proposed to mediate integrin activation. In this paper, we used membrane-embedded integrin β3 TMDs bearing environmentally sensitive fluorophores at inner or outer membrane water interfaces to monitor talin-induced β3 TMD motion in model membranes. Talin binding to the β3 cytoplasmic domain increased amino acid side chain embedding at the inner and outer borders of the β3 TMD, indicating altered topology of the β3 TMD. Talin’s capacity to effect this change depended on its ability to bind to both the integrin β tail and the membrane. Introduction of a flexible hinge at the midpoint of the β3 TMD decoupled the talin-induced change in intracellular TMD topology from the extracellular side and blocked talin-induced activation of integrin αIIbβ3. Thus, we show that talin binding to the integrin β TMD alters the topology of the TMD, resulting in integrin activation.
Cross-Border Arbitrage And Free Trade

The following study presents a theory of cross-border arbitrage by consumers. Competitive forces should explain how equilibrium prices would be set on each side of a border. Various trading partners have ratified numerous free-trade pacts. There is a need to investigate the success or failure of these agreements. Because of the many non-tariff trade barriers, it is sometimes difficult to construct meaningful tests of the free-trade issues for products on an individualized basis. Our comprehensive model of cross-border price variation develops an appropriate test. A series of hypotheses on geographical arbitrage are presented. We also explain why some products may have larger price differences than others based on price sensitive arbitrage. Our model may be used to measure the likelihood of undermining influences to free trade from any non-tariff barriers that continue to plague relations between trading partners.
Learning About Voter Rationality

We model the accountability relationship between voters and politicians to clarify what can and can’t be learned about voter rationality from existing evidence from the behavior literature. We make two key points. First, we show that evidence on the electoral consequences of natural disasters and economic shocks|typically interpreted as evidence for voter irrationality|is consistent with a canonical model with rational voters. Second, we show that the evidence on the electoral consequences of disaster response|typically interpreted as evidence for voter rationality|is consistent with the same model with irrational voters. Hence, neither body of evidence can adjudicate between rational and irrational voting behavior. We also derive new hypotheses that can better guide future empirical work attempting to assess voter rationality.
Globalization, Sovereign Authority and Sovereign Control Over Economic Activity

Two of the most important areas of inquiry in contemporary international relations theory and policy involve globalization and the utility of non-military instruments of statecraft such as sanctions. Debates have centered around whether, how, and how much increased globalization has undermined sovereign autonomy and reduced the effectiveness of economic sanctions as tools of statecraft. Missing from these debates until quite recently have been analyses of the ability of states to exploit globalization and use sanctions as a means of promoting economic and security objectives. Current research suggests that states can use sanctions to exert control over individuals and firms operating outside of their national jurisdictions. This article analyzes the implications of this capability for the nature and practice of sovereign authority and sovereign control. By doing so, it seeks to expand current debates over sanctions beyond competing assessments of the factors that promote their effectiveness to include evaluations of their impact on state autonomy and power in the context of increasing globalization.
Paleozoic Carbonates of the Commonwealth Of Independent States (CIS): Subsurface Reservoirs and Outcrop Analogs: SEPM Special Publication No. 74

William G. Zempolich and Harry E. Cook, Editors, 2002, SEPM, Tulsa, 245 p. (SEPM members; US $75.00; nonmembers; US $100.00) ISBN: 1-56576-083-2. This volume is an outgrowth of an SEPM Research Symposium held at the 1997 AAPG-SEPM Annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. The papers in this volume reflect new research as well as reviews of previous work and represent some of the first joint industry and academic projects since opening of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to outside study. As the editors point out, the studies in the volume will be a first glimpse of CIS carbonate strata for many western scientists. The area of focus in this volume is important on several fronts. For one, it contains some of the world's largest oil and gas provinces in terms of known petroleum volumes. Also, nearby spectacular outcrops serve as analogs to the reservoirs. Finally, the Paleozoic carbonates of the CIS include many of the world stratotype locations, and the thick succession of Paleozoic carbonates preserved there provide insight on the various factors influencing the evolution of platforms through time and their diagenesis. With all of these aspects considered, the volume is billed as having appeal to geologists interested in petroleum aspects of the region, those with academic interests, and anyone interested in carbonate sedimentology in general, and specifically in Paleozoic carbonate sedimentology and stratigraphy. The volume consists of a brief introductory paper by the editors followed by nine papers, an index, and four loose foldout plates tied to two of the papers. The introductory paper sets the stage for the volume, including the importance of reservoirs in the area, and then briefly summarizes key aspects of each paper. The following paper by Kuznetsov is an overview of Paleozoic reef building in Russia and surrounding regions. There are four major …
mTOR signaling is regulated by TSC2 at the peroxisome

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 2729 The TSC2 tumor suppressor regulates mTOR activity and plays a central role in integrating energy sensing by the AMPK pathway with signals from mitogenic pathways such as PI3K to coordinate cell growth with available energy. While it is known that TSC2 is active when localized at cellular endomembranes, the specific endomembrane compartment(s) where this activity occurs have not been identified. The peroxisome is an autonomously replicating membrane-bound organelle that participates in energy metabolism via beta-oxidation of fatty acids. In silico analysis identified both type 1 and type 2 peroxisomal targeting sequences (PTS) in TSC2 and TSC1, respectively, predicting that TSC2 and its interaction partner, TSC1 localize to the peroxisome. This prediction was confirmed by confocal microscopy and subcellular fractionation: exogenous myc- or flag-tagged TSC1 and TSC2 co-localized with peroxisomal markers to discrete punctate structures within cells and endogenous TSC1 and TSC2 were present in peroxisome fractions purified from cells. Mutation of the PTS in either TSC1 or TSC2 abrogated localization to the peroxisome, with loss of the distinctive punctate staining pattern and co-localization with peroxisomal markers. Repression of mTOR signaling by TSC2 is due to its GAP (GTPase activating protein) activity, which maintains the mTOR activator Rheb in an inactive, GDP-bound state. Consistent with the peroxisome being the endomembrane compartment for TSC2 function, both Rheb and mTOR were present in peroxisome fractions containing TSC2. A cell-based functional assay performed by co-transfection of TSC2, TSC1, Rheb and S6K demonstrated that whereas wild-type TSC2 was proficient at repressing basal mTOR signaling, the TSC2 PTS1 mutant that cannot not localize to the peroxisome could not repress mTOR signaling and functioned as a dominant negative. Furthermore, cells lacking peroxisomes isolated from the peroxisomal biogenesis disorder Zellweger Syndome displayed high levels of mTOR activity and were deficient in TSC2-mediated repression of mTOR signaling. These data indicate that in addition to its well-known ability to participate in energy metabolism, the peroxisome plays a unique role within the cell in TSC2 tumor suppressor function and regulation of mTOR signaling.
Oncolytic Virotherapy to Treat Cancer and the Effects from the Delayed Immune System

Oncolytic viruses are a form of cancer treatment used to target tumor cells without harming healthy cells. These viruses have been engineered to specifically infect and kill cancer cells. Maximizing oncolytic potential of replicating viruses, however, has not been found to be an optimal strategy, as opposed to maximizing viral spread through the tumor. The delay differential equation model in this work includes interactions of uninfected tumor cells, tumor cells infected by the virus, and virus specific antigens, representing an immune response. Here , the thresholds between replicating viruses parameters are explored to find the most optimal outcome towards the minimization of tumor cells.
Signal transduction by the receptors for thrombopoietin (c-mpL) and interleukin-3 in hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells.

Antisense oligonucleotide to the translation initiation sequence of human c-mpI reduced the proliferation of human CD34+ bone marrow cells in response to interleukin-3 (IL-3) alone or to the combination of IL-3 and thrombopoietin (TPO). To investigate the molecular basis for these cytokine interactions, we analyzed the relationship between the receptor subunits for IL-3 and TPO and determined whether both receptors activate identical signal transduction pathways. The function of the receptor subunits was characterized in transiently transfected hepatoma cells and fibroblasts by the activation of gene expression via specific regulatory elements and by the stimulation of DNA-binding activity of STAT proteins. Although c-mpl and IL-3 receptor (IL-3R) reconstituted a qualitatively comparable gene regulatory response, there was no detectable functional interaction between their respective receptor subunits. By comparing the receptor action in different cell lines, we observed that in human hepatoma cells the signaling of c-mpI was 100-fold less sensitive to TPO than in rat hepatoma cells. However, IL-3R signaling was comparable between the two cell types, suggesting that c-mpI and IL-3R do not use identical signal transducing mechanisms. The cytoplasmic domains necessary for c-mpI signaling were determined by testing deletion mutants. The membrane-proximal box 1 sequence motif was critical for gene regulation and for STAT protein activation that seemed to involve the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). Because IL- 3R was less dependent on JAK2 than c-mpI, different levels of JAK2 expression may account, in part, for the quantitative difference in IL- 3 and TPO response among various cell lines.
Metergoline and other peripheral serotonin antagonists inhibit prolactin secretion through mechanisms unrelated to serotonin.

SummaryThe mechanism through which metergoline and other peripheral serotonin receptor antagonists inhibit prolactin secretion was studied. Reserpine, an agent well known to deplete brain catecholamines and serotonin, increased the serum prolactin concentration in male rats. The concomitant injection metergoline completely prevented this increase in hormone level, suggesting that metergoline has a direct effect to inhibit secretion of the hormone. Direct addition of metergoline to pituitary glands incubated in vitro decrease the amount of prolactin secreted, confirming this suspicion. Haloperidol at the concentration used was without effect on prolactin secretion, but it completely blocked the metergoline-mediated inhibition of prolactin secretion. Similar effects were observed with methergine, a metabolite of methysergide, and with LSD. These data directly related to the finding that methysergide significantly decreased the in vivo prolactin secretion by a transplanted pituitary tumor. Simultaneous injec...
Diagnostic and management trends of giant cell arteritis: a physician survey.

OBJECTIVE: Opinions regarding diagnostic and treatment issues in giant cell arteritis (GCA) vary widely, yet few controlled trials exist to address these issues. Our objective was to compare espoused clinical policies regarding diagnosis and treatment of GCA among physicians involved in GCA care. METHODS: Utilizing professional society directories, US physicians were randomly selected to receive an 11-question survey. One hundred surveys were mailed to each of the following: family medicine, general internal medicine, general/vascular surgery, neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and rheumatology. Data were analyzed according to specialty and specialty group: rheumatology, medical specialties (family medicine, general internal medicine, neurology), and surgical specialties (general/vascular, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology). RESULTS: The percentage of surveys returned was 34.7%. Analysis was limited to the 79% participating in at least one aspect of GCA care. Greater than 90% of respondents believe that temporal arteritis biopsy (TA Bx) should be performed in all suspected cases of GCA. Eighty-five percent of rheumatology believe TA Bx is indicated even when pretest probability of GCA is high, compared to 65% of medical specialties (p = 0.03). Eighty percent of rheumatology believe steroid usage decreases the yield of TA Bx, compared to 62% of surgical specialties (p = 0.04). When initial TA Bx is negative, medical specialties (26%) and surgical specialties (31%) were more likely than rheumatology (5%) to decline contralateral biopsy, even if the contralateral side is symptomatic (p = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Considerable variation exists regarding key elements of diagnosis and treatment in the evaluation of suspected GCA. The morbidity of GCA and the potential toxicity of therapy highlights the need for controlled trials to address these issues.
Karen Nipps. Lydia Bailey: A Checklist of Her Imprints. University Park, Pa.: The Pennsylvania State University for the Bibliographical Society of America in association with the Houghton Library, Harvard University, and the Library Company of Philadelphia, 2013. xiii + 310 p. $79.95 (ISBN: 978-0-271-05571-8).

From a review of the earlier published scholarship in the field of printing history, an inquiring reader would surmise that women were not a significant part of commercial letterpress printing during the handpress period. Scholarship in the last 20 years, however, has revealed that this is not the case. In fact, many recent studies document women’s high degree of involvement from the earliest days of printing in the Western world. Lydia Bailey: A Checklist of Her Imprints is an important addition to the study of the history of the book and of women’s roles in letterpress printing. It is a . . .
Phil Sheridan and His Army

Philip H. Sheridan's reputation in the Civil War often overshadows his longer and more significant roles as the nation's chief Indian fighter and commander of the army. "Phil Sheridan and His Army" is the first comprehensive biography and study of that later career. Formed by his experience in the Civil War and Reconstruction era, Sheridan came to see himself as the instrument of the United States' social and political destiny to open the West for white settlement and development. Paul Hutton analyzes Sheridan's relations with his subordinates, the institutional nature of his army, his campaigns, the logistics of them, and the special circumstances of defeating, pacifying, relocating, and negotiating with the Indians. At the same time, Gilded Age politics and laissez-faire capitalism shaped the grim future of the Indian--and of Sheridan's beleagured quasi-peacetime army. This definitive, abundantly illustrated history also fills out other sides of General Sheridan, who commanded Chicago after its great fire, quelled its labor riots, launched Buffalo Bill Cody on his career, served as an observed in the Franco-Prussian War, played a key role in the 1876 election crisis, and championed a national park system free from commercial exploitation.
Inflammatory Cytokine Il-1α Up-Regulates Piezo1 and Hyper-Sensitizes Chondrocytes to Compression

In diarthrodial joints, chondrocyte mechanotransduction play a critical role in the maintenance of cartilage and in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). The mechanistic understanding of chondrocyte mechanotransduction both in health and disease is essential for the rational prevention and treatment of joint diseases. We recently identified that injurious mechanical stress is transduced by the mechano-sensitive ion channels Piezo1 and Piezo2 in chondrocytes; blocking Piezo1/2 protected chondrocytes from injurious mechanical stress, suggesting a possible therapeutic benefit of this approach in cartilage injury or OA. Yet, little is known about how the OA joint environment may influence Piezo1/2-mediated mechanotransduction. We hypothesize that mechanotransduction of chondrocytes is altered by OA-related inflammatory stress, and that Piezo1/2 gene expression and function is altered in the context of OA.Here, we present new data in support of increased expression of Piezo1 in chondrocytes under inflammatory conditions, associated with sensitization to mechanical stimulation. We found that in the presence of pathophysiologically relevant concentrations of IL-1α, (1) the basal Ca2+ concentration of articular chondrocytes was increased (∼90nM), (2) mechanically activated Ca2+ influx was increased (∼50 nM by a compression force of 300nN), (3) Piezo1 mRNA levels increased (∼2 fold). These findings suggest sensitization of chondrocytes to mechanical cues via enhanced expression of Piezo1 channels. Also IL-1α treatment resulted in increased cell strain (∼4%) at the same compressive load and attenuated cortical actin labeling, indicative of increased actin destabilization, whereas β-tubulin remained unaffected. These data indicate that IL-1α-exposed chondrocytes (and potentially their membranes) can deform more readily, thereby elevating gating probabilities of mechanosensitive ion channels.Our study shows that the OA-associated inflammatory cytokine IL-1α alters chondrocyte mechanotransduction, suggesting that chondrocytes’ mechanical hypersensitivity is due to upregulated Piezo1 mRNA expression caused by IL-1α-signaling.