cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organization and evolution of the avian forebrain.

Early 20th-century comparative anatomists regarded the avian telencephalon as largely consisting of a hypertrophied basal ganglia, with thalamotelencephalic circuitry thus being taken to be akin to thalamostriatal circuitry in mammals. Although this view has been disproved for more than 40 years, only with the recent replacement of the old telencephalic terminology that perpetuated this view by a new terminology reflecting more accurate understanding of avian brain organization has the modern view of avian forebrain organization begun to become more widely appreciated. The modern view, reviewed in the present article, recognizes that the avian basal ganglia occupies no more of the telencephalon than is typically the case in mammals, and that it plays a role in motor control and motor learning as in mammals. Moreover, the vast majority of the telencephalon in birds is pallial in nature and, as true of cerebral cortex in mammals, provides the substrate for the substantial perceptual and cognitive abilities evident among birds. While the evolutionary relationship of the pallium of the avian telencephalon and its thalamic input to mammalian cerebral cortex and its thalamic input remains a topic of intense interest, the evidence currently favors the view that they had a common origin from forerunners in the stem amniotes ancestral to birds and mammals. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A METHODOLOGICAL ADDITION TO THE CROSS‐NATIONAL EMPIRICAL LITERATURE ON SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND HOMICIDE: A FIRST TEST OF THE POVERTY‐HOMICIDE THESIS*

Dozens of cross-national studies of homicide have been published in the last three decades. Although nearly all these studies test for an association between inequality and homicide, no studies test for a poverty—homicide association. This absence is disconcerting given that poverty is one of the most consistent predictors of area homicide rates in the abundant empirical literature on social structure and homicide in the United States. Using a sample that coincides closely with similar recent studies, applying a proxy for poverty (infant mortality) that is commonly employed in noncriminological cross-national research, and controlling for several common covariates (including inequality), this study provides the first test of the poverty—homicide hypothesis at the cross-national level. The results reveal a positive and significant association between a nation's level of poverty and its homicide rate. The findings also suggest that we may need to reassess the strong conclusions about an inequality—homicide association drawn from prior studies, as this relationship disappears when poverty is included in the model.
Characterization of an Autoinhibitory Domain in Human Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase-activated Protein Kinase 2

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-activated protein kinase 2, a Ser/Thr kinase, is phosphorylated and activated by MAP kinase. Sequence analysis of a clone isolated from the human HL-60 cell line revealed a 370-amino acid protein with a proline-rich N terminus, a highly conserved catalytic domain, and a C-terminal region containing a MAP kinase phosphorylation site. To better understand how the kinase is regulated, mutation analysis was used to map the functional domain(s). The wild type recombinant kinase had a low basal activity as detected by phosphorylation of a substrate peptide derived from the N terminus of glycogen synthase. Deletion of the proline-rich N terminus showed little effect on the basal activity. Deletion of the C terminus resulted in a marked increase in catalytic activity either with or without the pretreatment of the kinase by MAP kinase. Further analysis indicated that amino acid residues 339-353 in the C-terminal region were acting as an autoinhibitory domain. A synthetic peptide (RVLKEDKERWEDVK-amide) derived from this autoinhibitory domain inhibited the kinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest a regulatory model for the kinase.
[125I]5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine: a potent and selective ligand for the 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake complex. II. In vivo studies in rats.

Abstract In search of a potent and selective radioiodinated ligand for the 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin or 5-HT) uptake complex, we synthesized and evaluated the in vitro properties of [ 125 I]5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine. The binding properties and pharmacological profile of this radioligand were studied in rat brain homogenates, and it was found to display high affinity and selectivity for the serotonin uptake complex. Scatchard analysis of the binding data indicated a single population of sites with a K d of23 ± 6pM and aB max of 430 ± 50 fmol/mg protein (mean ±S.E.M., n - 7). Inhibitors of serotonin uptake were the most efficient competitors for [ 125 I]5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine binding with K i values similar in rank order and magnitude to those obtained in studies of other established serotonin uptake blockers. Inhibitors of dopamine and norepinephrine uptake as well as a wide variety of postsynaptic receptor agents were relatively ineefective in inhibiting [ 125 I]5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine binding to rat brain membranes. Serotonin was the only monoaminergic neurotransmitter capable of effectively competing for [ 125 I]5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine binding sites and gave a K i value of 2.8 ± 0.6 μM. Lesions of the serotonergic system with p -chloroamphetamine resulted in a dramatic loss 90%of [ 125 I]5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine binding to rat cortical membranes. Non-radiolabeled 5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine potently inhibited the binding of [ 3 H]paroxetine to serotonin reuptake sites in rat cortical membranes with a K i of 0.17 ± 0.06n M . These results demonstrate that 5-iodo-6-nitroquipazine is a potent and selective ligand for the serotonin uptake complex, and the [ 125 I]-labeled radioligand has an advantage of detecting low levels of binding sites.
Iterative guidance applied to generalized missions.

Iterative guidance mode /IGM/ applied to effective gravity vector prediction, acceleration measurement of noise sensistivity and energy limitations
Evolution of Enzymatic Activities in the Enolase Superfamily: l-Rhamnonate Dehydratase†‡

The l-rhamnonate dehydratase (RhamD) function was assigned to a previously uncharacterized family in the mechanistically diverse enolase superfamily that is encoded by the genome of Escherichia coli K-12. We screened a library of acid sugars to discover that the enzyme displays a promiscuous substrate specificity: l-rhamnonate (6-deoxy- l-mannonate) has the "best" kinetic constants, with l-mannonate, l-lyxonate, and d-gulonate dehydrated less efficiently. Crystal structures of the RhamDs from both E. coli K-12 and Salmonella typhimurium LT2 (95% sequence identity) were obtained in the presence of Mg (2+); the structure of the RhamD from S. typhimurium was also obtained in the presence of 3-deoxy- l-rhamnonate (obtained by reduction of the product with NaBH 4). Like other members of the enolase superfamily, RhamD contains an N-terminal alpha + beta capping domain and a C-terminal (beta/alpha) 7beta-barrel (modified TIM-barrel) catalytic domain with the active site located at the interface between the two domains. In contrast to other members, the specificity-determining "20s loop" in the capping domain is extended in length and the "50s loop" is truncated. The ligands for the Mg (2+) are Asp 226, Glu 252 and Glu 280 located at the ends of the third, fourth and fifth beta-strands, respectively. The active site of RhamD contains a His 329-Asp 302 dyad at the ends of the seventh and sixth beta-strands, respectively, with His 329 positioned to function as the general base responsible for abstraction of the C2 proton of l-rhamnonate to form a Mg (2+)-stabilized enediolate intermediate. However, the active site does not contain other acid/base catalysts that have been implicated in the reactions catalyzed by other members of the MR subgroup of the enolase superfamily. Based on the structure of the liganded complex, His 329 also is expected to function as the general acid that both facilitates departure of the 3-OH group in a syn-dehydration reaction and delivers a proton to carbon-3 to replace the 3-OH group with retention of configuration.
A moving-horizon hybrid stochastic game for secure control of cyber-physical systems

Security of cyber-physical systems (CPS) is a challenge for increasingly integrated systems today. To analyze and design detection and defense mechanisms for CPSs requires new system frameworks. In this paper, we establish a zero-sum hybrid stochastic game model, that can be used for designing defense policies for cyber-physical systems against attackers of different types. The hybrid game model contains physical states described by the system dynamics, and a cyber state that represents the detection mode of the system. A system selects a subsystem by combining one controller, one estimator and one detector among a finite set of candidate components at each state. In order to provide scalable and real-time computation of the switching strategies, we propose a moving-horizon approach to solve the zero-sum hybrid stochastic game, and obtain a saddle-point equilibrium policy for balancing the system's security overhead and control cost. This approach leads to a real-time algorithm that yields a sequence of Nash equilibrium strategies which can be shown to converge. The paper illustrates these concepts using numerical examples, and we compare the results with previously known designs.
A calmodulin-regulated protein kinase linked to neuron survival is a substrate for the calmodulin-regulated death-associated protein kinase.

Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a calmodulin (CaM)-regulated protein kinase and a drug-discovery target for neurodegenerative diseases. However, a protein substrate relevant to neuronal death had not been described. We identified human brain CaM-regulated protein kinase kinase (CaMKK), an enzyme key to neuronal survival, as the first relevant substrate protein by using a focused proteomics- and informatics-based approach that can be generalized to protein kinase open reading frames identified in genome projects without prior knowledge of biochemical context. First, DAPK-interacting proteins were detected in yeast two-hybrid screens and in immunoprecipitates of brain extracts. Second, potential phosphorylation site sequences in yeast two-hybrid hits were identified on the basis of our previous results from positional-scanning synthetic-peptide substrate libraries and molecular modeling. Third, reconstitution assays using purified components demonstrated that DAPK phosphorylates CaMKK with a stoic...
Arterial stiffness and the systolic hypertension syndrome.

Purpose of reviewThis review is intended to provide the background for a new comprehensive hemodynamic view of the syndrome of systolic or wide pulse pressure hypertension and its hallmark abnormality: increased central arterial stiffness.Recent findingsStudies of the pathogenesis of systolic hypert
Cryoprotective Effects of Sugar, Polyols, and/or Phosphates on Alaska Pollack Surimi

Freeze-induced protein denaturation of pollack surimi was investigated as affected by the addition of sugar and/or polyol, including a starch hydrolysate product, and/or phosphates during 8 months frozen storage. Polydextrose® appeared to substitute for the sucrose/sorbitol now used in surimi manufacture without changes in cryoprotective effect. The maltodextrin adversely affected gel-forming properties, although it maintained the salt-soluble protein extractability nearly as well as did sucrose/sorbitol or Polydextrose®. The cryoprotective effects of phosphate addition seemed to depend upon the pH and/or specific phosphate ion used.
Compressive Sensing Hyperspectral Imager

Compressive sensing based hyperspectral imaging is investigated and compared with its raster scan counterpart. Data acquisition and compression are realized simultaneously which greatly decreases the measurement time and storage volume while increasing the signal fidelity.
Microloading characterization of 300-mm etch and CMP tools

An investigation of the microloading effects form the 300mm wafer Etch and CMP polish processes was done at SC300, a joint venture between Motorola and Infineon Technologies for 300mm wafer, process and equipment development in Dresden, Germany. Test wafers were constructed to approximate the structural features of DRAM and microprocessors devices, and standard or scaled-up processes were run to identify potential limitations and defects. Oxide dielectric etch and CMP process instability and microloading effects are know n to cause significant device yield loss.
Thermal diffusion and chemical kinetics in laminar biomaterial due to heating by a free-electron laser

We have theoretically investigated the role of thermal diffusion and chemical kinetics as a possible dynamic explanation for the preferential ablative properties of infrared radiation from a free-electron laser (FEL). The model is based on a laminar system composed of alternating layers of protein and saline. We have compared exposure to 3 microm where water is the main absorber and 6.45 microm where both water and protein absorb. The picosecond pulses of the superpulse are treated as a train of impulses. We find that the heating rates are sufficient to superheat the outer saline layers on the nanosecond time scale, leading to explosive vaporization. We also find that competition between the layer-specific heating rates and thermal diffusion results in a wavelength-dependent separation in layer temperatures. We consider the onset of both chemical bond breaking and the helix-coil transition of protein prior to vaporization in terms of the thermal, chemical, and structural properties of the system as well as laser wavelength and pulse structure. There is no evidence for thermal bond breaking on these time scales. At 6.45 microm, but not 3 microm, there is evidence for a significant helix-coil transition. While the native protein is ductile, the denatured protein exhibits brittle fracture. This model provides a dynamic mechanism to account for the preferential ablative properties observed with FEL radiation tuned near 6.45 microm.
Some statistical issues in the design of HIV-1 vaccine and treatment trials:

This article summarizes material on statistical issues in the design of HIV-1 preventive vaccine trials and antiretroviral HIV-1 treatment trials that was presented at the first school on Modern Statistical Methods in Medical Research, held at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, in September 1999. Design issues for the two trial types are discussed separately and are compared, which highlights the relative complexity of vaccine trials. Vaccine trial designs for assessing various vaccine effects are considered, including classical double-blind individual-randomized designs for evaluating biological vaccine effects on susceptibility to infection, and augmented partners, cluster-randomized, and infant designs for evaluating biological vaccine effects on infectiousness as well as on susceptibility. Within these designs, covered topics include surrogate endpoints for measuring vaccine effects on secondary transmission and on HIV-1 disease progression, and exploratory and confirmatory m...
A New Dyad Based on C60 and a Conjugated Dimethylaniline-Substituted Dithienylethylene Donor

A facile synthesis of the title compound is described, and its optical and electrochemical properties are discussed.
Opposite effects of prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens infusions of flupenthixol on stimulant-induced locomotion and brain stimulation reward

Ventral tegmental area (VTA) stimulation produced conditioned place preferences for stimulation-paired environments the magnitudes of which were dose-dependently reduced by systemic application of the dopamine antagonist, haloperidol (0.0, 0.15, 0.3 mg/kg). Bilateral microinjections of cis-flupenthixol (FLU) into the nucleus accumbens (0.0, 1.0, 5.0 or 10.0 μg) also resulted in reductions in the size of stimulation-induced place preferences was either unaffected (1.0 and 5.0 μg groups) or slightly increased (10 μg group) and amphetamine-stimulated hyperlocomotion was dose-dependently potentiated. These behavioral findings suggest a dopamine-mediated modulatory role for the PFC over reward relevant elements within the nucleus accumbens.
In the zone: virtual computing on a budget

In this paper, we report on our efforts, extending over several years, to provide computer science students experience with a variety of operating system and computing environments. We describe our explorations into the use of virtual machine environments for instructional purposes, explorations that have led to the current multifaceted approach to virtualization. We also demonstrate that implementing a diverse, sophisticated virtual computing environment does not require a large investment in computer hardware, in fact it can lead to a cost saving by extending the useful life of systems and reducing the complexity of system administration.
Temporal trends in urban and rural blood lead concentrations

A long term programme to assess the impact of reduced lead emissions in the UK has been established in central London and rural Suffolk. Blood lead concentrations of 5 and 6 year old children and their mothers both show an urban-rural difference of about 1.5 μg/dl, which is related to the urban-rural differences in air and dust lead concentrations between areas.
Challenges for development of hepatitis C virus vaccines.

Impediments to the development of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine are reviewed. Foremost is the perception that the limited transmissability of HCV, and reduced spread by blood-associated routes, make this a low priority target. It is argued that such a vaccine may have an important therapeutic use in the treatment of chronic HCV carriers of which an estimated 30 million exist worldwide. An HCV vaccine would also have prophylactic use in multivalent (hepatitis) vaccines, and in the developing world. An effective HCV vaccine vaccine will not be easy to develop. The high variability of the viral proteins, especially that of the envelope proteins, provide a major challenge. The association of HCV with very low density lipoproteins renders a major proportion of the virions non-neutralizable, a further challenge. It may be necessary to design an HCV vaccine which acts primarily through the generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes reactive with conserved epitopes displayed on the surface of infected cells.
Evolution of the prohormone convertases: identification of a homologue of PC6 in the protochordate amphioxus.

Many of the protein precursors traversing the secretory pathway undergo cleavage at multibasic sites to generate their bioactive forms. The proprotein convertases (PCs), a family of subtilisin-like proteases, are the major endoproteases that serve this function. Genes encoding seven distinct members of this family have so far been characterized in vertebrates: furin, PC2, PC1/PC3, PC4, PACE4, PC5/PC6 and PC7/PC8/LPC. Multiple PC genes have also been cloned from a number of invertebrates, including Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. These findings suggest that gene duplication and diversification of the PCs have occurred throughout metazoan evolution. To investigate the structural and functional changes which have occurred during vertebrate development, we have analyzed the expression of PC genes in the protochordate amphioxus. We have previously shown that amphioxus express homologous PC2 and PC1/PC3 genes [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92 (1995) 3591]. Here we report the characterization of amphioxus cDNAs encoding proteases with a high degree of similarity to mammalian PC6. Three cDNAs encoding three PC6 isoforms differing only in their carboxy-terminal sequences were found, derived by alternative splicing. Two isoforms appear to be soluble enzymes, whereas the third contains a transmembrane hydrophobic segment and thus is likely to be membrane-bound. All three variants contain many repeats of a cysteine-rich motif that is found in several other PC family members. Thus, amphioxus, like the vertebrates, expresses two types of PCs, e.g., PC2 and PC1/PC3 which function in the regulated secretory pathway in neuroendocrine cells, and the more widely expressed PC6 which functions mainly in the constitutive pathway.
Civil Commitment: The Relationship Between Perceived Dangerousness and Mental Illness

It may be considered unbecoming to appear overly enamored of another's research. That appearance risks collegial opprobrium for the seeming abdication of one's critical faculties. It is thus with caution that I observe that the series of three articles by Segal et al1-3in this issue are remarkably thoughtful and thought provoking. They do what good research should: answer previously unanswered questions, suggest new ones, interweave the relevant literature, and grapple with the policy implications of their conclusions. For articles about civil commitment, this latter point is particularly necessary. Notwithstanding the sophistication of their observations, the authors make but three fundamental points, points that fit not so coincidentally the publishing format. Besides reviewing the literature and discussing their methodology, the first article essentially concludes that the clinicians in those settings observed by the authors follow a predictableSee also pp 748, 753, and 759.set of rules in determining
Ras and Rap: Are Former Enemies Now Friends?

The small GTPase Rap1 was originally thought to function as an antagonist of Ras. A recent paper by Mishra et al. (2005) provides evidence that Ras and Rap1 function in parallel to activate Raf downstream of the Torso receptor tyrosine kinase in Drosophila .
Unexplained fever in young children: how to manage severe bacterial infection

Fever with no clear source of infection in children under 3 years old carries a small but important risk of sepsis and meningitis. This review describes the bacterial causes of such infection and the appropriate management in different age groups Fever in infants has been defined as a rectal temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher. In older children, a rectal temperature of 38.4°C (101.1°F) or an oral temperature of 37.8°C (100°F) is generally considered abnormal.1 Most young children with fever and no focus of infection present with a self limiting viral illness that does not need any treatment and disappears without sequelae. Urinary tract infection is another important cause of fever in young children who are febrile with no focus of infection.2 However, a few children may eventually develop occult bacteraemia that may be associated with serious bacterial infection. Multiple studies have tried to identify children who seem well but have a serious infection and to evaluate the potential treatments. This review discusses the bacterial causes, essential diagnostic tests, clinical assessment, judicious use of antibiotics, and follow up in unexplained, difficult to diagnose bacterial infection causing fever in young children. I gathered information by searching Medline, using personal archives, and reading relevant literature. The review and recommendations are based on observational studies and systematic reviews. Many organisms can cause febrile occult infection in young children. Their distribution is seasonal and varies in different age groups. Substantial overlap exists, however (box 1). The main bacterial causes of infection in children aged under 1 month are listed in box 1. Viral agents (mostly Herpes simplex and enteroviruses) can also cause life threatening febrile infection in this age group.3 Most infections in children over 3 months are caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (in non-immunised children), Neisseria meningitidis, or Salmonella spp. Staphylococcus …
Decreased natural and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activities in intravenous drug abusers.

Abstract Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 14 adult male patients admitted to the hospital with complications of intravenous drug abuse (IDA) were examined for natural killer (NK) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic (ADCC) activities, lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and interferon (IFN)- and interleukin 2 (IL-2)-induced NK activity. Serum was also assayed for circulating interferon levels and soluble factor(s) capable of suppressing the cytotoxic potential of allogeneic lymphocytes from healthy donors. IDA patients demonstrated significantly decreased levels of NK and ADCC activities compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The lectin, phytohemagglutinin, could significantly enhance the cytotoxicity of IDA lymphocytes: however, activity was not completely restored to normal levels. IDA sera demonstrated a significant inhibitory effect on the NK and ADCC activities of normal allogeneic lymphocytes, and these sera contained negligible levels of circulating IFN. Although the NK activity of IDA lymphocytes could not be restored completely to normal levels by either IFN-α or IL-2 the percentage enhancement of cytotoxicity was remarkably higher in IDA patients with significantly reduced NK activity than that observed using PBL from patients with near normal NK activity. The ability of IFN or IL-2 to enhance the decreased cytotoxicity of PBL from drug abusers suggests a novel therapeutic approach to the management of the complications of IDA.
Application of heavy stable isotopes in forensic isotope geochemistry: A review

Light stable isotopes have been used for many years to characterize the source and transport of materials. More recently heavy isotope systems such as Sr, Nd and Pb have been added to this list in order to aid source identification. With the advent of multiple collector ICP-MS, the range of isotopic tools now available has increased considerably, however, until the isotope systematics of these new non-traditional isotope systems have become better understood, they will not be as useful in characterizing material source and transportation. Applications using heavy metal stable isotopes (mostly traditional heavy isotopes) have reached most avenues in science, including earth sciences, archaeology, anthropology, animal physiology, ecology and toxicology. This field will continue to grow as new applications are developed and techniques become simpler and quicker. This paper provides a review of how this field has grown and presents two new applications using Pb and Sr isotopes in glazes to determine the source of ore used in glazes, and using Sr isotopes to determine the origin of undocumented deceased Mexican border crossers.
Liver transplantation with preservation of the inferior vena cava: lessons learned through 2,000 cases.

Background We aim to demonstrate the utility and efficacy of the "piggyback technique" (PBT); liver transplant (LT) with caval preservation. Study Design Adult LTs were performed with intent to use the PBT except in cases of juxtacaval malignancy or technical difficulty. Hepatic venous outflow was established between the donor suprahepatic cava and the joined ostia of all recipient suprahepatic veins. Technical variants with the donor cava and recipient retrohepatic cava were used as needed. The experience was divided into 2 eras: E1 (1994-2002), E2 (2002-2010). Results We completed 945 of 1080 LTs in E1 (87.5%) and 851 of 920 LTs in E2 (92.5%) using the PBT. Thirty day mortality was 4.6% in E1, 3% in E2 (p = 0.02) with 2 intra-operative deaths in E1. One, 3, 5 year patient survival was 83.7, 75.6, 69.3% in E1 vs. 86, 78.4, 73.8% in E2 (p = 0.057). Graft survival was 77.7, 69, 62.3% in E1 vs. 84, 76.2, 71.2% in E2 (p Conclusions The PBT can be used as the preferred technique in adult LT. With experience, the technique was used more frequently, with more variants, with improved outcomes. Outflow obstruction was a rare complication.
On the error analysis of vertical line pair-based monocular visual odometry in urban area

When a robot travels in urban area, Global Positional System (GPS) signals might be obstructed by buildings. Hence visual odometry is a choice. We notice that the vertical edges from high buildings and poles of street lights are a very stable set of features that can be easily extracted. Thus, we develop a monocular vision-based odometry system that utilizes the vertical edges from the scene to estimate the robot ego-motion. Since it only takes a single vertical line pair to estimate the robot ego-motion on the road plane, here we model the ego-motion estimation process and analyze how the choice of different vertical line pair impacts the accuracy of the ego-motion estimation process. The resulting closed form error model can assist to choose an appropriate pair of vertical lines to reduce the error in computation. We have implemented the proposed method and validated the error analysis results in physical experiments.
Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) enhances the anti-proliferative effects of adriamycin and tamoxifen in breast cancer

The current treatment of breast carcinomas recognizes the importance of combination therapy in order to increase efficacy and decrease side effects of conventional chemotherapy. Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), a naturally occurring polyphosphorylated carbohydrate, has shown a significant anti-cancer effect in various in vivo and in vitro models, including breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the in vitro growth inhibitory activity of IP6 in combination with adriamycin or tamoxifen, against three human breast cancer cell lines: estrogen receptor (ER) alpha-positive MCF-7, ER alpha-negative MDA-MB 231 and adriamycin-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/Adr) using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Much lower concentrations of IP6 were required after 96 h of treatment to inhibit the growth of MCF-7/Adr cells than MCF-7 cells; the IC50 for MCF-7/Adr cells was 1.26 mM compared to 4.18 mM for MCF-7 cells. The ER-negative MDA-MB 231 cells were also highly sensitive to IP6 with IC50 being 1.32 mM. To determine the effects of IP6 in combination with either adriamycin or tamoxifen, the median effect principle and Webb's fraction method were used to determine the combination index (CI) and the statistical differences. Growth suppression was markedly increased when IP6 was administered prior to the addition of adriamycin, especially against MCF-7 cells (CI = 0.175 and p < 0.0001). Synergism was also observed when IP6 was administered after tamoxifen in all three cell lines studied (CI = 0.343, 0.701 and 0.819; p < 0.0001, p = 0.0003 and 0.0241 for MCF-7/Adr, MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231, respectively). The growth of primary culture of breast cancer cells from patients was inhibited by IP6 with LC50 values ranging from 0.91 to 5.75 mM (n = 10). Our data not only confirm that IP6 alone inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells; but it also acts synergistically with adriamycin or tamoxifen, being particularly effective against ER alpha-negative cells and adriamycin-resistant cell lines.
High School Student Athletes: Associations Between Intensity of Participation and Health Factors

This paper addresses and compares the impact of organized, more intensive sports participation with lower intensity participation among high school student-athletes. Subjects included 770 high school students who reported being active in organized school sports. Mental health, physical health, and coping skills were assessed as indicated by factor scores derived from the Juvenile Wellness and Health Survey (JWHS-76). Results indicate that compared to students who were less active, competitive sports participation was associated with fewer mental health problems, fewer total risks, and fewer eating and dietary problems for both girls and boys. These results provide initial support for the association between youth participation in competitive sports and mental health.
Cardiovascular Disease : A Historic Perspective.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States and in most industrialized nations. Major breakthroughs to modern day cardiovas­ cularllipid research have been attributed to the findings of the Framingham Heart Study and Gofman and colleagues who made associations between lipoprotein levels (LDL, VLDL and HDL) and CVD. Unfortunately, half of all CVD patients have none of the established coronary risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity) and new strategies for identifying patients need be considered. Although there remains little disagreement regarding the necessity to lower elevated plasma cholesterol levels, there remains much controversy regarding appropriate dietary means to accomplish this goal. The National Cholesterol Education Program (1993) pro­ posed a dietary reduction (Step I and Step IT diets) to the percent saturated fat and choles­ terol consumed by at-risk patients. Many currently question about the effectiveness of these diets and an alternative diet, replacing saturated fats by monounsaturated fats (olive oil) , has attracted recent attention. While diet modification is considered the foundation of primary treatment, other inter­ ventions are frequently required. Although early drug trials demonstrated that agents such as nicotinic acid, clofibrate, gemfibrozil, bile acid-binding resins generally slowed pro­ gression of atherosclerotic lesions, lowered plasma cholesterol levels and decreased mortal­ ity from CVD, the greatest advance to current drug therapy involved the discovery of the "statins" (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors). In the current work, mechanisms for vascular dysfunction resulting in myocardial ischemia were explored and potential nutritional (dietary) and pharmacologic interventions were reviewed.
The Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Performance: Progress and Prospects

We describe why human resource management (HRM) decisions are likely to have an important and unique influence on organizational performance. Our hope is that this research forum will help advance ...
Determinants of Zinc Potentiation on the α4 Subunit of Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors

We have shown previously that the function of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can be modulated by zinc. This modulation varies from potentiation to inhibition, depending on receptor subunit composition and zinc concentration, with the alpha4beta2 and alpha4beta4 receptors displaying the most dramatic potentiation. In this study, we used site-directed mutagenesis to identify glutamate 59 and histidine 162 on the rat alpha4 subunit as potential mediators of zinc potentiation. By modeling the extracellular domain of the receptor pentamer, we locate these residues to two subunit-subunit interfaces that alternate with the two acetylcholine-binding interfaces. Substitution of a cysteine at either position allows additional reduction of zinc potentiation upon treatment with the methanethiosulfonate reagents N-biotinoylaminoethyl methanethiosulfonate (MTSEA-biotin) and [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl] methanethiosulfonate. Mutagenesis and methanethiosulfonate treatment are most effective at position 162, and the presence of zinc hinders the reaction of MTSEA-biotin with the substituted cysteine at this position, suggesting that alpha4His162 participates in forming a coordination site for zinc. Mutagenesis and methanethiosulfonate treatment are less effective at position 59, suggesting that whereas alpha4Glu59 may be near the zinc coordination site, it may not be participating in coordination of the zinc ion. It is noteworthy that the position of alpha4Glu59 within the neuronal nAChR is identical to that of a residue that lines the benzodiazepine-binding site on GABA(A) receptors. We suggest that the zinc potentiation sites on neuronal nAChRs are structurally and functionally similar to the benzodiazepine-binding sites on GABA(A) receptors.
Using the Propensity Score Method to Estimate Causal Effects A Review and Practical Guide

Evidence-based management requires management scholars to draw causal inferences. Researchers generally rely on observational data sets and regression models where the independent variables have not been exogenously manipulated to estimate causal effects; however, using such models on observational data sets can produce a biased effect size of treatment intervention. This article introduces the propensity score method (PSM)—which has previously been widely employed in social science disciplines such as public health and economics—to the management field. This research reviews the PSM literature, develops a procedure for applying the PSM to estimate the causal effects of intervention, elaborates on the procedure using an empirical example, and discusses the potential application of the PSM in different management fields. The implementation of the PSM in the management field will increase researchers’ ability to draw causal inferences using observational data sets.
Roles of Amino Acid Residues Surrounding Phosphorylation Site 1 of Branched-chain α-Ketoacid Dehydrogenase (BCKDH) in Catalysis and Phosphorylation Site Recognition by BCKDH Kinase (∗)

Branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase is regulated by reversible phosphorylation of serine 293 (site 1) on the E1α subunit. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis was used to examine the roles of residues surrounding serine 293 in catalysis by the dehydrogenase and in substrate recognition by branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase. Alanine substitution of serine 293 resulted in a 10-fold increased Km for α-ketoisovalerate, a less increased (2.8-fold) Kmfor α-ketoisocaproate, but no change in Vmax or the Km for thiamine pyrophosphate. Alanine substitutions of arginine 288, histidine 292, and aspartate 296, residues highly conserved among α-ketoacid dehydrogenases, resulted in inactive enzymes. Each of the inactive E1 mutants bound to the E2 core subunit with equal affinity as wild-type E1, and each produced circular dichroism spectra identical to that of wild-type E1. Two mutations, H292A and S293E, abolished the ability of E1 apoenzyme to reconstitute with thiamine pyrophosphate. Each alanine-substituted E1 was phosphorylated at site 1 by branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase with similar rates, with the exception of the R288A mutant, which displayed no detectable phosphorylation. Thiamine pyrophosphate inhibited the phosphorylation of all mutant enzymes with the exception of H292A, the mutant E1 that did not bind thiamine pyrophosphate.
Maternal correlates of growth in toddler vocabulary production in low-income families.

This study investigated predictors of growth in toddlers’ vocabulary production between the ages of 1 and 3 years by analyzing mother–child communication in 108 low-income families. Individual growth modeling was used to describe patterns of growth in children’s observed vocabulary production and predictors of initial status and between-person change. Results indicate large variation in growth across children. Observed variation was positively related to diversity of maternal lexical input and maternal language and literacy skills, and negatively related to maternal depression. Maternal talkativeness was not related to growth in children’s vocabulary production in this sample. Implications of the examination of longitudinal data from this relatively large sample of low-income families are discussed.
Removal of subdural-peritoneal shunts in infants.

A common method of treating subdural collections is the insertion of a unilateral subdural-peritoneal shunt. In most cases, the shunt can be removed a few months later, but there is the anxiety that removal could cause complications and some surgeons elect to leave the shunts permanently implanted, on the understanding that they are not causing problems. A retrospective review was performed of patients who had their subdural shunts removed after CT evidence of resolution of the collections, with the intention of assessing the possible risks and benefits. Of the 19 patients who had insertion of a subdural shunt for infantile subdural collections by a single surgeon between 1999 and 2003, 14 were eligible for removal of the shunt and 13 had the shunt removed, while in 1 patient the parents refused the option of removal. Mean age at shunt insertion was 9.1 months (range 1.5–25.4 months). The mean shunt implantation time was 5 months (range 0.5–11 months). The mean follow-up period was 30.3 months (range 1–59 months). All shunts were removed successfully without complications. There was difficulty in removing the shunt in one case (implantation time 10 months) because of migration of the shunt, requiring extension of the incision and a small craniectomy. None of the patients required re-insertion of the shunt. Subdural shunts can be removed safely, but it is advisable to perform such an operation during the first 6 months after insertion to avoid undue operative difficulties.
Critique on the use of the delta distribution for the analysis of trawl survey data

The sample mean, as an estimator of the population mean, is recognized as being sensitive to the presence of the occasional extreme observation that can occur, especially when sampling from a highly skewed distribution. When sample data are non-negative and right-skewed, the minimum variance unbiased estimator of the mean of the delta distribution (-distribution) has been proposed as an appropriate alternative to the sample mean. Demersal trawl data were used to compare the behaviour of these two estimators. For the survey data analyzed, the -distribution estimate of the mean was found to be greater than the sample mean, on average twice as large. Empirical populations were constructed by combining data from 16 annual surveys, so that sampling could be conducted from known populations. Goodnessof-fit tests on samples from these populations could not reliably detect the departure from the assumed lognormality for the positive observations in the samples. For these populations, however, the -distribution estimator of the mean was found to be a positively biased estimator of the mean, indicating that this estimator is not robust to seemingly small departures from the assumed -distribution. 2000 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Optimization via Reflection on Work Stealing in TBB

Intelreg Threading Building Blocks (Intelreg TBB) is a C++ library for parallel programming. Its templates for generic parallel loops are built upon nested parallelism and a work-stealing scheduler. This paper discusses optimizations where the high-level algorithm inspects or biases stealing. Two optimizations are discussed in detail. The first dynamically optimizes grain size based on observed stealing. The second improves prior work that exploits cache locality by biased stealing. This paper shows that in a task stealing environment, deferring task spawning can improve performance in some contexts. Performance results for simple kernels are presented.
Insomnia, Psychiatric Disorders, and the Transdiagnostic Perspective

Insomnia commonly occurs along with other psychiatric disorders. I aim to address two issues that arise from this observation. First, insomnia is commonly assumed to be epiphenomenal to the so-called “primary” psychiatric disorder. On the basis of new evidence, I argue instead that insomnia may be an important but under-recognized mechanism in the multifactorial cause and maintenance of psychiatric disorders. Second, insomnia may be a transdiagnostic process—a process that is common across psychiatric disorders. The move to identify and study transdiagnostic processes contrasts with the standard “disorder focused” approach in which classification systems and research programs specialize in a single disorder. The latter approach can neglect the intriguing and potentially important similarities across disorders. If it were feasible to develop transdiagnostic treatments, the public health implications would be startling. Research on the role of sleep in psychiatric disorders and tests of the validity and uti...
Nest depth may not compensate for sex ratio skews caused by climate change in turtles

Maternal ability to match nest characteristics with environmental conditions can influence offspring survival and quality, and may provide a mechanism by which animals can keep pace with climate change. In species with temperature-dependent sex determination that construct subterranean nests, the depth of the nest may affect incubation temperatures, and thus offspring sex ratio. Maternal adjustment of nest depth may be a mechanism by which climate change-induced sex ratio skews could be prevented in globally imperiled taxa such as turtles. We experimentally manipulated nest depth within a biologically relevant range in nests of the model turtle species Chrysemys picta. We then quantified the effects of nest depth on incubation regime, offspring sex ratio and offspring performance. We found no effect of nest depth on six parameters of incubation regime, nor on resultant offspring survival, size or sex ratio. However, deeper nests produced hatchlings that weighed less, and were faster at righting themselves and swimming, than hatchlings from shallower nests. We suggest that cues used by females in adjusting nest depth are unreliable as predictors of future incubation conditions, and the adjustment in nest depth required to affect sex ratio in this species may be too great to keep pace with climate change. Therefore, maternal adjustment of nest depth seems unlikely to compensate for climate change-induced sex ratio skews in small-bodied, freshwater turtles.
Drug Abuse Trends among Youth in the United States

Several years of survey data indicate that illicit drug use among U.S. youth was at its highest level in 1979. Generally, the use of some illicit drugs declined progressively throughout the 1980s, stabilized, and then decreased slightly. Reducing illicit drug use among U.S. youth continues to be a priority of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The U.S. government tracks youth illicit drug use through three nationally representative surveys: National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Study, and Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Other surveys include the Partnership Attitudes Tracking Study, conducted annually to assess youth and parental attitudes about drugs, and Drug Abuse Awareness Network (DAWN), a national surveillance system that monitors trends in drug-related emergency department visits and deaths. Although survey methods differ, similar trends in drug use are well documented by these surveys. Among American youth, illicit use of drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana, LSD, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine has remained relatively stable. However, a noteworthy exception is the increased use of MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine). The physical consequences of "club and recreational drug use" are evidenced in the increased numbers of emergency department visits, specifically those related to MDMA and gamma-hydroxy-butyrate use, which may represent a new and emerging trend in illicit drug use.