cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preclinical Studies Support Combined Inhibition of BET Family Proteins and Histone Deacetylases as Epigenetic Therapy for Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma.

Abstract Advanced-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is usually a fatal malignancy despite optimal use of currently available treatments. In this preclinical study of novel CTCL therapy, we performed in vitro and ex vivo experiments to determine the efficacy of combination treatment with a panel of BET bromodomain inhibitors (BETi) (JQ1, OTX015, CPI-0610, I-BET762) and HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) (SAHA/Vorinostat, Romidepsin). BETi/HDACi combinations were synergistic (combination index
The Sun, Sunsets, Sunrises and More

This chapter is all about the Sun, but let’s get the most important thing out of the way first – safety!
Chapter 6: Recruitment in PETE--Interview Results and Discussion.

Background/Purpose: Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs have experienced enrollment decline, leading some PETE faculty to consider increasing efforts to recruit new students to the...
Micromechanical modeling of irreversible thermal strain

Abstract Warping and delamination in material extrusion additive manufacturing (MatEx) parts are well documented and irreversible thermal strain (ITe) has also recently been reported. As parts are built up as a collection of roads, they are analogous to fiber reinforced composites. However, the lack of bonding between the matrix, air, and the reinforcing phase, polymer roads, necessitates the development of a micromechanical model for these parts. In this work, a micromechanical model for MatEx parts is developed to describe bulk part behavior that incorporates void fraction, road morphology, and bonding between and within layers. Previous work suggested ITe occurred within roads. Combining stress accumulation within roads with the micromechanical model successfully predicted ITe and provided a rationale for ITe dependence on both layer thickness and raster angle. These results show ITe can be predicted and, therefore, controlled, making MatEx part annealing more feasible and opening the possibility of one-way shape memory in parts. Additionally, the micromechanical model developed can be used to explain bonding limitations in MatEx based on road and bond geometry.
A Method of Measuring Shear Modulus from -424° to 70°F

Figure 1 illustrates the apparatus for shear-modulus measurements. The specimen to be tested is secured to two concentric stainless steel cylinders. One of the specimen ends is inserted into a brass adapter which screws into a brass fitting soldered to a cylinder 8½ in. long and 2 in. in diameter with 0.1-in. wall thickness. The other end is secured to a small adapter which also screws into a brass fitting soldered to a cylinder 61/8 in. long, of 1½ in. diam, and 0,07 in. in wall thickness. Figure 2 illustrates how each end of the specimen is attached to an adapter. The outer cylinder Is soldered to a stationary brass plate which rests on a one-liter glass dewar. A couple is applied to the inner cylinder by means of slotted brass weights placed on pans. This vertical force is transformed to a horizontal force through a set of pulleys attached to the brass plate. The weight pans are held up with constantan wires which are attached to slots soldered to brass sectors.
Neuroscience of Creativity in Human Computer Interaction

Human computer interaction (HCI) has a rapid growth in designing creative systems and AI agents. The neuroscience of creativity uses different imaging systems, such as electroencephalogram (EEG), to visualize and interpret the brain activations with respect to creativity. This paper presents a survey on the contribution of the neuroscience of creativity in HCI research. It covers two HCI areas, which are computational creativity and brain computer interfaces (BCI). Computational creativity includes two categories: creativity support tools (CST) and co-creative agents. The discussion section compares several studies in term creativity patterns, creative tasks, and neuroscience efforts. There are gaps between neuroscience of creativity and HCI that need more contributions. Future works include evaluating or developing CSTs, improving creative tasks used in computational creativity, or proposing neuroscience of creativity theories in designing creative systems.
Biting Off What Can Be Chewed: Trogocytosis in Health, Infection, and Disease

Trogocytosis is part of an emerging, exciting theme of cell-cell interactions both within and between species, and it is relevant to host-pathogen interactions in many different contexts. Trogocytosis is a process in which one cell physically extracts and ingests "bites" of cellular material from another cell. It was first described in eukaryotic microbes, where it was uncovered as a mechanism by which amoebae kill cells. Trogocytosis is potentially a fundamental form of eukaryotic cell-cell interaction, since it also occurs in multicellular organisms, where it has functions in the immune system, in the central nervous system, and during development. There are numerous scenarios in which trogocytosis occurs and an ever-evolving list of functions associated with this process. Many aspects of trogocytosis are relevant to microbial pathogenesis. It was recently discovered that immune cells perform trogocytosis to kill Trichomonas vaginalis parasites. Additionally, through trogocytosis, Entamoeba histolytica acquires and displays human cell membrane proteins, enabling immune evasion. Intracellular bacteria seem to exploit host cell trogocytosis, since they can use it to spread from cell to cell. Thus, a picture is emerging in which trogocytosis plays critical roles in normal physiology, infection, and disease.
Paracrine regulation of insulin secretion

Pancreatic beta cells are the only cell type in our body capable of producing and secreting insulin to instruct the insulin-sensitive cells and tissues of our bodies to absorb nutrients after a meal. Accurate control of insulin release is of critical importance; too little insulin leads to diabetes, while an excess of insulin can cause potentially fatal hypoglycaemia. Yet, the pancreas of most people will control insulin secretion safely and effectively over decades and in response to glucose excursions driven by tens of thousands of meals. Because we only become aware of the important contributions of the pancreas when it fails to maintain glucose homeostasis, it is easy to forget just how well insulin release from a healthy pancreas is matched to insulin need to ensure stable blood glucose levels. Beta cells achieve this feat by extensive crosstalk with the rest of the endocrine cell types in the islet, notably the glucagon-producing alpha cells and somatostatin-producing delta cells. Here I will review the important paracrine contributions that each of these cells makes to the stimulation and subsequent inhibition of insulin release in response to a transient nutrient stimulation, and make the case that a breakdown of this local crosstalk contributes to the pathophysiology of diabetes. Graphical abstract.
High‐Fat and High‐Sucrose Diets Impair Time‐of‐Day Differences in Spatial Working Memory of Male Mice

Objective This study aimed to investigate both the long-term and short-term impacts of high-fat diets (HFD) or high-sucrose diets (HSD) on the normal diurnal pattern of cognitive function, protein expression, and the molecular clock in mice. Methods This study used both 6-month and 4-week feeding strategies by providing male C57BL/6J mice access to either a standard chow, HFD, or HSD. Spatial working memory and synaptic plasticity were assessed both day and night, and hippocampal tissue was measured for changes in NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits (GluN2B, GluA1), as well as molecular clock gene expression. Results HFD and HSD both disrupted normal day/night fluctuations in spatial working memory and synaptic plasticity. Mice fed HFD altered their food intake to consume more calories during the day. Both diets disrupted normal hippocampal clock gene expression, and HFD reduced GluN2B levels in hippocampal tissue. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest that both HFD and HSD induce a loss of day/night performance in spatial working memory and synaptic plasticity as well as trigger a cascade of changes that include disruption to the hippocampal molecular clock.
Assessment of alternative methods for informal caregivers to perform patient repositioning tasks.

Abstract Manual patient handling tasks put formal and informal caregivers at risk of musculoskeletal injury. Intervention research to reduce risks to informal caregivers is limited. This study examined effects of slide sheet use when individual informal caregivers performed patient boosting and turning tasks. Three methods of slide sheet use and a baseline method (no slide sheet) were compared, to reposition a 70 kg individual. Muscle activity, ground reaction force, posture, and rating of perceived exertion were significantly affected by task method. Erector Spinae activity was reduced in boosting and turning away tasks with the slide sheet. Shoulder elevation, torso angle, and normalized vertical ground reaction force were also reduced with the slide sheet during boosting. The turn towards task was generally not improved with the slide sheet. Overall, using a slide sheet provided biomechanical benefits to individual caregivers performing two common patient handling tasks: boosting and turning patient away from caregiver.
Revitalizing Essential Facilities

There is a vigorous debate concerning the merits of private control over various types of resources. Treating something as private property grants the property holder the right to exclude others or to grant them access on differing terms. Treating something as an open access commons conversely welcomes all users on a nondiscriminatory basis. The battle over which regime best serves society’s interests exists in numerous areas of the law, including intellectual property, regulated industries, and antitrust. It is also currently in vogue to “propertize,” privatize, and deregulate legal regimes under a variety of rationales all connected with maximizing wealth, supporting price discrimination, promoting allocative efficiency, and internalizing externalities.
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Neuropsychological Functioning.

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is marked by impairments across social, emotional, and academic functioning, but few studies have examined the association between SCT and neuropsychological functioning. The present study examined the associations between SCT and measures of processing speed, executive function, attention, and reaction time. From a larger sample of 8,238 children and adolescents, a subsample of 928 children were overselected for symptoms of SCT or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and compared to a matched control sample of 652 individuals without elevations of ADHD or SCT (age range = 5.9–15.4 years). Multiple regression analyses revealed that symptoms of SCT were independently associated with deficits in nearly all domains assessed by a battery of neuropsychological assessments, including slower processing speed, poorer working memory, decreased inhibition, poorer vigilance, and increased reaction time. Further, weaknesses in all five of these domains remained significant even after symptoms of ADHD-inattention, anxiety, and depression were controlled. These findings add to literature that supports the validity of SCT as a symptom profile separate from ADHD-inattention symptoms.
Black female doctoral students’ mentorship experiences in counselor education

In this transcendental phenomenological investigation, we used qualitative research methodology to explore the mentorship experiences and challenges of Black female doctoral students (N = 10). The ...
Weighted Local Linear Approach to Censored Nonparametric Regression

This article proposes a unified and easily implemented nonparametric regression method for estimating the regression function for censored data under both iid and time series contexts. The basic idea of the method is to use a constructed weighted local likelihood by combining the benefits of the local polynomial fitting. The estimation procedure is implemented and a bandwidth selection criterion, based on the generalized cross-validation criterion, is proposed. Further, the finite sample operating characteristics of the proposed method is examined through simulations, and its usefulness is also illustrated on two real examples. Finally, the consistency and the asymptotic normality of the proposed estimator are established, which provide an insight into the large sample behavior of the proposed estimator. In particular, the explicit expression for the asymptotic variance of the resulting estimator is given and its consistent estimate is provided.
Therapeutcial Effect of 1α-Hydroxyvitamin-D3 in Patients with Hypoparathyroidism after Throidectomy

Massive doses of vitamin D3 or of 25 hydroxyvitamin-D3 (250H-D3) are necessary to raise the serum calcium of patients with hypoparathyroidism (1). Recent data obtained by Kooch and al. (2) have indicated an impaired conversion of 25OH-D3 into lα, 25 dihydro xyvitamin-D3 (lα, 25(OH)2-D3) in patients with hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism. On the basis of the above data we have attempted to test the therapeutic effect of physiologic doses of lα-hydroxyvitamin-D3 (lα-0H-D3) in 2 patients with post-surgical hypoparathyroidism.
The Importance of Conducting Thorough Investigations of Confidential Witnesses in Securities Fraud Litigation

This Article examines the use of confidential witnesses (“CWs”) in investigating and substantiating securities fraud claims. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act has placed a heavy burden on plaintiffs at the pleading stage, which has caused plaintiffs to perform preliminary investigations and seek confidential information as a basis for their allegations in the complaint. Testimony of CWs is often the centerpiece of the evidence substantiating plaintiffs’ securities fraud claims. As a result, the investigation conducted prior to filing an amended complaint has become a central issue in the realm of securities litigation, subject to attack by the defendants. This Article discusses the legal and ethical considerations for contacting former employees of the defendants who may become “confidential informants” that provide invaluable information for substantiating securities fraud claims. The Article further discusses defendants’ tactics in attacking the method of plaintiffs and their counsel’s investigation, subjecting both lead plaintiff and lead counsel to motions for sanctions for alleged Rule 11 violations pertaining to the
Strange attractors with various equilibrium types

Of the eight types of hyperbolic equilibrium points in three-dimensional flows, one is overwhelmingly dominant in dissipative chaotic systems. This paper shows examples of chaotic systems for each of the eight types as well as one without any equilibrium and two that are nonhyperbolic. The systems are a generalized form of the Nose-Hoover oscillator with a single equilibrium point. Six of the eleven cases have hidden attractors, and six of them exhibit multistability for the chosen parameters.
Automated Construction Using Contour Crafting -- Applications on Earth and Beyond

Although automation has advanced in manufacturing, the growth of automation in construction has been slow. Conventional methods of manufacturing automation do not lend themselves to construction of large structures with internal features. This may explain the slow rate of growth in construction automation. Contour Crafting (CC) is a recent layered fabrication technology that has a great potential in automated construction of whole structures as well as sub-components. Using this process, a single house or a colony of houses, each with possibly a different design, may be automatically constructed in a single run, imbedded in each house all the conduits for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning. Our research also addresses the application of CC in building habitats on other planets. CC will most probably be one of the very few feasible approaches for building structures on other planets, such as Moon and Mars, which are being targeted for human colonization before the end of the new century.
Rail-track viewer: an image-based virtual walkthrough system

Complex renderings of synthetic scenes or virtual environments, once deemed impossible for consumer rendering, are becoming available as tools for young artists. These renderings, due to their high-quality image synthesis, can take minutes to hours to render. Nowadays, as the computing power has increased dramatically, the size and complexity of the datasets generated by the super-computer can be overwhelming. It is almost impossible for the visualization techniques to achieve interactive frame rates. Our work focuses on using Image-Based Rendering (IBR) techniques to manage and explore large and complex datasets and virtual scenes on a remote display across the world-wide-web. The key idea for this research is to pre-process the datasets and render key viewpoints on pre-selected paths inside the dataset. We present new techniques to reconstruct approximations to any view along the path, which allows the user to roam around inside the datasets with interactive frame rates. We have implemented the pipeline for generating the sampled key viewpoints and reconstructing panoramic-based IBR models. Our implementation includes an efficient two-phase caching and pre-fetching scheme. The system has been successfully tested on several datasets and satisfying results have been obtained. Analysis of errors is also presented.
Characterizing and Contextualizing the Water Challenges of Megacities

We characterize and compare water challenges confronting the 28 megacities of the world in 2014. Relying on existing literature and diverse primary data sources, we present a unique portrait at a global scale of the water implications of the rapid growth in megacities. We find that differentiating and analyzing the complexity of megacities' water problems based on geographic contexts, historical development trajectories, urban population growth rates, and forms of urban expansion helps explain the nature of the various water management problems they confront. Two governance features also shed light on megacity water challenges: fragmentation resulting from forms of megacity urban expansion; and, urban dualism resulting from contradictions between historical and cultural legacies and the rise of global engineering and technological norms for water management. The increasing vulnerability of megacities to climate change poses risks as well as opportunities for a more collective response to address this global phenomenon. Our analysis raises important questions and offers guidance about the future trajectories of many more large cities around the world that are on their way to becoming megacities.
On schedulability and time composability of data aggregation networks

This paper develops a framework to analyze the latency and delay composition of workflows in a real-time networked aggregation system. These workflows are characterized by different sensor inputs that are processed along parallel branches that eventually merge or fuse to compute the aggregation result. The results for each flow must be produced within certain end-to-end deadlines or else the information would become stale, inaccurate and useless. We extend results developed by the authors recently and consider an end-to-end view of the aggregation system that allows us to derive a much tighter analysis of the end-to-end delay compared to traditional analysis techniques. We then provide a reduction of the aggregation network system to an equivalent hypothetical uniprocessor for the purposes of schedulability analysis. Extensive simulations show that latency bound obtained from the analysis framework is significantly more accurate than that of traditional analysis techniques.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of Ascospores of Schwanniomyces

Abstract Ascospores of the four recognized species of Schwanniomyces were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Spores of S. alluvius, S. castellii, and S. occidentalis, which were essentially identical, had abundant, long protuberances and wide, thin equatorial rings. The two known strains of S. persoonii differed from the other species as well as from each other. One strain had spores with a wide ring but only a few short protuberances; spores from the second strain were covered with craterlike depressions and had a narrow ring. Also examined were spores of Schwanniomyces hominis (=Saccharomyces rosei) which lacked a ring and were covered with short irregularly shaped protuberances, a finding consistent with the morphology of spores from other strains of S. rosei.
An application of COTS Ethernet for avionics

To oversimplify, current aircraft digital buses such as ARINC-429 and ARINC 629 move too little data over too many wires in a manner that is too inflexible. In addition, in some cases they are also expensive to implement. The use of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) standards or components to address these problems is attractive, but brings it's own issues. This paper examines one use of COTS, and some of the issues which have been encountered.
Process Control in the Presence of Constraints

A multivariable control scheme which explicitly includes inequality constraints on the state, control and output variables is developed using a linear programming (LP) formulation. A suboptimal feedback control policy results since the LP calculations are repeated at each sampling instant. A number of important properties related to the LP control problem are obtained from a theoretical analysis. Simulation results illustrate that the on-line computational requirements are modest and that the new LP approach compares favorably with existing methods such as optimal feedback control.
Macaque Masseter Muscle: Internal Architecture, Fiber Length and Cross-Sectional Area

Models of mastication require knowledge of fiber lengths and physiological cross-sectional area (PCS): a proxy for muscle force. Yet only a small number of macaques of various species, ages, and sexes inform the previous standards for masseter muscle architecture. I dissected 36 masseters from 30 adult females of 3 macaque species—Macaca fascicularis, M. mulatta, M. nemestrina—using gross and chemical techniques and calculated PCS. These macaques have mechanically similar dietary niches and exhibit no significant difference in masseter architecture or fiber length. Intramuscular tendons effectively compartmentalize macaque masseters from medial to lateral. Fiber lengths vary by muscle subsection but are relatively conservative among species. Fiber length does not scale with body size (mass) or masseter muscle mass. However, PCS scales isometrically with body size; larger animals have greater force production capabilities. PCS scales positively allometrically with facial size; animals with more prognathic faces and taller mandibular corpora have greater PCS, and hence force, values. This positive allometry counters the less efficient positioning of masseter muscles in longer-faced animals. In each case, differences in PCS among species result from differences in muscle mass not fiber length. Masseter PCS is only weakly correlated with bone proxies previously used to estimate muscle force. Thus predictions of muscle force from bone parameters will entail large margins of errors and should be used with caution.
Methodology of acute trials in stroke.

Publisher Summary Clinical trials are the backbone of evidence-based medicine. To understand the structure and pitfalls of trial design and conduction has to be part of modern medical education. This chapter reviews strategies used in the development and execution of clinical trials, and explains why trials may have failed to reveal well-founded evidence and how future trials can be designed to better find new treatment modalities. Clinical trials are conducted in phases and each phase has specific goals. Obtaining good preclinical data is the foundation of all clinical trials and the data must be considered in light of its applicability for use in humans. It is not helpful to find a compound that reduces stroke size in animal models, but requires prestroke use or shows highly toxic side-effects that would not be tolerated in human stroke victims. In stroke trials, the safety concerns often relate to risk of hemorrhage, worsening of the stroke, and cognitive and metabolic side effects.
A serum bottle modification of the Hungate technique for cultivating obligate anaerobes

The modification described utilizes a serum bottle closed with a butyl rubber stopper with a crimped metal seal for the growth of obligately anaerobic bacteria.
Aberrant vesicular trafficking contributes to altered polarity and metabolism in cancer

Epithelial cancers demonstrate loss of cell polarity, hyperproliferation, and altered cellular metabolism due to acquisition of a suite of genomic aberrations as well as a consequence of metabolic challenges in the tumor microenvironment. Whether these neoplastic properties represent a coordinate process leading to tumor initiation and progression is still poorly understood. In this review, we posit that abnormal vesicular trafficking targets cellular metabolism not just by altering trafficking of receptor tyrosine kinases and nutrient transporters but also by disrupting tight junctions and cell polarity. Apical–basal polarity is required for the formation of normal cellular structures that maintain cellular junctions as well as to regulate asymmetric division of stem cells; disruption of these processes contributes to tumor initiation and progression. Indeed, derailed endocytosis and subsequent aberrations in targeting of vesicles and their cargoes to the correct intracellular compartments is an emerging hallmark of cancer. This chapter will review existing literature to highlight the vicious nexus between trafficking, polarity, and metabolism in order to identify potential “Achilles heels” that can be exploited therapeutically.
Effect of phorbol ester on prostaglandin regulation of proliferation in rabbit endometrial cells.

Abstract We have proposed that two of the endogenously synthesized endometrial prostaglandins, prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ) and prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ), play a regulatory role in growth control of the endometrium. PGF 2α increases DNA synthesis and PGE 1 inhibits that effect. Primary cultures of rabbit endometrial cells were used here to examine the effects of the tumor-promoting, diacylglycerol mimicking, phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), on the prostaglandin control of cell proliferation. TPA treatment of these cultures results in: a decrease in control levels of proliferation and complete inhibition by TPA of PGF 2α stimulated DNA synthesis; a reduction in [ 3 H]PGF 2α binding with short term treatment but an increase to above control binding level with long term treatment; an inhibition of the normal PGF 2α stimulated inositol polyphosphate synthesis; and a small increase in accumulation of PGF 2α in the culture media. Furthermore, in this culture system, TPA does not down regulate [ 3 H]PGE 1 binding; it does not alter the normal PGE 1 stimulation of cAMP synthesis; and it has no effect on the normal endogenous PGE 1 synthesis by these cultures. The above results are consistent with our previous observations that PGF 2α works through the intracellular messengers inositol polyphosphate/diacylglycerol whereas PGE 1 works through cAMP.
Genomic Organization and Expression Demonstrate Spatial and Temporal Hox Gene Colinearity in the Lophotrochozoan Capitella sp. I

Hox genes define regional identities along the anterior–posterior axis in many animals. In a number of species, Hox genes are clustered in the genome, and the relative order of genes corresponds with position of expression in the body. Previous Hox gene studies in lophotrochozoans have reported expression for only a subset of the Hox gene complement and/or lack detailed genomic organization information, limiting interpretations of spatial and temporal colinearity in this diverse animal clade. We studied expression and genomic organization of the single Hox gene complement in the segmented polychaete annelid Capitella sp. I. Total genome searches identified 11 Hox genes in Capitella, representing 11 distinct paralog groups thought to represent the ancestral lophotrochozoan complement. At least 8 of the 11 Capitella Hox genes are genomically linked in a single cluster, have the same transcriptional orientation, and lack interspersed non-Hox genes. Studying their expression by situ hybridization, we find that the 11 Capitella Hox genes generally exhibit spatial and temporal colinearity. With the exception of CapI-Post1, Capitella Hox genes are all expressed in broad ectodermal domains during larval development, consistent with providing positional information along the anterior–posterior axis. The anterior genes CapI-lab, CapI-pb, and CapI-Hox3 initiate expression prior to the appearance of segments, while more posterior genes appear at or soon after segments appear. Many of the Capitella Hox genes have either an anterior or posterior expression boundary coinciding with the thoracic–abdomen transition, a major body tagma boundary. Following metamorphosis, several expression patterns change, including appearance of distinct posterior boundaries and restriction to the central nervous system. Capitella Hox genes have maintained a clustered organization, are expressed in the canonical anterior–posterior order found in other metazoans, and exhibit spatial and temporal colinearity, reflecting Hox gene characteristics that likely existed in the protostome–deuterostome ancestor.
Nutrient release and ecological stoichiometry of freshwater mussels (Mollusca:Unionidae) in 2 small, regionally distinct streams

AbstractEcological stoichiometry is the study of the balance of multiple elements in ecological interactions and processes. We investigated the ecological stoichiometry of freshwater mussels across 3 seasons at 2 sites each in an agricultural watershed (Little Darby Creek [LD], Ohio) and a forested watershed (Upper Ouachita River [OR], Arkansas) (2 species/stream). We used nutrient-release experiments to determine C, N, and P content and elemental ratios in seston and in consumer-driven nutrient recycling (CNR) components (mussel soft tissues, shells, biodeposited material, and excreted nutrients). We focused on seasonal patterns of: 1) biodeposition and excretion rates; 2) seston and CNR component % C, % N, % P, C:N, C:P, and N:P; and 3) degree of homeostasis in mussels. Differences in mass-specific biodeposition and excretion rates were driven largely by seasonal factors. Percent P, C:N, C:P, and N:P of seston were seasonally variable in LD, and % C, % N, % P, C:N, C:P, and N:P of seston were seasonally...
Clusters and supply chain management: the Amish experience

Purpose – To demonstrate the linkage between Porter's cluster theory and supply chain management, and provide evidence of their potential joint positive impact on competitiveness and firm performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the linkage between cluster theory and supply chain management using data from a case study of the Amish furniture industry in Homes County, Ohio, USA.Findings – Using the Amish furniture industry and a representative furniture firm as examples, the paper shows the positive impact of operating within an integrated supply chain in a geographically concentrated cluster.Research limitations/implications – Use of a single case study approach limits the generalizability of the findings; the paper recommends further study of linkages in other industries and locations.Practical implications – The study suggests that firms build competitive advantage by initially focusing primarily on local resources when selecting supply chain partners, rather than looking only for lo...
Nitric oxide synthesis by rat pleural mesothelial cells: induction by growth factors and lipopolysaccharide.

The purpose of this study was to determine if certain growth factors and bacterial products induce pleural mesothelial cells (PMC) to produce nitric oxide (NO). Confluent monolayers of rat PMC were exposed to epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) individually and in various combinations for 24-72 h. Concentrations of nitrite and nitrate were quantified and used as an indirect measure of NO production. LPS stimulation resulted in a significant increase in nitrite/nitrate concentration, but neither EGF nor PDGF alone or combined had any significant effect relative to control. However, LPS combined with either EGF or PDGF caused a significant increase in nitrite/ nitrate concentration relative to LPS alone and growth factor alone. The highest level of nitrite/nitrate concentration was observed with the triple combination of LPS, EGF, and PDGF. Nitrite/nitrate accumulation was significantly increased at 24 h by all combinations, and continued to incr...
Religion and the Internet in the Israeli Orthodox context

This article provides an overview of research on religion and the Internet within the Israeli context, highlighting how Orthodox Jewish groups have appropriated and responded to the Internet. By surveying Orthodox use of the Internet, and giving special attention to the ultra Orthodox negotiations, a number of key challenges that the Internet poses to the Israeli religious sector are highlighted. Exploring these debates and negotiations demonstrates that while the Internet is readily utilized by many Orthodox groups, it is still viewed by some with suspicion. Fears expressed, primarily by ultra Orthodox groups, shows religious leaders often attempt to constrain Internet use to minimize its potential threat to religious social norms and the structure of authority. This article also highlights the need for research that addresses the concerns and strategies of different Orthodox groups in order to offer a broader understanding of Orthodox engagement with the Internet in Israel.
Helium ion-nonmetal charge transfer: an explanation for nonmetal ion emission behavior in helium and argon discharges

Abstract Intense ion line emission from S, P, I, Br and Cl is observed in higher electron density helium plasmas. Evidence is presented suggesting that the mechanism responsible for this phenomenon is charge transfer between He + and ground state nonmetal atoms. This proposed scheme also explains why intense C, N, 0 and F ion emission is not seen in argon and helium discharges. Lastly, the charge transfer mechanism explains why intense S, P, I, Br and Cl ion emission is not seen in argon plasmas.
MsbA Transporter-dependent Lipid A 1-Dephosphorylation on the Periplasmic Surface of the Inner Membrane TOPOGRAPHY OF FRANCISELLA NOVICIDA LpxE EXPRESSED IN ESCHERICHIA COLI

The lipid A anchor of Francisella tularensis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) lacks both phosphate groups present in Escherichia coli lipid A. Membranes of Francisella novicida (an environmental strain related to F. tularensis) contain enzymes that dephosphorylate lipid A and its precursors at the 1- and 4′-positions. We now report the cloning and characterization of a membrane-bound phosphatase of F. novicida that selectively dephosphorylates the 1-position. By transferring an F. novicida genomic DNA library into E. coli and selecting for low level polymyxin resistance, we isolated FnlpxE as the structural gene for the 1-phosphatase, an inner membrane enzyme of 239 amino acid residues. Expression of FnlpxE in a heptose-deficient mutant of E. coli caused massive accumulation of a previously uncharacterized LPS molecule, identified by mass spectrometry as 1-dephospho-Kdo2-lipid A. The predicted periplasmic orientation of the FnLpxE active site suggested that LPS export might be required for 1-dephosphorylation of lipid A. LPS and phospholipid export depend on the activity of MsbA, an essential inner membrane ABC transporter. Expression of FnlpxE in the msbA temperature-sensitive E. coli mutant WD2 resulted in 90% 1-dephosphorylation of lipid A at the permissive temperature (30 °C). However, the 1-phosphate group of newly synthesized lipid A was not cleaved at the nonpermissive temperature (44 °C). Our findings provide the first direct evidence that lipid A 1-dephosphorylation catalyzed by LpxE occurs on the periplasmic surface of the inner membrane.
Quantum coherence and its interplay with protein environments in photosynthetic electronic energy transfer

Recent experiments suggest that electronic energy transfer in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes involves long-lived quantum coherence among electronic excitations of pigments. [Engel et al., Nature, 2007, 446, 782-786.] The observation has led to the suggestion that quantum coherence might play a significant role in achieving the remarkable efficiency of photosynthetic light harvesting. At the same time, the observation has raised questions regarding the role of the surrounding protein in protecting the quantum coherence. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of recent experimental and theoretical investigations of photosynthetic electronic energy transfer paying particular attention to the underlying mechanisms of long-lived quantum coherence and its non-Markovian interplay with the protein environment.
Comparison of On-Farm and Laboratory Milk Progesterone Assays for Identifying Errors in Detection of Estrus and Diagnosis of Pregnancy

A field study was conducted in 10 commercial dairy herds to test the efficacy of a rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to identify errors in detection of estrus and diagnosis of pregnancy. Milk samples were collected at the milking following detection of estrus and on d 21 postinsemination. Progesterone was measured on-farm by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in the laboratory by radioimmunoassay. Agreement between the two methods of progesterone analysis (n = 820) was 89.8%. There were 93 cows (18.7%) by laboratory analysis and 126 cows (25.4%) by on-farm analysis for which concentration of progesterone in the sample collected at suspected estrus (n = 497) was higher than normal estrual values. Exclusion of these cases increased the overall accuracy of pregnancy diagnosis by 6.8 and 6.4% for laboratory and on-farm methods. Overall agreement between pregnancy diagnosis by milk progesterone at d 21 postinsemination and diagnosis by return to estrus or palpation of reproductive organs was 80.5 and 75.8% for laboratory and on-farm methods (75.0% and 69.7% for pregnant cows and 94.5 and 93.9% for nonpregnant cows). These results indicate that an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for milk progesterone performed on-farm was equal in accuracy to a laboratory radioimmunoassay for identifying errors in detection of estrus and diagnosis of pregnancy.
Correlations among Socioeconomic and Family Factors and Academic, Behavioral, and Emotional Difficulties in Filipino Adolescents in Hawai'i:

BACKGROUND: Because of socioeconomic and acculturative challenges faced by immigrant families, Filipino adolescents in Hawaii may be at risk for academic, behavioral and emotional difficulties. AIM: To determine, among Filipino adolescents in Hawaii, whether measures of economic hardship and lower socioeconomic status (SES) correlate positively with poor school performance, aggressive behavior, substance use, anxiety, and depression; and whether family support and cultural identification correlate negatively with these difficulties. METHODS: 216 Filipino adolescents from four public high schools in Hawai'i (1993-1994) were given surveys that assessed basic demographic information, measures of family support and other social variables, and measures of school performance, depression, anxiety, aggression and substance use. RESULTS: In the total sample, low SES seemed to correlate with poor school performance and behavioral and emotional difficulties. In both the total sample and the sub-sample of adolescents with lower SES, family support was a universally strong protective factor. Learning genealogy was positively correlated with school performance, and speaking a language other than English was inversely correlated with substance use (in the whole sample) and depression (in the lower SES sub-sample). CONCLUSIONS: For Filipino adolescents (in both the whole and lower-SES samples), family support was an important protective factor against academic, behavioral and emotional difficulties. The role of cultural identification as a risk or protective factor among Filipino adolescents deserves further investigation. Language: en
Some Exact and Asymptotic Solutions to Single Server Models of Dynamic Storage

We consider models of queue storage, where items arrive accordingly to a Poisson process of rate λ and each item takes up one cell in a linear array of cells, which are numbered {1, 2, 3,…}. The arriving item is placed in the lowest numbered available cell. The total service rate provided to the items is the constant μ (with ρ = λ/μ), but service may be provided simultaneously to more than one item. If there are &#x1d4a9; items stored and each is serviced at the rate μ/&#x1d4a9;, this corresponds to processor-sharing (PS). We analyze several models of this type, which have been shown to provide bounds on the PS model. We shall assume that (1) the server works only on the leftmost item, (2) on the two rightmost items, or (3) on all items by the PS discipline, but with a departure of the rightmost item causing a rearrangement of the items within the cells, so that the wasted space remains unchanged. The set of occupied cells at any time is {i 1, i 2,…, i &#x1d4a9;} where i 1 < i 2 < … <i &#x1d4a9; and we are interested in the wasted space...
Targeted Mutations in the Na,K-ATPase Alpha 2 Isoform Confer Ouabain Resistance and Result in Abnormal Behavior in Mice

Sodium and potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatases (Na,K-ATPase) are ubiquitous, participate in osmotic balance and membrane potential, and are composed of α, β, and γ subunits. The α subunit is required for the catalytic and transport properties of the enzyme and contains binding sites for cations, ATP, and digitalis-like compounds including ouabain. There are four known α isoforms; three that are expressed in the CNS in a regional and cell-specific manner. The α2 isoform is most commonly found in astrocytes, pyramidal cells of the hippocampus in adults, and developmentally in several other neuronal types. Ouabain-like compounds are thought to be produced endogenously in mammals, bind the Na,K-ATPase, and function as a stress-related hormone, however, the impact of the Na,K-ATPase ouabain binding site on neurobehavioral function is largely unknown. To determine if the ouabain binding site of the α2 isoform plays a physiological role in CNS function, we examined knock-in mice in which the normally ouabain-sensitive α2 isoform was made resistant (α2(R/R) ) while still retaining basal Na,K-ATPase enzymatic function. Egocentric learning (Cincinnati water maze) was impaired in adult α2(R/R) mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. They also exhibited decreased locomotor activity in a novel environment and increased responsiveness to a challenge with an indirect sympathomimetic agonist (methamphetamine) relative to WT mice. The α2(R/R) mice also demonstrated a blunted acoustic startle reflex and a failure to habituate to repeated acoustic stimuli. The α2(R/R) mice showed no evidence of altered anxiety (elevated zero maze) nor were they impaired in spatial learning or memory in the Morris water maze and neither group could learn in a large Morris maze. These results suggest that the ouabain binding site is involved in specific types of learning and the modulation of dopamine-mediated locomotor behavior.
Extraction and measurement of prominent flavonoids in orange and grapefruit juice concentrates

Abstract A procedure has been developed for determining levels of the major flavonoids in orange and grapefruit juice concentrates. Following addition of an internal standard, commercial juice concentrates were extracted multiple times with methanol, centrifuged, then filtered. Filtrates were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography employing UV-Vis detection. Flavonoids present in the extracts were separated on a C 18 column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of water-acetonitrile-2-propanol-formic acid (158:23:19:0.2, v/v). A second separation of juice extracts on the same HPLC column with a water-tetrahydrofuran mobile phase (18:7, v/v) was used to confirm the identity of the flavonoids present. By comparing UV-Vis spectra and retention times with commercial standards chromatographed under identical conditions, three flavanone glycosides were identified and quantitated. The two brands of orange juice concentrate examined were found to contain 120 and 150 mg hg −1 hesperidin (where hg corresponds to 100 g), along with 24 and 30 mg hg −1 narirutin. The two brands of grapefruit juice concentrate examined contained 62 and 68 mg hg −1 narirutin, and identical levels of naringin (200 mg hg −1 ). Consistent with several previously published reports, these high levels indicate citrus can be a major source of flavonoids in the diet.
Affinity chromatography of estrogen receptors on diethylstilbestrol-agarose.

Abstract Diethylstilbestrol was coupled to epoxy-activated agarose yielding an affinity resin which is highly efficient for the isolation of estrogen receptors. This resin, diethylstilbestrol-agarose (DES-agarose), bound two proteins (Mr = 50,000 and 65,000) from rabbit uterine cytosol that show a specific interaction with estradiol. A two step procedure—adsorption on DES-agarose followed by a selective elution with p-sec-amylphenol and NaSCN, yielded highly purified estrogen receptors which can be used in the studies of estradiol-receptor interactions with other cell constituents.
Precipitation from mixed solvents-III: Magnesium 8-hydroxyquinolate

Abstract Preferential volatilisation of the organic solvent from a water-acetone mixture leads to the formation of large, grainy, easilyfiltered crystals of magnesium 8-hydroxyquinolate. Using this method, magnesium can be separated satisfactorily from sodium, potassium and barium.
Multilateral Versus Unilateral Sanctions Reconsidered: A Test Using New Data

Policymakers frequently argue that multilateral sanctions are more likely to induce a target state to alter its behavior than are unilateral sanctions. Repeated empirical studies using the familiar Hufbauer, Schott, and Elliot data set demonstrate that unilateral sanctions “work” more often than multilateral sanctions, however. In this study, we subject three theoretical explanations for this counterintuitive finding to additional empirical testing utilizing the new Threat and Imposition of Economic Sanctions (TIES) data. Somewhat surprisingly, the analyses using these new data support the intuition of policymakers; that is, multilateral sanctions do appear to work more frequently than do unilateral sanctions. Our results do support one theoretical argument, based on spatial models, that we test. This explanation holds that whether multilateral or unilateral sanctions are more effective depends on the number of issues at stake and on whether an international institution is involved. Our analyses provide support for these hypotheses.
The possible role of the arterial microcirculation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis

Abstract Figure 3 outlines the microvascular hypothesis of atherosclerosis. We propose that the arterial microcirculation contributes to atherosclerosis through at least three mechanisms. First, injury to arterioles or arteriolar capillaries might cause increased passage of lipoproteins into subintimal tissue (Fig. 3A). This process could continue even when a large fibrous cap prevents transintimal filtration. Second, in areas where vasa vasorum (primary vascularization) are sparse or lacking, removal of lipids and lipoproteins could be retarded enhancing their accumulation (Fig. 3B). Third, defective secondary vascularization of existing plaques could be an additional source of lipoproteins for accumulation of lipids in the arterial wall (Fig. 3C). Thus, we propose that investigators should take a fresh look into the role of the microcirculation as a factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.