cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in ganglioside profile in chick embryo retina: Studies on tissue and cell cultures

Abstract The developmental profile of gangliosides in the neural retina of the chick embryo is characterized by a progressive decrease in the concentration of GD3 complex from a high level on day 6; by a continuous increase in GD1a concentration; and by less striking increases in GD1b and GT1b concentrations during the growth phase; GM1 increases in the post-mitotic retina. Gangliosides were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and by densitometry of the TLC plates. (Ganglioside nomenclature is according to Svennerholm.37) We have examined comparatively ganglioside changes in organ cultures of retina tissue from 6 day embryos (R36), in cell aggregates and in primary monolayer cultures of R26 cells, all maintained for 6 days in vitro. In all cases, the pattern of ganglioside changes was qualitatively similar to that in the retina in vivo. These results suggest that, unlike some other aspects of retina differentiation, the progression of ganglioside changes in the 6–12 day embryonic retina is not critically dependent on histotypic cell organization or on specific contact-dependent cell interactions; these changes appear to be largely preprogrammed in the cells at some earlier phase of development.
Structure-activity relationships and quantitative structure-activity relationships for breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2).

Breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2), the newest ABC transporter, was discovered independently by three groups in the late 1990s. ABCG2 is widely distributed in the body with expression in the brain, intestine, and liver, among others. ABCG2 plays an important role by effluxing drugs at the blood–brain, blood–testis, and maternal–fetal barriers and in the efflux of xenobiotics at the small intestine and kidney proximal tubule brush border and liver canalicular membranes. ABCG2 transports a wide variety of substrates including HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, antibiotics, and many anticancer agents and is one contributor to multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models and structure–activity relationships (SARs) are often employed to predict ABCG2 substrates and inhibitors prior to in vitro and in vivo studies. QSAR models correlate in vivo biological activity to physicochemical properties of compounds while SARs attempt to explain chemical moieties or structural features that contribute to or are detrimental to the biological activity. Most ABCG2 datasets available for in silico modeling are comprised of congeneric series of compounds; the results from one series usually cannot be applied to another series of compounds. This review will focus on in silico models in the literature used for the prediction of ABCG2 substrates and inhibitors.
STAT4 deficiency reduces autoantibody production and glomerulonephritis in a mouse model of lupus

To determine the respective role of the IL-12 and IL-4 pathways in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, we bred the Stat4 and Stat6 null alleles onto the lupus-prone mouse B6.TC, which is a congenic derivative of NZM2410. This model is characterized by abnormal splenocyte expansion, distribution and architecture, T cell activation, peripheral B cell development, production of anti-nuclear antibodies, and proliferative glomerulonephritis. STAT4 deficiency normalized the expression of each of these disease markers toward or to C57BL/6 levels. In contrast, STAT6 deficiency impacted splenocyte expansion and architecture, T cell activation, and anti-nuclear autoantibody production, but without any significant effect on B cell development or renal pathology. These results show that the IL-12/STAT4 pathway is involved in multiple disease-associated phenotypes in the B6.TC mouse. In contrast, the IL-4/STAT6 pathway regulates only a subset of disease markers that did not affect renal pathology.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN STUDENT KNOWLEDGE, PERSONAL CONTACT, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD INDIVIDUALS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

A survey of 118 MSW students was conducted to examine the relationship between social work students' knowledge about, contact with, and attitudes toward persons with schizophrenia. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that students' knowledge about and contact with persons with schizophrenia were significantly related to better attitudes toward this population. Moderated multiple regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between knowledge about and contact with persons with schizophrenia, such that knowledge was only related to positive attitudes among students who had more personal contact with individuals with the illness. Implications for social work training in severe mental illness are discussed.
Application of Linear Matrix Inequalities in the Control of Smart Structural Systems

Natural frequency variations, unmodeled dynamics and control input constraints are some of the major problems in the design of controllers in smart structural systems. The performance and robustnes...
TU-C-304A-05: Dose Reductions of Bismuth Shields in Diagnostic Radiology: Measurements and Monte Carlo Simulations

Purpose: To assess the dosimetric characteristics of bismuth breast shields for a CT beam with ion chamber measurements and Monte Carlo simulations.Method and Materials: Primary attenuation and backscattereffects of both adult and pediatric bismuth superficial organ (e.g. breast) shields were measured with a 0.18‐cc ion chamber and a rectangular slab phantom made of a tissue equivalent material. Simulated CT beams (120 kVp with 100∼400 mAs) were used to irradiate the ion chamber with and without bismuth shields. Both 2‐ply (pediatric) and 4‐ply (adult) bismuth shields (F&L Medical Products, Vandergrift, PA) were placed at the front of the chamber for primary attenuation measurements and at the back of the chamber to measure backscatterradiation.Radiationdoses were measured free‐in‐air and in the tissue‐equivalent slabs. Monte Carlo simulations for the same measurement settings were performed by using EGSnrc/BEAMnrc code. Results: Mean radiationdose reduction from primary attenuation was about 23% (2‐ply) and 40% (4‐ply) for the free‐in‐air and tissue slab measurements. The radiationdose increase from backscatter was around 2% for both the 2‐ply and 4‐ply shields. The Monte Carlo simulations produced the dose reduction from primary attenuation was about 20% (2‐ply) and 38% (4‐ply), and the dose increase from backscatter was around 6% for both shields. Conclusion: Primary attenuation is the dominant factor that induces radiationdose changes in bismuth shields in CT examinations. The dose contribution from backscatteredradiation in bismuth shields is very small.
The acid catalyzed isomerization of 2-(1-naphthyl)-2,4,4-trimethyl-2,4-disilapentane

Abstract The product of the acid catalyzed rearrangement of 2-(1-naphthyl)-2,4,4-trimethyl-2,4-disilapentane is 2-(2-naphthyl)-2,4,4-trimethyl-2,4-disilapentane. This result completes the revision of a previous report in which 1,8-bis(trimethylsilyl)naphthalene was claimed to undergo acid catalyzed rearrangement to the 1,7-isomer.
Applied Cryptography for Security and Privacy in Wireless Sensor Networks

It is challenging to secure a wireless sensor network (WSN) because its inexpensive, tiny sensor nodes do not have the necessary processing capability, memory capacity, and battery life to take advantage of the existing security solutions for traditional networks. Existing security solutions for wireless sensor networks are mostly based on symmetric key cryptography with the assumption that sensor nodes are embedded with secret, temporary startup keys before deployment thus avoiding any use of computationally demanding public key algorithms altogether. However, symmetric key cryptography alone cannot satisfactorily provide all security needs for wireless sensor networks. It is still problematic to replenish an operational wireless sensor network with new sensor nodes securely. Current research on public key cryptography for WSNs shows some promising results, particularly in the use of elliptic curve cryptography and identity based encryption for WSNs. Although security is essential for WSNs, it can complicate some crucial operations of a WSN like data aggregation or in-network data processing that can be affected by a particular security protocol. Accordingly, in this paper, we summarize, discuss, and evaluate recent symmetric key based results reported in literature on sensor network security protocols such as for key establishment, random key pre-distribution, data confidentiality, data integrity, and broadcast authentication as well as expose limitations and issues related to those solutions for WSNs. We also present significant advancement in public key cryptography for WSNs with promising results from elliptic curve cryptography and identity based encryption as well as their limitations for WSNs.
Synthesis of salicylamide sulfate and its effect on calcium ion solubility

Salicylamide sulfate has been synthesized and found to be chromatographically identical to a metabolic product appearing in the urine of patients on salicylamide therapy. This compound, when incubated with suspensions of calcium hydroxide, was found to increase the aqueous solubility of calcium ion beyond that expected from a salt effect alone. An explanation of the effect of salicylamide in halting calcium stone growth has been suggested.
Magnetic properties of randomly dispersed magnetic particulate composites: A theoretical study

The overall magnetic properties of magnetic particle-filled composites are studied with the consideration of direct magnetic interactions between randomly dispersed particles. The local magnetic field for two particles embedded in the infinite medium is solved and the pairwise magnetic particle interaction is defined. Integrating the pairwise interactions from all particles provides the homogenized magnetic fields, from which the effective magnetic permeability is derived. If the particle interaction is dropped, the result is reduced to Maxwell-Garnett's model.
Annual Drosophila Research Conference, 2006

The Drosophila Research Conference is a yearly meeting organized by the Genetics Society of America (GSA) for the researchers who use the fruit fly model organism to study different facets of biomedical science. This meeting serves as a platform to present the cutting edge research in the fly model and provides an opportunity for interaction and exchange of ideas. The 47th Annual Drosophila Research Conference took place in Houston, Texas, USA, and was organized by Hugo J. Bellen, Ronald L. Davis, Graeme Mardon (Baylor College of Medicine), and Georg Halder (M.D. Anderson Cancer Center). Nearly 1,500Drosophila researchers from different parts of the world attended this meeting and were treated to presentations on a broad spectrum of biomedical problems. The meeting opened with a keynote address by Prof. Thomas Kaufman from Indiana University, Bloomington. Kaufman has a long legacy of excellent research contributions to Drosophila science and community. His talk on “A century of Drosophila: 100 years of counting” presented major milestones of Drosophila research along the time axis in a very exciting and informative fashion. These findings have contributed significantly to our understanding of Drosophila genetics and development. The “lowly” fruit fly, as Kaufman jokingly refers to the insect, has been a favorite of geneticists for nearly 100 years, longer than any other model organism in the history of genetics. He presented hallmarks of his research about the homeotic gene complex, primarily based on his studies on the Antennapedia (Antp) gene complex and their interacting genes in flies. Another interesting aspect was his study on how morphological changes among different arthropods take place during evolution as a result of changes in their Hox genes, in particular the Antennapedia Complex genes. His presentation had clips from one of the famous science fiction TV shows where a fly mutant (Antp) was used as a central plot. It was followed by presentation of the Larry Sandler Memorial Lecture award to Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos (Indiana University, Bloomington) for his PhD dissertation work on the molecular genetics of speciation. The meeting had 18 platform sessions encompassing 136 talks and 13 workshops and around 1,000 posters. The extent of participation of the fly community in the meeting validates the claim that it is one of the biggest annual fly meetings in the world. Since the topics presented in the meeting cover a broad spectrum of fly research, it is impossible to cover all topics in this commentary. Therefore, we will focus on some of the common themes and topics.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice exhibit increased susceptibility to endotoxin-induced acute renal failure.

Acute renal failure (ARF) in septic patients drastically increases the mortality to 50–80%. Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to be increased in sepsis. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is o...
Acute, 14-day repeated dosing, and 90-day subchronic toxicity studies of potassium picloram.

Abstract Potassium picloram was administered either by gavage (acute studies) or in drinking water to male and female Sprague-Dawley-derived rats (14-day and 90-day studies). The acute oral LD50 was 950 mg/kg (812–1120) for males and 686 mg/kg (599–786) for females. Depression, prostration, ataxia, tremors, and convulsions preceded death. There were no consistent biologically significant compound-related effects in rats that received 60, 190, or 600 mg potassium picloram/kg/day for 14 days. In the subchronic study, rats received 60, 190, 600, or 1070 mg potassium picloram/kg/day in drinking water for 90 consecutive days. There were only 4 male and 2 female survivors out of 20 rats of each sex at the 1070 mg/kg dose and 16 male and 18 female survivors at the 600 mg/kg dose. Mortality was dose dependent. Administration of picloram appeared to exacerbate renal and hepatic lesions commonly noted in rats of this age. For example, at levels up to 1070 mg/kg mild lesions in the kidney of treated rats, especially in males at 600 mg/kg, were noted. Also noted were an increased incidence of mononuclear liver foci in male rats that received 190 and 600 mg/kg and an increased severity of mononuclear liver foci in females that received 600 mg/kg. There were no other consistent biologically significant compound-related effects. No specific organ site toxicity could be identified in these studies. Toxicity from exposure to picloram in drinking water is apparently low.
CONSTRUCTING NORMATIVE OBJECTIVITY IN ETHICS

This essay explains the inescapability of moral demands. I deny that the individual has genuine reason to comply with these demands only if she has desires that would be served by doing so. Rather, the learning of moral reasons helps to shape and channel self- and other-interested motivations so as to facilitate and promote social cooperation. This shaping happens through the “embedding” of reasons in the intentional objects of motivational propensities. The dominance of the instrumental conception of reason, according to which reasons must be based in desires of the individual, has made it harder to recognize that reasons shape desires. I attempt to undermine this dominance by arguing that the concept of a self that extends over time is constructed to meet the demands of social cooperation. Prudential reasons to act on behalf of the persisting self's desires are often taken to constitute the paradigm of reasons based on desires of the individual. But such reasons, along with the very concept of the persisting self, are constructed to promote human cooperation and to shape the individual's desires.
Implementation of a Contingency Management-Based Intervention in a Community Supervision Setting: Clinical Issues and Recommendations.

A cognitive-behaviorally based substance abuse treatment program was implemented within a community supervision setting. This program included a goals group that used a contingency management component and included the probation agent as a part of the treatment. In this article, the authors describe the contingency management component of the treatment and discuss, in detail, issues that arose throughout the course of the study. Possible causes and solutions to the issues are discussed from a contingency management perspective that can result in improved reinforcements to achieve better probationer outcomes.
Encouraging Each Student's Personal Responsibility for Core Competencies Including Professionalism

The market for entry-level positions in law firms is changing as competitive market pressures drive a “new normal” for law firms, and law schools must respond to meet students’ educational needs in this “new normal” market. A high percentage of law firms are rethinking their business models and adopting proactive talent management strategies like competency models to respond to competitive market pressures. One core competency in these models that influences all the other competencies is an internalized commitment to self-development toward both excellence in all competencies and active initiative in exercising all of them. This paper focuses on how legal education can foster each student’s internalized commitment to self-development toward excellence and initiative.
Reduced-latency scheduling scheme for min-max non-binary LDPC decoding

Compared to binary low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, non-binary (NB) LDPC codes can achieve higher coding gain when the code length is moderate. On the other hand, the decoding of NB-LDPC codes is more complicated since a vector of messages instead of a single message is passed along each edge of the associated Tanner graph. Layered decoding can be employed to simplify LDPC decoding. However, there is extra latency between the decoding of layers caused by check node processing, message permutation and updating when applied to NB-LDPC codes. In this paper, a novel scheduling scheme is developed to eliminate the extra latency for the Min-max decoding of quasi-cyclic (QC) NB-LDPC codes using trellis-based check node processing. Assume that each row of sub-matrices in the parity check matrix of a QCNB-LDPC code is divided into two layers, the proposed scheme can reduce the decoding latency by a factor of around (2d c + 5)/2d c , where d c is the check node degree. It leads to significant speedup when d c is not large. Moreover, the area overhead of the proposed scheme is less than 10%.
Microbiological metal transformations: biotechnological applications and potential.

Developpements recents concernant la biolixiviation des metaux, la recuperation et la valorisation des minerais. Considerations d'ingenierie applicable et perspectives
Characterization of the Two Small Subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA Polymerase δ

Abstract Yeast DNA polymerase δ (Polδ) has three subunits of 125, 58, and 55 kDa. The gene for the 125-kDa catalytic subunit (POL3) has been known for several years. Here we describe the cloning of the genes for the 58- and 55-kDa subunits using peptide sequence analysis and searching of the yeast genome data base. The 58-kDa subunit, encoded by the POL31 gene, shows 23–28% sequence similarity to the 48-kDa subunit of human Polδ and to S. pombe Cdc1. POL31 is allelic toHYS2 and SDP5. The 55-kDa subunit is encoded by the POL32 gene (ORF YJR043c in the yeast data base). Very limited sequence similarity was observed between Pol32p andSchizosaccharomyces pombe Cdc27, the functionally analogous subunit in S. pombe Polδ. The POL32 gene is not essential, but a deletion mutant shows cold sensitivity for growth and is sensitive to hydroxyurea and DNA damaging agents. In addition, lethality was observed when the POL32 deletion mutation was combined with conditional mutations in either the POL3 orPOL31 gene. Pol32Δ strains are weak antimutators and are defective for damage-induced mutagenesis. ThePOL32 gene product binds proliferating cell nuclear antigen. A gel filtration analysis showed that Pol32p is a dimer in solution. When POL31 and POL32 were co-expressed in Escherichia coli, a tetrameric (Pol31p·Pol32p)2 species was detected by gel filtration, indicating that the two subunits form a complex.
A Wide frequency range circuit for measuring mutual capacitance with application to monitoring of metal fill profile

Lost foam casting (LFC) is one of the most important casting methods in the production of complex castings. The metal-fill profile plays an important role in the casting quality and hence monitoring that profile is important to quickly discover failures in the process. A monitoring process based on electrical capacitive tomography (ECT) is developed by the research team. In ECT an array of capacitance measuring circuits is used to measure the mutual capacitance between the electrodes mounted around a target area. This paper presents a new high resolution capacitance measuring circuit with wide bandwidth developed to measure the inter-electrode capacitance changes produced as the grounded molten metal progresses within the target area. The developed circuit minimizes the effect of the stray capacitance while increasing the range of frequencies at which the circuit can be operated. This is particularly important to allow multiple circuits to operate simultaneously at different frequencies within the same flask. An illustrative example for use of tomography to monitor metal fill is presented.
Mobile small aperture satellite terminals for military communications

The United States Army is currently developing a satellite-based network-centric waveform. Mobile terminals that are small and compact are highly desirable for the military. This article gives an overview of the technical challenges and performance issues when mobile small aperture satellite terminals are connected to a network- centric communication system. The specific issues addressed are regulatory limits on off-axis emissions, performance of small aperture terminals in the presence of adjacent satellite interference, and the effects of motion induced antenna pointing errors on the satellite communication system.
Functional Benefits Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

While some studies of patients who undergo cardiac surgery have included such outcome measures as amounts of symptom reduction and rates of resumption of employment, little attention has been focused on the extent to which these patients have experienced the simple, yet very important, broad range of functional benefits that might be anticipated by clinicians to result from operation. The present report seeks to document the extent of improvement that does exist in terms of physical, sexual, and social-role functioning. In a cohort of 340 patients (age, 32 to 69 years) studied before and six months after coronary artery bypass operation, improvements were noted in each of three dimensions of functional benefit: physical functioning (fewer total activity restrictions or incapacitated days per month), sexual functioning (through increased energy and desire and decreased pain and worry), and role functions (ability to work, social participation, and pursuit of hobbies). Further improvements might be anticipated with additional months of recovery.
Influence of sex, seasonality, ethnicity, and geographic location on the components of total energy expenditure in young children: implications for energy requirements.

Background: There are limited data on the influence of body composition, sex, seasonality, ethnicity, and geographic location on the components of energy expenditure in children. Objective: The objective was to examine the determinants of total energy expenditure (TEE), resting energy expenditure (REE), and activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) in children. Design: Cross-sectional data from 232 children (4‐10 y of age) from 4 ethnic groups (white American, African American, Guatemalan Mestizo, and Native American Mohawk) were examined. Results: In 104 white children studied in Vermont and Alabama, TEE was significantly higher in spring than in fall, higher in boys than in girls, and higher in children in Vermont (all effects: <0.42 MJ/d, P < 0.05). The significant effect of sex was explained through REE; the influences of season and location were explained through AEE. In all children, there was no effect of sex but a significant effect of ethnicity ( P < 0.01) on TEE; a significant effect of sex (P < 0.01) and no effect of ethnicity ( P = 0.16) on REE; and no effect of sex and a significant effect of ethnicity on AEE. The significant effects of ethnicity were due to lower values in Guatemalan children. TEE correlated most strongly with weight (r = 0.81) and fat-free mass (r = 0.79‐0.81); REE with weight (r = 0.85) and fat-free mass (r = 0.80‐0.87); and AEE with maximal oxygen consumption (r = 0.54), fat-free mass (r = 0.50), and fat mass (r = 0.49). Conclusions: 1) Season and location influenced TEE in children through their effects on AEE, 2) a higher REE in boys was consistent across all groups examined, 3) Guatemalan children had lower TEE due to a lower AEE, 4) body weight may be the best predictor of TEE, and 5) maximal oxygen consumption was the strongest marker of AEE. Am J Clin Nutr 1998; 68:675‐82.
Clinical Experience With Citanest®, a New Local Anesthetic

SUMMARY Citanest represents an agent which definitely justifies further study and clinical usage. It has as its primary characteristics, rapid onset, good spread, and adequate duration. At this time its greatest characteristic is our impression of a definitely wider therapeutic index as it concerns the ratio of the amount of drug that may be administered to the amount of drug that causes toxic reactions. Though methemoglobinemia may be a complication of its use in large doses, we feel that this is not a contra-indication to the drug's use but rather a factor worthy of further study because it seems to be reversible and not significantly frequent in the usual clinical dosage range.
Downregulation of Renin Gene Expression by Interleukin-1

The As4.1 cell line was established from a mouse kidney tumor by transgene-targeted tumorogenesis. These cells express high levels of renin mRNA from their endogenous renin gene and release approximately eightfold-more prorenin than active renin in culture. Levels of renin mRNA in As4.1 cells are decreased in a dose-dependent manner by the addition of physiological concentrations of cytokine interleukin-1 to the media. Stability of renin mRNA and initial rates of release of active renin and prorenin were not significantly altered by interleukin-1. In contrast, transcription initiated from a construct that consisted of 4.1 kilobases of renin 5' flanking sequence fused to a reporter gene (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) was markedly inhibited by interleukin-1. On the basis of our findings, we conclude that downregulation of renin synthesis caused by interleukin-1 occurs primarily at the level of transcription and that DNA sequence or sequences mediating that effect are positioned within 4.1 kilobases upstream of the renin gene. The physiological relevance of this regulation is related to the events that occur during septic shock, characterized by hypotension, cardiovascular collapse, multiple organ failure, and high mortality. Unexpectedly, hypotension associated with septic shock does not lead to activation of the renin-angiotensin system. The hypotension in septicemia is believed to be mediated by the combined action of many modulators including cytokines, and data presented here suggest direct involvement of interleukin-1 in this process.
Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Due to Scleroderma: Challenges for the Future

Although progress has been made in treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, serious challenges remain. This article provides an overview of the challenges faced in treatment of PAH caused by scleroderma. It also provides a glimpse into the future, based on recent developments in the field that hold promise for enhancing the treatment of this disease.
Genotypic analysis of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Monterrey, Mexico

Thirty-seven multidrug-resistant and 13 pan-susceptible isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were analysed for the diversity of genotypes associated with known drug-resistance mechanisms. The isolates were obtained from patients attending a university tuberculosis clinic in Monterrey, Mexico. A total of 25 IS6110-RFLP patterns were obtained from the multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) isolates. Approximately 65 % of the MDR-TB isolates were attributed to secondary resistance. Different drug-susceptibility patterns were seen with the clustered isolates. The percentage of isolates resistant to isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), ethambutol (EMB) and streptomycin (STR) was 100, 97.3, 48.7 and 67.6, respectively. The most common resistance-associated polymorphisms for the four drugs were as follows: INH, Ser315Thr (67.6 %) in katG; RIF, Ser450Leu (41.7 %) in rpoB; EMB, Met306Ile/Val/Leu (66.7 %) in embB; and STR, Lys43Arg (24 %) in rpsL. Drug-resistance-associated mutations were similar to changes occurring in isolates from other areas of the world, but unique, previously unreported, mutations in katG (n = 5), rpoB (n = 1) and rrs (n = 3) were also identified.
Fundamentalism, Multiculturalism and Problems of Conducting Research with Populations in Developing Nations

A growing number of nurse researchers travel globally to conduct research in poor and underserved populations in developing nations. These researchers, while well versed in research ethics, often find it difficult to apply traditional ethical standards to populations in developing countries. The problem of applying ethical standards across cultures is explained by a long-standing debate about the nature of ethical principles. Fundamentalism is the philosophical stance that ethical principles are universal, while the anthropologically-based ‘multicultural’ model claims the philosophical position that principles are culturally bound. The authors explicate the two philosophical stances and advocate a morally sensitive but moderate position of ‘ethical multiculturalism’ rather than favouring either of the above philosophical positions. The final section suggests ways to promote ethical multiculturalism while planning and conducting nursing research.
General-Equilibrium Models in Economic History

In this paper, I will discuss three classic problems in economic history. I label them “classic” because they are problems of general interest that share the central characteristic of classic problems: an extensive literature has not led to general agreement. They are taken from the literature on the history of the United States because of the wealth of data and secondary material on this country's history, but they all have their analogues or reflections in European history. They are the problems of labor scarcity in America, the depression of the 1930's (which Americans call the Great Depression), and the deflation of the late nineteenth century (which the British call the Great Depression).
Two Reformers: Martin Luther and Mary Daly as Political Theologians

The dialectical relationship between religious and political extremism is one of the most powerful forces in the history of the Christian tradition. Two specific moments have seen a combination of the political and the religious in ways that completely transformed the religion, and the contexts in which it grew and transformed: the sixteenth-century Protestant reformation and the twentieth-century women's movement in the United States were simultaneously products and producers of political theology. A focused study of these eras leads to a proposal about two of the leading figures in the movements: Martin Luther and Mary Daly are political theologians. This label allows a comparative study of the two that leads to significant conclusions for scholars of either era, and of either theologian. We find in this unlikely comparison two reformations that shape part of the tradition that they challenge.
Noncorrosive nitrile elastomers

The corrosion of steel by nitrile elastomer oil seals prompted a laboratory study of the corrosivity of numerous compounding ingredients and nitrile polymers. Groups of materials studied in this investigation were plasticizers, antioxidants, black fillers, nonblack fillers, curing systems, and base polymers. A corrosion test procedure utilizing a benchtype corrosion chamber was developed, and a corrosion rating system was established. All materials were rated according to their corrosivity under conditions of 100% R. H., and 100°F. for 96 hr. From these data it was possible to formulate several noncorrosive seal compounds without the use of corrosion inhibitors.
Alterations in femoral strain following hip resurfacing and total hip replacement

Bone surface strains were measured in cadaver femora during loading prior to and after resurfacing of the hip and total hip replacement using an uncemented, tapered femoral component. In vitro loading simulated the single-leg stance phase during walking. Strains were measured on the medial and the lateral sides of the proximal aspect and the mid-diaphysis of the femur. Bone surface strains following femoral resurfacing were similar to those in the native femur, except for proximal shear strains, which were significantly less than those in the native femur. Proximomedial strains following total hip replacement were significantly less than those in the native and the resurfaced femur. These results are consistent with previous clinical evidence of bone loss after total hip replacement, and provide support for claims of bone preservation after resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip.
Grappling with genomic incidental findings in the clinical realm

We have learned a remarkable amount in recent decades about genomics and its potential contributions to human health and medical practice. However, genomic sequencing technology, which is starting to become incorporated into clinical care, also raises ethical challenges. In particular, there has been significant debate about the appropriate management of genomic incidental findings (GIFs), which we define as pathogenic or likely pathogenic test results that are not apparently relevant to the diagnostic indications for which the tests were ordered. Although there is an emerging consensus that clinicians will have at least some obligation to disclose GIFs to patients, the scope of that obligation is unclear. This commentary identifies nuanced issues that clinicians will likely face in the foreseeable future regarding their emerging obligations to disclose clinically actionable GIFs. Will clinicians be expected to look actively for GIFs? Should GIFs for adult-onset disorders be disclosed to children? What obligations will clinicians have to disclose GIFs to family members of deceased patients? What role should informed consent play? There is value to exploring the range of views on these questions at this time, before genomic sequencing has fully matured as a technology, so that clinicians can anticipate how they will respond to the discovery of GIFs once sequencing becomes a more routine part of clinical care. Genomics is ultimately going to play an important role in the practice of pulmonary medicine, and it is important for pulmonologists and other subspecialists to be well informed about what to expect.
Single wall carbon nanotubes enter cells by endocytosis and not membrane penetration

Background Carbon nanotubes are increasingly being tested for use in cellular applications. Determining the mode of entry is essential to control and regulate specific interactions with cells, to understand toxicological effects of nanotubes, and to develop nanotube-based cellular technologies. We investigated cellular uptake of Pluronic copolymer-stabilized, purified ~145 nm long single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) through a series of complementary cellular, cell-mimetic, and in vitro model membrane experiments.
Regulation of Protein Kinase Inhibitor by Follicle-Stimulating Hormone in Sertoli Cells in Vitro*

The heat-stable protein inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase is specifically regulated by hormones in cultures of rat Sertoli cells maintained under completely defined conditions. Hormones that are known to elevate Sertoli cell cAMP concentrations, namely FSH and isoproterenol, produce a 4- to 5-fold increase in the specific activity of protein kinase inhibitor, whereas testosterone and LH have no effect. The stimulatory effects of FSH or isoproterenol on protein kinase inhibitor are completely mimicked by dibutyryl cAMP. The ability of FSH to stimulate protein kinase inhibitor is dependent upon the age of the animals used as a source for the Sertoli cells. FSH stimulates protein kinase inhibitor activity in cells from 9- and 16-day-old animals, but not in cells from 32-day-old animals. On the other hand, isoproterenol or dibutyryl cAMP will stimulate protein kinase inhibitor in cells from both young and old animals. FSH can stimulate protein kinase inhibitor activity in older cells only in the adde...
Scymnus camptodromus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) larval development and predation of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

Development time and prey consumption of Scymnus (Neopullus) camptodromus Yu and Liu (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) larvae by instar, strain, and temperature were evaluated. S. camptodromus, a specialist predator of hemlock woolly adelgid Adelges tsugae (Annand) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), was brought to the United States from China as a potential biological control agent for A. tsugae. This beetle has been approved for removal from quarantine but has not yet been field released. We observed that temperature had significant effects on the predator's life history. The larvae tended to develop faster and consume more eggs of A. tsugae per day as rearing temperature increased. Mean egg consumption per day of A. tsugae was less at 15°C than at 20°C. However, as larvae took longer to develop at the lower temperature, the total number of eggs consumed per instar during larval development did not differ significantly between the two temperatures. The lower temperature threshold for predator larval development was estimated to be 5°C, which closely matches the developmental threshold of A. tsugae progrediens. Accumulated degree-days for 50% of the predator neonates to reach adulthood was estimated to be 424. Although temperature had a significant effect on larval development and predation, it did not impact survival, size, or sex ratio of the predator at 15 and 20°C. Furthermore, no remarkable distinctions were observed among different geographical populations of the predator.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Tumors of the Liver

Surgical resection and liver transplantation are the standard of care for medically and technically operable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as for oligometastatic disease from other primary cancers (i.e., colorectal, breast, lung, and other cancers) (Dawood et al. 2009). However, for patients who are not eligible for surgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is emerging as an excellent alternative.
The Search For A Dog-Free Portfolio: Why Unions Matter To Investors

This paper uses portfolio filtering and weighting research to create a dog-free portfolio. The variables used to create the dog-free portfolio include level of unionization and book-to-market. The filtered and weighted portfolio is averaging 47 basis points alpha per month from 1991-2007 over the benchmark S&P500, outperforming in 60.8% of the months. Using annual data, the portfolio averages 603 basis points alpha from 1991-2007 over the benchmark S&P500, outperforming 82.4% of the time.
Stigmatizing beliefs: How leading patient medication education groups on an inpatient psychiatric unit impacts pharmacy learners

Abstract Introduction: Stigma is an important challenge facing patients with mental illness. Stigmatizing attitudes may impact the quantity and quality of care patients receive. Interaction with these patients may reduce stigmatizing attitudes in pharmacy learners. Patient medication education groups (PMEGs) provide learners with an opportunity for this interaction. The objectives of the study were to evaluate pharmacy learner's attitudes toward patients with mental illness and their comfort and ability to provide pharmaceutical services to this population before and after leading a PMEG on an adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit and to evaluate the feasibility of a larger, future trial. Methods: Third- or fourth-year student pharmacists or first-year pharmacy residents observed a postgraduate year-2 (PGY2) pharmacy specialty resident in psychiatry leading PMEGs on the adolescent unit of an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Then, they discussed their own ideas for design and delivery of a group (with feedb...
Skeletal changes in growing vitamin B complex depleted rats and the course of repair.

SummaryIn growing vitamin B complex-deficient rats, there is retardation and, finally, cessation of growth of cartilage and bone associated with serous atrophy of the bone marrow. The male is more sensitive to the deficiency than the female. After refeeding a stock diet, skeletal growth is resumed at an intensified rate resulting in early restoration of normal conditions.
Building predictive models of counterinsurgent deaths using robust clustering and regression

Counterinsurgencies are conflicts where an insurgent organization conducts violence to replace or influence a recognized government. Furthering our understanding of the conditions that influence violence in different types of counterinsurgencies is important to government leaders who must deploy scarce resources efficiently. Subject matter experts (SMEs) have developed classification schemes that divide counterinsurgencies into similar groups, but no data-driven methods have ever been developed. Using the robust partitioning around medoids (PAM) algorithm, we cluster counterinsurgencies based on distances among independent variables measured on each counterinsurgency. We apply several criteria for choosing the optimal number of clusters, and then we take these groups of counterinsurgencies and build regression models for counterinsurgent deaths, an annual measure of conflict status. We evaluate these schemes using cross-validation to select the grouping whose regression models best predict counterinsurgen...
Research Progress on Breeding Good Quality, High Yielding and Multi-resistant Hybrid Rice Combinations in Fujian Province

Fujian Provincial Department of Science Technology set up a special project on" Food crop breeding technology--developing new good quality, high yielding and multi-resistant hybrid rice combinations" in 2004. The paper mainly introduced research contents and technical route, and made major progress and effect in this project.
The Journey of a Hospital Gown: Performing Needlework

This essay explores issues surrounding psychiatric hospitalization through the intersection of creative writing and artmaking. The writing reflects on four artworks by the author created from appropriated hospital gowns that reflect on issues of representation and historical and contemporary experiences of hospitalization for mental disabilities including questions surrounding dignity, wellness, family, asylum tourism, psychiatric photography, and objectification.
Enabling NAICS to mitigate inter-cell interference in evolving wireless networks

In this paper, we introduce a new approach to weaken the effect of inter-cell codeword interference caused by two adjacent cells, which leads to a reduction in the communication performance at the cell-edge users. The objective is to create a new transmission procedure exchanged by the proximate base stations to ensure an efficient communication in the context of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) transmissions. One of the most important issues is how the cell-edge users detect and decode the outcomes observed from the individual multi-streams of multi-codewords transmitted by two neighboring base stations. To address this problem, this paper presents a novel framework based on the network assisted interference cancellation and suppression (NAICS) technique. Its application to the scenario with two adjacent base stations and cellular-edge users is guided by two schemes. First, two base stations explicitly define and exchange the transmission policy for each codeword regarding the modulation index, the number of streams, and the order of the transmitted codewords. Second, a new taxonomy scheme is proposed, where the Bayesian decision classifier theory is used for the cell-edge users to extract the judgment rules from the exchanged transmission policy and enable symbols estimation and recognition in terms of posterior probability statements, hence offering a decision for each codeword. We introduce an integer optimization model subject to several practical constraints, such as the channel conditions of the users, the number of subcarriers, and the required throughput. The numerical tests demonstrate how to satisfy these requirements while validating the benefits over conventional approaches.
A theoretical basis for the study of predatory syrphid fly ecology

Predacious syrphid fly species, also known as flower flies or hover flies, are cosmopolitan diptera that play two important ecological roles: predator and pollinator. In decades past, syrphid flies were studied by agricultural researchers due to their larvae’s ability to function as a biological control agent. In recent years, the global decline in both honey bees and various important wild bee species has led ecological researchers to investigate the role of syrphid fly pollination in both natural systems and agriculture. While these two roles have often been considered separately, they are rarely considered together in single studies. Syrphid fly population fluctuations in natural and agricultural systems are understudied, prompting calls for further study into the fundamental drivers of population dynamics of syrphid communities. In order to develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental dynamics of syrphid ecology, the present study offers a community model where both syrphid predation and pollination are incorporated into a single dynamic model. Using populations of predacious syrphid flies, herbivorous insects, and a shared resource flowering plant, the model is used to investigate community dynamics and persistence across different levels of plant reproductive dependence on syrphid pollination. Results indicate distinct levels of community viability across different pollination relationships as well as a tendency toward chaotic dynamics inherent to the trophic interactions of the community.
The Design and Preparation of a Model Spectrin Protein: βII-Spectrin L2079P

Spectrin isoforms are cytoskeletal proteins that give stability to cells. Site directed mutagenesis was used to replace residue 2079 in brain spectrin βII from leucine to proline, the corresponding amino acid in red blood cell spectrin βI. We have shown previously that, in spectrin βI, the region downstream of the proline residue is unstructured, whereas the corresponding region in spectrin βII (downstream of a leucine residue) appears to be helical. This structural difference has been suggested to be responsible for binding specific proteins to each β-spectrin isoform, with G5 only to βI-spectrin and F11 only to βII-spectrin. Thus, it is possible that the mutation from leucine to proline in βII-spectrin may lead to a conformational change in βII, from helical to unstructured. In this study, a recombinant protein consisting of a fragment of II-spectrin, with L2079P mutation, has been designed and prepared.