cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequential conformational changes with the binding of NAD+ to rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Abstract The technique of differential sedimentation has been used to examine the titration of rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in D 2 O buffer with NAD + . The fractional change in sedimentation coefficient was shown to increase linearly as a function of ligand saturation. An examination of the concentration dependence of the sedimentation coefficients of the apo- and holo-enzymes excluded the possibility of changes in the state of aggregation of the enzyme with ligand binding. It was then possible to interpret the changes in sedimentation coefficient with ligand binding in terms of changes in frictional coefficient, reflecting a contraction in the tetrameric assembly on binding NAD + . The linear relation observed between the degree of ligand saturation and the degree of change in frictional coefficient was consistent with the sequential mechanism of conformational changes.
Mineral Content and Distribution as Indexes of Weathering in the Omega and Ahmeek Soils of Northern Wisconsin

Quantitative estimation of mineral concentrations was made for the clay fractions of Omega loamy sand (Brown Podzolic) and Ahmeek loam (Brown Forest). These soils are relatively young and have developed from Pleistocene (late Wisconsin) outwash and till, respectively, in northern Wisconsin. A mineral weathering depth function was found, in which iliite and chlorite present at depth have weathered to vermiculite and montmorillonite nearer the surface, particularly in the clay fractions of Ahmeek loam. In the fine clay, the montmorillonite content increases from 5 percent in the C1 horizon to 44 percent in the A1 horizon. Conversely, chlorite decreases from 11 percent in the C1 to virtually none in the A1 horizon. Weathering in these soils is also reflected by distribution of minerals as a function of particle size. The occurrence of mineral-weathering depth and size functions in these young soils is attributed to accelerated leaching made possible by the coarse texture of the soils.
Transmission of bovine leukemia virus: Prevalence of antibodies in precolostral calves.

A study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) antibodies in the serum of precolostral calves born to BLV antibody positive dams. Two Michigan dairy herds with breeding programs designed to increase milk production were utilized in this study. The prevalence of seropositive cows was 32% and 94% in herds 1 and 2, respectively, and neither herd had experienced more than four cases of lymphosarcoma in 10 years. One hundred and twenty-five calves and their dams were tested for antibody to BLV by the radioimmunoprecipitation assay utilizing glycoprotein antigen. Three of 79 calves (3.8%) born to seropositive dams were seropositive prior to colostral ingestion. None of 46 calves born to seronegative dams was seropositive at birth. The percentage of calves born to seropositive dams that were seropositive at birth was 4.7% in herd 1 and 3.4% in herd 2. This is a much lower rate of in utero BLV exposure than reported in previous studies utilizing a herd in which cows were bred for susceptibility to lymphosarcoma. Therefore, in herds seeking to reduce the prevalence of BLV seropositive animals, it should be possible to retain calves from seropositive dams in greater numbers than previously expected.
Synthesis of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors by gonadotrope cell cultures: both preexisting receptors and those unmasked by protein kinase-C activators show a similar synthetic rate.

Abstract Responsiveness of gonadotropes to GnRH depends, in part, on the number of plasma membrane GnRH receptors. Since the steady state level of these plasma membrane receptors is a function of the rates of both receptor generation (synthesis, unmasking, and recycling) and loss (internalization, degradation, and inactivation) we have sought to quantify the rate of synthesis of GnRH receptors in pituitary cell cultures. Further, since the protein kinase-C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) has been shown to unmask a class of GnRH receptors that appear to be uncoupled from phosphoinositide turnover, we have measured the rate of synthesis of this second receptor population. The present studies use the density shift technique; incorporation of densely labeled amino acids confers a higher density to newly synthesized proteins and allows their separation by physical means. Cultures of pituitary cells were prepared from female weanling rats. After cells had attached to the culture dishes, medium w...
Reproducibility of mobility in gel electrophoresis

The quantitative exploitation of gel electrophoresis to yield molecular and gel fiber properties rests on the assumption that mobility is characteristic of the macromolecule migrating as a band and is a physical constant for any system defined by pH, ionic strength and temperature. This assumption has not been tested intra-experimentally in previous literature. With the commercial introduction of automated gel electrophoresis apparatus, the collection of multiple mobility data during a single run without additional expense of labor has made it possible to test the assumption. As a start, we undertook that test for three proteins and their sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) derivatives, in agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, various field strengths, continuous and discontinuous buffers, as well as intra- and interexperimentally. It was found that in agarose gel electrophoresis conducted in a single buffer, the standard deviation of mobility over a wide concentration range ranges intra-experimentally from 0.2 to 1.3% for two globular proteins and 1.4 to 5.3% for the same proteins derivatized with SDS. Interexperimentally, it was 3% in the single case tested to date. The standard deviation in polyacrylamide appears to be higher, varies in inverse relation to the mobility value, i.e. increases with gel concentration in the range of 11 to 19%T, and varies substantially between the two SDS-proteins investigated. Mobility in a discontinuous buffer system decreases continuously due to the decreasing leading phase/trailing phase ratio along the migration path. The decrease is sharpest in the "nonrestrictive" stacking gel.
Up-regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α is an early event in prostate carcinogenesis

Abstract Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) activates the transcription of genes encoding glucose transporters, glycolytic enzymes, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). HIF-1α is a major subunit of HIF-1 heterodimer. In this study, an immunohistochemical analysis of HIF-1α was focused on clinical specimens containing high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia lesions since high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia is considered the precursor of a majority of invasive prostate adenocarcinoma and presents the increased activity of angiogenesis. HIF-1α was up-regulated in 11 of 14 high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia lesions identified in a total 10 prostate biopsies relative to the respective normal epithelium, stromal cells, and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Moreover, up-regulation of HIF-1α in adjacent prostate cancer lesions was more enhanced than in high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. The results suggest that up-regulation of HIF-1α is an early event in prostate carcinogenesis, and that HIF-1α may become a potential target for prostate cancer prevention and a surrogate biomarker for monitoring pre-malignant lesions of the prostate.
Historical Invariance in Delinquency Causation: A Test of Equivalent Models of Delinquency for Two Generations of Adolescents

To date, research on multigenerational aspects of delinquency has been devoted to transmission from parents to offspring, largely ignoring long-term invariance of criminological theories. This study uses multigenerational data from the most recent waves of the National Youth Survey Family Study to test a general model of delinquency across two samples of adolescents of similar ages, separated by more than 25 years. Original respondents were compared with their adolescent offspring using identical models based on a partial general strain approach. Direct and indirect effects of strains on delinquency were generally consistent across generations. The discussion of the findings centers on general theoretical and methodological issues associated with a relatively unexplored avenue for understanding crime and delinquency.
Greece: How can companies manage the new risks?

CEOs and CFOs must understand that political risk can have a significant impact on a company's profitability. The current situation in Greece is a prime example of this. But how does the risk of Greece's default affect U.S. firms doing business with Greek companies? The authors examine the impact on two kinds of U.S. firms: those exporting to Greece and those importing from Greece. The authors then look at ways to manage the impact of sovereign risk of default. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
INFLUENCE OF ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS ON ANGULAR CORRELATIONS

The theory of the influence on angular correlations of perturbing interactions in the intermediate state is reformulated to allow the description of the effects of time-dependent as well as of static perturbations. For static interactions of the nuclear electric quadrupole moment with crystalline fields of axial symmetry in polycrystalline sources, attenuation factors are calculated for the coefficients of the various terms in the expansion of the correlation function in Legendre polynomials. No matter how strong the quadrupole interaction, some anisotropy must remain for polycrystalline sources but, for the same interaction in simple single crystals, the anisotropy can be either undisturbed or completely destroyed, depending on the orientation of the crystal. Fields of lower symmetry are shown also to leave, for polycrystalline sources, some anisotropy. Expressions for the influence of randomly fluctuating interactions, such as must exist in liquid sources, are calculated and these predict arbitrarily complete destruction of the correlation under certain conditions, but explain the more nearly unperturbed results usually found with such sources. For electronic shells having magnetic moments, the influences of electronic paramagnetic relaxation and of anisotropy of the hyperfine structure interaction are examined. An applied static magnetic field in the presence of static quadrupole interactions in polycrystalline sources is shown to have differing effects depending on the relative strengths of the two interactions. Application of a magnetic field directed toward a counter cannot reduce the disturbance of the intermediate state in liquid sources, except under special circumstances. The influences of an applied field in the presence of time dependent anisotropic hyperfine structure interactions are discussed. Finally, the feasibility of resonance experiments, for the precise determination of nuclear moments in the intermediate state, is explored.
A preliminary field investigation of the yellow handed titi monkey,Callicebus torquatus torquatus, in Northern Peru

A three month field study was conducted onCallicebus torquatus near the Nanay River in northern Peru. Data were collected primarily by the time sampling method. Information on daily movement, vocalizations, population density, and social behavior is presented. The titi monkeys we studied have a family unit pattern of social organization, territoriality accompanied by vocal activity, and a home range of about 20 hectares. There is a high degree of parental investment in care of the infant on the part of the adult male.
High-performance submicrometer channel MOSFETs for analog applications

The authors report the design and fabrication of a submicrometer-channel-length DMOS transistor that offers a significant increase in r/sub 0/, a higher g/sub m/, an increase in breakdown voltage, and a reduced body effect when compared to regular NMOS transistors. The cost of integration of this device is two mask steps and two implants. Only photoresist patterning is required, and the process temperature budget is easily accommodated by any CMOS process. >
Enalapril decreases nuclear factor κB activation in the kidney with ureteral obstruction: Rapid Communication

Enalapril decreases nuclear factor κB activation in the kidney with ureteral obstruction. The transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) controls a number of genes associated with tissue inflammation and has been shown to be activated in the kidney with ureteral obstruction. In this investigation, we further explored NF-κB activation in the kidney cortex of rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays combined with antibody supershift/depletion demonstrated that NF-κB subunits p50, p52, c-rel, p65 (RelA) and RelB were all activated. Immunocytochemical analysis using an antibody to the p50 subunit demonstrated activation occurring predominantly in nuclei of tubular cells. Treatment of animals with unilateral ureteral obstruction with an oral ACE inhibitor significantly decreased NF-κB activation. This suggests that the antiinflammatory effect of ACE inhibitors in renal disease is in part due to a blunting of NF-κB activation.
CHEMOTROPIC INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TRICHOGYNES AND CONIDIA OF OPPOSITE MATING-TYPE IN NEUROSPORA CRASSA

SUMMARY Interactions between living trichogynes emanating from individual protoperithecia formed on a mature mycelium and transplanted conidia taken from a culture of opposite mating-type have been observed microscopically. An interaction often begins within 3-4 h after transfer if the conidium has settled within several hundred micrometers of a trichogyne. The latter responds to the conidium by approximate adjustments in its direction of growth that, within several hours, will bring the apex of the trichogyne to the conidium. Following plasmogamy between these two cells, the protoperithecium resumes its growth and develops into a perithecium. Since these interactions occur only between trichogynes and conidia of opposite matingtype they must be an expression of a function of the mating-type alleles (A, a) in the sexual phase of the life cycle. This conclusion is corroborated by similar observations of the behavior of a group of strains (designated as a' mutants) that were known to carry an apparently functionless a allele (i.e., do not form fertile perithecia with wild-type A testers). They all failed to display any of the above interactions with wild-type A testers.
Refined Molecular Structure of Pig Pancreatic α-Amylase at 2·1 Å Resolution

The structure of pig pancreatic alpha-amylase has been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis using multiple isomorphous replacement in a crystal of space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) (a = 70.6 A, b = 114.8 A, c = 118.8 A) containing nearly 75% solvent. The structure was refined by simulated annealing and Powell minimization, as monitored by 2Fo-Fc difference Fourier syntheses, to a conventional R of 0.168 at 2.1 A resolution. The final model consists of all 496 amino acid residues, a chloride and a calcium ion, 145 water molecules and an endogenous disaccharide molecule that contiguously links protein molecules related by the 2(1) crystallographic operator along x. The protein is composed of a large domain (amino acid residues 1 to 403) featuring a central alpha ta-barrel of eight parallel strands and connecting helices with a prominent excursion between strand beta 3 and helix alpha 3 (amino acid residues 100 to 168). The final 93 amino acid residues at the carboxyl terminus form a second small domain consisting of a compact Greek key beta-barrel. The domains are tightly associated through hydrophobic interfaces. The beta 3/alpha 3 excursion and portions of the central alpha/beta-barrel provide four protein ligands to the tightly bound Ca ion; three water molecules complete the coordination. The Cl- ion is bound within one end of the alpha/beta-barrel by two arginine residues in a manner suggesting a plausible mechanism for its allosteric activation of the enzyme. A crystalline complex of the pancreatic alpha-amylase with alpha-cyclodextrin, a cyclic substrate analog of six glucose residues, reveals, in difference Fourier maps, three unique binding sites. One of the alpha-cyclodextrin sites is near the center of the long polysaccharide binding cleft that traverses one end of the alpha/beta-barrel, another is at the extreme of this cleft. By symmetry this can also be considered as two half sites located at the extremes of the active site cleft. This latter alpha-cyclodextrin displaces the endogenous disaccharide when it binds and, along with the first sugar ring, delineates the extended starch binding site. The third alpha-cyclodextrin binds at an "accessory site" near the edge of the protein and is quite distant from the polysaccharide binding cleft. Its presence explains the multivalency of alpha-amylase binding to dextrins in solution. The extended active site cleft is formed by large, sweeping, connecting loops at one end of the alpha/beta-barrel. These include three sequence segments that are highly conserved among alpha-amylases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
From frequency to pitch, and from pitch class to musical key: shared principles of learning and perception

This article addresses the modelling of harmony and pitch, highlighting the parallels across these two domains. The harmony model involves mapping from tone classes to chords and keys using self-organisation, and accounts for a range of psychological data. The pitch model involves mapping from frequency spectra to pitch (spectral and virtual) using self-organisation and also accounts for key results on pitch perception. The result is a scheme that is built hierarchically from frequency to keys, going through intermediate levels of pitch, pitch class, and chords. Both models account for fusion and for the implication of missing features when sufficient context is present. An architecture is suggested for mapping absolute pitch into a pitch-invariant format, using keys as mapping units. A similar architecture is suggested for mapping frequency spectra into a format in which the relative structure of spectra are preserved across changes in pitch. Key units and pitch units are thus thought to play roles as mapping units.
New Methods to Measure Liquid Permeability in Porous Materials

Several novel methods have recently been proposed for rapid measurement of the liquid permeability of saturated cement paste, mortar and concrete. The relative merits of the techniques are discussed, and some recent results obtained on pastes and mortars are presented. The low permeabilities seen in cement paste are inconsistent with the pore size distributions measured following drying, indicating that the pore structure is significantly changed by drying.
Catalytic transformations of individual paraffins and olefins in the presence of benzene over synthetic aluminum silicates

1. An investigation was made of the catalytic transformations of heptane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, hexadecane, octene, and a mixture of amylenes in presence of benzene over synthetic aluminum silicates. 2. At 500–525° and 15 atm the catalytic transformations of these aliphatic hydrocarbons in presence of benzene are directed mainly toward the formation of toluene, xylenes, and other alkylbenzenes of low molecular weight. 3. The presence of benzene in the mixture favors the aromatization of the original hydrocarbons, Other reactions which occur to some extent are destructive alkylation of benzene, isomerization, hydrocracking, and autodestructive alkylation of aliphatic hydrocarbons and their decomposition products.
Introduction to the special issue on the role of the state in growth and development

The editedpapers in this special issueof InternationalTax andPublicFinance are drawn from the 69th Congress of the International Institute of Public Finance with a focus on The Role of the State in Growth andDevelopment, jointly hosted by the Universities of Catania, Messina and Reggio Calabria and which took place in Taormina on August 22–25, 2013. The first of the eleven papers accepted for publication here is based on a plenary session lecture given at the Congress. The remainder of the papers was submitted for publication after presentations at the Congress. All papers in this volume were subject to the regular refereeing process. One of the most important—and also hardest—roles of government is to raise adequate revenues for the provision of public goods and services. Adequate levels of public spending are crucial for the accumulationof humancapital andpublic infrastructure necessary for economic growth and development. The presence of the informal sector overlapping to a large extent tax evasion activity has always presented a challenge for tax administrations around the world, especially in developing countries, for raising adequate revenues. But the fact is that not all informal activities represent tax evasion and it is not worth spending the time and scarce resources of tax administrations to try to collect from very small taxpayers. Michael Keen and Ravi Kanbur in their paper “Thresholds, Informality, and Partitions of Compliance,” based on the Congress lecture delivered by Keen, examine the intersection of the establishment of tax thresholds to partition taxpayers and the presence and extent of informality. Central to their analysis is the belief that tax thresholds and informality are intimately related: informality incorporates a range of non-compliant and compliant taxpayers with the tax thresholds being a key determinant of their behaviors; at the same time,
The regulation of uterine tissue factor by estrogen

Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane protein that initiates coagulation and indirectly catalyzes the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin. We previously showed that treatment of immature rats with estradiol (E2) stimulated a rapid increase in TF mRNA and protein in the uterus. Our current experiments usingin situ hybridization show that the increase in TF mRNA occurred primarily in the stromal cell layer. The effect of E2 to increase TF mRNA occurred in uterine organ cultures but not in separated epithelial and stromal cellsin vitro. Thrombin and the phorbol ester, TPA, compounds which regulate TF expression in other cell types by activation of protein kinase C (PKC), increased TF mRNA in both uterine organ cultures and in separated uterine cells. The 5′ regulatory region of the TF gene was examined for the presence of an estrogen response element (ERE) using a plasmid, pTFCAT, containing −740 to + 15 bp of the mouse TF promoter upstream of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. There was no response to E2 in HeLa cells cotransfected with pTFCAT and a human ER construct, pHEO. In contrast, E2 increased CAT activity in cells cotransfected with a positive-control plasmid, containing the consensus ERE cloned upstream of the thymidine kinase promoter-driven CAT gene, and pHEO. CAT activity was also increased by TPA in cells transfected with pTFCAT. In summary, E2 induces TF mRNA in uterine organ culture indicating that systemic factors are not absolutely required for the effect. However, E2 injection induces transudation of plasma prothrombin into the uterus where it may be converted to thrombin. Thus thrombin may contribute to E2-induction of TF mRNAin vivo. An ERE was not identified in the 750 bp immediately 5′ to the transcription start site of the TF gene although a TPA-responsive element was present. It is postulated that E2 may induce TF mRNA by multiple indirect pathways including stimulation of PKC and Jun and Fos transcription factors, and by generation of thrombin in the uterus.
Apparent absence of cystic fibrosis sweat factor on ion-selective and transport properties of the perfused human sweat duct.

ABSTRACT: Several previous studies have reported that a substance in exocrine products from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is inhibitory to the transport of NaCl in several biological preparations. We have recently developed techniques for studying a target CF tissue, the eccrine sweat duct, and determined that salt absorption in the CF sweat duct appears to be decreased due to an impermeability to CI. To determine whether this property might be induced, we have examined the sweat from patients with CF for potential influences on the ion-reabsorptive and ion-selective properties of sweat ducts from normal subjects. Isolated segments of sweat ducts from healthy volunteers were microperfused in vitro with concentration-adjusted sweat collected after thermal stimulation from CF patients and from normal subjects. The eccrine sweat duct may be best considered as a tight epithelium through which the mucosal uptake of NaCl proceeds via separate Na+ and Cl- pathways. As such, inhibitory actions of CF fluids should be exerted via an inhibition on one, or both, pathways, and should be expected to 1) inhibit the electrolyte transport activity and 2) alter the ion-selective properties of normal ductal tissue. We were unable to detect any effect of CF sweat on either property of the normal duct.
Boiling heat transfer in rectangular microchannels with reentrant cavities

Abstract This paper investigates flow boiling of water in microchannels with a hydraulic diameter of 227 μm possessing 7.5 μm wide reentrant cavities on the sidewalls. Average two-phase heat transfer coefficients and CHF conditions have been obtained over a range of effective heat fluxes (28–445 W/cm2) and mass velocities (41–302 kg/m2 s). High Boiling number and Reynolds number have been found to promote convective boiling, while Nucleate Boiling dominated at low Reynolds number and Boiling number. A criterion for the transition between nucleate and convective boiling has been provided. Existing correlations did not provide satisfactory agreement with the heat transfer coefficient but did predict CHF conditions well.
Phospholipase D couples survival and migration signals in stress response of human cancer cells.

MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells belong to a highly invasive metastatic cell line that depends on phospholipase D (PLD) activity for survival when deprived of serum growth factors. In response to the stress of serum withdrawal, there is a rapid and dramatic increase in PLD activity. Concomitant with increased PLD activity, there was an increase in the ability of MDA-MB-231 cells to both migrate and invade Matrigel™. The ability of MDA-MB-231 cells to both migrate and invade Matrigel™ was dependent on both PLD and mTOR, a downstream target of PLD signals. Serum withdrawal also led to a PLD-dependent increase in the expression of the stress factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. These data reveal that PLD survival signals not only prevent apoptosis but also stimulate cell migration and invasion, linking the ability to suppress apoptosis with the ability to metastasize.
MicroRNA-21 inhibits p57Kip2 expression in prostate cancer

p57Kip2, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, is considered to be a candidate tumor suppressor gene that has been implicated in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and sporadic cancers. In addition, decreased expression of p57Kip2 protein has been frequently observed in pancreatic, lung, breast, bladder, gastrointestinal tract and prostate cancers. However, p57Kip2 gene mutations are rare in these cancers suggesting that other unknown mechanisms might be at play in reducing its expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of down-regulation of p57Kip2 in prostate cancer. We observed a significant negative correlation between the expression of p57Kip2 and microRNA-21 (miR-21) in prostate cancer samples and after androgen deprivation with castration in the CWR22 human prostate cancer xenograft model. We report that miR-21 targeted the coding region and decreased p57Kip2 mRNA and protein levels in prostate cancer cells. Conversely, inhibition of endogenous miR-21 by an anti-miR-21 inhibitor strongly induced p57Kip2 expression. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of p57Kip2 reversed the effects of the anti-miR-21 inhibitor on cell migration and anchorage-independent cell growth. Our results indicate that miR-21 is able to downregulate p57Kip2 expression by targeting the coding region of the gene and is also able to attenuate p57Kip2 mediated functional responses. This is the first report demonstrating that p57Kip2 is a novel target of miR-21 in prostate cancer and revealing a novel oncogenic function of this microRNA.
A model of BIS/BAS sensitivity, emotion regulation difficulties, and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in relation to sleep quality

Recent research has indicated that interactions between behavioral inhibition system (BIS)/behavioral activation system (BAS) sensitivity and emotion regulation (ER) difficulties increases risk for psychopathology. Considering sleep quality (SQ) has been linked to emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) and psychopathology, further investigation of a possible mechanism is needed. The current study examined associations between BIS/BAS sensitivity, ERD, and SQ to depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in an undergraduate sample (n=459). Positive relationships between BIS sensitivity and both ERD and stress symptoms, and negative relationships between BAS-reward sensitivity and both ERD and depression symptoms were observed. Furthermore, ERD were positively related to depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Succeeding analyses revealed differential relationships between ERD and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among good quality and poor quality sleepers. The findings are discussed within the context of personality dimensions and self-regulatory mechanisms, along with implications for the treatment of depression, anxiety and sleep difficulties.
Supporting Dictatorship and Promoting Human Rights? UN Technical Assistance to Egypt

Abstract Does UN human rights technical assistance weaken or strengthen authoritarian dictatorship in Egypt? Drawing on interviews with UN, donor and domestic human rights non-governmental organization representatives conducted in Egypt in 2007 and 2010, this article focuses on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Egypt's BENAA Human Rights Capacity Building Project. The UNDP partnered with the Egyptian government to train public officials in human rights protections and to facilitate elite socialization, a strategy recommended by social constructivism. Critics, however, assert that such technical assistance strengthens rather than weakens authoritarianism. This article explores conflicts between UN and state goals in implementing technical assistance projects, as well as competing assumptions about norm diffusion and internalization held by supporters and critics of the programme.
Running performance of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, the eastern chipmunk and the albino Norway rat

Abstract 1. 1. The procedure used to compare the forced running performance of three rodent species was the number of electrical stimuli required each minute to keep the animals running. 2. 2. During running trials, ground squirrels, Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, required fewer stimuli than white rats. Squirrels ran 12.4 ± 6.9 (2 SE) min before requiring stimulation vs 3.1 ± 1.4 min for rats. 3. 3. Total oxygen consumption during the running period was significantly higher for ground squirrels than white rats, 4.70 ± 0.36 and 4.18 ± 0.38ml O2/g/hr, respectively. 4. 4. Heart weight/body weight ratios were significantly higher for the ground squirrels than the white rats. 5. 5. No differences were noted between ground squirrels and chipmunks other than those which could be accounted for by body weight differences.
LAND USE IN A CIRCULAR CITY: SOME NUMERICAL RESULTS

Abstract In a previous paper (“Land Use in a Circular City”, Journal of Economic Theory , 1974), I considered efficient land use and travel patterns in a circular city consisting of a homogeneous economic activity and a network of radial and circumferential roads. My analysis assumed that under decentralized optimum conditions, the price of traveling circumferentially through a radian would increase with distance from the city center. Under this and a second pricing assumption, an optimum would involve either restricting inward trip penetration or providing travelers with an inner ring road. This paper provides numerical illustrations of the optimum when trip penetration is restricted. The results suggest that the underlying pricing assumptions are likely not valid.
Investigation of dielectric properties of polymer laminates with polyvinylidene fluoride

The breakdown field strength of polymer laminates consisting of polymer base films coated with a thin layer of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was investigated. The spin coating technique was used to make a layer of PVDF film. It was found that the dc breakdown field strength could be increased by as much as 18% by applying a very thin coating. The breakdown field strength was insensitive to the thickness of the polymer base films and the thickness of the PVDF coating within the thickness range used in the experiment. The effect of the coating on the permittivity and dissipation factor of polymer films over a wide frequency range was determined. Possible mechanisms for the enhancement of breakdown field strength have been discussed.
Simulation Studies of Short Pulse High Intensity Laser-Matter Interactions

Summary form only given. Intense short-pulse laser-matter interactions are under study for use in the fast ignitor approach to inertial confinement fusion and for fast high energy radiography. The modeling of this phenomenology is challenged by the difficulties of using traditional explicit particle-in-cell codes for electron transport in high-density plasmas. Implicit simulation avoids such limitation, but can require careful application to assure accuracy. We describe results from the use of the relativistic ANTHEM implicit model to laser foil interactions at intensities exceeding 1019 W/cm2 and target densities exceeding 150ncrit (1.5times1023 cm-3 electrons). Our studies show that for steep foils (micron scale lengths) intense thermoelectric magnetic fields laterally spread rapidly from diffraction limited laser spots. Significant hot electron surface transport moves on the surface with the spreading B-fields. Directly below the spot electrons enter the foil in a beam that spreads in cone-like fashion with depth. In thick aluminum foils, modeled with a Spitzer resistance capped at 100 eV values, the penetrating electron streams break into filaments. When the density gradient in front of such foils is milder (10 s of micron scales), the intense B-fields and the hot electrons remain more localized near the laser spot. This behavior is examined in a convergence study that systematically reduces the mesh dimensions. Thus, we work to extract major skin depth related effects, such as traditional collisionless Weibel instability, and connect these effects to the larger scale phenomenology only accessible through implicit simulation
Mentoring for Young People Leaving Foster Care: Promise and Potential Pitfalls

Mentoring for youths transitioning out of the foster care system has been growing in popularity as mentoring programs have enjoyed unprecedented growth in recent years. However, the existing empirical literature on the conditions associated with more effective youth mentoring relationships and the potential for harm in their absence should give us pause, as meeting these conditions may be especially challenging when working with transitioning youths. Using the social work professional lens to examine the potential and challenges of mentoring approaches for foster care youths, the authors review the literature on the effectiveness of youth mentoring programs and on the psychosocial outcomes and needs ofyouths leaving foster care. They offer a set of considerations for maximizing the potential benefits of mentoring for transitioning youths. The authors suggest that although mentoring may serve as an important component of a larger complement of services for transitioning youths, an individual-level intervention such as this does not eliminate the need for more systemic action to meet the many needs of these vulnerable youths.
Mode-coupling theory of the slow dynamics of polymeric liquids: Fractal macromolecular architectures

Recently a mode coupling theory for the dynamics of solutions and melts of entangled linear chain polymers has been developed. We report the extension of this approach to macromolecular architectures different from linear chains. Specifically, this work addresses recent experimental findings on melts of ring shaped polymers, small spherical micro-networks, and linear chains in two dimensions. The mechanical and dielectric response, diffusion, and molecular relaxation times of macromolecules modeled by fractal mass distributions are studied. The distribution is chosen to be Gaussian and then is uniquely determined from the experimentally measured scaling of macromolecular size (Rg) with degree of polymerization (N), i.e., Rg∝Nν. The exponent ν and the spatial dimension d determine the large N scaling of the transport coefficients and the exponents describing intermediate time anomalous diffusion. Within the theory, entanglement corrections to the single polymer Rouse dynamics are effective for ν<2/d only. ...
The F-Detector Revisited: An Improved Strategy for Signal Detection at Seismic and Infrasound Arrays

Abstract This short article explores and extends the adaptive detection algorithm recently developed by Arrowsmith, Whitaker, et al. (2008). In particular, this article highlights its application for seismic data, compares results for colocated seismic and infrasonic data, and assesses detector performance through comparison with analyst picks. We assess the adaptive detector by generating receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves, illustrating the trade-off between detection probability and false-alarm probability, and comparing the results with the conventional F -detector. The results show that the adaptive detector performs much better than the conventional detector for both seismic and infrasound data by maintaining high detection probabilities while significantly decreasing false-alarm probabilities, illustrating that correlated noise is ubiquitous for both types of data. The effect of the adaptation window is illustrated and shown to be especially important for infrasound data where diurnal variations in ambient noise levels are pronounced. A window choice of 1 hr (i.e., significantly less than 24 hr) is shown to be adequate for representing variations in ambient noise levels.
A graded-channel MOS (GCMOS) VLSI technology for low power DSP applications

Graded-Channel MOS (GCMOS) VLSI technology has been developed to meet the growing demand for low power and high performance applications. In this paper, it will be shown that, compared with conventional CMOS, the GCMOS device offers the advantage of significantly higher drive current, capable of lower threshold voltage with improved punchthrough resistance, lower body effect and lower series resistance, thus making it most suitable for applications that require both high performance and low power consumption, such as DSPs. This is demonstrated, for the first time, by much improved low voltage circuit performance of a DSP logic circuit fabricated using a 0.5 /spl mu/m GCMOS process. At 1.8 V, a 30% speed improvement over CMOS is achieved, and the power-delay product is reduced by 25%.
Monolithic, unidirectional single-mode Nd:YAG ring laser

We have built a nonplanar ring oscillator with the resonator contained entirely within a Nd:YAG crystal. When the oscillator was placed in a magnetic field, unidirectional oscillation was obtained with a pump-limited, single-axial-mode output of 163 mW.
Evidence for an electrostatic mechanism of force generation by the bacteriophage T4 DNA packaging motor

Viral DNA packaging motors must generate large forces to package the viral capsid. Here, Migliori et al. provide functional and computational evidence that electrostatic interactions between subdomains of the T4 packaging motor provide the driving force for DNA packaging.
Glycemic Control in Cardiac Surgery: Implementing an Evidence-Based Insulin Infusion Protocol

BACKGROUND Acute hyperglycemia following cardiac surgery increases the risk of deep sternal wound infection, significant early morbidity, and mortality. Insulin infusion protocols that target tight glycemic control to treat hyperglycemia have been linked to hypoglycemia and increased mortality. Recently published studies examining glycemic control in critical illness and clinical practice guidelines from professional organizations support moderate glycemic control. OBJECTIVES To measure critical care nurses' knowledge of glycemic control in cardiac surgery before and after education. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an evidence-based insulin infusion protocol targeting moderate glycemic control in cardiac surgery patients. METHODS This evidence-based practice change was implemented in the cardiovascular unit in a community teaching hospital. Nurses completed a self-developed questionnaire to measure knowledge of glycemic control. Blood glucose data, collected (retrospectively) from anesthesia end time through 11:59 PM on postoperative day 2, were compared from 2 months before to 2 months after the practice change. RESULTS Nurses' knowledge (test scores) increased significantly after education (pretest mean = 53.10, SD = 11.75; posttest mean = 79.10, SD = 12.02; t54 = -8.18, P < .001). Mean blood glucose level after implementation was 148 mg/dL. The incidence of hypoglycemia, 2.09% before and 0.22% after the intervention, was significantly reduced ( $${\hbox{ \chi }}_{1}^{2}$$ [n = 29] = 13.9, P < .001). The percentage of blood glucose levels less than 180 mg/dL was 88.30%. CONCLUSIONS Increasing nurses' knowledge of glycemic control and implementing an insulin infusion protocol targeting moderate glycemic control were effective for treating acute hyperglycemia following cardiac surgery with decreased incidence of hypoglycemia.
The prolonged use of prophylactic intravenous (IV) antibiotics for preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) does not appear to enhance sterilization of the chorioamnion space

PRETERM PREMATURE RUPTURE OF THE MEMBRANES (PPROM) DOES NOT APPEAR TO ENHANCE STERILIZATION OF THE CHORIOAMNION SPACE KRISTINA BELL MIXER, ROBERT ABRAMS, RICHARD BESINGER, JOHN GIANOPOULOS, MARK SANTILLAN, ROBERT MITTENDORF, Loyola University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maywood, Illinois OBJECTIVE: Given that IV antibiotics are almost always used for prophylaxis in PPROM, determine if prolonged usage leads to more negative bacterial cultures from the chorioamnion space at delivery. STUDY DESIGN: During the Magnesium and Neurologic Endpoints Trial, an Epidemiologic Data File (EDF) of biological variables was collected. It includes a precise recording (drug and dosage) of antibiotic prophylaxis used in PPROM, as well as subsequent results of placental bacteriology. The latter were obtained at delivery by aseptically dissecting the chorion from the amnion and obtaining cultures (aerobes, anaerobes, Ureaplasma, Mycoplasma, and Chlamydia) from their interior (Hillier method, N Engl J Med 1988;319:972-8). RESULTS: In the EDF, 94 mothers with PPROM received IV antibiotic prophylaxis and had bacterial cultures taken at delivery (59 positive; 35 negative [see J Perinatol 2001;21:3-8 for the various species]). The median exposure to prophylaxis was 13 total doses. We found that 84 of 94 (89%) women received IV ampicillin (2 g each dose); 76% got erythromycin (500 mg each); 63% got both ampicillin and erythromycin prophylaxis; 9%, cefazolin (2 g each); 12%, gentamicin (120 mg each); and, 5%, clindamycin (600 mg each dose). Using the Cochran Armitage Trend Test (Table; StatXact), no significant trend was found between increased exposure to IV antibiotics and enhanced sterilization of the chorioamnion space (P=.16). CONCLUSION: In our data, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that prolonged exposure to prophylactic antibiotics decreases the prevalence of bacteria cultured from reproductive tissues. The clinical implications of such knowledge should be considered.
Diverse calving patterns linked to glacier geometry

Iceberg calving—implicated in the retreat of ice shelves—is a complex process constrained by few observations. Numerical simulations suggest that the pattern of iceberg calving is controlled by the geometry of the glacier, and that regions of Greenland and Antarctica may be particularly vulnerable to catastrophic calving-driven retreat.
Can Restorative Justice Be of Value in Forensic Cases? Perspectives of a Lawyer and a Psychologist

Restorative justice (RJ) is a means by which to restore victims, restore offenders, and restore communities in a way that all stakeholders can agree is just, via the values of participation, reparation, equality, a forward-looking approach, respect, and dignity. Although concepts of restorative justice have been steadily growing in the context of the criminal trial process since the mid-1980s, most growth has come in cases involving post-sentencing victim-offender interaction. There has been virtually no movement to apply restorative justice principles to forensic cases. In this paper, we preliminarily explore – from the perspectives of both the lawyer and the forensic psychologist -- how RJ principles might be used in the full range of forensic cases, including matters involving incompetency to stand trial, the insanity defense and sentencing of defendants with mental disabilities.
Resource Utilization and Cost of Inserting Peripheral Intravenous Catheters in Hospitalized Children

Objective: The goal of this study was to measure the costs and difficulty in placing peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters in hospitalized children; measures of resource utilization. We measured the costs and difficulty in placing peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters in hospitalized children. This common procedure has implications for the utilization of hospital resources. Methods: This was a prospective, large-scale observational study in 2 southeastern US pediatric teaching hospitals evaluating 592 children needing peripheral IV catheters in the inpatient setting. The median age was 2.25 years with an age range of 2 days to 18 years. Costs were estimated by using directly measured staff time and national salary data. Analyses included costs according to patient characteristics (age, weight, dehydration, and difficulty of stick attempts), and nurse characteristics (experience in years and anticipated difficulty). Results: The median cost of the pediatric IV insertions was $41, and 60% of the placements were obtained with the first nurse. Seventy-two percent of the children had a successful IV insertion in 1 to 2 attempts and accounted for 53% of total costs. However, the 28% of children who required ≥3 IV attempts had a cost range of $69 to more than $125, and they consumed 43% of the total IV costs. This subset was often Conclusions: The insertion of peripheral IV catheters in an inpatient setting can be time intensive and requires significant skill. Our study suggests that resource utilization may improve when nurses and personnel proficient in starting peripheral IV catheters are used when the initial nurse has failed to obtain IV access. This systems improvement should result in shortened time to administration of parenteral therapies, positively improving outcomes and lessening length of stay, as well as improving patient/family satisfaction due to reduced perceptions of pain.