cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contextualist theories of knowledge

Contextualist theories of knowledge offer a semantic hypothesis to explain the observed contextual variation in what people say they know, and the difficulty people have resolving skeptical paradoxes. Subject or speaker relative versions make the truth conditions of “S knows that p” depend on the standards of either the knower’s context (Hawthorne and Stanley) or those of the speaker’s context (Cohen and DeRose). Speaker contextualism avoids objections to subject contextualism, but is implausible in light of evidence that “know” does not behave like an indexical. I deepen and extend these criticisms in light of recent defenses by contextualists (including Ludlow). Another difficulty is that whether certain standards are salient or intended does not entail that they are the proper standards. A normative form of contextualism on which the truth of a knowledge claim depends on the proper standards for the context is more promising, but still unsatisfactory whether the view is speaker or subject relative. I defend alternative explanations for the observed linguistic and psychological data: a pragmatic account for some cases and a cognitive account for others.1
The Compact versus the Dispersed City: History of Planning Ideas on Sofia's Urban Form

This article reviews the planning history of Sofia since its designation as the Bulgarian capital in 1879. It argues that Sofia's planning has been persistently shaped by two perennial dilemmas—how to reconnect the city with nature and how to define its relationship with the region. In response to these dilemmas, different visions, shaped by both local conditions and dominant foreign theories, were proposed at different times. Some promoted a compact city, while others advocated a dispersed form. The case of Sofia demonstrates the significance of the city-nature and the city-region relationships in the evolution of planning thought. It also points to the difficulties that arise when local ideas of how to organize these relationships are inspired by international models made for cities with different historic experiences.
We Look More, Listen More, Notice More: Impact of Sustained Professional Development on Head Start Teachers' Inquiry-Based and Culturally-Relevant Science Teaching Practices.

Despite many scholars’ recommendations, science is often avoided during early childhood education. Among the reasons provided by early childhood teachers for the exclusion of science from their daily routines included science anxiety, low self-efficacy with respect to teaching science, lack of experience participating in science activities as students, or the notion that literacy and language are more important during the early years. In minority populations the problem is even greater due to identification of science with the ‘culture of. This article presents results from Ah Neen Dush, a sustained and transformative professional development program for Head Start teachers on an American Indian Reservation. The goal of the program is to support early childhood teachers in developing inquiry-based and culturally-relevant teaching practices. Through analysis of teachers’ classroom practices, surveys and interviews, we explore changes in teachers’ attitudes toward science and inquiry-based practices. Classroom observations were conducted using CLASS (Classroom assessment Scoring System), a tool used to evaluate the quality of classroom interactions. After 1 year of professional development teachers’ attitudes were found to improve and after 2 years teachers classroom practices were more inquiry-based with statistically significant increases in CLASS observation scores.
Alcohol-induced autophagy contributes to loss in skeletal muscle mass

Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatitis have severe muscle loss. Since ethanol impairs skeletal muscle protein synthesis but does not increase ubiquitin proteasome-mediated proteolysis, we investigated whether alcohol-induced autophagy contributes to muscle loss. Autophagy induction was studied in: A) Human skeletal muscle biopsies from alcoholic cirrhotics and controls, B) Gastrocnemius muscle from ethanol and pair-fed mice, and C) Ethanol-exposed murine C2C12 myotubes, by examining the expression of autophagy markers assessed by immunoblotting and real-time PCR. Expression of autophagy genes and markers were increased in skeletal muscle from humans and ethanol-fed mice, and in myotubes following ethanol exposure. Importantly, pulse-chase experiments showed suppression of myotube proteolysis upon ethanol-treatment with the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3MA) and not by MG132, a proteasome inhibitor. Correspondingly, ethanol-treated C2C12 myotubes stably expressing GFP-LC3B showed increased autophagy flux as measured by accumulation of GFP-LC3B vesicles with confocal microscopy. The ethanol-induced increase in LC3B lipidation was reversed upon knockdown of Atg7, a critical autophagy gene and was associated with reversal of the ethanol-induced decrease in myotube diameter. Consistently, CT image analysis of muscle area in alcoholic cirrhotics was significantly reduced compared with control subjects. In order to determine whether ethanol per se or its metabolic product, acetaldehyde, stimulates autophagy, C2C12 myotubes were treated with ethanol in the presence of the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor (4-methylpyrazole) or the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor (cyanamide). LC3B lipidation increased with acetaldehyde treatment and increased further with the addition of cyanamide. We conclude that muscle autophagy is increased by ethanol exposure and contributes to sarcopenia.
Increased Level of Dihydrofolic Reductase in Leucocytes of Patients Treated with Amethopterin

Increased Level of Dihydrofolic Reductase in Leucocytes of Patients Treated with Amethopterin
Amorphization and conductivity of silicon and germanium induced by indentation.

We report the observation, by transmission electron microscopy, that single-crystal silicon and germanium are converted to an amorphous state at room temperature directly under both Vickers and Knoop indentations. The effect is seen for crystal orientations of [001], [011], and [111], and with applied loads between 0.1 and 0.5 N. We also observe that the materials become electrically conducting under load and that the process is reversible on subsequent unloading and reloading. Furthermore, the transformed phase is found to make Ohmic contact to the surrounding, untransformed, semiconductor.
Malignant mixed tumors arising in salivary glands. I. Carcinomas arising in benign mixed tumors: A clinicopathologic study

Forty-seven cases of malignant mixed tumor (MMT) arising in major and minor salivary glands are presented. By definition, all these lesions contained both a benign mixed tumor (BMT) as well as a malignant neoplasm, usually a poorly differentiated carcinoma. In some cases, the carcinoma developed in a previously untreated salivary gland mass which was known to have been present for many years, others evolved in a recurrent previously resected BMT and still others originated in a previously undetected BMT. Adverse prognostic factors included: carcinomatous involvement of the resection lines, perineural invasion, metastases in lymph nodes, and origin in a major salivary gland. Lesions arising in the palate had a better prognosis as compared to major salivary gland tumors. Some patients died of locally uncontrollable tumor and others because of metastatic disease. Local recurrences of MMT were seen frequently; 18 patients (38%) had a total of 32 local recurrences. Of patients followed five years or more, seven (35%) had died of tumor, 11 (55%) had no evidence of disease, and two (10%) had died of other causes. Prolonged follow-up is required because recurrences and death from tumor may be seen many years following the diagnosis of MMT. Recommendations for therapy are made. Criteria for differentiating MMT from recurrent BMT and from cylindromatous carcinoma are discussed.
Role of Multiple Hosts in the Cross-Species Transmission and Emergence of a Pandemic Parvovirus

Understanding the mechanisms of cross-species virus transmission is critical to anticipating emerging infectious diseases. Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) emerged as a variant of a feline parvovirus when it acquired mutations that allowed binding to the canine transferrin receptor type 1 (TfR). However, CPV-2 was soon replaced by a variant virus (CPV-2a) that differed in antigenicity and receptor binding. Here we show that the emergence of CPV involved an additional host range variant virus that has circulated undetected in raccoons for at least 24 years, with transfers to and from dogs. Raccoon virus capsids showed little binding to the canine TfR, showed little infection of canine cells, and had altered antigenic structures. Remarkably, in capsid protein (VP2) phylogenies, most raccoon viruses fell as evolutionary intermediates between the CPV-2 and CPV-2a strains, suggesting that passage through raccoons assisted in the evolution of CPV-2a. This highlights the potential role of alternative hosts in viral emergence.
A Precision Femtofarad Capacitor

A CAPACITOR has been investigated which consists of six spheres, a, b, c, d, e and f, each with its centre on an axis of an orthogonal co-ordinate system and equidistant from the origin (see Fig. 1). The capacitance is measured between any two opposite spheres, while the remaining four and the shield are always at ground potential. This makes a three-terminal capacitor; the third terminal is the ground to which the shield and the non-active spheres are connected. This sphere configuration, which has three-dimensional symmetry, is somewhat related to the four-cylinder system having two-dimensional symmetry, described by Thompson and Lampard1.
Regulation of intracellular pH in the spontaneously hypertensive rat: Role of bicarbonate-dependent transporters

Previous studies that have evaluated the Na(+)-H+ antiporter in cells from hypertensive subjects were generally performed under conditions in which HCO3-CO2, the physiological buffer system, was absent from the assay media. The objective of this study was to evaluate the activity of the Na(+)-H+ antiporter and that of the Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchangers in cells assayed in the presence of HCO3-CO2 in the media. Lymphocytes from 6- to 8-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were obtained from the thymus gland and assayed immediately after isolation. The activity of the Na(+)-H+ antiporter after stimulation by cell acidification (pHi approximately 6.4) was similar in SHR and WKY rats (18.67 +/- 1.03 and 16.12 +/- 0.92 mmol H+/L per minute, respectively). Recovery from cell alkalinization was effected by an Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger, with maximal activity at an alkaline pHi (approximately 7.7). The stimulated activity of this Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger was also not different between SHR and WKY cells (2.65 +/- 0.25 and 2.55 +/- 0.32 mmol H+/L per minute, respectively). Acute chloride removal produced a rise in pHi that was Na(+)-dependent and sensitive to 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) but resistant to ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA), reflecting the activity of an Na(+)-dependent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger. Unlike the Na(+)-H+ exchanger and the Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger, which had their highest activities at extremes of pHi (low pHi, Na(+)-H+ exchanger, and high pHi, Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger), the Na(+)-dependent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger had its maximal activity near steady-state pHi (approximately 7.1). No significant differences were found in the stimulated activity of this exchanger between cells from SHR and WKY rats (2.23 +/- 0.26 and 2.50 +/- 0.43 mmol H+/L per minute, respectively). The kinetic properties of the Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger, examined as a function of external Cl-, were also virtually identical in cells from SHR and WKY rats. We conclude that in lymphocytes from SHR and WKY rats, the activity of the two Cl(-)-HCO3- exchangers, like that of the Na(+)-H+ exchanger, is dependent on the prevailing pHi. The Na(+)-dependent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger has its highest activity near steady-state pHi, suggesting an important role in the cell defense against intracellular acidosis under physiological conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Optical Mechanism for Enhanced Absorption of Laser Energy Incident on Solid Targets

A resonance absorption occuring in the classical optics of thin films for incident light at the plasma frequency is proposed to explain the reflectance and absorptance observed concurrently with neutron production in the heating of deuterium targets with Nd:glass laser pulses.
Keeping It Real: Connecting Feminist Criminology and Activism Through Service Learning

This article provides an overview of a women and criminal justice course designed to integrate a prison book drive into course content to connect scholarship and activism. The service-learning project is designed from a feminist criminology perspective. It is set up with a series of empowering activities, including preplanning, orienting the students to the project, meaningful work, inclusion of academic readings, reflective journals, and in-class discussions. The project also includes feedback opportunities for both the student as well as the community being served.
Analysis of molecular markers for metamorphic competency and their response to starvation or feeding in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

The nutritional condition of fourth instar larvae of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, governs female longevity and egg production, both are key determinants of pathogen transmission. As well, nutrition provisions larval growth and development and attains its greatest pace in the last larval instar in preparation for metamorphosis to an adult. These developmental processes are regulated by a complex endocrine interplay of juvenile hormone, neuropeptides, and ecdysteroids that is nutrition sensitive. We previously determined that feeding for only 24 h post-ecdysis was sufficient for fourth instar Ae. aegypti larvae to reach critical weight and accumulate sufficient nutritional stores to commit to metamorphosis. To understand the genetic basis of metamorphic commitment in Ae. aegypti, we profiled the expression of 16 genes known to be involved in the endocrine and nutritional regulation of insect metamorphosis in two ways. The first set is a developmental profile from the beginning of the fourth instar to early pupae, and the second set is for fourth instars starved or fed for up to 36 h. By comparing the two sets, we found that seven of the genes (AaegCYP302, AaegJHE43357, AaegBrCZ4, AaegCPF1-2, AaegCPR-7, AaegPpl, and AaegSlif) were expressed during metamorphic commitment in fourth instars and in fed but not starved larvae. Based on these results, the seven genes alone or in combination may serve as molecular indicators of nutritional and metamorphic status of fourth instar Ae. aegypti larvae and possibly other mosquito species in field and laboratory studies to gauge sub-lethal effects of novel and traditional cultural or chemical controls.
Steady-state analysis of series resonant converter using extended describing function method

This paper presents the steady-state analysis of series resonant converter (SRC) using the extended describing function (EDF) method. The EDF method is used to express non-linear terms of switching waveforms as linear descriptors to develop a linear model of the converter. The converter under consideration consists of a half-bridge inverter and a full-wave rectifier. The steady-state analysis in the frequency-domain is presented. The characteristics such as input-to-output-voltage transfer function and input impedance are obtained by first harmonic approximation of the converter state variables. Experimental results are given for a laboratory prototype of the SRC operating at 24 VDC input, 10 VDC output, output power of 15 W, and at a switching frequency of 110 kHz to verify the theoretical analysis.
Review of Information Literacy Instruction Handbook

This book illustrates why faculty would be well served to read the librarians' literature. Although explicitly targeted toward instructional librarians—or reference librarians who are thrust into t...
Toxic ricin demonstration a dual dentral projection

Toxic ricin was used to study the central distribution of dental afferents in the cat. Following intrapulpal ricin injections ganglion cell degeneration is seen in the II and III ganglion divisions. Central argyrophilic degeneration occurs in the dorsal portion of all ipsilateral trigeminal nuclei. Ventral degeneration is seen in the pars interpolaris and pars caudalis. No contralateral degeneration was observed. The results are discussed with regard to previous studies of the central location of dental afferents.
Rock Mass Strength Assessment for Bedrock Landsliding

Application of a rock mass strength (RMS) classification scheme to estimate outcrop-scale strength discriminates stable hillslopes from sites of deep-seated bedrock landslides in the Chuckanut Formation, Washington. RMS values determined for joint surfaces and bedding planes provide quantitative measures of outcrop-scale strength encompassing the spatial variability, character, and frequency of discontinuities in a rock mass, features impossible to evaluate via conventional laboratory analysis. Strength quantification using bedding planes from 61 hillslopes, including 17 rockslides, reveals distinct populations of data for stable hillslopes and rockslides, with the latter exhibiting RMS values below 69. In contrast, RMS values obtained from joint surfaces in the study area do not correlate with hillslope stability. Analysis of the seven weighted variables in the RMS scheme indicates that bedding plane orientation relative to hillslope orientation, together with intact rock strength, serve as the primary controls on deep-seated rocksliding within the Chuckanut Formation. Rock mass strength estimates obtained by this approach characterize outcrop-scale material strength and identify those portions of a landscape most susceptible to bedrock landsliding.
Laser printing of multi-layered polymer/metal heterostructures for electronic and MEMS devices

A laser forward transfer technique for the simultaneous printing of polymer/metal stacked micro-laminates is introduced. Several different material combinations as well as stacking architectures are presented including single laser pulse deposited dual layer capacitors, three-layer stacks for potentially printing organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), and photo-definable polymer/metal laminates and free-standing membranes for MEMS based sensors.
Using Projection Kurtosis Concentration of Natural Images for Blind Noise Covariance Matrix Estimation

Kurtosis of 1D projections provides important statistical characteristics of natural images. In this work, we first provide a theoretical underpinning to a recently observed phenomenon known as projection kurtosis concentration that the kurtosis of natural images over different band-pass channels tend to concentrate around a typical value. Based on this analysis, we further describe a new method to estimate the covariance matrix of correlated Gaussian noise from a noise corrupted image using random band-pass filters. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our blind noise covariance matrix estimation method on natural images.
Susceptibility of larvae of Trichoplusia ni and Anticarsia gemmatalis to intrahemocoelic injections of conidia and blastospores of Nomuraea rileyi

Abstract The LD50 for larvae of Trichoplusia ni injected with blastospores of Nomuraea rileyi was 4.30 ± 1.16 hyphal bodies/larva; the LD50 for injected conidia was ca. 25,000 conidia/larva. The dose-mortality regression line for blastospores was Y = 4.6504 + 0.5487 X. Larval mortalities of Anticarsia gemmatalis and T. ni at 100 blastospores/larva were 0.4 ± 0.5% and 96.7 ± 1.9%, respectively. At a dosage of 25,000 conidia/larva, larval mortalities for A. gemmatalis and T. ni were 0.4 ± 0.5% and 43.1 ± 8.7%, respectively. Thus, larvae of A. gemmatalis were > 100 times and >200 times more resistant to injected conidia and blastospores, respectively, than were larvae of T. ni. Resistance of A. gemmatalis to N. rileyi may not be solely at the integumental barrier, as is often believed, but may also be a function of an internal physiological response.
Evidence of Hybridization between Common Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) and Butler's Gartersnakes (Thamnophis butleri) in Wisconsin, USA

Abstract Snakes within the genus Thamnophis (Gartersnakes and Ribbonsnakes) are often found in sympatry throughout their geographic distributions. Past work has indicated that some sympatric species within this genus may hybridize, but research of this nature is limited. We attempted to determine whether hybridization occurs between two Thamnophis species native to the upper midwestern United States: Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) and the Butler's Gartersnake (Thamnophis butleri). We sampled snakes (n = 411) across 26 locations in Wisconsin, including sites where both species coexist and sites where only Common Gartersnakes are found. We conducted genetic analyses on tissue collected from individuals field-identified as Common Gartersnakes or Butler's Gartersnakes. To verify the results of our field-collected data, we analyzed tissues from juvenile snakes (n = 4) suspected to be the offspring of a Common Gartersnake and a Butler's Gartersnake that were housed together in a captive situation. Of ...
Prevalence of adequate blood pressure control in self-pay or medicare patients versus medicaid or private insurance patients with systemic hypertension followed in a university cardiology or general medicine clinic

The prevalence of adequate blood pressure control was investigated in 614 patients (mean age 60 +/- 16 years) with systemic hypertension followed in a university cardiology or general medicine clinic. Systemic hypertension was adequately controlled in 46 of 122 patients (38%) who had to pay for their medications (self-pay or Medicare patients) versus 342 of 492 patients (70%) who received their medications at minimal or no cost because they were on Medicaid or had private insurance (p <0.001).
Low-pressure UV inactivation and DNA repair potential of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts.

Because Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts are very resistant to conventional water treatment processes, including chemical disinfection, we determined the kinetics and extent of their inactivation by monochromatic, low-pressure (LP), mercury vapor lamp UV radiation and their subsequent potential for DNA repair of UV damage. A UV collimated-beam apparatus was used to expose suspensions of purified C. parvum oocysts in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.3, at 25°C to various doses of monochromatic LP UV. C. parvum infectivity reductions were rapid, approximately first order, and at a dose of 3 mJ/cm2 (=30 J/m2), the reduction reached the cell culture assay detection limit of ∼3 log10. At UV doses of 1.2 and 3 mJ/cm2, the log10 reductions of C. parvum oocyst infectivity were not significantly different for control oocysts and those exposed to dark or light repair conditions for UV-induced DNA damage. These results indicate that C. parvum oocysts are very sensitive to inactivation by low doses of monochromatic LP UV radiation and that there is no phenotypic evidence of either light or dark repair of UV-induced DNA damage.
Estrogen, cytokines, and pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis

In summary, available data demonstrate that IL-1 and TNF are the causative agents underlying the bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency. Indeed, these factors are produced in bone and the bone marrow, released in larger amounts from cells of estrogen-deficient subjects, and indispensable for reproducing the effects of estrogen deficiency in bone. These observations support the hypothesis that the bone sparing effect of estrogen is due to the ability of the hormone to block osteoclastogenesis, the activation of mature osteoclasts and, as recently demonstrated, the rate of apoptotic osteoclast death. Although IL-1 and TNF play a prominent causal role in these events, the bone-sparing effect of estrogen is mediated by numerous cytokines which, by simultaneously stimulating multiple target cells, induce effects that are not accounted for by any one single factor (Fig. 2). The ability of estrogen to regulate some, but not all, the cytokines involved in this process is not inconsistent with this hypothesis because cytokines have potent synergistic effects. Thus, a considerable increase in bone resorption may result from a relatively small increase in the concentration of only a few of the bone-resorbing factors present in the bone microenvironment. This concept is best illustrated by the study of Miyaura et al. demonstrating that the concentrations of either IL-1, IL-6, IL-6 receptor, or prostaglandins detected in the bone marrow of OVX mice are insufficient to account for the increased bone resorption caused by estrogen withdrawal. In contrast, the increase in bone resorption induced by OVX can be explained by the cumulative effects of these cytokines. Thus, a better understanding of the cooperative effects of cytokines and a recognition that the contribution of individual cytokines to postmenopausal bone loss varies with the passage of time after menopause are necessary to fully understand the mechanism of action of estrogen in bone. Although the relevance of individual bone-targeting cytokines in species specific, the development of transgenic mice with activatable or deactivatable promoters is likely to result in a further clarification of the integrated action of estrogen-regulated cytokines in human bone cells and lay the foundations for the use of cytokine inhibitors in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Determinants of Condom Use Among Junior High School Students in a Minority, Inner-City School District

Condoms reduce the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission; however their use among adolescents has been inconsistent. Little is known about factors which motivate the consistent use of condoms particularly among younger adolescents. In a study designed to identify such factors 1899 inner city junior high school students were surveyed. In June 1988 students completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire assessing HIV-related knowledge attitudes and behaviors. Among sexually active students (n=403) logistic regression analysis evaluated the influence of demographic psychosocial and behavioral factors on frequency of condom use. Respondents who believe that condoms are effective in preventing HIV transmission were 2.2 times more likely to report using condoms consistently during sexual intercourse; those with low perceived costs associated with condom use were 1.9 times more likely to be consistent users. Number of lifetime sexual partners was inversely related to frequency of condom use. Respondents with a history of 3 or more sex partners were 1/2 as likely to use condoms consistently. Factors not associated with consistent use of condoms include age age at sexual debut ethnicity HIV knowledge perceived efficacy to avoid HIV infection and alcohol and drug use. School- and community-based HIV prevention programs will have to go beyond the didactic transfer of factual information and include more interactive teaching strategies to improve adolescents attitudes toward condoms. They require self-efficacy to increase condom use and to counter negative peer influence and adolescents perceptions of invulnerability. Physicians are an underutilized source of HIV prevention in formation and they have an important role in counseling adolescents about effective HIV-prevention methods and dispellig misperceptions which hinder consistent condom use. (authors)
Assessment of deterrence and missile defense in East Asia: A power transition perspective

This paper explores the stability of deterrence in East Asia and the effects of missile defense on regional security. In particular, we evaluate the policy implications derived from the power transition perspective for the development of the US missile defense system in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the short term, we anticipate that the stability of deterrence in East Asia will be increased by the deployment of ballistic missile defenses that creates a power preponderance of satisfied challengers against potential regional challengers. The long-term horizon is, however, tenuous because the rapid expansion of US-led missile defense systems may significantly alter the trajectory of China’s missile strategy by increasing its dissatisfaction with the status quo. One fundamental implication is that, without further restrictions, long-term deployment stability in East Asia will become increasingly fragile.
Distinct Differences Between Morphine‐ and [d‐Ala2,N‐MePhe4,Gly‐ol5]‐Enkephalin‐ μ‐Opioid Receptor Complexes Demonstrated by Cyclic AMP‐Dependent Protein Kinase Phosphorylation

The present study demonstrates a conditional, agonist-dependent phosphorylation of the mu-opioid receptor (MOR-1) by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in membrane preparations of MOR-1-transfected neuroblastoma Neuro2A cells. Opioid agonist-dependent phosphorylation occurs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (EC50 approximately 40 nM) and can be abolished by the receptor antagonist naloxone. Stoichiometric analysis indicates incorporation of a maximum of 6 mol of phosphate/mol of receptor in the presence of 1 microM morphine and 6 nM PKA. Although morphine and related alkaloids as well as some peptide agonists (PLO17 and beta-endorphin) stimulated phosphorylation of MOR-1 by PKA, the potent mu-opioid-selective peptide [D-Ala2,N-MePhe4,Gly-ol5]-enkephalin (DAMGO) or other enkephalin analogues such as [D-Ala2]-Met5-enkephalinamide (DALA), [D-Ala2,D-Leu5]-enkephalin (DADLE), and Met5-enkephalin had no effect. The lack of the effect of DAMGO on MOR-1 phosphorylation state was evident also after chronic pretreatment. These results suggest the existence of different agonist-dependent conformations of MOR-1. Furthermore, phosphorylation may be a useful parameter with which to identify different agonist-receptor conformations.
Actualism and Beauty: Karl Barth's Insistence on the Auch in his Account of Divine Beauty

Hans Urs von Balthasar claimed that Barth's Church Dogmatics demonstrates a weakening of his distinctive actualism in order to make space for ‘the concept of authentic objective form’, a point illustrated by the discourse on divine beauty in CD II/1. There Barth treats the divine being as an objective form to be contemplated, a seeming departure from Barth's privileged conceptualisation of God as personal subject whose free action humbles our theoretical gaze and graciously provides the material content for proper speech about God. Bruce McCormack has challenged von Balthasar's general thesis, arguing that no weakening has in fact taken place in the Church Dogmatics. If this is the case, what then of Barth's discourse on divine beauty? Is it consistent with his actualistic doctrine of God? Is it possible to speak of God both as a free, dynamic event and an object of beauty? Can theological aesthetics find a home within Barth's actualism? This article answers in the affirmative by demonstrating the systematic integrity between Barth's claims about divine beauty and the actualism permeating CD II/1. First, the article examines the ambiguity of Barth's specific claims about divine beauty. Barth is both enthusiastic and hesitant in speaking about divine beauty, affirming the concept yet placing careful qualifications on its use. Next, the article illustrates how the nature of these claims is anticipated by the actualism of CD II/1, specifically by (1) Barth's clear rejection of divine formlessness, (2) his argument that God's act of self-revelation in Jesus Christ implies an objective triune form for God's being and, lastly, (3) how he grounds discourse on divine beauty in the event of God's dynamic, free love. The article finally contends that the key to Barth's puzzling position on divine beauty is in understanding the precise reason why he registers beauty as a necessary but insufficient theological concept. This qualification is rooted in an important content–form, spirit–nature distinction which frames all discussion about God's being-in-act. Throughout CD II/1, objective form is a necessary condition for divine self-expression, but objectivity is always grounded in the freedom of the Spirit. Thus, the freedom-to-love at the heart of God's triune existence is the ground of our experience of God as beautiful, not any continuity with our contemplation of created forms. As such, the creative freedom animating God's triune life provides the space for, but also the limit to, theological aesthetics by imbuing divine beauty in mystery.
Testing for presence of kth-rder cyclostationarity

The presence of kth-order cyclostationarity is defined in terms of nonvanishing cyclic cumulants and polyspectra. By exploiting the asymptotic normality and consistency of kth-order sample cyclic statistics, asymptotically optimal chi /sup 2/ tests are developed to detect presence of cycles in the kth-order cyclic- cumulants and polyspectra, without assuming any specific distribution on the data. Statistical tests are derived in both time- and frequency-domain and yield consistent estimates of possible cycles present in the kth-order cyclic-statistics. Explicit algorithms for k >
The Regulation of Bacteriochlorophyll Synthesis in Rhodobacter Capsulatus

As members of the genus Rhodobacter respond to shifting environmental conditions, the amount and composition of the photosynthetic apparatus changes. The photosynthetic apparatus is composed of specific complexes of proteins and photosynthetic pigments, and the changes in the photosynthetic apparatus are achieved in a coordinated fashion so that neither pigment nor protein is accumulated in excess. It is especially important that neither bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) nor its precursors accumulate in excess, since these compounds are sensitizers to photo-dynamic killing processes. We have discovered a protein,thee product of the pufQ gene, that mediates the coordination between pigment and protein synthesis. In the course of studying how this coordination of syntheses is achieved, we have found an unusual superoperonal arrangement of the genes coding for various elements of the photosynthetic apparatus.
Supporting the end users' views

End users of software have the right to systems that are both useful and usable, a property termed usability in the software and human-computer interaction communities. Unfortunately, it is not obvious what methods or techniques developers of software should adopt in order to achieve good usability in a product. There are a confounding number of questions. How can different points of view among end users be incorporated into a software development process? What does it mean to treat software developers as end users, namely of software tools? How do the limitations of software practice, such as minimizing time to release, affect what information can be collected and used to make usability decisions? This paper presents a variety of possibilities for supporting all the end users' views in a software development activity. Both tools and methods are suggested, roughly organized according to the different activities in software development. Moreover, end users are defined to be a variety of stakeholders in a software development project, including at the very least the end users of a product but also developers who are end users of software tools.
Comparison of methods for DNA extraction from paraffin-embedded tissues and buccal cells

Abstract Both paraffin-embedded tissue specimens and buccal cells are excellent resources for large-scale molecular epidemiological studies. In order to identify the optimal method for DNA extraction, we compared three methods: (1) modified phenol–chloroform protocol; (2) simple boiling method; and (3) DNA Extraction Mini Kit. For paraffin-embedded tissue specimens, amplification of the β-globin gene sequence was successful in 30 of 34 (88.2%) by the simple boiling method, 29 of 34 (85.3%) samples using DNA extracted by the phenol–chloroform method, and 18 of 34 (52.9%) by the DNA Mini Kit. For buccal cells, amplification of the β-globin gene sequence was successful in 16 of 17 (94.1%) DNA samples extracted by the phenol–chloroform method, 2 of 16 (12.5%) by the simple boiling method, and 12 of 16 (75%) by the DNA Mini Kit. Both the simple boiling method and the phenol–chloroform method are better methods for DNA isolation from paraffin-embedded tissue specimens, and the phenol–chloroform method is the best method for DNA extraction from buccal cells.
Host preference by an aquatic ectosymbiotic annelid on 2 sympatric species of host crayfishes

Abstract Symbiotic interactions can affect populations, communities, and ecosystems by creating novel flows of material and energy in food webs. However, there is considerable variability in host specificity among symbionts. We examined the host specificity of an ectosymbiotic annelid worm (Annelida:Clitellata:Branchiobdellidae) on 2 sympatric species of host crayfishes. In host-selection experiments, the branchiobdellid Cambarincola ingens colonized the crayfish Cambarus chasmodactylus 2.5x more frequently than similarly sized Orconectes cristavarius even though O. cristavarius was 2 to 4x more abundant in the field. Infestation intensity–body size regressions for Cambarincola in the New River reflected host-selection experiment results; the slopes for C. chasmodactylus were up to 8x steeper than those for O. cristavarius. In addition, 96% of C. chasmodactylus had at least one attached Cambarincola compared to only 36% for O. cristavarius. There are many possible explanations for the observed host prefer...
Population-based analysis of prognostic indicators in sebaceous carcinoma of the head and neck.

Objectives/Hypothesis Due to the rarity of sebaceous carcinoma of the head and neck, few large series have been reported and prognostic factors remain largely undetermined. This study presents prognostic factors in survival in sebaceous carcinoma of the head and neck. Study Design Retrospective analysis was performed using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database for patients diagnosed with sebaceous carcinoma of the head and neck (SCHN). Methods Clinicopathologic, treatment data, and 5-year disease specific survival were analyzed using univariable and multivariable regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier methodology. Results Of the 1,433 patients identified to have SCHN, 16 were node-positive (1.14%). On multivariable analysis, independent prognostic indicators were: age at diagnosis (HR = 1.03, P = .021), tumor grade (HR = 4.97, P = .038), and distant metastasis (HR = 7.52, P = .006). Nodal metastasis occurred exclusively with poorly or undifferentiated tumors and was not a significant prognostic factor on multivariable analysis. Conclusion Elderly patients and patients with poorly differentiated tumors and/or distant disease at presentation have the highest risk of disease-specific mortality. Lymph node metastasis does not appear to be an independent prognostic factor in sebaceous cell carcinoma. Level of Evidence 2b. Laryngoscope, 123:2165–2169, 2013
Vitamin D in Blood and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Lessons from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial and the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial

The effects of blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) on the risk of total, low-, and high-grade prostate cancer were examined in the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) and the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT). In the SELECT study, plasma 25-OHD levels were associated with a linear decrease in prostate cancer risk for high-grade cancers in African American men and an apparent "U"-shaped effect in other men. The "U-shaped" curve may reflect detection bias. In the PCPT study, in which detection bias was minimized, serum 25-OHD levels were associated with a linear decrease in the risk of high-grade prostate cancers. The results from these large prevention trials support the hypothesis that circulating levels of 25-OHD decrease the risk of clinically relevant prostate cancers.
584 Pneumonia in the First Year Post-Cardiac Transplant Is Common and Associated with Reduced Long Term Survival

topic heart transplants was performed at our institution from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2009. 165 of these patients had bi-atrial anastomoses (Group I), and 118 had bi-caval anastomoses (Group II). PPM placement rates were compared and resultant excess cost was determined using average Medicare reimbursement rates for DRG242 (PPM implant with major complication and co-morbidities). Results: Group I had a PPM placement rate of 11% (18/164) compared to Group II’s 5.1% (6/118) (p 0.057). Approximately 95% (23/24) of PPM’s were placed within 30 days of transplant. During the study period, Group I incurred an excess cost of $336,162 attributable to PPM placement compared to Group II’s excess cost of $112,054.
Digital Nature Benefits Typical Individuals but not Individuals with Depressive Symptoms

Abstract Being in the natural environment has beneficial effects, including improved performance on subsequent mental tasks that require careful control over thought and action. This restorative effect has also been observed for individuals with depression after they experienced a 50 min walk in nature. While individuals without depression experienced this restorative effect even after brief exposure to low-intensity, digital nature stimuli, the negative thought biases associated with depressive symptomatology might interfere with the restorative effect during such brief exposures. The goal of this study was to assess whether brief exposure (4 min and 10 s) to two-dimensional digital nature images results in the restorative effect on a cognitive control task, the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), in individuals with depressive symptoms, compared to a control group without these symptoms. The results indicated that only typical individuals show improved performance after the low-intensity nature...
A multimeric model for murine anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and structural insights for its regulation by post-translational modification.

A monomeric model for murine antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 was constructed by comparative modeling with the software suite MPACK (EXDIS/DIAMOD/ FANTOM) using human Bcl-xL as a template. The monomeric model shows that murine Bcl-2 is an all a- helical protein with a central (helix 5) hydrophobic helix surrounded by amphipathic helices and an unstructured loop of 30 residues connecting helices 1 and 2. It has been previously shown that phosphorylation of Ser 70 located in this loop region regulates the anti-apoptotic activity of Bcl-2. Based on our current model, we propose that this phosphorylation may result in a conformational change that aids multimer formation. We constructed a model for the Bcl-2 homodimer based on the experimentally determined 3D structure of the Bcl-xL: Bad peptide complex. The model shows that it will require approx- imately a half turn in helix 2 to expose hydrophobic residues important for the formation of a multimer. Helices 5 and 6 of the monomeric subunit Bcl-2 have been proposed to form an ion-channel by associating with helices 5 and 6 of another monomeric subunit in the higher-order complex. In the multimeric model of Bcl-2, helices 5 and 6 of each subunit were placed distantly apart. From our model, we conclude that a global conformational change may be required to bring helices 5 and 6 together during ion-channel formation.
Women's initial experience of abnormal papanicolaou smear.

To discover the early subjective experience of women affected by abnormal Papanicolaou smear, a qualitative study was undertaken with 8 North Carolina women, 4 to 12 months postnotification of their first abnormal result. Data were analyzed via grounded theory methodology to identify a core theory that could guide interventions to improve follow-up for cancer prevention. This theoretical process is described as a labyrinth journey—an imperative healing process undertaken by all participants, who undertook the following tasks: evaluating peril, seeking refuge, obtaining information, and reframing their self-image. Women who also learned they were infected with the human papillomavirus faced a prolonged sense of threat to their sense of sexual well-being. Their additional tasks related to reevaluating their sexual self-image, and they continued to work on these reframing tasks throughout their 1st year's journey. Progress through the labyrinth depended upon emotional or spiritual support, nonjudgmental acce...
Perceived Validity and Assessment of the Self: a Decade Later*

This investigation replicates one conducted a decade ago in which students compared four self-concept instruments according to the degree to which each permitted veridical self-description. An open response format was regarded as least accurate in 1965 and as most accurate in 1975. It is suggested that this and related findings have implications for the choice of instruments in self-concept research, and observed temporal changes can be attributed to modifications in the organization of the self-system.
Sodium excretion in advanced cirrhosis: Effect of expansion of central blood volume and suppression of plasma aldosterone

Sodium excretion in 13 patients with decompensated cirrhosis was measured under baseline conditions of water loading (n = 13) and during conditions designed to improve effective blood volume including: head-out water immersion alone (n = 13); norepinephrine infusion alone (n = 6), and combined norepinephrine and head-out water immersion (n = 6). All 13 patients were in positive sodium balance under baseline conditions, with a mean plasma aldosterone concentration of 78.7 +/- 15.6 ng per dl. In only four patients was plasma aldosterone less than 50 ng per dl. During head-out water immersion alone, 5 patients achieved negative sodium balance and, in all 5, plasma aldosterone was less than 50 ng per dl (mean = 23.0 +/- 5.3 ng per dl). However, the mean plasma aldosterone during head-out water immersion in the eight patients who remained in positive sodium balance during this maneuver was 64.0 +/- 11.9 ng per dl (p less than 0.01). During norepinephrine alone, positive sodium balance was maintained in all patients, and plasma aldosterone was not significantly different from baseline. Combining norepinephrine and head-out water immersion resulted in the largest and most consistent negative sodium balance. The mean plasma aldosterone concentration was decreased significantly (78.7 +/- 15.6 to 32.6 +/- 9.9 ng per dl (p less than 0.05). Regardless of the maneuver performed, no patient in whom aldosterone exceeded 50 ng per dl achieved negative sodium balance. Furthermore, only in those studies utilizing head-out water immersion, with or without norepinephrine, was negative sodium balance seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)