cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Double STARS Research Seminar: An analysis of its effects and methodologies

The Double STARS (STEM Through Astronomy Research for Students) seminar is a hybrid online/in-person research experience aiming to encourage critical thinking and data analysis through observational astronomy via robotic telescopes. Presented here is a program analysis from the perspective of the authors, two undergraduate students who have previously participated in the program, who are now mentoring students in both California and New Mexico. Data collected from 57 past students, both online and in-person, are presented in order to give a broader understanding of the successes and challenges the program has faced. This paper provides the education community with valuable knowledge of how similar programs can be adapted to best suit the needs of students as well as the ways in which programs such as these may help students in the areas of professional development, research, and overall scientific understanding.
Experimental Demonstration of the Lower Leg Trajectory Error Framework Using Physiological Data as Inputs

While many studies have attempted to characterize the mechanical behavior of passive prosthetic feet to understand their influence on amputee gait, the relationship between mechanical design and biomechanical performance has not yet been fully articulated from a fundamental physics perspective. A novel framework, called lower leg trajectory error (LLTE) framework, presents a means of quantitatively optimizing the constitutive model of prosthetic feet to match a reference kinematic and kinetic dataset. This framework can be used to predict the required stiffness and geometry of a prosthesis to yield a desired biomechanical response. A passive prototype foot with adjustable ankle stiffness was tested by a unilateral transtibial amputee to evaluate this framework. The foot condition with LLTE-optimal ankle stiffness enabled the user to replicate the physiological target dataset within 16% root-mean-square (RMS) error. Specifically, the measured kinematic variables matched the target kinematics within 4% RMS error. Testing a range of ankle stiffness conditions from 1.5 to 24.4 N·m/deg with the same user indicated that conditions with lower LLTE values deviated the least from the target kinematic data. Across all conditions, the framework predicted the horizontal/vertical position, and angular orientation of the lower leg during midstance within 1.0 cm, 0.3 cm, and 1.5 deg, respectively. This initial testing suggests that prosthetic feet designed with low LLTE values could offer benefits to users. The LLTE framework is agnostic to specific foot designs and kinematic/kinetic user targets, and could be used to design and customize prosthetic feet.
Unsettling national narratives and multiplying voices: the art museum as renewed space for social advocacy and decolonization – a Canadian case study

Through their collection and exhibition practices, art museums around the world are active agents in the processes of national memory-making that silence and racialize certain individual and group ...
A 10MHz-1GHz Mitigated Shunt Capacitance Hybrid LNA for Use in a Ka-Band Envelope Detector Baseband Output

A simulated hybrid LNA exhibiting over 45 dB of power gain and gs HEMTs to further ensure low shunt-capacitance to ground. We also employ inductive peaking to compensate for the dominant pole caused by the source shunt capacitance. The amplifier is expected to dissipate 8 mW from a 0.5 V source.
Notes to home: supporting pre-service early childhood education teachers in building authentic family relationships

Family-teacher relationships in early childhood education are recognized as both important and challenging. This qualitative case study used content analysis to examine the impact of infant mental ...
Effectiveness and safety of repeat dexamethasone for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

To describe effectiveness of repeat dexamethasone for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and to evaluate adverse effects on growth. Retrospective study of infants treated with 1 or 2 courses of dexamethasone for BPD. Effectiveness was defined as successful step-down in respiratory support by end of treatment. Adverse effects on growth were analyzed and compared to untreated controls. A total of 132 dexamethasone-treated infants were identified. In total, 52% (69/132) of infants treated with initial dexamethasone achieved step-down in respiratory support compared to 38% (20/52) of infants with repeat dexamethasone. Growth trajectory did not significantly differ among infants treated with 1 or 2 courses of dexamethasone compared with controls (weight: P = 0.23, length: P = 0.68, and head circumference: P = 0.77). Repeat dexamethasone for BPD was less effective in weaning respiratory support compared to initial course. Changes in growth parameters to discharge were comparable between controls and infants treated with 1 or 2 dexamethasone courses.
The Melanocortin Pathway and Food Intake

The fact that there is variability in the efficiency with which humans store fat is obvious from personal experience, and is clearly supported by clinical studies. There are ethnic groups that are particularly susceptible to gaining excess body weight such as the Pima people of the southern United States, and the Nauru Islanders of the West Pacific. These are two examples of ethnic groups that suffer from a polygenic syndrome of obesity and diabetes with an incidence as high as 50% on a modern western diet. At the other extreme, it is clear that a tendency to remain lean is also inherited, with a familial linkage that is even stronger than that seen for obesity (1). The balance between these two phenotypes is clearly not equal, and the last several decades have witnessed a nearly exponential rise in the rate of obesity and diabetes worldwide. Obviously, changes in the diet and level of activity of our populations provides an opportunity for this obesity epidemic to become manifest. Nonetheless, it is clear that the majority of the tendency to become obese in the context of a high fat diet and a sedentary lifestyle has a genetic basis. A number of investigators have proposed and supported the theory that populations with a high susceptibility to obesity have a “thrifty genotype” (2). This genotype represents a collection of alleles that promote the storage of fat during times of plenty. These alleles have been enriched by the survival advantage they offered during extended periods of famine and marginal living that have occurred throughout human history.
Gulliver Ravel's travels : an excursion to the theoretical islands of intelligence

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an account written by Gulliver Ravel, a traveler. It describes his excursion to the theoretical islands of intelligence. Gulliver discovered that he had been robbed. All his material possessions were intact, however, something of even greater importance had been stolen, which was his intelligence. To keep it safe he had stored it in a hermetically sealed black box, but the box was nowhere to be found. He brought his rather dilapidated yet serviceable boat out from storage in the back yard and immediately set sail in search of his intelligence. He embarked from the raging waters where Crimesville and the Pacific Ocean meet. He decided to search for the villain who had stolen his box of intelligence and to recover it in the process. He did not know where this villain had gone, but his perseverance was great, even if his intelligence no longer was, and he was determined to find the villain. He sailed from island to island until the job was done. The chapter describes his experiences and discoveries through that journey.
States' Responses to the Budget Shortfalls of 2001-2004

A mild recession took a far harder toll on state budgets than had been expected. States have even cut back, by some measures, on spending for primary and secondary education. The authors think budgetary restrictions are likely to continue as sources of tax revenues become more constrained.
Reforming the U.S. Corporate Tax System to Increase Tax Competitiveness

The U.S. corporate tax system is a patchwork of overly complex, inefficient and unfair provisions that impose large costs on corporate business. U.S. corporations seeking to minimize the costs imposed by the detrimental provisions in the U.S. corporate tax system have adopted strategies to reduce overall tax exposure and increase profits. Such strategies include moving operations overseas, corporate inversions, transfer pricing, earnings stripping, and complex leasing arrangements, all to minimize taxation. Debate surrounding the issue of corporate tax reform has lately focused on whether or not the U.S. corporate tax system contributes to structural declines in manufacturing jobs and, more generally, to the weakening competitiveness of U.S. firms in a global economy. Furthermore, it is obvious that many U.S. businesses are conducting costly and complex operations that have minimal economic content but rather seem designed solely to reduce tax exposure. Unless broad and significant corporate tax reforms are enacted, it is likely that U.S. tax competitiveness will continue to suffer. The results of inaction are undesirable: potential loss of American jobs, movement of production overseas, sale of U.S. companies to foreign multinational firms and general erosion of the corporate tax base. This Joint Economic Committee study provides a general overview and discussion of the important economic issues of the U.S. corporate income tax system and provides a primer on several reform options to enhance U.S. tax competitiveness.
Survival of 247 liver transplant candidates: Relationship to pretransplant psychiatric variables and presence of delirium

We retrospectively gathered survival data for a cohort of previously published, prospectively studied liver transplantation candidates. Of the 247 candidates in the original cohort, 130 were transplanted at our hospital. The 117 who were not transplanted were older, had significantly more cognitive impairment on Trailmaking Tests and slowing on electroencephalogram (EEG), and had more delirium (25% vs 15%); they also had significantly more impairment in family relationships prior to transplant. Of the 130 patients who were transplanted, 91 survived as of December 1989 and 39 did not. None of the cognitive, EEG, or serum albumin results differentiated these groups, nor did age or incidence of pretransplant delirium (21% of those who died vs 12% of survivors). However, the highest level of adaptive functioning in the year prior to candidacy evaluation was significantly better in survivors; and there was more family and social dysfunction in nonsurvivors. Though the nonsurvivors received significantly more livers, histocompatibility did not distinguish the groups. The presence or absence of delirium did not predict survival status or duration for the whole group of transplanted patients. However, for the subgroup of transplant survivors, delirious patients had significantly shorter waits for transplantation and longer survival times than nondelirious ones.
The Oxford Handbook of Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders—Developmental Perspectives

James Lock is an international pioneer in the treatment of eating disorders in adolescent patients. In this text, published in 2012, Dr. Lock has brought together experts in the field to highlight ...
Atomistic simulation of the αc-Relaxation in crystalline polyethylene

The existence and mobility of conformational defects that could account for the αc-relaxation in crystalline polyethylene are studied by atomistic simulation. Candidate defects are identified by an exhaustive search of conformation space. Their mobility for translation along the chain in the crystal is estimated using the Transition State Theory. Among point defects, we find a large number of candidates for the αc-relaxation. This solution space is simplified by grouping solutions into families that yield a common minimum energy defect conformation. Dynamic pathways for defect propagation from one unit cell to the next vary substantially in energy barrier, ranging from 4 to 15 kcal/mol, in accord with experimental values of 5−22 kcal/mol. The highest mobilities (lowest energy barriers) were obtained for pathways that visit different defect conformations as they pass from one unit cell to the next. The most facile dynamic pathway for the αc-relaxation was found to involve the cooperative rotation of two to...
Band of Brothers or Band of Siblings?: An Evolutionary Perspective on Sexual Integration of Combat Forces

Sexual integration of combat forces presents under-appreciated challenges. Sex differences in physical capacity remain important in modern warfare, and the sexes also differ in combat-relevant psychological traits, including risk taking and aggressiveness. Moreover, group dynamics have consequences for unit cohesion and combat performance. Men more easily participate in coalitions organized to mete out violence, a tendency enhanced in the presence of intergroup competition. Men’s coalitions require lower levels of investment and can persist for longer in the face of within group conflict than women’s coalitions. Combat units rely on cohesion to enable performance, and introduction of women tends to reduce cohesion because, among other reasons, men often find it difficult to trust women. The attributes that soldiers value in comrades are ones that would have been important for primitive warriors, including strength, physical courage, and other aspects of masculinity, which may mean that women cannot evoke trust in their male comrades the way other men can.
Stepwise multi-photon activation fluorescence reveals a new method of melanoma imaging for dermatologists

Previous research has shown that the stepwise multi-photon activated fluorescence (SMPAF) of melanin, activated by a continuous-wave (CW) mode near infrared (NIR) laser, is a low cost and reliable method of detecting melanin. SMPAF images of melanin in a mouse hair and a formalin fixed mouse melanoma were compared with conventional multiphoton fluorescence microscopy (MPFM) images and confocal reflectance microscopy (CRM) images, all of which were acquired at an excitation wavelength of 920 nm, to further prove the effectiveness of SMPAF in detecting melanin. SMPAF images add specificity for melanin detection to MPFM images and CRM images. Melanin SMPAF can be a promising technology to enable melanoma imaging for dermatologists.
Laser reflectance relaxation spectroscopy: Determination of thermal diffusivity in thin films of gold

Abstract The technique of thermal modulation is applied to the study of transient thermal properties of thin films of Au. Relaxation spectra as seen in the reflected laser light give a value for the thermal diffusivity of Au as κ ≅ 1.2 cm 2 /sec, comparable to previous data for the bulk metal. Versatility and potentials of the laser reflectance relaxation spectroscopy are discussed.
A typology of stand structure and dynamics of Quaking aspen in northwestern Colorado

Abstract The regeneration of Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the western U.S. in some habitats occurs after severe fire which removes competing conifers and also triggers root suckering of aspen. Consequently, fire exclusion during the 20th century, sometimes in combination with elk browsing, has often been argued to have resulted in a decline in the extent of aspen relative to its pre-20th century extent. However, aspen regeneration is not always dependent on fire and many stands have structures indicative of aspen persistence even in the absence of fire. Thus, to investigate regeneration dynamics of both persistent and seral aspen stands, we reconstructed patterns of stand development in 26 aspen stands in northwestern Colorado. Seral and persistent aspen stands were initially selected based on geographic information system-based analysis of historic vegetation and fire occurrence. Stand-level age structures were determined from 1919 increment cores and size structures from counts and diameters of all juvenile, subcanopy and canopy trees in 40 m × 40 m plots. Stand structures were interpreted to determine modes of tree regeneration and patterns of stand development. As expected, in the eight seral stands aspen regeneration generally depended on coarse-scale, severe disturbance by fire. However, most aspen stands in this study showed signs of aspen self-replacement despite presence of conifers. In the 16 persistent aspen stands showing no conifer invasion, aspen are able to regenerate through a variety of regeneration modes that did not appear to require severe disturbance. Over 70% of the persistent aspen stands sampled did not require coarse-scale disturbance to regenerate. Two (11%) of the persistent stands regenerated continuously through time, and 11 (61%) had aspen cohorts that appeared to develop episodically without being triggered by severe fire or other severe disturbance. In the persistent stands sampled in our study, episodic regeneration not dependent on severe fire is the main mode of stand re-initiation. At many sites in northwestern Colorado aspen regeneration occurs episodically and fits a general stand development model of cohort senescence. According to this model, many of the currently “decadent” or deteriorating aspen stands in western Colorado may be replaced by regenerating stands as the senescent stages experience high levels of canopy tree mortality, thus assuring aspen persistence in the future.
The ‘golden mean’ in journalism

The pattern of criticisms of the press over the decades underscores the problems caused by the absence of universal ethical standards. Situation ethics, or “adhocracies,”; are an insufficient moral compass to guide a fast‐paced, technologically‐drive, bottom‐line oriented industry. It is suggested that journalists take a lesson from Aristotle, who argued for practical experience and theoretical substance. Aristotle's “moral mean”; is recommended as a moral compass that will serve journalists who seek to be virtuous and avoid both defective and excessive practices. Several instances in which the “moral mean”; should prove especially useful are outlined.
Bounded isotonic median regression

Abstract In this paper we consider the bounded isotonic median regression problem — a generalization of the isotonic median regression problem. We develop, in this paper, an efficient algorithm for solving the problem. The algorithm is derived from a linear programming approach. We also analyze the computational complexity of the algorithm and discuss its significance from the standpoint of linear programming theory.
Differential processing of osteopontin characterizes the proliferative vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype induced by allylamine.

Repeated cycles of vascular injury by allylamine induce vascular lesions similar to those seen in atherosclerotic vessels, or following balloon catheterization. Vascular (aortic) smooth muscle cells harvested from allylamine-treated animals (i.e., allylamine cells) acquire a proliferative advantage relative to control counterparts that is associated with differential secretion and extracellular matrix sequestration of several proteins. In the present study, we have characterized two of these proteins (M(r) 52 and 36 kDa; pl 5.6 and 5.2, respectively) and their putative role in the expression of a proliferative phenotype. Because the physical properties of these proteins were comparable to those of osteopontin (OPN) and its thrombin-generated fragment(s), initial experiments were conducted to examine the expression and processing of OPN in this cell system. OPN mRNA expression was enhanced during early G1 cell cycle progression in allylamine cells relative to control counterparts. However, comparable amounts of OPN (M(r) 56, 52, and 50 kDa) were detected by Western analysis in media conditioned by both cell types using the OP-199 or B77-Rat1 antibodies to OPN. Allylamine cells, however, produced increased amounts of a 36 kDa protein recognized by the OP-199 antibody. Incubation of conditioned media from [35S]methionine-labeled allylamine cells with thrombin decreased the intensity of the 52 kDa protein, while increasing the intensity of a 36 kDa protein. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated expression of a 1.2 kb OPN band in both cell types consistent with the predicted size of OPN mRNA, suggesting that the 36 kDa fragment recognized by OP-199 in allylamine cells was likely not due to altered splicing of the OPN transcript. To determine if OPN and/or the 36 kDa fragment played a central role in the proliferative capacity of allylamine cells, the effect of an antibody to an alpha v integin subunit was examined. An antibody to the alpha v subunit, but not alpha 4, nullified the proliferative advantage of allylamine cells relative to control counterparts, suggesting that integrin-mediated signaling is a key feature of the proliferative phenotype of allylamine cells. We conclude that enhanced proteolytic cleavage of OPN may characterize the modulation of vascular SMCs to a more proliferative phenotype following chemical injury by allylamine.
The valuation of aesthetic preferences

Abstract This paper reports on a bidding game applied to estimate aesthetic damages from possible construction of the Kaiparowits power plant near Lake Powell. Three problems associated with the interpretation of bidding games are explored theoretically and empirically: (1) incentives for biased responses, (2) divergences between compensating and equivalent variation and (3) problems of interpersonal comparison in the aggregation of individual bids.
GEM: crystal-clear DNA alignment

The Genome Multitool (GEM) mapper rapidly and accurately provides all alignments of a read within a user-defined number of mismatches.
The National Bureau Of Standards Research Program For The Archival Lifetime Analysis Of Optical Digital Data Disks (0D3)

The Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS/ICST) is embarking on a research program into the life expectancy properties of optical digital data disks (0D3). This paper discusses lifetime concepts in a general sense and some philosophies and objectives which will underlie the NBS/ICST archival program when it is initiated. Whereas the associated OD3 systems including optical disk drives, servos, lasers, and optics are usually replaceable (providing that they do not fall into the one-of-a-kind category), data contents which are lost due to the OD3 media failure may be irretrievable. Therefore, the principal archival lifetime factors to be investigated by NBS are related primarily to the life expectancies of the OD3 media and media structures. The initial program efforts will be towards determining the system independent degradation and failure mechanisms of the media materials through static optical, chemical, and physical testing. Subsequently, where possible these static test results will be correlated with the results derived from dynamic tests of the system dependent degradation and failure mechanisms of the media. These program activities will serve as the background for the development of a quantitative OD3 lifetime prediction theory and an archival care and handling methodology.
The relative importance of dopaminergic and noradrenergic neuronal systems for the stimulation of locomotor activity induced by amphetamine and other drugs.

When administered in the diets of mice, α-methyltyrosine reduced the brain contents of endogenous dopamine and norepinephrine and inhibited the formation of 14C-dopamine and 14C-norepinephrine from 14C-tyrosine. α-Methyltyrosine also blocked the locomotor stimulant actions of (+)-amphetamine and phenmetrazine but not of methyl-phenidate or pipradrol. Administration in the diet of U-14,624 or FLA-63, inhibitors of dopamine-β-hydroxylase, reduced brain contents of endogenous and 14C-norepinephrine but failed to alter the locomotor stimulant actions of any of the drugs tested. These results suggest that (+)-amphetamine and phenmetrazine exert locomotor stimulant effects through a dopaminergic mechanism.
Drive shifting prior to extinction of bar pressing reinforced by different sucrose incentives.

Srlmmary.-Rats were trained to bar press for 1 of 2 different sucrose reinforcements under a particular deprivation condition, then were extinguished under the same or a different condition. Independent groups of Ss were trained thirsty and extinguished thirsty or satiated, were trained hungry and extinguished hungry or thirsty, were trained thirsty and extinguished hungry or thirsty. Differential reintorcement effects were found only for those Ss trained under food deprivation; Ss trained while water deprived showed no reinforcement differences in training or extinction. There did appear to be drive stimulus generalization effects. The non-deprived rat, food-deprived rat, and water-deprived rat after either drinking or stomach loading with water, bar-press for sucrose reinforcements ar races generally proportionzl to their concentrations (Guctman, 1953; Collier & Myers, 1959; Beck, 1963; McLean & Beck, 1964; Beck 8: Ellis, 1966). The thirsty rat, on the other hand, bar presses pretty much indiscriminately for water or different sucrose reinforcements (Beck, 1963; Beck 8: Ellis, 1966; Collier & Knarr, 1966; Oakley, 1965). The main question asked in the present experiment was: If a water-deprived rat responds equally for all sucrose incentives when reinforced, will it respond differentially during extinction if it is hungry or satiated? This experimental arrangement is in the class of Thistlethwaite's ( 1951) Type IV, irrelevant incentive latent learning experiments. Differences among sucrose incentives are seemingly "irrelevant" to the rat when thirsty but are "relevant" when it is sztiated or hungry. This experimental design also provides information pertinent to the question of generalization effects in the shift of drives between acquisition and extinction. Three s~iccessive experiments were run, each involving training with 2 differenc sucrose incentives; Ss were trained thirsty and exringuished thirsty or satiated, were trained hungry and extinguished hungry or thirsty, were trained thirsty and extinguished hungry or thirsty.
Allelic differences in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism in late-life depression.

Objective The Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene is associated with cognitive and neuroimaging changes. The authors examined the relationship between this polymorphism and depression in an elderly sample, hypothesizing that the Met66 allele would be associated with late-life depression. Methods A total of 245 elderly depressed white subjects and 94 elderly comparison white subjects completed clinical assessments and provided a blood sample for genotyping. Subjects were dichotomized as either homozygous for the Val66 allele or Met66 allele carriers. Gene frequencies were compared between groups, with separate analyses examining for differences in gene frequencies based on age of depression onset, family history, and depression history. Logistic regression models examined the relationship between genotype and depression after controlling for age, sex, and race. Results Depressed subjects were more likely to be Met66 allele carriers than were comparison subjects (38.8% versus 24.4%; χ 2 = 6.13, 1 df, p=0.0133). This relationship remained significant after controlling for covariates (Wald χ 2 = 5.10, 1 df, p=0.024; odds ratio: 1.92, 95% confidence interval: 1.09–3.38). There were no significant relationships between genotype and age of onset, number of episodes, or family history of depression. Conclusion Met66 allele carriers have almost double the odds of having geriatric depression than do Val66 allele homozygotes. This polymorphism was unrelated to other clinical characteristics of depression in later life.
Retinohypothalamic tract synapses in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus demonstrate short-term synaptic plasticity.

The master circadian pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is entrained by light intensity–dependent signals transmitted via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). Short-term plastici...
Pediatric Nuclear Cardiology

Echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging and, more recently, multidetector computed tomography, have led to major advances in noninvasive image assessment of anatomy in pediatric cardiology. The radionuclide methods often lack sufficient resolution to precisely characterize complex morphology in congenital heart lesions. However, these methods provide an accurate and reproduceable quantitative assessment of the physiological consequences of structural heart disease. These unique capabilities will continue to assure ongoing clinical relevance of radionuclide methodology, as is the case in the assessment of heart disease in adult cardiology.
Management of pregnancy in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoantibody-mediated systemic autoimmune disease, predominantly affecting young females. Pregnancy is increasingly common in the setting of SLE, as survival and quality of life of patients improve. Although live births can be achieved in the most cases, pregnancy in patients with SLE remains a high-risk condition. Maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity are considerably increased, compared with the general population. Aberrations in pregnancy-related maternal immune adaptations are likely contributors. Active maternal disease, renal involvement, specific autoantibody subsets and advanced organ damage are predictors of poor outcome. Therapeutic options are limited during pregnancy as maternal benefit has to be weighed against fetal risk. Prevention of preterm birth and refractory pregnancy loss, as well as management of established neonatal heart block remain unmet needs. Further research should address these important issues that affect young patients with SLE and their babies.
Patterns of eating and abstinence in women treated for bulimia nervosa.

Objective The current study sought to determine whether there is an optimal pattern of eating leading to cessation of binge eating and purging in bulimic women. Method Data on the number of meals and snacks consumed were obtained from the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE) pretreatment and posttreatment, for individuals participating in a randomized controlled study comparing cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. Records were available for 158 participants. Results The numbers of meals and snacks eaten from pretreatment to posttreatment increased significantly. A pattern of eating with at least 80 meals combined with at least 21 afternoon snacks within a 28-day period was associated with an abstinence rate of 70%. In contrast, for subjects having 72–80 meals, those having greater than 11 evening snacks have an abstinence rate of 4%. Conclusion The critical elements of the pattern of eating related to abstinence appear to be the total number of meals consumed and the timing of snacks. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Allosteric regulation of phosphate diester transesterification based upon a dinuclear zinc catalyst assembled via the weak-link approach.

The design and synthesis of a novel supramolecular allosteric catalyst, assembled via the weak-link approach, is presented. The catalyst shows completely reversible allosteric regulation for the catalytic cleavage of 2-(hydroxypropyl)-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNP), which is an RNA model substrate. The system works under pseudo-aqueous conditions and can be turned completely off due to a bridging acetate ligand in the deactivated state, which inhibits the analogous intermolecular catalytic process.
Need MT1-MMP? Just say NO!

In this issue of Blood, Genis and colleagues provide evidence for a dynamic interaction between membrane type 1–matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and nitric oxide (NO) in migrating endothelial cells.
It is time to fill in the gaps left by simple dissociations

Abstract Our field has been dominated by the quest for dissociations. A number of the dissociations have gotten us far and the implicit/explicit one is an excellent example. It holds in the vast majority of cases and has furthered our understanding of memory considerably. There are now several very interesting exceptions to this basic rule that highlight how systems may interact and how independence is an option or a default, but not a necessity. We should not throw away the fundamental dissociation, but nor should we fail to learn from the interesting exceptions.
Nanoparticle-Assembled Capsule Synthesis: Formation of Colloidal Polyamine−Salt Intermediates

There is current interest in developing new synthesis strategies for multifunctional hollow spheres with tunable structural properties that would be useful in encapsulation and controlled release a...
20-HETE mediates the effect of parathyroid hormone and protein kinase C on renal phosphate transport.

Abstract Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a major inhibitor of renal proximal tubule (PT) sodium-dependent phosphate (Na + Pi) cotransport. PTH is thought to exert its effect on Pi transport in the PT via the protein kinase A (PKA) and C (PKC) intracellular signalling pathways. PKC-dependent phosphorylation of phospholipase A 2 stimulates arachidonic acid (AA) release, the latter a potent inhibitor of Pi transport. In turn, AA is metabolized to 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) in the PT. In addition, 20-HETE production is stimulated by PTH. We therefore explored the possibility that 20-HETE may mediate the PTH/PKC inhibition of renal Na + Pi cotransport. To this end, we tested the effect of 20-HETE on Na + Pi cotransport in proximal tubule-like cells. Exposure of opossum kidney (OK) cells for 4 h to 20-HETE (10 −7 M) decreased Na + -dependent uptake of 32 Pi (from 0.26 ± 0.02 to 0.19 ± 0.01 nmol/mg protein.min) by ∼25% ( P V max . 20-HETE had no significant effect on either the apical amiloride-sensitive and insensitive 22 Na uptakes or on basolateral ouabainsensitive 86 Rb uptake, and was specific for Pi. These results indicate that 20-HETE specifically inhibits Na + -dependent Pi transport in OK cells and that it may be a mediator of PTH action in the PT.
Virtual microscopy of brain tissue

Abstract Virtual microscopy of brain tissue is demonstrated in a prototype automated system for the parallel tracing of neurons and their connections. The software system (1) incorporates heuristics for tissue feature extraction, (2) demonstrates dendritic arbor and fiber pathway reconstruction, and (3) frames a finite element model of the environment in which these neurons grow and interconnect. The technology will enable the collection of an extensive database of measured neurons, leading to an enlarged knowledge base of neuron morphological models. While our work is directed to neuron and fiber tracing in brain tissue, it is applicable to other similar tissues, for instance, the reconstruction of blood vessels or bronchioles (Barillot et al., Comput. Graphics Appl. 5 (1985) 13–19).
Sustainable IT Ecosystems: Enabling Next-Generation Cities

In this paper, we describe an integrated design and management approach for building next-generation cities. This approach leverages IT technology in both the design and operational phases to optimize sustainability over a broad set of metrics while lowering costs. We call this approach a Sustainable IT Ecosystem. Our approach is based on five principles: ecosystem-scale life-cycle design; scalable and configurable infrastructure building blocks; pervasive sensing; data analytics and visualization; and autonomous control. Application of the approach is demonstrated for two case studies: an urban water infrastructure and an urban power microgrid. We conclude by discussing future opportunities to co-design and integrate these independent infrastructures, gaining further efficiencies.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The boundary spanning capabilities of purchasing agents in buyer-supplier trust development

Abstract This study examines how individual purchasing agents function as boundary spanners with suppliers to influence trust development in themselves and the buying firms that employ them. Building upon boundary theory and supply chain cooperation research, we identify three boundary spanning capabilities of purchasing agents and empirically test how these capabilities shape buyer–supplier trust development. Using two samples of data collected from suppliers in the automotive industry and food industry, we found that a purchasing agent's effectiveness in strategic communication with suppliers affects a supplier's trust in the buying firm, while an agent's professional knowledge and ability to reach compromises with suppliers affect a supplier's trust in the purchasing agent representing the firm. Trust in the purchasing agent in turn affects trust in the buying firm. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Differential scanning calorimetry of hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen peroxide-treated lignocellulose. II. Analysis at elevated pressure☆

Abstract Behavior of aqueous hydrogen peroxide in the presence and in the absence of wood flour, cellulose, lignin, and arabinoxylan was examined by DSC in nitrogen atmosphere at various pressures up to 950 psi. Increased pressure effectively shifted the evaporation endotherms of water and hydrogen peroxide to higher temperatures and allowed examination of exotherms resulting from catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and oxidation by hydrogen peroxide of lignocellulosic materials. Treatment of alodined aluminum pans and soda glass pans with hot nitric acid and treatment of gold pans with aqueous sodium sulfide and hot hydrogen peroxide strongly reduced the catalytic effect of the pan surface on decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Of the lignocellulosic materials tested, arabinoxylan proved to be most reactive in respect to hydrogen peroxide.
School-Based Social Justice: The Achieving Success Identity Pathways Program.

It is imperative that school counselors become actively engaged in promoting school success for all students. For youth from low-income and diverse backgrounds, future career opportunities are predicated on achieving educational success. Therefore, school counselors become agents for social justice when creating, implementing, and supporting school-based interventions designed to promote school success, especially culturally relevant interventions that target youth from lowincome and diverse backgrounds. This article describes the Ecological Developmental Cognitive Framework designed to inform the development of curricula that improve school success for all youth. The Achieving Success Identity Pathways is described as an example of curricula derived from this framework and a program that incorporates the four main components of the ASCA National Model®
A simplified model of coupled relaxation oscillators

Abstract In this paper we analyze a simplified model of a pair of coupled relaxation oscillators. The simplified model employs a two-dimensional phase space with jump conditions to approximate the behavior in the full four-dimensional phase space. The stability of the phase-locked modes of oscillation for the simplified system is obtained using phase plane techniques and compared to that previously obtained for the full system using asymptotic and numerical methods. It is shown that these results differ qualitatively over a region of the parameter space, and Lyapunov's direct stability method is used to explain this shortcoming of the model.
Effects of Potential Inhibitors on Metabolism of Griseofulvin In Vitro

The inhibitory effects of p -ethoxyacetanilide, p -methoxybenzylamine, codeine, and SK&F 525-A on the metabolism of griseofulvin were studied in a Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate liver-slice system. This investigation sought to determine the possibility of prolonging the biological activity of griseofulvin.
Analyte excitation in the inductively coupled plasma studied by power modulation

Abstract Energy coupling, propagation, excitation and relaxation processes in the inductively coupled plasma have been studied by modulating the power delivered to the plasma. Spatially and temporally resolved emission from Ar I, Ca II, Ca I and Li I in response to abrupt changes in power from 450 to 1000 W was measured. The emission intensities begin to fall within 100–300 μs of the high to low power transition. However, a spatially and species dependent delay of up to 3 ms is observed between the sudden change from low to high power and an increase in the emission intensities. At 20 mm above the load coil, Ca I emission intensity increases about 1 ms before an increase in the Ar I or Ca II intensities. Changes in the outer and central flow rates were found to have little effect on relaxation processes responsible for decay in emission after the power is abruptly decreased. However, an increase in the outer flow rate decreases the delay time between the low to high power transition and the increase in emission intensity. The data show that two ingredients seem to be necessary for analyte excitation: species (most likely electrons) created low and away from the radial center of the plasma must be transported upward and inward, and a direct coupling of energy into the analytical zone must occur. The excitation mechanisms or energy requirements for production of Ca I and Ca II emission are found to be different.
Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (-)-Plicatic Acid via a Highly Enantioselective and Diastereoselective Nucleophilic Epoxidation of Acyclic Trisubstitued Olefins

The first total synthesis of (−)-plicatic acid has been achieved by a concise and enantioselective route. In this synthesis, a conceptually new strategy featuring an asymmetric epoxidation-intramolecular epoxy-ring-opening Friedel−Crafts reaction sequence was developed for the stereoselective construction of the 2,7′-cyclolignane skeleton bearing contiguous quaternary-quaternary-tertiary stereocenters. The implementation of this strategy was enabled by the development of a modified protocol for the Seebach epoxidation with TADOOH, which affords an unprecedented, highly enantioselective and diastereoselective epoxidation with a range of α-carbonyl-β-substituted acrylates 3.
Raltegravir Pharmacokinetics in Treatment-Naïve Patients is not influenced by Race: Results from the Raltegravir Early Therapy in African-Americans Living with HIV (REAL) Study

Racial differences in antiretroviral treatment responses remain incompletely explained and may be a consequence of differential pharmacokinetics (PK) associated with race. Raltegravir, an inhibitor of HIV-1 integrase, is commonly used in the treatment of HIV-infected patients, many of whom are African-American. However, there are few data regarding the PK of raltegravir in African-Americans. HIV-infected men and women, self-described as African-American and naive to antiretroviral therapy were treated with raltegravir (RAL) at 400 mg twice a day, plus a fixed dose of tenofovir-emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) at 300 mg/200 mg once daily. Intensive PK sampling was conducted over 24 h at week 4. Drug concentrations at two trough values of 12 and 24 h after dosing (C(12) and C(24)), area under the concentration-curve values (AUC), maximum drug concentration (C(max)), and the time at which this concentration occurred (T(max)) in plasma were estimated with noncompartmental pharmacokinetic methods and compared to data from a subset of white subjects randomized to the RAL twice a day (plus TDF/FTC) arm of the QDMRK study, a phase III study of the safety and efficacy of once daily versus twice daily RAL in treatment naive patients. A total of 38 African-American participants were enrolled (90% male) into the REAL cohort with the following median baseline characteristics: age of 36 years, body mass index (BMI) of 23 kg/m(2), and a CD4 cell count of 339/ml. Plasma HIV RNA levels were below 200 copies/ml in 95% of participants at week 4. The characteristics of the 16 white QDMRK study participants were similar, although fewer (69%) were male, the median age was higher (45 years), and BMI was lower (19 kg/m(2)). There was considerable interindividual variability in RAL concentrations in both cohorts. Median C(12) in REAL was 91 ng/ml (range, 10 to 1,386) and in QDMRK participants was 128 ng/ml (range, 15 to 1,074). The C(max) median concentration was 1,042 ng/ml (range, 196 to 10,092) for REAL and 1,360 ng/ml (range, 218 to 9,701) for QDMRK. There were no significant differences in any RAL PK parameter between these cohorts of African-American and white individuals. Based on plasma PK, and with similar adherence rates, the performance of RAL among HIV-infected African-Americans should be no different than that of infected patients who are white.
An estrogen receptor-α splicing variant mediates both positive and negative effects on gene transcription

Analysis of mRNA prepared from a variety of estrogen-responsive cell lines, breast tumor specimens, and normal breast tissue have established that estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha) mRNA is typically expressed as a mixture of transcripts. Using PCR amplification, this heterogeneity has been shown to result largely from an imprecise pattern of mRNA splicing that gives rise to a family of correctly processed and exon-skipped ER alpha transcripts. We have reconstructed ER alpha cDNAs representing the single exon-skipped variants ERdeltaE2 through ERdeltaE7 to enable their functional characterization in a well defined cell transfection system. All six of the ER alpha splicing variants support the efficient expression of stable proteins in Cos7 cells, and each shows a characteristic pattern of subcellular distribution. Each of the variants displays a dramatic reduction in DNA-binding activity with a consensus estrogen response element (ERE) in an in vitro gel mobility shift assay. While this DNA-binding defect appears to be complete for ERdeltaE2, ERdeltaE3, ERdeltaE4, and ERdeltaE6, weak DNA binding is observed for ERdeltaE5 and ERdeltaE7. Scatchard analysis of hormone binding demonstrates that among the variants, only ERdeltaE3 binds 17beta-estradiol (E2) and does so with an affinity similar to wild-type ER alpha (wt ER alpha). Individual variants cotransfected with the pERE-TK-CAT reporter plasmid [a consensus ERE-driven chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene that is highly responsive to E2-liganded wt ER alpha] were ineffective at inducing CAT expression in ER-negative HeLa cells. Only ERdeltaE5 showed indications of positive transcriptional activity on the pERE-TK-CAT reporter, but this activity was limited to approximately 5% of the activity of wt ER alpha. When variants were expressed simultaneously with wt ER alpha, ERdeltaE3 and ERdeltaE5 were observed to have a dominant negative effect on wt ER alpha transcriptional activity. Like the wild-type receptor, both ERdeltaE3 and ERdeltaE5 interact with steroid receptor coactivator-1e (SRC-1e) in vitro; however, only ERdeltaE3 retained the ability to dimerize with wt ER alpha. Transcription from a region of the ovalbumin promoter, which contains an ERE half-site and an AP-1 motif, is positively regulated by liganded wt ER alpha and ERdeltaE3 in phorbol ester-treated, transiently transfected HeLa cells. In both cases, this activity was enhanced by cotransfected cJun. These observations suggest that selected ER alpha splicing variants are likely to exert important transcriptional effects, especially on genes that are regulated by nonconsensus EREs and subject to complex hormonal control.