cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The opportunities and challenges in conducting clinical trials globally

Clinical trials using human subjects are an integral part of the approval of new drugs and biologics. According to Center Watch, 86% of US clinical studies fail to recruit the required number of subjects on time. It is therefore logical that pharmaceutical companies would turn to global outsourcing. Many of these trials are being conducted in developing countries. Accrual in developing countries can be 5–10-times quicker than in the US or Europe. However, clinical trials conducted in other countries differ in many respects. Thus, conducting clinical trials globally raises the concerns of regulatory authorities regarding the transparency, quality, accuracy, and carrying out of these trials following ethical norms. Although clinical research abroad is greatly facilitated by recent efforts to standardize regulatory procedures, and using new technologies has helped to standardize multinational data collection, the issues associated with the globalization of clinical trials still raises concerns about the ethi...
Elasticity of canine vocal fold tissue.

Stress-strain curves were obtained from vocalis muscle tissue that was kept viable in an aerated Krebs-Ringer solution after excision of the larynx from live dogs. Results are compared to similar c...
The cooling of ionospheric electrons by inelastic collisions with O/3P/

Abstract The heating of the F2 -layer caused by photoelectrons of nonlocal origin is reconsidered. It is shown that inelastic collisions between electrons and O( 3 P) prevent large increases of electron temperature.
Providing Design Assistance: A Case-Based Approach

This paper presents an integrated and comprehensive framework for decision support. A model integrating case-based reasoning with constraint posting and multicriteria decision making is proposed for providing effective and efficient assistance in solving routine design problems. The model is developed based on an analysis of the knowledge acquired from experts in engineering design, and is subsequently operationalized as a computer-based design assistant called IDEA. IDEA employs constraint posting to initially bound the design space and to maintain consistency of the design solutions. Case-based reasoning allows IDEA to generate new designs by retrieving, adapting, and composing from similar cases in memory. Finally, IDEA optimizes multiple objectives to identify a set of pareto-optimal designs. By organizing computer memory as a collection of cases and case snippets, and by adapting and synthesizing those cases and snippets---using techniques similar to those employed by design experts---IDEA provides valuable design assistance. In addition to providing a framework for decision support, the research makes specific contributions to case-based design. It shows how case snippets can be retrieved, adapted, and synthesized to generate multiple design solutions, whose consistency is enforced through a dynamic constraint management mechanism. The concepts and techniques developed for performing dynamic adaptation adaptation during composition from case snippets and for maintaining an evolving solution space a solution space that shrinks and expands over time contribute to the state-of-the-art in case-based design.
Computer anxiety correlates and what they tell us: A literature review

Abstract Much is being written about computer anxiety and what to do about it. Little of what is written is supported by research. Research suggests that there is a relationship between computer anxiety and past computer experience. Research also suggests that there is some relationship between gender and computer anxiety, but this area has not been sufficiently examined to clearly define the relationship. The same holds true for the relationship between computer anxiety and age. Other relationships have been explored, with little in the way of clear helpful results. Beyond experience with computers, little is known about what to do to mediate computer anxiety. A model of the development of computer anxiety would be helpful in guiding future research.
Duplicated zebrafish insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 genes with split functional domains: evidence for evolutionarily conserved IGF binding, nuclear localization, and transactivation activity

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-5 is a secreted protein that binds to IGF and modulates IGF actions. IGFBP-5 is also found in the nucleus of mammalian cells and has transactivation activity. The structural basis of this transactivation activity and its role in mediating IGF-independent actions are not clear. Here we report that there are 2 igfbp-5 genes in zebrafish and other teleost fish. In zebrafish, igfbp-5a and -5b are expressed in spatially restricted, mostly nonoverlapping domains during early development. The IGF binding site is conserved in both zebrafish IGFBP-5s, and they are both secreted and capable of IGF binding. Both proteins contain a consensus bipartite nuclear localization signal and were found in the nucleus when introduced into cultured cells. Although zebrafish IGFBP-5b possesses transactivation activity, zebrafish IGFBP-5a lacks this activity. Mutational analysis demonstrated that 2 unique amino acids in positions 22 and 56 of IGFBP-5a are responsible for its lack of transactivation activity. These findings suggest that the duplicated zebrafish IGFBP-5s have evolved divergent regulatory mechanisms and distinct biological properties by partitioning of ancestral structural domains and provide new evidence for a conserved role of the IGF binding, nuclear localization, and transactivation domain of this multifunctional IGFBP.—Dai, W., Kamei, H., Zhao, Y., Ding, J., Du, Z., Duan, C. Duplicated zebrafish insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 genes with split functional domains: evidence for evolutionarily conserved IGF binding, nuclear localization, and transactivation activity.
Storage effect on the analysis of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater.

Abstract In this study, the stability of 124 target analytes in influent and effluent wastewater samples during short-term (4 °C) and long-term (−18 °C) storage was assessed. The most common storage scenario was considered, in which samples were frozen immediately after sampling without any pre-treatment. During short-term storage more analytes remained stable (concentration during storage was in the range of 60–120% of the initial concentration) at 4 °C than at −18 °C. During long-term storage (−18 °C), three types of behavior were observed: constant concentrations throughout the experimental period, decreasing concentrations with time, and loss of the compound from the sample after freezing. Differences between effluent and influent samples were observed for 50 out of 124 tested PPCPs. The amount of stable analytes decreased with time during long-term storage. 72% and 56% of the target compounds in the effluent and influent wastewater, respectively, remained stable during 60 days of storage. The number of stable compounds decreased to 57 (46%) and 46 (37%) in the effluent and influent, respectively, over 120 days. 15 Pharmaceuticals were lost after freezing/thawing cycle. The results stress the importance of storage factors during analysis of pharmaceuticals in wastewater. The stability of target compounds in the samples under the planned storage conditions should be checked before starting the experiment to obtain reliable data.
Multiple Measures of Magnesium Status Are Comparable in Mild Asthma and Control Subjects

Magnesium (Mg) may be a significant factor in asthma management. There is debate about how to best assess Mg status. We evaluated multiple indices of Mg status and lung function in 52 people with mild to moderate asthma and 47 controls. Mg measures included serum total, ionized and erythrocyte Mg, intravenous Mg load retention and dietary recall. Methacholine challenge and pulmonary function tests were used to assess diagnosis and severity of asthma. Mg status was similar in asthma and controls, and was not correlated to lung function. Total serum Mg closely reflected ionized Mg and offers a useful clinical diagnostic monitor.
A practical multi-viewer tabletop autostereoscopic display

This paper introduces a multi-user autostereoscopic tabletop display and its associated real-time rendering methods. Tabletop displays that support both multiple viewers and autostereoscopy have been extremely difficult to construct. Our new system is inspired by the “Random Hole Display” design [11] that modified the pattern of openings in a barrier mounted in front of a flat panel display from thin slits to a dense pattern of tiny, pseudo-randomly placed holes. This allows viewers anywhere in front of the display to see a different subset of the display's native pixels through the random-hole screen. However, a fraction of the visible pixels will be observable by more than a single viewer. Thus the main challenge is handling these “conflicting” pixels, which ideally must show different colors to each viewer. We introduce several solutions to this problem and describe in detail the current method of choice, a combination of color blending and approximate error diffusion, performing in real time in our GPU-based implementation. The easily reproducible design uses a pattern film barrier affixed to the display by means of a transparent polycarbonate layer spacer. We use a commercial optical tracker for viewers' locations and synthesize the appropriate image (or a stereoscopic image pair) for each viewer. The system supports graceful degradation with increasing number of simultaneous views, and graceful improvement as the number of views decreases.
Sucrose crystallization mechanism of growth from aqueous solution

The steady stage growth of sucrose crystals at 0 °C is measured. The growth velocity follows any change in growing conditions but does so very slowly. Growth rates are extremely variable during the period of adjustment, but once realized are linear in terms of supersaturation σ or supercooling, ΔT, down to levels of σ ≈ 0.001, or ΔT ≈ 0.1 °C, respectively. Accelerated dissolution sets in within comparable ranges of undersaturation. This linear growth pattern suggests that surface integration and not surface diffusion is the controlling step in the mechanism.
An extreme test of mutational meltdown shows mutational firm up instead

Traditionally, the accumulation of new deleterious mutations in populations or species in low numbers is expected to lead to a reduction in fitness and mutational meltdown, but in this study the opposite was observed. Beginning with a highly inbred populations of Drosophila melanogaster, new mutations that accumulated in experiments of two females and two males or of one female and one male each generation for 52 generations did not cause a decline in progeny numbers over time. Only two lines went extinct among 52 tested lines. In three of four experiments there was a significant increase in progeny numbers over time (mutational firm up), which had to be due to new beneficial, compensatory, overdominant, or back mutations.
Baseline functioning among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence

Comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence (AD) may lead to a complicated and potentially severe treatment profile. Our study examined 167 individuals with both PTSD and AD compared with 105 individuals with PTSD without an alcohol use disorder (AUD) and 240 individuals with AD without PTSD on baseline psychosocial functioning. We hypothesized that individuals with PTSD/AD would be more socially and functionally impaired than individuals with only one disorder. Results indicated that participants with PTSD/AD were more likely to be unemployed, have less education, and report less income and were less likely to live with a partner than the participants with only a single disorder. However, they did not differ on symptom severity within these disorders (drinking frequency/quantity, PTSD, and anxiety symptoms) with the exception of depression and alcohol craving. This contradicts clinical lore that comorbid patients are more impaired at treatment initiation and adds support for concurrent treatment as not only feasible but also possibly ideal for these patients.
HIV Testing and Risky Sexual Behaviour

Using a study that randomly assigns HIV testing in two sites in sub-Saharan Africa, I examine the effects of testing on sexual behaviour. Using sexually transmitted infections as markers of risky sex, I find behavioural responses to HIV tests when tests provide unexpected information. Individuals surprised by an HIV-positive (HIV-negative) test increase (decrease) their risky sexual behaviour. I simulate the effects of testing and find under certain conditions, new HIV infections increase when people are tested. The provision of anti-retrovirals for HIV-positive individuals immediately after testing mitigates these effects and leads to decreases in HIV infections in all cases.
The use of cytokeratin staining in sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer

Abstract Background: Controversy exists regarding the routine use of cytokeratin immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the histopathologic examination of breast cancer sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) because the clinical significance of micrometastases detected by IHC is unclear. This analysis was performed to determine the frequency of IHC-detected micrometastases. Methods: All patients underwent SLN biopsy, followed by completion axillary dissection. This analysis included patients who had SLN evaluated by IHC. SLN were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain at 2-mm intervals, with IHC in 2 sections. The axillary dissection specimen was evaluated by routine H&E staining. Results: IHC was performed in SLNs from 973 patients. Of the 869 patients with negative nodes by H&E, 58 (6.7%) were “upstaged” by IHC. In 6 of 58 patients (10.3%) who had IHC-only positive SLN, nodal metastases were found in the axillary dissection specimen. Conclusions: IHC resulted in upstaging of 6.7% of patients who had negative SLN on H&E staining. These patients had a 10.3% risk of residual axillary nodal metastases. However, the clinical significance of IHC-only positive SLN requires further study.
Cross-phase modulation at the few-photon level in Rb-filled photonic bandgap fibers

We produce cross-phase shifts of a few milliradians on a meter beam with <20 signal photons, using a two-photon transition in Rb vapor confined to photonic bandgap fibers.
Groups with anti-symmetric mappings

The above theorems are sufficient to demonstrate the existence of antisymmetric mappings for all non-Abelian group of order less than 36, except for the group of order 24, and this group can be shown to have one. On the basis of our results, and the fact that we have no conditions on a non-Abelian group that would eliminate any from having anti-symmetric mappings, we conjecture that allnon-Abelian groups have anti-symmetric mappings.
Thermodynamics of deformation of latex blend coatings and its implications for tailoring their properties

Acrylic-based latex blend coatings, comprising a hard (Tg=45°C) and soft (Tg=−5°C) phases are evaluated in terms of the total energy they absorb before failure in a tensile test. Simultaneous measurement of the work and heat of deformation using a novel technique of differential gas pressure stretch calorimetry enables an estimate of change in their internal energy by application of the first law of thermodynamics. As the hard phase content of the blend is increased from 0–100%, its stiffness and tenacity increase, while the toughness (i.e., the energy to failure) under-goes a maximum at an intermediate composition. A partitioning of the mechanical work into heat and internal energy over the complete range of blend composition highlights the result that a simultaneous maximization of the heat dissipation and energy absorption is necessary to maximize blend toughness. This provides a new frame-work in which the properties of blend systems can be tailored in terms of their stiffness and toughness to design improved coatings.
ANN approach for 2-D echocardiographic image processing: application of neocognitron model to LV boundary formation

An application of neocognitron to the formation of a closed boundary contour of the left ventricle (LV) from line segments in echocardiographic images is presented. In echocardiographic image processing, the extraction of a closed boundary contour is a very difficult but important task for both automatic diagnosing and monitoring of heart functions. The two major problems are the extraction of complex contour edge pattern structures from noisy edge streaks and the reconstruction of missing edges. The first problem can be cast as a feature extraction problem, and the second one can be solved by the top-down model-based approach using the existing contextual information. The neocognitron model which has a hierarchical structure and forward and backward paths provides solutions to these two problems. The recognition of an input pattern is carried out sequentially, layer by layer along the forward path. The forward signals route is later retraced by the backward signals. The noise edges in the input pattern, which are not retraced in the backward route, are eliminated by the gain control mechanism. The incomplete features, which appear in the backward route, but might not be extracted in the forward route, also can be extracted by lowering the threshold value. The missing edge in the initial pattern can be filled back once the feature corresponding to that edge has been reconstructed. This neocognitron network has three layers: the lower, the intermediate, and the highest, containing the templates for basic geometrical features, basic curve features, and whole boundary contour, respectively. The models of the left ventricle boundary are created semi-automatically from real echocardiographic images. A model is established for each class of images based on the shape of the boundary contour which is defined according to age, gender, disease, probe position, and the time of contraction or expansion. The curve features are extracted from the boundary contour model semi-automatically.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
α6β4 integrin regulates keratinocyte chemotaxis through differential GTPase activation and antagonism of α3β1 integrin

Growth factor-induced cell migration and proliferation are essential for epithelial wound repair. Cell migration during wound repair also depends upon expression of laminin-5, a ligand for alpha 6 beta 4 integrin. We investigated the role of alpha 6 beta 4 integrin in laminin-5-dependent keratinocyte migration by re-expressing normal or attachment-defective beta 4 integrin in beta 4 integrin null keratinocytes. We found that expression of beta 4 integrin in either a ligand bound or ligand unbound state was necessary and sufficient for EGF-induced cell migration. In a ligand bound state, beta 4 integrin supported EGF-induced cell migration though sustained activation of Rac1. In the absence of alpha 6 beta 4 integrin ligation, Rac1 activation became tempered and EGF chemotaxis proceeded through an alternate mechanism that depended upon alpha 3 beta 1 integrin and was characterized by cell scattering. alpha 3 beta 1 integrin also relocalated from cell-cell contacts to sites of basal clustering where it displayed increased conformational activation. The aberrant distribution and activation of alpha 3 beta 1 integrin in attachment-defective beta 4 cells could be reversed by the activation of Rac1. Conversely, in WT beta 4 cells the normal cell-cell localization of alpha 3 beta 1 integrin became aberrant after the inhibition of Rac1. These studies indicate that the extracellular domain of beta 4 integrin, through its ability to bind ligand, functions to integrate the divergent effects of growth factors on the cytoskeleton and adhesion receptors so that coordinated keratinocyte migration can be achieved.
Enteric-coated aspirin, platelet cyclooxygenase activity and function

Recent studies evaluating the effect of slow releasing enteric-coated aspirin formulations have reported contradictory findings regarding the bioavailability of the active molecule in the circulating blood and the length of duration of the inhibitory effect on platelet function. In the present study, we have evaluated the effect of a single dose of two commercially available enteric-coated aspirins on platelet arachidonic acid metabolism and function. A single dose of slow releasing aspirin was as effective as fast acting regular aspirin in its effect on cyclooxygenase activity and platelet function in both human and canine platelets. However, in view of its slow releasing property, the onset of inhibition was considerably delayed compared to the action of fast acting aspirin in those subjects who ingested enteric-coated aspirins.
Hereditary stress as a cultural force in mathematics

Abstract Among the forces affecting the course of mathematical evolution is what the author has called “hereditary stress.” The term designates a cultural, not a psychological force, and it is internal to mathematics, not environmental. It appears to be synonymous with what A. L. Kroeber called “potentialities” and G. Sarton termed “growth pressure.” Neither of these scholars gave any analysis of it. The present article attempts to do this in the restricted context of mathematics. Its chief components seem to be: (A) Capacity. The quantity and intrinsic interest of the results that the basic theory and methodology of a field are capable of yielding. (B) Significance. The field's promise of yielding results significant for the advancement of mathematics or related fields. (C) Challenge. The emergence of problems whose solutions require an ingenuity and/or methodology which distinguish them from those problems whose solutions are of a more routine character. (D) Status. The esteem in which the field is held. (E) Conceptual Stress. The stresses created by the need for new conceptual materials to furnish a logical basis for explaining phenomena; outstanding among these is symbolic stress. (F) Paradox. Emergence of paradoxes or inconsistencies. These are discussed individually. Analysis of Component (E), for example, shows that it evidently stems from several sources; e.g., the necessity for a new concept which will afford means of solving problems previously inaccessible; stresses created by the need for introducing order into a chaos of materials recognizably related; and the need for new attitudes toward mathematical existence and mathematical “reality.”
Brown on Mackie: Echoes of the Lottery Paradox

In “The possibility of morality,” Phil Brown considers whether moral error theory is best understood as a necessary or contingent thesis. Among other things, Brown contends that the argument from relativity, offered by John Mackie—error theory’s progenitor—supports a stronger modal reading of error theory. His argument is as follows: Mackie’s is an abductive argument that error theory is the best explanation for divergence in moral practices. Since error theory will likewise be the best explanation for similar divergences in possible worlds similar to our own, we may conclude that error theory is true at all such worlds, just as it is in the actual world. I contend that Brown’s argument must fail, as abductive arguments cannot support the modal conclusions he suggests. I then consider why this is the case, concluding that Brown has stumbled upon new and interesting evidence that agglomerating one’s beliefs can be epistemically problematic—an issue associated most famously with Henry Kyburg’s lottery paradox.
Some dynamical properties of a two-dimensional Wigner crystal

Abstract Results for the static part of the ground state energy of the square and hexagonal two-dimensional Wigner lattices are given. The hexagonal lattice has the lower energy. Phonon dispersion curves and the vibrational zeropoint energy are calculated for the hexagonal lattice. The dielectric susceptibility tensor of a two-dimensional Wigner crystal χαβ(q) has been determined in the long wavelength limit in the presence of a static magnetic field perpendicular to the crystal, and explicit expressions have been obtained for the hexagonal lattice. Applying the analysis developed by Chiu and Quinn, the results for the susceptibility have been used to obtain the dispersion relation for the plasma oscillations in the electron crystal on the assumption that the crystal is embedded in a dielectric medium. The dispersion curves have been calculated for differing magnitudes of the applied magnetic field.
Complex expression of keratins in goldfish optic nerve

Keratins are the predominant intermediate filament proteins in the nonneuronal cells of the goldfish optic nerve. At least three different keratin pairs are expressed in this tissue, indicating an unexpected complexity. Expression of the type II keratin ON3 in goldfish opticnerve astrocytes predicts the expression of a type I keratin partner. Here we report the cDNA sequence and predicted amino acid sequence of two type I keratins from the goldfish optic nerve, designated GK48 and GK49. The GK48 protein is the goldfish equivalent of mammalian keratin 18 (K18) and is the most likely type I keratin partner to the ON3 protein. The GK49 protein is similar to the GK50 protein, a type I keratin characterized previously from the goldfish optic nerve. The GK48 and ON3 mRNAs are expressed in a variety of goldfish tissues, whereas the expression of GK49 mRNA has a more limited expression. In addition, in situ hybridization experiments show that the expression of the GK48 and ON3 mRNAs are evenly distributed throughout the optic nerve, while the GK49 mRNA is expressed along longitudinal lines. These results show that there is a diversity of keratin expression within different cell types in the goldfish optic nerve. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The uneven distribution of women in orthopaedic surgery resident training programs in the United States.

Background: Although women represented 58% of undergraduate students and 48% of medical students in the U.S. in the 2008-2009 academic year, only 13% of orthopaedic residents and only 4% of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Fellows in 2009 were women. Are all orthopaedic surgery programs in the U.S. equal in their ability to attract female medical students and train female orthopaedic surgeons? This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency programs in the U.S. train a similar number of female residents. Methods: Data for all ACGME-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency training programs in the U.S. for five academic years (2004-2005 through 2008-2009) were collected with use of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Track database. Results: Orthopaedic residency programs in the U.S. do not train women at an equal frequency. In the academic years from 2004-2005 through 2008-2009, forty-five programs had no female residents during at least one of the five academic years reviewed, and nine programs had no female residents during any of the years. More than fifty orthopaedic residency programs in the U.S. had an average of 20%. There was no significant change in the distribution among these categories over the five years examined (p = 0.234). Conclusions: Significant differences in the representation of women exist among orthopaedic residency training programs in the U.S. Further examination of the characteristics of orthopaedic residency programs that are successful in attracting female residents, particularly the composition of their faculty as role models, will be important in furthering our understanding of how orthopaedic surgery can continue to attract the best and the brightest individuals. Changes in the cultural experiences in programs that have not trained female orthopaedic surgeons, such as an increased number of female faculty, and policies that emphasize diversity may provide a greater opportunity for our orthopaedic profession to attract female medical students.
Running hard and falling behind: a welfare analysis of two-earner families.

This paper investigates the commonly asserted proposition that long term economic changes have put the family in a financial bind. Structural parameters of a family utility model are obtained by estimating simultaneous labor supply functions for a two-earner household. We find evidence indicating that the average 1990‘s two-earner family would prefer to receive the 1980‘s real wage package (were it available) instead of the real wage package it actually faces. The degree to which the 1990‘s family is worse off (in terms of the changes in the real wage package) is roughly equivalent to an hour of leisure per week.
Stochastic Prediction in Multinomial Logit Models

It is standard practice to form predictions from multinomial logit models by ignoring the estimation error associated with the parameter estimates and solving for the predicted endogeneous variable (market share) in terms of the exogenous variables and the point estimates of the parameters. It has long been recognized in the econometrics literature that this type of nonstochastic prediction, which ignores the sampling distribution of the parameter estimates, leads to incorrect inferences about the endogenous variable. We offer a simulationbased approach for approximating the exact stochastic prediction. We show that this approach provides very accurate approximations with minimal computation time and would be easy to implement in industrial applications.
Effects of cholera toxin on macrophage production of co-stimulatory cytokines.

Cholera toxin (CT), the enterotoxin of Vibrio cholerae, is a potent mucosal and systemic immunogen and adjuvant. The precise mechanism of the adjuvanticity of CT is poorly understood. Our previous work has showed that CT up-regulates B7.2, but not B7.1 expression on macrophages, and thus increases their co-stimulatory activity. In the current study, the effects of CT on macrophage co-stimulatory cytokine production were investigated. Bone marrow macrophages were generated by culturing bone marrow cells with macrophage colony-stimulating factor. CT treatment increased endotoxin-stimulated macrophage IL-10, IL-6, and IL-1β production, whereas it decreased IL-12, TNF-α and nitric oxide production. Antibody blocking experiments showed that CT inhibition of IL-12 and TNF-α production was mediated by increased IL-10 production, in that addition of anti-IL-10 monoclonal antibody abrogated CT inhibition. The decrease in nitric oxide production was in turn secondary to inhibition of TNF-α production. Taken together, our study demonstrated that CT has differential effects on various macrophage co-stimulatory cytokines, effects that are likely to contribute to its adjuvanticity.
Student voice as agency : Resistance and accommodation in inner-city schools

In this article we describe the results of a comparative case study of two inner-city high schools located in the southeastern United States. One school, a citywide school with high admission standards, enrolls an all-African American lower-to-middle-class population. The other school enrolls a more ethnically and racially diverse population of students from a single lower-class neighborhood. Using Grossberg's notion of identity politics, we describe how students' racial/ ethnic identity to a greater or lesser degree becomes both a means of resistance and accommodation to white hegemony.
Inhibition of pleural mesothelial cell collagen synthesis by nitric oxide.

Abstract The pleural mesothelial cell has a critical role in repairing the mesothelium after injury via its ability to produce connective tissue macromolecules. We have recently shown that proinflammatory cytokines and lipopoly-saccharide induce pleural mesothelial cells to produce nitric oxide. The present study examined the effect of nitric oxide on pleural mesothelial cell protein synthesis. Rat pleural mesothelial cells were exposed to various combinations of tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, interferon-γ, and lipopolysaccharide or to the nitric oxide donors: 6-morpholino-sydnonimine, S-nitroso-N-acetyl- d,l -penicillamine, sodium nitroprusside, and spermine-NO adduct for 24–48 h. Nitrate and nitrite (an index of nitric oxide production) and net collagen and noncollagen protein production (uptake of 3H-proline into collagenase-sensitive protein) were then determined. Net collagen production was significantly inhibited by the cytokine-lipopolysaccharide combinations tested. Collagen inhibition paralleled the time course of increased nitric oxide production. The inhibition of collagen production was also significantly reversed by the addition of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, and was reproduced by the addition of a 5:1 molar excess of Larginine to NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Additionally, nitric oxide-generating compounds significantly inhibited collagen production in a dose-dependent manner compared to unexposed control cells. Net collagen production was inhibited to a greater degree than noncollagen protein synthesis. These results suggest that nitric oxide may be a significant mediator of PMC collagen production during conditions of significant pleural inflammation.
Syntheses and structures of products resulting from oxygen insertion and hydrolysis of Salan-Al compounds

Abstract The combination of one and two equivalents of AlMe3 with the ligandSalean(tBu)H4 (NN′-bis((35-di-tert-butyl)-2-hydroxybenzyl)-1 2-diamino ethane) leads to the compounds Salean(tBu)H2AlMe (1) and Salean(tBu)HAlMe(AlMe2) (2) When 2 is exposed to air[Salean(tBu)HAlOMe]2 (3) first formsand then after several days [Salean(tBu)H2AlOH]2 (4) Compound 4 is the only product that occurs when 1 is exposed to air All four compounds have been characterized by spectroscopic (IR1H NMR27Al NMR) and physical techniques (Mp CH analysis) and in the case of 3 and 4 by X-ray crystallography The structures consist of dimeric units with bridging OMe and OH groups
Epidemiology and immunopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has global health implications. Approximately 5% of the world population consists of chronic HBV carriers, of which one-quarter to one-third will develop progressive liver disease. The prevalence of HBV varies widely, with high endemic regions in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa to low endemic regions in Western Europe and the United States. The main method of transmission of HBV varies with perinatal and sexual transmission as the predominant routes in high- and low-prevalence regions, respectively. The transition from acute infection to the chronic carrier state appears to be immunologically mediated. A strong humoral and cellular immune response are characteristic of resolved infections, whereas a weak antiviral immune response is observed in chronic HBV infection. The immunologic processes by which chronic HBV infection develops remain to be elucidated. Animal models of HBV infection, however, may help to define immunologic mechanisms that underlie chronic infection.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP): A disorder of extraskeletal endochondral ossification

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a genetic disorder in which extraskeletal bone forms in soft connective tissues, initiating during childhood and continuing throughout adult life. This heterotopic bone is qualitatively normal and forms through endochondral ossification. Episodes of bone formation often occur in response to injury. In addition to heterotopic ossification, FOP is associated with altered skeletal development, the most characteristic of which is malformation of the great toes. All FOP patients that we have examined carry mutations in ACVR1 , the gene encoding the ALK2 BMP type I receptor. Most patients are heterozygous for the same mutation in codon 206 (R206H) in the GS domain of the receptor. This ACVR1/ALK2 mutation induces mild constitutive activation of the BMP pathway and enhances signaling in response to BMP. The identification of the causative gene in FOP, together with the development of in vivo and in vitro models for heterotopic ossification and mesenchymal cell differentiation, is providing opportunities to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate chondrogenesis and osteogenesis and control the pathological induction of heterotopic bone formation. This knowledge will lead to novel approaches to modulate BMP signaling and bone formation and to the development of treatments for FOP and other disorders of bone and cartilage.
The effect of glyceollin on proton leakage in Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea plasma membrane and red beet tonoplast vesicles

Abstract Proton transport in sealed plasma membrane vesicles from Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea was inhibited by glyceollin. At 50 μM glyceollin no proton transport could be observed. Glyceollin at this concentration did not significantly affect the H + -ATPase responsible for proton pumping at the plasma membrane. Passive proton conductance increased significantly in the presence of glyceollin. These results suggest that glyceollin may inhibit fungal growth by diminishing the proton gradient necessary for solute uptake. Inhibition of the proton gradient appears to be due to increased proton conductance across the membrane in the presence of glyceollin and not inhibition of the H + -ATPase. Glyceollin also caused increased passive proton conductance in red beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) tonoplast vesicles at levels where the ATPase was minimally inhibited. These data taken together suggest that a primary phytotoxic effect of glyceollin may be to cause proton or ion leakage across membranes.
Non-Newtonian flow between concentric cylinders calculated from thermophysical properties obtained from simulations

A study of the Weissenberg effect (rod climbing in a stirred system) based on nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) is reported. Simulation results from a soft-sphere fluid are used to obtain a self-consistent free-surface profile of the fluid of finite compressibility undergoing Couette flow between concentric cylinders. A numerical procedure is then applied to calculate the height profile for a hypothetical fluid with thermophysical properties of the soft-sphere liquid and of a dense colloidal suspension. The height profile calculated is identified with shear thickening and the forms of the viscometric functions. The maximum climb occurs between the cylinders rather than at the inner cylinder.
Detection and localization of silicon and associated elements in vertebrate bone tissue by imaging ion microscopy.

The growing long bones from normal embryonic chicks and young rats have been examinedin situ by imaging ion microscopy, a highly sensitive technique for elemental detection and localization. In tibial diaphyses from chick and rat, treated with anhydrous ethylene glycol, embedded in Spurr medium, and dry sectioned 1–2 μm thick, analyses revealed the presence of silicon, calcium, magnesium, carbon, and oxygen. Silicon localization was principally extracellular in the tissues. Comparison of single element maps of silicon and calcium indicated that silicon specifically appeared in putative uncalcified osteoid regions of tibiae. Detection and imaging of silicon by ion microscopy support results of earlier work by Carlisle [3], who demonstrated the element in osteoid of rat and mouse bone by electron probe microanalysis. The current data offer the possibility for characterizing more completely silicon interaction in vertebrate calcified tissues.
Incorporation of 35S-sulfate into developing mouse brain: subcellular fractionation and electron microscopic studies.

Abstract Incorporation of 35S-sulfate into developing mouse cerebral hemisphere was studied, employing the techniques of subcellular fractionation and electron microscopic autoradiography. Uptake of 35S-sulfate in vivo of newborn brain is higher than at later stages of development. The acid mucopolysaccharides (AMPS) of developing mouse brain consist predominantly of chondroitin sulfate, and 35S-sulfate is actively incorporated into this brain constituent even in the premyelination stage. Incorporation of 35S-sulfate into AMPS decreases relatively with age, while incorporation into lipid increases with the commencement of active myelination. The 35S-sulfate incorporation into protein is rather constant regardless of the stage of development and relatively small. Major components of 35S-sulfate incorporation are cell cytoplasm and cytoplasmic membrane. Among the various subcellular organelles studied, presynaptic endings (synaptosomes) show the highest 35S-sulfate incorporation.
The mechanism of trust and distrust formation and their relational outcomes.

Abstract By incorporating distrust as a distinct entity from trust, the current study proposes a mechanism by which trust and distrust are formed and manifested in behavioral intentions in the context of business-to-consumer (B2C) Internet exchange relationships. Specifically this paper investigates the way consumers’ evaluations of an e-vendor's business operations relate to their judgments of trustworthiness (i.e., competence and benevolence of the e-vendor) and how such judgments shape consumer trust and distrust. This paper also examines two different behavioral intentions (i.e., consumers’ self-disclosure and willingness to commit) as outcomes of consumer trust and distrust. The proposed relationships are tested across two online purchasing contexts, books and clothing. Our framework receives strong support from the data. In particular, results support the proposition that trust and distrust are shaped by different dimensions of trustworthiness, and trust affects behavior intentions differently from distrust.
Using Science to Argue for Sexual Education in U.S. Public Schools Dr. Ella Flagg Young and the 1913 “Chicago Experiment”

During the Progressive Era, Dr. Ella Flagg Young instituted the first sexual education program in U.S. public schools. She garnered support for her “Chicago Experiment” by integrating scientific appeals about sexual education into popular discourses on modern research methods, education, and physical health. Although Young lived in an era when respect for science was at an all-time high, she created arguments for public sexual education that balanced scientific information about sex with audiences' ideological/moral concerns. This rhetorical history builds from critical rhetorical theory to offer implications for contemporary health advocates attempting to steer sexual education policy in new directions.
Cross-reactive anti-vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognize the major surface glycoprotein of VSV†

The major surface glycoprotein (G) of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was purified and incorporated into lipid vesicles containing the purified hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion (F) glycoproteins of Sendai virus. These lipid vesicles were then used to modify and render target cells susceptible to lysis by anti-VSV cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The results obtained provide direct evidence that the G protein is a target antigen for specific and cross-reactive anti-VSV cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The significance of this work is discussed.
The Living Conditions of Elderly Americans

Purpose This article profiles the housing settings of frail elderly individuals, whether their homes are facilitating or impeding their ability to live in the community, and the change in disability and housing status before and after passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Design and methods The analysis relies primarily on statistical analysis of the 1995 national American Housing Survey (AHS), with supplementary analysis of the 1978 AHS. Results In 1995, roughly 14% of elderly individuals had a "housing-related disability," 49% had at least one dwelling modification, and 23% had an unmet need for modifications. Because half those with dwelling modification also reported unmet need, the match between disabling condition and modification, not the presence of modifications, is key. Multivariate results indicate that although unmet need is greater among the poor, lack of modifications is not. Prevalence of modifications nearly doubled between 1978 and 1995. Overall unmet need declined, but some needs were less likely to be met in 1995 than 1978. Implications The analysis highlights the importance of information about housing for understanding the care and service needs of elderly individuals and provides a compelling argument for a minimum dataset on their housing and neighborhood environments.
A direct method for trajectory optimization of rigid bodies through contact

Direct methods for trajectory optimization are widely used for planning locally optimal trajectories of robotic systems. Many critical tasks, such as locomotion and manipulation, often involve impacting the ground or objects in the environment. Most state-of-the-art techniques treat the discontinuous dynamics that result from impacts as discrete modes and restrict the search for a complete path to a specified sequence through these modes. Here we present a novel method for trajectory planning of rigid-body systems that contact their environment through inelastic impacts and Coulomb friction. This method eliminates the requirement for a priori mode ordering. Motivated by the formulation of multi-contact dynamics as a Linear Complementarity Problem for forward simulation, the proposed algorithm poses the optimization problem as a Mathematical Program with Complementarity Constraints. We leverage Sequential Quadratic Programming to naturally resolve contact constraint forces while simultaneously optimizing a trajectory that satisfies the complementarity constraints. The method scales well to high-dimensional systems with large numbers of possible modes. We demonstrate the approach on four increasingly complex systems: rotating a pinned object with a finger, simple grasping and manipulation, planar walking with the Spring Flamingo robot, and high-speed bipedal running on the FastRunner platform.
Retail price concentration, transaction costs, and price flexibility circa 1900

Abstract This paper studies a unique 1901 data set containing prices of three products obtained from grocery stores in over 1400 cities nationwide. A striking characteristic is a high concentration of retail prices at relatively few “even” numbers. I propose a novel transactions cost explanation for this phenomenon on which existing theory is silent. In particular, grocers selected prices that simplified the task of toting up customer bills by hand and reduced related costs. As stores independently adopted this strategy across the country, prices converged to a few even numbers. Several empirical regularities for all three products are consistent with this explanation. An important implication is that preferences for computationally convenient prices would have made prices “sticky.” An independent study of price flexibility circa 1890 supports this hypothesis. The underlying data show price concentration patterns similar to the 1901 data, suggesting that the phenomenon covered a wide range of products.
Clostridium Spores with Ribbon-like Appendages

Spores of Clostridium sp. N1 are characterized by numerous broad ribbon-like appendages attached to one end. The appendages are two to three times the length of the spore and, at their maximal dimension, may be two-thirds the width of the spore. They are attached to the spore body by a common trunk which is continuous with the outer spore coat. Each appendage is a multilayered structure and is enclosed in an amorphous material. Details of spore and appendage formation are described, and appendage ultrastructural features are presented. The function of the appendages is not known.
The role of death denial in human affairs

‘…culture and history and religion and science…[are] different from anything else we know of in the universe. That is a fact. It is as if all life evolved to a certain point, and then in ourselves turned at a right angle and simply exploded in a different direction.’ Julian Jaynes [1] (p. 9)