cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environmental Governance : Power and Knowledge in a Local-Global World

1. Introduction Part 1: Power, knowledge and environmental governance from a conceptual perspective 2. Situating Knowledges, Spatializing Communities, and Sizing Contradictions: The Challenge of Globality and Locality in Environmental Governance Tim Luke 3. Ecological expertise Ralf Brand & Andy Karvonen 4. Power, knowledge and ocean governance from a historical perspective Peter Jacques Part 2: From the local to the global 5. Multi-level-governance and the question of scale - the concept of Landscape Governance Christoph Gorg & Felix Rauschmayer 6. The Internationalized State: Functions and Modes of Regulation of Genetic Resources Uli Brand 7. Ecological Praxis: The Global Ecovillage Movement and the Scientific Ontology of Interbeing Karen Litfin Part 3: From the global to the local 8. Water for All! The Power of the World Bank and its Transnational Policy Networks Michael Goldman 9. Global Institutions and Environmental Change: moving beyond land-use-cover-change Tim Forsyth 10. Global Assistance for Local Environmental Movements: The Politics of Capacity-Building in Bosnia-Herzegovina Adam Fagan 11. Conclusions
Sickle cell disease: screening, diagnosis, management, and counseling in newborns and infants. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research

The AHCPR guideline on sickle cell disease has several strengths and many weaknesses. For the practicing physician it is strongest in recommending medical management of infants with sickle cell disease but weakest on screening and education and counseling. The evidence-based methodology should have been presented in more detail. Until that occurs, family physicians are left with this guideline as a summary of expert opinions with variable documentation of the underlying science.
Design of folded hybrid silicon carbide-lithium niobate waveguides for efficient second-harmonic generation

A design of a highly efficient second-harmonic generation hybrid silicon carbide (SiC)-thin-film LiNbO3 optical device is presented with a normalized nonlinear conversion efficiency as high as 1280%/(W-cm2). It is shown that low-loss bends and tapers in the SiC rib can be used to fold the device into any desirable aspect ratio to meet design requirements or fabrication limitations. Direct numerical integration of the coupled-wave equations is used to simulate the generated second-harmonic output power under a variety of fabrication tolerance considerations.
Distributive Networks, Sub-Regional Tastes and Ethnicity: The Trade in Chinese Textiles in Southeast Asia from the Tenth to Fourteenth Centuries CE

In contrast to the tributary exchange in luxury textiles between China and Southeast Asia—documented by the beginning of the second millennium CE—the trade and consumption patterns of textiles at the lower levels of society in Southeast Asia have been little studied. A re-reading of textual information from Southeast Asia, China and the Indian Ocean reveals variations in textiles imported by the various sub-regions of Southeast Asia, and their links to local differences in tastes in dyeing techniques, colour palettes and weave techniques, often between markets that were located in relatively close proximity to each other. These findings, in turn, help to reconstruct the distributive patterns of products, and to suggest a possible means of highlighting ethnic distinctiveness of certain sub-regions of Southeast Asia.
An Impaled Potential Unexploded Device in the Civilian Trauma Setting: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Abstract Background The management of patients with impaled unexploded devices is rare in the civilian setting. However, as the lines of the traditional battlefield are blurred by modern warfare and terrorist activity, emergency providers should be familiar with facility protocols, plans, and contact information of their local resources for unexploded devices. Case Report A 44-year-old male sustained a close-proximity blast injury to his lower extremities while manipulating a mortar-type firework. He presented to the regional trauma center with an open, comminuted distal femur fracture and radiographic evidence of a potential explosive device in his thigh. His management was coordinated with the local Explosive Ordinance Disposal and the fire department. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Explosive devices pose a grave threat when encountered. Familiarization with protocols to manage these patients can mitigate disaster. Emergency providers should expect and be prepared to coordinate care for these patients.
Automated contracting in distributed manufacturing among independent companies

So far, most distributed scheduling systems have been designed for cooperative agents, and are inappropriate for self-interested agents, as for example in inter-firm interactions such as virtual enterprises. This paper discusses issues that arise in extending automated contracting to operate among such self-interested agents. We construct a leveled commitment contracting protocol that allows self-interested agents to efficiently accommodate future events by having the possibility of unilaterally decommitting from a contract based on local reasoning. A decommitment penalty is assigned to both agents in a contract to be freed from the contract, an agent only pays this penalty to the other party. It is formally shown that this leveled commitment feature in a contracting protocol increases Pareto efficiency of deals and can enable contracts by making them individually rational when no full commitment contract can. The analysis is nontrivial because self-interested agents decommit manipulatively a Nash equilibrium analysis of the decommitting game is necessary.
Uric acid stones.

Uric acid is the end product of purine degradation in humans. It is a weak acid with a pK of 5.35 in urine. In acidic urine the undissociated form of uric acid predominates and is poorly soluble, leading to crystalluria and stone formation. Uric acid stones account for 5% to 10% of all stones in the United States. Acidic urine, hyperuricosuria, and low urine volume are the risk factors for uric acid stone formation. Uric acid stones may be idiopathic or secondary to a systemic disease such as gout. Treatment includes alkalinization of the urine, high fluid intake, and reduction of uric acid excretion if it is abnormal.
The Changing Contours of the Teaching Profession

Teaching, as a profession, has changed considerably in the last several decades. Moreover, by policy design, the profession is likely to undergo even more extensive changes during the next decade. Educational reform has become centered on the teaching force, rather than the schools; accountability, examinations for certification and recertification, and salary incentives are among the most frequently mentioned proposals to enhance the quality and quantity of teachers. Moreover, dramatic increases in educational policy activity by the states have created an altered environment for teachers. States have mandated changes in the standards and legal requirements for graduation and instituted minimum competency tests, causing modifications in both the curriculum and teacher recruitment and staffing patterns. States require exams for certification and recertification, while grappling with career ladders and increased salaries for teaching. Finally, the emphasis on increasing professionalism and enhancing the status of teachers is likely to create change in the profession.
A disambiguation algorithm for finite automata and functional transducers

We present a new disambiguation algorithm for finite automata and functional finite-state transducers. We give a full description of the algorithm, including a detailed pseudocode and analysis, and several illustrating examples. Our algorithm is often more efficient and the result dramatically smaller than the one obtained using determinization for finite automata or an existing disambiguation algorithm for transducers based on a construction of Schutzenberger. In a variety of cases, the size of the unambiguous transducer returned by our algorithm is only linear in that of the input transducer while the transducer given by the construction of Schutzenberger is exponentially larger. Our algorithm can be used effectively in many applications to make automata and transducers more efficient to use.
Reasons for Accepting and Declining Free HIV Testing and Counseling Among Young African American Women Living in Disadvantaged Southern Urban Communities.

Abstract Advancing HIV prevention and treatment among at-risk Southern communities of color requires understanding why voluntary HIV testing is accepted or declined. Reasons for testing decisions w...
A Rare and Extreme Case of Vulvar Swelling in the Setting of Nephrotic Syndrome in a Prepubertal Girl.

Abstract Background We present a rare case of severe vulvar edema secondary to steroid-refractory nephrotic syndrome in a prepubertal girl. Case The patient is an eight-year-old girl who presented during nephrotic syndrome relapse. She exhibited severe mons pubis and labial edema. She was treated with local symptomatic measures such as sitz baths, barrier ointment, and labial sling, with minimal relief. Improvement ultimately occurred following bilateral nephrectomy. Summary and Conclusion Vulvar edema is rare in prepubertal girls. In this case, the edema was secondary to steroid-refractory nephrotic syndrome and was not responsive to local treatment measures. There is paucity of data on effective treatment of vulvar edema in young girls. Our goal is to raise awareness of such pathology, which may lead to development of uniform guidelines for treatment of this condition.
Involvement of CASP9 (caspase 9) in IGF2R/CI-MPR endosomal transport

Recently, we reported that increased expression of CASP9 pro-domain, at the endosomal membrane in response to HSP90 inhibition, mediates a cell-protective effect that does not involve CASP9 apoptotic activity. We report here that a non-apoptotic activity of endosomal membrane CASP9 facilitates the retrograde transport of IGF2R/CI-MPR from the endosomes to the trans-Golgi network, indicating the involvement of CASP9 in endosomal sorting and lysosomal biogenesis. CASP9-deficient cells demonstrate the missorting of CTSD (cathepsin D) and other acid hydrolases, accumulation of late endosomes, and reduced degradation of bafilomycin A1-sensitive proteins. In the absence of CASP9, IGF2R undergoes significant degradation, and its rescue is achieved by the re-expression of a non-catalytic CASP9 mutant. This endosomal activity of CASP9 is potentially mediated by herein newly identified interactions of CASP9 with the components of the endosomal membrane transport complexes. These endosomal complexes include the retromer VPS35 and the SNX dimers, SNX1-SNX5 and SNX2-SNX6, which are involved in the IGF2R retrieval mechanism. Additionally, CASP9 interacts with HGS/HRS/ESCRT-0 and the CLTC (clathrin heavy chain) that participate in the initiation of the endosomal ESCRT degradation pathway. We propose that endosomal CASP9 inhibits the endosomal membrane degradative subdomain(s) from initiating the ESCRT-mediated degradation of IGF2R, allowing its retrieval to transport-designated endosomal membrane subdomain(s). These findings are the first to identify a cell survival, non-apoptotic function for CASP9 at the endosomal membrane, a site distinctly removed from the cytoplasmic apoptosome. Via its non-apoptotic endosomal function, CASP9 impacts the retrograde transport of IGF2R and, consequently, lysosomal biogenesis.Abbreviations: ACTB: actin beta; ATG7: autophagy related 7; BafA1: bafilomycin A1; CASP: caspase; CLTC/CHC: clathrin, heavy chain; CTSD: cathepsin D; ESCRT: endosomal sorting complexes required for transport; HEXB: hexosaminidase subunit beta; HGS/HRS/ESCRT-0: hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate; IGF2R/CI-MPR: insulin like growth factor 2 receptor; ILV: intraluminal vesicles; KD: knockdown; KO: knockout; M6PR/CD-MPR: mannose-6-phosphate receptor, cation dependent; MEF: murine embryonic fibroblasts; MWU: Mann-Whitney U test; PepA: pepstatin A; RAB7A: RAB7, member RAS oncogene family; SNX-BAR: sorting nexin dimers with a Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain each; TGN: trans-Golgi network; TUBB: tubulin beta; VPS26: VPS26 retromer complex component; VPS29: VPS29 retromer complex component; VPS35: VPS35 retromer complex component.
Abusive Supervision and Employee Relational Reputation Maintenance: A Self-Verification Perspective

While the current literature has largely maintained that one’s experience of abusive supervision can trigger their engagement in interpersonal deviance against coworkers, our research breaks new th...
How a Hip-Hop digital Space Became an Outlet for Political Dialogue

This paper explores the implications of a digital music studio that was created as a gathering place to craft music (beats) and write personal reflections (rhymes). I document how the studio emerge...
Deliberate Practice: What Is It and How Can I Use It?

Deliberate practice is a popular concept in sport and performance domains. Performers and practitioners in these domains are eager to understand and use deliberate practice to improve their perform...
CSL+: Scalable Collective Subjective Logic under Multidimensional Uncertainty

Using unreliable information sources generating conflicting evidence may lead to a large uncertainty, which significantly hurts the decision making process. Recently, many approaches have been taken to integrate conflicting data from multiple sources and/or fusing conflicting opinions from different entities. To explicitly deal with uncertainty, a belief model called Subjective Logic (SL), as a variant of Dumpster-Shafer Theory, has been proposed to represent subjective opinions and to merge multiple opinions by offering a rich volume of fusing operators, which have been used to solve many opinion inference problems in trust networks. However, the operators of SL are known to be lack of scalability in inferring unknown opinions from large network data as a result of the sequential procedures of merging multiple opinions. In addition, SL does not consider deriving opinions in the presence of conflicting evidence. In this work, we propose a hybrid inference method that combines SL and Probabilistic Soft Logic (PSL), namely, Collective Subjective Plus, CSL+, which is resistible to highly conflicting evidence or a lack of evidence. PSL can reason a belief in a collective manner to deal with large-scale network data, allowing high scalability based on relationships between opinions. However, PSL does not consider an uncertainty dimension in a subjective opinion. To take benefits from both SL and PSL, we proposed a hybrid approach called CSL+ for achieving high scalability and high prediction accuracy for unknown opinions with uncertainty derived from a lack of evidence and/or conflicting evidence. Through the extensive experiments on four semi-synthetic and two real-world datasets, we showed that the CSL+ outperforms the state-of-the-art belief model (i.e., SL), probabilistic inference models (i.e., PSL, CSL), and deep learning model (i.e., GCN-VAE-opinion) in terms of prediction accuracy, computational complexity, and real running time.
Multimodal Teleoperation of Heterogeneous Robots within a Construction Environment

Automation in construction continues to be a topic of interest for many in industry and academia. However, the dynamic environments presented in construction sites prove these tasks to be difficult to automate reliably. This paper proposes a novel method of teleoperation for multiple heterogeneous robots within a construction environment. The system is achieved by creating a virtual reality interface that allows an operator to control multiple robots both synchronously and asynchronously. Feedback is provided from an array of RGBD cameras, force sensors, and precise odometry data. The DRC-Hubo and Spot robot platforms are used for implementation and experimentation. Experiments include useful tasks for construction including item manipulation and item delivery of tools and components. Results demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the system in a construction environment, including trajectory comparisons, task learning curves, and successful multi-robot collaboration.
Hall’s Method for Reading Gramsci

This chapter addresses the importance of interdisciplinary configurations in cultural studies research specifically as it pertains to conjunctural analysis. It also explores the ways that Stuart Hall’s interpretation of Antonio Gramsci’s concept of the conjuncture is embedded in a specific reading strategy. The chapter continues to investigate how Hall read Gramsci in relationship to cultural studies, focusing not only on Hall’s interpretation of Gramsci’s thought but also on Hall’s statements about how to interpret aspects of Marxist traditions as they pertain to cultural theory and cultural analysis. The chapter also considers the relationship between cultural studies and transdisciplinary work by discussing the scholarship of more prominent and contemporary cultural studies scholars and the ways that they approach conjunctural analysis (like Paul Smith, Lawrence Grossberg, and Toby Miller), and the shifting political projects within the fields that inform cultural studies. The chapter ends by situating Hall’s interpretation of Gramsci historically and within the scope of other political projects that made some use of Gramsci’s thought and the ways that these interpretations were effected by different conjunctures—which, in total, had a powerful effect on Western receptions and reinterpretations of Gramsci’s work—across the twentieth century.
What is that's going on here? A multidimensional time concept is foundational to framing for decision making in situations of uncertainty

STEM disciplines are the dominant culture in K-12 education. With its study of organs and diseases that afflict patients’ bodies, Western evidence-based medicine is seen and understood in the modern cultural paradigm as a science and as the practice in which a subject, the doctor, acts on an object; the patient’s body—a dominant culture in the patient’s journey. However, with the continually evolving high-technological and medical knowledge, life-saving therapeutic options are life-changing. They can range from changes in the diet, requiring structural and cultural changes in family life, to changes related to the experiences of learning to live tethered to a machine that is partly inside and partly outside one’s body or with somebody else’s heart. In this article, we show how competing needs to personalize care for the patient as a person forcefully emerge in response to evidence-based medicine’s global cultural dominance. We highlight two fundamental issues emerging in decision-making processes: (1) Framing evidence-based knowledge, uncertainties of the course of the disease and options, and (2) working with different, equally important, and often at odds conceptions of time in the care for the Other. Through the longitudinal analysis of moment-to-moment interactions in high-tech medicine encounters of a patient, his family, and the team caring for them, we show how framing and different conceptions of time emerge as issues, are profoundly interconnected, and are addressed by participants to care for a patient confronting existential decisions.
The Role of Private Environmental Governance in Climate Adaptation

This Article examines the role of private environmental governance (PEG) in climate change adaptation. PEG occurs when private organizations perform traditionally governmental functions such as providing public goods and reducing negative externalities. PEG initiatives that target climate change mitigation have expanded rapidly in the last decade and have been the subject of research in multiple fields, but PEG initiatives that target climate change adaptation have received less attention. As a first step, the Article develops a definition of private governance regarding climate adaption. It then provides examples of several types of PEG adaptation initiatives, and it concludes by identifying research gaps.
Synapse-associated astrocyte mitochondria stabilize motor circuits to prevent excitotoxicity

Early stages of the devastating neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are characterized by motor neuron hyperexcitability. During this phase, peri-synaptic astrocytes are neuroprotective. When reactive, loss of wild-type astrocyte functions results in excitotoxicity. How astrocytes stabilize motor circuit function in early-stage ALS is poorly understood. Here, we used Drosophila motor neurons to define the role of astrocyte-motor neuron metabolic coupling in a model of ALS: astrocyte knockdown of the ALS-causing gene tbph/TARDBP. In wild-type, astrocyte mitochondria were dynamically trafficked towards active motor dendrites/synapses to meet local metabolic demand. Knockdown of tbph in astrocytes resulted in motor neuron hyperexcitability, reminiscent of early-stage ALS, which was met with a compensatory accumulation of astrocyte mitochondria near motor dendrites/synapses. Finally, we blocked mitochondria-synapse association in tbph knockdown animals and observed locomotor deficits and synapse loss. Thus, synapse-associated astrocyte mitochondria stabilize motor circuits to prevent the transition from hyperexcitability to excitotoxicity.
C02/H+Signal Transduction and Central Ventilatory Control

For over a century it has been known that CO2 has profound effects on the level of ventilation and that minute ventilation is exquisitely sensitive to changes in partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2). It is also known that effects of CO2 on ventilation are primarily through changes in hydrogen ion concentration [H+] in the brain. Several areas of chemosensitivity have been identified in the midbrain, particularly on the ventral surface of the medulla (VMS) that are essential in generating the neural output in response to changes in [H+] (Schlaefke et al, 1970; Burton and Kazemi, 2000; Kazemi and Johnson 2002). How the CO2/H+ signal is transduced centrally has been the subject of great interest and suggestions have included (i) H+ receptors, (ii) H+ gradient across neural membranes, (iii) altering ion channels and (iv) neurotransmitter release or activation.
Regions of High and Low Cationic Charge in a Lysine-rich Histone

Abstract The distribution of amino acids in a homogeneous fraction of lysine-rich histone from rabbit thymus has been studied by use of chymotryptic digestion. The course of chymotryptic digestion was followed by measuring the generation of new carboxyl-terminal residues. The results allowed the choice of one set of conditions which produced a limited number of peptides in high yield. These conditions divided the molecule into four major portions. Under other conditions, more extensive digestion with chymotrypsin provided a set of peptides, 13 of which accounted for the entire molecule. These studies provided further evidence that the chromatographic fraction of rabbit thymus lysine-rich histone was molecularly homogeneous. Moreover the results indicate that most of the lysine and proline residues are closely packed in the carboxyl-terminal half of the molecule, whereas the amino acid composition of the amino-terminal half is not unlike small enzymes such as ribonuclease and lysozyme. The basic residues that are in the amino-terminal half are preferentially grouped towards the amino-terminal part of that half, leaving a continuous stretch of approximately 45 amino acids (23% of the molecule), in which the ratio of basic amino acids to acidic amino acids is close to one, and in which there are no proline residues.
Increased pathology in herpes stromal keratitis results from differences in local, and not systemic, immune responses (VIR5P.1028)

Harboring latent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and periodic shedding of virus at the corneal surface can be asymptomatic or can trigger an immunopathological response called herpes stromal keratitis that leads to progressive scarring and visual impairment. Our goal is to understand the events that differentiate an asymptomatic from a pathological HSV-1 infection. To this end we infected mice with two different strains of HSV-1: RE that causes progressive corneal opacity, and KOS that induces no overt corneal pathology. The kinetics of viral clearance and the latent viral load in the TG at 30 days post-infection (dpi) were similar following corneal infection with the two HSV-1 strains. However, the pathogenic RE strain induced a stronger CD4 and CD8 T cell response in the draining lymph nodes and TG at 8 dpi that persisted in the TG through 30 dpi. Interestingly, bilateral infections with RE in one eye and KOS in the other resulted in pathology only in the RE infected eye, suggesting that the increased immunopathology caused by the RE strain reflects local differences in the cornea or ipsilateral TG, and not differences in the systemic immune response. We are currently testing the hypothesis that greater viral gene expression by the RE strain during latency results in a larger T cell infiltrate in both the cornea and the TG.
Developmental sequence and intracellular sites of synthesis of three structural protein antigens of influenza A2 virus.

Abstract Specific antisera for hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase antigens of influenza A2 virus (A2E) were produced through the segregation of the two proteins in reciprocal viral recombinants of A2E and A0e viruses. Gamma globulin fractions of these specific antisera and of antiserum specific for the nucleoprotein (NP) antigen of A0e virus were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate and employed to follow the synthesis of the three structural proteins in clone 1-5C-4 human aneuploid cells, with parallel measurement of serological and biological activity of the antigens by other techniques. In this system, NP antigen appeared first (at 3 hr) in the cell nucleus, whereas HA and neuraminidase appeared coincidentally, at 4 hr after infection, in the cytoplasm. The initial detectability of biological or complement-fixing activity of the proteins coincided with their demonstrability as stainable antigens. Late in infection, all three antigens were detected at the cell surface. Antibody specific for HA partially blocked the intracellular staining of neuraminidase and inhibited the enzymatic activity of both extracted and intact extracellular virus. These observations suggest the close intracytoplasmic proximity of the two envelope antigens and perhaps their initial association in a larger protein.
Conclusion: Advancing Active Learning Spaces.

This concluding chapter helps us look toward the future of active learning spaces as they enter the mainstream.
Effect of the Hemolysin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Phosphatides and on Phospholipase c Activity

The hemolysin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to function as a detergent in solubilizing various phosphatides. Incorporation of the hemolysin into reaction mixtures containing phosphatides and phospholipase c significantly increased the rates of enzyme activities. Stimulation of enzyme activity was most likely due to improved dispersion of the substrates.
Pressure in the Study of Organic Superconductors

There is probably no area in materials science where pressure has had such a profound effect upon the field as in the study of organic superconductivity. The initial discovery of superconductivity at <1.6K in (TMTSF)2PF6 by Jerome, Bechgaard and coworkers1 at high pressure initiated a world-wide activity that has resulted in the course of a decade in an increase in Tc from 1.6K to near2 12K and identification of more than thirty organic superconductors. This near order of magnitude improvement in Tc has involved a number of breakthroughs in synthesis, in several cases aided by insights from pressure studies.
Temporary placement of a fully covered self-expandable metal stent in the pancreatic duct for management of symptomatic refractory chronic pancreatitis: preliminary data (with videos).

Background Pancreatic duct (PD) stenting is beneficial for the treatment of pain in patients with PD strictures associated with chronic pancreatitis. Placement of metal stents has been reported but failed secondary to hyperplasia or migration. Objective To investigate the outcome of patients with symptomatic and refractory PD strictures who had temporary placement of a covered self-expandable metal stent (CSEMS). Design Patients with refractory PD strictures were offered temporary CSEMS placement. Pain scores were evaluated before and after CSEMS placement. Setting A tertiary-care center. Patients Six patients (4 men, mean age ± SD 55 ± 8 years) received a CSEMS, and 5 patients had removal of a CSEMS after a mean time of 92 days. Intervention Placement of CSEMS (8-mm or 10-mm diameter VIABIL) in the PD, with removal after 3 months. Main Outcome Measurements The pain score before and after stent placement and the sustained response after removal. Morbidity associated with stent placement and removal was also noted. Results Pain scores after CSEMS placement significantly improved ( P = .024), from 6.4 to 1.6. Of the 5 patients who underwent CSEMS removal, 3 developed recurrent symptomatic pancreatic stricture, of whom 2 required repeat stenting with a larger-diameter CSEMS (10 mm) and 2 remained pain free. The CSEMS was not removed in 1 patient because pancreatic malignancy was diagnosed. There were no complications during placement or removal of CSEMSs. Limitation This was a pilot study. Conclusion Temporary placement of CSEMSs in patients with symptomatic refractory PD stricture offers transient relief of pain. Further investigation is needed to determine the optimal diameter and duration of placement.
Vibrational spectra and structure of nitrogen containing molecules—II

Abstract The i.r. spectra of 3,3-dimethyldiaziridine and 3,3-dimethyl- d 6 -diaziridine have been recorded for the gaseous and crystalline states between 300 and 4000 cm −1 . An absorption spectrum of solid 3,3-dimethyldiaziridine between 70 and 300 cm −1 was also measured. Raman spectra of liquid and crystalline 3,3-dimethyldiaziridine have been recorded from 100 to 4000 cm −1 . A vibrational assignment is developed for the molecule in terms of the C 2 point group and the proposed description for the 33 normal modes is based upon isotopic shift ratios, frequency perturbations resulting from hydrogen bonding, and by comparing the data with assignments presented previously for other three-membered ring compounds.
TNF-α is critical for ischemia-induced leukostasis, but not retinal neovascularization nor VEGF-induced leakage

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) show significant overlap with regard to their effects in the eye. It has been postulated that VEGF-induced leukostasis, breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier, and ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization may be mediated, at least in part, through TNF-alpha. In this study, we used mice deficient in TNF-alpha to test our hypothesis. Compared to wild type mice, TNF-alpha-deficient mice showed an 80% reduction in leukocyte accumulation in retinal vessels after intravitreous injection of VEGF, and 100% reductions after intravitreous injections of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) or platelet-activating factor (PAF). The increase in retinal vascular permeability induced by injection of PAF was significantly reduced in mice lacking TNF-alpha, but VEGF- and IL-1beta-induced leakage was unaffected. Compared to wild type mice with oxygen-induced ischemic retinopathy, TNF-alpha-deficient mice with ischemic retinopathy showed significantly reduced leukostasis and mild reduction in vascular leakage, but no significant difference in retinal neovascularization. These data suggest that TNF-alpha mediates VEGF-, IL-1beta-, and PAF-induced leukostasis and vascular leakage mediated by PAF, but not leakage caused by VEGF or IL-1beta. Ischemia-induced retinal neovascularization, which has previously been shown to require VEGF, does not require TNF-alpha and is unaffected by attenuation of leukostasis.
The haptic laser: multi-sensation tactile feedback for at-a-distance physical space perception and interaction

We present the Haptic Laser, a system for providing a range of tactile sensations to represent a physical environment at-a-distance. The Haptic Laser is a handheld device that simulates interaction with physical surfaces as a user targets objects of interest (e.g., a light switch, TV, etc). Using simple computer vision techniques for scene analysis and laser range finding for calculating distance, the Haptic Laser extracts information about the physical environment and conveys it haptically through a collection of hardware actuators. Pointing the Haptic Laser around a room, for example, presents the user with information about the presence of objects, transitions, and edges through touch rather than, or in addition to, vision. The Haptic Laser extends current work on haptic touch screens and pens, and is designed to allow for haptic feedback from a distance using multiple feedback channels.
Employment nondiscrimination policies: Assessing implementation and measuring effectiveness

While previous research has been focused on measuring employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and the need for policies that protect against it, little research has been conducted to evaluate the enforcement and effectiveness of these policies. Lacking federal legislation on the matter, states with such protective policies are currently the highest level of government to address employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. This paper reviews existing state level policies (executive orders and statutes) that prohibit public employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and provides a descriptive account of their range. In an effort to better understand the enforcement and overall effectiveness of these policies, attorneys who handle employment discrimination cases were surveyed. The results from the survey provide insight into how well these policies are protecting public employees from discrimination and providing redress when it does occur. While this paper represents expl...
Principal Component Analysis of Spectral Data: A Contribution to the Knowledge of the Materials Constituting Works of Art

The use of totally non-destructive techniques such as image spectroscopy for diagnosing paintings makes it possible to obtain a large amount of spectral data that provides information concerning the composition of works of art. Here, we stress how statistical treatments, such as principal component analysis (PCA), applied to 2-D data, can contribute to a better knowledge of the work of art itself and of the distribution of the materials that constitute it. Laboratory tests, as well as applications to actual paintings, will be presented and discussed.
An Optimized L-Band Ceramic Resonator for EPR Imaging of Biological Samples

Abstract The design, engineering parameters, and EPR performance of ceramic re-entrant resonators optimized for L -band EPR imaging of biological samples are reported. Modified equivalent schematics and resonant frequency expressions for the three-loop two-gap re-entrant resonator design are presented. Fabrication techniques and test data for two resonators with a resonant frequency of approximately 1.2 GHz are provided. The unique properties of ceramics enabled the development of a highly stable and highly sensitive re-entrant resonator design of minimum thickness optimally suited for EPR imaging experiments. This resonator yields a signal-to-noise ratio at L band as high as that of X -band cavities for a given-concentration aqueous radical solution of unlimited volume.
What are we studying? Student jurors, community jurors, and construct validity.

Jury researchers have long been concerned about the generalizability of results from experiments that utilize undergraduate students as mock jurors. The current experiment examined the differences between 120 students (55 males and 65 females, mean age = 20 years) and 99 community members (49 males and 50 females, mean age = 42 years) in culpability evaluations for homicide and sexual assault cases. Explicit attitude measures served as indicators of bias for sexual assault, defendant, and homicide adjudication. Results revealed that student and community participants showed different biases on these general explicit attitude measures and these differences manifested in judgments of culpability (guilt likelihood, convincingness of state's arguments, convincingness of defendant's arguments, and the defendants' criminal intentions) in sexual assault and homicide case scenarios. The results also showed that student mock jurors were more lenient when assigning guilt in homicide cases than were community members. The implications for future mock jury research are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
ESA1 is a histone acetyltransferase that is essential for growth in yeast

Posttranslational acetylation of core histone amino termini has long been associated with transcriptionally active chromatin. Recent reports have demonstrated histone acetyltransferase activity in a small group of conserved transcriptional regulators directly linked to gene activation. In addition, the presence of a putative acetyltransferase domain has been discovered in a group of proteins known as the MYST family (for its founding members MOZ, YBF2/SAS3, SAS2, and Tip60). Members of this family are implicated in acute myeloid leukemia (MOZ), transcriptional silencing in yeast (SAS2 and YBF2/SAS3), HIV Tat interaction in humans (Tip60), and dosage compensation in Drosophila (MOF). In this report, we express a yeast ORF with homology to MYST family members and show it possesses histone acetyltransferase activity. Unlike the other MYST family members in Saccharomyces cerevisiae this gene is essential for growth.
Abstract 5567: Short-term pregnancy levels of estradiol delays Her-2 positive mammary tumor development by altering key signaling pathways

Approximately 20-30% of all breast cancers overexpress the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2). Breast cancers that overexpress Her2 have been associated with a more aggressive phenotype and decreased disease free survival. It has been demonstrated that uniparous Her2/neu transgenic mice developed smaller mammary tumors and these tumors had significantly decreased metastatic potential despite that this cancer type is phenotypically ER negative. We had earlier demonstrated that short-term treatment with pregnancy levels of estradiol was very effective in delaying tumor progression and decreasing tumor burden in activated Her2/neu transgenic mice. In this present investigation, we have attempted to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this anti-tumor effect of short-term pregnancy levels of estradiol treatment against Her2/neu driven mammary carcinogenesis. Seven week old activated Her2/neu transgenic mice were treated for 3 weeks with 100micrograms of estradiol in silastic capsules. We have shown that this dose of estradiol treatment mimics pregnancy levels of the hormone in circulation. Control animals received empty silastic capsules for the same duration. Mice were palpated once every week for nine months to monitor the development of mammary cancer. Histopathological examination was performed to confirm the carcinomatous nature of the palpable tumors. A group (n=3) of mice were terminated from control and estradiol treated groups at 6 and 12 weeks post withdrawal of the treatment. Mammary tumors were excised, snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 C. Protein and total RNA were extracted from these tissues. Pathway focused microarray analysis was done on the PI3K/AKT and P53 pathway. Results from the PI3K/AKT pathway demonstrate that, in estrogen treated mice, proteins and genes involved in tumor-suppression (Mtcp1,Rbl2,Srf and Ywhah) and immune response (Cd14,Tlr4) (which have been shown to play a role in reducing tumors by induction of apoptosis) were up-regulated. Many genes involved in promoting tumorigenesis were significantly down-regulated (Birc5,Ccnb2,Mdm2) while genes involved in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis were upregulated (Dapk1, Cul9, Sesn2).This trend in gene expression demonstrates that short-term pregnancy levels estrogen is altering key pathways leading to the delay and inhibition of Her-2 positive mammary cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5567. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5567
Etching of carbon nanotubes by ozone--a surface area study.

The oxidative etching of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is useful for opening the end caps and the sidewalls of the nanotubes to provide access to the interior. We have studied the effect of successive treatment of SWNTs by 95% pure O3(g), which is a powerful and convenient oxidizing agent. The surface area of the SWNTs was measured following exposure to O3(g) at 300 K and also following heating to 1073 K in a vacuum to decompose the oxidized groups on the nanotubes, a procedure called etching. This O3-induced etching process was observed by scanning electron microscopy and by transmission electron microscopy, and the kinetics of the process was studied gravimetrically. It was found that O3 attack occurs preferentially on the outermost geometric surface of the conglomerate sample of the nanotubes as a result of the high efficiency of O3 to react in a few collisions with the nanotube surface. Ozone-induced etching causes the loss of pores in the 20 A diameter range as observed by nitrogen adsorptio...
Interpretation of intraluminal manometric measurements in terms of swallowing mechanics.

A unified discussion of the mechanics of the swallowing process, and its interpretation through manometric measurements of intraluminal pressure, are presented in this paper. The goals of the discussions are to provide the reader with basic knowledge of pharyngeal, esophageal, and sphincter mechanics; to relate the mechanical processes to intraluminal pressure recordings; and to clarify the relationship between intraluminal pressure and esophageal muscle contractile behavior. The esophageal phase of bolus transport, in particular, is discussed in some detail due to the relatively simple geometry and the straightforward description of peristalsis and muscle mechanics in this region. Several important issues are emphasized in the discussion. For example, pressure variation within a static bolus is fundamentally different from that within a moving bolus. Manometric recordings must be interpreted accordingly. The importance of differentiating between “hydrodynamic pressure,” which is pressure measured within a fluid bolus, and “contact pressure,” which is the direct squeeze of the luminal wall on the manometric port in a region devoid of bolus fluid, is discussed in some detail. We argue that pressure “amplitude” does not, in principle, give any indication of the forces required to drive the fluid bolus forward. What should be sought is the variation of intrabolus pressure relative to the contact pressure, particularly during periods in which the contractile segment fails to obliterate the esophageal lumen. Examples of intraluminal pressure recording in the esophagus, using manometry and mathematical models, are presented to demonstrate both the possibilities and the difficulties of interpreting manometric recordings in the absence of concurrent radiographic imaging. We discover that in regions of nearly complete luminal closure, the pressure signature and bolus geometry are strongly coupled during peristaltic transport, providing the possibility that in these regions quantitative measures of muscle performance might be developed without the need for radiographic imaging. On the other hand, the ambiguity in the interpretation of manometric recordings that often accompanies dysphagic conditions suggests that as more sophisticated interpretations are sought, manometry concurrent with radiography will play a more prominent role in patient evaluation.
On conservation integrals in micropolar elasticity

Two conservation laws of nonlinear micropolar elasticity (Jk = 0 and Lk = 0) are derived within the framework of the Noether theorem on invariant variational principles, thereby extending the earlier authors' results from the couple stress elasticity. Two non-conserved M-type integrals of linear micropolar elasticity are then derived and their values discussed. A comparison with related work is also given.
Ultrafast spin-dynamics in half-metallic Cr O 2 thin films

Transient magneto-optic Kerr effect measurement utilizing ultrafast laser pulse excitation and detection method has been performed to study the spin dynamics in epitaxial $\mathrm{Cr}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ film. Different microscopic contributions leading to incoherent spin thermalization and relaxation on distinct time scales have been identified in an extended three-temperature model (3TM), by taking into account the nonthermal electrons. Interestingly, the spins and thermalized electrons seemed to have been decoupled in these measurements, which could be attributed to the half-metallic nature of the material.
Gastric involvement in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: CT findings

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a plasma cell dyscrasia that rarely presents with gastrointestinal involvement. We report a case of gastric involvement of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia detected by CT.
Characterization of the genomic structure of the murine Spam1 gene and its promoter: evidence for transcriptional regulation by a cAMP-responsive element.

The Sperm Adhesion Molecule 1 (SPAM1), also known as PH-20, is a sperm membrane-bound protein that has been shown to have bifunctional roles in fertilization. It is encoded by a gene that is widely conserved in mammalian species, underscoring its importance in the fertilization process. Here we determined the genomic structure of the murine homologue, Spam1, using PCR analysis, and studied its transcriptional regulation. The gene covers approximately 10.5 kb of genomic DNA, is encoded by four exons, and the splice site consensus sequence is maintained in all intron-exon junctions, similar to that reported for the human homologue. With primer extension analysis, two transcription initiation sites were detected. One was assigned to the residue C and the other (a minor site) to the residue G, at positions 1 and -56, respectively. These are at 313 and 369 nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation codon, ATG. In about 770 bp upstream region of Spam1 that has been cloned and sequenced, multiple transcription factor binding sites including a CRE (cAMP-responsive element) were found. We specifically studied the function of the eight nucleotide CRE sequence (TGATGTCA) at -57 (or -62 depending on the strain of mice) of the promoter region. It can bind to the transcription factor CREM (cAMP-responsive element modulator) in gel mobility shift assays using mouse testis nuclear extract, and the binding can be inhibited by a 28 bp oligonucleotide containing the CRE sequence. Similar binding and inhibition assays using rat nuclear extract suggest the existence of a rat CRE sequence and the involvement of CREM in rat Spam1 expression. In vitro transcription assays suggest that CRE is necessary for the transcriptional activity of the murine promoter, and Northern analysis shows that Spam1 transcripts are absent in CREM-knockout mice. The results strongly suggest that the murine Spam1 expression is under the control of CREM, and that this transcriptional regulator for Spam1 might be conserved in other mammals, at least in the rat. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 54:8–16, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Age-related disappearance of Mayer-like heart rate waves

Healthy elderly subjects (≥65 years) did not show the prominent low frequency (0.07–0.09 Hz) heart rate oscillations (Mayer waves) recorded in young adults immediately following passive upright tilt. This difference may be related to altered autonomic function with physiologic aging.