cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DOMESTIC WORKERS ORGANIZE

This article traces the history of domestic worker organizing in the U.S. It challenges the long-standing assumption that these—primarily women of color—cleaners, nannies, and elder care providers are unorganizable and assesses the possibilities and limitations of recent organizing efforts. The nature of the occupation—its location in the home, the isolated character of the work, informal arrangements with employers, and exclusions from labor law protection—has fostered community-based, social movement organizing to build coalitions, reform legislation and draw public attention to the plight of domestic workers. Their successes, as well as the obstacles they encounter, hold lessons for other low-wage service sector workers in a new global economy. Domestic workers have integrated an analysis of race, class, culture, and gender—a form of social justice feminism—into their praxis, thus formulating innovative class-based strategies. Yet long-term reform has remained elusive because of their limited power to shape state policy.
Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a marker of oxidative stress in rheumatoid arthritis and aging: effect of progressive resistance training.

Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), as a measure of oxidative stress, was measured before and after 12 weeks of progressive resistance strength training in 8 healthy elderly (65-80 yr) and eight healthy young (22-30 yr) men and women, and in eight adults (25-65 yr) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Training subjects exercised at 80% of their one-repetition maximum and performed eight repetitions per set, three sets per session, on a twice-weekly basis. 8-OHdG was measured at baseline and follow-up (at least 24 hr after the last exercise session) in the RA and elderly subject groups, and at baseline only in young subjects.Baseline 8-OHdG levels were greater among subjects with RA compared to both healthy young (P < 0.001) and elderly (P < 0.05) subjects. There were no changes in 8-OHdG levels in either RA or elderly subjects as a result of the strength training intervention.These results suggest that subjects with RA have higher levels of oxidative stress than young and elderly healthy individuals. Furthermore, there is no change in oxidative stress, measured by urinary 8-OHdG, in elderly healthy individuals or in subjects with RA after a 12-week strength training intervention.
Soft core in nuclear matter calculations

Abstract The short-range repulsion in nucleon-nucleon interaction is of importance to obtain saturation of nuclear matter. The repulsive core is usually assumed to be of the form of a hard core. In this paper we have made a formal investigation of the effect of replacing this hard core by a soft core. The important parameter to estimate the effectiveness of the short-range repulsion is the deficiency in the probability for finding two nucleons close together. This determines the short-range correlations. We have determined this parameter also for a set of soft core potentials. The limit of hard core in the light of the soft core potential considered is discussed in this paper. The results are compared with those obtained by other authors for a hard core potential.
Does race matter in residential segregation? Exploring the preferences of white Americans

Employing an alternative methodology and new data, the authors address the debate concerning the underlying causes of racial residential segregation. Are white Americans avoiding racially mixed neighborhoods because they do not want to live with nonwhites? And if so, is this the case independent of factors with which race is associated, such as crime levels or housing values? An over-the-telephone factorial experiment addresses these issues, measuring variables that shape white Americans' choice of purchasing a home. Based on a national, random-digit-dial survey of 1,663 white Americans, the effects of African American, Asian, and Hispanic neighborhood composition on whites' likelihood of buying a house are explored, as well as the other variables for which race may serve as a proxy. Results indicate that Asian and Hispanic neighborhood composition do not matter to whites. Black neighborhood composition, however, does matter, and matters even more for white Americans with children under age 18. The effect of black composition is net of the variables that whites offer as the primary reasons they do not want to live with blacks. The implications of these findings for segregation trends and for future research are considered.
Interleukin 1 is more than an interleukin.

Gery and co-workers 1 first described lymphocyte activating factor (LAF) in 1972, as an activity produced by cultured human peripheral blood adherent leukocytes which was directly mitogenic for murine thymocytes but not for immunocompetent peripheral lymphocytes. Human LAF also synergistically augmented the mitogenic effects of the lectins ConA and PHA on murine thymocytes and splenic T lymphocytes 1 . Since then LAF has been shown to promote lymphocyte differentiation and functions and even to affect a variety of nonlymphocytic larget cells. In view of the many biological activities attributed to this macrophage-derived factor, LAF was renamed ‘interleukin 1' (IL 1) at the Second International Lymphokine Workshop at Ermatingen, Switzerland, in 1979 2 . Partly as a consequence of the resultant controversy, this term has become widely known and will be used in this review, even though, as J. J. Oppenheim and Igal Gery show, IL 1 is more than a signal between leukocytes.
Effect of morphine on self-stimulation in rats and its modification by chloramphenicol

Abstract The effect of morphine was studied on self-stimulation (SS) behavior in rats implanted with bipolar electrodes in the posterior hypothalamus. A single dose (10 mg/kg) of morphine decreased SS responding within 10–20 min, reaching a minimum level between 20–40 min after which the responding gradually returned to normal. The SS responding then increased above the control level at 120–180 min postdrug, then slowly returned to normal, thus showing a rebound effect. The combination treatment with morphine (10 mg/kg) and chloramphenicol (50 mg/kg) on SS behavior produced an accentuation of the initial decrease in responding, which was prolonged before gradually returning to the control levels without showing any rebound effect. The data suggest that alterations in protein synthesis may underlie the suppressed excitatory effect of a high dose of morphine on SS behavior.
Induction of PGE2 by estradiol mediates developmental masculinization of sex behavior.

Adult male sexual behavior in mammals requires the neuronal organizing effects of gonadal steroids during a sensitive perinatal period. During development, estradiol differentiates the rat preoptic area (POA), an essential brain region in the male copulatory circuit. Here we report that increases in prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2), resulting from changes in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) regulation induced by perinatal exposure to estradiol, are necessary and sufficient to organize the crucial neural substrate that mediates male sexual behavior. Briefly preventing prostaglandin synthesis in newborn males with the COX inhibitor indomethacin permanently downregulates markers of dendritic spines in the POA and severely impairs male sexual behavior. Developmental exposure to the COX inhibitor aspirin results in mild impairment of sexual behavior. Conversely, administration of PGE2 to newborn females masculinizes the POA and leads to male sex behavior in adults, thereby highlighting the pathway of steroid-independent brain masculinization. Our findings show that PGE2 functions as a downstream effector of estradiol to permanently masculinize the brain.
Glucocorticoids, osteocytes, and skeletal fragility: The role of bone vascularity

Glucocorticoid administration is required for many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, but use of these drugs is associated with skeletal side effects including bone loss, fractures, and osteonecrosis. Fractures often occur without a reduction in bone mineral density, strongly suggesting that glucocorticoid excess adversely affects other aspects of bone strength. Although the primary effects of glucocorticoid excess on the skeleton are directly on bone cells, a vascular connection between these cells and the loss of bone strength appears likely. This review examines this connection and how it may explain the greater decline in bone strength than loss of bone mass that occurs with glucocorticoid excess.
Bifurcation Analysis of a Flexible Rotor Supported by Two Fluid-Film Journal Bearings

The effects of rotor stiffness on the bifurcation regions of a flexible rotor supported by two identical fluid-film journal bearings are presented. It is shown that the rotor stiffness has a pronounced influence on the bifurcation characteristics at the instability threshold speed. For short bearings, two bifurcation regions exist if the dimensionless rotor stiffness K¯⩾4.3. On the other hand, three bifurcation regions exist if the dimensionless rotor stiffness K¯<4.3. Information is presented that allows one to easily predict both the instability threshold speed and its bifurcation type of a rotor-bearing system with any specific set of operating parameters. The results presented have been verified by laboratory experiments as well as several published results in the open literature. Several examples are presented to illustrate the application of the results for design purposes.
A century of process safety—And more

In November of 2008 the American Institute of Chemical Engineers convened in Philadelphia to celebrate their 100th anniversary. During that celebration a special session was offered entitled “A Century of Process Safety.” The session was co-chaired by Dan Crowl of Michigan Tech University and Bruce Vaughen of Cabot Corporation. The session was sponsored by the AIChE Education Division, the AIChE Center for Chemical Process Safety, and the AIChE Safety and Health Division. This session brought together noted AIChE process safety professionals to review the history of process safety at AIChE and to highlight the technical and educational accomplishments achieved. This included a history of (a) safety in industry, (b) the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (c) the Safety and Health Division, (d) the Center for Chemical Process Safety, and (e) the Safety and Chemical Engineering Education (SACHE) Program. Two chemical companies, Dupont and Air Products, presented historical perspectives on their safety programs and provided perspectives on recent industrial progress. This article provides an introduction to this unique series of papers and also presents additional historical detail. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2009
The Antidiabetic Agent LG100754 Sensitizes Cells to Low Concentrations of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor γ Ligands

Insulin resistance and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus are major causes of morbidity and mortality in industrialized nations. Despite the alarming rise in the prevalence of this disorder, the initial molecular events that promote insulin resistance remain unclear. The data presented here demonstrate that LG100754, an antidiabetic RXR ligand, defines a novel type of nuclear receptor agonist. Surprisingly, LG100754 has minimal intrinsic transcriptional activity, instead it enhances the potency of proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ-retinoid X receptor heterodimers for PPARγ ligands. The ability of LG100754 to both increase PPARγ sensitivity and relieve insulin resistance implies that a deficiency in endogenous PPARγ ligands may represent an early step in the development of insulin resistance.
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS: AN ANALYTIC FRAMEWORK

This discussion forwards a political economy framework for the analysis of the role and impact of political intervention on the process and outcome of environmental conflicts. The proposed analytic approach, advocated by the class‐centric state perspective, focuses on the economic roots of political action in conflict situations. The paper provides a critique of the existing analytic approaches to conflict analysis. The paper also offers a brief account of Hawaii's land use policy and history of land‐related environmental conflicts to illustrate the potential of the political economy approach.
A survey of attitudes toward tourism growth in Rhode Island.

A survey of Rhode Island households, businesses and town officials was conducted in 1982 in order to pravide background information for the first Governor's Conference on Tourism held in the state....
Rethinking the metastatic cascade as a therapeutic target

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer death. The metastatic cascade is a complex yet inefficient process that we have only begun to understand in recent years. Several of the early steps of this cascade are not readily targetable in the clinic. Past therapeutic developmental strategies have not distinguished between micrometastases and overt metastases. This lack of understanding is apparent in therapies that have been developed for patients with metastatic disease that are not efficacious in patients with micrometastatic disease; that is, in the adjuvant setting. Moreover, drugs that target distant metastases often do not work in the adjuvant setting. This Review will discuss our current understanding of the metastatic cascade as it relates to therapy, emerging therapeutic targets in the metastatic process, and how novel antimetastatic therapies might be developed for clinical use.
A reinvestigation of the standard potential of the Ag, AgCl electrode in DCl solutions

Abstract E.M.F. measurements of the cell Pt-D 2 ( p = 1)|DCl(m) in D 2 O|AgCl, Ag have been performed in the temperature ranges 20–75°C using DCl solutions whose composition varied between ca. 0.004 and 0.08 m. From these data the standard potential of the cell and the activity coefficient of DCl in D 2 O have been computed. The results substantiate the previously reported values of Gary, Bates and Robinson rather than those of Lietzke and Stoughton.
Temperature-dependent intermediates in HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein-mediated fusion revealed by inhibitors that target N- and C-terminal helical regions of HIV-1 gp41.

Peptides derived from the N- (N-HR) and C- (C-HR) terminal heptad repeat regions adjacent to the fusion peptide and transmembrane domains, respectively, of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 gp41 inhibit HIV-1 viral envelope glycoproteins (Env)-mediated cell fusion specifically. The mechanism of HIV-1 Env-mediated cell fusion and its inhibition by agents that target the N- and C-HR regions was investigated. Priming experiments with Env-expressing cells indicate that the N-HR region but not the C-HR region is exposed by treatment with sCD4 at 31 °C, whereas both the N- and C-HR regions are exposed at 37 °C.
Evaluation of Black-Scholes and GARCH Models Using Currency Call Options Data

This paper empirically examines the performance of Black-Scholes and Garch-M call option pricing models using call options data for British Pounds, Swiss Francs and Japanese Yen. The daily exchange rates exhibit an overwhelming presence of volatility clustering, suggesting that a richer model with ARCH/GARCH effects might have a better fit with actual prices. We perform dominant tests and calculate average percent mean squared errors of model prices. Our findings indicate that the Black-Scholes model outperforms the GARCH models. An implication of this result is that participants in the currency call options market do not seem to price volatility clusters in the underlying process.
Training fuzzy systems to perform estimation and identification

Abstract A fuzzy system can be constructed to interpolate between input-output data to provide an approximation for the function that is implicitly defined by the input-output data-pair associations. This paper begins by explaining how function approximation techniques can be used to solve nonlinear estimation and system identification problems. Next, several fundamental issues are discussed, related to how to choose the input-output data pairs so that accurate function approximation can be achieved with fuzzy systems. Using this insight a technique called “uniform training” is proposed, in which input sequences are chosen to produce good training data sets (“uniform training data sets”). Also, a new technique for function approximation via fuzzy systems called “modified learning from examples” is outlined, where membership functions are specified and rules are added to try to achieve a pre-specified function approximation accuracy. Uniform training and the modified learning from examples technique are then illustrated on a simple pendulum example. In addition, the use of the modified learning from examples approach is demonstrated in constructing a fuzzy system which can identify actuator failures on an F-16 aircraft.
Circular dichroism of oriented photoreceptor membrane film

Abstract The circular dichroism of photoreceptor membrane oriented in multilamellar films has been measured. In the visible region the 500 nm alpha-band increases 4-fold and the 340 nm beta-band is absent compared to unoriented membrane. In the near ultraviolet region, the appearance of a large megative peak at 275 nm, most likely due to tyrosine, is found. These results may be useful for elucidation of the origin of the optical activity in rhodopsin.
Hexosaminidase activity of cultured human skin fibroblasts.

Human skin fibroblasts were grown in tissue culture and both hexosaminidase A and hexosaminidase B were separated on a DEAE-cellulose column. The initial extract and the two separated components were utilized for establishing the Km and V values for the four substrates, 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-N-acetylglucosaminide ((4-MU-GluNAc), 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-N-acetylgalactosaminide (4-MU-GalNAc), p-nitrophenyl-β-d-N-acetylglucosaminide (p-NP-GluNAc) and p-nitrophenyl-β-d-N-acetylgalactosaminide (pNP-GalNAc). The data obtained for the Km values on the GluNAc compounds were essentially identical. The 4-MU-GalNAc yielded similar values for all three enzyme sources; however, differences were found with pNP-GalNAc as substrate. Several commercial batches of serum albumin were found to contain appreciable hexosaminidase activity.
Surgical and chemotherapy treatment outcomes of goblet cell carcinoid: a tertiary cancer center experience.

Background Goblet cell carcinoid (GCC) is a rare malignant tumor with distinct histological and clinical features. Our goals were to review the surgical and chemotherapy outcomes of patients with GCC.
Three-Body Scattering Amplitude. II. Extension to Complex Angular Momentum

We have analyzed the problem of extending the three-body scattering amplitude to complex values of the total angular momentum $J$. We have found four main difficulties: (i) the disconnectedness of the collision matrix; (ii) the complexity of kinematics; (iii) the release of triangular inequalities or of inequalities like $|M|lJ$, which, when $J$ is complex, transforms finite sums into infinite sums which are most often divergent; and (iv) the presence of complex singularities in cosine angle variables in the full amplitude. This last difficulty is not examined in the present paper. We propose a generalization of the Froissart-Gribov formula for the three-body scattering amplitude. In the nonrelativistic problem, the use of the Fadeev equations takes care of difficulty (i), and difficulty (ii) is smoothed by the use of center-of-mass energies of the three particles and the total angular momentum as the only variables. Of the three natural techniques\char22{}using the Schr\"odinger equation, extending the Fadeev equations, and extending the Fredholm solution of the Fadeev equations to complex values of $J$\char22{}only the third one avoids difficulty (iii). We prove that the Fadeev equations cannot be extended because their kernel becomes unbounded and because they do not reduce to the physical equations when $J$ reaches a physical value. However, the Fredholm solution for physical $J$ can be formally extended to complex $J$, and the extended solution is expressed as the quotient of two Fredholm-type series, where each term of the series is analytic in $J$ in a right half-plane. The Sommerfeld-Watson series never converges for the three-particle scattering amplitude, because of difficulties (iii) and (iv).
Pathophysiology of Multiple Myeloma Bone Disease

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell malignancy characterized by the frequent development of osteolytic bone lesions. The multiple myeloma–induced bone destruction is a result of the increased activity of osteoclasts that occurs adjacent to multiple myeloma cells. This activity is accompanied by suppressed osteoblast differentiation and activity, resulting in severely impaired bone formation and development of devastating osteolytic lesions. Recently the biologic mechanism involved in the imbalance between osteoclast activation and osteoblast inhibition induced by multiple myeloma cells has begun to be clarified. In this article, the pathophysiology underlying the imbalanced bone remodeling and potential new strategies for the treatment of bone disease in multiple myeloma are reviewed.
THE SYNTHESIS OF BIS(HEXAMETHYLDISILYLAMIDO)BARIUM(II)

Abstract Bis(hexamethyldisilylamido)barium(II) (1) was synthesized in the reaction between BaCl2 and 2 equivalents of NaN(SiMe3)2. Compound 1 forms adducts with a variety of Lewis bases and can be used as a precursor to YBa2Cu3O7−x.
Sex differences in biopsychosocial correlates of binge eating disorder: a study of treatment-seeking obese adults in primary care setting.

Abstract Objective Although community-based studies suggest equivalent levels of physical and psychological impairment by binge eating disorder (BED) in men and women, men with BED are still underrepresented in clinical studies. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of sex differences in biopsychosocial correlates of treatment-seeking obese patients with BED in primary care. Method One hundred-ninety obese adults (26% men) were recruited in primary care settings for a treatment study for obesity and BED. Results Very few significant sex differences were found in the developmental history and in current levels of eating disorder features, as well as psychosocial factors. Women reported significantly earlier age at onset of overweight and dieting and greater frequency of dieting. Men reported more frequent strenuous exercise. Men were more likely than women to meet criteria for metabolic syndrome; men were more likely to show clinically elevated levels of triglycerides, blood pressure, and fasting glucose levels. Conclusion Despite few sex differences in behavioral and psychosocial factors, metabolic problems associated with obesity were more common among treatment-seeking obese men with BED than women. The findings highlight the importance of including men in clinical studies of BED and active screening of BED in obese men at primary care settings.
Morphology of presumptive slowly adapting receptors in dog trachea

The three-dimensional branching pattern and ultrastructure of afferent myelinated fibers and their terminals located in the trachealis muscle of the dog are described. The afferent endings are believed to be those of the slowly adapting stretch receptors of the trachea. They have structural features typical of mechanoreceptors: distal to the loss of myelin, their shape becomes more irregular and the cytoplasm is filled with mitochondria, glycogen, and osmiophilic bodies. In some places the cell membrane is attached directly to basal lamina without interposition of a Schwann cell. A bundle of unmyelinated fibers accompanies each myelinated fiber and continues for an undetermined distance beyond (luminal to) terminations of the myelinated fiber. The unmyelinated fibers contain many round, clear vesicles and a few dense-cored vesicles and are also attached directly to basal lamina in places. Three-dimensional reconstruction of three receptors revealed three quite different branching patterns, but all included apparent rings as part of more or less contorted terminal regions (some neurons apparently having more than one terminal region). No obvious structural basis for the activation of receptors by transverse but not longitudinal stretch was found.
The Strength of the San Andreas Fault: A Critical Analysis

The longstanding debate over the strength of the San Andreas fault arose because heat flow measurements failed to show a narrow heat flow anomaly centered on the fault. The conclusion was that the shear stress on the fault cannot be larger than the stress-drops of earthquakes, ∼ 10 MPa, as compared with the ∼ 100 MPa expected from laboratory values of rock friction. There are two issues: 1, Can the fault be shown to be weak independently from the heat flow interpretation? and 2, If it is weak, what is the mechanism for this? The bulk of stress measurements in California conflicts with the weak SAF hypothesis. They indicate that the SAF has a strength consistent with a friction coefficient of 0.6 comparable with that of the surrounding crust. Because a minor fault adjacent to the SAF has been found to be strong in an absolute sense, so must be the SAF. The exception is the creeping section of the fault, which appears to be weak. All schemes proposed to explain how the fault can be weak are either geologically implausible or are contradicted by observations. Thus the hypothesis fails on both counts. The problem seems to lie in the heat flow model, which assumes steady-state slip with conductive heat transfer, whereas heat is generated only at the time of large earthquakes, at a rate some 10 9 times larger. I propose that, as a result, heat transfer at depth is by advection of water, which spreads the heat laterally, producing the broad heat flow anomaly that is associated with the SAF.
Tangent space guided intelligent neighbor finding

We present an intelligent neighbor-finding algorithm called SAFFRON that chooses neighboring points while avoiding making connections between points on geodesically distant regions of a manifold. SAFFRON identifies the suitability of points to be neighbors by using a relaxation technique that alternately estimates the tangent space at each point, and measures how well the estimated tangent spaces align with each other. This technique enables SAFFRON to form high-quality local neighborhoods, even on manifolds that pass very close to themselves. SAFFRON is even able to find neighborhoods that correctly follow the manifold topology of certain self-intersecting manifolds.
Optimization-based design of surface textures for thin-film Si solar cells — Are conventional Lambertian models relevant?

The efficiency of thin film silicon solar cells critically depends on the optical absorption. In this work, we numerically investigate the light trapping effect in the weak absorption regime for 1.5 μm thick crystalline silicon at normal incidence. Using electromagnetic simulations, we study the impact of different textures on the light absorption enhancement in two-dimensional (2D) device configuration. We discover that the light trapping effect of commercially used textures from Asahi glass is close to the 2D Lambertian result (F = πn), while optimized periodic gratings show better performances, and both rectangular and triangular gratings are capable to exceed the Lambertian result. To further explore the optimal light trapping structures, we develop a simulation method combining finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations and the optimization algorithm (Nlopt-COBYLA). Over a 900–1100 nm wavelength range, our optimized surface texture in two dimensions (2D) enhances absorption by a factor of 2.7πn, considerably larger than the original πn Lambertian result and exceeding by almost 50% a recent generalization of Lambertian model for periodic structures in finite spectral range. However, our structure still obeys the conventional πn Lambertian limit when averaged over all the angles.
Estimation Diversity and Energy Efficiency in Distributed Sensing

Distributed estimation based on measurements from multiple wireless sensors is investigated. It is assumed that a group of sensors observe the same quantity in independent additive observation noises with possibly different variances. The observations are transmitted using amplify-and-forward (analog) transmissions over nonideal fading wireless channels from the sensors to a fusion center, where they are combined to generate an estimate of the observed quantity. Assuming that the best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE) is used by the fusion center, the equal-power transmission strategy is first discussed, where the system performance is analyzed by introducing the concept of estimation outage and estimation diversity, and it is shown that there is an achievable diversity gain on the order of the number of sensors. The optimal power allocation strategies are then considered for two cases: minimum distortion under power constraints; and minimum power under distortion constraints. In the first case, it is shown that by turning off bad sensors, i.e., sensors with bad channels and bad observation quality, adaptive power gain can be achieved without sacrificing diversity gain. Here, the adaptive power gain is similar to the array gain achieved in multiple-input single-output (MISO) multiantenna systems when channel conditions are known to the transmitter. In the second case, the sum power is minimized under zero-outage estimation distortion constraint, and some related energy efficiency issues in sensor networks are discussed.
A sampling-adjusted macroevolutionary history for Ordovician–Early Silurian crinoids

Abstract Temporal variation in sampling intensity and geologically controlled rates of fossil preservation distort macroevolutionary patterns in the fossil record. Here, we use a comprehensive, list-based compilation of taxonomically and stratigraphically vetted global crinoid genus occurrences to evaluate and correct for the effects of variable and incomplete sampling from the Ordovician through Early Silurian. After standardizing the number of occurrences or the number of biofacies used to estimate the stratigraphic ranges of genera and after adjusting rates of turnover to account for the incomplete preservation of true extinction and origination pulses, we find support for several important revisions to the macroevolutionary history of crinoids. First, in contrast to the uncorrected data, sample-standardized genus richness does not appear to increase by more than 20% after an abrupt Middle Ordovician (Harnagian) diversification. Second, the only significant short-term change in genus richness following...
Phylogenetic position of Creptotrema funduli in the Allocreadiidae based on partial 28S rDNA sequences.

Abstract: The infrequently reported allocreadiid digenean Creptotrema funduli Mueller, 1934 is documented from the blackstripe topminnow, Fundulus notatus (Cyprinodontiformes: Fundulidae), in the headwaters of the Biloxi River, Harrison County, Mississippi. Specimens from Mississippi were compared with the type material from Fundulus diaphanus menona from Oneida Lake, New York, and no substantial difference was found. A fragment of ribosomal DNA, comprising a short portion of the 3′ end of 18S nuclear rDNA gene, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genes (including ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2), and the 5′ end of the 28S gene including variable domains D1–D3 was sequenced for the species. A portion of the 28S rDNA gene from C. funduli, plus similar fragments from 8 other allocreadiids and the callodistomatid Prosthenhystera sp., were aligned and subjected to maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. Resulting phylogenetic trees were derived from the analyses and used to estimate the relationship of Creptot...
Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Disease Using a Mouse Model of Shiga Toxin-Mediated Renal Damage

Mice have been extensively employed as an animal model of renal damage caused by Shiga toxins. In this study, we examined the role of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the development of toxin-mediated renal disease in mice. Mice pretreated with TNF-α and challenged with Shiga toxin type 1 (Stx1) showed increased survival compared to that of mice treated with Stx1 alone. Conversely, mice treated with Stx1 before TNF-α administration succumbed more quickly than mice given Stx1 alone. Increased lethality in mice treated with Stx1 followed by TNF-α was associated with evidence of glomerular damage and the loss of renal function. No differences in renal histopathology were noted between animals treated with Stx1 alone and the TNF-α pretreatment group, although we noted a sparing of renal function when TNF-α was administered before toxin. Compared to that of treatment with Stx1 alone, treatment with TNF-α after toxin altered the renal cytokine profile so that the expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) increased, and the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 decreased. Increased lethality in mice treated with Stx1 followed by TNF-α was associated with higher numbers of dUTP-biotin nick end labeling-positive renal tubule cells, suggesting that increased lethality involved enhanced apoptosis. These data suggest that the early administration of TNF-α is a candidate interventional strategy blocking disease progression, while TNF-α production after intoxication exacerbates disease.
Disease course in mdx:utrophin+/− mice: comparison of three mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

The mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is used to study disease mechanisms and potential treatments, but its pathology is less severe than DMD patients. Other mouse models were developed to more closely mimic the human disease based on knowledge that upregulation of utrophin has a protective effect in mdx muscle. An mdx:utrophin−/− (dko) mouse was created, which had a severe disease phenotype and a shortened life span. An mdx:utrophin+/− mouse was also created, which had an intermediate disease phenotype compared to the mdx and dko mice. To determine the usefulness of mdx:utrophin+/− mice for long-term DMD studies, limb muscle pathology and function were assessed across the life span of wild-type, mdx, mdx:utrophin+/−, and dko mice. Muscle function assessment, specifically grip duration and rotarod performance, demonstrated that mdx:utrophin+/− mice were weaker for a longer time than mdx mice. Mean myofiber area was smaller in mdx:utrophin+/− mice compared to mdx mice at 12 months. Mdx:utrophin+/− mice had a higher percentage of centrally nucleated myofibers compared to mdx mice at 6 and 12 months. Collagen I and IV density was significantly higher in mdx:utrophin+/− muscle compared to mdx at most ages examined. Generally, mdx:utrophin+/− mice showed an intermediate disease phenotype over a longer time course compared to the mdx and dko mice. While they do not genetically mirror human DMD, mdx:utrophin+/− mice may be a more useful animal model than mdx or dko mice for investigating long-term efficacy of potential treatments when fibrosis or muscle function is the focus.
Structural and biochemical characterization of the KRLB region in insulin receptor substrate-2

Insulin receptor substrates 1 and 2 (IRS1 and -2) are crucial adaptor proteins in mediating the metabolic and mitogenic effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1. These proteins consist of a pleckstrin homology domain, a phosphotyrosine binding domain and a C-terminal region containing numerous sites of tyrosine, serine and threonine phosphorylation. Previous yeast two-hybrid studies identified a region unique to IRS2, termed the kinase regulatory-loop binding (KRLB) region, which interacts with the tyrosine kinase domain of the insulin receptor. Here we present the crystal structure of the insulin receptor kinase in complex with a 15-residue peptide from the KRLB region. In the structure, this segment of IRS2 is bound in the kinase active site with Tyr628 positioned for phosphorylation. Although Tyr628 was phosphorylated by the insulin receptor, its catalytic turnover was poor, resulting in kinase inhibition. Our studies indicate that the KRLB region functions to limit tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS2.
Extension of Emmons' spot theory to flows on blunt bodies

The transition region is considered to be characterized by the intermittent appearance of turbulent spots, which grow as they move downstream until they finally merge into one another to form the turbulent boundary layer. The intermittency factor for arbitrary axisymmetric body with zero angle of attack has been derived in an expression which can be reduced to the form of universal intermittency distribution of Dhawan and Narasimha in the case of straight tube or flat plate. A key factor to control flow conditions in the transition zone appears to be the spot formation rate, which has been deduced from the available data of the extent of transition zone. It was found that the spot formation rate depends not only on the transition Reynolds number but also on the Mach number. A comparison of the deduced spot formation rate with the neutral stability curves indicated that the neutral stability curves can be used as a guide to relate the spot formation rate to the transitional Reynolds number. Calculations of the transitional heat-transfer rate on a sphere in supersonic flow agree well with the experimental results.
Model check stochastic supply chains

Supply chain [2, 6] is an important component of business operations. Understanding its stochastic behaviors is the key to risk analysis and performance evaluation in supply chain design and management. We propose a novel computational framework for modeling and analyzing the stochastic behaviors of a supply chain. The framework is based on probabilistic model checking, a formal verification technique for analyzing stochastic systems. Our approach is two-fold: first, we develop Stochastic Merchandise Flow Model (SMF), a formal framework for modeling stochastic supply chains based on Extended Markov Decision Process (EMDP); second, we propose a model-checking-based formal technique to automate the analysis of a stochastic supply chain. Our model-checking-based approach leverages benefits of recent advances in symbolic probabilistic model checking to improve the efficiency and scalability of decision procedures. Using the temporal logic PCTL [1] and the symbolic probabilistic model checker PRISM [4], we are able to express and check complicate temporal and stochastic properties on supply chains. Finally, we demonstrate the capability of our model-checking-based approach by applying it to a variety of stochastic supply chain models.
Privacy, publicity and security: the American context. Privacy is not only a right but also an obligation.

When talking about privacy, one could take the easy route and simply refer to the dictionary definition that it is the state of being secluded from the sight, presence or intrusion of others. This is obviously too broad a notion to be of any use in the real world. And if that definition really were accurate, the USA would not see its cultural elites and its political system embroiled in debates about the problem of privacy as it relates to publicity. This is evident not only in the ongoing criticism of the PATRIOT Act, which allows federal law enforcement agencies to collect private information on citizens for the sake of national security, but also in the debates on whether private companies can collect and share financial, medical or consumer data, or can track individuals' access to websites. The issue is not so much the right of privacy at one end or the need for publicity at the other, as it is the best way to balance private interests and public needs. > …privacy is inherently an ethical concept that is understood to represent something other than an individual's obligation to show and tell all Another concept of privacy entails the notion of personhood, which is implicit for carving out a private realm secluded from others and society as a whole. The status of slaves and serfs is defined, in part, precisely by an absence of any right of privacy—that is, a realm exempt from the purview of their owners and masters. In more recent times, a woman's right to have an abortion has been framed in terms of her right to privacy in matters of personal morality. In short, privacy is inherently an ethical concept that is understood to represent something other than an individual's obligation to show and tell all. …
A Fluorescent Chemosensor with Selectivity for Hg(II)

Geometric immobilization of polyamine ligands is expected to change their binding properties toward practical ion discrimination. Chemosensor 5 senses only two transition metal ions in water- Hg(II) (K d ≤1 μM) and Cu(II) (K d 56 μM)- which can be compared with bindings of a non-immobilized reference compound (9-(trpnmethyl)-anthracene; 3) with Hg(II) (K d 14 μM) and Cu(II) (K d 39 μM). A related bridged cyclen derivative (7) showed no effect on fluorescence by any metal ion examined. These results suggest that the rigid immobilization of polyamine ligands onto a fluorophore framework may be employed successfully in the creation of selective chemosensors.
Deficiency in Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF-1) Expression Exacerbates Sepsis-induced Inflammation and Cardiac Dysfunction.

In the present study, we investigated whether absence of heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1) and inability to increase myocardial expression of heat shock proteins alter septic responses of inflammatory cytokines and myocardial contractility. HSF-1 knockout (hsf-/-) mice and wild type litter mates underwent a sterile (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) or infectious (Streptococcus pneumoniae or Klebsiella pneumoniae) septic challenge. Production of cytokines, TNF, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10, in the blood and from cardiomyocytes was exaggerated in the hsf-/- mice compared to responses measured in wild type mice given an identical septic challenge. This enhanced compartmentalized myocardial inflammation was associated with significantly decreased cardiac contraction and diminished relaxation in the hsf-/- mice. However, lacking HSF-1 expression did not affect intracellular calcium and sodium responses in cardiomyocytes isolated from septic challenged mice, suggesting that ion loading was not a major or sustaining cause of the greater myocardial contractile defects in hsf-/- mice. In conclusion, our data indicated that HSF-1 and downstream heat shock proteins are essential components to support cardiac function in sepsis. Further studies are warranted to further define the precise mechanisms of HSF-1 mediated cardiac protection.
Self-similar circular shear cracks lacking cohesion

abstract It has recently been shown (Burridge, 1973) that in two dimensions plane-strain shear cracks lacking cohesion may run at speeds ranging from the Rayleigh-wave to the S -wave speed or possibly at the P -wave speed. On the other hand, it has long been known that in antiplane strain, cracks lacking cohesion must run at least at the S -wave speed. Since locally at the edge of a three-dimensional crack there is a combination of plane and antiplane strain, we have sought and found solutions for circular shear cracks expanding at the S -wave speed and at the P -wave speed. These have finite shear tractions ahead of the crack and so may correspond to frictional sliding in the absence of cohesion. The analysis combines the method of Kostrov (1964b) with the results of Burridge (1973). We carry out a complete evaluation for the displacements and tractions on the fault plane, and far-field radiation for the S -wave-speed crack. The corresponding evaluations for the P -wave speed are not elementary and are not attempted here. As far as the authors are aware, these are the first analytic solutions of three-dimensional crack problems which satisfy a physically plausible fracture criterion for failure under shear.
Clinically Unsuspected Prion Disease Among Patients With Dementia Diagnoses in an Alzheimer's Disease Database.

Background:Brain tissue analysis is necessary to confirm prion diseases. Clinically unsuspected cases may be identified through neuropathologic testing.Methods:National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) Minimum and Neuropathologic Data Set for 1984 to 2005 were reviewed. Eligible patients had dementia, underwent autopsy, had available neuropathologic data, belonged to a currently funded Alzheimer’s Disease Center (ADC), and were coded as having an Alzheimer’s disease clinical diagnosis or a nonprion disease etiology. For the eligible patients with neuropathology indicating prion disease, further clinical information, collected from the reporting ADC, determined whether prion disease was considered before autopsy.Results:Of 6000 eligible patients in the NACC database, 7 (0.12%) were clinically unsuspected but autopsy-confirmed prion disease cases.Conclusion:The proportion of patients with dementia with clinically unrecognized but autopsy-confirmed prion disease was small. Besides confirming clinically...
Concern for the Person

It seems to me that while there are obvious disadvantages in my kind of assignment — such as that I am expected to pull together several things that really don’t pull very well, or that I must wait until everything has been said in order to tell you what it is that was said — there are, nevertheless, also certain advantages, such as that I am now not only in a position to tell you what was said, providing my own interpretations and distortions, but am also in a position to tell you what my colleagues should have said but didn’t say. I suppose the polite and subtle way to go about this is to pretend that they actually did say everything that in my opinion they should have said.
Effects of ethanol treatment upon sources of reactive oxygen species in brain and liver.

Sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation have been compared in microsomal and niitochondrjal fractions of brain and liver from ethanol-treated and control rats. Rates of ROS generation were quantitated with the fluorescent probe precursor, 2′7′-dihydrochloroflurescin diacetale, whose validity has been previously established. The production of active pro-oxidant species was measured in the presence of various selective inhibitors of enzymes potentially able to contribute to oxidative events. Several steps in the arachidonic acid cascade appeared to constitute a large fraction of total ROS generating capacity. Chelation of intrinsic iron with desferoxamine greatly reduced such capacity, especially in cerebral tissue. Aldehyde oxidascs were active in generating ROS in both tissues. Inhibition of catalase dramatically enhanced ROS in liver but not in brain microsomes. While no ethanol-treatment effects were found in brain, there was evidence that ethanol consumption decreased hepatic levels of catalase, aldehyde oxidases and cyclooxygenase. However, despite these reductions, total basal ROS production was elevated in liver but not brain fractions from treated animals. The addition of an exogenous iron salt enhanced ROS formation to a lesser extent in ethanol-consuming rats than in controls. The elevation of basal hepatic ROS levels in ethanol-treated rats may thus be compatible with the release of cytosolic low molecular weight free iron compounds into the cytosol.
Is Prophylactic Intervention More Cost-effective Than the Treatment of Pathologic Fractures in Metastatic Bone Disease?

Background Metastatic bone disease is a substantial burden to patients and the healthcare system as a whole. Metastatic disease can be painful, is associated with decreased survival, and is emotionally traumatic to patients when they discover their disease has progressed. In the United States, more than 250,000 patients have metastatic bone disease, with an estimated annual cost of USD 12 billion. Prior studies suggest that patients who receive prophylactic fixation for impending pathologic fractures, compared with those treated for realized pathologic fractures, have decreased pain levels, faster postoperative rehabilitation, and less in-hospital morbidity. However, to our knowledge, the relative economic utility of these treatment options has not been examined.