cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional modulation of sarcolemmal KATP channels by atrial natriuretic peptide-elicited intracellular signaling in adult rabbit ventricular cardiomyocytes

ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels couple cell metabolic status to membrane excitability and are crucial for stress adaptation and cytoprotection in the heart. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a cardiac peptide important for cardiovascular homeostasis, also exhibits cytoprotective features including protection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injuries. However, how ANP modulates cardiac KATP channels is largely unknown. In the present study we sought to address this issue by investigating the role of ANP signaling in functional modulation of sarcolemmal KATP (sarcKATP) channels in ventricular myocytes freshly isolated from adult rabbit hearts. Single-channel recordings were performed in combination with pharmacological approaches in the cell-attached patch configuration. Bath application of ANP markedly potentiated sarcKATP channel activities induced by metabolic inhibition with sodium azide, whereas the KATP-stimulating effect of ANP was abrogated by selective inhibition of the natriuretic peptide receptor type A (NPR-A), cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), reactive oxygen species (ROS), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)1/2, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), or the ryanodine receptor (RyR). Blockade of RyRs also nullified hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced stimulation of sarcKATP channels in intact cells. Furthermore, single-channel kinetic analyses revealed that ANP enhanced the function of ventricular sarcKATP channels through destabilizing the long closures and facilitating the opening transitions, without affecting the single-channel conductance. In conclusion, here we report that ANP positively modulates the activity of ventricular sarcKATP channels via an intracellular signaling mechanism consisting of NPR-A, PKG, ROS, ERK1/2, CaMKII, and RyR2. This novel mechanism may regulate cardiac excitability and contribute to cytoprotection, in part, by opening myocardial KATP channels.
Trophodynamics of the sclerosponge Ceratoporella nicholsoni along a shallow to mesophotic depth gradient

The sclerosponge Ceratoporella nicholsoni is a hyper-calcifying high microbial abundance sponge. This sponge has been observed at high densities throughout the Caribbean in the mesophotic zone (30–150 m), as well as cryptic environments in shallow (< 30 m) depths. Given the densities of this sponge, it could play an important role in the cycling of inorganic and organic sources of carbon and nitrogen at mesophotic depths. Additionally, there is broad interest in this sponge as a tool for paleobiology, paleoclimatology and paleoceanography. As a result, it is increasingly important to understand the ecology of these unique sponges in the underexplored Caribbean mesophotic zone. Here we show that this sponge increases in abundance from shallow depths into the mesophotic zone of Grand Cayman Island. We observed no significant differences in the stable isotope signatures of δ15N and δ13C of sponge tissue between depths. A predictive model of sponge diet with increasing depth shows that these sponges consume dissolved organic matter of algal and coral origin, as well as the consumption of particulate organic matter consistent with the interpretation of the stable isotope data. The taxonomic composition of the sclerosponge microbiome was invariant across the shallow to mesophotic depth range but did contain the Phylum Chloroflexi, known to degrade a variety of dissolved organic carbon sources. These data suggest that the depth distribution of this sponge may not be driven by changes in trophic strategy and is potentially regulated by other biotic or abiotic factors.
Plane-Based Local Behaviors for Multi-Agent 3D Simulations with Position-Based Dynamics

Position-Based Dynamics (PBD) has been shown to provide a flexible framework for modeling per-agent collision avoidance behavior for crowd and multi-agent simulations in planar scenarios. In this work, we propose to extend the approach such that collision avoidance reactions can utilize in a controlled way the volumetric 3D space around each agent when deciding how to avoid collisions with other agents. We propose to use separation planes for collision avoidance, using either preferred or automatically determined planes. Our results demonstrate the ability to control the spatial 3D behavior of simulated agents by constraining the produced movements according to the separation planes. Our method is generic and can be integrated with different crowd simulation techniques. We also compare our results with a 3D collision avoidance method based on Reciprocal Velocity Obstacles (RVOs).
Low-skilled Occupations Face the Highest Re-skilling Pressure.

While substantial scholarship has focused on estimating the susceptibility of jobs to automation, little has examined how job contents evolve in the information age despite the fact that new technologies typically substitute for specific job tasks, shifting job skills rather than eliminating whole jobs. Here we explore the process and consequences of changes in occupational skill contents and characterize occupations subject to the most re-skilling pressure. Recent research suggests that high-skilled STEM and technology-intensive business occupations have experienced the highest rates of skill content change. Using a dataset covering the near universe of U.S. online job postings between 2010 and 2018, we find that when the number and similarity of skills within a job are taken into account, the re-skilling pressure is much higher for workers in low complexity, low education and low compensation occupations. We use high-dimensional embeddings of skills estimated across all jobs to precisely assess skill similarity, and characterize occupational skill transformations, demonstrating that skills requiring machine-operation and interface rise sharply in importance in the past decade, much more than human interface skills in low and mid-education occupations. We establish that large organizations buffer jobs from skill instability and obsolescence, especially low-skilled jobs with unstable skill requirements. Finally, the gap in re-skilling pressure between low/mid-education and high-education occupations is smaller in large organizations, suggesting that by controlling the surrounding skill environment, such organizations reduce the rate of required re-skilling and sustain short-term productivity for those occupations.
Cutaneous metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

A 71-year-old man presented with a painful left-sided axillary rash which had been progressing for the past month. He had visited multiple outside facilities, where he was treated for shingles with a 5-day course of acyclovir and an aggressive pain regimen. However, he had no improvement in symptoms
The computer is the prime symbol of a new age: the age of synthesis

Oswald Spengler, author of Decline of the West, 1918, stated that each age represented a culture with a unique form-language which expressed that culture's values, and its sense of time and space through the various disciplines (art, music, science, mathematics, politics, etc.) and condensed them into the prime symbol of that age. Because the disciplines share this core set of values and ideologies, Spengler said that when mathematics radically changes, it signals an age (paradigm) shift affecting all aspects of the culture. This dissertation examines Spengler's claims in the context of 20th century history, a period of tremendous changes in every discipline and every economic, political, and social institution, and concludes that Western Civilization began an age shift around c. 1880. This study compares these developments across disciplinary boundaries and determines that the values, goals, and beliefs of this culture can be examined using the computer as a tool for analysis. Condensed cultural characteristics are apparent in people's attitudes toward the computer, making it the Prime Symbol of this new age: The Age of Synthesis.
Two Faces of Judicial Restraint (Or Are There More?) in McDonald v. Chicago

“Judicial restraint” and its counterpart “judicial activism” are widely regarded as meaningless terms, useful primarily as rhetorical weapons with which to praise or condemn judicial decisions about which the speaker has strong feelings. The terms certainly are frequently used in that manner, but there may also be analytically distinct forms of judicial restraint to which different judges adhere. Academic commentators have articulated and defended various theories of judicial restraint, but my purpose here is to examine the debate “at work,” so to speak, in an actual case. The Court’s recent Second Amendment incorporation decision, McDonald v. Chicago, is an especially interesting example because strikingly different models of judicial restraint are adopted by subsets of the more conservative wing of the Court, and subtly different models are adopted by subsets of the more liberal wing. A close look at the opinions in the case suggests that each model has different strengths and weaknesses, but also that they are by no means created equal. Surprisingly, perhaps, the most radical sounding opinion in the case may on balance be the most restrained.
Light Generation Semiconductor Lasers

Semiconductor lasers are versatile and easy to use devices having a wide range of applications that include consumer products such as compact disc players and high speed telecommunications networks. The basic concepts needed to understand their operation, from a p–n junction to conditions needed to reach threshold, to the design of double heterostructures, are presented as is a description of lattice matched and strained quantum wells. Materials systems composed principally of Group 13–15 (III–V) elements used for the fabrication of near-infrared and visible lasers are discussed. Band gaps and lattice constants are given for these systems and for Group 2–16 and 12–16 (II–III) systems. The design and performance characteristics of specific laser types ranging from high power laser arrays to narrow linewidth distributed feedback lasers are presented. Keywords: Semiconductors; lasers; Direct band gap; Indirect band gap; Heterostructures; Quantum wells; Materials; Laser structures; Proton implantation
Transcriptomics of critical period of visual cortical plasticity in mice

In contrast to the prenatal development of the cerebral cortex, when cell production, migration, and layer formation dominate, development after birth involves more subtle processes, such as activity-dependent plasticity that includes refinement of synaptic connectivity by its stabilization and elimination. In the present study, we use RNA-seq with high spatial resolution to examine differential gene expression across layers 2/3, 4, 5, and 6 of the mouse visual cortex before the onset of the critical period of plasticity [postnatal day 5 (P5)], at its peak (P26), and at the mature stage (P180) and compare it with the prefrontal association area. We find that, although genes involved in early developmental events such as cell division, neuronal migration, and axon guidance are still prominent at P5, their expression largely terminates by P26, when synaptic plasticity and associated signaling pathways become enriched. Unexpectedly, the gene expression profile was similar in both areas at this age, suggesting that activity-dependent plasticity between visual and association cortices are subject to the same genetic constraints. Although gene expression changes follow similar paths until P26, we have identified 30 regionally enriched genes that are prominent during the critical period. At P180, we identified several hundred differentially expressed gene isoforms despite subsiding levels of gene expression differences. This result indicates that, once genetic developmental programs cease, the remaining morphogenetic processes may depend on posttranslational events.
Intrastrain and interstrain genetic variation within a paralogous gene family in Chlamydia pneumoniae

Background Chlamydia pneumoniae causes human respiratory diseases and has recently been associated with atherosclerosis. Analysis of the three recently published C. pneumoniae genomes has led to the identification of a new gene family (the Cpn 1054 family) that consists of 11 predicted genes and gene fragments. Each member encodes a polypeptide with a hydrophobic domain characteristic of proteins localized to the inclusion membrane.
Modal Analysis of a Heliostat for Concentrating Solar Power

A heliostat is a structure whose function is to reflect sunlight to a target collector. Heliostat vibrations can degrade optical pointing accuracy and fatigue the structural components. This paper reports on an experimental and analytical program with a goal to improve understanding of the response to wind loading on heliostats. A modal test was performed on a heliostat located at the National Solar Thermal Testing Facility (NSTTF) at Sandia Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Modal tests were performed with artificial and natural wind excitation. Strain and displacements were also measured under wind loading. The information gained from these tests has been used to evaluate and improve structural models that predict the deformations of the heliostat due to gravitational and dynamic wind loadings. The paper will provide an up-to-date summary of model validation work, evaluation of suitable sensors, and development of data-processing methods for long-term deformation monitoring.
Batch cultivation of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. V: Characterization of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate production under methane-dependent growth conditions

Methanotrophs have promising applications in the bioremediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons and in the production of a biopolymer, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). Batch bioreactor culture conditions were studied for the accumulation of PHB by methane-grown Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, and to evaluate the effect of PHB on the bacterial capacity to degrade trichloroethylene (TCE), a common groundwater contaminant. The PHB content of the washed and lyophilized cells was measured by gas chromatography (GC), after hydrochloric acid (HCl) propanolysis. A differential GC-based assay was developed for the monomer and the polymer of beta-hydroxybutyrate utilizing 1% and 10% HCl (v/v) reaction mixtures, respectively. During bioreactor growth in a Cu-deficient modified Higgins' medium, the cells accumulated PHB upon depletion of nitrate. A biomass yield of 3.2 g dry wt/L and a PHB accumulation of approximately 10% (w/w) were reached after 140 to 160 h, without adversely affecting the propene or TCE epoxidation specific rate given by whole cells containing soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO). The TCE biotransformation capacity ( approximately 0.25 mg TCE oxidized/mg dry cell wt) of resting cells containing approximately 10% PHB was consistently approximately 1.6-fold greater than that of cells containing only approximately 2% PHB. Higher levels (>10%) of accumulated PHB did not enhance this biotransformation capacity further. By replacing the bioreactor inlet air + CO(2) mixture with pure O(2) at approximately 85 h of batch operation, a PHB accumulation of approximately 45% was achieved after 160 h, but the whole-cell sMMO activity was markedly decreased. In contrast, cells grown in a 10 muM Cu-supplemented Higgins' nitrate minimal salts medium (particulate MMO formation) accumulated up to 50% PHB in only 120 h, coupled with a very high biomass yield of 18 g dry cell wt/L. High PHB accumulations above approximately 20% by both the -Cu and the +Cu grown cells resulted in a decreased ratio of the electronic cell count to the absorbance at 660 nm, which is commonly used to monitor bacterial growth. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Modification of a learned vomiting ritual by change in stimulus conditions and self-controlled response prevention

Abstract A case of nightly bedtime vomiting of 16-yr duration in a normal adult was treated by instructing the subject in response prevention, rearranging stimulus conditions and substituting competing cognitions for the subject's thoughts about the condition of her stomach. Once the subject could refrain from vomiting, previously avoided foods were introduced in graduated amounts. The subject spontaneously resumed going to restaurants and accepting social engagements related to food. An avoidance paradigm is discussed as the main maintaining variable.
Assessing the Feasibility of Regionalizing Grain Production in the State of New York Using Integrated Geo Spacial Technology

This study addresses the regionalization effort for planning organic crop production in the state of New York. Geographic information system is applied to analyze the feasibility of a long term outlook of organic grain production. The results have provided useful insights for organic crop production in the state of New York, as well as other metropolitan areas.
Cellular activity, matrix proteins, and aging bone.

Abstract The extracellular matrix of bone is composed of proteins from both local and exogenous sources. Many of these are known growth factors (e.g., transforming growth factors-β; insulin-like growth factors; and fibroblast growth factors) which concentrate in mineralized bone and probably contribute to the ability of bone to regenerate itself on injury. With advancing age, human osteoblasts have reduced bone formative properties and in vitro, osteoblasts from fetuses generally have greatly increased proliferative and biosynthetic capacities compared to cells from adult donors. Aside from type I collagen, many noncollagen components are synthesized by osteoblasts and secreted to the bone matrix space. Several of these are cell attachment proteins (e.g., fibronectin, thrombospondin, osteopontin) which greatly influence cytodevelopment and differentiation. They are degraded to lower molecular weight fragments with advancing age, probably deactivating their true bioactivities. It is not known whether the age-related degradation of these proteins affects bone cell function in aged individuals. Several of the bone matrix proteins are also found in platelets and have been implicated in the wound-repair process. One of these, osteonectin, is found in a wide variety of nonbone cell systems, but only in periods of rapid growth and proliferation. Osteonectin production is the highest and is maintained the longest in bone compared to all other tissues of the body. Thus, reduced osteonectin production in aged bone cells may be an important parameter for further study.
OXYGEN ADSORPTION ON GRAPHITE AND NANOTUBES

We study the binding of molecular oxygen to a graphene sheet and to a (8,0) single walled carbon nanotube, by means of spin-unrestricted density-functional calculations. We find that triplet oxygen retains its spin-polarized state when interacting with graphene or the nanotube. This leads to the formation of a weak bond with essentially no charge transfer between the molecule and the sheet or tube, as one would expect for a physisorptive bond. This result is independent on the approximation used for the exchange-correlation functional. The binding strength, however, depends strongly on the functional, reflecting the inability of current approximation functionals to deal correctly with dispersion forces. Gradient-corrected functionals yield very weak binding at distances around 4 A, whereas local density functional results yield substantially stronger binding for both graphene and the nanotube at distances of less than 3 A. The picture of oxygen physisorption is not substantially altered by the presence of topological defects such as 5–7 Stone–Wales pairs.
John Damuth and Bruce J. MacFadden (eds.): Body Size in Mammalian Paleobiology: Estimation and Biological Implications

(1992). John Damuth and Bruce J. MacFadden (eds.): Body Size in Mammalian Paleobiology: Estimation and Biological Implications. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 400-401.
Sister-chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes are increased in relation to longitudinally measured occupational exposure to low concentrations of styrene

Abstract A longitudinal investigation of styrene exposure was conducted among 48 workers employed at a reinforced plastic boat manufacturing facility. 8-h time-weighted average (TWA) exposures to styrene and concentrations of styrene in the breath were determined for each individual on 7 randomly chosen days during 1 year. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from each subject were analyzed for sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) 2 times and micronuclei (MN) 4 times during this period. Individual mean SCEs ranged from 4.7 to 9.5 SCEs per cell with a population mean of 6.4 ± 0.2 SCEs per cell. SCEs were found to be significantly increased with an overall observed increase of 11.7% related to increasing exposure to styrene (mean air concentration 64.2 mg/m3 ± 71.5; range 0.88–235 mg/m3) and with cigarette smoking. Examination of the relative contribution of each variable to regression of SCEs showed that smoking contributed about 62% and styrene exposure contributed about 25% of the total variability. Intra-individual lymphocyte MN frequencies did not vary significantly over time nor was a gradient toward increased MN observed with styrene exposure. However, significant inter-individual differences in MN frequencies were observed. Females had significantly higher MN frequencies than did males; MN were also increased with age. This study is highly unusual in that it illustrates the ability to separately quantify the relative contribution of each of two variables — smoking and styrene exposure — to an increase in SCEs in lymphocytes of an exposed human population.
Freud’s civilization revisited in the nuclear age: commentary on O’Brien’s conclusions

This comment is a constructive criticism of Professor John C. O’Brien’s interesting and provocative article: “Freud’s civilization revisited in the nuclear age.” It is my conviction that both Freud and O’Brien underestimate the power of Christianity in the creation and in the defense of Western civilization. The threat of a nuclear holocaust is an ever present danger, but the remedy for this danger is not the nuclear disarmament that O’Brien advocates, because the disarmament treaty would be unenforceable. Rather, the protection against the nuclear threat is for the USA to maintain an overwhelming arsenal of second‐strike nuclear weapons and to use the threat of retaliation to enforce an American peace that would be analogous to the Roman peace which that empire enforced during two centuries of ancient history.
Most smokeless tobacco use does not cause cigarette smoking: Results from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Those who either never progress from smokeless tobacco (SLT) to smoking or smoked before using SLT logically cannot have smoking caused by SLT use. The prevalence of such use permits strong inferences about the overall importance of the potential causal effects of SLT on cigarette smoking. We found that the majority of SLT ever users (66%) in the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) were noncausal users. For these individuals, SLT use cannot have caused them to smoke. We also compared our results in 2000 with a similar sample in 1987, using current SLT users only. Potentially, the causal uses of SLT were in the minority and had not increased significantly over time (24% in 1987 to 29% in 2000, P>.05). Logistic models showed that, when noncausal users were removed, SLT was a minor predictor of current smoking. This is likely due to linked experimentation. We argue that that the majority of SLT use cannot cause smoking, such that SLT effects on smoking initiation are minimal at best. Policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Should biomarker estimates of HIV incidence be adjusted

Objective: To evaluate adjustment procedures that have been proposed to correct HIV incidence rates derived from cross-sectional surveys of biomarkers (e.g. BED capture enzyme immunoassay). These procedures were motivated by some reports that the biomarker BED approach overestimates incidence when compared to cohort studies. Design: Consideration of the Hargrove and McDougal adjustment procedures that adjust biomarker estimates of HIV incidence rates for misclassification with respect to the timing of infections. Methods: Performed mathematical and statistical analysis of the adjustment formulas. Evaluated sources of error in cohort studies of incidence that could also explain discrepancies between cohort and biomarker estimates. Results: The McDougal adjustment has no net effect on the estimate of HIV incidence because false positives exactly counterbalance false negatives. The Hargrove adjustment has a mathematical error that can cause significant underestimation of HIV incidence rates, especially if there is a large pool of prevalent long-standing infections. Conclusion: The two adjustment procedures of biomarker incidence estimates evaluated here that purport to correct for misclassification do not increase accuracy and in some situations can introduce significant bias. Instead, the accuracy of biomarker estimates can be increased through improvements in the estimates of the mean window period of the populations under study and the representativeness of the cross-sectional samples. Cohort estimates of incidence are also subject to important sources of error and should not blindly be considered the gold standard for assessing the validity of biomarker estimates.
Spinal accessory nerve in a trapezius-splitting surgical approach

To elucidate the safe limits for muscle-splitting incisions of the trapezius muscle, 25cadaver shoulders were studied. To describe the position of the nerve distances were expressed as a percentage of the distance from the tips of the vertebral spinous processes to the lateral tip of the acromion. The spinal accessory nerve was found to run a vertical course medial and parallel to the vertebral border of the scapula. Three to six nerve branches (average 3.8) also ran a vertical course lying between 33% to 50% of the distance from the tips of the vertebral spinous processes to the lateral tip of the acromion. The most lateral branch lay on average at 44% distance and never beyond 50%. Muscle-splitting incisions are relatively safe in the lateral 50% of the muscle. In the medial half they are to be avoided or pursued with great caution.
Determination of unsulfonated aromatic amines in FD&C Yellow No. 6 by the diazotization and coupling procedure followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Data are presented for the determination of parts-per-billion (10(9)) levels of aniline, benzidine, 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) and 4-aminoazobenzene in the regulated color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6. The determination involves chloroform extraction of the amines from the color additive, followed by diazotization and coupling with the disodium salt of 3-hydroxy-2,7-naphthalenedisulfonic acid (R-salt). The coupling products are then analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. An interference discovered during the determination of 4-ABP required the use of 4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1-(4-sulfophenyl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid (pyrazolone-T) as an alternative coupling agent. The identity of each coupling product is confirmed by obtaining a UV-visible spectrum of the eluting solute. The liquid chromatograph is calibrated in the presence of the color additive by using the external standard method.
Somatic activation of a conditional KrasG12D allele causes ineffective erythropoiesis in vivo.

Somatic activation of a conditional targeted KrasG12D allele induces a fatal myeloproliferative disease in mice that closely models juvenile and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. These mice consistently develop severe and progressive anemia despite adequate numbers of clonogenic erythroid progenitors in the bone marrow and expanded splenic hematopoiesis. Ineffective erythropoiesis is characterized by impaired differentiation. These results demonstrate that endogenous levels of oncogenic Ras have cell lineage-specific effects and support efforts to modulate Ras signaling for therapy of anemia in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders.
Polarization-dependent two-photon absorption for the determination of protein secondary structure: A theoretical study

Abstract A new method for sensitive determination of protein secondary structure via multi-photon absorption is considered theoretically. Perturbation theory is developed to describe the polarization-dependent two-photon absorption (TPA) of α-helix and β-sheet protein secondary structures. The exciton coupling interactions responsible for relatively weak electronic circular dichroism in one-photon absorption are predicted to give rise to large changes in the TPA cross-section (>200%) for circular versus linear incident polarizations, defined as CLD. The CLD effect in TPA is electric dipole-allowed, which explains the much greater sensitivity. These predictions suggest TPA should be a viable means of sensitively probing protein secondary structure.
The University of Southern California/Van Nuys prognostic index for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

Abstract Background The original Van Nuys prognostic index (VNPI) was introduced in 1996 as an aid to the complex treatment decision-making process for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. This update adds patient age to the previous predictors of local recurrence in breast preservation patients. Methods A prospective database consisting of 706 conservatively patients with DCIS was examined using multivariate analysis. Four independent predictors of local recurrence (tumor size, margin width, pathologic classification, and age) were used to derive a new formula for the University of Southern California (USC)/VNPI. Results In all, 706 patients with pure DCIS were treated with breast preservation. There was no statistical difference in the 12-year local recurrence-free survival in patients with USC/VNPI scores of 4, 5, or 6, regardless of whether or not radiation therapy was used ( P = not significant). Patients with USC/VNPI scores of 7, 8, or 9 received a statistically significant average 12% to 15% local recurrence-free survival benefit when treated with radiation therapy ( P = 0.03). Patients with scores of 10, 11, or 12, although showing the greatest absolute benefit from radiation therapy, experienced local recurrence rates of almost 50% at 5 years. Conclusions Ductal carcinoma in situ patients with USC/VNPI scores of 4, 5 or 6 can be considered for treatment with excision only. Patients with intermediate scores (7, 8, or 9) should be considered for treatment with radiation therapy or be reexcised if margin width is less than 10 mm and cosmetically feasible. Patients with USC/VNPI scores of 10, 11, or 12 exhibit extremely high local recurrence rates, regardless of irradiation, and should be considered for mastectomy, generally with immediate reconstruction or reexcision if technically possible.
Limits to FDI-driven growth in Ireland: a newspaper content analysis for investment, upgrading and divestment

What are the consequences and the future of foreign direct investment (FDI)-driven growth for Ireland? In this paper, we conduct content analysis of newspaper reports on instances of investment, divestment and relocation before, during and after the Celtic Tiger period. We examine reasons for investment and divestment and associated job creations and losses in three different decades in order to better understand Ireland's changing position as an FDI location. We also illustrate the countries and regions that have emerged as competitor locations for Ireland's FDI through analysing the instances of relocations. We conclude that Ireland is faced with a challenge quite distinctive from its Asian Tiger counterparts.
Immunological Impairment of Pregnancy in Mice by Lactate Dehydrogenase-X

LDH-X, the sperm specific isozyme of lactate dehydrogenase was used as an antigen to induce infertility in female mice. Injection of rabbit anti-mouse LDH-X serum on Days 1-4 after coitus significantly reduced the number of pregnancies in these animals below the level observed in mice receiving serum from nonimmunized rabbits. Pregnancy frequency in mice injected with LDH-X in Freund’s Adjuvant was significantly decreased within 6-8 wk after the primary immunization. As a model to explain the mechanism of antibody action, we propose that supernumerary sperm within the perivitelline space of fertilized mouse ova provide specific recognition sites which are available to antibody to LDH-X. The antibody-antigen complex confers upon the embryo a heteroantigenicity which leads to its immunological rejection.
How multinational firms can profit from sophisticated transfer pricing strategies

The right transfer pricing policies can help multinationals cut their taxes, boost a subsidiary's financial condition, measure performance, and more. The authors explain what CFOs need to know about transfer pricing—and how to apply it to achieve company-wide goals. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chained cross-training of assembly line workers

To function properly, assembly lines require the presence of every worker. When a worker is absent, management must scramble quickly to find a replacement. Cross-training workers to perform multiple tasks mitigates this difficulty. However, since cross-training is costly and limited by learning capacity and can confound the search for quality problems, it should be used judiciously. The present paper proposes a training strategy called chaining in which workers are trained to perform a second task, and the assignments of task types to workers are linked in a chain. It is shown that chaining is a practical and effective strategy for prioritizing cross-training to compensate for absenteeism on assembly lines.
Segregated Networks of Carbon Black in Poly(vinyl acetate) Latex: Influence of Clay on the Electrical and Mechanical Behavior

Films were prepared from mixtures of PVAc latex, CB, and natural sodium montmorillonite clay. In the absence of clay, these composites exhibit a percolation threshold of 1.2 vol.-% CB, which is nearly an order of magnitude lower than that observed for composites prepared using PVAc solution. SEM images reveal a segregated CB network that is the result of excluded volume created by the much larger polymer particles in the latex. With the addition of 0.2 wt.-% clay, the percolation threshold is reduced to 0.9 vol.-% carbon black due to clay-induced networking. The storage modulus is also enhanced by the presence of clay, although higher clay concentration appears to adversely affect electrical and mechanical behavior of these composites.
Calibration and Analysis of a Novel Downhole Sensor to Determine Fluid Viscosities

This paper presents the performance evaluation of a novel sensor designed to measure the in situ the viscosity of a flowing fluid at downhole conditions. The device provides a mechanism to allow the passage of solid particles (i.e. sand) and has a self-cleaning ability should any build-up of these particles restrict the flowing area. The sensor was assembled in a closed flow loop to prevent measurement error due to partial vaporization of the samples at higher temperatures where it was tested and calibrated with mixtures of glycerin and water. Differential pressures, flow rates and temperatures were gathered and used to determine the viscosity of two crude oils with viscosities ranging from 1 to 30 cp and temperatures from 100 to 160 °F. Flow rates were controlled to maintain linearity in the differential pressure response to ensure a laminar flow regime. Viscosity measurements were validated with independent measurements using a Brookfield viscometer and the agreement was within 2%. Using data from this sensor, new viscosity mixing rules were developed to allow determination of mixture compositions from viscosity measurements or mixture viscosities for given compositions. Potential applications include the estimation of diluent to be added to a more viscous fluid to achieve a target viscosity reduction, fluid identification from wireline formation testers, smart well fluid monitoring, enhanced mud logging, and fracture fluid characterization.
Localization of NADPH diaphorase in neurons of the rostral ventral medulla: possible role of nitric oxide in central autonomic regulation and oxygen chemoreception

Abstract We studied whether neurons containing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) are localized to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVM) and, if so, whether they are distinct from the adrenergic neurons of the C1 group. NOS-containing neurons and/or C1 neurons were visualized using NADPH diaphorase histochemistry and phenylethanolamine N -methyltransferase (PNMT) immunohistochemistry, respectively. A column of NADPH diaphorase-positive neurons, extending 2 mm in the rostrocaudal plane, was observed lateral to the inferior olive and medial to the C1 neurons. Double labelling studies showed that NADPH diaphorase-positive neurons were not immunoreactive for PNMT, indicating that the two enzymes were localized in the different cells. Furthermore, only a small fraction of NADPH diaphorase neurons were retrogradely labelled after injections of fluorogold into the thoracic cord. We conclude that the RVM contains a well-defined group of neurons endowed with NOS that are distinct from the adrenergic neurons of the C1 group and have only limited monosynaptic projections to the spinal cord. Since the RVM is involved in the control of arterial pressure and in oxygen-conserving reflexes, the findings raise the possibility that nitric oxide participates in central autonomic regulation and oxygen chemoreception.
Politicizing Indiscriminate Terror: Imagining an Inclusive Framework for the Anti-Landmines Movement

Landmines are indiscriminate weapons of mass terror that detrimentally affect human beings, the ecological system they live in, the regional economy, and political stability. Despite the extensive nature of the impacts, the landmine crisis is almost exclusively advocated on the basis of human rights principles. A comprehensive framework that considers environmental degradation as a principal aftermath of the global landmine crisis is critically missing from the broader matrix of variables around which the anti-landmine movement converges. This article discusses the current humanitarian framework of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines; its shortcomings to address the interconnected impacts of landmines on the environment; and attempts to describe what an inclusive, environmentally sensitive framework would have to incorporate to address the overall landmine impacts effectively.
Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Delusions: Helping Patients Improve Reality Testing

Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) was used to treat residual delusions in patients with schizophrenia. Initially all patients (N = 6) reported delusions of various types, such as persecution, body/mind control, grandiosity, and religious themes. The group format allowed patients to share their experiences and beliefs, thereby eliminating shame and providing support and coping strategies; as well as allowing for peer–peer discussion of irrationalities and inconsistencies in each other's beliefs. After 13 sessions there was a statistically significant reduction in delusional conviction, unhappiness associated with thinking about a delusion, intensity of distress associated with delusion, and an increased ability to dismiss a delusional thought.
Designing enzyme-like catalysts: a rhodium(II) metallopeptide case study.

Chemists have long been fascinated by metalloenzymes and their chemistry. Because enzymes are essential for biological processes and to life itself, they present a key to understanding the world around us. At the same time, if chemists could harness the reactivity and selectivity of enzymes in designed transition-metal catalysts, we would have access to a powerful practical advance in chemistry. But the design of enzyme-like catalysts from scratch presents enormous challenges. Simplified, designed systems often don’t provide the opportunity to mimic the complex features of enzymes such as selectivity in polyfunctional environments and access to reactive intermediates incompatible with bulk aqueous solution.Extensive efforts by numerous groups have led to remarkable designed metalloproteins that contain complex folds, including well-defined secondary and tertiary structure surrounding complex polymetallic centers. These structural achievements, however, have not yet led to general approaches to useful cata...
Electronic structure, bonding, spectroscopy and energetics of Fe-dependent nitrile hydratase active-site models.

Fe-type nitrile hydratase (NHase) is a non-heme Fe(III)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the hydration of nitriles to the corresponding amides. Despite experimental studies of the enzyme and model Fe(III)-containing complexes, many questions concerning the electronic structure and spectroscopic transitions of the metal center remain unanswered. In addition, the catalytic mechanism of nitrile hydration has not yet been determined. We now report density functional theory (B3LYP/6-31G*) calculations on three models of the Fe(III) center in the active site of NHase corresponding to hypothetical intermediates in the enzyme-catalyzed hydration of acetonitrile. Together with natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of the chemical bonding in these active-site models and INDO/S CIS calculations of their electronic spectra, this theoretical investigation gives new insight into the molecular origin of the unusual low-spin preference and spectroscopic properties of the Fe(III) center. In addition, the low-energy electroni...
Novel mutation in STXBP2 prevents IL-2–induced natural killer cell cytotoxicity

We have identified dizygotic twins with a novel syntaxin-binding protein 2 (STXBP2) mutation, where cytotoxicity cannot be restored with IL-2. This defines STXBP2 as an absolute requirement for NK cell cytotoxic function.
Patterns of Emergency Care Utilization by Chronically Ill

Patients' visits to ER are hard to predict and control and the services incur high costs. We built an analytic framework to statistically quantify the relative utilization rates of emergency care resources by chronically ill. Analyzing Diabetes, Asthma, and Arthritis data, we found significant differences in utilization by patients covered with public and private insurance. Public plans have an opportunity to improve effectiveness and quality of chronic illness care if they follow protocols implemented by private insurance providers. Our approach can be straightforwardly extended towards comparative analyzes of utilization of healthcare resources beyond emergency care or chronic illness.
Simultaneous inferior alveolar nerve graft and osseous reconstruction of the mandible

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Elastase-released epidermal growth factor recruits epidermal growth factor receptor and extracellular signal-regulated kinases to down-regulate tropoelastin mRNA in lung fibroblasts.

Abstract Elastase/anti-elastase imbalance is a hallmark of emphysema, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with the rupture and inefficient repair of interstitial elastin. We report that neutrophil elastase (NE) at low physiologic concentrations, ranging from 35 nm to 1 μm, invokes transient, peaking at 15 min, activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK) in elastogenic lung fibroblasts. ERK activation is preceded by the release of soluble 25–26-kDa forms of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transactivation of EGF receptor (EGFR) in NE-exposed cells. The stimulatory effect of NE on ERK is abrogated in the presence of anti-EGF-neutralizing antibodies, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (AG1478), and ERK kinase inhibitor (PD98059), as well as abolished in both EGFR-desensitized and endocytosis-arrested fibroblasts. Nuclear accumulation of activated ERK is associated with transient, peaking at 30 min, induction of c-Fos and sustained, observed at 24–48 h, decrease of tropoelastin mRNA levels in NE-challenged cells. Pretreatment of fibroblasts with AG1478 or PD98059 abrogates the NE-initiated tropoelastin mRNA suppression. We conclude that proteolytically released EGF signals directly via EGFR and ERK to down-regulate tropoelastin mRNA in NE-challenged lung fibroblasts.
Engendering Habits of Mind and Heart Through Integrative Learning

Students are often exposed to an almost breathtaking array of curricular and cocurricular learning experiences, but how do we help them make meaning of their diverse learning? Simone Himbeault Taylor suggests pedagogical processes that promote reflection across learning experiences in a student-centered approach to integrate learning.
Short Communication: An Electronic Probe Versus Milk Progesterone as Aids for Reproductive Management of Small Dairy Herds

A simple probe especially designed to take electrical resistance measurements at different positions in the anterior vagina of a cow was compared with milk progesterone determinations on 108 cows. Milk samples were taken 3× weekly, 21 to 60 d postpartum, at the time of insemination, and 21 to 23 d later. Electrical resistance measurements were made on a similar schedule. In 10 other herds, 187 cows had only milk samples taken. No cows with high milk progesterone values became pregnant when inseminated, but the electrical resistance values were less accurate in designating which cows were suitable or unsuitable for insemination. Both low milk progesterone and low electrical resistance values 21 to 23 d after insemination provided an early and accurate indication of a need for reinsemination. These indicators were consistent with 94 to 100% of these cows being diagnosed as not pregnant 6 to 8 wk later. Daily probing, starting about 19 d after a previous insemination, could serve as an early check of pregnancy and assist in identifying cows for immediate reinsemination.
The emergence of fungi as major hospital pathogens

During the last 25 years, substantial progress has been made in our understanding of the optimum management of fever in the immunocompromized host. The use of empirical antibiotic regimens promptly after the onset of fever in neutropenic patients led to a major reduction in the fatality rate from infection. The introduction of a multitude of new broad-spectrum antibiotics has made it possible to treat successfully a variety of bacterial infections that had been uniformly fatal. These accomplishments have resulted in prolonged survival of patients who are highly susceptible to infection. Furthermore the successful management of bacterial infections has resulted in the use of more aggressive therapy against patients’ underlying disease processes, leading to even greater susceptibility to infection. Hence, it is not surprising that fungal infections have emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromized patients.