cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Women's social behavior when meeting new men: The influence of alcohol and childhood sexual abuse

Heavy alcohol consumption (Testa & Parks, 1996) and childhood sexual abuse (CSA; Messman-Moore & Long, 2003) have been associated with adult sexual victimization. We examined the social behavior of 42 women under two alcohol conditions (high dose and low dose) in a bar laboratory. Women were videotaped interacting with a man they had just met. Women in the higher dose condition engaged in more open body position and talked, stood, and walked more than women in the lower dose condition. These behaviors are consistent with signs of intoxication or romantic interest. The women in the high-dose condition also frowned more than women in the low-dose condition. An increase in frowning could indicate less comfort or may be considered consistent with an increase in animation during the social interaction given the concomitant increase in other behaviors. Thus, the nonverbal behavior of women in the high-dose condition could be interpreted as mixed signals. CSA victims exhibited fewer head movements (e.g., nods), were less animated, and frowned more than non-CSA victims. These behaviors convey reticence or possibly even anxiety or discomfort during the social interaction. Thus, the nonverbal behavior of women with a history of CSA may convey an unease that could be viewed by a potential perpetrator as vulnerability. Our findings suggest that both acute alcohol consumption and history of CSA may influence nonverbal social behavior and may influence risk for sexual assault by sending mixed cues of romantic interest or signs of vulnerability to potential perpetrators.
Palliation: Surgical and otherwise

Carcinoma of the pancreas remains a disease with a grim prognosis. The majority of patients are not resectable for cure at the time of presentation, with less than 20% of affected patients surviving 1 year after diagnosis. Because cure is unlikely for most patients, palliation of symptoms (obstructive jaundice, duodenal obstruction, and pain) is of primary importance. Obstructive jaundice is the most common presenting symptom for cancer of the pancreas and can be managed by both surgical and nonoperative techniques. Although prospective randomized studies support an early advantage to the nonoperative techniques, concern for late complications, including recurrent jaundice and duodenal obstruction, favor a surgical approach. The management of pain due to unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas remains a significant problem. A recent prospective randomized study has shown that intraoperative chemical splanchnicectomy with 50% alcohol significantly relieves or prevents pain when compared with a placebo treatment. For patients not undergoing surgery, a percutaneous celiac nerve block can be performed quickly with overall good results. The decision to perform nonoperative versus surgical palliation for pancreatic cancer is influenced by the patient's symptoms, overall health status, projected survival, and the expected procedure-related morbidity and mortality. The major advantage for surgical palliation is the ability of a single procedure to combine adequate long term palliation for all three primary symptoms of the disease. Most surgical series report acceptable hospital morbidity and mortality, and a reasonable postoperative length of hospital stay.
Ammonia incorporation in Hydrogenomonas eutropha

Abstract During an investigation to identify the enzyme(s) responsible for ammonia incorporation in the chemolithotroph, Hydrogenomonas eutropha, glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-specific) activity was found in cell-free extracts. The optimal pH for this activity was pH 8.0 in phosphate buffer. The reduction of NADP+ in the assay was specific with l -glutamate. This enzyme had a relatively constant concentration in extracts of cells grown on several nitrogen sources, whereas glutamate dehydrogenase activity (NAD) was highest in extracts of cells grown on l -glutamate. Alanine dehydrogenase and aspartate ammonia-lyase activities were not detected under several conditions. Thus the NADP-specific, l -glutamate dehydrogenase is the main, known enzyme responsible for ammonia incorporation into amino acids of Hydrogenomonas eutropha.
Nicotinamide stimulates repair of DNA damage in human lymphocytes.

Abstract Nicotinamide stimulates the amount of DNA repair synthesis that occurs when freshly isolated, normal human lymphocytes are treated with UV irradiation, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroso guanidine, or dimethyl sulfate. Stimulation of DNA repair synthesis is concentration dependent and reaches a maximum between 2 to 5 mM nicotinamide. In contrast, DNA synthesis in cells that have not been subjected to DNA damage is not affected by nicotinamide at concentrations below 2 mM and is inhibited by concentrations between 2 to 5 mM. In the same concentration range, nicotinic acid has no effect on the rate of DNA synthesis in the presence or absence of DNA damage.
Laser-enabled experimental wavefield reconstruction in two-dimensional phononic crystals

Abstract During the past two decades, noteworthy experimental investigations have been conducted on wave propagation in phononic crystals, with special emphasis on crystals for acoustic wave control, consisting of the repetition of cylindrical or spherical elements in a fluid medium. On the other hand, the experimental characterization of the elastic wave phenomena observed in the solid microstructure of phononic crystals designed for elastic wave control has been quite sparse and limited in scope. The related literature focuses mostly on steady-state analyses that aim at highlighting filtering properties, and are limited to out-of-plane measurements. The scope of this work is to address these limitations and provide a detailed experimental characterization of the transient wave phenomena observed in the cores of lattice-like phononic crystals. This is achieved using a 3D Scanning Laser Vibrometer, which allows measuring the in-plane velocity of material points belonging to the lattice topology. This approach is tested against the benchmark case of a regular honeycomb lattice. Specifically, the objective is to demonstrate the directional and dispersive nature of the S-mode at relatively low frequencies and characterize the P-mode below and above its veering frequency. The experimental results are compared against numerical simulations and unit cell Bloch analysis to highlight similarities and differences between the true response of finite crystals and the infinite lattice approximation. This study also intends to highlight the advantages of three-dimensional laser vibrometry as a tool for the characterization of complex structural materials, while carefully exposing some limitations of this methodology.
High temperature gas corrosion of ceramic composites

The reduction and oxidation of two-phase ceramic composites has been studied. In all cases, severe degradation of the microstructure occurs. This leads to a rapid decrease in mechanical properties, more rapid than might be expected based on the depth of microstructure changes below the gas-solid interface. The similarity and differences between the reduction of NiTiO3-TiO2 and oxidation of MgO-C and MgO-SiC composites are discussed. 35 refs.
Strain hardening in polypropylenes and its role in extrusion foaming

Extensional viscosity of several polypropylene polymers and their blends was measured and the foam processing of these blends using carbon dioxide blowing agent was studied. Foaming was carried out on a co-rotating twin-screw extrusion line, with a gear pump to build pressure. A linear isotactic polypropylene and two branched polypropylenes were considered. The uniaxial extensional viscosity was quantified and the foam characterized based on bulk density, cell size, and cell concentration. The linear polymer exhibits no strain hardening, while both branched polymers show pronounced strain hardening. Blends of low concentrations of branched polymer in the linear polypropylene show significant strain hardening down to 10-wt% branched polypropylene. Strain hardening is expected to prevent cell coalescence and lead to higher cell concentrations. The branched polymers were found to have a lower cell concentration than the linear polymer. Yet blends of linear and branched polypropylenes attained a cell concentration higher than either of the neat polymers. This suggests that even small amounts of branched polypropylene blended in linear polypropylene can improve the foaming process. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:2090–2100, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Principles and capabilities of 3-D, E-M particle simulations

Abstract Presently available computing power is just sufficient for carrying out some meaningful three-dimensional, fully electro-magnetic particle simulations. The background for building the appropriate codes is reviewed in this article, and the modest achievements of one such code, SPLASH, (operating on a CDC 7600) are presented. A more ambitious code for the CRAY1, still under construction, is based on similar principles and algorithms. Data management emerges as a crucial element, in addition to the physics and numerics, for determining code structure.
Analyzing Epistemological Considerations Related to Diversity: An Integrative Critical Literature Review of Family Literacy Scholarship

The purpose of this review of family literacy scholarship was to examine the epistemologies underlying both family studies and reviews of family literacy studies. We were especially concerned with those epistemological issues related to the cultural, class, racial, gender, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of people served by family literacy programs. Our rationale for focusing on epistemology and diversity was that research on family literacy has often been framed in ways re! ective of epistemological views of diversity, including such binaries as ‘strengths and de" cits,’ ‘literate and illiterate,’ and ‘home-school match and mismatch,’ among others. We searched major electronic databases for reviews of family literacy research and then employed bibliographic branching to identify other reviews yielding 273 reviews of which 213 were substantive. We subjected the 213 substantive reviews to an analytic review template to identify the degree to which diversity was addressed and how it was addressed. We conducted citation coding to identify major citations in each review. We then identi" ed a set of comprehensive edited volumes and subjected the introductions, tables of contents, list of contributors, and references to diversity to a critical discourse analysis emphasizing underlying epistemologies. Findings included the dominance of White women scholars in family literacy research, the incorporation of both modernist and postmodernist epistemologies, and the absence of substantive concern with diversity in a majority of family literacy studies. Findings also showed that more recent reviews were less focused on modernist visions of family literacy as a means to address social problems and more focused on relationships between home and school literacies and the diversity of literacy practices found in homes. In addition, we found that recent reviews showed an increased focus on international and transnational contexts as well as literacy within speci" c local communities. We discuss these " ndings as re! ecting the complex and diverse environments in which family literacy takes place with their multiple goals. We also discuss the importance of making underlying epistemological assumptions visible so that complexities and contradictions can be acknowledged and addressed.
In Vitro Nephrotoxicity Induced by Propanil

Propanil is a postemergence herbicide used primarily in rice and wheat production in the United States. The reported toxicities for propanil exposure include methemoglobinemia, immunotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity. A major metabolite of propanil, 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA), has been shown to be a nephrotoxicant in vivo and in vitro, but the nephrotoxic potential of propanil has not been examined in detail. The purpose of this study was to determine the nephrotoxic potential of propanil using an in vitro kidney model, determine whether in vitro propanil nephrotoxicity is due to metabolites arising from propanil hydrolysis, and examine mechanistic aspects of propanil nephrotoxicity in vitro. Propanil, 3,4-DCA, propionic acid (0.1–5.0 mM), or vehicle was incubated for 15–120 min with isolated renal cortical cells (IRCC; ∼4 million cells/mL) obtained from untreated male Fischer 344 rats. Cytotoxicity was determined by measuring lactate dehydrogenase release from IRCC. In 120-min incubations, propanil induced cytotoxicity at concentrations >0.5 mM. At 1.0 mM, propanil induced cytotoxicity following 60- or 120-min exposure. Cytotoxicity was observed with 3,4-DCA (2.0 mM) at 60 and 120 min, while propionic acid (5.0 mM) induced cytotoxicity at 60 min. In IRCC pretreated with an antioxidant, cytochrome P450(CYP) inhibitor, flavin adenine dinucleotide monooxygenase activity modulator, or cyclooxygenase inhibitor before propanil exposure (1.0 mM; 120 min), only piperonyl butoxide (0.1 mM), a CYP inhibitor, pretreatment decreased propanil cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate that propanil is an in vitro nephrotoxicant in IRCC. Propanil nephrotoxicity is not primarily due to metabolites resulting from hydrolysis of propanil, but a metabolite resulting from propanil oxidation may contribute to propanil cytotoxicity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008.
Embedding virtual meeting technology in classrooms: two case studies

Innovative Internet applications coupled with improved videoconferencing capabilities have led to the proliferation of virtual meeting technology (VMT) in recent years. This paper aims to bring to light VMT as an effective classroom instructional tool, especially for IT education, and the possible ways to embed this technology in classroom settings in the form of two case studies of IT courses. The paper makes a unique contribution to the research by providing empirical evidence and indicative support for the successful application of VMT in different classroom settings and exemplifying the use of VMT as an effective instructional technology and an enabler of active learning.
ANTIGEN PRESENTATION BY MHC CLASS II MOLECULES : INVARIANT CHAIN FUNCTION,PROTEIN TRAFFICKING, AND THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF DIVERSE DETERMINANT CAPTURE

Major histocompatibility complex class II molecules are heterodimeric integral membrane proteins whose primary function is the presentation of antigenic peptides derived from proteins entering the endocytic pathway to CD4+ T lymphocytes. To accomplish this physiologic function, class II molecules must assemble in the secretory pathway without undergoing irreversible ligand association at that site, traffic efficiently to the endocytic pathway, and productively interact with protein ligands in these organelles before their ultimate expression on the plasma membrane. Here we review our work describing how invariant chain promoters the assembly and transport process, the complex itinerary of class II-invariant chain complexes through the endocytic pathway, the role of large protein fragments as substrates for class II binding, and the existence of a second pathway for antigen capture by mature class II molecules that complements that involving newly synthesized dimers. We integrate these observations into a coherent model for the operation of a class II-dependent antigen processing and presentation system able to capture diverse antigenic determinants present in proteins of varying structure.
Zone centre phonons in high Tc CaBi2Sr2Cu2O8

Abstract The zone centre phonons have been investigated in CaBi 2 Sr 2 Cu 2 O 8 using radial and tangential force constants. It is found that the phonons due to Bi  O layers do not play an important role from the point of view of superconductivity. The calculation provides an information on the phonons which may be important for explaining the high temperature superconductivity.
An analytical study of the effect of convection heat transfer on the sublimation of a frozen semi-infinite porous medium

Abstract Analytical solutions are developed for the effect of convection heat transfer on the temperature, moisture concentration, pressure and sublimation front location in a sublimating frozen semi-infinite moist porous medium. The mass transfer in the dried region is modeled by the application of Darcy's and Fick's laws coupled with an additional model for the pressure in this region. Results are presented which show the influence of convective heat transfer on the sublimation front position to be significant only for those combinations of boundary conditions, initial conditions and thermal-physical properties that yield high rates of sublimation for the no convection heat transfer case.
Effect of Tempo on Children's Music Preference

This study measured the effect of four levels of tempo on the expressed preference of fifth and sixth grade students for traditional jazz music listening examples. A listening test was administered...
Kallikrein 7 enhances pancreatic cancer cell invasion by shedding E-cadherin.

BACKGROUND. Pancreatic cancer (PaC) is characterized by local invasion and early metastasis. Serine proteases have been associated with invasion and metastasis of many cancers due to their ability to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and to activate other proteases; thus, the serine proteases expressed in PaC were investigated. METHODS. An expression profile of serine proteases was generated from both normal and malignant pancreatic tissues using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based screen and differential expression of kallikrein 7 was examined by reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical analyses. The ability of human kallikrein 7 (hK7) to cleave the epithelial cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin was tested in vitro using both recombinant E-cadherin and BxPC-3 cells and the effects of hK7 proteolytic activity on pancreatic cell invasion and aggregation were examined. RESULTS. Expression profiling revealed that kallikrein 7 (KLK7) was overexpressed in pancreatic adenocarcinomas and its differential expression was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. hK7 was observed in neoplastic cells of all tumors examined with moderate-to-intense staining in 70% of tumors examined (16/23). In contrast, only 15% of nonmalignant tissue specimens (2/13) displayed moderate hK7 staining, whereas the remaining specimens yielded weak, if any, immunoreactivity. Using in vitro assays, hK7 was shown to cleave E-cadherin and the soluble E-cadherin fragment produced significantly enhanced Panc-1 cell invasion through ECM proteins with a corresponding reduction in Panc-1 cell aggregation. CONCLUSIONS. These results suggest that aberrant expression of KLK7 plays an important role in PaC and provides novel insight into the effects of elevated hK7 proteinase activity in this, and perhaps other, adenocarcinomas. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
The power dimension in the family: A synthesis of adlerian perspectives

Abstract This article examines definitions and concepts of power and their application in family organizations. Inappropriate power plays are often utilized by family members to control or dominate others. Techniques for identifying such conflicts and redirecting the flow of power are presented.
Influence of Interfacial Layer Between Nanoparticles and Polymeric Matrix on Viscoelastic Properties of Hydrogel Nanocomposites

The viscoelastic properties of nanocomposites are influenced by both the nanoparticle distribution and the nanoparticle−polymer affinity. These two parameters are closely coupled, and evaluation of individual contributions to the mechanical properties is a critical requirement for efficient development of nanocomposites. To decouple these two effects, we utilized charge repulsion among nanoparticles so that we could essentially eliminate particle agglomeration. We then investigated how the nanoparticle−polymer affinity relates to the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite by comparing silica and polystyrene nanoparticles. The surface roughness of the particles and the molecular conformation of the interfacial layer between the polymer and the nanoparticles were characterized by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering and quartz crystal microbalance, respectively. On polystyrene particles, the surface roughness was larger, and the polymer adsorbed strongly. Consequently, the mobility of the adsorbed p...
Cytochrome P450c17-expressing Escherichia coli as a first-step screening system for 17alpha-hydroxylase-C17,20-lyase inhibitors.

We have designed and synthesized a number of cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase-C17,20-lyase (P450c17) inhibitors with the aim of inhibiting androgen synthesis. To select the most potent inhibitors, we initially used human testicular microsomes, which have a high level of expression of this enzyme. However, due to lack of availability of human tissue and variability among the samples, we utilized recombinant human enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli. We designed a simple and economical protocol based on the report that recombinant bovine P450c17 can be functionally active in live bacteria. In the assay we report here, we substituted high-performance liquid chromatography product isolation with a rapid biochemical acetic acid releasing assay and utilized intact P450c17-expressing E. coli for the source of the enzyme. Enzymatic parameters of the bacterial system (Km = 5.1 x 10(-7) M, Vmax = 15.0 pmol/min/mg) were similar to those of human testicular microsomes (Km = 4.8 x 10(-7) M, Vmax = 40.0 pmol/min/mg), and our compounds displayed a similar pattern of inhibition in both systems. This new system is a fast, reliable, and reproducible method for screening P450c17 inhibitors. Furthermore, it eliminates our dependence on human tissue and potential data fluctuations caused by variations in enzymatic activity between donors.
Human targets of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyocyanin

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces copious amounts of the redoxactive tricyclic compound pyocyanin that kills competing microbes and mammalian cells, especially during cystic fibrosis lung infection. Cross-phylum susceptibility to pyocyanin suggests the existence of evolutionarily conserved physiological targets. We screened a Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion library to identify presumptive pyocyanin targets with the expectation that similar targets would be conserved in humans. Fifty S. cerevisiae targets were provisionally identified, of which 60% have orthologous human counterparts. These targets encompassed major cellular pathways involved in the cell cycle, electron transport and respiration, epidermal cell growth, protein sorting, vesicle transport, and the vacuolar ATPase. Using cultured human lung epithelial cells, we showed that pyocyanin-mediated reactive oxygen intermediates inactivate human vacuolar ATPase, supporting the validity of the yeast screen. We discuss how the inactivation of VATPase may negatively impact the lung function of cystic fibrosis patients.
Profound pectus excavatum in Marfan's syndrome

A 30year-old man with Marfan’s syndrome and a family history of aortic dissection presented to our cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) unit for assessment of his aorta because echocardiography had shown aortic root dilatation (46 mm). On examination, he had profound pectus excavatum (fi gure A). CMR showed levocardia (fi gure B) and severe costal recession (fi gure C); however, right ventricular dimensions and ejection fraction (fi gure D) were normal. CMR also showed aortic root dilatation with otherwise normal aortic arch calibre and Lancet 2012; 379: 557
The theory of the TAXIR accessioner

Abstract Taxir is a recently developed and currently operative information-retrieval system for biology. The “accessioner” module of taxir automatically abstracts from a collection of items those that satisfy a given locating criterion. The taxir accessioner stores a large number of descriptors in relatively little storage space, in such a way that any Boolean combination of those descriptors may be used as a locating criterion. Retrieval is effected by calculation as opposed to comparison.
An immunospecific microbalance

A piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance has been modified for the determination of antibody activity in solution. Antigen precoated crystals are exposed to antisera of varying concentration and specificity. Only antisera specific for the antigen precoat will form an additional protein layer on the crystal. The thickness of the antibody layer, measured by thefrequency shift of the crystal, is proportional to the concentration of specific antibody in solution. The technique provides a rapid qualitative and quantitative assay of antibody activity.
The invertebrate microtubule-associated protein PTL-1 functions in mechanosensation and development in Caenorhabditis elegans

PTL-1, a microtubule-associated protein of the structural MAP2/tau family, is the sole member of this gene family in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sequence analysis of available invertebrate genomes revealed a number of single, putative tau-like genes with high similarity to ptl-1. The ptl-1 gene is expressed in a number of cells, most notably mechanosensory neurons. We examined the role of ptl-1 in C. elegans in adult neurons as well as during development. A ptl-1 knockout strain of worms exhibited an egg-hatching defect, as well as a reduced sensitivity to touch stimuli. In addition, the knockout allele ptl-1(ok621) acts as a dominant enhancer of several temperature-sensitive alleles of mec-7 and mec-12, which code the isoforms of β-tubulin and α-tubulin that together form the unusual 15 protofilament microtubules involved in touch sensation. These results demonstrate for the first time a functional role for this microtubule-associated protein in nematodes and suggest that PTL-1 is involved in mechanosensation as well as some aspect of embryogenesis.
Probabilistic analysis of structures involving random stress-strain behavior

The present methodology for analysis of structures with random stress strain behavior characterizes the uniaxial stress-strain curve in terms of (1) elastic modulus, (2) engineering stress at initial yield, (3) initial plastic-hardening slope, (4) engineering stress at point of ultimate load, and (5) engineering strain at point of ultimate load. The methodology is incorporated into the Numerical Evaluation of Stochastic Structures Under Stress code for probabilistic structural analysis. The illustrative problem of a thick cylinder under internal pressure, where both the internal pressure and the stress-strain curve are random, is addressed by means of the code. The response value is the cumulative distribution function of the equivalent plastic strain at the inner radius.
Enduring deficits in brain reward function after chronic social defeat in rats: susceptibility, resilience, and antidepressant response

Background Anhedonia, or diminished interest or pleasure in rewarding activities, characterizes depression and reflects deficits in brain reward circuitries. Social stress induces anhedonia and increases risk of depression, although the effect of social stress on brain reward function is incompletely understood. Methods This study assessed the following: 1) brain reward function in rats (using the intracranial self-stimulation procedure) and protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and related signaling molecules in response to chronic social defeat, 2) brain reward function during social defeat and long-term treatment with the antidepressants fluoxetine (5 mg/kg/day) and desipramine (10 mg/kg/day), and 3) forced swim test behavior after social defeat and fluoxetine treatment. Results Social defeat profoundly and persistently decreased brain reward function, reflecting an enduring anhedonic response, in susceptible rats, whereas resilient rats showed no long-term brain reward deficits. In the ventral tegmental area, social defeat, regardless of susceptibility or resilience, decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor and increased phosphorylated AKT, whereas only susceptibility was associated with increased phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin. Fluoxetine and desipramine reversed lower, but not higher, stress-induced brain reward deficits in susceptible rats. Fluoxetine decreased immobility in the forced swim test, as did social defeat. Conclusions These results suggest that the differential persistent anhedonic response to psychosocial stress may be mediated by ventral tegmental area signaling molecules independent of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and indicate that greater stress-induced anhedonia is associated with resistance to antidepressant treatment. Consideration of these behavioral and neurobiological factors associated with resistance to stress and antidepressant action may promote the discovery of novel targets to treat stress-related mood disorders.
Mirror potentials and the fermion problem

The exact treatment of fermion systems by Monte Carlo methods has proved to be difficult. We present a new method based on the concept of a ``mirror potential,'' which is a many-body potential that forces the Monte Carlo iteration to have a stable antisymmetric component. The potential may be determined from the wave function and, within the framework of Green's function Monte Carlo, from the random walk whose density converges to the wave function. In certain limits, the method reduces to the fixed node approximation and to transient estimation, so that it subsumes both of them. As a further consequence it offers an approximation analogous to fixed node for treating systems with noncentral forces. The method may prove to be a general one for treating random walkers with nonpositive or complex weights. In support of that we exhibit a successful calculation of a one-dimensional excited state. In this paper we explore the alternative in which the mirror potential is obtained from trial wave functions. This yields an approximation scheme that proves to be accurate in the experiments described here. We present results for a model problem in which four neutrons interact by a spin-independent potential, and compare the results with those of the fixed node method, and the method of transient estimation.
Divergent dimerization properties of mutant beta 1 thyroid hormone receptors are associated with different dominant negative activities.

Syndromes of resistance to thyroid hormones are caused by mutations in the T3-binding domain of the c-erbA beta thyroid hormone receptor gene. The S receptor (deletion of THR332) is a potent dominant negative protein cloned from a kindred with generalized resistance to thyroid hormones. The G-H receptor (ARG311HIS) has compromised dominant negative function and was found in both normal individuals and in a patient with severe pituitary resistance to thyroid hormones. We have investigated the mechanism responsible for the difference in receptor phenotypes by analyzing the binding of S and G-H receptors to thyroid hormone response elements with electrophoretic mobility shift analysis. Wild-type human c-erbA beta 1 (WT), S, and G-H receptors were synthesized in reticulocyte lysate, reacted with a thyroid hormone response element consisting of a direct repeat with 4 base pairs (DR+4; AGGTCA CAGG AGGTCA), and the products analyzed by gel shift. G-H receptor homodimerization was greatly impaired; G-H formed pre...
Oxygen-isotope exchange and mineral alteration in gabbros of the Lower Layered Series, Kap Edvard Holm Complex, East Greenland

Multiple intrusions of gabbros, mafic dikes, and syenites in the Kap Edvard Holm Complex gave rise to prolonged circulation of meteoric hydrothermal solutions and extreme isotope exchange and mineral alteration in the 3600-m-thick Lower Layered Series gabbros. In the Lower Layered Series, δ18O of plagioclase varies from +0.3‰ to -5.8‰, and it decreases with an increase in the volume of secondary talc, chlorite, and actinolite. In the same gabbros, pyroxenes have a more restricted range in δ18O, from 5.0‰ to 3.8‰ and values of δ18Opyroxeneare independent of the abundance of secondary minerals, which ranges from 14% to 30%. These relations indicate that large amounts of water continued to flow through the rocks at temperatures of <500-600°C, altering the gabbros to assemblages of talc + chlorite + actinolite ± epidote ±albite and causing significant oxygen-isotope exchange in plagioclase, but not in pyroxene. The extensive low-temperature secondary mineralization and 18O depletion of plagioclase in the Lower Layered Series are associated with the later emplacement of dikes and gabbros and syenites, which created new fracture systems and provided heat sources for hydrothermal fluid circulation. This produced subsolidus mineral alteration and isotope exchange in the Lower Layered Series that are distinct from those in the Skaergaard and Cuillin gabbros of the North Atlantic Tertiary province, but are similar to those observed in some oceanic gabbros.
A brief guide to the work of Carl Gustav Hempel

L'A. presente l'oeuvre de Hempel dont les travaux semblent avoir ete marques par une quete constante de la verite et des moyens, scientifiques ou philosophiques, pour l'exprimer
Numerators, Denominators, and other Holy Grails: Management and Interpretation of Worldwide Drug Safety Data

The International Division of Pfizer Inc. devotes special effort to the collection, tabulation, interpretation, and reporting of safety data potentially on about 300 drug products sold in more than 100 countries. In addition to individual, spontaneous reports from the field, data from various other sources including governmental ADR registries, the literature, and independent safety monitoring and epidemiological groups must be screened and assessed; identification of multiple reports on the same case is an especially difficult problem in this regard. Formal causality assessment of cases is usually performed only on reports of fatalities or unexpected and unusual findings; qualified medical staff make the assessments. Although it may be desirable to quantify the incidence of specific, usually serious, untoward events contained in spontaneous reports, due to important inherent biases such an exercise can be very misleading, especially when attempting to compare different drugs. Prime among these biases (or...
A survey of people's attitudes and beliefs about false confessions

The attitudes and beliefs of jury eligible individuals regarding false confessions were investigated in order to uncover potential biases. Survey respondents provided perceptions of factors related to false confessions (e.g. their frequency and likely situational and dispositional risk variables). Results indicate that people possess an awareness that false confessions can occur and believe that a confession should not be taken as an absolute indicator of guilt. However, their understanding of predisposing and situational factors that contribute to false confessions was incomplete, as was their understanding of interrogation practices. Furthermore, respondents showed a marked bias against believing that they personally would ever falsely confess, which is discussed in the context of potential inconsistencies between people's self-report and their actual behaviors in naturalistic situations.
Representing processes in the extended entity-relationship model

Although closely related, functional and structural aspects of information systems are usually modeled independently of each other. The author proposes to combine functional and structural modeling into an integrated design methodology. He chooses for this purpose two popular and widely used models, the data-flow-oriented functional model and the extended entity-relationship (EER) data model. Since functional modeling generally precedes structural modeling in the design of information systems, the author examines how functional specifications can be represented using EER constructs. The methodology is based on using EER existence dependencies for representing the functional constraints implied by the process interactions. >
Moral Education as an Historical/Political/Social Science

Abstract This paper introduces a vision of moral education for the future. It argues that for moral education to take its place as essential in the curriculum, moral educators must acknowledge and adopt the goal for moral education expected by lay‐people and by society; that is, to create better societies and a better world in addition to developing the character and moral acumen of individuals. Examples are used to argue that the world is a smaller, and also a new, place due to the impact of technology on our political and economic systems and due to the impact of computer communication on our social and educational relations. The new world must be entered with a much richer understanding of the multilayered histories and present situations of our world, if people, groups and nations are to live with one another in mutual respect and dignity. Thus, this paper argues for a vision of moral education as an historical, political and social science of morality, conducted as laboratory experiences which can ed...
A Review of Histiocytic Diseases of Dogs and Cats

Histiocytic proliferative disorders are commonly observed in dogs and less often cats. Histiocytic disorders occur in most of the dendritic cell (DC) lineages. Canine cutaneous histiocytoma originates from Langerhans cells (LCs) indicated by expression of CD1a, CD11c/CD18, and E-cadherin. When histiocytomas occur as multiple lesions in skin with optional metastasis to lymph nodes and internal organs, the disease resembles cutaneous Langerhans cell histiocytosis of humans. Langerhans cell disorders do not occur in feline skin. Feline pulmonary LCH has been recognized as a cause of respiratory failure due to diffuse pulmonary infiltration by histiocytes, which express CD18 and E-cadherin and contain Birbeck's granules. In dogs and cats, histiocytic sarcomas (HS) arise from interstitial DCs that occur in most tissues of the body. Histiocytic sarcomas begin as localized lesions, which rapidly disseminate to many organs. Primary sites include spleen, lung, skin, brain (meninges), lymph node, bone marrow, and synovial tissues of limbs. An indolent form of localized HS, progressive histiocytosis, originates in the skin of cats. Hemophagocytic HS originates in splenic red pulp and bone marrow macrophages in dogs and cats. In dogs, histiocytes in hemophagocytic HS express CD11d/CD18, which is a leuko-integrin highly expressed by macrophages in splenic red pulp and bone marrow. Canine reactive histiocytic diseases, systemic histiocytosis (SH) and cutaneous histiocytosis, are complex inflammatory diseases with underlying immune dysregulation. The lesions are dominated by activated interstitial DCs and lymphocytes, which invade vessel walls and extend as vasocentric infiltrates in skin, lymph nodes, and internal organs (SH).
American Voter Turnout in Comparative Perspective

Despite relatively favorable citizen attitudes, voter turnout in American national elections is far below the average of 80% of the eligible electorate that votes in other industrialized democracies. The American institutional setting—particularly the party system and the registration laws—severely inhibits voter turnout, and probably also accounts for the unusual degree to which education and other socioeconomic resources are directly linked to voting participation in the United States.Using a combination of aggregate and comparative survey data, the present analysis suggests that in comparative perspective, turnout in the United States is advantaged about 5% by political attitudes, but disadvantaged 13% by the party system and institutional factors, and up to 14% by the registration laws. The experience of other democracies suggests that encouraging voter participation would contribute to channeling discontent through the electoral process. Even a significantly expanded American electorate would be more interested and involved in political activity than are present voters in most other democracies.
Evidence of subsurface preferential flow using soil hydrologic monitoring in the Shale Hills catchment

Characterization of preferential flow at multiple spatial and temporal scales is fundamental to the understanding of complex subsurface heterogeneity and catchment hydrology. Evidence of subsurface preferential flow and the conditions under which it occurs were investigated in the Shale Hills catchment, a humid forested region in central Pennsylvania, USA. Seven monitoring sites, plus five replicates, were established along a concave hillslope, a convex hillslope and a valley floor to monitor in situ the hydrology in various soil horizons and their interfaces at half-minute intervals. Using the indicator of a lower horizon that responded to a rainstorm earlier than an upper horizon within the same soil profile, we investigated the subsurface preferential flow processes and their dynamics in each of the five soil series mapped in the catchment. Threshold behaviour, hydrophobicity impact, influence of soil thickness and topography were observed in the spatial and temporal variation of the subsurface preferential flow, which was initiated more readily under the conditions of more intense rain, drier initial soil, shallower soil, and steeper slope. Whereas preferential flow seemed common in this catchment, its frequency during the 15 storm events from 23 September 2006 to 1 January 2007 ranged from 0 to 73.3% for the 68 soil horizons monitored at the 12 stations, with an overall average frequency of 7.5% (i.e. ∼5 horizons per storm event). This preferential flow was more frequent during the drier period than that during the wetter one. Variation was observed within the same soil series, even for those profiles adjacent to one another. This was due to the differences in hillslope position, slope gradient and orientation, the underlying bedrock fracture and orientation, or some combinations. Whereas different soil series help differentiate the processes and dynamics involved in the subsurface preferential flow, a combined consideration of soil types and landscape features is important to ensure proper use of the soil data for hydrological applications.
Improvement of sexual function in testosterone deficient men treated for 1 year with a permeation enhanced testosterone transdermal system

AbstractPurpose: The effects of androgen replacement via a nonscrotal permeation enhanced testosterone transdermal system on the sexual function of men with hypogonadism were assessed.Materials and Methods: An open label, multicenter study of testosterone supplementation and withdrawal was conducted with sexual function assessed by the Watts and Davidson questionaires and RigiScan* monitoring.*Dacomed, Minneapolis, Minnesota.Results: When comparing results obtained during use of the testosterone transdermal system (with normalized testosterone levels) and during the androgen withdrawal period, nocturnal erections occurred more frequently with longer duration and greater rigidity, and patient assessments of sexual desire and weekly number of erections were higher.Conclusions: Sexual function improved significantly in men with hypogonadism treated with the testosterone transdermal system.
SIGNALING FOR CONTRACTION AND RELAXATION IN SMOOTH MUSCLE OF THE GUT

▪ Abstract Phosphorylation of Ser19 on the 20-kDa regulatory light chain of myosin II (MLC20) by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) is essential for initiation of smooth muscle contraction. The initial [Ca2+]i transient is rapidly dissipated and MLCK inactivated, whereas MLC20 and muscle contraction are well maintained. Sustained contraction does not reflect Ca2+ sensitization because complete inhibition of MLC phosphatase activity in the absence of Ca2+ induces smooth muscle contraction. This contraction is suppressed by staurosporine, implying participation of a Ca2+-independent MLCK. Thus, sustained contraction, as with agonist-induced contraction at experimentally fixed Ca2+ concentrations, involves (a) G protein activation, (b) regulated inhibition of MLC phosphatase, and (c) MLC20 phosphorylation via a Ca2+-independent MLCK. The pathways that lead to inhibition of MLC phosphatase by Gq/13-coupled receptors are initiated by sequential activation of Gαq/α13, RhoGEF, and RhoA, a...
Analytics for vaccine economics and pricing: insights and observations

Pediatric immunization programs in the USA are a successful and cost-effective public health endeavor, profoundly reducing mortalities caused by infectious diseases. Two important issues relate to the success of the immunization programs, the selection of cost-effective vaccines and the appropriate pricing of vaccines. The recommended childhood immunization schedule, published annually by the CDC, continues to expand with respect to the number of injections required and the number of vaccines available for selection. The advent of new vaccines to meet the growing requirements of the schedule results: in a large, combinatorial number of possible vaccine formularies. The expansion of the schedule and the increase in the number of available vaccines constitutes a challenge for state health departments, large city immunization programs, private practices and other vaccine purchasers, as a cost-effective vaccine formulary must be selected from an increasingly large set of possible vaccine combinations to satisfy the schedule. The pediatric vaccine industry consists of a relatively small number of pharmaceutical firms engaged in the research, development, manufacture and distribution of pediatric vaccines. The number of vaccine manufacturers has dramatically decreased in the past few decades for a myriad of reasons, most notably due to low profitability. The contraction of the industry negatively impacts the reliable provision of pediatric vaccines. The determination of appropriate vaccine prices is an important issue and influences a vaccine manufacturer's decision to remain in the market. Operations research is a discipline that applies advanced analytical methods to improve decision making; analytics is the application of operations research to a particular problem using pertinent data to provide a practical result. Analytics provides a mechanism to resolve the challenges facing stakeholders in the vaccine development and delivery system, in particular, the selection of cost-effective vaccines and the appropriate pricing of vaccines. A review of applicable analytics papers is provided.