cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The color of death: race, observed skin tone, and all-cause mortality in the United States.

ABSTRACTObjective: This paper examines how mortality covaries with observed skin tone among blacks and in relation to whites. Additionally, the study analyzes the extent to which social factors suc...
Human mononuclear phagocyte inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS): analysis of iNOS mRNA, iNOS protein, biopterin, and nitric oxide production by blood monocytes and peritoneal macrophages

Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by numerous different cell types, and it is an important regulator and mediator of many processes including smooth muscle relaxation, neurotransmission, and murine macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity for microbes and tumor cells. Although murine macrophages produce NO readily after activation, human monocytes and tissue macrophages have been reported to produce only low levels of NO in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine if stimulated human mononuclear phagocytes produce inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA, protein, and enzymatic activity. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, we show that human monocytes can be induced to express iNOS mRNA after treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). By immunofluorescence and immunoblot analyses, we show monocytes and peritoneal macrophages contain detectable levels of iNOS antigen after stimulations with cytokines in vitro. Control monocytes or those cultured with LPS and/or various cytokines have low levels of NOS functional activity as measured by the ability of cell extracts to convert L-arginine to L-citrulline, and they produce low levels of the NO catabolites nitrite and nitrate. Peritoneal macrophages have significantly enhanced nitrite/nitrate production and NOS activity after treatment with LPS and/or IFN-gamma, whereas monocyte nitrite/nitrate production and NOS activity are not altered by the treatments. Monocytes cultured with various live or heat-killed bacteria, fungi, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 do not produce high levels of nitrite/nitrate. Antibodies against transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a factor known to inhibit iNOS expression and NO production in mouse macrophages, do not enhance NO production in human monocytes or macrophages. Biopterin, an obligate cofactor of iNOS enzymatic activity, is undetectable in freshly isolated or cultured human monocytes and peritoneal macrophages. However, replenishment of intracellular levels of tetrahydrobiopterin by culture with the cell-permeable, nontoxic precursor sepiapterin does not enhance the abilities of the human mononuclear phagocytes to produce NO in vitro. Mixing experiments show no evidence of a functional NOS inhibitor in human mononuclear phagocytes. Thus, we demonstrate that human mononuclear phagocytes can produce iNOS mRNA and protein, and (despite this) their abilities to generate NO are very low.
Prosodic timing analysis for articulatory re-synthesis using a bank of resonators with an adaptive oscillator.

A method for the analysis of prosodic-level temporal structure is introduced. The method is based on measured phase angles of an oscillator as that oscillator is made to synchronize with reference points in a signal. Reference points are the predicted peaks of acoustic change as determined by the output of a bank of tuned resonators. A framework for articulatory resynthesis is then described. Jaw movements of a robotic vocal tract are made to replicate the mean phase portrait of an utterance with reference to a production oscillator. These jaw movements are modeled to inform the dynamics of withinsyllable phonemic articulations. Index Terms: suprasegmental timing analysis, dynamic time warping, articulatory synthesis, speech robotics.
CHAPTER 4 – THE COLUMN IN LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

The term “liquid chromatography” encompasses a lexicon of separation techniques with a single common feature, that of a liquid mobile phase. Compared with gases, liquids provide a greater variety of solvating capabilities with more scope for selectivity optimization, while gases have more favorable kinetic properties, yielding higher efficiencies and shorter separation times. Consequently, separations in liquid chromatography are usually performed with a modest number of theoretical plates at an optimized selectivity achieved by appropriate selection of the separation mode, stationary phase structure, and mobile-phase composition. Understanding the complex relationship between the last three terms is the key to understanding how separations occur in liquid chromatography. A number of distinct separation modes are employed in liquid chromatography. This chapter also focuses on the general classification that can be made in terms of the distribution process. The main processes are interfacial adsorption, the basis of liquid–solid chromatography (LSC), restricted permeability of porous solids, the basis of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), partition, the basis of liquid–liquid (LLC) and bonded-phase chromatography (BPC), electrostatic interactions with immobilized ionic groups, the basis of ion-exchange chromatography (lEC), and the structure-specific binding of biopolymers to immobilized molecular recognition sites, the basis of affinity chromatography (AC).
Polluting the Reservoir: Conditions of Threat and Support for Democracy in Mexico and the United States

We are currently in the midst of one of the worst economic recessions in U.S. history, and the effects have been felt around the globe, particularly for our neighbors to the south. To date, dialogue among pundits has centered on economic statistics and trends as well as steps governments are taking to address the situation. The crisis may have effects that reach beyond performance indicators and policy decisions, to the mass public’s support for democratic values and institutions. In this paper we investigate the extent to which economic threats affect support for democracy, its institutions, and its practices. We further investigate the ways in which these relationships vary across an established and newer democracy, the United States and Mexico, as well as by emotional reactions to the threat. We argue that times of economic threat can decrease support for democracy, especially among newer democracies. We explore support for these arguments using data generated from an on-line experiment with subjects from the U.S. and Mexico in April of 2009.
Ethanol Production in Fixed-Film Bioreactors Employing Zymomonas Mobilis

Columnar reactors containing immobilized cells of Zymomonas mobitis were employed for the continuous production of ethanol from glucose. Two different immobilization strategies were employed in these investigations. In one case, cells were immobilized via flocculation, while in the other cells became entrapped in borosilicate glass fiber pads. The reactors were operated both in the fixedbed and expanded-bed manner. Maximum ethanol productivities of 132.0 and 85.5 g of ethanol produced per l of reactor volume•h were observed in the flocculant and fiber entrapped bioreactors, respectively. Data obtained from studies employing 5.0 and 10.0% (w/v) glucose concentrations will be presented, and problems encountered during the operation of the continuous, immobilized cell bioreactors will be discussed.
Multi-Agent Social and Organizational Modeling of Electric Power and Natural Gas Markets

Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) can be applied to investigate large-scale socio-cognitive-technical systems. Viewing such systems from a multi-agent social and organizational perspective allows innovative computational policy analysis. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has taken such a perspective to produce an integrated model of the electric power and natural gas markets. This model focuses on the organizational interdependencies between these markets. These organizational interdependencies are being strained by fundamental market transformations.
Markowitz Portfolios with Graham Bands in the Accumulation Phase

In this article, the authors consider historical real returns of tax-exempt portfolios consisting of equities and short-term bonds over 90 different 30-year time periods from 1900 to 2018, in which fixed real contributions were made to the portfolios annually. Two main types of portfolios are considered. The first is a “Markowitz portfolio” in which the investor annually contributed evenly between equities and bonds and never rebalanced the portfolio. The second is a “Markowitz portfolio with Graham bands,” in which the investor annually contributed evenly between equities and bonds but rebalanced the portfolio to an overall 50/50 allocation whenever the equity or the bond portion of the portfolio exceeded 75% of the overall portfolio value. The authors also consider analogous results when short-term bonds were replaced by less liquid guaranteed income instruments, such as TIAA Traditional, providing higher yields. These results are intended to provide useful historical data to assist investors in the accumulation phase and their advisors in asset allocation decisions. TOPICS:Portfolio theory, portfolio construction, equity portfolio management Key Findings • Historically, investors in a thirty-year accumulation phase have done well by contributing half of their investments in an index fund modeling the SP never rebalancing. In this paper, such a portfolio is called a “Markowitz portfolio.” • Investors in a thirty-year accumulation phase have also historically done well by contributing half of their investments to an SP rebalancing the portfolio back to a 50/50 allocation whenever either the equity or the bond portion of the portfolio exceeded 75% of the overall value. Such an investment strategy is consistent with one advocated by Benjamin Graham. However, such rebalancing has had a historical tendency to provide portfolio returns lower than that of the Markowitz portfolio indicated above. • Since 1900, investors implementing either of the above two strategies, when contributing annually a constant real value to their portfolios, never had in the accumulation phase the bond portion exceed 75% of the overall portfolio value. Hence, investors sympathetic to either of the above allocations might wish to consider placing the bond portion of their portfolios into less liquid instruments typically providing a higher yield. Historically, such investment modification has provided improved returns.
Bird flu simulation assignment

The Bird Flu assignment is used to demonstrate lists and nested repetition structures using a graphical programming platform (Turtle).
Design and synthesis of a bivalent probe targeting the putative mu opioid receptor and chemokine receptor CXCR4 heterodimer.

Opioid abuse and HIV/AIDS have been defined as synergistic epidemics. Opioids can accelerate HIV replication in the immune system by up-regulating the expression of HIV co-receptor CXCR4. Several hypotheses have been suggested as the mechanism of CXCR4 modulation by opioids through their activation on the mu opioid receptor (MOR). One hypothesis is the putative heterodimerization of the MOR and CXCR4 as a mechanism of cross-talk and subsequent exacerbation of HIV replication. Bivalent chemical probes can be powerful molecular tools to characterize protein–protein interactions, and modulate the function related to such interactions. Herein we report the design and synthesis of a novel bivalent probe to explore the putative MOR–CXCR4 dimerization and its potential pharmacological role in enhancing HIV progression. The developed bivalent probe was designed with two distinct pharmacophores linked through a spacer. One pharmacophore (naltrexone) will interact with the MOR and the other (IT1t) with the CXCR4. The overall synthetic routes to prepare the bivalent probe and its corresponding monovalent controls were comprised of 18–22 steps with acceptable yields. Preliminary biological evaluation showed that the bivalent probe preserved binding affinity and functional activity at both respective receptors, supporting the initial molecular design.
Food Safety on the Farm – An Overview of Good Agricultural Practices

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Handling Practices (GHPs) encompass the general procedures that growers, packers and processors of fresh fruits and vegetables should follow to ensure the food safety of their product. GAPs usually deal with preharvest practices (i.e., in the field), while GHPs cover postharvest practices, including packing and shipping. We will use the term GAPs in this fact sheet to generally cover pre- and postharvest practices associated with the safe handling of produce, both fresh and minimally processed. This five-page introduction to the Food Safety on the Farm series provides an overview of GAPs and GHPs, summarizing major principles and recommendations of later documents in the series. Written by Jaysankar De, Christopher R. Pabst, Jessica Lepper, Renee Goodrich Schneider, and Keith R. Schneider and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs135
Chapter 30 – Animal Models: Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

Systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are highly heterogeneous both at the clinical and pathogenic levels. Genetic, environmental, hormonal, epigenetic, and immunoregulatory factors are involved in the expression of systemic autoimmune diseases. Recent advances have identified numerous autoimmune-predisposing genomic loci and genes. However, it still remains to be elucidated how each gene is involved in the development of autoimmune disease. Animal models for spontaneous autoimmune disease have contributed enormously to the identification of genes that are important in disease pathogenesis. Moreover, study of gene-manipulated animals that develop systemic autoimmune diseases has provided insights into the mechanisms of maintenance and breakdown of self tolerance. Although animal modes do not represent with fidelity human disease, they have provided significant insights into the abrogation of self tolerance, the development of autoimmunity, and related organ damage. Animals that developed autoimmunity spontaneously or after gene engineering or after the injection of a stimulant serve the preclinical studies which seek to determine the clinical efficacy of rationally developed drugs or biologics.
Bankruptcy among insured surgical patients with breast cancer: Who is at risk?

Background The rising cost of cancer treatment has been linked to higher bankruptcy rates and worse mortality among patients with cancer. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of insured patients with breast cancer who underwent surgery and filed for bankruptcy. Methods Insured patients with breast cancer who underwent surgery were identified in the Indiana State Cancer Registry (ISCR) from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2014. Patients who filed for Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy in the Public Access to Courts Electronic Records (PACER) database were linked to patients in the ISCR. The cohort was divided into 2 groups: no bankruptcy (NB) and bankruptcy after diagnosis (BAD). Bivariate analysis and a logistic regression model were used to identify patients who were at increased risk of filing for bankruptcy after their diagnosis. Results Of 23,012 patients, 207 (0.9%) filed for bankruptcy after diagnosis and 22,805 (99.1%) did not file for bankruptcy. The patients who filed for bankruptcy after diagnosis were younger (BAD vs NB: median age, 53 years [interquartile range (IQR), 46-61 years] vs 62 years [IQR, 52-71 years], non-White (BAD vs NB, 20.5% vs 8.5%), and lived in lower income neighborhoods (BAD vs NB: median annual income, $50,869 [IQR, $41,051-$61,150] vs $52,522 [IQR, $41,356-$64,915]). On multivariable analysis, younger age (aged ≤40 years: odds ratio [OR], 5.41; 95% CI, 2.8-12.31; aged 41-64 years: OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.33-5.12; aged ≥65 years, reference category) and non-White race (non-White: OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.54-3.83; White, reference category) were associated with filing for bankruptcy after diagnosis CONCLUSIONS: Younger age and non-White race are associated with an increased risk of filing for bankruptcy after diagnosis among insured patients who undergo surgery for breast cancer. Additional steps should be taken to screen and address the financial vulnerability of these patients at treatment initiation.
Time, Place, and Manner Restrictions on Speech

The category of time, place, and manner restrictions on speech, as supposedly distinct from absolute bans, appears to be central to free speech law. Even a modest examination of the case law, however, suggests the arbitrariness of any such distinction. Any familiar time, place, or manner restriction on speech can be reasonably re-described as an absolute ban on speech, and vice versa. Any differences in how the relevant regulations of speech should be judicially tested, whether by differing degrees of rigor or otherwise, are correspondingly arbitrary. This Article recommends abandoning any attempt to substantively distinguish between time, place, and manner restrictions and absolute prohibitions of speech. The three currently used judicial tests for presumed content-neutral restrictions on the supposed time, place, and manner of speech should be substantially revised and consolidated. Any replacement test should then de-emphasize concerns for any degree of narrowness of tailoring, focusing instead on whether the regulated speakers are now meaningfully worse off, in terms of their own free speech values, given whatever channels of communication remain available to them after the speech regulation in question has been imposed.
Simulation Optimization Based Feature Selection, a Study on Data-Driven Optimization with Input Uncertainty

In machine learning, removing uninformative or redundant features from a dataset can significantly improve the construction, analysis, and interpretation of the prediction models, especially when the set of collected features is extensive. We approach this challenge with simulation optimization over a high dimensional binary space in place of the classic greedy search in forward or backward selection or regularization methods. We use genetic algorithms to generate scenarios, bootstrapping to estimate the contribution of the intrinsic and extrinsic noise and sampling strategies to expedite the procedure. By including the uncertainty from the input data in the measurement of the estimators’ variability, the new framework obtains robustness and efficiency. Our results on a simulated dataset exhibit improvement over state-of-the-art accuracy, interpretability, and reliability. Our proposed framework provides insight for leveraging Monte Carlo methodology in probabilistic data-driven modeling and analysis.
Human Ecology of the Marshes

This paper places the fate of the Iraqi marshes within the deeper history of man-made environmental change in the Middle East. Irrigation was crucial to every society inhabiting the Tigris-Euphrates basin. Modern engineering promised to overcome Iraq’s natural hydrological limitations. Environmental manipulation became the lynchpin in wider projects of social engineering. Using a theoretical perspective inspired by James C. Scott’s work on the tensions between societal resistance and state-building processes, the paper argues that the marsh ecology endured as a kind of anti-state space, immune to the surveillance and domination of central governors. Marsh dwellers, in turn, sought refuge from political domination. As the Iraqi states accumulated scientific and economic prowess, the ability to resist or evade declined. Engineers and technocrats deployed a variety of techniques to alter the human ecology of what they saw as wasteland. Saddam adopted and deployed these plans in an even more desperate gambit to augment state control. The final solution to the problem of the marshes came with eviction of the marsh inhabitants and the obliteration of the marsh habitat.
Biomedical Applications of Sodium MRI In Vivo

In this article we present an up-to-date overview of the potential biomedical applications of sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in vivo. Sodium MRI is a subject of increasing interest in translational imaging research as it can give some direct and quantitative biochemical information on the tissue viability, cell integrity and function, and therefore not only help the diagnosis but also the prognosis of diseases and treatment outcomes. It has already been applied in vivo in most human tissues, such as brain for stroke or tumor detection and therapeutic response, in breast cancer, in articular cartilage, in muscle, and in kidney, and it was shown in some studies that it could provide very useful new information not available through standard proton MRI. However, this technique is still very challenging due to the low detectable sodium signal in biological tissue with MRI and hardware/software limitations of the clinical scanners. The article is divided in three parts: 1) the role of sodium in biological tissues, 2) a short review on sodium magnetic resonance, and 3) a review of some studies on sodium MRI on different organs/diseases to date.
Effective management of hierarchical storage using two levels of data clustering

When data resides on tertiary storage, clustering is the key to achieving high retrieval performance. However, a straightforward approach to clustering massive amounts of data on this storage requires considerable computational and storage resources that usually exceed the capabilities of even the richest super-computing centers. This paper develops a new approach to hierarchical storage management in data grid environments, which calls for two levels of clustering data on tertiary storage. Applying a mix of static and dynamic decisions, this approach achieves the benefits of clustering at reasonable costs. However, an effective realization of the approach in generic data grid environments requires advances in the areas of indexing and clustering large scientific data collections on tertiary storage. The paper describes some novel indexing and clustering techniques that can cope well not only with extremely large volumes but also with very high dimensionalities of scientific data. The basic principles of a new clustering technique for large volumes of multi-dimensional data are introduced in the paper for the first time.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Practices and Patient Insurance Type

Abstract Background Despite research on health disparities based on insurance status, little is known about the differences in practice patterns among physicians who cater to privately and non-privately insured patients. The aim of this study was to assess how obstetrician–gynecologists (ob-gyns) who primarily see patients with private insurance differ from those who see mainly uninsured or publicly insured patients. This could be informative of the needs of these two groups of physicians and patients. Methods A questionnaire was mailed or emailed to 1,000 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 600 of whom participate in the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network. Findings A 56.4% response rate was obtained. Of the valid responders, the 335 reported providing care to a majority of patients with private insurance (“private group”) and the 105 reported providing care to mostly publicly insured or uninsured patients (“non-private group”) were included in our analyses. Differences between groups included that the private group was more likely to see patients before their becoming pregnant and spent more time on well-woman care. The private group was more likely to see patients who are White, Asian, or between the ages of 45 and 64. The non-private group was more likely to see Hispanic patients and those under age 18. Conclusion Results reveal that ob-gyns who see mostly privately insured patients have different clinical experiences than those who see mainly uninsured or publicly insured patients in terms of patient characteristics, preconception care, distribution of time on activities, and the of likelihood performing certain procedures and screening tests.
The role of podcast lectures in associate degree nursing programs

Abstract Associate degree nursing (ADN) programs are faced with the challenge of developing nursing students' critical thinking abilities and skills proficiency. This article discusses the potential role of podcasts as an innovative teaching strategy for nursing professors to implement principles of adult learning while developing the critical thinking skills of ADN students.
Acute arthritis caused by aeromonas hydrophila. Clinical and therapeutic aspects

Two cases of Aeromonas hydrophila arthritis are reported and a third case present in the literature is reviewed. All three cases occurred in patients with myelogenous leukemia; the knee joint was involved in 2 patients and the metacarpal—phalangeal joint in the third. In the 2 patients presented here, synovial fluid antibiotic levels were measured and were adequate; but A hydrophila was repeatedly cultured from the knee joints, a fact suggesting that other factors, such as normal functioning leukocytes and specific opsonizing antibody against the organism, are also necessary to kill A hydrophila.
Lenin, Gorbachev, and ‘national-statehood’: Can Leninism countenance the new Soviet federal order?

One of the most intractable contemporary problems in the USSR is the Soviet federal dilemma. The late 1980s witnessed competing claims among the national minority groups of the USSR to rights of voice, representation, and cultural, economic, and even political sovereignty. Since the onset ofperestrojka, the principle of ‘nationalstatehood’ has acquired a new legitimacy. Nationality is one of the pillars of the federal reform. The drive to create a ‘new Soviet federalism’ has become an important component ofperestrojka. But, according to Leninist doctrine, the ‘nation’ is a transitional formation. Unless there is a significant departure from Leninist theory, the new acknowledgement of the ‘rights of nations’ in the USSR can only be a political — and thus temporary — concession. Can the ideology evolve in such a way as to provide ideologically-based political legitimacy to the notion of national-statehood? Is Gorbachev's ‘dynamic’ interpretation of Leninism capable of rejecting one of Lenin's most fundamental concepts? The thesis of this article is that Soviet federal reform requires a substantial departure from the Leninist tradition. The extent to which Soviet leaders are prepared to do this casts light on one of the perennial concerns of socialist thought, namely whether ideology matters at all.
The development of the cervical spinal cord of the mouse embryo. II. A Golgi analysis of sensory, commissural, and association cell differentiation

The present report describes for the first time the early differentiation of dorsal root ganglion cells and internuncial cells in the spinal cord of mammals using the rapid Golgi technique; embryos of 9-11 days gestation (E9-E11, where E0 = day vaginal plug observed) were used. On E9 dorsal root ganglion cells are relatively undifferentiated and are just beginning to take on a bipolar appearance. A few commissural neurons are differentiating in the alar and basal plates, but their axons have not yet crossed the ventral commissure. Occasionally an ipsilateral funicular or association cell is seen in the alar plate. By E10 bipolar dorsal root ganglion cells send processes both centrally into the spinal cord and peripherally to join the ventral root as the spinal nerve. The relatively few association neurons are intermingled among commissural cells except that they are not found in the region of the ventral horn. The axon of many commissural neurons crosses the ventral commissure. On E11 a thin lateral funiculus is seen as well as the oval bundle of His (presumptive dorsal funiculus). An occasional dorsal root ganglion cell has attained the unipolar stage of differentiation. The commissural and association neurons are still intermingled along the outer regions of the mantle layer, especially in the alar plate region. Both commissural and association cells start to differentiate within the ventricular layer as radially oriented, bipolar neuroblasts. As the cell somas reach the outer region of the ventricular layer the cells become unipolar. The cells reorient more dorsoventrally and a primary dendrite grows first from the pole opposite the axon. This sequence of cell differentiation is in general agreement with what is seen in the differentiation of ventral root motoneurons.
A study of VLSI symmetric FIR filter structures

Symmetric FIR filters, which provide linear phase, are frequently used in digital signal processing. This paper presents a study of structures which take into account the particularities of the symmetry. A novel systolic structure is proposed. An efficient design is presented for the basic module which computes(x±y)h+G and which is only specific to symmetric filters. Special applications of carry-save or signed-digit notations, and tree-type multi-operand adders are shown to significantly enhance the computational speed of symmetric FIR filters.
Contribution of dead cells to the immunogenicity of an autologous, hapten-modified melanoma vaccine

We have reported that treatment of melanoma patients with a vaccine consisting of autologous tumor cells modified with the hapten, dinitrophenyl (DNP), induced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to autologous, unmodified tumor cells. Moreover, this response was a significant and independent predictor of survival. We analyzed the vaccines prepared for 284 patients who were treated following resection of regional or distant metastases to determine whether the dose and composition correlated with immunological response. Regression analysis showed no significant association between the magnitude of this DTH response and the number of live (trypan blue-excluding) melanoma cells per dose. In fact, vaccines containing higher numbers or higher proportions of dead, but intact, tumor cells induced larger DTH responses to autologous unmodified tumor. The observation that dead tumor cells are immunogenic may be applicable to other cellular human cancer vaccines and underscores the need for applying pharmacological principles to cancer immunotherapy.
UHRF1 phosphorylation by cyclin A2/cyclin-dependent kinase 2 is required for zebrafish embryogenesis

Ubiquitin-like, containing PHD and RING finger domains 1 (uhrf1) is regulated at the transcriptional level during the cell cycle and in developing zebrafish embryos. We identify phosphorylation as a novel means of regulating UHRF1 and demonstrate that Uhrf1 phosphorylation is required for gastrulation in zebrafish. Human UHRF1 contains a conserved cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) phosphorylation site at Ser-661 that is phosphorylated in vitro by CDK2 partnered with cyclin A2 (CCNA2), but not cyclin E. An antibody specific for phospho-Ser-661 recognizes UHRF1 in both mammalian cancer cells and in nontransformed zebrafish cells, but not in zebrafish bearing a mutation in ccna2. Depleting Uhrf1 from zebrafish embryos by morpholino injection causes arrest before gastrulation and early embryonic death. This phenotype is rescued by wild-type UHRF1, but not by UHRF1 in which the phospho-acceptor site is mutated, demonstrating that UHRF1 phosphorylation is essential for embryogenesis. UHRF1 was detected in the nucleus and cytoplasm, whereas nonphosphorylatable UHRF1 is unable to localize to the cytoplasm, suggesting the importance of localization in UHRF1 function. Together, these data point to an essential role for UHRF1 phosphorylation by CDK/CCNA2 during early vertebrate development.
Lack of a role for the D3 receptor in clozapine induction of c-fos demonstrated in D3 dopamine receptor-deficient mice

Abstract The role of the D 3 dopamine receptor in mediating the effects of clozapine was analysed using in situ hybridization histochemistry to measure the induction of the immediate early gene c-fos in different brain areas of mice lacking a functional D 3 dopamine receptor compared to wild type mice. Clozapine treatment (15 and 30 mg/kg, s.c.) resulted in a dose-dependent pattern of induction of c-fos messenger RNA in the striatum, accumbens and septal area, with a non-significant increase in the prefrontal cortex. There was no difference detected in any of these areas in the level of induction between mice lacking the D 3 receptor (D 3 −/−) and wild type (D 3 +/+). To determine which types of neurons in the striatum and accumbens displayed clozapine (30 mg/kg) induction of c-fos messenger RNA, a double-labeling experiment was performed using a radioactive c-fos messenger RNA probe and a digoxigenin-labeled enkephalin messenger RNA probe, the latter used as a marker of D 2 -containing neurons. Clozapine-induced c-fos was detected in 20% of enkephalin-positive striatal neurons and 15% of enkephalin-positive accumbens neurons, and in both areas in about 10% of enkephalin-negative, putative D 1 neurons, in both D 3 +/+ and D 3 −/− mice. These results demonstrate that clozapine induction of c-fos messenger RNA is not dependent on the D 3 dopamine receptor subtype in the striatum or nucleus accumbens.
Myofibrillogenesis in skeletal muscle cells in zebrafish

The "premyofibril" model of myofibrillogenesis, based on observations in cultured avian muscle cells, proposes that mature myofibrils are preceded by two intermediary structures: premyofibrils and nascent myofibrils. To determine if this model applies to zebrafish skeletal muscle development, we stained developing embryos with antibodies to sarcomeric alpha-actinin and myosin II. In the youngest muscle cells, sarcomeric alpha-actinin and non-muscle myosin II were each localized in linear arrays of small bands that resembled the premyofibrils in avian myocytes. The distribution of muscle-specific myosin II began as scattered short filaments followed in time by overlapping bundles of filaments and organized A-bands in the older somites. Alpha-actinin organization changed from small z-bodies to beaded Z-bands and ordered Z-bands in myofibrils that extended the length of the elongating somites. In older somites with mature myofibrils, premyofibrils were also present at the ends of the mature myofibrils, suggesting that as the cells and somites grew longer, premyofibrils were involved in the elongation of existing mature myofibrils. Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching showed that the exchange of proteins (actin, alpha-actinin, FATZ, myotilin and telethonin) between sarcoplasm and the Z-bands of mature myofibrils in zebrafish resembled that seen for the same proteins in cultured avian myotubes, suggesting that myofibril assembly and maintenance in zebrafish share common properties with avian muscle. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Power Meter for Communication Frequencies

An instrument for measuring the power delivered to an antenna at communication frequencies is described.
SALT: an XML application for web-based multimodal dialog management

This paper describes the Speech Application Language Tags, or SALT, an XML based spoken dialog standard for multimodal or speech-only applications. A key premise in SALT design is that speech-enabled user interface shares a lot of the design principles and computational requirements with the graphical user interface (GUI). As a result, it is logical to introduce into speech the object-oriented, event-driven model that is known to be flexible and powerful enough in meeting the requirements for realizing sophisticated GUIs. By reusing this rich infrastructure, dialog designers are relieved from having to develop the underlying computing infrastructure and can focus more on the core user interface design issues than on the computer and software engineering details. The paper focuses the discussion on the Web-based distributed computing environment and elaborates how SALT can be used to implement multimodal dialog systems. How advanced dialog effects (e.g., cross-modality reference resolution, implicit confirmation, multimedia synchronization) can be realized in SALT is also discussed.
Developmental expression of two CXC chemokines, MIP-2 and KC, and their receptors.

CXC chemokines, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and KC, (a cloning designation based on ordinate and abscissa position) as well as the CXC chemokine receptor, CXCR2, are expressed in a variety of cells and tissues in adult mice. Targeted deletion of the gene encoding murine CXCR2 does not result in obvious changes in the development of the organ system of the mouse, though the CXCR2-/- mouse is compromised with regard to its ability to resist infection, heal wounds, and maintain homeostasis when challenged with microbes and/or chemicals. In an attempt to develop insight into additional possible subtle roles of CXCR2 and its ligands in the development of the mouse, we examined the expression of MIP-2, KC, CXCR2, as well as the Duffy antigen binding protein for chemokines during embryonic (p.c.) days 11.5 through 14.5 in the mouse. We observed strong correlation between the expression of MIP-2 and CXCR2 in the developing brain, cardiovascular system and condensing mesenchyme between 11.5 and 13.5 days. Moreover, the expression of KC was parallel to the expression of the Duffy antigen binding protein for chemokines with regard to temporal pattern and tissue localization. MIP-2 and CXCR2 are highly expressed in the brain, first in the cerebellum and in the head mesenchyme, the meninges and the floor plate, and by 14.5 days are also present in the telencephalon, thalamus and hypothalamus. In the developing brain KC and Duffy were prominently expressed in the neuronal tracts, the forebrain, sympathetic ganglia, and along the periphery of the neural tube. However, KC and Duffy were less prevalent in the developing cardiovascular system, lung and other organs, muscle and bone, than are CXCR2 and MIP-2. These data suggest that the roles for these chemokines and their receptors during development may be more significant than was initially thought based upon the phenotype of the mice with targeted deletion of CXCR2 and Duffy.
Evaluation of EGS4/PRESTA multiple-scattering algorithms for 90Sr/90Y intravascular brachytherapy dosimetry.

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the EGS4/PRESTA electron multiple-scattering (MS) algorithms for dose calculation in intravascular brachytherapy (IVBT) using a 90Sr/90Y source. The small source size and the small volume of interest in IVBT require very fine spatial resolution, which may break down the constraints of Moliere's MS theory as implemented in EGS4. The theory is accurate only when the electron step sizes are large enough to allow the number of collisions Ω0 to be much greater than e = 2.7183. When step sizes are too small to allow at least 2.7183 collisions, as may be necessitated by the fine geometry, the algorithm may switch off MS, producing dosimetric artefacts. This study showed that switching off MS could produce a dose deviation of up to 6% when the half-thickness (d/2) of the dose scoring region is comparable with the Moliere minimum step size (tmin = 2.7183). The effect of switching off MS is negligible if d/2>>tmin. For the case of Ω0>e, if the electron step sizes are chosen to allow five to 40 collisions, with increasing step size, the doses surrounding the source increase and the error decreases. On the other hand, when larger step sizes are chosen, the dose calculation voxel size must also be increased in order for the calculations to converge. A good compromise between accuracy and applicability for IVBT simulation can be made, if the thickness of the scoring region is 0.1 mm and the electron step sizes are in the range allowing 10 to 30 collisions.
Crosslinking of poly(γ-dec-1-enyl-L-glutamate) and poly(γ-dec-1-enyl-co-γ-alkyl-L-glutamate) through interchain olefin metathesis

Poly(γ-dec-1-enyl-L-glutamate) and poly(γ-dec-1 -enyl-co-γ-alkyl-L-glutamate), helical polypeptides with pendent, terminal C-C double bonds in the side chains, were crosslinked through an intermolecular olefin metathesis reaction using Grubbs' ruthenium catalyst. Polymer samples were crosslinked at a variety of concentrations and with varying content of pendent C-C double bonds. Base promoted hydrolysis of the resulting gels was carried out to determine the nature of the chemical crosslink in the gel.
Elective induction of labor: Should we make a fuss?

The pendulum of medicine often swings back and forth. For example, oral contraceptives were popular in the 1970s, unpopular in the 1980s, and saw resurgent use in the 1990s. Similarly, the cesarean delivery rate in the United States approached 25% in the 1980s and declined in the 1990s and is now reaching new heights. Contributing factors to the increase in the abdominal delivery rate include electronic fetal heart monitoring, a change in philosophy toward breech presentation and the use of forceps, and a waning enthusiasm for vaginal birth after a previous cesarean delivery. The leading indications for cesarean delivery now are dystocia and previous cesarean delivery, with malpresentation and fetal heart rate abnormalities contributing to a lesser degree. Strategies to decrease operative delivery for dystocia range from patience and patient support in labor to the active management of labor protocol. Repeat operative rates will decrease by reducing primary cesarean deliveries and supporting vaginal birth after cesarean delivery in appropriate candidates. The cesarean delivery rate of an individual or hospital staff does not necessarily relate to the quality of medical care. The demographic characteristics and patient complexity will vary among practices, and reasonable physicians can differ about the usefulness of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery or elective primary cesarean delivery. Nonetheless, we all should
Endothelium-derived factors as paracrine mediators of prostate cancer progression.

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelium represents a complex network of cells producing a large number of active substrates affecting physiologic, metabolic, and immunologic properties of the whole organism, as well as particular organs or tissues. The potential influence of endothelium-derived paracrine factors on prostate cancer progression has only begun to be examined. METHODS This review summarizes recent literature on endothelium-derived factors, including vasoactive agents, peptide growth factors, cytokines, and colony-stimulating factors, involved in the development and progression of prostate cancer. RESULTS Endothelial cells produce an array of active substrates, many of which have been shown to influence prostate cancer growth. Available data demonstrate the positive impact of such molecules as endothelin-1, basic FGF, TGF-β, IL-6, and IL-8 on prostate cancer progression. Many other endothelium-derived factors NO, IGF, PDGF, IL–1, G–CSF, and GM–CSF (Nitric Oxide, Insulin-Like Growth Factor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, Interleukin-1, Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor, and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor) are, at best, implicated in prostate cancer growth, and in most cases support cancer progression. CONCLUSIONS A better understanding of endothelium-derived factors, as paracrine mediators of prostate carcinogenesis and progression, should aid in the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Prostate 44:77–87, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Visual masking and the recovery phenomenon

Two experiments were carried out to investigate visual masking and target recovery. In the first experiment it was found that with superimposed disks of various sizes masking increases with increasing target-mask similarity and contour proximity. The results of the second study show that the extent of masking produced by a disk, which is slightly larger than the target, is drastically reduced when the mask in turn is followed by a ring, the inner contour of which is contiguous with the contour of the mask. This “facilitation effect” decreases as the interval between the mask and the third stimulus is increased. Target recovery in this situation appears to be brought about as a result of the reduction or elimination of the contour of the mask, which, as the first study has shown, is critical in bringing about the masking effect. The results are discussed in terms of some of the known physiological properties of the visual system.
Determination of balloon drag

The evolution of an empirical drag relationship that has stimulated rethinking regarding the physics of balloon drag phenomena is discussed. Combined parasitic drag from all sources in the balloon system are estimated to constitute less than 10 percent of the total system drag. It is shown that the difference between flight-determined drag coefficients and those based on the spherical assumption should be related to the square of the Froude number.
Automatic road surface defect detection from grayscale images

Video health monitoring of large road networks requires the repeated collection of surface images to detect the defects and their changes over time. Vehicle mounted video equipment can easily collect the data, but the amount of data that can be collected in a single day prohibits interactive or semi-automated processing schemes as they would also not be cost-effective. A new approach that is fully automated to detect road surface defects from large amounts of highresolution grayscale images is presented. The images are collected with a vehicle-mounted rear-facing 5MP video camera complemented by GPS based positioning information. Our algorithm starts by correcting the images for radial and angular distortion to get a bird's-eye view image. This results in images with known dimensions (consistent in width per pixel) which allow data to be accurately placed on geo-referenced maps. Each of the pixels in the image is labeled as crack or non-crack using a Markov Random Field (MRF) approach. The data used for testing and training are disjoint sets of images collected from the streets of Boston, MA, USA. We compare our road surface defect detection results with other techniques/algorithms described in the literature for accuracy and robustness.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policies and Practices in Peer-reviewed Biomedical Journals

OBJECTIVE: We undertook this investigation to characterize conflict of interest (COI) policies of biomedical journals with respect to authors, peer-reviewers, and editors, and to ascertain what information about COI disclosures is publicly available.
Classrooms as Racialized Spaces: Dynamics of Collaboration, Tension, and Student Attitudes in Urban and Suburban High Schools

This article interrogates the construction of ethnoracial categories in everyday classroom life and how ethnoracial classroom dynamics contribute to larger patterns of inequality in achievement and...