cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histone variants: emerging players in cancer biology

Histone variants are key players in shaping chromatin structure, and, thus, in regulating fundamental cellular processes such as chromosome segregation and gene expression. Emerging evidence points towards a role for histone variants in contributing to tumor progression, and, recently, the first cancer-associated mutation in a histone variant-encoding gene was reported. In addition, genetic alterations of the histone chaperones that specifically regulate chromatin incorporation of histone variants are rapidly being uncovered in numerous cancers. Collectively, these findings implicate histone variants as potential drivers of cancer initiation and/or progression, and, therefore, targeting histone deposition or the chromatin remodeling machinery may be of therapeutic value. Here, we review the mammalian histone variants of the H2A and H3 families in their respective cellular functions, and their involvement in tumor biology.
Validity of whole blood osmolality measurement in sick neonates.

A comparison of heparinized whole blood with plasma osmolality measurements was performed on 100 sick newborns using a vapor pressure osometer. Aliquots of blood samples which had been collected into 1-ml syringes containing sodium heparin for blood gas analyses were used for osmolality determinations. There was excellent correlation between the two methods (r=0.993). A total of 85 samples agreed within 2.0 units. In 38 samples the results obtained by the two methods were identical. The maximum observed discrepancy, present in only 2 samples, was 4 mosmol. Thus, the measurement of whole blood or plasma osmolality provides comparable information. The simplicity, the small volume of the blood sample required and the rapidity of the method make the determination of whole blood osmolality particularly useful in newborns requiring intensive care.
Three-level caching for efficient query processing in large Web search engines

Large web search engines have to answer thousands of queries per second with interactive response times. Due to the sizes of the data sets involved, often in the range of multiple terabytes, a single query may require the processing of hundreds of megabytes or more of index data. To keep up with this immense workload, large search engines employ clusters of hundreds or thousands of machines, and a number of techniques such as caching, index compression, and index and query pruning are used to improve scalability. In particular, two-level caching techniques cache results of repeated identical queries at the frontend, while index data for frequently used query terms are cached in each node at a lower level.We propose and evaluate a three-level caching scheme that adds an intermediate level of caching for additional performance gains. This intermediate level attempts to exploit frequently occurring pairs of terms by caching intersections or projections of the corresponding inverted lists. We propose and study several offline and online algorithms for the resulting weighted caching problem, which turns out to be surprisingly rich in structure. Our experimental evaluation based on a large web crawl and real search engine query log shows significant performance gains for the best schemes, both in isolation and in combination with the other caching levels. We also observe that a careful selection of cache admission and eviction policies is crucial for best overall performance.
Exploring the relations between categorization and decision making with regard to realistic face stimuli

Categorization and decision making are combined in a task with photorealistic faces. Two different types of face stimuli were assigned probabilistically into one of two fictitious groups; based on the category, faces were further probabilistically assigned to be hostile or friendly. In Part I, participants are asked to categorize a face into one of two categories, and to make a decision concerning interaction. A Markov model of categorization followed by decision making provides reasonable fits to Part I data. A Markov model predicting decision making followed by categorization is rejected. In Part II, a no-parameter model predicts decisions using categorization and decision responses collected in separate trials, suggesting that Part 1 results are not an artifact of the presentation of categorization and decision questions within a single trial. Decisions concerning interaction (defensive/friendly) appear to be based on information from the category decision, and not from the face stimuli alone.
A four amino acid deletion polymorphism in the third intracellular loop of the human alpha 2C-adrenergic receptor confers impaired coupling to multiple effectors.

Abstract The α2-adrenergic receptors (α2ARs) play a critical role in modulating neurotransmitter release in the central and peripheral sympathetic nervous systems. A polymorphism of the α2AR subtype localized to human chromosome 4 (the pharmacologic α2CAR subtype) within an intracellular domain has been identified in normal individuals. The polymorphism (denoted Del322–325) is because of an in-frame 12-nucleic acid deletion encoding a receptor lacking Gly-Ala-Gly-Pro in the third intracellular loop. To delineate the functional consequences of this structural alteration, Chinese hamster ovary cells were permanently transfected with constructs encoding wild-type human α2CAR and the polymorphic receptor. The Del322–325 variant had decreased high affinity agonist binding (KH = 7.3 ± 0.95 versus3.7 ± 0.43 nm; %RH = 31 ± 4 versus 49 ± 4) compared with wild-type indicating impaired formation of the agonist-receptor-G protein complex. The polymorphic receptor displayed markedly depressed epinephrine-promoted coupling to Gi, inhibiting adenylyl cyclase by 10 ± 4.3% compared with 73 ± 2.4% for wild-type α2CAR. This also was so for the endogenous ligand norepinephrine and full and partial synthetic agonists. Depressed agonist-promoted coupling to the stimulation of MAP kinase (∼71% impaired) and inositol phosphate production (∼60% impaired) was also found with the polymorphic receptor. The Del322–325 receptor was ∼10 times more frequent in African-Americans compared with Caucasians (allele frequencies 0.381 versus 0.040). Given this significant loss of function phenotype in several signal transduction cascades and the skewed ethnic prevalence, Del322–325 represents a pharmacoethnogenetic locus and may also be the basis for interindividual variation in cardiovascular or central nervous system pathophysiology.
The Synergist: How to Lead Your Team to Predictable Success by Les McKeown

Written in the same narrative version as the classic business novel The Goal (Goldratt & Cox, 1992), The Synergist deftly navigates the world of style conflict within an organization and provides e...
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF PAUL TARRANT

Publisher Summary Paul's initiation into research was in the area of chloro-organics. Later, when considering where to do his PhD degree, he was attracted to fluorine chemistry because of his experience with chlorine chemistry. He obtained his MS degree from Purdue in 1938 and returned home to teach high school physics and chemistry for two years in Birmingham. Bigelow's group at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina) was active in the field of synthesis of organic fluorine compounds; he was awarded an assistantship in 1941. His work involved the direct fluorination of deactivated aromatics. Paul's initial project at American Cyanamid was to develop a more practical route to fluoroacetamide. His first graduate students were John Young and Henry Brown, with Dale Warner to follow shortly thereafter. The work of these students led to Paul's first papers in organofluorine chemistry at University of Florida (UF). His professional achievements during his academic career at the University of Florida were considerable. He rose rapidly through the ranks at UF, attaining the rank of Professor in 1957. With a natural wit and an uncanny ability to defuse the most volatile of situations, he was the “glue” of the Organic Division, serving as its Chairman for 15 years. Penninsular Chem Research (PCR) was his first money—making project. PCR grew quickly and prospered to such an extent that during the summer of 1960 Air Products came down to talk about the purchase of the company.
(Re)Staging Personal/National Tragedy: Paloma Pedrero’s Ana el once de marzo

In Ana el once de marzo (2005), Paloma Pedrero dramatizes the stories of three women as personal testimonials of the national tragedy that befell Spain on March 11, 2004. Relying on the inherent spectacularity of violent acts and acts of terror and understanding full well that the memories of personal experiences also have social significance, the playwright poignantly recreates the tragedy of 11-M for the stage. Her reenactments of the events of March 11, 2004 make what is theatrical real and what is real theatrical. Through a stereoscopic vision of the events and the mise-en-abyme-like structure of her play, Pedrero illustrates that remembering and recounting the terrorist attacks and the resultant trauma of 11-M are prerequisites for the restoration of the social order and for the healing of the individual victims.
Stimulation of hemin synthesis in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by mouse liver RNA

Les cellules ascites de la tumeur Ehrlich couvaient in vitro avec le precurseur radioactif de l'hemineδ-aminolevulinic acid-4-C14. Les preparations de ARN du foie de la souris stimulaient le niveau de synthese de l'hemine.
Conspecific host discrimination by ovipositing Euphydryas editha butterflies: Its nature and its consequences for offspring survivorship

OvipositingE. editha butterflies display post-alighting discrimination among patches ofCollinsia torreyi, one of their major hosts in the General's Highway (GH) population at a montane site in California. Females tended to accept (i.e. oviposit on) dense patches of this host and to reject sparse patches. Possible behavioural mechanisms underlying this tendency are discussed. The consequences of this non-random pattern of oviposition for egg and larval survivorship were investigated and no differences were found in the survivorship of larvae on acceptable and unacceptable collinsias.
Sexual Orientation-Based Hate Crimes on Campus: The Impact of Policy on Reporting Rates

Federal Bureau of Investigation data for the last 10 years have tracked sexual orientation-based hate crimes on university and college campuses. Many states have passed hate crime laws that include sexual orientation and laws that mandate law enforcement hate crime training. At the same time, many campuses have amended their institutional antidiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation. This article reports on a study that examined the impact of these three types of policies and how they affect hate crime reporting rates. Results indicated that institutions located in states with hate crime laws that include hate crimes, with mandated law enforcement training that includes hate crime content, and with their own institutional policy, report the highest rates of sexual orientation-based hate crimes. Given prior research findings that hate crimes are severely underreported, the author discusses the implications for state and institutional commitment on hate crime reporting rates.
A fifth locus for Bardet-Biedl syndrome maps to chromosome 2q31.

We thank the family for their participation in this study. Financial support for this work came from the Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Medical Research Council of Canada. T.-L.Y. and M.O.W. are recipients of Graduate Fellowships from the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University. J.S.G is a recipient of a grant from the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network.
Exploring the crime of identity theft: Prevalence, clearance rates, and victim/offender characteristics

Abstract Although the crime of identity theft has garnered a great deal of media attention, relatively little empirical research existed on the prevalence of the crime, its clearance rate by arrest, or the demographic characteristics of the victims and the identifiable offenders. The purpose of this article is to expand the knowledge of this growing crime. Using data from a large municipal police department located in Florida as a database, the findings suggested that the number of reported incidents of identity theft appeared to be growing at a greater rate than other theft-related offenses and the clearance rate for identity theft appeared to be declining. The typical apprehended offender was African American, female, unemployed, working alone, and was unknown to the victims, who tended to be White and male.
HOW TO PAN-SHARPEN IMAGES USING THE GRAM-SCHMIDT PAN-SHARPEN METHOD – A RECIPE

Abstract. Since its publication in 1998 (Laben and Brower, 2000), the Gram-Schmidt pan-sharpen method has become one of the most popular algorithms to pan-sharpen multispectral (MS) imagery. It outperforms most other pan-sharpen methods in both maximizing image sharpness and minimizing color distortion. It is, on the other hand, also more complex and computationally expensive than most other methods, as it requires forward and backward transforming the entire image. Another complication is the lack of a clear recipe of how to compute the sensor dependent MS to Pan weights that are needed to compute the simulated low resolution pan band. Estimating them from the sensor’s spectral sensitivity curves (in different ways), or using linear regression or least square methods are typical candidates which can include other degrees of freedom such as adding a constant offset or not. As a result, most companies and data providers do it somewhat differently. Here we present a solution to both problems. The transform coefficients can be computed directly and in advance from the MS covariance matrix and the MS to Pan weights. Once the MS covariance matrix is computed and stored with the image statistics, any small section of the image can be pan-sharpened on the fly, without having to compute anything else over the entire image. Similarly, optimal MS to Pan weights can be computed directly from the full MS-Pan covariance matrix, guaranteeing optimal image quality and consistency.
The major histocompatibility complex class II transactivator is differentially regulated by interferon-γ and transforming growth factor-β in microglial cells

We evaluated the regulation of the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) transactivator (CIITA) gene expression in two microglial cell lines, EOC2 and EOC20. We demonstrate that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) activates type III- and IV-CIITA mRNA and high levels of MHC II in EOC20. However, in EOC2 cells only low levels of type IV-CIITA mRNA and MHC II are detectable following IFN-gamma treatment. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) inhibits both type III- and IV-CIITA expression in EOC20 cells while, in EOC2 cells TGF-beta1 enhances IFN-gamma induced pIV-CIITA expression. Trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, abrogates the TGF-beta1 mediated repression of the IFN-gamma induced CIITA in EOC20. Evidence is presented that the TG-interacting factor (TGIF), a co-repressor known to recruit HDACs, plays a role in determining the effects of TGF-beta1 on microglial cells.
A boundary integral method for steady flow in unsaturated porous media

The governing equation for steady flow in a homogeneous, partially saturated, porous medium can be written in a linear form if one adopts a hydraulic conductivity function which varies exponentially with capillary-pressure head. The resulting linear field equation is a steady Fokker–Planck equation and is well-suited to numerical solution by the boundary integral equation method (BIEM). The exponential conductivity function is often used in soil physics and is known to be a reasonable approximation over limited ranges of pressure head. A computer code based on the BIEM for obtaining numerical solutions is described and tested. The BIEM is found to exhibit quadratic convergence with element size reduction on smooth solutions and on singular problems, if mesh grading is used. Agreement between results from the BIEM code and a finite element code that solves the fully non-linear problem is excellent, and is achieved at a substantial advantage in computer processing time. As an illustrative example, the code is applied to determine the distribution of moisture in the vicinity of a tunnel.
Effects of Cytoskeletal Tension on Chick Dorsal Root Ganglia

About 50,000 cases of peripheral nerve injuries occur annually [1] resulting in patient pain or loss of touch. Methods of repairing peripheral nerve gaps is essential for aiding in patient recovery. During development, growth, and joint movement, nerves are exposed to mechanical tension that is hypothesized to aid in their growth. Neurons can grow less than .5–1 mm/day but are known to grow up to ∼3 cm/day during development, theorized from factors of stretch on cell cytoskeleton during growth [2,3]. Our focus was to investigate the effects of mechanical strain on nerve growth. We fabricated biodegradable, electrospun, polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds to create three-dimensional, nanofibrous networks for Dorsal Root Ganglia (DRG) neuron extension and growth. To test the effects of scaffold stretch and tension on DRG growth, scaffolds were stretched using a custom scaffold stretcher. DRG growth was investigated for 3mm changes in scaffold length on days 0 and 1 of DRG development. Further investigation of DRG growth on day 2 and 3 as well as stretches of 6 and 9mm are being performed. In addition, an incremental stretch test for total stretches of 3, 6, and 9mm will be performed.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Electrophoretic mobility of magnetite particles in high temperature water

Magnetite (Fe3O4) is one of the most common oxides forming deposits and particulate phases in industrial high temperature water circuits. Its colloidal characteristics play a principal role in the mechanism of deposit formation and can be used as controlling factors to prevent or minimize deposit formation and damage of industrial pipelines due to under-deposit corrosion. In this study, a high temperature particle electrophoresis technique was employed to measure the zeta potential at the magnetite/water interface—the parameter that controls colloidal stability of particles, their aggregation, and deposition. The measurements were made at temperatures up to 200 °C over a wide range of pH. The isoelectric points of magnetite, at which the deposition of particles is increased, were determined at pH 6.35, 6.00, 5.25, and 5.05 for temperatures 25, 100, 150, and 200 °C, respectively. The observed temperature dependence of zeta potential and the isoelectric pH point of magnetite can help to explain the extent of interactions between the colloidal particles and the steel wall surfaces under hydrothermal conditions, and indicate methods for controlling and mitigating oxide deposition in high temperature water cycles.
Domestic Law Goes Global: Legal Traditions and International Courts

1. The creation and expansion of international courts 2. Major legal traditions of the world 3. A rational legal design theory of international adjudication 4. Domestic legal traditions and the creation of the International Criminal Court 5. Domestic legal traditions and state support for the World Court 6. The rational design of state commitments to international courts 7. The consequences of support for international courts 8. Conclusion.
Enzymes: nailing down hydrogenase.

Aerobic inactivation of hydrogenases is a serious limitation to applications of the enzyme in biotechnology and has been extensively studied. A recent investigation combining electrochemical and spectroscopic methods shows that the molecular species that form as a result of exposure to O2 can be formed anaerobically and thus cannot involve incorporation of oxygen in the enzyme.
Vacuolar inclusions and condensed nuclei in the shoot apex of maize after γ irradiation

Graham E. T. Vacuolar inclusions and condensed nuclei in the shoot apex of maize after γ irradiation. Radiation Botany 12, 407–409, 1972.—The anatomy of cells in maize shoot apices 24 hr after exposure to acute lethal γ radiation was studied in the electron microscope. Large, dense, intricately formed, vacuolar inclusions developed in many interphase cells of the apical meristem, leaf primordia and youngest adjacent leaves. Similar but much smaller and fewer vacuolar bodies were observed in controls. Condensed nuclei were observed only in irradiated cells and then only in the apical meristem in contrast to the much wider occurrence of anomalous vacuolar inclusions.
Writing With(out) Pain: Computing Injuries and the Role of the Body in Writing Activity

Abstract This article uses the lens of computer writing injuries to explore writing as an embodied activity. We use philosopher Mark Johnson's five-part definition of embodiment to develop an analysis that examines the physical, flesh-and-blood aspects of writing in addition to the social and cultural aspects of embodied activity. With this framework, we show the limits of purely technological solutions to writing injuries (like ergonomic keyboards) and explore the difficulties of including somatic training in the writing classroom. Rather than prescribing a single solution, we propose that these injuries require multifaceted infrastructural changes and point to the benefits of approaching writing with mindfulness. We conclude by suggesting ways that writing instructors and scholars can use this framework to rethink the role of the body in writing activity. The basis of all our forms of understanding is that given to us by our body's interactions with the world. Somatic understanding precedes all others, and persists while our symbolic forms of understanding develop, and it shapes those forms of understanding in profound and subtle ways. Understanding human cognition, then, requires our careful attentiveness to the body that is their foundation. We have attended to the body's role in our cultural lives and especially in education far too little. -- Kieran Egan (2004, p. ix)
Outcomes analysis of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the extremely elderly.

Background: A study was conducted to determine whether extremely elderly patients, age 80 years or older, were at higher risk for adverse outcomes from laparoscopic cholecystectomy than patients younger than 80 years. Methods: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted in 421 patients age 65 years or older from 1989 through 1999. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (age 65-79 years; n = 351) and group 2 (age, 80-95 years; n = 70). A prospective database was analyzed for mean ± standard deviation and using Student's t-test and chi-square analysis. Results: Advanced age (group 2) was associated with a higher mean American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) class (2.7 vs 2.3; p < 0.001) and a greater incidence of common bile duct stones (43% vs 26%; p < 0.01), as compared with those of younger age (group 1). Mean operative times in group 2 were 106 ± 45 min as compared with 96 ± 38 min in group 1, a difference that is not significant. The extremely elderly (group 2) had a four-fold higher rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy (16% vs 4%) and a longer mean postoperative hospital stay (2.1 vs 1.4 days). Grades 1 and 2 complications also were more common in group 2: grade 1: group 1, 8.8% vs group 2, 17% and grade 2: group 1, 4.3% vs group 2, 7.1% (p < 0.05). One patient in group 1 had a myocardial infarction 13 days postoperatively, and two deaths occurred in the extremely elderly group within 30 days postoperatively. Conclusions: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the extremely elderly is associated with more complications and a higher rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy than in elderly individuals younger than 80 years. The greater chance of encountering a severely inflamed or scarred gallbladder and common bile duct stones as well as increasing comorbidities likely account for these differences in outcome.
Prostate and seminal vesicle response to testosterone propionate in intact and castrate rats.

IN A PREVIOUS COMMUNICATION (Krichesky, Benjamin, Belt and Schwartz, 1941) it was reported that testosterone propionate injections into intact, completely prostatectomized rabbits produced a rapid increase in the surface area of intraocular prostatic implants which reached a peak in from 10 to 16 days and was then followed by regression to the pre-injection level in six to eight weeks. On the other hand, such implants in completely prostatectomized, castrate rabbits responded to testosterone propionate injections by a gradual and continuousincrease in surface area for as long as 95 days (the duration of the experiment). The immediate objective of the present experiments was to determine if similar responses of the prostate gland could be demonstrated in intact and castrate rats. A total of 128 male rats were used; all were of the Wistar strain and ranged from 125 to 155 days of age. They were fed the Stienboch diet with fresh cabbage added twice a.week. Control and experimental animals were kept in separa...
Irish Pro-Migrant Nongovernmental Organizations and the Politics of Immigration

In this article social movement theory is used to assess the strategic repertoire of a relatively new sector of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) advocating for migrants rights in Ireland. Pro-migrant NGOs are majority community-led and face a challenging political and societal context for mobilization including a restrictive immigration regime, political and media discourse that racializes migrants, weak public support for the expansion of migrants’ rights, and high rates of discrimination and social exclusion experienced by migrant communities. A competitive funding environment also inhibits pro-migrant NGOs capacity to work with emerging migrant-led organizations that simultaneously compete for state and foundation funds. Pro-migrant NGOs in Ireland have responded with a three levelled strategy, namely alliance building with sympathetic public officials and service and information provision to state bodies, campaigns contesting negative media and societal framing of migrants, and networking with transnational NGO coalitions working on immigration issues.
Geomagnetic Measurements on Heavy Primary Cosmic Radiation near the Equator

The azimuthal angular distribution of primary cosmic radiation with charges $Z\ensuremath{\ge}6$ has been measured near the geomagnetic equator (at Guam) in horizontal emulsions with known orientation relative to the earth. The observed distribution is well described by using the centered-dipole approximation to the earth's surface magnetic field (north pole at 79\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}N and 70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}W) if the effect of the solid earth is included by assuming that the main cone is the allowed cone. This verifies the prediction that the penumbra becomes forbidden near the geomagnetic equator. The main-cone equatorial cutoffs were applied to an assumed integral energy spectrum which is inversely proportional to the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ power of the total energy per nucleon. The exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ was found to be at least 1.82\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.19.
Monetary Policy Design: Institutional Developments from a Contractual Perspective

Twenty years ago, most industrialized economies were just starting the costly process of disinflation. There was little consensus that these disinflations would be successful, or that low inflation once achieved could be maintained. While the USA achieved low inflation without changing its policy making institutions, many other countries did reform their central banking institutions, making them more independent of political influences. In this paper, I address three questions. First, is independence enough? Second, how do the details of an institution's structure translate, through their impact on incentives, into different policy outcomes? And third, can institutions serve as commitment mechanisms?
ORIGINS OF MICROPLASTICITY IN LOW-LOAD SCRATCHING OF SILICON

Microstructural characterization of silicon wafers subjected to controlled low-load scratching with a sharp indenter reveals that considerable plastic deformation occurs prior to the onset of fracture. In particular, a completely ductile response to scratching is observed at or below a Vickers load of 1 g, corresponding to penetration depths of 200 nm or less. This anomalous plasticity arises primarily as a result of a pressure-induced semiconductor-to-metal phase transition (Mott transition). Various levels of subsurface dislocation activity and cracking also contribute to the deformation. The relationships among the phase transformation, dislocation activity, and the onset of fracture are discussed. These findings can be applied to other areas of contact damage demonstrating anomalous plasticity, such as hardness testing and ductile-regime turning.
Changes in corticotropic responsiveness and mitochondrial ultrastructure of adrenocortical cells from the inner zone of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos) adrenal gland: the effects of cycloheximide, puromycin, and chloramphenicol.

Tissue slices from the inner zone of the adrenal showed no ultrastructural abnormalities after being superfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer for more than 2 h. Slices superfused with medium containing no ACTH produced only traces of corticosterone and most of the mitochondria had shelf-like cristae. Exposure to medium containing ACTH (1 μg 1-24 ACTH · ml-1) caused a significant increase in the release of corticosterone and the mitochondria developed tubular cristae. Cycloheximide and puromycin inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, the release of corticosterone from tissue slices superfused with medium containing ACTH. A low concentration of cycloheximide in the medium (0.02 μg · ml-1) had only a slight effect on hormone release but many of the mitochondria developed dark matrixes and shelf-like or disrupted cristae. At higher concentrations of cycloheximide (0.2 μg · ml-1) the release of corticosterone was suppressed and when the concentration was increased to 2.0 μg · ml-1 it was blocked completely; each of these higher concentrations of cycloheximide caused the mitochondria to develop dense matrixes and shelf-like cristae. The inhibitory effects of cycloheximide on the corticotropic responsiveness of superfused tissue slices were reversible. Dependent upon the concentration, the addition of puromycin to the medium also caused, either partial (1.0 and 10.0 μm · ml-1) or complete (100 μg · ml-1), suppression of hormone release from slices superfused with medium containing ACTH; at the same time, the formation of tubular cristae in the mitochondria was blocked. Chloramphenicol had no effect on either hormone release or mitochondrial ultrastructure in the adrenocortical cells from the inner zone of the gland. It is suggested that a specific protein, synthesized in the cytoplasm, is necessary to accomplish the conformational changes in the mitochondrial cristae that accompany the full elaboration of corticotropin-induced hormone synthesis.
Feasibility Study on Power Generation from Waste Plastics with Partial Precombustion Carbon Capture and Conversion

AbstractThe feasibility of upcycling waste plastics into concurrent production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and of a hydrogen-enriched gaseous hydrocarbon stream was shown to be possible in a continuous steady-state steady-flow process. The feedstock was post-consumer (waste) low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which was pyrolyticaly gasified at 800°C, in a flow of nitrogen carrier gas. The evolving gaseous hydrocarbon pyrolyzates were first used as carbon growth agents for CNTs in a reactor, a process that lowered their carbon content and increased their hydrogen content. Thereafter, the unreacted hydrocarbon pyrolyzates and the generated hydrogen were mixed with air and burned. This conversion of solid waste plastics to gaseous fuels allowed thorough mixing with air and, upon ignition, the formation of environmentally benign fuel-lean premixed flames for subsequent power generation purposes. The CNT generation in the reactor took place by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on untreated stainless steel mesh subs...
They Blinded Me with Political Science: On the Use of Nonpeer Reviewed Research in Education Policy

On March 4, 1998, a story appeared in Education Week about research by Mark Schneider, Paul Teske, and Christine Roch (hereafter referred to as STR). It summarized their research, which claims that an innovative public school choice program in District 4 in New York City is responsible for raising student achievement (Walsh 1998). This followed a news story in The New York Times (Hartcollis 1998). Some weeks later Paul Teske presented the paper at the Midwest Political Science Association. There
Mitochondrial localization of Reaper to promote inhibitors of apoptosis protein degradation conferred by GH3 domain-lipid interactions.

Abstract Morphological hallmarks of apoptosis result from activation of the caspase family of cysteine proteases, which are opposed by a pro-survival family of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). In Drosophila, disruption of IAP function by Reaper, HID, and Grim (RHG) proteins is sufficient to induce cell death. RHG proteins have been reported to localize to mitochondria, which, in the case of both Reaper and Grim proteins, is mediated by an amphipathic helical domain known as the GH3. Through direct binding, Reaper can bring the Drosophila IAP (DIAP1) to mitochondria, concomitantly promoting IAP auto-ubiquitination and destruction. Whether this localization is sufficient to induce DIAP1 auto-ubiquitination has not been reported. In this study we characterize the interaction between Reaper and the mitochondria using both Xenopus and Drosophila systems. We find that Reaper concentrates on the outer surface of mitochondria in a nonperipheral manner largely mediated by GH3-lipid interactions. Importantly, we show that mitochondrial targeting of DIAP1 alone is not sufficient for degradation and requires Reaper binding. Conversely, Reaper able to bind IAPs, but lacking a mitochondrial targeting GH3 domain (ΔGH3 Reaper), can induce DIAP1 turnover only if DIAP1 is otherwise targeted to membranes. Surprisingly, targeting DIAP1 to the endoplasmic reticulum instead of mitochondria is partially effective in allowing ΔGH3 Reaper to promote DIAP1 degradation, suggesting that co-localization of DIAP and Reaper at a membrane surface is critical for the induction of DIAP degradation. Collectively, these data provide a specific function for the GH3 domain in conferring protein-lipid interactions, demonstrate that both Reaper binding and mitochondrial localization are required for accelerated IAP degradation, and suggest that membrane localization per se contributes to DIAP1 auto-ubiquitination and degradation.
An automatic 2D–3D image matching method for reproducing spatial knee joint positions using single or dual fluoroscopic images

Fluoroscopic image technique, using either a single image or dual images, has been widely applied to measure in vivo human knee joint kinematics. However, few studies have compared the advantages of using single and dual fluoroscopic images. Furthermore, due to the size limitation of the image intensifiers, it is possible that only a portion of the knee joint could be captured by the fluoroscopy during dynamic knee joint motion. In this paper, we presented a systematic evaluation of an automatic 2D–3D image matching method in reproducing spatial knee joint positions using either single or dual fluoroscopic image techniques. The data indicated that for the femur and tibia, their spatial positions could be determined with an accuracy and precision less than 0.2 mm in translation and less than 0.4° in orientation when dual fluoroscopic images were used. Using single fluoroscopic images, the method could produce satisfactory accuracy in joint positions in the imaging plane (in average up to 0.5 mm in translat...
Phase II Trial of All-Trans Retinoic Acid in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The toxicity and marginal effectiveness of cytotoxic chemotherapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) necessitates the search for new agents. Preliminary data in lung cancer and other malignant and premalignant disorders have identified retinoid compounds as potentially useful antitumor agents. Twenty-eight patients with metastatic NSCLC were treated with oral all-trans retinoic acid in a phase II trial. The study population consisted of patients with excellent performance status and minimal weight loss. Toxicities were generally mild and included cutaneous effects, headache, and myalgia. A significant number of patients developed elevations of hepatic transaminases or hyperlipidemia and 3 patients had treatment-related leukocytosis. Two patients (8%) achieved a partial response, and I had a mixed response. The duration of remission in the 2 responders was 7 and 13 months and the median survival of all patients 7 months. Therefore, all-trans retinoic acid has minimal activity as a single agen...
Contemporary conceptual space: reading Adam Smith

This paper encourages an examination of the conceptual space which Adam Smith’s work and legacy present and which conditions thinking about governmental and societal organization and management. The paper, situating Smith in his eighteenth‐century context, distinguishes between the historical Smith and his legacy. It analyzes the invisible hand doctrine, showing that the doctrine should be understood in the context of Smith’s other writings and arguing that Smith himself would reject the version which many suppose to constitute the Smithian legacy. It emphasizes the importance of the Smithian legacy, and it argues that Smith’s readers should go beyond Smith by recognizing the socially constituted character of the conceptual space which Smith’s writings and legacy have provided to contemporary society. A central implication is that, by exploring Adam Smith and his legacy, governmental and other thinkers and managers can do what they should do ‐ examine their latent assumptions.
Improved Thermoelectric Behavior of Nanotube-Filled Polymer Composites with Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Poly(styrenesulfonate)

The thermoelectric properties of carbon nanotube (CNT)-filled polymer composites can be enhanced by modifying junctions between CNTs using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), yielding high electrical conductivities (up to ∼40000 S/m) without significantly altering thermopower (or Seebeck coefficient). This is because PEDOT:PSS particles are decorated on the surface of CNTs, electrically connecting junctions between CNTs. On the other hand, thermal transport remains comparable to typical polymeric materials due to the dissimilar bonding and vibrational spectra between CNT and PEDOT:PSS. This behavior is very different from that of typical semiconductors whose thermoelectric properties are strongly correlated. The decoupled thermoelectric properties, which is ideal for developing better thermoelectric materials, are believed to be due to thermally disconnected and electrically connected contact junctions between CNTs. Carrier transport at the junction is found to be strongly...
The Influence of Spontaneous and Piezoelectric Polarization on Novel AlGaN/GaN/InGaN Device Structures

The strong spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric effects in the wurtzite III-nitride semiconductors lead to new possibilities for device design. In typical heterojunction field effect transistors these effects are used to create large electron concentrations at the AlGaN/GaN interface. However, we examine several other possible device structures which include heterojunctions of AlGaN, GaN, and InGaN. For example, we find the strong electric fields present in these structures allow us to create quantum wells greater than 1 eV deep. Both Ga-faced and N-faced materials are explored. The two-dimensional electron gas concentrations in these structures are found using a self-consistent 1-D Schrodinger-Poisson solver modified to incorporate the effects of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization. The boundary conditions at the heterojunction interfaces and at the surface and substrate are discussed in detail. Electron concentrations are compared with those obtained experimentally through capacitance-voltage and Hall effect measurements.
Epidemics in nonrandomly mixing populations: A simulation

Two stochastic, discrete-time simulation models for the spread of an epidemic through a population are presented. The models explore the effects of nonrandom mixing within the population and are based on an SIR epidemic model without vital statistics. They consider a population of preschool children, some of whom attend child care facilities. Disease transmission occurs both within the home neighborhood and at the child care facility used, if any. The two models differ in population size used, population density, the proportions of children using different kinds of care, and the functions used for calculating the probability of disease transmission. Results are presented for seven different variables--length of the epidemic in weeks, number of cases, number of cases in each kind of care (two day care centers, private homes, and children staying at home), and the number of private home providers affected by the epidemic. In addition, the distribution of total epidemic size and the progress of an epidemic are estimated from 25 epidemic trials. The effects of the location of homes of initial cases, the type of care used by initial cases, and the density of the population are discussed. Results from the simulation confirmed the importance of type of care on the risk for disease transmission. Results from all runs of the simulation showed that children who attended a day care center were most likely to become infected, children who went to a private home were intermediate, and children who did not use any day care facility were at the lowest risk. The size and length of the epidemics were related to the presence of the disease in day care centers, regardless of the location of the initial case, and the time at which the disease entered the center(s). The simulations also showed that the geographical distribution of the homes of children attending a particular center was a critical feature involved in the production of epidemics. The center with more widely distributed homes of students was less likely to experience a major epidemic than the center with clustering of student's homes within a neighborhood. This indicates that it is not simply attendance at a day care center that is critical for disease spread, but that the nature of the population of children attending a center is also of critical importance in the actual risk for disease spread within the center. These results are discussed with reference to the spread of hepatitis A among day care centers in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Study of narrow tracks written with FeAlN write heads

Thin film inductive write heads with track-widths down to 0.7 /spl mu/m were fabricated by trimming wide track-width heads using focused ion beam etching from the slider air bearing surface. These heads incorporated FeAlN high moment pole material. They were observed to saturate media with coercivity of 2950 Oe. In this work, magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is used to evaluate tracks written by these heads. Sharply defined track edges were observed even for the narrow track-width heads up to high linear density. Simulations using accepted models for wide track writing agree with some of the experimentally observed trends for the submicron tracks.
Support-person promotion of a smoking quitline: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Quitlines and other evidence-based cessation treatments are greatly underutilized by smokers, limiting their public health impact. Social support is correlated with successful cessation. Thus, efforts targeting the social network of smokers could be a potential avenue to promote quitline utilization. Purpose This study examined the efficacy of an intervention for nonsmokers interested in helping a smoker (i.e., support people) to promote smoker utilization of the Minnesota QUITPLAN® Helpline. Data were collected from 2007 to 2010, and analyses were conducted from 2010 to 2011. Design Two-group randomized design evaluating the support-person intervention (n=267) compared with a control condition (written materials, n=267). Setting/participants Enrolled were 534 support people (91% female, 93% Caucasian) residing in Minnesota. Intervention Written materials plus three weekly telephone sessions lasting 10–30 minutes each. Based on Cohen's theory of social support, the intervention provided participants with information and skills needed to encourage their smoker to call the QUITPLAN Helpline. Main outcome measures Participants completed the Support Provided Measure (SPM) by mail at baseline and Week 4 (end-of-treatment). Helpline intake staff documented smoker calls to the Helpline through 6 months of follow-up. Results The proportion of calls to the Helpline was significantly (p=0.012) greater for smokers linked to support people in the intervention group (16.1%, 43/267) than in the control group (8.6%, 23/267). The treatment effect remained significant after adjusting for support person residing with the smoker (OR=2.04, 95% CI=1.19, 3.49, p=0.010). Among support people randomly assigned to the intervention group, greater number of sessions completed was associated with increased smokers' calls to the Helpline (p=0.004). After adjusting for the baseline score, the M±SD SPM score at Week 4 was significantly higher for support people in the intervention group (16.4±3.3) than for those in the control group (15.3±3.6), p=0.002. Conclusions A support-person intervention is effective in increasing smoker utilization of the QUITPLAN Helpline. There is potential for increasing the reach of quitlines by targeting the social network of smokers. Trial registration # NCT01311830
Vegetation responses to helicopter and ground based logging in blackwater floodplain forests

Logging in floodplains of low order, blackwater streams may damage existing seedlings and rootstocks, and create soil conditions that inhibit establishment and growth of regeneration after harvest. Removal of logs via helicopters has been advocated to minimize soil damage and facilitate rapid revegetation. We tested impacts of helicopter versus conventional skidder harvest systems on regeneration, woody plant community structure and biomass growth in three blackwater stream floodplains in southern Alabama. The helicopter treatment resulted in significantly greater woody plant density (19,900 versus 14,300 stems/ha by Year 8), but both treatments were well-stocked with commercially valuable species. By Year 8, treatment effects on density of individual species were generally not significant; however, density of Cliftonia monophylla was lower on skidder plots (p=0.001) and density of Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora was lower on helicopter plots (p=0.092). In both treatments, species richness within 0.004 ha regeneration plots declined slightly between pre- and post harvest, but the Shannon diversity and evenness indices remained essentially unchanged through 8 years after treatment. Post-harvest survival of Acer rubrum, Cyrilla racemiflora and C. monophylla rootstocks was significantly lower on the skidder plots. In both treatments, species dominant before harvest remained so afterwards. Species with the tallest sprouts in Year 8 were Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnolia virginiana, and A. rubrum. During the first 2 years after logging, aboveground biomass was greater in the helicopter treatment, but the difference was only significant in Year 1. We conclude that both harvesting methods had little effect on species composition. Skidding may result in a stand structure more favorable for commercial timber production; however, impacts of skidding on long-term productivity are not yet known.