cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of molecular studies in the classification of lymphoma

The classification of lymphomas has historically lacked both precision and accuracy, potentially compromising both optimal diagnosis and therapy. The genetic characterization of key oncogenic events and the advent of expression profiling have afforded the opportunity to understand, diagnose and treat these diseases in a much more rational and targeted manner. As exciting as these new and testable data are, it is also worth noting that molecular genetic analysis of the tumor in isolation will not be the sole arbiter of patient outcome. It is likely that we will remain reliant on traditional and sometimes subjective technologies, albeit probably to a lesser degree, with molecular studies significantly complementing, but certainly not replacing, microscopic, immunophenotypic and cytogenetic approaches. Furthermore, we will perhaps need to extend genotyping to the tumor milieu (the patient) in order to molecularly dissect drug metabolic pathways and the immune response.
p-polarized nonlinear surface polaritons in materials with intensity-dependent dielectric functions

We investigate the properties of p-polarized nonlinear surface polaritons (NLSP) propagating along the interfaces of optically nonlinear materials. We show that Maxwell's equations for the NLSP can be solved exactly in quadratures for optically isotropic media with dielectric functions which can be an arbitrary function of the field intensity. The required boundary conditions can be imposed readily, and a form of the dispersion relation for the NLSP is obtained without the need to solve for the field profile first. The general results are then applied to a specific model in which the material has a nonlinear dielectric function proportional to the electric field intensity. Both the self-focusing and self-defocusing cases are studied, as well as different values of the linear dielectric functions inside and outside the material. The physically allowed regions in parameter space and the nonlinear surface-plasmon resonance conditions are examined. The field profile in each region is also investigated.
Proteoglycans and collagen fibre organization in human corneoscleral tissue.

Abstract Many investigators have suggested that the acidic glycosaminoglycan component of proteoglycans may control the size and organization of collagen fibres. It was decided that the transition zone between central cornea and sclera is an ideal model for the study of the relationships between specific proteoglycans and the organization of collagen fibres. The number and size of collage fibres were correlated with the concentration and composition of acidic glycosaminoglycans at discrete intervals from mid-cornea to sclera. The concentration of acidic glycosaminoglycans is highest in the central cornea; keratan sulfate accounts for most of the acidic glycosaminoglycan and the remainder is chondroitin. The peripheral cornea has 24% less acidic glycosaminoglycan than central cornea. The proportion of keratan sulfate is decreased and chondroitin is replaced by chondroitin sulfate. Uniformity of fibre diameters and their arrangement decreases distally from the central cornea. The sharpest area of transition lies between the corneolimbus and the sclerolimbus where the rapid increase in fibre size and decrease in organization is accompanied by a rapid decrease in the concentration of acidic glycosaminoglycans (primarily a loss of keratan sulfate), and the presence of detectable quantities of dermatan sulfate. A direct relationship between degree of fibre organization and acidic glycosaminoglycan content was found. We conclude that the precisely ordered spacing of collagen fibres in the cornea is determined by specific molecular constraints imposed by the conformation of keratan sulfate proteoglycan. This study proviess further evidence that the organization of collagen fibres is controlled by proteoglycans.
E.N. Economou and the metal-to-insulator transition

Abstract In this paper, I interweave a brief history of the metal-to-insulator (MI) transition with a summary of E.N. Economou's related work. Those periods during which we overlapped are emphasized. I describe his activities as a graduate student at Chicago. A brief history of the MI transition follows, setting the stage for discussion of his pioneering contributions in the early 1970s to the theory of the localization of electrons, phonons, and photons in disordered materials; of his studies of the Mott–Hubbard transition; and of the work he did in the 1980s with his Exxon collaborators. After a few observations on the current state of our understanding of MI transitions, the paper concludes with a summary of Economou's contributions.
Reforming China's Personal Income Tax

This article derives the distribution of wages in China on the basis of the Pareto distribution, and employs it to simulate the revenue and distributive consequences of various options of restructuring the personal income tax schedule as applied to wage income. The obtained simulation results are interesting and plausible and could thus inform policy deliberations on reforming the personal income tax in China.
Creating an environment of mutual respect within the multicultural workplace both at home and globally

In addition to the rapidly changing makeup of the workforce, companies are finding themselves faced with the challenge of competing in the global marketplace for market share. The goal of corporate America must be to create a cultural environment, both at home and in their efforts abroad, that demonstrates a respect for differences while building on commonalities. Focuses on describing the parameters of multiculturalism in the American workplace, cases and ramifications of failure to embrace diversity both home and abroad, and offers an action plan to respond to the changing workplace and marketplace.
Student Use of Aspirational and Linguistic Social Capital in an Urban Immigrant-Centered English Immersion High School

Expanding upon Yosso’s theory of community cultural wealth , this interview-based qualitative study finds that Mexican youth in an urban two-year English immersion high school here referred to as Literacy High are assisted academically by what Yosso would call their aspirational capital and what the present article theorizes as their linguistic social capital , or their ability to utilize a Spanish-speaking student network to understand assignments and instructions. Among these students, opinions regarding the need to develop oral English proficiency vary widely, with some students choosing Spanish as a form of resistance while others feel anxiety regarding their lack of fluency in spoken English.
Managing the Breast in Patients Who Test Positive for Hereditary Breast Cancer

Purpose and Methods The patient who tests positive for hereditary breast cancer has several important decisions to make regarding management of the breasts. Before making an informed decision, the physician must first review the screening assessment to make sure that the patient does not harbor an undiagnosed breast malignancy. In the absence of a malignancy, the management options for the breast range from nonoperative surveillance to prophylactic mastectomy to prevent cancer. In the event that a breast malignancy is diagnosed after a positive genetic test, implications for management of both the affected and the unaffected breast must be considered.
Glycopeptide Site Heterogeneity and Structural Diversity Determined by Combined Lectin Affinity Chromatography/IMS/CID/MS Techniques

Glycopeptides from a tryptic digest of chicken ovomucoid were enriched using a simplified lectin affinity chromatography (LAC) platform, and characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) as well as ion mobility spectrometry (IMS)-MS. The LAC platform effectively enriched the glycoproteome, from which a total of 117 glycopeptides containing 27 glycan forms were identified for this protein. IMS-MS analysis revealed a high degree of glycopeptide site heterogeneity. Comparison of the IMS distributions of the glycopeptides from different charge states reveals that higher charge states allow more structures to be resolved. Presumably the repulsive interactions between charged sites lead to more open configurations, which are more readily separated compared with the more compact, lower charge state forms of the same groups of species. Combining IMS with collision induced dissociation (CID) made it possible to determine the presence of isomeric glycans and to reconstruct their IMS profiles. This study illustrates a workflow involving hybrid techniques for determining glycopeptide site heterogeneity and evaluating structural diversity of glycans and glycopeptides.
Direct FeS cluster involvement in generation of a radical in lysine 2,3-aminomutase.

Lysine 2,3-aminomutase (KAM) belongs to a class of enzymes that use FeS clusters and S-adenosyl-l-methionine to initiate radical-dependent chemistry. Selenium K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopic analysis of KAM poised at various stages of catalysis, in the presence of selenomethionine or Se-adenosyl-l-selenomethionine, reveals that the cofactor is cleaved only in the presence of dithionite and the substrate analogue trans-4,5-dehydrolysine. A new Fourier transform peak at 2.7 A, assigned as a Se−Fe interaction, appears concomitant with this cleavage. This is the first demonstration of a direct interaction of S-adenosyl-l-methionine, or its cleavage products, with the FeS cluster in this class of enzymes.
Clinical significance of genetic influences on cardiovascular drug metabolism

Inherited differences in metabolism may be responsible for individual variability in the efficacy of drugs and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions. Among the cardiovascular drugs reported to exhibit genetic polymorphism are debrisoquine, sparteine, some beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, flecainide, encainide, propafenone, nifedipine, procainamide, and hydralazine. The implications of genetic differences in the metabolism of these drugs for cardiovascular therapeutics is the subject of this review.
The Hausdorff Alpha-Dimensional Measures of the Level Sets and the Graph of the N-Parameter Wiener Process.

LetW (N,d) be theN-parameter Wiener process with values inR d. Then the dimension of the level sets isN−d/2 with positive probability ifd<2N. The dimension of the graph is a.s. min {2N,N+d/2}. The level sets have zero (N−d/2)-measure a.s. and the graph has zero min {2N,N+d/2}-measure a.s.
Thermodtnamics of surfactant-polymer interactions in dilute aqueous solutions

Abstract A thermodynamic model for suffactant binding to polymers in dilute aqueous solution is present. It assumes that the inter- molecular contacts between the polar and the non-polar polymer segment resemble the macroscopic hydrocarbon-water interface ,where preferential accumulation of surfactant accurs. The model also considers the competitive surfactant micelization.
The dialectical role of information and disinformation in regulation-induced banking crises

Abstract The severity of banking crises increases with disinformation about the losses banks incur in making politically directed loans and about the budgetary costs to the government of standing ready to absorb these losses increases. When (as it eventually must) such disinformation begins to lose credibility, silent runs test the government's commitment to supporting its insolvent banks. An open banking crisis does not emerge until the size of unbooked obligations has become large enough to overwhelm the government's implicit and explicit support system. Multilateral assistance offered countries that experience banking crises should transmit incentives for prompt insolvency resolution, for reliable information disclosure, and for developing plans for dealing with future financial disasters.
Quantitative evaluation of a cone-beam computed tomography-planning computed tomography deformable image registration method for adaptive radiation therapy.

Purpose: Deformable or non-rigid registration is an essential tool in both Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) to account for soft tissue changes during the course of radiation therapy. The most common evaluation method used to assess the accuracy of deformable image registration is qualitative human evaluation. We propose a methodology to systematically measure the accuracy of an algorithm in recovering artificially introduced deformations in cases of rigid geometry. The method is entirely computer-driven and eliminates biased interpretation associated with human evaluation. Materials and Methods: Our method involves using planning computed tomography (PCT) images acquired via conventional CT simulator as well as cone-beam CT (CBCT) acquired daily via LINAC-mounted kilovoltage image system in the treatment delivery room. The deformation occurring between the PCT and daily CBCT images was obtained using a modified version of the B-Spline deformable model designed to overcome the low soft tissue contrast and artifacts/distortions observed in the CBCT images. Clinical CBCT images and contours of phantom and central nervous system (CNS) cases were deformed (or warped) with known random deformation. In registering the deformed with the non-deformed image sets, we tracked the algorithm?s ability to recover the original, non-deformed set. Registration error was measured as the mean and maximum difference between the original and the registered surface contours from outlined structures. Using this approach, two sets of tests can be devised. To measure the residual error related to the optimizer?s convergence performance, the warped CT image is registered to the unwarped version of itself, eliminating unknown factors such as noise and positioning errors. To study additional errors introduced by artifacts and noise in the CBCT, the warped CBCT is registered to the original CT. Results: Mean residual error introduced by the algorithm?s performance on noise-free images was less than 1 mm, with a maximum of 2 mm. The deformable image registration model was capable of accommodating significant variability of structures over time, as the artificially introduced deformation magnitude did not significantly influence the residual error. On the second type of tests, noise and artifacts decreased registration accuracy to a mean / maximum of 1.33 and 4.86 mm. Conclusion: Deformable image registration accuracy can be easily and consistently measured by evaluating the algorithm?s ability to recover artificially introduced deformations in rigid cases, where the true solution is known apriori. The method is completely automated and does not require any user interaction.
SURFACTANT PROTEIN-A-DEFICIENT MICE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA INFECTION

To determine the role of surfactant protein-A (SP-A) in host defense, the murine SP-A locus was targeted by homologous recombination to produce mice lacking SP-A. SP-A−/− and wild-type mice were infected with mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa by intratracheal instillation. Pulmonary bacterial loads were greater in SP-A−/− than in wild-type mice, with increased numbers of mucoid P. aeruginosa in lung homogenates at 6 and 24 h after infection. Pulmonary infiltration with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was similar in both groups; however, an earlier influx of PMN into the lung occurred in the SP-A−/− mice. The number of bacteria phagocytosed by alveolar macrophages was decreased in the SP-A−/− mice at 1 h after infection. Superoxide-radical generation by PMN was similar for the SP-A−/− and wild-type mice, but nitrite levels were increased in SP-A−/− mice. Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (proinflammatory cytokines) were greater in bronchoalveolar...
Low Temperature Coefficient of Resonance Frequency Composition in the System Pb(Zr,Ti)O3—Pb(Mn1/3 Nb2/3)O3

Pb(Zr,Ti)O3–Pb(Mn1/3 Nb2/3)O3 (PZT–PMnN) system has been studied for high-power piezoelectric applications. This study investigates this system to find out the composition with high-power density piezoelectric characteristics and low tem-perature coefficient of resonance frequency (TCF). It was found that the composition 0.9PZT–0.1PMnN (Zr/Ti = 0.51/0.49) modified with 6 mol% Sr exhibits a TCF of −8 ppm/°C (−20 to +80°C). Further, the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of this composition are as follows: kp= 0.53; Qm= 800; d33= 274; e33/e0= 1290 and tan δ=1.1%, which shows the suitability of this composition for ultrasonic devices used under fluctuating thermal environment.
The rise of civilization in East Asia : the archaeology of China, Korea and Japan

Orientation archaeology emergent the earliest inhabitants - 1,000,000-40,000 years ago innovations of modern humans - 40,000-10,000 years ago littoral forages - 10,000-1000 BC agricultural beginnings - 7000-2000 BC the emergence of neolithic elites - 3500-2000 BC the mainland Bronze Age - 2000-1500 BC early mainland states - 1300-220 BC the northern frontier - 3000-300 BC the spread of rice agriculture - 1000 BC - AD 300 the making and breaking of empire - 220 BC - AD 500 the mounded tomb cultures - AD 300-700 East Asian civilization - AD 650-800 epilogue - AD 800-1800.
Basal and drug-induced cAMP levels in cortical slices from the tottering mouse.

Abstract Basal and drug-induced levels of cAMP were determined in cortical slices from mice which were homozygous for the tottering ( tg/tg ) gene defect as well as from co-isogenic controls (+/+). Basal levels of cAMP were 77±16% higher in tg/tg slices compared to the controls. This difference was abolished by exposure of the slices to propranolol, a β-adrenergic receptor antagonist. Both isoproterenol and veratridine stimulated cAMP formation, but only small differences were observed in the cAMP levels in g/tg and +/+ slices after this treatment. Of the veratridine-dependent increase in cAMP, approximately 40% was blocked by propranolol treatment of slices from both strains. The results suggest that a higher level of endogenous norepinephrine release in tottering mice contributes to an elevation of basal cAMP levels.
Weekly variations in performance on a token economy psychiatric ward.

Abstract Seven types of behavior of thirteen chronic schizophrenic female patients, who were transferred to an existing male token economy ward, were rated during four experimental phases. During Conditions I and III the patients were given a token allowance in the morning on a noncontingent basis. During Conditions II and IV tokens were paid on a contingent basis; that is, the patients received tokens commensurate with their behavior ratings. Their ratings were higher during Conditions II and IV than during Conditions I and III. The results supported the expectation that the contingent tokens were controlling the behavior of the patients.
Electrodeposition of CdTe Films from Ammonia-Chloride Buffer Electrolyte

Voltammetry was applied to a study of joint electroreduction of Cd(II) and Te(IV) on a glassy carbon electrode from an ammonia-chloride buffer electrolyte with pH 8.4. The optimal conditions of electrodeposition of CdTe films were determined and their structure was examined by means of X-ray phase analysis.
Relationship among climatological variables and hourly distribution of calvings in Holsteins fed during the late afternoon.

A survey of 924 calvings of Holstein cows and heifers in one large commercial herd during the fall of 1985 revealed a nonuniform pattern of calving over a 24-h period. Pregnant females were attended 24 h/d and fed daily a complete diet between 1500 and 1600 h during the dry period or the last 30 to 60 d of gestation. More calvings occurred from 0601 to 1800 h than from 1801 to 0600 h (56 versus 44%). Cows calving during the last 12 h of the day (1201 to 2400 h) had gestation periods that averaged 1.3 d longer than cows calving during the first 6 h of the day. Length of gestation was increased 1.3 d for every hour decrease in daylength from September to December but was unaffected by any other climatological measure (barometric pressure, precipitation, wind velocity, temperature, percentage sunshine, or relative humidity). The hour of calving was unrelated to any of the climatological measures during the week preceding parturition. However, partial regressions of climatological variables on days to calving revealed significant regressions for barometric pressure [quadratic; beta = (60.1 +/- 2.6) x 10(-13) mm2 Hg/d], precipitation [beta = (2.02 +/- .8) x 10(-1) mm/d], humidity [beta = (1.2 +/- .2) x 10(-2)%/d]. and daylength [beta = (-3.5 +/- .5) x 10(-1) h/d]. It was concluded that pregnant cows and heifers fed during the late afternoon calved in a nonrandom pattern during the 24-h day; more calvings occurred during daylight hours. Changes in various environmental measures may serve as biological cues to initiate parturition in the bovine.
Boundedness of the FBI transform on sobolev spaces and propagation of singularities

It is shown that the FBI transform of Baouendi, Chang and Treves is bounded on Sobolev spaces.Applications to the propagation of singularities are given
Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs

Excerpt To the Editors:I read with interest the article by Frazier and colleagues (1), which reported the effect of a physician education program featuring a manual of comparative drug prices on pa...
Protective capacity and epitope specificity of CD8(+) T cells responding to lethal West Nile virus infection.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a small, positive-strand RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae genus, which causes lethal encephalitis in a subset of infected birds and mammals. In humans, WNV exhibits pronounced age-related morbidity and mortality, but the basis of this effect is unclear, and the molecular and cellular parameters of the host-WNV infection are just beginning to be elucidated. Indeed, numerous mechanisms were implicated in protection in vivo against WNV (IFN-I and IFN-gamma, antibody, C', CD8 and CD4 T cells), but the individual importance of each one of these remains unclear. Here, we show that transfer of highly enriched naive CD8(+ )T cells protects the majority of alymphoid mice against lethal WNV infection. To substantiate and expand this finding, we defined the peptide specificity of the CD8 response in H-2b mice and used a panel of identified peptides to map one dominant (NS4b (2248-2256)) and several subdominant epitopes. The hierarchy of these epitopes was stably maintained in the memory responses. Most importantly, CTL lines directed against these peptides conferred protection against lethal WNV infection in direct proportion to the epitope immunodominance. These results provide a springboard for future characterization of T cell responses against WNV and demonstrate, for the first time, that CD8 T cells can single-handedly protect from this disease.
Atmospheric opacity in the Schumann-Runge bands and the aeronomic dissociation of water vapor

Knowledge of the aeronomic production of odd hydrogen in the dissociation of water vapor is limited by uncertainties in the penetration of solar irradiance in the Schumann-Runge bands of O2 and by incomplete information concerning the products of photolysis at Lyman alpha. Consideration of all error sources involved in computing the H2O dissociation rate in the wavelength region 175-200 nm leads to an estimated uncertainty of plus or minus 35% at an altitude of 90 km for an overhead sun. The uncertainty increases with decreasing altitude such that the true dissociation rate at 60 km for an overhead sun lies between 0.45 and 1.55 times the results computed using the best input parameters currently available. Calculations of the H2O dissociation rate by Lyman alpha should include the variation in O2 opacity across the solar line width. Neglect of this can lead to errors as large as 50% at altitudes where the process is the major source of odd hydrogen.
Temperature and kinetic energy dependences of the rate constant for the reaction 22Ne++20Ne.

Rate constants for the reaction $^{22}\mathrm{Ne}^{+}$${+}^{20}$Ne${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{20}$${\mathrm{Ne}}^{+}$${+}^{22}$Ne have been measured as a function of average center-of-mass kinetic energy (〈${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$〉) at each of three temperatures: 193, 296, and 464 K. The measurements were made in the range of 〈${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$〉 from 0.02 to 1 eV. The temperature dependence of the rate constant was determined for the first time and is of the form ${\mathit{T}}^{0.29}$. The rate constants measured as a function of 〈${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$〉 at the different temperatures depend only on 〈${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$〉 and not on experimental temperature for a given 〈${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}$〉, as expected. Measured reduced mobilities are also reported for $^{22}\mathrm{Ne}^{+}$ drifting in He. Classical trajectory calculations of the rate constants have been performed using the probability function of Rapp and Francis [J. Chem. Phys. 37, 2631 (1962)], and Dewangen [J. Phys. B 6, L20 (1973)] [as corrected by Gerlich (private communication)] as a function of internuclear separation. The theoretical rate constants are 10--30 % higher than the measured values.
Anionic Manganese meso-Tetraphenyl Porphine/Oligonucleotide Conjugates-Synthisis and Utilization in Chemiluminescent DNA-Probe Detection

The synthesis and application of oligodeoxynucleotides derivatized by the water soluble anionic manganese (III)- 5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tris-(-4-sulphonato-phebyl)-porphine complex are descri...
PIAS1 interacts with and represses SOX9 transactivation activity

SOX9 is a transcription factor that harbors a HMG box and plays critical roles in developmental processes including sex determination and chondrogenesis. Currently the regulation of its molecular activity is not well characterized. In the present study, we have identified PIAS1 as a regulator for SOX9 activity. Using the GST pull-down, co-immunoprecipitation, and co-localization methods in tissue culture cells and mouse embryonic tissues, we demonstrated that SOX9 interacts with PIAS1 in vitro and in vivo. PIAS1 enhanced the SUMOylation at lysine 396 of mouse SOX9. Mutant SOX9 with a conversion of lysine 396 to arginine had a distinct nuclear localization from SOX9 with covalently attached SUMO-1. Effects of SOX9 SUMOylation on its transcriptional activity were examined by reporter assays using Vanin-1 promoter and Col11a2 enhancer constructs. The lysine 396 to arginine conversion significantly increased the reporter gene activity, while covalent attachment of SUMO-1 to SOX9 by gene fusion dramatically compromised its transcriptional activity on the reporter gene. Effects of SOX9 interaction with PIAS1 on its transcriptional activity were examined by similar reporter assays. PIAS1 was able to repress both wild type SOX9 and SUMOylation-deficient SOX9-K396R, suggesting that SOX9 SUMOylation is not absolutely required for the repression by PIAS1. However, the repression was further enhanced by exogenous SUMO-1 while SUMO-ligase-deficient PIAS1 was not able to repress SOX9 activity. Thus, PIAS1 appears to repress SOX9 activity by at least two SUMO-ligase dependent mechanisms: (1) the SUMOylation of SOX9 and (2) SUMOylation of unknown factors associated with SOX9 and/or PIAS1. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 1446–1455, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Discretized Boltzmann equation: Lattice limit and non-Maxwellian gases

We continue the study of a discrete model of the Boltzmann equation, in which the spatial variable is replaced by a finite periodic lattice. Using a weak compactness criterion forL 1, the existence of a lattice limit as the lattice spacing tends to zero is proved. The case of unbounded collision kernels (non-Maxwellian gases) is also treated.
Inhibition of Prostaglandin-Induced Pulmonary Vasoconstriction by Organic Acid Transport Inhibitors

SummaryProbenecid and bromcresol green (BGr), reported to be PG transport inhibitors, were tested for their effectiveness in modifying the vasopressor responses of arachidonic acid (AA), an endoperoxide analogue, PGF2α, and norepinephrine in the isolated perfused canine lung lobe. Only the pulmonary pressor action of AA was blocked by pretreatment with indomethacin. Probenecid attenuated AA responses and blocked those of PGF2α, in a dose-related manner. BGr had no antagonistic activity against AA and inhibited PGF2α action by 50%. Probenecid and BGr appear to inhibit PGF2α, differently. Neither blocked the pressor action of the endoperoxide analogue, and neither attenuated the norepinephrine pressor action at PG inhibiting concentrations. The use of organic acid transport inhibitors represents a potentially useful approach in studying the mechanisms of action of AA and its metabolic products.
The Boomerang Protocol: Tying Data to Geographic Locations in Mobile Disconnected Networks

We present the boomerang protocol to efficiently retain information at a particular geographic location in a sparse network of highly mobile nodes without using infrastructure networks. To retain information around certain physical location, each mobile device passing that location will carry the information for a short while. This approach can become challenging for remote locations around which only few nodes pass by. To address this challenge, the boomerang protocol, similar to delay-tolerant communication, first allows a mobile node to carry packets away from their location of origin and periodically returns them to the anchor location. A unique feature of this protocol is that it records the geographical trajectory while moving away from the origin and exploits the recorded trajectory to optimize the return path. Simulations using automotive traffic traces for a southern New Jersey region show that the boomerang protocol improves packet return rate by 70 percent compared to a baseline shortest path routing protocol. This performance gain can become even more significant when the road map is less connected. Finally, we look at adaptive protocols that can return information within specified time limits.
Intergalactic and Extended Atomic Gas

Observational results are discussed on the properties of the diffuse atomic gas in the outer parts of galaxies and between galaxies. In the local universe, no H I in emission is found at column densities less than about 1019 cm-2, possibly because the lower column density gas is mostly ionized. The presence of large gas reservoirs around galaxies strongly depends on the environment that they are in. Galaxies with low-surfacebrightness, huge H I disks are found in very low density environments. In small groups, merging and interacting galaxies are often surrounded by large H I envelopes and many gas-rich dwarfs. Results of unbiased searches directly in the H I line are presented, both at z = 0 and z = 3.3. At low redshift, H I rich dwarf galaxies follow the structure as defined by the bright galaxies. The data leave no room for a substantial population of H I dwarfs or gas-rich, low surface brightness giants that could have been missed by optical catalogs. Few, if any, large neutral structures seem to have survived at redshifts z ≈ 3.3, although a tentative detection of a possible pancake is reported. H I imaging results of quasar — galaxy pairs shows that at least the nearby metal absorbers arise in the outskirts of tidally disturbed galaxies. A sensitive search for H I emission from the vicinity of nearby Lya clouds failed to detect any H I.
Cholesterol binding to ion channels

Numerous studies demonstrated that membrane cholesterol is a major regulator of ion channel function. The goal of this review is to discuss significant advances that have been recently achieved in elucidating the mechanisms responsible for cholesterol regulation of ion channels. The first major insight that comes from growing number of studies that based on the sterol specificity of cholesterol effects, show that several types of ion channels (nAChR, Kir, BK, TRPV) are regulated by specific sterol-protein interactions. This conclusion is supported by demonstrating direct saturable binding of cholesterol to a bacterial Kir channel. The second major advance in the field is the identification of putative cholesterol binding sites in several types of ion channels. These include sites at locations associated with the well-known cholesterol binding motif CRAC and its reversed form CARC in nAChR, BK, and TRPV, as well as novel cholesterol binding regions in Kir channels. Notably, in the majority of these channels, cholesterol is suggested to interact mainly with hydrophobic residues in non-annular regions of the channels being embedded in between transmembrane protein helices. We also discuss how identification of putative cholesterol binding sites is an essential step to understand the mechanistic basis of cholesterol-induced channel regulation. Clearly, however, these are only the first few steps in obtaining a general understanding of cholesterol-ion channels interactions and their roles in cellular and organ functions.
Divide and conquer: When and why leaders undermine the cohesive fabric of their group.

Cohesion, cooperation, and the formation of positive bonds among group members are key processes that facilitate effective group functioning. Consequently, group leaders usually work to enhance the positive social bonds among group members to facilitate cooperation and group cohesion. The present research suggests, however, that leaders sometimes are motivated to generate divisions—not cooperation—among their subordinates. Although such divisions may undermine group functioning, they can also serve as a means of protecting the leader’s own power. Four experiments supported the hypothesis that, when they perceive their power to be threatened, leaders create divisions among their subordinates in order to protect their power and reduce threats posed by potential alliances among those subordinates. Leaders restricted the amount of communication among subordinates (Experiment 1), physically sequestered subordinates (Experiment 2), and prevented subordinates from bonding with one another interpersonally (Experiments 3 and 4). Those behaviors were observed only among dominance-motivated leaders (not prestige-motivated leaders), and were directed only toward highly skilled (and thus highly threatening) subordinates. Consistent with the hypothesis that leaders’ behavior was driven by a desire to protect their power, the tendency to prevent in-group bonding was eliminated when leaders were assured that their power could not be lost (Experiment 4). These results shed light on factors that may undermine positive social processes within groups.
Fish oil for treatment of hypertriglyceridemia in HIV infection: fish or foul?

activity, fructose in the diet, alcohol, diabetes, and genes [2]. The additive or synergistic effects of these factors often make treatment of hypertriglyceridemia a challenge in the HIV-uninfected patient. That is compounded in the HIV-infected patient. Fasting triglyceride levels of 1500 mg/
SMAD4 protein binds to VEGF promoter after adenoviral restoration in SMAD4-null human pancreatic cancer cells but fails to alter VEGF production

Abstract Reports have linked the absence of functional SMAD4 protein in pancreatic cancer to a pro-angiogenic phenotype including increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production. Restoration of wild-type SMAD4 (via adenoviral vector AdSmad4) to SMAD4-null pancreatic cancer cells inhibits growth in vivo, and it has been suggested that VEGF is negatively regulated by SMAD4 through transcription control. Based upon this evidence, we hypothesized that if SMAD4 protein is restored to SMAD4-null human pancreatic cancer cells, it will negatively affect the transcription and secretion of VEGF. Methods. Human pancreatic cancer cells (Capan-1) with an inactivating Smad4 gene mutation were grown in culture and used for all experiments. RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation with an anti-SMAD4 antibody were used to measure gene and protein levels 24 and 48 h after cell exposure to AdSmad4 at 25, 50, and 100 multiplicity of infection (MOI). Oligonucleotide constructs of the VEGF promoter region that harbor a SMAD binding element (SBE) were synthesized and labeled, and electromobility shift assay (EMSA) was performed using control oligonucleotides designed to determine the specificity of SMAD4 binding to the VEGF promoter site. VEGF message and protein production from Capan-1 cells 24 and 48 h after AdSmad4 exposure was measured by using RT-PCR and ELISA of conditioned media. VEGF experiments were performed using cells cultured in standard or hypoxic conditions (cobalt chloride). Results. At increasing AdSmad4 MOI, Capan-1 cells expressed increasing levels of Smad4 message and protein when measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting; however, immunoprecipitation identified that restored SMAD4 protein levels were persistently lower than SMAD4-wild type control cells. EMSA identified specific binding of restored SMAD4 to the SBE located within the VEGF promoter site even after exposure to 25 MOI. In Capan-1 cells the baseline expression of VEGF was 1900 pg/ml and did not increase in hypoxic conditions. At 24 and 48 h after SMAD4 restoration, using AdSmad4 at increasing MOI, VEGF levels did not change significantly from baseline in either standard or hypoxic culture conditions. Conclusions. These studies identified that after AdSmad4 is exposed to Smad4-null human pancreatic cancer cells, the restored SMAD4 binds to the VEGF promoter region. This binding, however, does not affect a change in VEGF production. This suggests that other altered signaling and transcription control mechanisms (eg, oncogenic ras) could render the restored SMAD4 protein ineffective and induce high VEGF production.
Christ as Culture 1: Christ as Polity

: Standard definitions of culture demand that we understand the church as a culture. However, if the church is the body of Christ in the world, then Christ is a culture. This recognition can be understood through the doctrine of the totus Christus, and offers a way of understanding the relation of Christ to Israel in the scriptural narrative. It also illuminates, variously, the practice of intercessory prayer and the question of ‘church–state’ relations.
Supporting nondeterministic execution in fault-tolerant systems

We present a technique to track nondeterminism resulting from asynchronous events and multithreading in log-based rollback-recovery protocols. This technique relies on using a software counter to compute the number of instructions between nondeterministic events in normal operation. Should a failure occur, the instruction counts are used to force the replay of these events at the same execution points. The execution of the application thus can be replayed to recreate the pre-failure state, while accommodating uncontrolled nondeterminism during normal operation. Implementation on a DEC Alpha processor shows that this support has a low overhead, typically less than 6% increase in running time for the applications we studied.
Solubility of Pyrene in Ternary Propanol + Butanol + Cyclohexane Solvent Mixtures at 299.15 K

Solubility of pyrene in ternary propanol + butanol + cyclohexane solvent mixtures at 299.15 K.
Pleistocene origin and population history of a neoendemic alpine butterfly.

Alpine environments underwent dramatic transformation during glacial-interglacial cycles, with the consequence that geographical, ecological and demographic changes of alpine populations provided the opportunity for formation of neoendemic species. Several biogeographical models have been proposed to account for the unique history of alpine populations, with different expectations of genetic divergence and speciation. The expanding alpine archipelago model proposes that alpine populations expand spatially and demographically during glacial events, dispersing between mountain ranges. Under this model, alpine populations are unlikely to diverge in isolation due to substantial interpopulation gene flow. In contrast, the alpine archipelago refuge model proposes that gene flow during glacial phases is limited and populations expand demographically during interglacial phases, increasing genetic isolation and the likelihood of speciation. We assess these models by reconstructing the evolutionary history of Colias behrii, a morphologically and ecologically distinct alpine butterfly restricted to the California Sierra Nevada. C. behrii exhibits very low genetic diversity at mitochondrial and nuclear loci, limited population structure and evidence of population expansion. C. behrii and Rocky Mountain C. meadii share identical mitochondrial haplotypes, while in contrast, nuclear data indicate common ancestry between C. behrii and Cascades Range Colias pelidne. The conflict in gene genealogies may be a result of recent expansion in North American Colias, but an isolation with migration analysis indicates that genetic patterns in C. behrii might result from differential introgression following hybridization. Based on the timing of population expansion and gene flow between mountain ranges, the expanding alpine archipelago model is supported in C. behrii.
Centralization in Female Organizations: Reassessing the Evidence

This analysis examines the argument sometimes made that female predominance in complex organizations encourages centralization. Because of the attitudes and values as well as non-work commitments of women the organizations in which they participate, it is maintained, have limited staff involvement in the decision making process. But additional studies on work attitudes and labor force turnover suggest that sex may not have any significant influence on centralization. The paper suggests that the problem deserves more systematic study than thus far has been undertaken.
Trends Among Honors College Students: An Analysis by Year in School

This study sought to determine whether honors college students differed with regards to academic achievement, academic self-concept, general self-concept, educational aspirations, and career aspira...
Mental health needs and service utilization by Hispanic immigrants residing in mid-southern United States.

Purpose: This study assessed mental health needs and service utilization patterns in a convenience sample of Hispanic immigrants. Design and Method: A total of 84 adult Hispanic participants completed a structured diagnostic interview and a semistructured service utilization interview with trained bilingual research assistants. Results: In the sample, 36% met diagnostic criteria for at least one mental disorder. Although 42% of the sample saw a physician in the prior year, mental health services were being rendered primarily by religious leaders. The most common barriers to service utilization were cost (59%), lack of health insurance (35%), and language (31%). Although more women than men met criteria for a disorder, service utilization rates were comparable. Participants with a mental disorder were significantly more likely to have sought medical, but not psychiatric, services in the prior year and faced significantly more cost barriers than participants without a mental disorder. Conclusions: Findings ...
The influence of phenylethynyl linkers on the photo-physical properties of metal-free porphyrins

Series of 5,10,15,20-tetraarylporphyrins 1 and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(arylethynyl)phenyl]porphyrins 2 were prepared via condensation of pyrrole with the appropriate benzaldehyde or 4-(arylethynyl)benzaldehyde derivative (3). Condensation of meso-phenyldipyrromethane with mixtures of benzaldehyde and 4-(trimethylsilyl-ethynyl)benzaldehyde gave a separable mixture of mono- (6), bis- (both cis-7 and trans-8) and tris[4-(trimethylsilylethynyl)phenyl]porphyrin (9). Following removal of the trimethylsilyl groups of 6–9, the 4-ethynylphenyl groups of 11–14 were coupled to 1-iodo-3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)benzene with Pd(OAc)2 to give 15–18 bearing one, two (both cis- and trans-) and three 4-[bis-3,5-(trifluoromethyl)phenylethynyl]phenyl groups respectively. Coupling of 11 and 1-iodo-4-nitrobenzene with Pd(OAc)2 gave porphyrin 19 with one 4-(4-nitrophenylethynyl)phenyl group. Porphyrin 24 with a p-quinone linked to the porphyrin core via a phenylethynyl group was prepared via similar chemistry. The absorbance spectra, emission maxima, excited-state fluorescence lifetimes, quantum yields of fluorescence, rates of fluorescence and rates of non-radiative decay were measured for each of the porphyrins. Absorbance spectra and emission maxima were nearly identical for all the porphyrins of this study, which suggests that the aryl groups and 4-(arylethynyl)phenyl groups are not strongly coupled to the porphyrin core in these metal-free compounds. Fluorescence quantum yields and rates of radiative decay were larger for porphyrins bearing 4-(arylethynyl)phenyl groups, while excited-state fluorescence lifetimes were somewhat shorter. These effects were additive for each additional 4-(arylethynyl)phenyl group.
Attitudes of the Critically III Toward Prolonging Life: The Role of Social Support

Desires to prolong life were investigated in a hospitalized sample of 212 persons over age 50 whose illnesses were severe and who had an average life expectancy of six to twelve months. The importance of social support was emphasized in defining the context in which the stressors of unfinished business and fear of death prompted desires to prolong life. Interactions existed in predicting desires for prolonging life based on ethnicity and whether respondents did or did not have sustained family contact. Family contact and salience increased the desire to live longer for African Americans, but not for Whites.
Increasing and Declining Populations of Northern Bobwhites Inhabit Different Types of Landscapes

Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have been declining in abundance throughout their range for several decades, and perhaps a century. Although wildlife biologists are well aware of this trend, most attempts to understand the declines have examined only a few local populations in a limited geographic area or have examined declines at a very large scale without reference to specific populations. Few studies use a standard protocol for examining trends in local populations throughout the entire natural range of bobwhites. I used the National Resources Inventory, a geographically extensive and intensive database on land cover and use, to characterize the composition and heterogeneity of landscapes inhabited by bobwhite populations that have been increasing (43 populations), decreasing (468), or become locally extinct (28). I tested bobwhite populations for overall positive or negative change, over the past 10 years or more, using data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and a randomization test that controls for observer effects. Landscapes occupied by increasing and decreasing populations were, on average, different from one another in composition but not heterogeneity. As predicted, landscapes of decreasing populations tended to have a greater percentage of nonuseable land (e.g., urban and forestland) and a lesser percentage of useable land (e.g., cropland, pastures, and rangeland) as compared to landscapes where bobwhites actually increased. Moreover, landscapes where bobwhites had recently become extinct were different from those where bobwhites were only declining. In particular, a very large percentage of urban land characterized the landscapes of extinct populations. To some extent, landscapes of large (above average) and small (below average) populations also differed as predicted. The results do not point to a single universal explanation for bobwhite declines, but they do clearly show that declining populations inhabit local landscapes that, on average, are very different from those occupied by increasing populations. This knowledge may assist quail biologists and land managers to recognize the general type of landscape where the restoration of bobwhites may be most successful and where extant populations may be most threatened.