cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions between the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) and retinoic acid signal transduction pathways in murine embryonic palatal cells

Regulation of expression of transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF-β3) and the cellular retinoic acid-binding proteins-I and II (CRABP-I, -II) by retinoic acid (RA) and TGF-β was examined in primary cultures of murine embryonic palate mesenchymal (MEPM) cells. Northern blot hybridization revealed that RA and TGF-β1, β2 and β3 stimulated the expression of TGF-β3 mRNA within 24 hours of treatment. RA down-regulated the expression of CRABP-I mRNA and up-regulated the expression of CRABP-II mRNA in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. TGF-β1, β2 and β3 also down-regulated the expression of CRABP-I mRNA, while epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α) were without effect. TGF-β1 also stimulated a dose-dependent increase in the expression of CRABP-II mRNA. Again EGF and TGF-α were without effect. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) elicited a slight inhibitory effect on CRABP-II and a slight stimulatory effect on CRABP-I mRNA expression. Thus, cells derived from the mammalian developing palate express CRABP-I and CRABP-II mRNAs, both of which may be regulated by RA and TGF-β. These data constitute the first demonstration of an effect of TGF-β on the expression of CRABP-I and CRABP-II and provide further evidence for cross-talk between RA and TGF-β signal transduction pathways.
Parallelization of the Hoshen-Kopelman Algorithm Using a Finite State Machine

In applications such as landscape ecology, computer mod eling is used to assess habitat fragmentation and its ecological implications. Maps two-dimensional grids of habitat clusters or patches are analyzed to determine the number, location, and sizes of clusters. Recently, improved sequential and parallel implementations of the Hoshen- Kopelman cluster identification algorithm have been designed. These implementations use a finite state ma chine to reduce redundant integer comparisons during the cluster identification process. The sequential implementa tion for large maps performs cluster identification by par titioning the map along row boundaries and merging the results of the partitions. The parallel implementation on a 32-processor Thinking Machines CM-5 provides an effi cient mechanism for performing cluster identification in parallel. Although the sequential implementation achieved promising speed improvements ranging from 1.39 to 2.00 over an existing Hoshen-Kopelman implementation, the parallel implementation achieved a minimum speedup of 5.41 over the improved sequential implementation, exe cuted on a Sun SPARCstation 10.
Characterization of Frost Susceptibility of Soils by Mercury Porosimetry

Abstract Mercury porosimetry is described as a method for rapid and detailed prediction of the water-ice phase fraction in porous media. The mercury volume-intrusion pressure approximates the functional dependence of the ice volume-temperature curve in the range most important for frost heave, i.e., within a few degrees of the transition. The method was tested by comparing porosimetry-based predicted freezing curves against direct measurements of the ice-water ratio by time domain reflectometry, for several types of artificial powders and natural soils. The technique includes a simple method of correction for the effects of solutes in the dilute range. Except for compression effects produced in powders of very fine particles, the soil freezing curve (SFC) predicted on the basis of mercury porosimetry is found to be in very good agreement with the directly measured freezing curves.
Packing constraints and electrostatic surface potentials determine transmembrane asymmetry of phosphatidylethanol

The energetic determinants of the distribution of anionic phospholipids across a phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) bilayer with different packing constraints in the two leaflets were studied, using (13)CH2-ethyl-labeled phosphatidylethanol (PtdEth) as a (13)C NMR membrane probe. PtdEth is unique in exhibiting a split (13)CH2-ethyl resonance in sonicated vesicles, the two components originating from the inner and outer leaflets, thus permitting the determination of the PtdEth concentration in each leaflet. Small and large unilamellar PtdEth-PtdCho vesicles were prepared in solutions of different ionic strengths. A quantitative expression for the transbilayer distribution of PtdEth, based on the balance between steric and electrostatic factors, was derived. The transbilayer difference in packing constraints was obtained from the magnitude of the PtdEth signal splitting. The electrostatic contribution could be satisfactorily described by the transmembrane difference in Gouy-Chapman surface potentials. At low (0.1–0.25%) PtdEth levels and high (up to 500 mM) salt concentrations, PtdEth had a marked fivefold preference for the inner leaflet, presumably because of its small headgroup, which favors tighter packing. At higher PtdEth content (4.8–9.1%) and low salt concentrations, where electrostatic repulsion becomes a dominant factor, the asymmetry was markedly reduced and an almost even distribution across the bilayer was obtained. In less curved, large vesicles, where packing constraints in the two leaflets are approximately the same, the PtdEth distribution was almost symmetrical. This study is the first quantitative analysis of the balance between steric and electrostatic factors that determines the equilibrium transbilayer distribution of charged membrane constituents.
Respiratory infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children with cystic fibrosis: early detection by serology and assessment of risk factors.

Context Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are susceptible to lower respiratory tract infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and typically acquire this organism in early childhood. Once P aeruginosa infection is established, eradication may be impossible, and progressive lung disease often aggravates morbidity and mortality risks. The abil- ity to diagnose CF by genetic testing at birth makes it possible to determine the tem- poral sequence of events that result in P aeruginosa-associated pulmonary infections. Objective To evaluate the longitudinal relationship between the production of an antibody response against P aeruginosa and clinical factors associated with P aerugi- nosa pulmonary infections in patients with CF diagnosed in early life.
BeetleBase in 2010: revisions to provide comprehensive genomic information for Tribolium castaneum

BeetleBase (http://www.beetlebase.org) has been updated to provide more comprehensive genomic information for the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. The database contains genomic sequence scaffolds mapped to 10 linkage groups (genome assembly release Tcas_3.0), genetic linkage maps, the official gene set, Reference Sequences from NCBI (RefSeq), predicted gene models, ESTs and whole-genome tiling array data representing several developmental stages. The database was reconstructed using the upgraded Generic Model Organism Database (GMOD) modules. The genomic data is stored in a PostgreSQL relatational database using the Chado schema and visualized as tracks in GBrowse. The updated genetic map is visualized using the comparative genetic map viewer CMAP. To enhance the database search capabilities, the BLAST and BLAT search tools have been integrated with the GMOD tools. BeetleBase serves as a long-term repository for Tribolium genomic data, and is compatible with other model organism databases.
Determining Lane Use Distributions Using Basic Freeway Segment Density Measures

Lane use distribution is a useful factor in understanding the lane-by-lane variations of speed and volume on freeways. The most common lane distribution measure has been traffic volume. However, because travel speed from two conditions—congested and uncongested—corresponds to one traffic volume, this measure may provide a misleading or inaccurate assessment. This study used density measures to uniquely match traffic conditions (e.g., congestion level) and investigated lane use distributions in 2-, 3-, and 4-lane basic segments of freeways. In addition to the lane use distributions under uncongested to transition conditions, which has been addressed by previous research efforts, this study investigated lane use distributions under transition to congested conditions. A series of regression models was developed to predict lane use distributions of individual lanes that could provide information for monitoring traffic conditions and possibly predict when and how traffic breakdown would occur from a given cond...
Specific protection against breast cancers by cyclin D1 ablation

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. Most of these cancers overexpress cyclin D1, a component of the core cell-cycle machinery. We previously generated mice lacking cyclin D1 using gene targeting. Here we report that these cyclin D1-deficient mice are resistant to breast cancers induced by the neu and ras oncogenes. However, animals lacking cyclin D1 remain fully sensitive to other oncogenic pathways of the mammary epithelium, such as those driven by c-myc or Wnt-1. Our analyses revealed that, in mammary epithelial cells, the Neu-Ras pathway is connected to the cell-cycle machinery by cyclin D1, explaining the absolute dependency on cyclin D1 for malignant transformation in this tissue. Our results suggest that an anti-cyclin D1 therapy might be highly specific in treating human breast cancers with activated Neu-Ras pathways.
Underlying Cause(s) of Letter Perseveration Errors

Perseverations, the inappropriate intrusion of elements from a previous response into a current response, are commonly observed in individuals with acquired deficits. This study specifically investigates the contribution of failure-to activate and failure-to-inhibit deficit(s) in the generation of letter perseveration errors in acquired dysgraphia. We provide evidence from the performance 12 dysgraphic individuals indicating that a failure to activate graphemes for a target word gives rise to letter perseveration errors. In addition, we also provide evidence that, in some individuals, a failure-to-inhibit deficit may also contribute to the production of perseveration errors.
Pollution prevention: The U.S. experience

The article summarizes selected pollution prevention activities and programs at the U.S. EPA, within the private sector, and within various state governments during the period 1988 through 1995 when interest in pollution prevention has been on the rise in the U.S. Included are discussions of various voluntary programs such as the 33/50 Program and the Green Lights Program supported by the EPA. A list of EPA P2 manuals and reports available to the public is included.
Artificial intelligence on the body, in the home, and beyond

The last few years have seen remarkable advances in the fields of body area networks and pervasive computing. These technologies generate large volumes of data that need to be processed, reasoned about, and acted upon. In this paper, we review the role that artificial intelligence plays in meeting this need and provide an overview of AI research projects that are making use or enhancing these technologies.
Commentary on “Three Years Clinical Experience With Intestinal Transplantation” and the Nutritional Implications

Background: After the successful evolution of hepatic transplantation during the last decade, small bowel and multivisceral transplantation remains the sole elusive achievement for the next era of transplant surgeons. Until recently, and for the last thirty years, the results of the sporadic attempts of intestinal transplantation worldwide were discouraging because of unsatisfactory graft and patient survival. The experimental and clinical demonstration of the superior therapeutic efficacy of FK 506, a new immunosuppressive drug, ushered in the current era of small bowel and multivisceral transplantation with initial promising results.Study Design: Forty-three consecutive patients with short bowel syndrome, intestinal insufficiency, or malignant tumors with or without associated liver disease, were given intestinal (n = 15), hepatic and intestinal (n = 21), or multivisceral allografts that contained four or more organs (n = 7). Treatment was with FK 506-based immunosuppression. The ascending and right tra...
COCA: A Contract-Based Infrastructure for Composing Adaptive Multimedia Systems

Achieving acceptable quality of service in highly dynamic computing environments requires not only adaptation and reconfiguration of individual components of the system, but also collaboration among these components. To address these issues in adaptive multimedia applications, we propose COCA, a contract-based collaborative adaptation infrastructure. COCA uses contract specifications to describe the relationships among different system components, to generate code that realizes adaptive functionality, and to govern system-wide adaptive behavior during execution. COCA also provides a set of reusable adaptation services that enable legacy components to be integrated into an adaptive system. We demonstrate the use of COCA to construct an adaptive multimedia conferencing system from a collection of existing components that were not originally designed for interoperation.
Effects of Temperature on Captive-Bred Devils River Minnows

Abstract Twelve pairs of captive-bred Devils River minnows, Dionda diaboli, were each held at 21, 24, and 27°C, as were a total of 236 of their offspring, for ≤252 days to test the effects of temperature on survival, growth, and reproduction. We found no significant difference in survival. Growth rate (millimeters per day) for adults was about two times higher at 21°C than at 24 or 27°C while, for offspring, it was significantly higher at 21 and 24°C than at 27°C. The weekly number of reproductions (per pair per week, 0 or 1) was significantly higher for fish held at 24°C than for fish held at 21 or 27°C. These results further support the importance of flow of springs as a necessary component for survival of this federally threatened species.
Knowledge of New English vocabulary in amnesia: an examination of premorbidly acquired semantic memory

To assess if amnesics have intact remote memory for general semantic information, we examined memory for vocabulary words with known dates of entry into the language between 1955 and 1989. Amnesics of mixed etiology with acute onset performed normally on both a recall and a recognition task. Korsakoff patients, in contrast, were impaired on both tasks and demonstrated a gradient such that their knowledge of words acquired during more recent time periods was worse than that of words acquired during more remote time periods. The improvement in performance associated with recognition testing was larger for Korsakoff patients than for control subjects and correlated significantly with a composite measure of frontal dysfunction. These findings suggest a deficit in the controlled search and retrieval of semantic information in Korsakoff patients. The implications of the differential performance of Korsakoff and mixed etiology amnesics for explanations of temporally graded retrograde amnesia are discussed.
Scalable security for large, high performance storage systems

New designs for petabyte-scale storage systems are now capable of transferring hundreds of gigabytes of data per second, but lack strong security. We propose a scalable and efficient protocol for security in high performance, object-based storage systems that reduces protocol overhead and eliminates bottlenecks, thus increasing performance without sacrificing security primitives. Our protocol enforces security using cryptographically secure capabilities, with three novel features that make them ideal for high performance workloads: a scheme for managing coarse grained capabilities, methods for describing client and file groups, and strict security control through capability lifetime extensions. By reducing the number of unique capabilities that must be generated, metadata server load is reduced. Combining and caching client verifications reduces client latencies and workload because metadata and data requests are more frequently serviced by cached capabilities. Strict access control is handled quickly and efficiently through short-lived capabilities and lifetime extensions.We have implemented a prototype of our security protocol and evaluated its performance and scalability using a high performance file system workload. Our numbers demonstrate the ability of our protocol to drastically reduce client security latency to nearly zero. Additionally, our approach improves MDS performance considerably, serving over 99% of all file access requests with cached capabilities. OSD scalability is greatly improved; our solution requires 95 times fewer capability verifications than previous solutions.
Mobile HCI 2004: Experience and Reflection

Mobile HCI is rapidly becoming one of the prime conferences on human-computer interaction with mobile technology. Its sixth edition took place on 13-16 September in Glasgow, where it originated in 1998. The conference, chaired by Mark Dunlop (University of Strathclyde) and Stephen Brewster (Glasgow University), gathered a heterogeneous group of academics and practitioners that has acquired a unique identity over the past five years. This year's contributions highlighted four research areas: evaluation methods and techniques, context-adaptive systems (including user adaptation, location technology, and power management), the tension between experience and reflection, and interaction styles (auditory, small-display presentation, tilt and touch input, and text entry).
Automatic identification of user goals in Web search

There has been recent interests in studying the "goal" behind a user's Web query, so that this goal can be used to improve the quality of a search engine's results. Previous studies have mainly focused on using manual query-log investigation to identify Web query goals. In this paper we study whether and how we can automate this goal-identification process. We first present our results from a human subject study that strongly indicate the feasibility of automatic query-goal identification. We then propose two types of features for the goal-identification task: user-click behavior and anchor-link distribution. Our experimental evaluation shows that by combining these features we can correctly identify the goals for 90% of the queries studied.
Classification of the Dubins set

Abstract Given two points in a plane, each with a prescribed direction of motion in it, the question being asked is to find the shortest smooth path of bounded curvature that joins them. The classical 1957 result by Dubins gives a sufficient set of paths (each consisting of circular arcs and straight line segments) which always contains the shortest path. The latter is then found by explicitly computing all paths on the list and then comparing them. This may become a problem in applications where computation time is critical, such as in real-time robot motion planning. Instead, the logical classification scheme considered in this work allows one to extract the shortest path from the Dubins set directly, without explicitly calculating the candidate paths. The approach is demonstrated on one of two possible cases that appear here — when the distance between the two points is relatively large (the case with short distances can be treated similarly). Besides computational savings, this result sheds light on the nature of factors affecting the length of paths in the Dubins problem, and is useful for further extensions, e.g. for finding the shortest path between a point and a manifold in the corresponding configuration space.
Ethical Issues in Occupational Social Work

Social work practice in work settings, particularly employee assistance programs has experienced substantial growth over the past decade. With this growth comes a number of practice issues related to the professional conduct of social workers in work based social programs and the impact these programs have on public social services. Other relevant issues are client self-determination and degree of confidentiality. This paper clarifies these issues and also identifies potential policy and economic implications for social work practitioners and the profession.
Working Out Back: The Veterinary Technician and “Dirty Work”

Based on three years of ethnographic research in a large, mixed-practice veterinary hospital and semistructured interviews with twenty-two veterinary technicians, this discussion focuses on the work of veterinary technicians, which is, as described by Everett Hughes (1984, 343), “physically disgusting,” “a symbol of degradation,” and “wound(ing to) one’s dignity.” The article briefly describes the vet tech’s career and work activities. The discussion then focuses on how technicians regard and deal with the least appealing of their physical and emotional tasks. Here I emphasize the compensatory role played by the relationships and encounters with nonhuman animals that are central to their work life. The article concludes with an examination of the concept of dirty work and the relationship between dirty work and identity.
Review of Theories of Scattering of Elastic Waves by Cracks

Abmuct-The detection of cracks with the aid of ultrasonics is an important nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique. The corresponding theoretical problem of the scattering of elastic waves by cracks has alsu been studied by scientists working in many different fields. Contributions to our knowledge of the subject have come from such diverse areas as geophysics, applied mathematics, electrical engineering, and continuum mechanics. Many of the results obtained by workers in those fields are also of interest to the NDE community and for that reason a review is presented here of current results and profitable directions for future research.
Biotransformation of the Antiretroviral Drug Etravirine: Metabolite Identification, Reaction Phenotyping, and Characterization of Autoinduction of Cytochrome P450-Dependent Metabolism

Etravirine (ETR) is a second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor prescribed for the treatment of HIV-1. By using human liver microsomes (HLMs), cDNA-expressed cytochromes P450 (P450s), and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), the routes of ETR metabolism were defined. Incubations with cDNA-expressed P450 isozymes and chemical inhibition studies using HLMs indicated that CYP2C19 is primarily responsible for the formation of both the major monohydroxylated and dihydroxylated metabolites of ETR. Tandem mass spectrometry suggested that these metabolites were produced via monomethylhydroxylation and dimethylhydroxylation of the dimethylbenzonitrile moiety. Formation of these monohydroxy and dihydroxy metabolites was decreased by 75 and 100%, respectively, in assays performed using HLMs that were genotyped as homozygous for the loss-of-function CYP2C19*2 allele compared with formation by HLMs genotyped as CYP2C19*1/*1. Two monohydroxylated metabolites of lower abundance were formed by CYP3A4, and interestingly, although CYP2C9 showed no activity toward the parent compound, this enzyme appeared to act in concert with CYP3A4 to form two minor dihydroxylated products of ETR. UGT1A3 and UGT1A8 were demonstrated to glucuronidate a CYP3A4-dependent monohydroxylated product. In addition, treatment of primary human hepatocytes with ETR resulted in 3.2-, 5.2-, 11.8-, and 17.9-fold increases in CYP3A4 mRNA levels 6, 12, 24, and 72 h after treatment. The presence of the pregnane X receptor antagonist sulforaphane blocked the ETR-mediated increase in CYP3A4 mRNA expression. Taken together, these data suggest that ETR and ETR metabolites are substrates of CYP2C19, CYP3A4, CYP2C9, UGT1A3, and UGT1A8 and that ETR is a PXR-dependent modulator of CYP3A4 mRNA levels.
An ICI-free synchronization algorithm in MIMOOFDM system

This paper presents a time-frequency synchronization algorithm in MIMO-OFDM system based on the special known preamble symbol. Due to the high date rate in next generation system, the synchronization performance is affected by multipath channel. In the paper, the IFFT characteristic of some special code is applied in order to remove the affection partially or completely. The detail synchronization procedure is presented in detail. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the estimator is robust in the wireless channel and can estimate the timing error and frequency offset of the system accurately. Moreover, the algorithm can be implemented in the real system simply
Extracting concurrency from objects: a methodology

Whereas a number of semantics-based concurrency control schemes for objector~ented systems haue been proposed in the literature, each scheme has approached the issue jrom fairly narrow considerations. In this paper, we have made an @Ort to di8coveT, jTom .l%st principles, the natuTe oj concurrency semantics inherent in objects. Towards this end, we identify the dimensions along which object and opeTatzon semantics can be modeled. These dimensions are then used to classify and unify existing semantic-based concurrency control schemes. To formalize thig classification, we pTopose a gTaph representation for objects that can be derived .fTom the abstract specification o.f an object, Based on thz8 Tepvesentatzon, which helps to identify the semantic information inherent in an object, we propose a methodology that shows how varioru semantic notions applicable to concurrency control can be etiectively combined to improve concurrency. In this process, we identijy and exploit a new souTce of semantic information, namely, the oTde?ing among component objects, to further enhance concurrency. Lastly, we present a gcheme, based on this methodology, foT deriving compatibility tables fo~ oper-ations on objects.
Short-term leptin treatment increases fatty acids uptake and oxidation in muscle of high fat-fed rats.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of short-term (10 days) leptin treatment on insulin sensitivity as it pertains to fatty acid (FA) uptake, oxidation, and muscle triglyceride (mTG) synthesis in animals that have been administered a high-fat (HF) diet for 3 months. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups. One group was fed a control diet (CON) and 3 groups were fed a HF diet. The HF and HF-leptin (HF-LEP) groups were fed the HF diet ad libitum and the amount of food eaten by the HF–pair fed (HF-P) group was equal to that of the HF-LEP group. At the end of the dietary period, rats were injected daily either with saline (CON, HF, HF-P) or with leptin (HF-LEP; 10 mg · kg −1 · d −1 ) for 10 days before hindlimb perfusion. The perfusate contained 600 μ mol/L palmitate traced with [ 14 C]palmitate, 9 mmol/L glucose, and 100 μ U/mL insulin. As dictated by the protocol, energy expenditure was not significantly different ( P > .05) between HF-LEP and HF-P. Palmitate uptake and oxidation as well as mTG synthesis were greater ( P −1 · g −1 ) than in CON (8.0 ± 0.4, 1.4 ± 0.1, and 1.1 ± 0.1 nmol · min −1 · g −1 ) and this was associated with higher levels of mTG in HF. Palmitate uptake and oxidation were higher ( P −1 · g −1 ) than in HF-P (8.3 ± 0.5 and 1.5 ± 0.2 nmol · min −1 · g −1 , P P > .05). High-fat feeding decreased glucose uptake by 41% when compared with CON (2.4 ± 0.4 vs 4.1 ± 0.4 μ mol · h −1 · g −1 ; P μ mol · h −1 · g −1 ) or leptin treatment (3.8 ± 0.3 μ mol · h −1 · g −1 ) similarly prevented the HF diet–induced decrease in glucose uptake. These data indicate that short-term leptin treatment in HF-fed rats alters muscle FA metabolism by increasing FA uptake and oxidation relative to pair feeding alone. This results in a decrease in the FA esterification-oxidation ratio.
Scheduling Hybrid Flow Shop for Minimizing Total Weight Completion Time

Hybrid flow shop scheduling problems are quite common in process industries. In this paper we study the hybrid flow shop (HFS) problem with parallel identical machines at each stage. The objective is to minimize the total weighted completion times of the jobs. We formulate the problem as an integer programming formulation. Since the problem has proven to be NP-hard, an algorithm based on tabu search with specific neighborhoods is proposed. For hybrid flow shop scheduling problem, the schedule on the first stage have great influences on the result. Taking this character into consideration, in our algorithm each iteration consists of two steps, large scope search and deep search. The purpose in the first step is to search more extensively the neighborhood by modifying schedule of the first stage only, and in the second step the algorithm aims to intensify the search in a certain region where the schedule of the first stage is fixed. The algorithm is computationally compared with the lower bound provided by a Lagrangian relaxation algorithm. It is shown that the algorithm can perform well on test problems up to 50 jobs.
TopicFlow Model: Unsupervised Learning of Topic-specific Influences of Hyperlinked Documents

Popular algorithms for modeling the influence of entities in networked data, such as PageRank, work by analyzing the hyperlink structure, but ignore the contents of documents. However, often times, influence is topic dependent, e.g., a web page of high influence in politics may be an unknown entity in sports. We design a new model called TopicFlow, which combines ideas from network flow and topic modeling, to learn this notion of topic specific influences of hyperlinked documents in a completely unsupervised fashion. On the task of citation recommendation, which is an instance of capturing influence, the TopicFlow model, when combined with TF-IDF based cosine similarity, outperforms several competitive baselines by as much as 11.8%. Our empirical study of the model’s output on ACL corpus demonstrates its ability to identify topically influential documents. The TopicFlow model is also competitive with the state-of-theart Relational Topic Models in predicting the likelihood of unseen text on two different data sets. Due to its ability to learn topic-specific flows across each hyperlink, the TopicFlow model can be a powerful visualization tool to track the diffusion of topics across a citation network.
A National Survey of United States Sexually Violent Person Legislation: Policy, Procedures, and Practice

Sexually Violent Person (SVP) commitment statutes provide for indeterminate civil confinement of certain sex offenders after completion of their criminal sentences. In the United States, SVP laws raise important concerns relating to due process, ex post facto claims, and protection against double jeopardy. However, it is unclear to what extent current legislation addresses or neglects these issues. Without a systematic review of SVP legislation and related case law, it remains unknown to what degree U.S. states have incorporated different strategies to protect individual rights outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court. In this study, SVP statutes from each U.S. state, the federal government, and the District of Columbia, along with related case law, were examined to evaluate (1) the requirements of SVP confinement, (2) the procedures by which SVP hearings occur, and (3) the degree to which the requirements enumerated by the U.S. Supreme Court have been followed. Although nearly half of all states have SVP statu...
Caregiving for Older Adults and the Caregivers’ Health: an Epidemiologic Review

In light of rapid population aging, care for older adults will dominate health and health care costs for decades to come. Informal caregiving or unpaid care for family members, may offset the high costs of formal care options for older adults. However, informal caregiving can be physically and emotionally demanding, and maintaining informal caregivers’ health will be crucial to support the needs of this growing older adult population. This paper situates the literature on caregivers’ health in the context of social epidemiology to clarify the etiologic evidence on caregiving influencing the caregiver’s health and what future directions for both social epidemiology and caregiving research might advance both fields. Theoretical and conceptual frameworks to integrated multi-level and complex processes by which people become caregivers and how caregiving might affect the caregiver’s health could mutually benefit social epidemiology and caregiving. Moreover, wider application of epidemiologic principles and methods, particularly those from newer focus on causal inference, could complement the existing evidence on caregivers’ health.
Gibberellic acid during priming of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench seeds improves performance after seed storage

SummarySeed of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) primed at –0.4 MPa (15°C, 10 d in darkness) either matrically in fine exfoliated vermiculite or osmotically in polyethylene glycol had higher rate, synchrony and percentage of seedling emergence than non-primed seeds. Inclusion of 10−6 M gibberellic acid (GA3) during priming enhanced the benefits of priming by increasing further the emergence rate and synchrony, seedling shoot dry weight, and petiole and lamina lengths of the first true leaf. Inclusion of 10−2 M ethephon, alone or with GA3, during priming had no effect on subsequent seed germination or seedling emergence. Primed seeds stored at high or low moisture concentrations for one month at 4° or 20°C, compared with freshly primed seeds, showed no reduction in rate, synchrony or percentage of seedling emergence. Matric priming, compared with osmotic priming, reduced the amount of GA3 per seed needed during priming to give similar germination benefits and avoided post-transplanting plant lodging a...
A New Genus and Species of Fossil Kangaroo Rat and Its Burrow

A fragmentary skeleton of a heteromyid found in a burrow in the Ash Hollow formation (late Clarendonian) in northeastern Nebraska is the earliest record of a rodent known to have the following combination of “desert-adapted” or “steppe-adapted” features: a) greatly reduced forelimbs and elongated hind limbs; b) markedly inflated auditory bullae; c) well-developed dentine tracts on the cheekteeth. In both a) and b) the specimen (described as a new genus and species) is intermediate between perognathines and advanced dipodomyines but is much closer to the latter. In its possession of dentine tracts the new form is as advanced as living Dipodomys , but its un-grooved upper incisors, rooted cheekteeth, and elongate P4 readily distinguish it from all known species of the modern genus. The cheekteeth of the new kangaroo rat closely resemble those of certain late Tertiary geomyines ( Pliogeomys and Parapliosaccomys ) but cranial and mandibular features as well as the shape of the incisors show that the resemblance is superficial. The presence of an anatomically precocious dipodomyine in the Clarendonian indicates that the Hemphillian-Blancan genus Prodipodomys , which is less advanced dentally than the new form, may be an aberrant side-branch of the Dipodomys lineage. Paleo-ecologically, the presence of a “desert-adapted” rodent in the presumably moist lowland savannahs of eastern Nebraska in the late Tertiary is puzzling. Modern Dipodomys populations sometimes colonize accumulations of bare sand along streams; perhaps this was the habitat in which typical dipodomyine characters first evolved.
Epidural Cortical Stimulation as Adjunctive Treatment for Nonfluent Aphasia: Phase 1 Clinical Trial Follow-up Findings.

Background. There is increasing interest in the application of cortical stimulation (CS) as an adjuvant strategy in aphasia rehabilitation. Epidural CS, although more invasive than other methods, c...
Familial Pheochromocytoma: A Report of 2 Cases in a Kindred

AbstractA kindred with 2 current cases of pheochromocytoma is reported. The proband had classical features of adrenal medullary hyperfunction, in addition to Raynaud’s phenomenon. After surgical removal of the right adrenal gland, containing a pheochromocytoma and a small paraganglioma, the patient was free of symptoms. The 12-year-old son of the proband was discovered to have relatively asymptomatic sustained hypertension on routine examination. Biochemical and radiological tests confirmed the diagnosis of a left adrenal pheochromocytoma, which was removed successfully.
A strategy for designing effective patient education materials

Health care professionals have long voiced a concern about the mismatch between patients’ reading skills and the readability of printed educational materials. The gap between patients’ reading levels and the readability of diet education materials has not been closed in the past 20 years. This article details a strategy for developing effective printed educational materials that was used to develop and revise dietetic materials for patients at a university medical center. The process includes the use of a computerized readability software program to assess reading levels. Three major steps are to (a) analyze patient education needs, (b) develop the instructional plan and materials, and (c) evaluate the materials. Examples are given of the application of the readability program in the development of one diet booklet and in the simplification of four other booklets. Without the readability formulas, the reading level of the materials would have remained above the stated educational levels of the target population, and the objectives of the booklets would not have been achieved. Cautions against overreliance on the readability formulas without other assessment steps are given. A systematic approach including readability assessment is needed to ensure the effectiveness of dietetic educational materials. J Am Diet Assoc 89:1290-1292, 1295, 1989.
Cross-National Collaboration of Marketing Personnel Within a Multinational: Leveraging Customer Participation for New Product Advantage

AbstractMultinational success in building new product advantage through customer participation is contingent on a multinational’s ability to understand the moderating influence of cross-national collaboration of its marketing personnel. The findings from a survey of global marketing managers indicate that customer participation as an information source positively influences new product advantage, but this effect is dampened when cross-national collaboration within a multinational is high. However, customer participation as a codeveloper positively influences new product advantage only when the level of cross-national collaboration is high. The contrasting moderating effects of cross-national collaboration have important implications for international marketing theory and practice.
Meropenem-Induced Neutropenia in a Neonate

Postmarketing surveillance has associated meropenem with the development of hematologic abnormalities, including agranulocytosis, neutropenia, and leukopenia, but the exact incidence in children is unknown. The case describes a full-term, 26-day-old neonate admitted for a sepsis workup. She was found to have a blood culture positive for Enterobacter cloacae and suspected meningitis and was initiated on meropenem 40 mg/kg/dose intravenously every 8 hours. On day 14 of antibiotic treatment, the patient developed an isolated neutropenia with an absolute neutrophil count of 288 cells/mm3. Meropenem was discontinued on hospital day 20, and a follow-up complete blood cell count 2 months later confirmed resolution of the hematologic abnormality. Clinicians should monitor complete blood cell counts diligently in children who receive large doses and prolonged courses of meropenem.
Direct enantiomer determination of methorphan by HPLC-MS and SFC-MS

Abstract The direct and rapid chiral analysis of methorphan was achieved with excellent sensitivity and selectivity using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-SQD) and supercritical fluid chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometry (SFC-SQD). The optimized separation of dextromethorphan and levomethorphan by HPLC-SQD was accomplished in under 9 min using a Chirobiotic V2 (2.1 × 250 mm, 5 μm) column with a mobile phase consisting of MeOH/NH 4 OH/HOAc (100/0.02/0.1, v/v/v). The optimal separation by SFC-SQD was achieved in less than 3 min using a Trefoil AMY1 (2.1 × 150 mm, 2.5 μm) column with a mobile phase comprised of CO 2 , 9% MeOH as a co-solvent, and 0.3% cyclohexylamine as a modifier. The limit of detection was 10 ng/mL in the selected ion recording mode for both systems.
Resilience of the national airspace system: A case study of the fire at the Chicago ARTCC

As air traffic grows, improving the resilience of an increasingly congested airspace is becoming a primary concern to ensure its sustainability and avoid the propagation of localized disruptions. The fire set at Chicago Air Traffic Control facility in September 2014 is a striking and worrisome case where one ill-intentioned individual halted traffic in a facility which caused ripple effects across the National Airspace. This paper analyzes the particular role that the Chicago center plays in the National airspace. Then it provides a detailed analysis of the local and global impact of the fire, through the day of the event and for the next two weeks while the facility remained closed for repairs. Finally, it draws the lessons learnt from this event as well as other recent infrastructure failures.
Blue Light Photocatalytic Glycosylation without Electrophilic Additives.

Photocatalytic formation of glycosidic bonds employing stable and readily accessible O-glycosyl derivatives of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-ol is presented that employs an iridium-based photocatalyst and blue LEDs. The reaction proceeds at room temperature and in the absence of additives other than 4 A molecular sieves. Stereoselectivities are modest but nevertheless dependent on the anomeric configuration of the donor, suggesting a substantial degree of concerted character.
Developing organizational leaders to manage publicness: A conceptual framework

ABSTRACTStudents enrolled in programs accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) are increasingly seeking careers outside of classic government orga...
Management matters in renewable portfolio standards

While many states have adopted renewable portfolio standards (RPS), they have employed agencies with very different missions to manage these programs. These organizational differences are important in understanding how agencies are approaching the policy implementation. However, there is little research on the comparative effectiveness of these implementation approaches. This article begins with a background of RPS programs, and presents a typology of RPS implementation agencies. The effectiveness of RPS implementation approaches is tested with a pooled state-level dataset covering 14 years of program adoption and implementation. The results indicate implementation approach is substantively important in explaining policy outcomes and the growth of renewable energy. More specifically, the findings suggest using an economic development approach is the most effective way of producing growth in renewable energy generation.
The effects of statins on exercise and physical activity

Objective We sought to review studies examining the effect of statins on symptoms of exercise tolerance, markers of muscle injury and activity levels in physical active individuals. Background Statin therapy reduces atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Regular physical activity is also associated with reduced CVD events, but statin therapy can produce muscle complaints, which may be more frequent in physically active individuals. We reviewed the literature to determine the effects of statins on symptoms, exercise performance and activity levels in physically active individuals. Methods We performed a PubMed search to identify English language articles reporting on statins and their effect on athletic/exercise performance, and symptoms in active individuals. Results We identified 65 articles, 32 of which provided sufficient information to be included in this review. Seventeen of the 32 studies examined the incidence of myalgia while exercising on statins, and showed that myalgia was increased in 8 of the 17 (47%) of these studies. Of the 17 studies examining the effects of statin therapy on muscle injury, 6 (35%) studies reported that statins augment the increase in creatine kinase (CK) produced by exercise. There were 10 studies that examined statin effects on aerobic exercise performance, only 3 of which (33%) concluded that statins decreased performance. Two (25%) of the 8 studies examined the effects of statins on muscular strength and suggested that statins decreased muscular strength, whereas 2 (25%) reported increased strength. Statins did not consistently affect physical activity levels since statins were associated with an increase in activity in 3 of the 5 studies examining habitual exercise. None of the studies showed a relationship between statins use and exercise and an increase in myalgia or a decrease in exercise performance. There was also no correlation between intensity of statin therapy and an effect on these variables. Conclusion Statins may increase the incidence of exercise-related muscle complaints and in some studies augment the exercise-induced rise in muscle enzymes, but statins do not consistently reduce muscle strength, endurance, overall exercise performance or physical activity.
Abstract 803: Targeting β-catenin/CBP signaling in OSCC

Objectives: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by molecular heterogeneity and locoregional spread associated with high morbidity. Aggressive cancers are thought to arise from populations of cancer initiating cells (CICs) that exhibit the properties of stem cells and drive tumor development, recurrence and resistance to therapy. The transcriptional regulator, β-catenin, has been implicated in OSCC CICs. Nuclear β-catenin has been shown to recruit the chromatin remodeling CREB binding protein (CBP) to drive expression of proliferation and survival genes, as well as genes that maintain stem-like phenotypes. We hypothesized that targeting β-catenin-CBP interaction will inhibit CICs in oral tumors and restore an epithelial phenotype. Methods: To test tumor aggressive potential of OSCC CICs, we used zebrafish as a model system. We isolated CD44+CD24 hi CD29 hi cells fom aggressive HSC-3 OSCC cells by FACS and assayed their ability to drive tumor growth and metastases in zebrafish compared to unsorted and CD44+CD24 low CD29 low cells. In addition, we examined the role of the β-catenin/CBP axis in the aggressive phenotype of these cells. We also assessed whether the β-catenin/CBP axis affected CICs in tumors from immune competent HPV+ mice. Results: Zebrafish injected with subpopulation of cells co-expressing CD44+CD24 hi CD2 hi primitive cell surface markers drove rapid tumor growth and metastases, followed by unsorted and sorted CD44+CD24 low CD29 low . Treatment of CD44+CD24 hi CD29 hi cells with a small molecule inhibitor of the β-catenin-CBP interaction, ICG-001, interfered with tumor growth and metastases in zebrafish. Further, ICG-001 inhibited tumor growth in immunocompetent HPV+ murine model. On a cellular level, ICG-001 promoted membrane localization of β-catenin, enhanced E-cadherin adhesion and restored epithelial phenotype. Significantly, ICG-001 gene signatures tracked with reduced overall patient survival in the cancer genome atlas, TCGA. Conclusion: Our studies indicate that the β-catenin/CBP axis promotes OSCC CICs and that ICG-001 may be an effective therapeutic agent for this malignancy. Support: Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research ARC funding AU 5303015 8000000. Citation Format: Khalid Alamoud, Khikmet Sadykov, Vinay Kartha, Stefano Monti, Anna Belkina, Jennifer Snyder-Cappione, Sara Pai, Maria Kukuruzinska. Targeting β-catenin/CBP signaling in OSCC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 803. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-803