cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Pediatric Obesity Epidemic Continues Unabated in Bogalusa, Louisiana

OBJECTIVES: To examine 35-year trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents from Bogalusa, Louisiana. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Height and weight were measured for 11653 children and adolescents between 5 and 17 years of age in 8 cross-sectional surveys. The Bogalusa Heart Study contributed data from 1973–1994, and routine school screening provided 2008–2009 data. Trends in mean BMI, mean gender-specific BMI-for-age z scores, prevalence of overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 85th percentile), and prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) according to age, race, and gender were examined. RESULTS: Since 1973–1974, the proportion of children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years who are overweight (overweight plus obese) has more than tripled, from 14.2% to 48.4% in 2008–2009. Similarly, the proportion of obese children and adolescents has increased more than fivefold from 5.6% in 1973–1974 to 30.8% in 2008–2009. The prevalence of overweight or obesity, and secular changes, were similar among black and white boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: In semirural Bogalusa, the childhood obesity epidemic has not plateaued, and nearly half of the children are now overweight or obese.
A curved field reflectron time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer for the simultaneous focusing of metastable product ions

The ability to simultaneously focus a wide mass range of metastable fragment ions formed after the initial ionization event in a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been made possible by the development of a new type of ion reflector. This coaxially designed time-of-flight instrument employs a modified single stage reflector whose axial voltage gradient rises differentially in order to produce an alignment of energy focal points for product ions. In contrast, product-ion focusing in conventional constant field reflectors occurs over a broad range of distances from the reflectron exit. Approximately 90% of the product-ion mass spectrum can be collected without adjustment, thereby eliminating the need to scan the reflector voltage. Design considerations of the curved field reflectron, its calibration properties and representative metastable spectra of several peptides are discussed.
Mouse and computational models link Mlc2v dephosphorylation to altered myosin kinetics in early cardiac disease

Actin-myosin interactions provide the driving force underlying each heartbeat. The current view is that actin-bound regulatory proteins play a dominant role in the activation of calcium-dependent cardiac muscle contraction. In contrast, the relevance and nature of regulation by myosin regulatory proteins (for example, myosin light chain-2 [MLC2]) in cardiac muscle remain poorly understood. By integrating gene-targeted mouse and computational models, we have identified an indispensable role for ventricular Mlc2 (Mlc2v) phosphorylation in regulating cardiac muscle contraction. Cardiac myosin cycling kinetics, which directly control actin-myosin interactions, were directly affected, but surprisingly, Mlc2v phosphorylation also fed back to cooperatively influence calcium-dependent activation of the thin filament. Loss of these mechanisms produced early defects in the rate of cardiac muscle twitch relaxation and ventricular torsion. Strikingly, these defects preceded the left ventricular dysfunction of heart disease and failure in a mouse model with nonphosphorylatable Mlc2v. Thus, there is a direct and early role for Mlc2 phosphorylation in regulating actin-myosin interactions in striated muscle contraction, and dephosphorylation of Mlc2 or loss of these mechanisms can play a critical role in heart failure.
Back to the wall: home video and digital decorating

The paper describes the experimental use of home video images as source materials for home decoration. It includes a brief description of the reasons for the experiment, as well as the equipment and software used. The remainder of the paper examines issues raised by the potentials offered by the availability of film titles in electronic form, and their use as sources in digital media.
Sidetrack and Recompletion Risks in Oil Fields IV. Recompletion Decisions and Effects of Uncertain Parameter Values and Distribution Choices

This paper describes a procedure for the assessment of risks and uncertainties for the problem of deciding whether to do a recompletion job in an undeveloped oil-bearing horizon in a producing oil field. The model used for calculating estimated recompletion worth incorporates a set of parameters, such as the estimated gains and costs of both the producing and the recompletion horizons as well as the chances of killing the producing well or of doing a successful recompletion. However, these parameters are themselves uncertain and therefore contribute to the uncertainty in the estimates of recompletion worth. A probabilistic approach to this problem, using Monte Carlo simulation techniques, is used here. The method quantifies three different types of uncertainties that contribute in different proportions to a total uncertainty related to the recompletion worth. These types are: the uncertainty related to probability that the path outcome is successful (path uncertainty); the uncertainty arising from value r...
Creating the Real

Holmes, B. (2008). Unleashing the Collective Phantoms: Essays in Reverse Imagineering. New York: Autonomedia.Moore, A. E. (2010). Write Your Own History: The Roots of Self‐Publishing. In J. Sandlin, B. Schultz, & J. Burdick (Eds.), Handbook of Public Pedagogy: Education and Learning Beyond Schooling (pp. 244–249). New York: Routledge.Temporary Services. (2008). Public Phenomena. Chicago: Half Letter Press.
Receptor-Based Antidote for Diphtheria

Although equine diphtheria antitoxin may be an effective therapy for human diphtheria, its use often induces serum sickness. We describe here a strategy for developing an alternative treatment based on the human diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor/heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) precursor. Recombinant mature human HB-EGF acts as a soluble receptor analog, binding radioiodinated DT and preventing its binding to the cellular DT receptor/HB-EGF precursor. However, the possibility existed that radioiodinated DT-HB-EGF complexes associate with cells due to the binding of the heparin-binding domain of recombinant HB-EGF to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. This possibility was confirmed by performing DT binding studies in the presence of heparin. A recombinant truncated HB-EGF (residues 106 to 149), which lacks most of the heparin-binding domain, showed an essentially heparin-independent binding of radioiodinated DT to cells. Furthermore, it was a more effective inhibitor of DT binding than was recombinant mature HB-EGF. Since mature HB-EGF is a known ligand for the EGF receptor and is thus highly mitogenic (tumorigenic), we then changed amino acid residues in the EGF-like domain of the recombinant truncated HB-EGF and demonstrated that this DT receptor analog (I117A/L148A) displayed a low mitogenic effect. The truncated (I117A/L148A) HB-EGF protein retained high DT binding affinity, as confirmed by using surface plasmon resonance. Our results suggest that the truncated (I117A/L148A) HB-EGF protein could be an effective, safe antidote for human diphtheria.
Wittgenstein’s Philosophies of Mathematics

Wittgenstein's philosophy of mathematics has long been notorious. Part of the problem is that it has not been recognized that Wittgenstein, in fact, had two chief post-Tractatus conceptions of mathematics. I have labelled these the calculus conception and the language-game conception. The calculus conception forms a distinct middle period. The goal of my article is to provide a new framework for examining Wittgenstein's philosophies of mathematics and the evolution of his career as a whole. I posit the Hardyian Picture, modelled on the Augustinian Picture, to provide a structure for Wittgenstein's work on the philosophy of mathematics. Wittgenstein's calculus period has not been properly recognized, so I give a detailed account of the tenets of that stage in Wittgenstein's career. Wittgenstein's notorious remarks on contradiction are the test case for my theory of his transition. I show that the bizarreness of those remarks is largely due to the calculus conception, but that Wittgenstein's later language-game account of mathematics keeps the rejection of the Hardyian Picture while correcting the calculus conception's mistakes.
FosB differentially modulates nucleus accumbens direct and indirect pathway function.

Synaptic modifications in nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neurons (MSNs) play a key role in adaptive and pathological reward-dependent learning, including maladaptive responses involved in drug addiction. NAc MSNs participate in two parallel circuits, direct and indirect pathways that subserve distinct behavioral functions. Modification of NAc MSN synapses may occur in part via changes in the transcriptional potential of certain genes in a cell type–specific manner. The transcription factor ∆FosB is one of the key proteins implicated in the gene expression changes in NAc caused by drugs of abuse, yet its effects on synaptic function in NAc MSNs are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of ∆FosB decreased excitatory synaptic strength and likely increased silent synapses onto D1 dopamine receptor–expressing direct pathway MSNs in both the NAc shell and core. In contrast, ∆FosB likely decreased silent synapses onto NAc shell, but not core, D2 dopamine receptor–expressing indirect pathway MSNs. Analysis of NAc MSN dendritic spine morphology revealed that ∆FosB increased the density of immature spines in D1 direct but not D2 indirect pathway MSNs. To determine the behavioral consequences of cell type-specific actions of ∆FosB, we selectively overexpressed ∆FosB in D1 direct or D2 indirect MSNs in NAc in vivo and found that direct (but not indirect) pathway MSN expression enhances behavioral responses to cocaine. These results reveal that ∆FosB in NAc differentially modulates synaptic properties and reward-related behaviors in a cell type- and subregion-specific fashion.
The Ethics of Republishing: A Case Study of Emerald/MCB University Press Journals

Publishing a journal article without citing the original source is considered unethical in the scholarly community. Simple keyword searching of Emerald (formerly MCB University Press) online journals from the publisher’s Web site has identified 409 examples of articles from 67 journals that were republished without such notification from 1989 through 2003. Many of these articles were published simultaneously in journals within the same or similar subject disciplines. Five examples of triple publication were identified. In several cases, neither the editor nor editorial board members had knowledge of this practice. This paper will review the conditions of acceptable republishing plus document and provide examples of republication. It will discuss implications on the publication of record, and question whether this is a case of “let the buyer beware.”
Enterococcus faecalis Bearing Aggregation Substance Is Resistant to Killing by Human Neutrophils despite Phagocytosis and Neutrophil Activation

Enterococcus faecalis aggregation substance (AS) mediates efficient bacterium-bacterium contact to facilitate plasmid exchange as part of a bacterial sex pheromone system. We have previously determined that AS promotes direct, opsonin-independent binding of E. faecalis to human neutrophils (PMNs) via complement receptor type 3 and other receptors on the PMN surface. We have now examined the functional consequences of this bacterium-host cell interaction. AS-bearing E. faecalis was phagocytosed and internalized by PMNs, as determined by deconvolution fluorescence microscopy. However, these bacteria were not killed by PMNs, and internalized bacteria excluded propidium iodide, indicating intact bacterial membranes. Resistance to killing occurred despite activation of PMNs, as indicated by an increase in both functional and total surface Mac-1 expression, shedding of L-selectin, and an increase in PMN extracellular superoxide and phagosomal oxidant production. Deconvolution fluorescence microscopy also revealed that phagosomes containing AS-bearing bacteria were markedly larger than phagosomes containing opsonized E. faecalis, suggesting that some modification of phagosomal maturation may be involved in AS-induced resistance to killing. PMN phagosomal pH was significantly higher after ingestion of nonopsonized AS-bearing E. faecalis than after that of opsonized bacteria. The novel ability of AS to promote intracellular survival of E. faecalis inside PMNs suggests that AS may be a virulence factor used by strains of E. faecalis.
Algorithmic Case Pedagogy, Learning and Gender

Great investment has been made in developing algorithmically-based cases within online homework management systems. This has been done because publishers are convinced that textbook adoption decisions are influenced by the incorporation of these systems within their products. These algorithmic assignments are thought to promote learning while discouraging the practice of shirking student responsibility via the sharing of a common correct answer. Our paper describes the first testing of this method’s effectiveness. The results indicate marked differences of the case’s effects on male and female students. Significant improvements in learning were found for male students but not for female students.
PKA-Dependent Phosphorylation of Serum Response Factor Inhibits Smooth Muscle–Specific Gene Expression

Objective— Our goal was to identify phosphorylation sites that regulate serum response factor (SRF) activity to gain a better understanding of the signaling mechanisms that regulate SRF’s involvement in smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific and early response gene expression. Methods and Results— By screening phosphorylation-deficient and mimetic mutations in SRF−/− embryonic stem cells, we identified T159 as a phosphorylation site that significantly inhibits SMC-specific gene expression in an embryonic stem cell model of SMC differentiation. This residue conforms to a highly conserved consensus cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) site, and in vitro and in vivo labeling studies demonstrated that it was phosphorylated by PKA. Results from gel shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that T159 phosphorylation inhibited SRF binding to SMC-specific CArG elements. Interestingly, the myocardin factors could at least partially rescue the effects of the T159D mutation under some conditions, but this response was promoter specific. Finally, PKA signaling had much less of an effect on c-fos promoter activity and SRF binding to the c-fos CArG. Conclusions— Our results indicate that phosphorylation of SRF by PKA inhibits SMC-specific transcription suggesting a novel signaling mechanism for the control of SMC phenotype.
Documenting Laboratory Workflows Using the Analytical Information Markup Language

The Analytical Information Markup Language (AnIML) is a standardization effort of ASTM (formerly American Society for Testing and Materials) Subcommittee E13.15 on Analytical Data. AnIML provides a...
Effects of moveable platform training in preventing slip-induced falls in older adults

Identifying effective interventions is vital in preventing slip-induced fall accidents in older adults. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of moveable platform training in improving recovery reactions and reducing fall frequency in older adults. Twenty-four older adults were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups (training and control). Both groups underwent three sessions including baseline slip, training, and transfer of training on a slippery surface. Both groups experienced two slips on a slippery surface, one during the baseline and the other (after 2 weeks) during the transfer of training session. In the training session, the training group underwent twelve simulated slips using a moveable platform while the control group performed normal walking trials. Kinematic, kinetic, and EMG data were collected during all the sessions. Results indicated a reduced incidence of falls in the training group during the transfer of training trial as compared to the control group. The training group was able to transfer proactive and reactive control strategies learned during training to the second slip trial. The proactive adjustments include increased center-of-mass velocity and transitional acceleration after training. Reactive adjustments include reduction in muscle onset and time to peak activations of knee flexors and ankle plantar flexors, reduced ankle and knee coactivation, reduced slip displacement, and reduced time to peak knee flexion, trunk flexion, and hip flexion velocities. In general, the results indicated a beneficial effect of perturbation training in reducing slip severity and recovery kinematics in healthy older adults.
Growth of epitaxial CoSi2 from Cobalt Carbonyl on Si(100) Substrate

Beyond its applications in silicon MOSFETs, cobalt disilicide is potentially useful for the formation of epitaxially overgrown quantum dots and quantum wires. We report the formation of cobalt silicide on Si (100) and its overgrowth by silicon. Cobalt films approximately 3.5 nm in thickness have been deposited on Si (100) using a cobalt carbonyl organometallic source. We observe by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) that the deposited cobalt film is converted to epitaxial cobalt disilicide upon annealing at 850°C, considerably higher than the silicidation temperature typically observed for sputtered cobalt. We explain this behavior with the aid of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) profiling of the carbon and oxygen impurity concentrations. The cobalt disilicide layers have been overgrown with silicon at 625°C. We contrast the surface topology measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) just after cobalt growth, after silicidation, and after overgrowth with silicon. The surface has been observed to be rough after growth of silicon by silane exposure for 15 min at 625°C at 0.55 mTorr of chamber pressure. The surface roughness prevails even after overgrowing with silicon for 60 min at same chamber temperature and pressure conditions.
Leaf litter of invasive Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) negatively affects hatching success of an aquatic breeding anuran, the Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus).

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an aggressive invasive tree species that can be abundant in parts of its non-native range. This tree species has the capability of producing monocultures, by outcompeting native trees, which can be in or near wetlands that are utilized by breeding amphibians. Existing research suggests that leaf litter from invasive Chinese tallow reduces survival in larval anurans. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Chinese tallow leaf litter on anuran eggs. We exposed eggs of the Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus (Cope, 1886)) at various stages of development to different concentrations of Chinese tallow leaf litter to determine survival. Eggs in the earliest stages of development that we exposed to tallow leaf litter died, regardless of concentration; however, some more-developed eggs exposed to tallow leaf litter did hatch. We determined that the greater the concentration of tallow leaf litter, the lower the dissolved oxygen and pH ...
What makes information valuable: signal reliability and environmental uncertainty

We investigated the roles of signal reliability and environmental uncertainty in animal signal use. We developed a simple model that predicted when animals should switch between choosing the most common option (which we call environment tracking) and following a signal. The model predicts signal following when signal reliability exceeds environmental certainty. We tested this model experimentally using captive blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata. During each trial, the jays had to choose between two stimuli; one option was correct and led to food, and the other was incorrect and provided no reward. In addition, a third stimulus, the signal, provided information about which choice stimulus was correct. Using this procedure, we manipulated signal reliability (the probability that the signal matched the correct stimulus) and environmental uncertainty (the background probability that a given stimulus was correct) in a factorial experiment. Signal reliability and environmental uncertainty influenced signal use roughly as predicted. Jays used the signal when the signal was reliable and the environment was uncertain, and they ignored the signal when it was unreliable and the environment was predictable. Quantitatively, we observed a bias in favour of environment tracking. Jays sometimes ignored the signal when it could have helped them, and they ignored the signal in conditions where signal following and environment tracking produced equal payoffs. We discuss the implications of these findings.
Racial Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and Self-Rated Health Among US-Born and Foreign-Born Black Americans

Objectives. We investigated associations among racial discrimination, psychological distress, and self-rated health among US-born and immigrant Black Americans.Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of employed working-class Black Americans (193 US-born, 275 foreign-born).Results. Both US-born and foreign-born Black participants had high levels of exposure to poverty (51% and 57%, respectively) and racial discrimination (76% and 60%) and reported high levels of severe psychological distress (14% and 16% had a Kessler 6 [K6] score of 13 or greater); 17% and 7% reported fair or poor health. After controlling for relevant covariates, their risk parameters for racial discrimination (high vs no exposure) were 4.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.3, 5.6) and 3.3 (95% CI = 2.1, 4.5), respectively, for continuous K6 score; corresponding odds ratios for severe psychological distress were 6.9 (95% CI = 1.4, 35.7) and 6.8 (95% CI = 2.5, 18.3). No associations existed between racial discriminat...
50 Years After Brown v. Board of Education: The Promise and Challenge of Multicultural Education

We discuss the legacy of Brown for today’s students and today’s schools, and find that legacy is more psychological than legal. The decision does more to highlight issues of equity in education and how that influences students’ identity, motivation, and aspirations than it does help us find legal means of addressing these concerns. The manuscripts presented in this issue articulate how today’s students experience these issues. The manuscripts focus on several important aspects of interethnic contact in education: the processes by which interethnic contact leads to attitude and behavior change towards outgroup members, the effect of racial and ethnic integration on educational and developmental outcomes for students of color, and the promise that multicultural multiracial educational environments hold for all students.
Prevention of Nozzle Wear in Abrasive Water Suspension Jets (AWSJ) Using Porous Lubricated Nozzles

This paper introduces a novel method for preventing nozzle wear in abrasive water jets. It consists of using a porous nozzle, surrounded by a reservoir containing high-viscosity lubricant, which is exposed to the same driving pressure as the flow in the nozzle. The pressure difference across the porous medium, generated due to the high-speed flow in the nozzle, continuously forces lubricant through it. The resulting thin oil film forming on the walls of the nozzle protects the walls from the impact and shear caused by the abrasive particles. The porous nozzles were manufactured using Electric Discharge Machining and examined with Scanning Electron Microscopy. Two test facilities were used for evaluating the porous lubricated nozzles. The first was a two-dimensional facility, supporting a 145 μm wide nozzle with windows on both sides, which enabled visualization of the oil film and measurements of the liquid and abrasive-particle velocities using Particle Image Velocimetry. The measured slip velocities were also compared to computed values from a simple numerical model involving one-way coupling. The second facility used a 200 μm axisymmetric nozzle to determine the extent of nozzle wear under different conditions. We found that the presence of an oil film substantially reduced the extent of nozzle wear, from 111 percent of the diameter, when the nozzle was not lubricated, to 4 percent, when the oil viscosity was 1800 mm 2 /s and its flow rate was 2.4 percent of the water flow (over the same period). The wear increased as the lubricant flow rate and viscosity decreased. The presence of the oil film also improved the coherence of the jet.
Transition of adolescents to young adulthood for vulnerable populations.

1. Tressia M. Shaw, MD* 2. David E. DeLaet, MD, MPH† 1. *Director, Teaming Up for Transition, Phoenix Children's Hospital; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, Ariz. 2. †Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Define the transition process and the populations for whom it is most critical. 2. Identify barriers to transition for the practitioner, patient, and family and how to address them best. 3. Review existing legislation and local support services available to aid transition in the domains of education, vocation, and independent living for vulnerable populations. 4. Describe the central role played by physicians in the transition process. Transition is defined as the movement from adolescence to adulthood in all areas, including home, health care, education, and community. Transition should be a process rather than an event. Optimally, a child, his or her family, and the practitioner should be preparing for transition throughout childhood and adolescence. Although all adolescents make this transition, this article focuses on the transition process for vulnerable populations, including those who have chronic medical conditions, intellectual disabilities, and mental health conditions. With advances in technology and medical care, many children who have serious chronic medical conditions now are living into adulthood. It is estimated that more than 500,000 youth in the United States who have special health-care needs are entering adulthood every year, with more than 90% born in the 1990s surviving into adulthood. In addition, an estimated 2.4 million noninstitutionalized adults ages 18 to 26 years are living with serious mental illness. In 2002, a consensus statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, and American Society of Internal Medicine called for critical first steps to improve the transition process to adult-oriented health care (Table 1). (1) However, since that time, relatively little …
Women in the Labor Force and Suicide

In the development of occupational studies of suicide one area of concern which generally has been neglected is female labor force participation. Using regression analysis on ecological data, this paper suggests some theoretical viewpoints with respect to female labor force participation and suicide. The results of the analysis on community level data in two metropolitan areas show that percentage nonwhite, percentage women in the labor force, male unemployment, and income were significantly related to suicide. The theoretical discussion is based on role and status integration and related problems for both women and men when there is increased involvement of women in the labor force.
Silibinin activates p53-caspase 2 pathway and causes caspase-mediated cleavage of Cip1/p21 in apoptosis induction in bladder transitional-cell papilloma RT4 cells: evidence for a regulatory loop between p53 and caspase 2

Silibinin, a natural flavonolignan, induces apoptosis in human bladder transitional-cell papilloma RT4 cells both in vitro and in vivo; however, mechanisms of such efficacy are not completely identified. Here, we studied the mechanisms involved in silibinin-induced apoptosis of RT4 cells having intact p53. Silibinin increased p53 protein level together with its increased phosphorylation at serine 15, activated caspase cascade and caused Bid cleavage for apoptosis. Silibinin-caused p53 activation was mediated via ATM-Chk2 pathway, which in turn induced caspase 2-mediated apoptosis. Pifithrin-alpha, a p53 inhibitor, reversed silibinin-induced caspase activation including caspase 2; however, caspase 2 inhibitor also reversed p53 phosphorylation suggesting a bidirectional regulation between them. Further, silibinin caused a rapid translocation of p53 and Bid into mitochondria leading to increased permeabilization of mitochondrial membrane and cytochrome c release into the cytosol. JNK1/2 activation was observed as a connecting link for p53-mediated caspase 2 activation. Interestingly, silibinin-induced apoptosis was mediated, in part, via Cip1/p21 cleavage by caspase, which was reversed by Cip1/p21 siRNA. Together, these results suggested the novel mechanisms for apoptosis induction by silibinin involving p53-caspase 2 activation and caspase-mediated cleavage of Cip1/p21.
The speed and cost of industrial innovation in Japan and the United States: external vs. internal technology

This study, based on detailed data obtained from carefully selected samples of about 200 Japanese and American firms, seems to be the first comprehensive empirical investigation of the differences between Japan and the United States in innovation cost and time. Whereas the Japanese have substantial advantages in this regard in some industries notably machinery, they do not seem to have any substantial advantage in others notably chemicals. Whereas they have great advantages in carrying out innovations based on external technology, they do not seem to have any in carrying out innovations based on internal technology. Japanese firms allocate their resources quite differently than do American firms, a larger percentage of total innovation cost being devoted to tooling and manufacturing equipment and facilities, a smaller percentage being devoted to marketing startup. A large part of America's problem in this regard seems to be due to its apparent inability to match Japan as a quick and effective user of external technology.
Regulation of the mucosal phenotype in dendritic cells by PPARγ: role of tissue microenvironment

Mucosal DCs play a critical role in tissue homeostasis. Several stimuli can induce a mucosal phenotype; however, molecular pathways that regulate development of mucosal DC function are relatively unknown. This study sought to determine whether PPARγ contributes to the development of the "mucosal" phenotype in mouse DCs. Experiments demonstrated that PPARγ activation in BMDCs induced an immunosuppressive phenotype in which BMDCs had reduced expression of MHC class II and costimulatory molecules, increased IL-10 secretion, and reduced the ability to induce CD4 T cell proliferation. Activation of PPARγ enhanced the ability of BMDC to polarize CD4 T cells toward iTregs and to induce T cell expression of the mucosal homing receptor, CCR9. Activation of PPARγ increased the ability of BMDCs to induce T cell-independent IgA production in B cells. BMDCs from PPARγ(ΔDC) mice displayed enhanced expression of costimulatory molecules, enhanced proinflammatory cytokine production, and decreased IL-10 synthesis. Contrary to the inflammatory BMDC phenotype in vitro, PPARγ(ΔDC) mice showed no change in the frequency or phenotype of mDC in the colon. In contrast, mDCs in the lungs were increased significantly in PPARγ(ΔDC) mice. A modest increase in colitis severity was observed in DSS-treated PPARγ(ΔDC) mice compared with control. These results indicate that PPARγ activation induces a mucosal phenotype in mDCs and that loss of PPARγ promotes an inflammatory phenotype. However, the intestinal microenvironment in vivo can maintain the mucosal DC phenotype of via PPARγ-independent mechanisms.
Studies on the Behaviors of Impurities on the Crystallization of l-Glutamic Acid: Part IV. Effects of Salt Formation and Steric Configuration

The behaviors of impurities on the crystallizations of the free acid and the hydrochloride, monosodium, zinc, calcium and barium salts of l-glutamic acid were examined, and a tendency was recognized that coexisting impurities were apt to be taken into the crystals when the crystallization proceeded from the zwitterion, i.e., Glu.± or The adsorption of l-tyro-sine was compared when l, d and dl-glutamic acid were crystallized with coexistence of l-tyrosine, and an effect of more or less extent of steric configuration on its behavior could be recognized.
Systematics and Cladistics of the North American Subgenus Anadaptus Casey (Genus Anisodactylus Dejean) and a Geographic Information System Analysis of the Biogeography of Included Species

The classification, cladistics, and biogeography of taxa of the subgenus Anadaptus Casey (genus Anisodactylus Dejean) are analyzed. The subgenus is a monophyletic group. There are seven valid species, two with transcontinental ranges in North America, four in western North America, and one in central and southern Mexico. Anisodactylus nivalis Horn, 1880 is a new junior synonym of Anisodactylus alternans LeConte, 1851. Lectotypes designated are Anisodactylus alternans LeConte, 1851; Anisodactylus chalceus LeConte, 1859; Anisodactylus nivalis Horn, 1880; Anisodactylus rotundangulus Bates, 1878; and Anisodactylus viridescens LeConte, 1862. Geographic information system (GIS) techniques are used to analyze the biogeography of taxa. Species are concentrated in two biodiversity centers in the West. Biodiversity decreases sharply north of the larger biodiversity center because of cool summer temperatures. The species restricted to western North America have much more variation in character states than do species occurring elsewhere. Geographic ranges in eastern and central North America are much larger than those in most of the West because of broad areas of unfavorable habitats and more patchy climatic zones in the West. The shapes of geographical distributions are east-west elongated in eastern and central North America and predominantly north-south elongated in the West. Large regions of the current biodiversity centers had climates unfavorable for Anadaptus during the Wisconsin glacial period. If species originated and accumulated over long periods of geologic time in the West, centers of biodiversity there had to shift geographically in response to climatic changes.
Siobhan Talbott, Conflict, Commerce and Franco-Scottish Relations, 1560-1713. Perspectives in Economic and Social History, 28. New York: Pickering and Chatto, 2014. Pp. 256. ISBN: 9781848934078. $113.00 CAD.

Siobhan Talbott, Conflict, Commerce and Franco-Scottish Relations, 1560-1713. Perspectives in Economic and Social History, 28. New York: Pickering and Chatto, 2014. Pp. 256. ISBN: 9781848934078. $113.00 CAD.
Cereals: Domestication of the Cereal Grains

Domestication is an evolutionary process with humans in the role of selection agents. The two critical steps initiating a suite of changes that characterize domesticated cereals dealt with altering the dispersal strategies of wild grasses: grain retention on the mother plant for direct harvest and easy release of the grain by threshing. In addition to human manipulation of evolutionary processes, other natural hybridization events increased diversity and adaptability of domesticated cereals and cereal weed race complexes. Each of the major grains has followed a distinctive path from wild to domesticated forms with one or more progenitor species involved and in some cases, an associated development of weed races. Barley, maize, pearl millet, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, and wheat are the dominant grain staples in acreage, market share, and research attention. Yet, a far larger number of cereal species are the mainstay in subsistence farming communities throughout the developing world. Phylogenetic reconstruction of both domestication and the natural speciation processes shaping cereal grains is still underway. Developing more detailed pictures of the underlying relationships and causative evolutionary mechanisms will provide researchers with precise roadmaps for exploiting genetic diversity. Similarly, application of the knowledge gained from genome sequencing of the major grains and development of the Brachypodium and Setaria grass model systems will open a wider range of avenues for improving agronomic traits.
Model Checking Task Parallel Programs Using Gradual Permissions (N)

Habanero is a task parallel programming model that provides correctness guarantees to the programmer. Even so, programs may contain data races that lead to non-determinism, which complicates debugging and verification. This paper presents a sound algorithm based on permission regions to prove data race and deadlock freedom in Habanero programs. Permission regions are user annotations to indicate the use of shared variables over spans of code. The verification algorithm restricts scheduling to permission region boundaries and isolation to reduce verification cost. The effectiveness of the algorithm is shown in benchmarks with an implementation in the Java Pathfinder (JPF) model checker. The implementation uses a verification specific library for Habanero that is tested using JPF for correctness. The results show significant reductions in cost, where cost is controlled with the size of the permission regions, at the risk of rejecting programs that are actually free of any data race or deadlock.
‘There is Nothing New Under the Sun’: The Relevance of Psalms in Today's World

The authors demonstrate how the Book of Psalms with its 150 inspiring and rousing hymns can be used to teach timeless and critical values to people. These values include persistence, faith, honesty, assistance to the underprivileged, concern for others, importance of community, compassion, forgiveness, penitence, and redemption. The Book of Psalms is a relevant resource for leaders as a way to understand the importance of ethical leadership and can also be a useful tool in developing integrity. This paper examines several of the most powerful statements in Psalms and demonstrates how they provide guidance, inspiration, and hope for a better tomorrow.
Artists’ Books, Digital Exhibitions, and the Copyright Issues that Surround Them

AbstractAcademic libraries and other educational institutions are leaders in designing effective ways to bridge the gap between open access to information and intellectual property rights. These rights are particularly complex for digital images, and the complexity increases when dealing with artists’ books and creating digital exhibitions for such works of art. The author addresses how institutions face these issues, discussing how the situations are currently handled, and how institutions can better manage them in order to uphold intellectual property rights and fair use. The current acquisition practices that academic libraries and other educational and non-profit institutions utilize when collecting artists’ books are also examined. Finally, the author recommends some best practices for institutions to follow when acquiring artists’ books and creating digital exhibitions.
Direct interaction between PKCθ and ZAP70 kinases is required for T cell activation (IRM7P.716)

PKCθ plays a key role in T cell activation, but the mechanisms that control its activation are not fully understood. We previously reported that the PKCθ N-terminal C2 region is a novel regulatory phosphotyrosine (pTyr)-binding domain. However, the physiological pTyr-containing C2-binding ligand has remained unknown. Using a GST-PKCθ-C2 recombinant fusion protein in pull-down assays, we detected a ~75-kDa pTyr-containing protein that associated with wild-type PKCθ-C2, but not with a pTyr non-binding PKCθ-C2 mutant after TCR/CD28 costimulation. Mass spectrometry analysis identified this protein as ZAP70 kinase. The stimulation-induced association of ZAP70 with full-length PKCθ or PKCθ-C2 in T cells was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assays, and was mediated by residues pY315 and pY319 in interdomain B of ZAP70. This transient association upon T cell activation required Lck kinase, followed by rapid complex dissociation that led to ZAP70 phosphorylation on Y493, resulting in full activation of ZAP70 and downstream signals. Mutation of two PKCθ-C2 residues essential for pTyr binding abolished PKCθ’s ability to rescue TCR- and CD28-induced IL-2 production, proliferation and Th2 differentiation in PKCθ-deficient T cells, without affecting T cell development or Th1 differentiation. These data suggest anchoring of PKCθ-C2 domain to phosphorylated interdomain B of ZAP70 promotes the activation of both kinases, thereby provided a novel pharmaceutical target for immunosuppression.
Polytope Models of Metallic Glasses: S-Band Electronic Properties

Inspired by the experiments of Turnbull (1952) on undercooled liquid mercury, many investigators have argued that polytetrahedral short-range order is an important ingredient in the structure of undercooled liquids and metallic glasses. A paradigm for such order is “polytope {3,3,5},” which is a regular lattice of 600 perfect tetrahedra with an icosahedral point symmetry embedded on the surface of a four-dimensional sphere. We present results for the band structure of polytope {3,3,5} in the presence of disclinations, and compare them with band structures obtained from dense random packing models of metallic glasses.
The pediatric office laboratory. A look at recent trends.

Laboratory testing has long been a part of pediatric office practice, but recent advances in test methodology and changes in reimbursement practices have greatly expanded its potential. This article reviews principles of test selection, cost analysis, equipment evaluation, training of personnel, quality control, regulation and reimbursement; and evaluates advances in chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, and microbiology testing of particular importance to the pediatric office laboratory.
Interfacing Amperometric Detection With Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis

Amperometric detection is a sensitive and selective way to monitor separations in microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE). This review contains 78 references and will educate the reader of the issues that are involved with interfacing amperometric detection and microchip CE. These issues include special injection protocols, separation mechanisms, and ways to integrate the working electrode with the separation channel. Some useful biological applications of the technique will also be described.
The immune response in viral encephalitis

The central nervous system (CNS) offers a unique organ system in which to study viral immunopathogenesis. The presence of the blood-brain barrier that restricts entry of cells and protein, the restricted expression of MHC antigens and the nonrenewable nature of the neuronal cell population offer challenges to the immune system for viral clearance and increase the chances for viral persistence. We have used Sindbis virus encephalitis in mice as a model system for the study of the development of immune reactions in the CNS and clearance of virus from neurons. The immune response to this and other viral infections of the CNS probably are initiated in peripheral lymphoid tissue followed by entry of activated T cells into the cerebrospinal fluid, meninges, and brain parenchyma. During Sindbis virus infection class I and II MHC antigens are expressed extensively on microglia which may present viral antigen produced by the infected neurons. Full development of the inflammatory response requires virus-specific T cells, but participating cells include NK cells, gamma delta T cells, monocytes and B cells. The entry of Ig-secreting B cells corresponds with the appearance of increased amounts of IgG and IgA in the cerebrospinal fluid. Clearance of Sindbis virus from the brain was studied using persistently infected severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice. Passive transfer of immune serum or immune T cells to these infected mice demonstrated that antibody to a surface glycoprotein of the virus eliminated virus by a noncomplemented-mediated, noncytolytic mechanism. Immune T cells had no effect on virus replication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Voting with Their Feet: Relative Economic Conditions and State Migration Patterns

Over the past decade, state and local policymakers and business leaders across the U.S. have expressed concern regarding the ability to attract and retain skilled workers, given the economic climate of their states compared with other parts of the nation. Examining the factors underlying state-level migration trends is important to determine what role, if any, public policy might play in addressing their potential impact on local labor supply. Using data from the Internal Revenue Service for each of the 48 states in the continental United States from 1977 through 2006, this paper examines the role of three economic factors — namely labor market conditions, per capita incomes, and housing affordability — in determining domestic state-to-state migration flows. Estimates from a logistic model of out-migration show that while all three measures of relative economic conditions are significant determinants of migration, the magnitude of their impact varies and has changed considerably over time. For example, the importance of per capita income as a determining factor has fallen considerably since the late 1970s, while that of housing affordability has risen. Interestingly, the role of labor market conditions — while significant throughout the entire 30-year period — was most prominent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Estimates from the model are used to forecast migration for 2009 for selected states. The results from this exercise are surprisingly accurate when compared to actual state migration patterns for that year.
Gender Equity in Austrian University Contexts: Constructions of Power, Knowledge, and Response-ability in the Process of Change

Throughout the world, policy makers and government leaders see gender equity as necessary for educational institutions to achieve their potential within the larger society. This chapter uses feminist poststructuralism to investigate how gender equity work is understood and enacted in Austrian university contexts to highlight how gender is constructed within discourses that are shaped by relations of power and knowledge. Given that gender equity is part of a broader agenda of educational equity, we center this analysis on the ways in which historically marginalized people and their allies can move toward equity in universities. Specifically, we use interview data to illuminate how power, knowledge, and response-ability (or the ability of individuals to respond within their contexts) are constructed by policies and practices meant to expand opportunities for women and others who have been historically marginalized in their educational systems.
Seamless aqueous arc discharge process for producing graphitic carbon nanostructures

Abstract A seamless aqueous arc discharge process was developed to produce graphitic carbon nanostructures as a novel fabrication process to control the morphological transition at nanoscale. The manipulation of graphitic carbon from zero- (0D) to two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures was achieved by an aqueous arc discharge process proportional to the arc discharge power. The aqueous arc discharge process can also incorporate an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion in the aqueous dielectric medium, which leads to the plastic deformation of 2D graphene sheets into 3D crumpled graphene spheres at moderate current levels (