cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intravenous Self-Administration of Ethanol in β-Endorphin-Deficient Mice

Extensive research on both human alcoholics and in animal models of alcoholism has implicated the release of endogenous opioids in the consumption of ethanol. Various experiments using opioid antagonists have indicated that these drugs cause both humans and animals to decrease their consumption of ethanol. However, it remains unclear exactly which of the endogenous opioids mediates the rewarding effects of ethanol. The present experiment used intravenous self-administration of ethanol to determine whether beta-endorphin (BE)-deficient mice differed from wild-type (WT) mice in ethanol self-administration. The BE-deficient mice completely lack BE, but are otherwise similar to the WT mice. By using intravenous self-administration, we were able to rule out any ability of BE to mediate differences in ethanol consumption via palatability factors alone. Both types of mice were 7 generations backcrossed onto a C57BL/6J inbred strain background. During nine daily, 2-hr free-operant sessions, 14 BE-deficient and 17 WT mice could nosepoke for 75 mg/kg ethanol infusions delivered intravenously on an fixed-ratio 3 schedule with a 2-sec time-out after each reinforcer delivery. Reinforcer delivery occurred following nosepokes in only one of two holes. Contrary to what was expected, BE-deficient mice acquired selective operant responding for ethanol, whereas WT mice did not. Although the two genotypes did not differ in either operant or locomotor behavior during the first session, by the end of the nine sessions, BE deficient mice were reliably nosepoking for ethanol, whereas WT mice were not. These findings may indicate that BE is not essential for the postingestive reinforcing effects of ethanol in these animals.
Ligand-dependent dynamics and intramolecular signaling in a PDZ domain.

Abstract Allosteric communication is a fundamental process that proteins use to propagate signals from one site to functionally important distal sites. Although allostery is usually associated with multimeric proteins and enzymes, “long-range” communication may be a fundamental property of proteins. In some cases, communication occurs with minimal structural change. PDZ (post-synaptic density-95/discs large/zonula occludens-1) domains are small, protein–protein binding modules that can use multiple surfaces for docking diverse molecules. Furthermore, these domains have long-range energetic couplings that link the ligand-binding site to distal regions of the structure. Here, we show that allosteric behavior in a representative member of the PDZ domain family may be directly detected using side-chain methyl dynamics measurements. The changes in side-chain dynamics parameters in the second PDZ domain from the human tyrosine phosphatase 1E (hPTP1E) were determined upon binding a peptide target. Long-range dynamic effects were detected that correspond to previously observed pair-wise energetic couplings. These results provide one of the first experimental examples for the potential role of ps–ns timescale dynamics in propagating long-range signals within a protein, and reinforce the idea that dynamic fluctuations in proteins contribute to allosteric signal transduction.
Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in CuII Complexes with 2,6‐Pyridinedicarboxamide Ligands: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Physical Properties

The significance of second-sphere interactions in synthetic catalysts and metalloenzyme active sites has encouraged the development of ligand frameworks capable of supporting intramolecular hydrogen-bonding networks. With this approach in mind, we prepared a series of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide ligands (H2LX) that feature outer-sphere heterocyclic groups (pyridine, pyrimidine, or quinoline rings). Reaction with CuCl2 yields complexes with the general formula [CuCl2(LX{H}2)] (1X), in which the pincer ligands coordinate to the CuII center in a tridentate fashion through the central pyridine and two amidato nitrogen atoms. The LX{H}2 ligands have no net charge, however, as the pendant heterocycles are both protonated. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed that the two outer-sphere N–H groups form intramolecular hydrogen bonds with the chlorido ligands. Modification of the syntheses provided CuII complexes (i.e., 2X, 3X) that contain an aqua ligand hydrogen bonded to the outer-sphere group(s). Whereas complexes with the LX{H}2 ligands are mononuclear, deprotonation gives rise to dimeric complexes (i.e., 4X, 5X) in which one of the pendant heterocycles coordinates to a second CuII center. The complexes were also examined with electronic absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and density functional theory. Our results indicate that the LX{H}2 ligands, despite their neutrality, maintain the strong σ-donating ability of anionic pyridine-amidato ligands.
Managing the Global and Local: The Dual Agendas of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

On 29 October 2010, authorities in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates intercepted explosive packages that had been placed on U.S.-bound planes. Less than a year earlier, Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate explosives aboard Northwest Flight 253. These attacks originated and were organized in Yemen under the supervision of a local Al Qaeda affiliate known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. These attacks are a manifestation of the group's growing international ambitions, yet little scholarship on Al Qaeda explores how affiliates with robust ties to Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan balance their dedication to global and local jihad(s). This article contends that despite its strong ties to Al Qaeda Central and international posture, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula still must maintain local relevance and support. Its ability to do so carries implications for counterterrorism policymakers and the broader Al Qaeda movement.
Flavopiridol-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis of myeloid and myeloma cell lines and blasts

Abstract Survival following the diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) or Multiple Myeloma (MM) is among the worst for patients with hematologic malignancies. Recent success with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor ST1571 in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia provides a proof of principle for signal transduction therapy and challenges us to find other kinase inhibitors. Flavopiridol is an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK's), currently in phase II trials for a variety of malignancies. We have studied the effects of Flavopiridol on myeloid cell lines HL-60, 32Dc13, and TF-1 and on myeloma cell lines U-266 and RPMI-8226. The G150 at 48 hr for Flavopiridol was HL-60
Track history development by combining watermarking and target tracking

In this work we propose the use of digital watermarks to establish track history of multiple tracked objects. Target tracks extracted from a frame sequence can be represented and analyzed using spatio-temporal graphs. However, this approach requires extensive computation and data storage. It is possible to achieve the same result by digitally watermarking each tracked target. This self-contained video can then be searched to extract track history. Track history is obtained by computing a quantity called target adjacency matrix. Interpretation of the elements of this matrix, their location, magnitude and movement will establish desired track history. Given two randomly selected frames we can establish changes of spatial relationship among targets in the two frames as well as entry or exit of new targets in each frame.
Locus of control as related to life experiences of Korean immigrants

Abstract The construct internal-external locus of control was used to deter- mine the Utah Korean immigrant's view of life experiences in the United States. The locus of control was found to predict different aspects of life experiences, such as views on economics, happiness, and status.
Neural dynamics in response to binary taste mixtures.

Taste stimuli encountered in the natural environment are usually combinations of multiple tastants. Although a great deal is known about how neurons in the taste system respond to single taste stim...
Science, Technology, and Public Policy in Africa: A Framework for Action

Underdevelopment in Africa continues to be one of the most perplexing issues of this century. Conventional development policies have failed throughout the continent, and lack of scientific and technological capabilities is considered among the primary causes of the prevailing crisis. Attempts to address underdevelopment have been conducted in terms of what is scientifically and technically feasible in industrialized countries instead of what is socioeconomically and culturally desirable in Africa. Undue reliance on foreign scientific and technological expertise hinders local innovation and creativity, which are crucial to self-sustained development. Redefinition of science and technology policies is urgently needed. Africa should not circumvent the use of science and technology in the quest for development, but it is crucial that African policy makers determine in whose interests science and technology will be developed.
Normal-Mode Analysis by Quench-Echo Techniques: Localization in an Amorphous Solid

A new technique is presented for investigating the normal modes of an amorphous solid with use of molecular-dynamics simulations. This method, based on the quench echo, can be used even in cases where the dynamical matrix is too large to be diagonalized. This technique has been applied to study the onset of localization in a Lennard-Jones frozen fluid.
Stabilization of Lipids in a Biodegradable Zein-Oleate Film by Incorporation of Antioxidants

ABSTRACT Zein has been studied extensively for use as an edible, biodegradable food film. To function as such, as much as 40–50% oleic acid is added as a plasticizing agent. Over the course of time, these films became discolored and developed off-odors. It was speculated that this was due to oxidation of incorporated oleic acid. This study sought to reduce oxidative changes in film lipids by incorporation of antioxidants. Incorporation of 4,000 ppm of BHA into the films eliminated peroxide formation during accelerated UV storage conditions. Gas chromatography and headspace (GC-HS) chromatography revealed that total volatile components of UV-treated control films were 9× higher than fresh control volatiles. Comparison of the profiles led to the demonstration of major differences in peaks of a specific region, suggesting the presence of oxidation products in that region. Differences in UV-treated BHA films and UV-treated control films appeared in the same specific region of the chromatogram. Solid-phase mic...
Riding the yield curve: Term premiums and excess returns

Abstract Riding the yield curve is an active portfolio strategy consisting of buying bonds with maturities longer than one's holding period and selling before maturity. The objective is to profit from a higher initial yield and a possible capital gain as the bond “rides” down an upward sloping yield curve. The evidence presented in this paper shows that compared with the buy-and-hold, 1-year rides with 2-year Treasury securities produce higher average returns, but do not yield excess risk-adjusted returns. Incremental returns from riding represent term premiums, instead of pure profits. These findings are consistent with the liquidity premium theory of the term structure.
Pre- and postsynaptic effects of kainate on layer II/III pyramidal cells in rat neocortex.

Kainate receptors mediate both direct excitatory and indirect modulatory actions in the CNS. We report here that kainate has both pre- and postsynaptic actions in layer II/III pyramidal neurons of rat prefrontal cortex. Application of low concentration of kainate (50-500 nM) increased the amplitude of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) whereas higher concentrations (3 μM) caused a decrease. The frequency of spontaneous and miniature (action potential-independent) EPSCs was increased by low concentrations of kainate without affecting their amplitudes, suggesting a presynaptic mechanism of action. The facilitatory and inhibitory effects of kainate were mimicked by the GluR5 subunit selective agonist ATPA. In addition to decreasing EPSC amplitudes, high concentrations of kainate and ATPA induced an inward current which was not blocked by AMPA- or NMDA- receptor antagonists GYKI52466 and D-APV, respectively. The inward currents were blocked by the AMPA/KA receptor antagonist CNQX, indicating the presence of postsynaptic kainate receptors. Single shock stimulation in the presence of GYKI52466 and D-APV evoked an EPSC which was blocked by CNQX. The GluR5 antagonist LY382884 changed paired-pulse facilitation to paired pulse depression, indicating that synaptically released glutamate can activate presynaptic kainate receptors. These results suggest that kainate receptors containing GluR5 subunits play a major role in glutamatergic transmission in rat neocortex, having both presynaptic modulatory and direct postsynaptic excitatory actions.
The magnitude of the problem of peripheral arterial disease: epidemiology and clinical significance.

The prevalence of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) varies across populations, based on the groups studied and the detection methods used. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a more sensitive tool for PAD detection than is screening for intermittent claudication (IC); only about 10% to 30% of patients diagnosed with PAD based on the ABI have classic symptoms of IC. The prevalence of PAD increases markedly with older age and in persons with diabetes or a history of smoking; prevalence also is elevated in persons with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or chronic kidney disease. PAD is more prevalent in primary care medical practices than in community-dwelling populations. PAD (defined as an ABI 1.30 or > 1.40), are increasingly recognized as being associated with elevated cardiovascular mortality. Persons with PAD have significantly increased functional impairment and elevated rates of functional decline relative to those without PAD.
Present at the Creation: Angelo Patri and Progressive Education

The Promise of Progressivism: Angelo Patri and Urban Education by James M. Wallace. New York: Peter Lang. © 2006. 264 pages. ISBN: 0-8204-7142-9. The legacy of good teaching is usually found in stu...
Comments on the Precarious Relationship between History and Philosophy of Science

The four papers in this issue illustrate both the extent of mutual entanglement between history of science and philosophy of science and the difaculty of achieving consensus on how the interchange between history of science and philosophy of science should work. They reveal some of the tensions between the aims and interests typical of historians and philosophers, tensions that often make exchanges like these unproductive. To overcome this problem, it is important to set the contexts and perhaps even the ground rules of collaboration so that the legitimate tensions involved are put to creative use. In order to make better sense of this suggestion, I address what was accomplished, and what was not, by the papers in this issue. To begin, consider the differences in the aims of philosophy and history. A few stereotypical generalities are useful here, though the stereotypes need to be treated skeptically. Philosophical investigation tends to focus on abstract questions, formulated sharply in terms of larger philosophical issues and views. When philosophers turn to particular historical materials or case studies, they often begin with pre-established concepts and sometimes with expected conclusions in mind. The concepts employed often contain presuppositions about the nature of theory, evidence, and explanation, about the relation of experiment to theory, the objectivity and intellectual autonomy of scientiac work, and the like. For this reason, philosophers working with historical materials risk overriding or misunderstanding the categories of the scientists whose work they study, especially when that work is historically or conceptually distant. To avoid the resultant traps, it is crucial to enforce close attention to the context of the work under investigation, to the categories, concepts, and aims of the historical protagonists, and to key features of the contexts
Renal Artery Stenosis: Diagnosis and Management

Renal artery stenosis is considered to be one of the more frequent causes of secondary arterial hypertension. Through its progression renal artery stenosis can cause renal insufficiency, uncontrolled hypertension, and increased cardiovascular morbidity. A thorough clinical examination and the presence of a typical abdominal bruit may provide helpful hints to identify hypertensive patients with possible renal artery stenosis. Testing for renovascular hypertension includes renal artery imaging, assessment of its functional significance, and evaluation for possible revascularization. Renal artery stenosis secondary to fibromuscular dysplasia should be mechanically corrected. For atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, medical management can be attempted so long as it does not cause a decline of kidney function. In patients who are candidates for renovascular revascularization, surgical intervention can be helpful in improving blood pressure control and possibly halting the progression of renal failure. Randomized controlled trials comparing direct stenting with other surgical methods are necessary to define the best revascularization strategy in patients with renovascular hypertension. A careful follow-up study after renal artery revascularization should evaluate possible benefits in halting the deterioration of chronic renal insufficiency.
Control and definition modularization: an improved software design technique for organizing programs

The author proposes a technique called control and definition modularization (CDM), which derives a systematic program layout from a given structure chart using the concepts of 'control' and 'definition' modules. A control module includes processes for handling a conceptual data object not directly implementable. A definition module defines operations associated with a concrete data object implementable using a primitive or derived data type of a programming language. Grouping the operations available for each concrete data object, and keeping them separated from execution flow, improves programs maintainability. This technique extends the structured design methodology and provides designers with a systematic way of deriving informational strength modules as well as a structured physical layout from the structure chart. A program based on the CDM technique is easier to understand and maintain. This research makes a significant contribution toward bridging the gap between structured design and object-oriented concepts. >
Development of a clonal myogenic cell line with unusual biochemical properties.

The morphological, ultrastructural, biochemical and electro-physiological properties of B104-F, a clonal cell line derived from a nitrosoethylurea-induced neoplasm in a rat, were studied as a function of the growth phase of the culture. Cells in exponentially growing cultures are mononucleate and produce action potentials when stimulated electrically. Stationary phase cultures contain three types of cells: cells of the first type are mononucleate and have long processes containing microfilaments and many parallel microtubules; cells of the second type are mononucleate but contain no microtubules and few microfilaments; and cells of the third type have ultrastructural features typical of multinucleate, striated myotubes. Multinucleate cells generate action potentials with both sodium and calcium components and are depolarized by acetyl-choline. The acetylcholine response is blocked by d-tubocurarine. The specific activity of creatine phosphokinase is nine times higher in stationary phase cultures than in exponentially growing ones while the myokinase specific activity is unchanged. The gamma-aminobutyric acid content of the cells is 3.5- to 26-fold higher in stationary phase than in exponentially growing cultures, depending on the degree of fusion of the culture. The properties of B104-F are discussed in relation to the properties of developing skeletal muscle and of central nervous system cell lines.
Healthcare Theatre: A Unique Simulation Partnership

theater; interprofessional; undergraduate education Abstract: The Healthcare Theatre program, a unique approach to standardized patients, is a partner- ship between the College of Health Sciences and College of Arts and Science at the University of Dela- ware. This program now offers a permanent, cross-credited course that includes a repertoire of experiential and discovery learning strategies. Enrolled students are educated by the nursing and the- ater departments to portray patients for health care simulations that encourage teamwork and interpro- fessional communication. This article will explain how the program provides an active, transformative learning environment while satisfying the educational needs and challenges of multiple disciplines.
Industrial Wayfarers: Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Machine Smuggling in the 1780s

(1981). Industrial Wayfarers: Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Machine Smuggling in the 1780s. Business History: Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 309-326.
A direct test of the cognitive bias theory of share price reversals

Abstract The cognitive bias theory of share price reversals predicts that the market forms overly optimistic (pessimistic) earnings expectations for firms that experienced high (low) stock returns. This paper finds evidence inconsistent with this theory. Analysts do not underpredict earnings following large stock price declines; instead, they remain overly optimistic about future earnings. Similarly, analysts do not overpredict earnings for firms after periods of extreme price rises. It appears, then, that other factors are responsible for the observed mean reversions in share prices.
Rationality of Japanese macroeconomic survey forecasts: empirical evidence and comparisons with the US

Abstract This paper presents evidence on rational expectations in Japanese survey forecasts of the trade balance, money supply, retail sales, housing starts, and industrial production. We find that Japanese survey forecasts of these variables, with the exception of industrial production, are rational in that their announced values and survey forecasts are generally co-integrated with factor one. However, Japanese survey forecasts of industrial production are found to be biased and inconsistent with rational expectations. This evidence on the rationality of these Japanese macroeconomic forecasts has important implications for understanding the impact of news on asset pricing and the effectiveness of monetary and other public policies in Japan.
Exploiting the wisdom of social connections to make personalized recommendations on scholarly articles

Existing scholarly publication recommenders were designed to aid researchers, as well as ordinary users, in discovering pertinent literature in diverse academic fields. These recommenders, however, often (i) depend on the availability of users' historical data in the form of ratings or access patterns, (ii) generate recommendations pertaining to users' (articles included in their) profiles, as oppose to their current research interests, or (iii) fail to analyze valuable user-generated data at social sites that can enhance their performance. To address these design issues, we propose PReSA, a personalized recommender on scholarly articles. PReSA recommends articles bookmarked by the connections of a user U on a social bookmarking site that are not only similar in content to a target publication P currently of interest to U but are also popular among U's connections. PReSA (i) relies on the content-similarity measure to identify potential academic publications to be recommended and (ii) uses only information readily available on popular social bookmarking sites to make recommendations. Empirical studies conducted using data from CiteULike have verified the efficiency and effectiveness of (the recommendation and ranking strategies of) PReSA, which outperforms a number of existing (scholarly publication) recommenders.
Ubc9 mediates nuclear localization and growth suppression of BRCA1 and BRCA1a proteins

BRCA1 gene mutations are responsible for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. In sporadic breast tumors, BRCA1 dysfunction or aberrant subcellular localization is thought to be common. BRCA1 is a nuclear-cytoplasm shuttling protein and the reason for cytoplasmic localization of BRCA1 in young breast cancer patients is not yet known. We have previously reported BRCA1 proteins unlike K109R and cancer-predisposing mutant C61G to bind Ubc9 and modulate ER-α turnover. In the present study, we have examined the consequences of altered Ubc9 binding and knockdown on the subcellular localization and growth inhibitory function of BRCA1 proteins. Our results using live imaging of YFP, GFP, RFP-tagged BRCA1, BRCA1a and BRCA1b proteins show enhanced cytoplasmic localization of K109 R and C61G mutant BRCA1 proteins in normal and cancer cells. Furthermore, down-regulation of Ubc9 in MCF-7 cells using Ubc9 siRNA resulted in enhanced cytoplasmic localization of BRCA1 protein and exclusive cytoplasmic retention of BRCA1a and BRCA1b proteins. These mutant BRCA1 proteins were transforming and impaired in their capacity to inhibit growth of MCF-7 and CAL51 breast cancer cells. Interestingly, cytoplasmic BRCA1a mutants showed more clonogenicity in soft agar and higher levels of expression of Ubc9 than parental MCF7 cells. This is the first report demonstrating the physiological link between cytoplasmic mislocalization of mutant BRCA1 proteins, loss of ER-α repression, loss of ubiquitin ligase activity and loss of growth suppression of BRCA1 proteins. Thus, binding of BRCA1 proteins to nuclear chaperone Ubc9 provides a novel mechanism for nuclear import and control of tumor growth.
Luminometric Assays of ATP, Phosphocreatine, and Creatine for Estimation of Free ADP and Free AMP

We present methods to measure ATP, phosphocreatine, and total creatine (the sum of creatine and phosphocreatine) in alkaline cell extracts. Knowledge of these parameters, together with the known equilibrium constants for the creatine kinase and adenylate kinase-catalyzed reactions, allows one to estimate the levels of free ADP and free AMP inside cells. The enzymatic assays for the above-mentioned metabolites all lead up to the production of ATP, which is measured luminometrically with the ATP-dependent oxidation of luciferin catalyzed by firefly luciferase. To determine phosphocreatine, endogenous ATP is first destroyed, and phosphocreatine is then quantitatively reacted with exogenous ADP to form ATP. Total creatine is measured after quantitative conversion of creatine to phosphocreatine with a large excess of exogenous ATP, conversion of all ATP to ADP, and final reaction of phosphocreatine with ADP to form ATP. We used 5-microl samples in 0.5-ml microcentrifuge tubes and subsequent 5-microl additions of analytical reagents. We expect that the volumes can be changed easily. We tested the methods with glucagon- and insulin-secreting cells. Estimates of free ADP and AMP are expected to be useful in many different areas of research, such as cellular energy metabolism, purine nucleotide metabolism, adenine nucleotide gating of ion channels, and release of vasoactive or angiogenic factors.
Poverty alleviation in El Salvador: An appraisal of the Cristiani Government's social programme

This article appraises the social programme of the Cristiani Government which intends to meet the basic needs of the poorest sectors. It identifies three main components: an emergency programme undertaken during stabilization; a social investment fund intended to compensate those affected by structural adjustment; and long-term restructuring of social service delivery. Each component is assessed in terms of the target group, donor support, institutional framework and monitoring and evaluation of impact. The article examines the claim that the model of social service delivery in El Salvador is a model for other Latin American countries. The conclusions reached are that programme congestion at the local level is likely to thwart attempts to decentralize service delivery, and that community participation is a key element in any attempt to reform the social sector.
Effect of Counterion Condensation on Rigidity of Semiflexible Polyelectrolytes

I have calculated the effect of counterion condensation on the electrostatic persistence length of semiflexible polyelectrolytes. There are two contributions to the electrostatic persistence length. The first contribution is due to neutralization of the ionized groups by condensed ions that changes the effective linear charge density along the polymer backbone, weakening intrachain electrostatic repulsion. In the case of the monovalent counterions this contribution to the chain persistence length is proportional to the Debye screening length, underlining the fact of the exponential screening of electrostatic interactions on the length scales of the order of Debye screening length. The second contribution is due to correlation/fluctuation-induced attractive interactions between condensed counterions that result in a negative contribution to the chain persistence length. In the case of multivalent ions these interactions are assumed to be due to strong lateral correlations between condensed multivalent ions and were accounted for in the framework of the strongly correlated Wigner liquid approximation.
Crystal structure and immunoglobulin G binding properties of the human major histocompatibility complex-related Fc receptor(,).

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) performs two distinct but related functions: transport of maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) to pre- or neonatal mammals, thus providing passive immunity, and protection of IgG from normal serum protein catabolism. FcRn is related to class I MHC proteins but lacks a functional peptide binding groove. The crystal structure of human FcRn has been determined at 2.7 A resolution and compared to the previously described structure of rat FcRn [Burmeister et al. (1994) Nature 372, 336−343] and to the structures of MHC and MHC-related proteins. Human FcRn is structurally similar to the rat receptor but does not form receptor dimers in the crystals as observed in crystals of rat FcRn. The interaction between human FcRn and IgG was characterized by determining the binding stoichiometry using equilibrium gel filtration and by deriving binding affinities for the different human IgG subclasses using a surface plasmon resonance assay. Like rat and mouse FcRn, human FcRn interacts with IgG with a 2:1 receptor:ligand stoichiometry. The binding of human FcRn to the four human IgG subclasses shows subclass and allotype variations but no clear subclass affinity differences that correlate with serum half-lives. The structure of human FcRn and studies of its ligand binding are relevant to current efforts to use FcRn-mediated regulation of IgG half-life in serum to increase the lifetimes of antibody-based therapeutics.
“Acceptimization”: A Problem of Translation for Management

A machine shop falls victim to the exacting analysis of an “operations researcher”; the results of the research indicate that the small company must drop several of the items currently being produced and sold. “There are more catalog items than constraints”, the O.R. type explains, “If you only had more constraints on your production!” The manager's response to the thought of seeking to identify more constraints than already existed is omitted in the interests of good taste. A manufacturer of injection-molded dinnerware allowed a group of graduate students in industrial engineering to do a study of their production-inventory system. One of the results was a series of recommendations relating to economic lot size production runs for the various items being produced.
Enhancing TPACK with Assistive Technology: Promoting Inclusive Practices in Pre-service Teacher Education

As the global community continues the transition from an industrialized factory model to an information and now participatory networked-based society, educational technology will play a pivotal role in preparing students for their futures. Many teacher preparation programs are failing to provide preservice teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to adopt and utilize technology effectively. This paper presents an enhanced technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) model that adds assistive technology as a means to promote inclusive educational practice for preservice teachers. This model offers substantive promise for improving learning outcomes for students with disabilities and other traditionally marginalized populations who receive the majority of their classroom instruction in general education settings. This paper extends the TPACK model by providing specific examples of how assistive technology and instructional technology are distinct yet overlapping constructs. Essential technology skills for preservice teachers and strategies supporting inclusive educational practice are identified.
Reply by the Author to N. A. Cumpsty and C. Freeman

T HE shock-lossmodel described in Ref. 1 was one of the chapters of a comprehensive internal report by Schobeiri. This reportwas internallypublished ve yearsbefore the paperby Freeman andCumpsty appeared.The originalversionof the paper submitted to the AIAA Journal includedonly citation of those papers that were cited in Ref. 2. Consequently, the paper of Freeman and Cumpsty was not included in the citations. In the review process, the paper by Freeman and Cumpsty was brought to my attention, and I was asked to critically review their paper and put it in the context of my proposed model. Concentrating my critique on the model for the inlet region including Eq. (4) and Fig. 4 (Ref. 3), I noted an inaccuracy in Freeman and Cumpsty’s3 assumption in their region. My subsequentreviewwas based on the implicationof their assumption and its impact on their model. In response to my review, Cumpsty and Freeman have presented two relativeMachnumber contoursfor nearpeak ef ciencyandnear stall operation for a NASA rotor. The  gures show Mach number distributionsfrom the blade leading edge to the trailing edge.However, they cannot be used as a means to justify the assumption for neglectingthe blade force in the chordwise direction. Incorporating this assumption,Freeman andCumpsty arrivedatEq. (4) andFig. 4 as its graphic solution. As I brie y pointed out in my review, lefthand and right-hand sides of Eq. (4) are not equal. Thus, the plotted b 1 curves do not represent the  ow angles that would correspondto a given cascade parameter t / s. Consequently, the resulting control volume exit Mach number is not accurately presented. Having the detailed  ow informationpresented in contour plot, Fig. 2, it would have been an easy task to calculate the blade force in chordwise direction and then present a quantitatively substantiated argument about the validity of the assumption.Referring to a private communication, although acceptable, is not totally convincing. The commentsof Cumpsty and Freemanon themodel I presented in Ref. 1 is unfortunately based on their misinterpretation of the location of point A and C in Fig. 2 of my paper.1 Point A and C are located on the blade leading edge of two adjacent blades and not, as Cumpsty and Freeman state, on either side of the leading edge. Because of the lack of space, the location of the letter A was placed underneath of letter c . This might have caused Cumpsty and Freeman to arrive at their conclusion. However, the explicit statement in the text (Schobeiri1 ), two lines belowFig. 4, reads: “As Fig. 2 shows, because of cascade periodicity, the pressure at point A is indentical to the pressure at point C.” (See Fig. 1, which is
Shifting foci of hematopoiesis during reconstitution from single stem cells

To reveal the early events and dynamics of hematopoietic reconstitution in living animals in real-time, we used bioluminescence imaging to monitor engraftment from single luciferase-labeled hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in irradiated recipients. Transplanted HSC generated discrete foci in the spleen and bone marrow (BM), at a frequency that correlated with BM compartment size. Initially detected foci could expand locally, seed other sites in BM or spleen, and/or recede with different kinetics. These studies reveal dynamic and variable patterns of engraftment from highly purified HSC and indicate that the final overall contribution of individual HSC to hematopoietic chimerism does not depend on the specific site of initial engraftment and expansion.
Comorbid Substance Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Characteristics of Women in Treatment

To further explore the complex relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PISD) and substance use disorders, the authors compared 30 women with PTSD in substance abuse treatment with 25 women without PTSD in substance abuse treatment on degree of addiction severity, psychopa-thology, and aftercare compliance. Women with PTSD were more likely to have been victims of sexual and physical abuse, particularly childhood abuse. They had significantly higher scores on the Addiction Severity Index, were more likely to have comorbid affective disorder, and less likely to comply with aftercare. These results suggest that screening for victimization and PTSD among women presenting for substance abuse treatment may have important prognostic and treatment implications.
CONTEXT-SENSITIVE LANGUAGE MODELING FOR LARGE SETS OF PROPER NOUNS IN MULTIMODAL DIALOGUE SYSTEMS

We explore several language modeling strategies for increasing the recognition accuracy among large sets of proper nouns in a map- based multimodal dialogue system which provides restaurant information. In particular, we evaluate several mechanisms for exploiting dialogue context, the two most promising of which involve a semi- static metropolitan-region based large set of proper nouns competing with a smaller, in-focus subset. We show that these techniques decrease word, concept, and proper noun error rates under several training conditions. We also present a technique to generalize sparse training data through derived templates to improve language model robustness.
Cutaneous Mast Cell Quantity in Pruritic and Nonpruritic Hemodialysis Patients

Pruritus remains a significant complication of end-stage renal disease. Its cause in hemodialysis patients is not known. It has been postulated that increased numbers of mast cells occur in these patients and may account for the presence of pruritus. Our objective was to determine if there is a difference in the number of cutaneous mast cells between pruritic and nonpruritic patients. A 3-mm punch biopsy specimen was obtained from pruritic (n = 7) and nonpruritic (n = 6) hemodialysis patients. We observed no significant difference in the quantity of cutaneous mast cells in pruritic and nonpruritic hemodialysis patients. We conclude that the etiology of pruritus in hemodialysis patients is not related to an increase in the number of cutaneous mast cells.
Aortic gene expression profile of ascending aortic aneurysms and acute ascending aortic dissections

Abstract Purpose. The pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections remains poorly understood. Despite increasing investigation, concepts of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection pathogenesis still rely heavily on abdominal aortic aneurysm research. We sought to use microarray technology to delve further into molecular pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. We hypothesized that aortic gene expression profiles would differ between ascending aneurysms and dissections. Methods. Intraoperative samples of ascending aorta were obtained during surgical repair of ascending aortic aneurysms and acute ascending aortic dissections ( n = 2 each). Control samples of ascending aorta were obtained from two organ donors. Total RNA was extracted and combined for each group, and biotinylated cDNA probes were generated. The cDNA probes were subjected to GEArray Q series microarrays containing 192 known genes related to extracellular matrix biology, adhesion molecules, and endothelial cell biology. GEArray analysis software determined relative intensities compared to controls. Results. Compared to control tissue, 13 genes (including Enamelysin, Homo thrombospondin2, and Fibronectin1) were increased in both aneurysms and dissections. Seventeen genes were up regulated in the aneurysm group, 26 in the dissection group. Eleven genes were decreased in the aneurysm group, 10 in the dissection group. Comparing only the dissection group with the aneurysm group, 39 genes displayed much higher expression (more than 3-fold) in dissections compared to aneurysms, including Integrin alpha 8 and CD44 antigen. Conclusions. Aortic gene expression in ascending aneurysms and acute dissections differs significantly, suggesting that different pathological mechanisms may be involved. The data extracted from these cDNA arrays will be beneficial for selecting and investigating the roles of significantly altered genes in each disease. We are currently investigating functional roles of the differentially expressed genes in each of the aortic conditions.
Cooperating with a markovian ad hoc teammate

This paper focuses on learning in the presence of a Markovian teammate in Ad hoc teams. A Markovian teammate's policy is a function of a set of discrete feature values derived from the joint history of interaction, where the feature values transition in a Markovian fashion on each time step. We introduce a novel algorithm "Learning to Cooperate with a Markovian teammate", or LCM, that converges to optimal cooperation with any Markovian teammate, and achieves safety with any arbitrary teammate. The novel aspect of LCM is the manner in which it satisfies the above two goals via efficient exploration and exploitation. The main contribution of this paper is a full specification and a detailed analysis of LCM's theoretical properties.1
The clinical significance of right-sided colonic inflammation in patients with left-sided chronic ulcerative colitis.

Background: Rarely, patchy right colonic inflammation has been observed in patients with left sided chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC), but the clinical significance of this finding is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and pathologic features and natural history of CUC patients with left-sided colitis combined with patchy right colonic inflammation and to compare the clinical course to a control group of patients with isolated left-sided CUC. Methods: Twelve patients with clinically and pathologically confirmed left-sided CUC, but also with patchy right colonic inflammation, were identified from a cohort of 352 consecutive patients with CUC who underwent colonoscopy at the Brigham and Women's Hospital between 1996 and 2000. In this cohort, 127 patients had left-sided colitis. As the first study to use controls in this setting, 35 consecutive patients with left-sided CUC, but without patchy right colonic inflammation, were selected and evaluated during the same time period. In all patients, the medical records were reviewed for a wide variety of clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic features. The mean follow-up time for the study and control groups was 105 ± 128 and 112 ± 80 months, respectively. Results: Patients in the study group were significantly older than the control group at the time of diagnosis (47 ± 17 years vs 35 ± 14 years, p = 0.048), but the two groups had a similar gender distribution (25% male vs 40% male), prevalence of extraintestinal manifestations (25% vs 11%), frequency of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use (75% vs 50%), family history of colitis (27% vs 15%), current tobacco use (8% vs 3%), history of appendectomy (8% vs 0%), and overall severity of disease (33% vs 46%). None of the patients in the study group, and only one control patient, had disease progression to pancolitis. One study patient developed high-grade dysplasia in the rectum that required a colectomy. None of the study or control patients developed clinical or pathologic features of Crohn's disease. Conclusions: Rarely patients with left-sided CUC may have patchy right colonic inflammation. The clinical features and natural history of patients with left-sided CUC and patchy right colonic inflammation is similar to patients with isolated left-sided CUC.
Costs and effectiveness of tele-ICUs in reducing morbidity and mortality in intensive care units

A substantial amount of healthcare is delivered in intensive care units (ICUs); amounting to over 13 million ICU bed-days per year1. Intensive care is a costly and growing expense in the US healthc...
Acute leukaemia with mixed lymphoid and myeloid phenotype

Summary Three children with acute leukaemia had blasts that expressed both lymphoid and myeloid markers. The blasts met immunological criteria for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)—common ALL antigen+, HLA-DR+, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase+–but their cytochemical features, including positive myeloperoxidase and Sudan black B, were those of acute nonlymphoblastic leukaemia (ANLL) as defined by the French-American-British Group. 30% of the blasts from one of two patients tested reacted with a monoclonal antibody specific for nonlymphoid cells (MCS-2). The wide overlap in the percentages of blasts expressing lymphoid or myeloid markers indicates that some leukaemic cells in each child had a mixed phenotype. There were no consistent cytogenetic findings, and the Philadelphia chromosome was not present. Complete remission was induced by treatment effective for either ALL (two patients) or ANLL. These three cases appear to represent a rare leukaemia subtype that we have designated acute leukaemia with mixed lymphoid and myeloid phenotype. Its recognition may be important in treatment, since two patients achieved remission with standard therapy for ALL. These cases demonstrate further the phenotypic heterogeneity that may be seen in leukaemic cell differentiation.
Editorial: tribology at the forefront of study and research on metal cutting

A clear distinction of the metal cutting tribology and a short description of the author?s personal vision on the place, role and importance of this field of knowledge are presented. As discussed, a great amount of this energy required by the cutting system for its existence is spent over the tribological interfaces in metal cutting, namely, on the tool-chip, tool-workpiece and chip-workpiece interfaces. System specifics of metal cutting tribology are discussed. This paper sets the objectives and direction for the future work on metal cutting tribology. This paper highlights the major features of the current Special Issue.
Cooperative organic mine avoidance path planning

The JHU/APL Path Planning team has developed path planning techniques to look for paths that balance the utility and risk associated with different routes through a minefield. Extending on previous years' efforts, we investigated real-world Naval mine avoidance requirements and developed a tactical decision aid (TDA) that satisfies those requirements. APL has developed new mine path planning techniques using graph based and genetic algorithms which quickly produce near-minimum risk paths for complicated fitness functions incorporating risk, path length, ship kinematics, and naval doctrine. The TDA user interface, a Java Swing application that obtains data via Corba interfaces to path planning databases, allows the operator to explore a fusion of historic and in situ mine field data, control the path planner, and display the planning results. To provide a context for the minefield data, the user interface also renders data from the Digital Nautical Chart database, a database created by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency containing charts of the world's ports and coastal regions. This TDA has been developed in conjunction with the COMID (Cooperative Organic Mine Defense) system. This paper presents a description of the algorithms, architecture, and application produced.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.