cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural simplification of bioactive natural products with multicomponent synthesis. 4. 4H-Pyrano-[2,3-b]naphthoquinones with anticancer activity

4H-Pyrano-[2,3-b]naphthoquinone is a structural motif commonly found in natural products manifesting anticancer activities. As part of a program aimed at structural simplification of bioactive natural products utilizing multicomponent synthetic processes, we developed a compound library based on this heterocyclic scaffold. We found that several library members displayed low micromolar antiproliferative activity and induced apoptosis in human cancer cells. Selected compounds showed promising activity against cancer cell lines resistant to proapoptotic stimuli, demonstrating their potential in treating cancers with dismal prognoses.
Precision and accuracy of joint space width measurements of the medial compartment of the knee using standardized MTP semi-flexed radiographs.

Abstract Objective: To quantify the precision and accuracy of measurements of joint space width (JSW) and joint space narrowing (JSN) from the medial tibiofemoral compartment of knee radiographs using a simple and easily adaptable protocol. Methods: Radiographs of a caliper (a surrogate for JSW) were obtained to determine the precision limits of the system under ideal conditions. Bilateral knee radiographs from 10 healthy volunteers were obtained at three different times using the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) semi-flexed view posterior–anterior position without fluoroscopy. A backlit digitizing tablet and three manual methods were used to measure JSW and analyses of precision were performed. The accuracy of measuring change in JSW (a measure of JSN) was estimated from radiographs of cadaver knees that were placed in a servo-hydraulic device that moved the femur relative to the tibia through known intervals. Results: Radiographic measurements of the caliper inter-blade distance were comparable to the resolution limits of the backlit digitizing tablet (0.025mm). Repeated radiography of healthy subject knees produced JSW standard deviation (SD) measurements of 0.08mm by the median SD method, and 0.11mm by repeated measures analysis. The accuracy of JSN measurements in the cadaver knees as a mean difference from the known reference value was 0.09mm. Conclusion: The results indicate a high level of precision in measurements of JSW from MTP semi-flexed view knee radiographs of normal volunteers. Reproducibility was attained through careful subject positioning without fluoroscopy and the use of a backlit digitizing tablet. From the cadaver study we can predict that greater than 0.13mm of measured JSN represents actual or true change in JSN. This radiographic technique can be used as a primary measure for early knee osteoarthritis (OA) when cartilage thickness is decreasing and limited bony remodeling has occurred.
Patient specific tube current modulation for CT dose reduction

Radiation exposure during CT imaging has drawn growing concern from academia, industry as well as the general public. Sinusoidal tube current modulation has been available in most commercial products and used routinely in clinical practice. To further exploit the potential of tube current modulation, Sperl et al. proposed a Computer-Assisted Scan Protocol and Reconstruction (CASPAR) scheme [6] that modulates the tube current based on the clinical applications and patient specific information. The purpose of this study is to accelerate the CASPAR scheme to make it more practical for clinical use and investigate its dose benefit for different clinical applications. The Monte Carlo simulation in the original CASPAR scheme was substituted by the dose reconstruction to accelerate the optimization process. To demonstrate the dose benefit, we used the CATSIM package generate the projection data and perform standard FDK reconstruction. The NCAT phantom at thorax position was used in the simulation. We chose three clinical cases (routine chest scan, coronary CT angiography with and without breast avoidance) and compared the dose level with different mA modulation schemes (patient specific, sinusoidal and constant mA) with matched image quality. The simulation study of three clinical cases demonstrated that the patient specific mA modulation could significantly reduce the radiation dose compared to sinusoidal modulation. The dose benefits depend on the clinical application and object shape. With matched image quality, for chest scan the patient specific mA profile reduced the dose by about 15% compared to the sinusoid mA modulation; for the organ avoidance scan the dose reduction to the breast was over 50% compared to the constant mA baseline.
“The One Who Did Not Break His Promises”: Native Americans in the Evangelical Race Reconciliation Movement

This article examines Native peoples within the race reconciliation movement in evangelical Christianity. Native evangelicals have become increasingly prominent within New Charismatic movements, particularly through the work of the Promise Keepers movement. This presence promotes male dominance, political quietism, and Christian imperialism within Native communities. At the same time, however, Native peoples have used race reconciliation as an opportunity to promote treaty rights and sovereignty struggles within White evangelical communities. Thus, it is unclear if the race reconciliation movement will ultimately push people of color to the Right or White evangelicals to the Left.
The Russian Economy in the Year 2005.

(2006). The Russian Economy in the Year 2005. Post-Soviet Affairs: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 90-98.
bFGF and VEGF synergistically enhance endothelial cytoprotection via decay-accelerating factor induction.

The complement-regulatory protein decay-accelerating factor (DAF) can be upregulated on endothelial cells (EC) by protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent and -independent pathways. We hypothesized that ba...
A multi-index risk model of the Japanese stock market

Abstract While a great deal of empirical work has been performed on identifying the risk structure (return generating process) for the New York Stock Exchange, little work has been done in identifying and understanding risk in the Japanese stock market. In this paper, we use new statistical techniques to identify the risk structure of Japanese stocks. The risk structure we find is more complex than that in American markets and more clearly calls for the identification of more than one risk index. The identified risk structure is tested in a forecast mode and found to be relatively stable over time. The association between the risk structure and macro-economic variables is investigated.
An analysis of the heat and solute transport during solidification of an aqueous binary solution—II. Dendrite tip region

Abstract An analysis of energy and mass transport near the tips of steadily advancing dendrites has been developed. Transport equations have been derived and have been solved using the method of variable transformation to a 1-dim. system. Geometric and thermodynamic matching criteria were employed to ensure that the tip region transport fields were compatible with those obtained previously in the basal plane region. The overall results indicate that the higher the free field temperature the shorter and more blunt are the dendrites. Similarly increasing the free-field concentration at constant free-field superheat drastically reduces the dendrite length. Dendrite length was also found to be inversely proportional to the rate of freezing.
Development of a new method for making high dynamic range, vector mixer characterisations

Vector network analysers (VNAs) employ static error models that allow for the removal of static instrumentation errors, thereby enabling the accurate measurement of vector scattering parameters for devices under test (DUTs). Since standard VNA error models are inherently based on relative measurements (i.e. either the reflected or transmitted signal is measured relative to the incident signal at the same frequency), they typically do not provide information about the magnitude and phase of the signal that is input into the DUT, or the signal that is transmitted through the DUT into the second receiver. Such information is crucial for VNA measurements of frequency-offsetting DUTs like mixers. In previous papers, the authors demonstrated how the inclusion of an additional bidirectional signal path allows for the absolute vector error correction (AVEC) of a one-port transmitter/receiver module, thereby allowing for the accurate vector measurement of the signals that are flowing into and/or out of the test port. The authors show how the AVEC method can be used to calibrate multi-port systems, thereby allowing for vector measurements of mixer DUTs (MUTs).
The Influence of Chronic Inflammation in Prostatic Carcinogenesis: A 5-Year Followup Study

Purpose: We investigated an association between chronic prostatic inflammation and prostate carcinogenesis.Materials and Methods: Initial prostate needle biopsies from 177 patients with clinical parameters suspicious for malignancy were examined. We evaluated them for the presence and extent of chronic inflammation and other pathological findings. Findings in followup biopsies during the next 5 years were reviewed and correlated with the initial results.Results: Two patients subset were identified, including 144 patients with and 33 without chronic inflammation in the initial biopsies. Additional pathological findings in some cases in each group included simple atrophy, high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, adenocarcinoma and atypical small acinar proliferation. Post-atrophic hyperplasia and proliferative inflammatory atrophy were noted only in patients with chronic inflammation. A significant association between serum prostate specific antigen and the degree of inflammation was observed in need...
INDUSTRY AND PRACTICE: The Dissemination of Good Practices in Database Development Work

Though the concept of sharing good practices regarding database development is not new, many organizations lack an effective sharing mechanism. A typical problem occurs when a work assignment is concluded without properly gathering and storing good practices. Good practices that have been identified during development work may be lost or become inaccessible for future use. Ideally, there is an organizational process whereby good practices are gathered, stored, and disseminated. This may include organizational meetings where good practices are shared among personnel. It may also require a final report that gathers learning experiences from developers that are made available for future reference. The overall goal is to disseminate good practices in order to promote â€œwhat worksâ€ in terms of fewer defects, improved performance, and enhanced functionality, among others.
STUDIES OF THE PREDOMINANT CULTIVABLE MICROBIOTA OF DENTAL PLAQUE.

Abstract All of the cultivable bacteria present in high dilutions of dental plaque have been isolated, partially characterized, and their relative proportions determined. The predominant cultivable microbiota of dental plaque was found to be comprised of the following groups of organisms: facultative streptococci, 27%; facultative diphtheroids, 23%; anaerobic diphtheroids, 18%; peptostreptococci, 13%; Veillonella , 6%; Bacteroides , 4%; fusobacteria, 4%; Neisseria , 3%; and vibrios, 2%. Total microscopic counts of dental plaque averaged 2·5 × 10 11 bacteria/g. Total cultivable counts performed anaerobically and aerobically averaged 4·6 and 2·5 × 10 10 /g respectively.
Mind, bind, and ecology: A review of Gregory Bateson's collected essays

Gregory Bateson has one of the most exciting minds in the social and biological sciences. Those who have been touched by it, either through the literature or in person, are significantly altered. He has a talent for finding a reversal of normal approaches to a problem which can sometimes be both shockflag and exciting. His 1963 paper on evolutionary theory has been a major influence on my own thinking for the last 10 years. Curiously and significantly, the papers that I have written under the influence of the revelatory experience that I felt upon reading Dr. Bateson's paper have not received the attention that either my earlier papers or my papers written in different modes have received. This in no way detracts from my conviction of the importance and significance of what I learned from Dr. Bateson but, I believe, indicates that the Bateson thinking mode is just enough out of the mainstream of normal scientific procedure as to be somewhat suspect to most social and biological scientists. In this book, Dr. Bateson has put together a series of his articles, some previously published in journals and others which were working papers for various symposia or meetings. In addition, there is a set of curious conversations, the "Metalogues," in which the form of the conversation is considered to reflect the content of the conversation, like a terribly intellectual "Tom Swifty." It is not a unified book. The subject matter includes material on phylogeny, ecology, evolution, psychiatry, anthropology, philosophy of science, and certain areas that might simply be called pure intellectualizing. There is no central assertion of a theme, followed by the exposition or demonstration of
Understanding the patterns in the BZ reagent

It has been pretty well established that the PC system examined in this talk is a realistic model for the spatially distributed BZ reagent under commonly occurring parameter conditions. The analysis of the system is straightforward and provides a clear picture of the mechanism behind the appearance of fronts, trains, solitary pulses, and target patterns, and behind the generation of spirals, under those conditions. In fact, the PC model has been remarkable successful in reflecting observed phenomena (see a discussion of this point in Ref. 34). Spiral-like structures in 3-space have been called scrolls by A. Winfree; their generation can also be easily understood along these same lines, as resulting from local disturbances of plane solitary waves propagating through 3-space. Fully developed spirals can likely be understood in this same PC context as solutions of the free boundary problem presented in Section 7; more mathematical and numerical work should be done on that problem.
Leo Strauss's Adherence to Nietzsche's “Atheism From Intellectual Probity”

Abstract Did Leo Strauss bid a clear “farewell to the atheism from probity, and thus to his own youthful commitment to modern philosophy” in his 1935 Introduction to Philosophy and Law, as David Janssens claims? In this essay I hold that he did not. I argue as follows: (1) Those who appeal to a footnote of the 1935 Introduction to Philosophy and Law to justify the claim that Strauss criticizes probity by contrasting it with the “love of truth” have not read the footnote with sufficient care; (2) Though Strauss criticizes versions of intellectual probity that degenerate into dogmatism, the 1935 Introduction does not contain a critique of atheism from intellectual probity; (3) Strauss does not intend the apparent critique of Nietzsche that appears in the 1962 Preface to the English edition of Spinoza's Critique of Religion as a serious refutation of Nietzsche's atheism; (4) While Strauss's estimation of Socrates is perhaps generally higher than that of Nietzsche, his thinking about Socrates does not genuine...
Experimental band structure of aluminum

Angle-resolved photoemission utilizing synchrotron radiation as a source was used to measure the occupied and unoccupied band structure of aluminum. The occupied portion of the bands displays a dispersion in qualitative agreement with the nearly-free-electron model and self-consistent band calculations. The measured occupied bandwidth is 10.6 eV, which is 0.5 eV smaller than calculated, due to electron-electron interactions (self-energy). The measured gap at $X$ is 1.68\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08 eV wide and centered 1.99\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08 eV below the Fermi energy. The magnitude and position of this gap do not simultaneously agree with any calculation or fit to the Fermi surface. The band structures which are derived by fitting to the Fermi surface or to optical properties reproduce the gap magnitude correctly, but not its position. Band-structure calculations do not reproduce either the gap magnitude or position due to \ensuremath{\sim}0.5-eV discrepancy in the ${X}_{1}$ point. The experimental band structure above the vacuum level is in qualitative agreement with calculations, once inelastic scattering (short mean free path) and evanescent waves from the vacuum solid interface are included. The lifetime broadening of both initial and final states was measured. Finally, a new surface state was observed on the A1(100) surface.
Are African Elephants deficient in Essential Fatty Acids

THE African elephant (Loxodonta africana), living in its natural habitat in East Africa, has suffered over the last few decades from progressive restrictions resulting in overcrowding within national parks and sanctuaries1,2 and a relatively rapid deterioration of its habitat from woodland to open grassland3,4. Much of the latter change has been precipitated by the elephants themselves pushing over young trees to eat the succulent growing shoots, or stripping the oil bark and exposing the trees to damage by periodic fires5.
Ceramide- and ERK-dependent pathway for the activation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein by interleukin-1β in hepatocytes

Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is a major inducer of liver acute-phase protein expression in response to infection. Several transcription factors, including CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), are known mediators in this process, although the mechanisms by which they modulate IL-1beta's action are not completely understood. Activation of sphingomyelinase (SMase) and the subsequent generation of ceramide are early steps in the IL-1beta signaling cascade. In this study, we investigate the role of ceramide in the IL-1beta regulation of C/EBP in primary hepatocytes. The C/EBP DNA binding activity was found to increase in a dose-dependent manner after stimulation with IL-1beta and exogenous addition of C2-ceramide or treatment with SMase. These changes were accompanied by an increase in the nuclear content of C/EBPbeta. Both IL-1beta and ceramide led to extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation as early as 15 min after treatment. Furthermore, the increase of cellular ceramide content resulted in increased phosphorylation of C/EBPbeta at serine 105 at later time points. Concurrently, the cytosolic levels of C/EBPbeta decreased, suggesting that IL-1beta and ceramide induced nuclear translocation of C/EBPbeta. Ceramide-induced C/EBPbeta phosphorylation, translocation, and DNA binding were suppressed by the addition of PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. These results suggest that ceramide and ERK mediate a pathway in the IL-1beta signaling cascade, which results in rapid posttranslational activation of C/EBPbeta.
Identification of molecular targets in urologic oncology.

Molecular targets in cancer diagnosis and therapy have come to the fore of the oncology field in the last decade. Their identification is rooted in basic science investigation and enhanced knowledge in the fields of genetics, biochemistry, molecular and tumor biology, and pathology among others. A medical literature search in English using MEDLINE®/PUBMed® was performed on the topics of molecular targets, targeted therapy, and biomarkers in the areas of bladder, prostate, and renal cancers. This information was analyzed and combined with the author’s personal knowledge in the identification and development of molecular targets. Data is included from the author’s laboratory regarding examples of target development and clinical translation. Molecular targets are often biomarkers; either prognostic ones that reflect the natural history of the cancer or predictive ones that reflect the impact of a therapy. Molecular targets in urologic cancer may arise from four sources: the host, the tumor, as a result of a treatment, or associated with a specific disease stage. Understanding the continuum of targets through the progression of a urologic cancer is central to the translational applications of diagnostics, individualized medicine and targeted therapeutics. Urologists are most familiar with targeted therapy in renal cancer with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Yet, herein are examples of biomarkers and targets across the spectrum of urologic tumors, stages and treatments. Identification of events, signals, and pathways in urologic cancer are opportunities to develop biomarkers and targets for diagnosis and treatment.
A General, Gauge Invariant Analysis of the Cosmic Microwave Anisotropy

A general, gauge-invariant analysis of the large-scale anisotropies in the cosmic background radiation produced by arbitrary scalar, vector, or tensor perturbations in open, closed, or flat Robertson-Walker spacetimes (with no cosmological constant) is presented. The multipole moment predictions for the scale invariant spectrum and Omega = 1 universe predicted by inflationary cosmologies are contrasted with those for other spectra and for open and closed universes. Using the measured value of the dipole moment, limits are set on the expected value of the quadrupole moment as a function of Omega for various spectra.
Genes and the long and winding road to cortical construction and cognition.

Over the last half century an enormous synergy has emerged between the direct genetic study of disordered human brain development and basic developmental neurobiology. Nowhere is this more true than in conditions that involve abnormalities in cognition and behavior, where a knowledge of molecular etiology provides a concrete starting point for the complex journey from stem or progenitor cell to cortical circuit to cognition (Rakic and Goldman 1982; Caviness and Rakic 1995). In this issue of NBD, we attempt to highlight this synergy by providing a collection of 5 reviews focusing on different areas at the intersection between developmental neurobiology and disease.
Assessment of the CALIPSO Lidar 532 nm attenuated backscatter calibration using the NASA LaRC airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar

Abstract. The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument on the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spacecraft has provided global, high-resolution vertical profiles of aerosols and clouds since it became operational on 13 June 2006. On 14 June 2006, the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) was deployed aboard the NASA Langley B-200 aircraft for the first of a series of 86 underflights of the CALIPSO satellite to provide validation measurements for the CALIOP data products. To better assess the range of conditions under which CALIOP data products are produced, these validation flights were conducted under both daytime and nighttime lighting conditions, in multiple seasons, and over a large range of latitudes and aerosol and cloud conditions. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of the CALIOP 532 nm calibration (through the 532 nm total attenuated backscatter) using internally calibrated airborne HSRL underflight data and is the most extensive study of CALIOP 532 nm calibration. Results show that HSRL and CALIOP 532 nm total attenuated backscatter agree on average within 2.7% ± 2.1% (CALIOP lower) at night and within 2.9% ± 3.9% (CALIOP lower) during the day, demonstrating the accuracy of the CALIOP 532 nm calibration algorithms. Additionally, comparisons with HSRL show consistency of the CALIOP calibration before and after the laser switch in 2009 as well as improvements in the daytime version 3.01 calibration scheme compared with the version 2 calibration scheme. Potential biases and uncertainties in the methodology relevant to validating satellite lidar measurements with an airborne lidar system are discussed and found to be less than 4.5% ± 3.2% for this validation effort with HSRL. Results from this study are also compared with prior assessments of the CALIOP 532 nm attenuated backscatter calibration.
THE RAT'S ADJUSTMENT TO 23-, 47-, AND 71-HOUR FOOD- DEPRIVATION SCHEDULES

In this experiment the adjustment of rats to three schedules of food deprivation was studied. Groups of Ss were placed on either 23-hr., 47-hr., or 71-hr. food-deprivation schedules for a period of 18 days. A fourth, non-deprived control group was also employed. The measures of adjustment used were body weight, and weight gain and food intake during the time food was available. The results showed that, as expected from previous research, Ss on the 23-hr. schedule were in the process of adjusting to the schedule at the end of 18 days. Ss on the 47-hr. and 71-hr. schedules, however, experienced severe weight loss and were not able to adjust to their schedules.
Gravity dual of the chiral anomaly

We study effects associated with the chiral anomaly for a cascading SU(N+ M)×SU(N) gauge theory using gauge/gravity duality. In the gravity dual the anomaly is a classical feature of the supergravity solution, and the breaking of the U(1) R-symmetry down to Z2M proceeds via the Higgs mechanism.
Laboratory Assessment of Temperament and Postrotary Nystagmus Responses in Rhesus Monkey Infants (Macaca Mulatta)

The relationship between temperamental expressions of emotionality and postrotary nystagmus responses was investigated in infant rhesus monkeys. Thirty-three infants were tested on nine occasions during the first months of life using instruments adapted from human developmental tests. Assessments included a laboratory assessment of temperament and an adaptation of the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test. Correlations among the nine postrotary nystagmus sessions were consistently high and positive indicating high test-retest stability of the postrotary nystagmus test for rhesus monkey infants. Infants with high rating on early laboratory assessments of fearfulness were found to exhibit shortened durations of postrotary nytagmus, shortened excursion lengths of postrotary nystagmus, more variance or day-to-day fluctuation in postrotary nystgmus, and less stability of rank order across the nine testing sessions when compared to infants categorized as bold. Possible mechanisms underlying the suggeste...
Definition and Comparison of Robust Nonlinear Data Smoothing Algorithms

Abstract Nonlinear data smoothers provide a practical method of finding smooth traces for data confounded with possibly long-tailed or occasionally spikey noise. They are resistant to the effects of extreme observations that are not part of the local pattern, yet they are able to respond rapidly to well-supported patterns. This article defines a collection of nonlinear smoothers based upon running medians and presents methods for describing and comparing their performance. The characterizations of the smoothers presented here reveal some with excellent low-pass transfer characteristics, negligible Gibbs rebound, and resistance to the effects of non-Gaussian disturbances.
Estrogen-activated sexual behavior in male rats.

Abstract Daily injections of 100 μg estradiol benzoate activated the whole pattern of sexual behavior in castrated sexually experienced male rats. If compared to rats treated daily with 100 μg testosterone propionate, the estrogen-treated males tended to have longer latencies and more mounts and intromissions prior to ejaculation. Fifty micrograms of estradiol benzoate stimulated the display of mounts and intromissions in prepuberally castrated male rats. No peripheral effects of the estrogen treatment were noted. These results suggest that estrogen has central “androgen-like” effects, but no such effects in the periphery. Estrogen treatment (5, 50, and 200 μg/kg for 3 weeks) of intact sexually experienced male rats resulted in testicular atrophy and loss of body weight, but had no significant effects on the sexual behavior.
Workshop on current issues in predictive approaches to intelligence and security analytics

The increasing asymmetric nature of threats to the security, health and sustainable growth of our society requires that anticipatory reasoning become an everyday activity. Currently, the use of anticipatory reasoning is hindered by the lack of systematic methods for combining knowledge- and evidence-based models, integrating modeling algorithms, and assessing model validity, accuracy and utility. The workshop addresses these gaps with the intent of fostering the creation of a community of interest on model integration and evaluation that may serve as an aggregation point for existing efforts and a launch pad for new approaches.
Constitutive Expression of the Cyclin-dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 Is Transcriptionally Regulated by the Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

The tumor suppressor protein p53 has been implicated in the response of cells to DNA damage. Studies to date have demonstrated a role for p53 in the transcriptional activation of target genes in the cellular response to DNA damage that results in either growth arrest or apoptosis. In contrast, here is demonstrated a role for p53 in regulating the basal level of expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in the absence of treatment with DNA-damaging agents. Wild-type p53-expressing MCF10F cells had detectable levels of p21 mRNA and protein, whereas the p53-negative Saos-2 cells did not. Saos-2 cells were infected with recombinant retrovirus to establish a proliferating pool of cells with a comparable constitutive level of expression of wild-type p53 protein to that seen in untreated MCF10F cells. Restoration of wild-type but not mutant p53 expression recovered a basal level of expression of p21 in these cells. Constitutive expression of luciferase reporter constructs containing the p21 promoter was inhibited by co-transfection with the human MDM2 protein or a dominant-negative p53 protein and was dependent on the presence of p53 response elements in the reporter constructs. Furthermore, p53 in nuclear extracts of untreated cells was capable of binding to DNA in a sequence-specific manner. These results implicate a role for p53 in regulating constitutive levels of expression of p21 and demonstrate that the p53 protein is capable of sequence-specific DNA binding and transcriptional activation in untreated, proliferating cells.
BINDING PROTEIN Is a Master Regulator of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Sensor/Transducer bZIP28 in Arabidopsis

BINDING PROTEIN (BiP) is a major chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen, and this study shows that BiP binds to the C-terminal tail of the stress sensor/transducer bZIP28, a membrane-associated transcription factor, retaining it in the ER under unstressed conditions. In response to ER stress, BiP dissociates from bZIP28, allowing it to be mobilized from the ER to the Golgi where it is proteolytically processed and released to enter the nucleus. Under unstressed conditions, BiP binds to bZIP28 as it binds to other client proteins, through its substrate binding domain. BiP dissociates from bZIP28 even when bZIP28’s exit from the ER or its release from the Golgi is blocked. Both BiP1 and BiP3 bind bZIP28, and overexpression of either BiP detains bZIP28 in the ER under stress conditions. A C-terminally truncated mutant of bZIP28 eliminating most of the lumenal domain does not bind BiP and is not retained in the ER under unstressed conditions. BiP binding sites in the C-terminal tail of bZIP28 were identified in a phage display system. BiP was found to bind to intrinsically disordered regions on bZIP28’s lumen-facing tail. Thus, the dissociation of BiP from the C-terminal tail of bZIP28 is a major switch that activates one arm of the unfolded protein response signaling pathway in plants.
Tutorial software for engineering mathematics

An experimental tutorial mathematics program is nearing completion which is designed to provide interactive workstation based tutorial support in several areas of engineering mathematics. The objectives of the software are to provide review and exploration experiences which are suitable for classroom presentation, but also can be tailored to the needs of individual students. If this tutorial software approach is successful, it will allow upper division courses in engineering and science to progress more efficiently. It will also help eliminate some barriers to student progress into the upper division due to gaps in academic experience. This type of software is complementary to the demonstrations which can be accomplished with batch files and notebooks for widely used mathematics toolkits such as MatLab and Mathematica. However, it is not based on those software products, and no license to use those products is needed to use this tutorial. This approach is also complementary to textbook presentations since it provides the student with the opportunity to experiment with concepts of mathematics, but it does not present the formal theoretical developments in the depth expected in textbooks.
Specific Scattering by Uniform Minerogenic Suspensions

The Mie theory has been applied to determine the theoretical scattering from 1 mg per liter concentrations of uniformly-sized spherical particles over the size range from very small particles up to particles with a radius of 6 microns. The theoretical results compare favorably with experimental results recently published by Jerlov and Kullenberg. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1954.tb01117.x
Iced vs Room-Temperature Injectates for Cardiac Index Measurement During Hypothermia and Normothermia

BACKGROUND Few data are available on the accuracy of thermodilution measurements of cardiac index with room-temperature injectates and a closed delivery system in patients with low cardiac indexes and/or hypothermic body temperatures. OBJECTIVE To compare iced and room-temperature injectates for thermodilution measurement of cardiac index in postoperative cardiac surgical patients during hypothermia and normothermia. METHODS In a convenience sample of cardiac surgical patients in a cardiac recovery unit, cardiac index was measured with both room-temperature and iced injectates during hypothermia ( or =36.1 degrees C and < or =38.0 degrees C). Device bias and precision were calculated and graphed by using the Bland-Altman method. A Student t test was used to determine differences between cardiac indexes by injectate temperature. RESULTS A total of 38 patients were studied. Mean bias and precision for room-temperature and iced injectates in all patients were 0.11 (SD, 0.27) during hypothermia and -0.03 (SD, 0.21) during normothermia. In hypothermic patients, cardiac index differed significantly between room-temperature and iced injectates (t(1,37) = 2.41, P = .02). Cardiac index measurements did not differ between room-temperature and iced injectates in normothermic patients (P = .33). CONCLUSIONS Although significant differences in thermodilution cardiac index were found between room-temperature and iced injectates during hypothermic body temperatures, these differences were small (mean, <0.11). These findings add to the results of the few studies on accuracy of room-temperature injectates for thermodilution measurement of cardiac index.
CEO Positive Psychological Traits, Transformational Leadership, and Firm Performance in High-Technology Start-up and Established Firms

This study examines the relationships among positive psychological traits (hope, optimism, resiliency), transformational leadership, and firm performance in high-technology start-up (n = 49) and established firm (n = 56) contexts, using structural equation modeling. Results reveal that the positive psychological traits of CEOs positively relate to transformational leadership ratings. Furthermore, the extent to which leaders are rated as transformational fully mediates the relationship between the leaders' positive psychological traits and their firms' performance. Last, transformational leadership is more strongly related to firm performance in start-up than in established firms. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Consistent initialization of system of differential-algebraic equations for dynamic simulation of centrifugal chillers

For simulation of centrifugal chiller system with differential algebraic equations (DAEs), consistent initial conditions are difficult to obtain due to the two-phase refrigerant cycle and the connections between several components. Existing rigorous initialization methods are generally not easy to apply and not suitable for the particular problem of centrifugal chiller simulation, such as the surge avoidance. In this paper, the transient model of a water-cooled centrifugal chiller is developed in Modelica with Dymola and the TLK/IfT Library (TIL). A new preprocessing scheme and a direct initialization method are proposed for the consistent initialization for centrifugal chiller. Simulation results have shown the effectiveness of the proposed modeling framework and the initialization method.
On the definition and maintenance of database views with time-varying domains

An approach and a mechanism for the definition and maintenance of views within temporal database environments are outlined. The view definition language makes use of extending Boolean and comparison operators by allowing their operands to be sets of intervals. A mechanism for maintaining temporal views is presented, and it is shown that temporal database views have far fewer maintenance problems than their standard relational counterparts. >
Diet quality mitigates intraspecific larval competition in Drosophila suzukii

The invasive frugivore Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) utilizes a wide range of host plants and damages important fruit crops, including blueberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Field infestations of D. suzukii often exceed one larva per berry, suggesting that intraspecific competition may frequently occur. Because dietary resources are also likely to vary across the host range of D. suzukii, we designed a laboratory assay to measure larval performance across diets of varying quality: a standard artificial diet, a fruit-based medium, a low-protein, and a low-carbohydrate diet. We manipulated egg density across these diets to provide increasing levels of competition and measured larval performance by observing survival to pupation and adulthood, and development times for both life stages. Although increasing density generally negatively impacted D. suzukii performance across diets, the magnitude of these impacts varied by diet type. Drosophila suzukii performance was generally similar in fruit and standard diets, although larval development was more rapid in fruit diets at lower densities. Even at low densities (5 or 10 eggs per arena), survival was reduced and development time increased in low-protein diets relative to standard and fruit diets. At the two highest larval densities (20 or 40 eggs per arena), survivorship was reduced in low-carbohydrate diets as compared to standard and fruit diets. There is evidence that larvae compensated in both low-quality diets by extending development time, which could have consequences for population dynamics. Population models for use in D. suzukii management may need to account for both host nutritional quality and relative competition to accurately predict turnover and geographic expansion.
Active Damping of Structural Modes in High-Speed Machine Tools

This paper presents the conception, design, and development of an active damper to improve the stability of structural modes of a high-speed machine tool. The design of the active damper and the development of the control strategy are described. The damper is constructed as an electromagnetic actuator consisting of an aluminum housing, an I core, an E core, and a cast iron additional mass. Feedback from the structure is provided by an accelerometer. Experimental results illustrate the performance of the active damper on a structural mode that falls within the bandwidth and force limitations of the actuator. In this case, the active damper reduced the size of the negative real part of the frequency response function for the target mode by a factor of between 2.6 and 5.3, depending on the gain.
Usefulness of Herbal and Dietary Supplement References

OBJECTIVE:To describe the usefulness of some of the most common tertiary references that healthcare professionals employ to answer requests about herbal and dietary supplements.METHODS:All requests for information on herbal and dietary supplements received by the drug information service between April and September 2000 were evaluated. Each question was independently reviewed by 4 clinicians using a 4-point scale; 14 references were searched for appropriate answers. The percent of responses for each of the possible scores for each reference overall and by category of question was reported to determine the most helpful references for answering the broadest range of questions.RESULTS:Fifty questions regarding herbal and dietary supplements were analyzed. The electronic databases (Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database, Micromedex) and the Internet site (The Natural Pharmacist) were determined to be overall the most helpful references for providing information on herbal and dietary supplements. The Natural ...
The Influence of Key Length on the Area-Time Complexity of Sorting

Recently discovered lower bounds for the area-time complexity of VLSI sorting of n k -bit keys exhibit a dependence upon the key length. On this basis, keys can be classified into short (k ≤logn), long (k ≥logn) and intermediate-length. Intermediate-length keys have been heretofore the object of investigation; this paper investigates the other two cases and confirms the inherent validity of the bounds for short and long keys by exhibiting optimal or near-optimal VLSI networks.
Comment on: Alssema et al. One Risk Assessment Tool for Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and Chronic Kidney Disease. Diabetes Care 2012; 35:741–748

Alssema et al. (1) recently reported a novel prediction score for cardiometabolic risk among white European adults. Unlike the many available validated models that separately predict cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, their model predicts the occurrence of any of these three outcomes. This approach acknowledges one of the challenges faced by all primary care providers: how to screen for the risk for multiple conditions in a time-limited setting (2). Moreover, …
Weight gain in response to high-fat feeding in CD-1 male mice

The purpose of this study was to compare weight gain and food intake during high-fat feeding in outbred CD-1 male mice while considering several different experimental designs. This study was completed using data from three separate experiments and was designed to address different experimental design issues. Experiment 1 compared mice housed in groups or singly. Experiment 2 compared adolescent and young adult mice. Experiment 3 examined mice that had been previously exercise-trained prior to diet-induced weight gain. Data from each experiment were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance and linear regression. While housing and age did not significantly affect weight gain, mice that were previously exercise-trained consumed significantly more kilocalories than sedentary mice while maintaining comparable body weights. We generated a linear prediction model using data from Experiments 1 and 2 that will allow investigators to calculate the weeks of high-fat feeding needed to reach a target body weight. Our key findings characterize the issues related to and affecting experimental design when utilizing an outbred mouse diet-induced weight gain model and will serve as a guide for future researchers.
Intranet mediators: a prototype

We describe a mediator designed specifically for an intranet rather than an Internet. Our intranet mediator allows data reconciliation and integration to be completed long before the query is executed. This is because information about the data sources is known and a combined schema can be defined prior to the query. On the Internet, source schemas are not available so integration cannot occur before the query. In our approach, a data warehouse is used for reconciliation of structured data. We propose a new architecture and describe an initial prototype built to test the architecture.
Commentary: assessment of clinical depression in patients who request physician-assisted death.

likely to have exacerbated her hopelessness. This transmission of hopelessness and helplessness to spouse, family, other care-providers, and the community becomes a systemic problem necessitating a family-centered approach to care, usually supported by a well-functioning multidisciplinary team. Alas, care of this quality was not available to this patient or her family. Clearly, medical practitioners have a responsibility to monitor their personal attitudes to a patient and the clinical problem to ensure that they do not unwittingly transmit negative countertransference feelings in a harmful manner. The clinical experience observed during the brief life of the ROTI Act could be regarded as an experiment in which the legislation that supported the practice of euthanasia can be examined for its effectiveness. 4 This patient generated a range of ethical concerns regarding the nature and quality of her medical care. Her story demonstrated the inadequacy of the provisions of the ROTI Act and suggested that the vulnerable cannot be safely protected by such legislation.
Iron Status and Coronary Heart Disease: Negative Findings from the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study

The potential association between iron status and coronary heart disease has received increased attention recently. The authors examine this hypothesis in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. The study consisted of 4,237 respondents (1,827 men, 2,410 women) aged 40-74 years at baseline. During the average 13-year follow-up, 489 persons (289 men, 200 women) had an acute myocardial infarction, and 1,151 persons (633 men, 518 women) developed coronary heart disease (included myocardial infarction and other forms of chronic ischemic heart disease). In logistic regression analyses, adjusting for baseline age, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, smoking status, and education, serum iron was inversely associated with the risk of myocardial infarction in women (relative risk = 0.82 for an increase of 5.4 mumol/liter (equivalent to about 1 standard deviation), 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.95), but not in men. Total iron-binding capacity and transferrin saturation were not related to myocardial infarction in either sex, while serum iron and transferrin saturation were inversely associated with coronary heart disease in both sexes. Among men, the relative risk was 0.92 (95% CI 0.85-1.00) for a 5.4-mumol/liter increase in serum iron, while a relative risk of 0.91 (95% CI 0.83-1.00) was observed for a 10% increase in transferrin saturation. For women, the corresponding relative risks were 0.86 (95% CI 0.77-0.95) and 0.88 (95% CI 0.79-0.98), respectively. Dietary iron intake based on 24-hour recall was not associated with the two disease end points. These findings from a large national sample do not support the hypothesis of a positive iron-coronary heart disease relation.