cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Quest for Orally Available Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders (SERDs)

Estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) is the target of endocrine therapies for the treatment of more than 70 % of ERα-positive breast cancers. Selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) antagonize estrogen binding and target the receptor for degradation, representing the last line of treatment for resistant metastatic breast cancer patients. However, the clinical efficacy of the lone clinically approved SERD (Fulvestrant) is limited by its poor oral bioavailability. Recently, several analogues of GW5638, an acrylic acid-based ERα ligand developed by Glaxo Research Institute in 1994, have been reported as promising orally bioavailable SERDs. Some of these compounds are currently in clinical trials, while various other structurally novel SERDs have also been reported by pharma as well as academic research groups. This review provides a critical analysis of the recent developments in orally available SERDs, with a focus on the structure-activity relationships, binding interactions and pharmacokinetic properties of these compounds.
C-Terminal, but Not Intact, FGF23 and EPO Are Strongly Correlatively Elevated in Patients With Gain-of-Function Mutations in HIF2A: Clinical Evidence for EPO Regulating FGF23

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a key phosphate- and vitamin D-regulating hormone. FGF23 circulates as an intact 251 amino acid protein or N- and C-terminal degradation products. Hormone activity resides in the intact molecule, but it has been suggested that high levels of the C-terminal protein can interfere with intact FGF23 (iFGF23) activity. New evidence points to involvement of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)/erythropoietin (EPO)/iron pathway as important in FGF23 physiology. Exactly how this pathway regulates FGF23 is not clear. Various in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies involving perturbations in this pathway at various points have yielded conflicting results. Many of these studies are complicated by the confounding, independent effect of renal insufficiency on FGF23. To gain insight into FGF23 physiology, we studied 8 patients with a rare paraganglioma/somatostatinoma syndrome who had elevated blood EPO levels as a result of somatic gain-of-function mutations in HIF2A (EPAS1) that stimulate tumoral EPO production. All patients had normal renal function. EPO levels varied; most were very elevated and highly correlated with C-terminal FGF23 (cFGF23) levels that were also markedly elevated. Blood phosphate and intact FGF23 levels were normal. These data from patients with normal renal function in whom HIF activation was the inciting event suggest a direct role of the HIF/EPO pathway in FGF23 transcription and translation. They also demonstrate that posttranslational regulation was finely tuned to maintain normal blood phosphate levels. Additionally, normal phosphate and intact FGF23 levels in the setting of markedly increased C-terminal FGF23 levels suggest intact FGF23 action is not attenuated by C-terminal FGF23. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Predictors of Gynecologic Surgery Cancellations at a Teaching Hospital

Objective: The study aim is to determine reasons for cancellation of scheduled gynecologic surgeries. Design: This is a retrospective study of 760 patients. Materials and Methods: Predictor variabl...
Genetics of malignant hyperthermia: A brief update

Malignant hyperthermia susceptibility (MHS) and the associated condition malignant hyperthermia (MH) are rare but well-known disorders in the field of anesthesiology. MHS is usually determined by a history of a family member developing a positive episode during general anesthesia and then confirmed by an invasive caffeine halothane contracture test (CHCT). More recently, within the context of MH as a pharmacogenetic disorder, the question of whether or not MHS can be principally genetically determined is of high importance as knowledge of detailed pathogenesis may prevent against its largely invariable lethality if untreated. Thus, in this brief report, genetic terms, as well as updates in the genetics of MHS, will be reviewed in order to better understand both the condition and the current research.
The Effects of Training and Performance Feedback on Preservice Teachers’ Use of Statements That Promote Preschool Children’s Social Interactions:

Children who are at risk of or diagnosed with disabilities engage in less frequent and complex peer interactions and social behaviors than their typically developing peers. Inclusive early childhoo...
Making the Most Out of Academic Meetings

Attending academic meetings might be seen as compulsory for our jobs, is expensive, and at times overwhelming, especially if we don’t know anyone. However, there is more to gain from these conferences than just educational updates, CME credit, and quick reunions. Successful women and leaders in ophthalmology value the wide range of experiences at these meetings because they contribute to our personal growth and professional development. There is a strategy to making the most out of academic meetings to maximize time, energy, and learning. And integral to every successful meeting is stepping outside of our comfort zone to network, open up new dialogue, and seek opportunities to share and collaborate.
Stir into flame: charisma in the US draft resistance movement

Sociologists have studied charisma almost exclusively as a form of authority, following Weber’s original conceptualization. While there have been many elaborations on Weber’s work, the full richnes...
The Girl in the Grammar School

(1907). The Girl in the Grammar School. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 15-20.
Social Coping and Environmental Satisfaction in a University Megadorm

Pressed by the demands of both restricted funds and limited space, university planners have demonstrated an increasing proclivity toward viewing the high-rise megadorm as a ready solution for students’ residential housing needs. This decision is particularly disturbing as a number of recent research studies concerned with quality of life in student residential environments have reported reduced satisfaction with the living environment and social atmosphere in high-rise megadorms in contrast to low-rise dormitory settings. Some findings have, for example, pointed to less positive social behavior and group cooperation (Bickman, Teger, Gabriele, McLaughlin, Berger, & Sunaday, 1973) in high- as opposed to low-rise student housing. In addition, crowding in dormitory settings has been shown to relate to increased stress along with decreased social contact (Valins & Baum, 1973), more negative ratings of living space (Eoyang, 1974), and more negative interpersonal attitudes (Baron, Mandel, Adams, & Griffen, 1976).
STUDENT EVALUATIONS OF GRADE APPEAL PROCEDURES: The Importance of Procedural Justice

Data from an experimental study involving 408 participants were used to test a structural model based on the procedural justice literature. The model posits that two independent variables (processes permitted in a grade appeal procedure and the ombudsman's grade recommendation) affect general attitudes toward the grade appeal procedure. The model further assumes that these effects are mediated by perceived conformity of the appeal procedure with six justice rules (Leventhal, 1980) and by perceived favorability of the ombudsman's recommendation for the student. In addition, the study assessed the psychometric properties of the measure of rule conformity and its six justice rule subscales. Results of structural equation modeling analyses supported the a priori model. As predicted, perceived favorability of the outcome for the student, which presumably was associated with perceived self-interest for our student respondents, had direct effects on perceived conformity of the appeal procedure with the justice rules and on general attitudes toward the procedure. These effects of self-interest are especially important because self-interest is often ignored in theories and research on fairness. In addition, analyses revealed that the measure of rule conformity and its six subscales had sufficiently good psychometric properties to warrant their use in future research on procedural justice. Implications of our findings for Leventhal's model and for educational institutions are discussed.
Protein Turnover in Amino Acid-starved Strains of Escherichia coli K-12 Differing in Their Ribonucleic Acid Control

Abstract The increased protein turnover that accompanies amino acid starvation was examined in isogenic auxotrophs of Escherichia coli K-12 which differ only in the genetic locus responsible for control of RNA synthesis under conditions of amino acid starvation. The multiple auxotrophs investigated were CP78 (stringent RNA control) and CP79 (relaxed RNA control). The protein degradation which occurs following amino acid starvation in the stringent CP78 consists of two processes. (a) A chloramphenicol-insensitive breakdown which plays a large role early in the starvation period due to the presence of a pool of labile proteins, and (b) a chloramphenicol-sensitive proteolysis which causes the bulk of the observed protein degradation. Under normal conditions of amino acid starvation, there is considerably less protein degradation in the relaxed CP79 relative to the stringent CP78. This decreased level of degradation in the relaxed CP79 appears to result from a deficiency in the chloramphenicol-sensitive proteolytic process. However, under conditions of simultaneous starvation for both glucose and amino acids, proteolysis occurs to the same extent in CP78 and CP79. Whereas the withdrawal of glucose from the starvation medium has no effect on proteolysis in the stringent CP78, it increases degradation in CP79 to the level occurring in CP78. These results are discussed in terms of the pleiotropic nature of the control exercised by the RNA control locus.
Are Nursing Homes Appropriate for Older Adults with Severe Mental Illness? Conflicting Consumer and Clinician Views and Implications for the Olmstead Decision

Objectives: In response to the recent Olmstead decision, to compare consumer and clinician perspectives on the appropriateness of nursing home settings for older adults with severe mental illness (SMI) in relation to clinical characteristics and care needs. Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study. Setting: Ten community mental health centers and two state-funded nursing homes specializing in long-term care for older persons with SMI. Participants: Consumers of mental health services in the community (n=115) and in nursing homes (n=106), aged 60 and older, with SMI. Sixty-four clinicians (51% registered nurses, 29% masters-level clinicians, and 20% certified social workers) conducted ratings. Measurements: Consumers and their clinicians were independently asked to determine the most appropriate care setting for each consumer based on care needs from three alternatives: nursing home, congregate (group) living setting, or individual apartment/home. Clinical characteristics of participants with SMI were rated using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Specific Level of Function Scale, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics, a modified memory and orientation subscale from the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, and an item from the Minimum Data Set related to reasoning. Results: Of nursing home residents with SMI who did not have severe cognitive impairment, 40% (n=42) and 51% (n=54) were considered by consumers or by their clinician, respectively, to be more appropriate for a community-based setting, but there was a low level of agreement (only 27.6%; no better than chance) between consumers and clinicians on which nursing home residents were most appropriate for living in the community. Determinations by clinicians were associated with clinical need (diagnosis and less-severe behavioral problems), whereas there was no association between clinical needs and level of care determinations by consumers. Finally, clinicians considered a group home necessary for 93.7% of nursing home residents judged to be more appropri-ate for a community-based setting, whereas 90.5% of con-sumers stated that an apartment or individual home was indicated. Conclusion: State implementation of the Olmstead decision will need to consider major differences in perspectives between clinicians and consumers on the most appropriate long-term care setting for older persons with SMI.
Reirradiation for second primary or recurrent cancers of the head and neck: Dosimetric and outcome analysis.

Background The purpose of this study was to examine outcomes, toxicity, and dosimetric characteristics of patients treated with reirradiation for head and neck cancers. Methods Fifty patients underwent ≥2 courses of radiation therapy (RT) postoperatively or definitively with or without chemotherapy. Composite dose volume histograms (DVHs) for selected anatomic structures were correlated with grade ≥3 late toxicity. Results Median initial and retreatment radiation dose was 64 and 60 Gy, respectively. Median overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and 1-year PFS rates were 18 months, 11 months, and 45%, respectively, with 13 months median follow-up. Thirty-four percent of patients experienced grade ≥3 late toxicity with 1 death from carotid blowout. The DVH corresponding to the carotid blowout fell above the third quartile compared with other patients. Conclusion Our analysis is the first to systematically evaluate the dose to the carotid artery using composite dosimetry in head and neck reirradiation patients, and demonstrates a promising technique for evaluating the dose to other normal tissue structures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2015
Roles of Federal, State, and Local Authorities in Water Infrastructure Security

The role of federal, state, and local authorities in water infrastructure security has been evolving over the past several years based on 9/11, and Katrina and other natural disasters. This article summarizes some of the Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs) that impact water security and summarizes how the HSPDs are being implemented by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This article summarizes the current state and local role in water security, and how state and local authorities fit into this evolving federal role. Keywords: federal role; state and local role; water security; response; recovery
John Talman: An Early-Eighteenth-Century Connoisseur edited by Cinzia Maria Sicca The English Virtuoso: Art, Medicine, and Antiquarianism in the Age of Empiricism by Craig Ashley Hanson

In Book IV of Alexander Pope's Dunciad (1743), the Goddess Dulness summons her votaries to a ceremony that conflates royal investiture with academic convocation: ‘Next bidding all draw near on bend...
Scheduling and readiness considerations for a unit manning system

The U.S. Army is undergoing a transition in personnel, doctrine, and equipment as it postures itself to better support our nation in the upcoming years. We examine the personnel transformation aspect, and in particular the scheduling and synchronization of unit manning. We address the need for change, the proposed format of those solutions, and the insights developed while constructing a scheduling tool to synchronize unit manning with rotational concepts and transformation.
Buying into Community Supported Agriculture: Strategies for Overcoming Income Barriers

Community-supported agriculture provides benefits to members, including improved nutrition, economic savings, increased food security, and knowledge about the source of one's food. Unfortunately, membership may seem out of reach for limited-resource consumers because a lump sum membership fee is generally required at the beginning of the season. This article examines the strategies being used by CSA farms to help potential limited-resource members overcome income barriers. Those strategies include acceptance of government food assistance, payment plans, working shares, subsidized low-income shares, low-cost shares, transportation assistance, bartering, outreach efforts, and connections to emergency food assistance.
Seroprevalence of Parenterally Transmitted Viruses (HIV-1, HBV, HCV, and HTLV-I/II) in Forensic Autopsy Cases

HIV, HBV, HCV, and HTLV show similar modes of transmission and infection is frequently identified in certain population groups. The seroprevalence of these infectious agents and interrelation in forensic autopsy populations are described here. A total of 414 serum samples were collected sequentially from autopsy cases at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland. All samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to HIV-1, HCV, HTLV-I/II, and hepatitis B core antigen, using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA). Samples yielding repeatedly reactive results were confirmed by Western Blots (WB) for HIV-1 and HTLV-/I/II, while for HCV confirmation, the second generation recombinant immunoblot (RIBA-2) was used. Of the 414 cases, 32.6% (135/414) were infected with at least one of the four viruses. 5.6% were seropositive for HIV-1, 23.2% for HBV, 19.1% for HCV, and 1.0% for HTLV-I/II. Intravenous drug users (IVDU) showed significant increased prevalences of HIV-1, HBV, and HCV. 83.6% of the IVDU were infected with at least one of the three viruses, 25.5% with HIV-1, and 47.3% with both HBV and HCV. The data indicate that the overall prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV seropositivity in the autopsy population of an inner city medical examiner office is much higher than that of the general population. Routine testing only for HIV-1 would have missed 86% of the infections with HCV or HBV. Universal precautions should be strictly employed by all personnel working in this environment.
Antitumor-Promoting Activities of Tannic Acid, Ellagic Acid, and Several Gallic Acid Derivatives in Mouse Skin

Naturally occurring plant phenols with antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities were tested for their abilities to inhibit the biochemical and biological effects of the potent tumor promoter 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in mouse epidermis in vivo. When applied topically to mouse skin, tannic acid (TA), ellagic acid, and several gallic acid derivatives all inhibit TPA-induced ornithine decarboxylase activity, hydroperoxide production, and DNA synthesis, three biochemical markers of skin tumor promotion. Moreover, in the two-step initiation-promotion protocol, the same phenolic compounds also inhibit the incidence and yield of skin tumors promoted by TPA. TA is the most effective of these treatments. Since they are already known to inhibit tumor initiation, the plant phenols protecting against skin tumor promotion by TPA may be universal inhibitors of multistage carcinogenesis. TA and other polyphenols, therefore, might be valuable in cancer therapy and/or prevention.
Trace metal recovery and concentration using ferrites

Ferrites have been used to separate a wide range of substances such as dissolved metal species, particulate matter, and organic and biological materials; they have been used almost exclusively for metal waste treatment applications. However, ferrites can be used to remove and concentrate selected trace metals in a wide variety of feed solutions requiring analysis. A brief overview of ferrite properties and recent applications for trace metal recovery and concentration will be presented.
PRESERVATION OF THE HETEROZYGOUS DIPLOID CONDITION IN INDUSTRIAL MICRO- ORGANISMS

THE discovery of parasexuality in Aspergillus nidulans1 has led to the possibility of breeding strains of asexual micro-organisms for increased yields of a desired product2. It has been reported that in Penicillium chrysogenum a synthesized heterozygous diploid gave a higher yield of penicillin than either haploid parent, perhaps through an effect of heterosis2. It might sometimes be desirable therefore to use a heterozygous diploid of P. chrysogenum or other micro-organism in an industrial fermentation. A heterozygous diploid, however, does not breed true, but can give rise to segregants as the result of mitotic crossing-over or non-disjunction of chromosomes3. The rate of segregation may vary in different organisms, and if it were high then the accumulation of segregants during the course of a fermentation could have an adverse effect on the yield of a product. To prevent this or to avoid the consequences there are two possibilities, namely, to reduce the rate of segregation, or to select against segregants as they are formed.
Zero Energy House for the Southern Nevada Area

Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the country’s most rapidly growing cities. To accommodate this growth, a great deal of home building takes place in Clark County, where the city is located. Builders can sell virtually as many houses as they can construct. All of these houses require utility services that, in general, have to be developed. These, of course, include water, electrical power and natural gas. With the high cooling loads required in this environment, the summer demand peaks for electricity are particularly severe. The emphasis of this paper was placed on the energy conservation methods for a planned zero energy residential home for the Southern Nevada area, which would enable net zero electric energy consumption from the local utilities over a year period. Although also important, the cost outcome of the project was considered a secondary issue. The energy analysis was arranged in three principal parts: • Reduction of heating and cooling loads through implementation of sound envelope construction. • Use of highly energy efficient A/C, gas furnace, and lights. • Solar control and utilization. The computer simulation package Energy 10 version 1.6 is employed during the envelope, A/C, furnace and energy-efficient light analysis. The software allows modeling and simulating of a buildings performance based on inputs such as geographical location, building type, orientation, construction materials used and others. The model selected for this study is reflective of the local construction practices, is a single-family one story, 1,610 ft residential house with north facing facade and an attached two-car garage, which in this paper is called the “Base Case”. As a result of the energy analysis performed in this paper, the low-energy house (Modified Case) was created. The Modified Case has the identical orientation and floor plan. Implementation of the full spectrum of energy conserving features yielded a dramatic 105% saving on the annual electrical energy consumption by the Modified Case house when compared to the house built according to the local practices. In addition, the space heating and space cooling energy consumptions were reduced by 96% and 72% respectively. Details of the simulations and the final design details are given in the paper.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
A Fistful of Headings: Name Authority Control for Video Recordings

Lower DVD costs and increased patron demand have led to more video recordings in library catalogs. With long lists of cast and crew, these catalog records are more detailed than many books. For institutions requiring authorized name headings, both personal and corporate, heavily detailed catalog records for video recordings can be burdensome. Not all libraries that contribute original cataloging records to utilities such as OCLC are authorized to create corresponding authority records. A recent survey asked a sample of catalog librarians of video recordings in different types of libraries about their viewpoints and workflows in the context of authority control.
Phonetic realisation of downstep in Bimoba

Few phonological phenomena have so captured the attention of theorists and continued to baffle them as the phenomenon of tonal downstep. Downstep is the lowering of the tonal register that sometimes occurs between adjacent, otherwise identical tones. It is cumulative, and successive occurrences of the phenomenon result in ever lower settings of the tonal register. The present work reports on an instrumental study of downstep in Bimoba, a Gur language spoken in the Northern Region of Ghana. So far as I am aware, the present work is the only description in existence of tone in Bimoba.Bimoba is a good candidate for a study of downstep, because it is a ‘three-tone’ language in which both Low tones (floating and non-floating) and Mid tones cause High tones to be downstepped. A number of phonological studies (based on auditory impressions only) of three-tone languages with downstep of High tone have claimed that the difference in pitch between a High and a following Mid is equivalent to that between a High and a following downstepped High. These include Supyire (Carlson 1983), Babanki (Hyman 1979), Moba (Russell 1986) and Kagoro (van de Kolk 1992). This issue is important to tone theorists because a number of proposals on the theory of downstep formally equate a downstepped High with one type of Mid tone. These include Clements (1983), Hyman (1986, 1993), Inkelas (1987) and Snider (1990). On the other hand, a number of other proposals account for downstep with phonetic implementation rules. These include Pierrehumbert (1980), Poser (1984), Beckman & Pierrehumbert (1986) and Pierrehumbert & Beckman (1988). ‘If register shift is indeed a rule of phonetic implementation, there is no reason, a priori, for the interval of register shift to be equivalent to that found between two phonemic tones’ (Snider 1990: 470). So far as I am aware, no instrumental study has ever addressed this issue. The present study therefore undertakes to help fill this lacuna, and concludes that in Bimoba a Mid tone is phonetically indistinguishable from a downstepped High tone in comparable environments.
Aristotle on Dividing the Soul and Uniting the Virtues

L'A. defend la coherence de la pensee d'Aristote lorsque celui-ci affirme, comme le faisait Socrate, que l'on ne peut avoir une vertu sans les avoir toutes, mais il divise l'âme en parties (rationnelle et irrationnelle) auxquelles correspondent une vertu particuliere. L'A. montre que cette division permet de fonder l'ethique veritable de l'homme qui n'agit pas en suivant une droite regle transcendante a lui, mais est capable de determiner lui-meme cette regle
Consistency of perimenopausal estrogen use reporting by women in a population-based prospective study.

Abstract The authors assessed the accuracy of perimenopausal estrogen use reporting by 430 women in a prospective study of bone health risk factors. Data from two time points 5 years apart indicated that 383 (89%) women could consistently report having ever used perimenopausal estrogens or not. Of the 383.138 reported some lifetime perimenopausal estrogen use; 97 (70%) of these consistently reported duration of use. The age-adjusted relative odds that women would misreport having ever used perimenopausal estrogens was 11.7 (1.3, 100.6) for women with 11–20 years since last use, and 22.2 (1.8, 277.4) for 21 + years. Among women who inconsistently reported ever use of perimenopausal estrogen, the relative odds of reporting use at baseline and never use at follow-up as compared to reporting the converse by women aged 70–75 was 8.1 (1.2, 53.2) times that for women aged 60–69 at follow-up, and increased to 9.6 (1.8, 49.9) for women aged 76–85. This suggests that women can consistently report perimenopausal estrogen use, but accurate report of use declines in women whose last use precedes the interview by over 10 years. Accurate report of duration or dates of perimenopausal estrogen use may be compromised in women of more advanced age.
Multiple substrate binding states and chiral recognition in cofactor-independent glutamate racemase: a molecular dynamics study.

Glutamate racemase (MurI) catalyzes the racemization of glutamate; two cysteine residues serve as catalytic acid and base. On the basis of the crystal structure of MurI from the hyperthermophilic b...
The sleep-wake activity inventory: A self-report measure of daytime sleepiness

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop a valid multidimensional self-report measure of sleepiness. There were 554 subjects who completed the inventory. The structure of the Sleep-Wake Activity Inventory (SWAI) was derived from principal components analysis. The independent predictive strength of the factors was assessed by forward stepwise regression analysis with the average sleep latency on the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) as the dependent variable. The scores on each of the factors were also compared by the level of sleepiness determined by the MSLT (pathological, diagnostic gray area, and normal). Factor analysis showed the existence of six factors on the SWAI (Excessive Daytime Sleepiness [EDS], Psychic Distress, Social Desirability, Energy Level, Ability to Relax and Nocturnal Sleep). The EDS factor was the best predictor of average MSLT. It was also able to differentiate pathological levels of sleepiness from both the diagnostic gray and normal levels of sleepiness. EDS factor scores were sensitive to changes in sleep physiology as improved scores followed normalization of sleep-disordered breathing. The SWAI was shown to be easy to complete, have a multidimensional structure, have a EDS factor useful in the prediction of average MSLT scores, be sensitive to differential levels of sleepiness, and change as a result of effective treatment.
Study of Gaussian Relay Channels with Correlated Noises

In this paper, we consider the full-duplex and half-duplex Gaussian relay channels where the noises at the relay and destination are arbitrarily correlated. We first derive the capacity upper bound and the achievable rates with three existing schemes: Decode-and-Forward (DF), Compress-and-Forward (CF), and Amplify-and-Forward (AF). We present two capacity results under specific noise correlation coefficients, one being achieved by DF and the other being achieved by direct link transmission (or a special case of CF). The channel for the former capacity result is equivalent to the traditional Gaussian degraded relay channel and the latter corresponds to the Gaussian reversely-degraded relay channel. For CF and AF schemes, we show that their achievable rates are strictly decreasing functions of the correlation coefficient when the correlation coefficient is negative. Moreover, when the noise correlation coefficient is positive, the CF achievable rate may also outperform the independent-noise case if the noise correlation coefficient is within a certain range. Through numerical comparisons under different channel settings, we observe that although DF completely disregards the noise correlation while the other two can potentially exploit such extra information, none of the three relay schemes always outperforms the others over different correlation coefficients. Moreover, the exploitation of noise correlation by CF and AF accrues more benefit when the source-relay link is weak. This paper also considers the optimal power allocation problem under the correlated-noise channel setting. With individual power constraints at the relay and the source, it is shown that the relay should use all its available power to maximize the achievable rates under any correlation coefficient. With a total power constraint across the source and the relay, the achievable rates are proved to be concave functions over the power allocation factor for AF and CF under full-duplex mode, where the closed-form power allocation strategy is derived.
Scratching an Itch

eryday life have an aesthetic character, or that there can be aesthetic experiences of such incidents? With attention to two especially hard cases, itches and scratches, I will argue that it is appropriate and worthwhile to think of even the simplest moments of everyday life in aesthetic terms. It is appropriate, because on the most plausible accounts of aesthetic experience there can be legitimate aesthetic experiences of itching and scratching; and it is worthwhile, because aesthetic attention to this domain offers the prospect of unique and significant satisfaction. Most accounts of aesthetic experience have focused on the appreciation of some object or environment that is external to the appreciator and the appreciator's experience. While not disagreeing that aesthetic experience often is and should be of such external objects, I suggest that one's qualitative experience can itself be the object of legitimate aesthetic attention. This opens up a domain for inquiry that has been largely neglected within contemporary aesthetics.4 I. PHENOMENOLOGY
Stroboscopic study of flux dynamics in superconductors during current-induced breakdown

Abstract We have studied current-induced breakdown in type-I superconducting films at time resolutions of 100 nsec by combining a laser stroboscope with magneto-optical flux detection. We find that breakdown occurs through the regular, periodic generation of multiquanta flux tubes whose size is determined by properties intrinsic to the sample. Also, a measurement of flux-tube velocity as a function of penetration distance has been performed and compared with a recent theoretical model.
Symmetry-breaking effects on spin and electronic transport in graphene

The decoration of graphene samples with adatoms or nanoparticles leads to the enhancement of spin-orbit interactions as well as to the introduction of symmetry-breaking effects that could have drastic effects on spin and electronic transport phenomena. We present an analysis based on symmetry considerations and examine the impact on the scattering matrix for graphene systems containing defects that enhance spin-orbit interactions, while conserving the electronic total angular momentum. We show that the appearance and dominance of skew scattering, and the related observation of valley and/or spin Hall effect in decorated graphene samples, suggests the set of symmetries that adatom perturbations should satisfy. We further show that detailed measurements of the transport and elastic times as a function of carrier concentration make it possible to not only extract the strength of the spin-orbit interaction, as suggested before, but also obtain the amplitude of the symmetry-breaking terms introduced. To examine how different terms would affect measurements, we also present calculations for typical random distributions of impurities with different perturbations, illustrating the detailed energy dependence of different observables.
THE LIGHT DEPENDENT QUENCHING OF CHLOROPLAST FLUORESCENCE BY COFACTORS OF CYCLIC ELECTRON FLOW IN PHOTOSYSTEM I

—When 3–(3′,4′-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea poisoned, intact thylakoids of isolated chloroplasts are illuminated in salt free suspension media, N-methylphenazinium cations (MP+) are reversibly taken up. Simultaneously, the chlorophyll fluorescence is reversibly lowered. When inorganic salts in the reaction medium provide membrane permeant charge balancing ions, the extent of the MP+ association with the thylakoids is strongly increased, but the fluorescence lowering is hardly affected. lonophoretically active agents inhibit specifically the salt dependent increment of the MP+ interaction with the thylakoids, but have only insignificant effects on the fluorescence lowering provided the experimental conditions do not allow the formation of a proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane. On the basis of these results, and of data obtained from comparative studies with other cofactors of cyclic electron transport in PS I, it is suggested that the ‘energy dependent’ fluorescence lowering is linked to a binding of cationic cofactors to nucleophilic sites in or at the thylakoid membrane. Such sites appear to become exposed in the wake of a light dependent transport of the cofactor, or of protons, into the thylakoid.
"Selective" D-1 and D-2 receptor antagonists fail to differentially alter supersensitive locomotor behavior in the rat.

Abstract The dopamine receptor antagonists SCH 23390 and spiperone show highly selective in vitro affinity for D-1 and D-2 dopamine receptor subtypes, respectively. We studied the effects of these selective antagonists on the supersensitive locomotor response to apomorphine in rats following 6- hydroxydopamine (60HDA) lesions of the nucleus accumbens (N. Acc.). Both D-1 and D-2 receptor antagonists produced dose-dependent blockade of the supersensitive locomotor response at doses that did not depress baseline locomotor activity. The behavioral properties of these D-1 and D-2 receptor antagonists were further examined using a simple step-down motor task. Both antagonists produced catalepsy as evidenced by dose-dependent increases in step- down latency. These results indicate that drugs with distinct in vitro dopamine binding affinities cannot be distinguished on the basis of their ability to inhibit supersensitive locomotor activity or simple motor tasks in rats in vivo .
MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CORRELATES OF SYNCHRONOUS BEATING BETWEEN EMBRYONIC HEART CELL AGGREGATES AND LAYERS

MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CORRELATES OF SYNCHRONOUS BEATING BETWEEN EMBRYONIC HEART CELL AGGREGATES AND LAYERS
Managing Migration, Managing Motherhood: The Moral Economy of Gendered Migration

For the past two decades, women have been migrating from Mexico to the United States on temporary work visas to pick meat from blue crabs in small coastal factories. Within a theoretical framework that argues for the relevance of a moral economic perspective to gendered migration, we examine the how participating in this migration influences migrants' families, including their abilities to produce higher-quality lives. Specifically, we focus on the various factors that feed into the decision to migrate, the immediate consequences of those decisions for the relations among migrants, children, spouses and other family and community members, and the longer-term consequences in terms of gender relations, the restructuring of parent–child relationships and the material benefits of work abroad. We find that women negotiate a variety of contradictions and paradoxes to participate in the programme, many of which directly influence their quest to reaffirm their abilities, as mothers, to produce quality human beings. These findings reflect more general global appeals for valuing human life by measures other than those of conventional political economy.
Employment Discrimination: Another Hurdle for Cancer Survivors

AbstractApproximately 25% of the six million persons in the United States with a cancer history experience disparate treatment in employment solely because of their medical histories. Many employers do not realize that more than half of the people diagnosed with cancer in 1991 in the United States will overcome their illness, that cancer is not contagious, and that cancer survivors have relatively the same productivity rates as other workers. Decisions to deny employment opportunities to a cancer survivor that are based on misconceptions about cancer, instead of the individual's ability to perform the job, may violate the survivor's legal rights. Employment discrimination against individuals who are qualified for jobs, but are treated differently solely because of their cancer histories, violates most federal and state laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on actual or perceived disabilities. Health professionals, as well as survivors themselves, must take action on three fronts to combat can...
Abscisic acid ameliorates experimental IBD by downregulating cellular adhesion molecule expression and suppressing immune cell infiltration

Summary Background & aims Abscisic acid (ABA) has shown effectiveness in ameliorating inflammation in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease models. The objective of this study was to determine whether ABA prevents or ameliorates experimental inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods C57BL/6J mice were fed diets with or without ABA (100 mg/kg) for 35 days prior to challenge with 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). The severity of clinical disease was assessed daily. Colonic mucosal lesions were evaluated by histopathology, and cellular adhesion molecular and inflammatory markers were assayed by real-time quantitative PCR. Flow cytometry was used to quantify leukocyte populations in the blood, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). The effect of ABA on cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expression in splenocytes was also investigated. Results ABA significantly ameliorated disease activity, colitis and reduced colonic leukocyte infiltration and inflammation. These improvements were associated with downregulation in vascular cell adhesion marker-1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and mucosal addressin adhesion marker-1 (MAdCAM-1) expression. ABA also increased CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocytes in blood and MLN and regulatory T cells in blood. In vitro , ABA increased CTLA-4 expression through a PPAR γ-dependent mechanism. Conclusions We conclude that ABA ameliorates gut inflammation by modulating T cell distribution and adhesion molecule expression.
A Simulation Analysis of an Automated Hospital Materials Handling System

Abstract A description of analysis undertaken to evaluate and improve the basic design of an automated hospital materials handling system is provided as an example of the benefits of applied operations research. In this study, simulation was combined with the professional experience of the system vendors and designers to evaluate a critical segment of the system and to estimate the relative effectiveness of potential system alternatives. As a result, a major system redesign was made which will result in significant savings compared with the original system design.
A qualitative study of how experienced certified holistic nurses learn to become competent practitioners.

Purpose: Artistry of holistic nursing requires practitioners to be equipped with the ability to integrate and assimilate knowledge and experience. This integrated wisdom is woven into proficiency and expertise, thus allowing for the transition to an experienced competent health care provider who can meet the complex melange of practice. This qualitative naturalistic study was designed to explore how 10 experienced certified holistic nurses (HNCs) learned to become competent holistic nurses. Method: In-depth interviews of 10 HNCs, critical incident reports, and a summative focus group. Findings: (a) Disjuncture existed between the structure of traditional nursing and the need of nurses for continued personal and professional growth and development; (b) need for credibility was key to nurses becoming competent holistic nurses; (c) use of informal learning strategies to help them achieve competency; and (d) overcoming challenges emanating from the traditional system as they transitioned to becoming holistic ...
A predator prey model with age structure.

A general predator-prey model is considered in which the predator population is assumed to have an age structure which significantly affects its fecundity. The model equations are derived from the general McKendrick equations for age structured populations. The existence, stability and destabilization of equilibria are studied as they depend on the prey's natural carrying capacity and the maturation periodm of the predator. The main result of the paper is that for a broad class of maturation functions positive equilibria are either unstable for smallm or are destabilized asm decreases to zero. This is in contrast to the usual rule of thumb that increasing (not decreasing) delays in growth rate responses cause instabilities.
Heat and mass transfer in composite desiccant pore structures for dehumidification

A composite desiccant dehumidifier made of mixed inert and desiccant materials is investigated. A heat and mass transfer model that incorporates the composite nature of the structure is discussed. The model includes both gas-side and solid-side resistances for heat and mass transport. The solid-side resistance for the mass transport includes gas-phase diffusion and surface diffusion. The effectiveness for moisture removal and heat transfer during adsorption and desorption processes in such a dehumidifier during single blow operation is investigated. Results are presented for composite structures made of silica gel and inert materials of different compositions and thermophysical properties.
The Institutional Focus of Planning Theory

There is a good deal of talk these days about the ways in which planning theoreticians have neglected practice and practitioners. Some of the talk comes from practitioners, some from theoreticians ...
Import of 14C‐Photosynthate by Developing Leaves of Sugarcane

Sink-to-source transition was studied in developing sugarcane (Saccharum interspecific variety L62–96) leaves. Fully-expanded, mature sugarcane leaves were fed 14CO2 for 20 minutes, incorporating about 617 Bq. After five hours the leaves of each plant were cut into 1-cm-length segments that were weighed and then placed in scintillation cocktail for counting. All leaves younger than the leaf fed 14CO2 imported labeled photoassimilate. Three to four leaves had both importing and non-importing regions within the blade and a distinct transition region between them. A transition region was observed in leaves which had expanded to between 30 and 90 % of final blade length. Radioactivity per gram fresh weight was calculated as a measure of sink strength. Sink strength was greatest in the youngest leaf and declined with leaf age. The results of this study indicate that 1) import of photosynthate by developing sugarcane leaves occurs over a longer span of developmental ages than in dicotyledonous leaves and 2) the actual tissue region undergoing transition within such a leaf can be resolved as narrow zone between the importing and non-importing regions.
Influence of hematocrit and plasma on the mechanism of phosphate uptake by rabbit erythrocytes.

Abstract 1. 1. Samples of rabbit blood with various hematocrits were incubated with radioactive phosphate to determine the effect of cell concentration on phosphate adsorption and absorption. 2. 2. Phosphate uptake follows a Freundlich adsorption isotherm if the final phosphate concentration of the extracellular fluid is varied by small changes of cell concentration. Changes of hematocrit over a relatively wide range affect absorption more than adsorption, absorption apparently being caused more by active accumulation than by diffusion. 3. 3. Evidence is presented for the existence of an inhibitor of phosphate uptake. It seems to be in centrifuged plasma and retards absorption of radioactive phosphate more than adsorption.
Graphene coating makes carbon nanotube aerogels superelastic and resistant to fatigue

A mechanically fragile aerogel made of single-walled carbon nanotubes can be transformed into a superelastic material by coating it with graphene.