cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Copper ion-mediated modification of bases in dna in vitro by benzoyl peroxide

The mouse skin tumor promoter benzoyl peroxide (BzPO), in conjunction with Cu(I), causes promutagenic damage in DNA. Because free radical intermediates are produced by the reaction of BzPO with Cu(I), we sought to determine whether BzPO plus Cu(I) caused DNA base damage typical of that caused by the hydroxyl radical. A broad range of modified DNA bases were measured by GC-MS with selected-ion monitoring after exposure of purified plasmid pCMV beta gal DNA to BzPO +/- Cu(I). Exposure to BzPO/Cu(I) caused up to 20-fold increases in the levels of adenine-derived modified bases, up to 4-fold increases in guanine- and cytosine-derived modified bases, and only a < 2-fold increase in thymine-derived modified bases. The guanine-derived modified base 8-hydroxyguanine was elevated to the highest net amount, approximately 160 molecules/10(5) DNA bases. Exposure to BzPO alone or Cu(I) alone induced only minor (< < 2-fold) DNA base modification. Also, benzoic acid, the major non-radical metabolite of BzPO, or BzPO plus Fe(II) were ineffective at inducing DNA base modification. The hydroxyl radical scavenger dimethyl sulfoxide inhibited BzPO/Cu(I)-induced base modification by 10-50%. These data suggest that the reaction of BzPO with Cu(I) generates hydroxyl radical or a similarly reactive intermediate which causes DNA base damage. This damage may be responsible for BzPO/Cu(I)-mediated mutagenesis.
Forces Driving Organizational Change: A Business School Perspective

Abstract Business school deans rated the present and future importance of factors driving organizational change, including technology, competition, and factors specific to the workplace or industry. Some specific items of high perceived importance were student recruitment, multimedia classrooms, and the Internet for instruction. Analysis was performed to investigate differences in the perceptions of respondents from AACSB- versus non-AACSB-accredited institutions and public versus private institutions. Results demonstrate that the importance of key forces driving organizational change will intensify in the future.
Resectional management of airway invasion by thyroid carcinoma

Abstract Invasion of the trachea by thyroid carcinoma is best managed by resection with airway reconstruction. Localized extension of tumor may also require esophageal resection or radical resection including laryngectomy with mediastinal tracheostomy. Twenty-two patients (12 with papillary, 3 with follicular, 4 with mixed papillary and follicular, and 3 with undifferentiated carcinoma) underwent resection—16 with airway reconstruction and 6 with cervicomediastinal en bloc resection with mediastinal tracheostomy. Eleven had prior thyroidectomy. Ten of those having airway restitution required cylindrical tracheal resection, 5 had resection of trachea with a portion of the larynx, and 1 had wedge resection. Three undergoing laryngotracheal resection also needed esophagectomy. Colon reconstruction was used. Fifteen of the 16 having airway reconstruction had good surgical results with speech preservation. One died of complications due to prior irradiation. One of 6 undergoing radical resection died postoperatively. Six of the 20 survivors died of recurrence in 1 2/3 to 9 years, and 2 others died of other diseases. Three who had known pulmonary metastases at the time of palliative operation are alive between 2 and 3 2/3 years postoperatively, and a fourth who has pulmonary metastases is alive 6 1/6 years later. Eight patients are alive without disease from 1/12 to 8 3/4 years. Only two patients had airway recurrence. Resection and primary reconstruction of the trachea invaded by carcinoma of the thyroid should be done in the absence of extensive metastases when technically feasible. It offers prolonged palliation, avoidance of suffocation due to bleeding or obstruction, and an opportunity for cure. In carefully selected patients with massive regional involvement, radical excision with laryngectomy and esophagectomy is also appropriate.
Why domestic outsourcing is leading America's reemergence in global manufacturing

Abstract With cost advantages from manufacturing in Asia and Mexico steadily deteriorating, U.S. firms are reassessing the option of domestic outsourcing to remain globally competitive. The challenge in evaluating international versus domestic outsourcing strategic options lies in that first-movers are extremely and intentionally vague about how they reach their decisions. The purpose of this article is to reveal these reasons by providing statistical and firm-based evidence on five major factors that are influencing the decision regarding where U.S. companies should manufacture to optimize their gross profits. The factors include (1) increasingly competitive U.S. labor costs; (2) increasing productivity of the U.S. workforce; (3) increasingly competitive domestic production costs; (4) incentives from federal, state, and local governments; and (5) improved synchronization of production with other business functions.
Effects of cultural change on health and fertility in Amazonian Indian societies: Recent research and projections

The combined effect of accelerating deforestation and urbanization will change the Amazon Basin from a sparsely settled wilderness rainforest with tiny isolated settlements of indigenous culturally distinct inhabitants to a scrub desert filled with rapidly growing cities. In the next 10 years Amazon Basin countries will add 48.5 million people to their population due to colonization by border countries. Amazonian populations have experienced a reversal in demographic transition and the Omran described epidemiologic transition. Historical estimated data settlement to 6-10000 years ago with population estimated at 8.5 million. This population collapsed at a rate of 20:1 to 35:1 after the Conquest due to the introduction of European disease. Smallpox epidemics first occurred in the early 1600s and spread as the century progressed. Current demographic studies have placed estimates of the Indian population at 500000 with many tribes extinct or absorbed by others but data are fragmented for the overall population. Accurate data collection is hampered by the lack of written languages. A history of health of early inhabitants is unavailable due to lack of paleopathological evidence. The introduced diseases discussed are measles smallpox tuberculosis malaria yellow fever Chagas disease and leishmaniasis onchocerciasis schistosomiasis and helminthiasis. Diabetes is unknown obesity uncommon and cardiovascular disease low. Dental disease is associated with Western culture. Death by drowning or from falls is common among Shipibo children. Since 1964 intervillage and intertribal warfare has been an important cause of mortality as has accidental gunshot wounds homicide and vehicular accidents. Among the Waorani 4% of all deaths were due to snakebite. Currently the Shipibo have excellent health but exhibit a vulnerability to tuberculosis and the acute infectious diseases of childhood. Infant and child deaths are due to acute gastrointestinal infections facilitated by fecal contamination of water and food in spite of the Shipibos obsessive cleanliness. Cervical cancer rates are high. Polygynous women have birth intervals 4.5 months longer than monogamous women and have 1.3 fewer term pregnancies; polygyny is associated with lower fertility and modernization with higher. Traditional culture controls on fertility are disrupted by cultural changes brought about by Western contact and ideas and by the destruction of the environment.
Local clustering of transferrin receptors promotes clathrin-coated pit initiation.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is the major pathway for concentrative uptake of receptors and receptor–ligand complexes (cargo). Although constitutively internalized cargos are known to accumulate into maturing clathrin-coated pits (CCPs), whether and how cargo recruitment affects the initiation and maturation of CCPs is not fully understood. Previous studies have addressed these issues by analyzing the global effects of receptor overexpression on CME or CCP dynamics. Here, we exploit a refined approach using expression of a biotinylated transferrin receptor (bTfnR) and controlling its local clustering using mono- or multivalent streptavidin. We show that local clustering of bTfnR increased CCP initiation. By tracking cargo loading in individual CCPs, we found that bTfnR clustering preceded clathrin assembly and confirmed that bTfnR-containing CCPs mature more efficiently than bTfnR-free CCPs. Although neither the clustering nor the related changes in cargo loading altered the rate of CCP maturation, bTfnR-containing CCPs exhibited significantly longer lifetimes than other CCPs within the same cell. Together these results demonstrate that cargo composition is a key source of the differential dynamics of CCPs.
Regional differences in systolic and diastolic function in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy using magnetic resonance imaging

Global and regional biventricular functions were analyzed in 14 patients diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy using cine magnetic resonance imaging and compared with similar data from 18 age-matched controls. In this study, we report results of quantitative evaluation of biventricular global and regional function using peak ejection rate and peak filling rate as measures of systolic and diastolic function, respectively (volumetric method).
AVOIDANCE OF BIRD REPELLENTS BY MICE (Mus musculus)

It is believed that mammalian chemosensory irritants are not aversive to birds and vice versa. Nevertheless, few avian repellents have been tested against mammals. For that reason, we evaluated the efficacy of 1.0% w/v methyl anthranilate, orthoaminoacetophenone, 2-amino-4′,5′-methoxyacetophenone, 2-methoxyacetophenone, and veratryl amine as mouse repellents in 3-hr no-choice drinking tests. Relative to ingestion of plain water, all test substances significantly reduced (P < 0.05) intake. Orthoaminoaceto-phenone was the most effective repellent, with intake reduced to levels statistically indistinguishable from zero.
The Problem of Freedom: Race, Labor, and Politics in Jamaica and Britain, 1832-1938

"A spirited and absorbing history of emancipation, oppression, and rebellion in the British empire."--C. Vann Woodward. "Holt greatly extends and deepens our understanding of the emancipation experience when, for just over a century, the people of Jamaica struggled to achieve their own vision of freedom and autonomy against powerful conservative forces."--David Barry Gaspar.
The consequences of consumer diversity loss: different answers from different experimental designs

Predators are often the most vulnerable group to extinction, yet the consequences of changing predator diversity are poorly understood. One source of confusion has been different experimental designs. The multiple-predator effects literature typically employs an additive design, while the biodiversity ecosystem function literature typically uses a replacement design. Separately, these designs each detect only a subset of the changes in food web interactions caused by predator loss. Here, we measure the impact of consumer diversity on sessile marine invertebrates using a combination additive-replacement design. We couple this with a meta-analysis of previous combination experiments. We use these two approaches to explore how each design can detect different types of interactions among predators. We find that, while high diversity does lead to more negative interspecific interactions, the strength of these interactions is often weaker than negative intraspecific interactions caused by increasing the density of a single species alone. We conclude that a hybrid design is the optimal method to explore the mechanisms behind the effects of changing predator diversity. If researchers merely want to know the consequences of changing predator diversity, at a bare minimum, the experimental design must mimic the actual changes in both predator density and diversity in their system of interest. However, only a hybrid design can distinguish the consequences of shifting the balance of interspecific and intraspecific interactions within a community, an issue of great importance when considering both natural diversity loss and pest biocontrol.
Shape matching using optimization

In this paper an optimization approach to shape matching and recognition is presented. The approach is applicable to convex polygonal shapes but its modified model can also be applied to non-convex polygonal shapes. The shape matching and recognition problem is formulated as a nonlinear optimization problem with a linear objective function and nonlinear constraints. The approach is invariant to scale, translation and rotation.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Protestantism and the American Founding

Protestantism and the American Founding. Edited by Thomas S. Engeman and Michael P. Zuckert. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 2004. 296p. $65.00 cloth, $25.00 paper. Thomas Engeman and Michael Zuckert's unique collection of essays and commentaries, most written specifically for this volume, offer competing interpretations of the relationship between the “spirit of liberty” and the “spirit of religion,” as Tocqueville would put it, in the American Founding. The collection begins with a long essay by Zuckert that sets the terms of discussion of the book to which many of the contributors respond, and it concludes with a response by Zuckert to each of his critics.
Synthesis, conjugation, and immunological evaluation of the serogroup 6 pneumococcal oligosaccharides.

The first synthesis of the newly discovered oligosaccharide of pneumococcal serotype 6C and its spacer-containing analogue is reported. Conjugation of the spacer-containing oligosaccharides of pneumococcal saccharides 6A, 6B, 6C and derivatives thereof with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein carrier was carried out by using squaric-acid approach to obtain the oligosaccharide–protein conjugates in excellent yields. The conjugates have been tested with a rabbit antiserum pool (Pool B) used for pneumococcal serotyping. The results showed that synthetic carbohydrate conjugates express epitopes found in native capsular polysaccharides of serotypes 6A, 6B, and 6C.
In silico prediction of drug safety: despite progress there is abundant room for improvement

Predictive models for drug safety are crucial for helping to avoid costly late-stage failures. We review recent work on models for genotoxicity, liver toxicity, CYP450 inhibition and cardiotoxicity. These models have improved somewhat in recent years, and research has expanded into new frontiers, such as the prediction of liver toxicity. However, much more needs to be done.
Association of pulse wave velocity with total lung capacity: A cross-sectional analysis of the BOLD London study.

Background Low lung function, measured using spirometry, has been associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease, but whether this is explained by airflow obstruction or restriction is a question that remains unanswered.
Immunosuppression for Lung Transplantation

Immunosuppression remains the mainstay of therapy for successful outcomes after lung transplantation. The need for optimal immunosuppression became evident to maintain long-term graft survival and to navigate the delicate balance between infection and rejection. Over the past two decades, immunosuppression for solid organ transplantation has evolved to target multiple immune pathways with the hope of decreasing both acute and chronic allograft rejection. Although current maintenance therapy after lung transplantation typically includes a calcineurin inhibitor, antimetabolite and corticosteroid therapy, newer therapies including induction therapy with biological agents, mTOR inhibitors, and salvage therapies including photopheresis and total lymphoid irradiation have emerged as alternate therapeutic options. This review will discuss both the current immunosuppressive medications that are used as well as different therapeutic combinations that are currently employed. In addition, we will discuss the current...
Cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the vitreous cavity

Abstract Objective The authors report their experience with cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the vitreous and elaborate on the features of this entity. Design The study design was a retrospective review. Participants Three patients with four affected eyes from cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the vitreous participated. Intervention All three patients were white men, and their mean age was 58 years. The previously excised cutaneous melanomas were all Clark level IV. The mean interval from diagnosis of the primary cutaneous melanoma to vitreous metastasis was 25 months. Ocular findings included clumps of cells arranged in sheets or linear strands on the vitreous framework. The vitreous cells were nonpigmented in two cases and pigmented in one case. Neovascular glaucoma was found in all three cases. After the diagnosis of vitreous melanoma was made by cytopathologic examination, external beam irradiation (5000 cGy) was given in all patients. Main outcome measures Local tumor control and survival were measured. Results At a mean follow-up of 14 months from diagnosis of vitreous melanoma, tumor control was achieved in only one of the four affected eyes. One eye was enucleated because of painful neovascular glaucoma, and the other two eyes had progressive vitreous disease. After a mean follow-up of 14 months (from ocular diagnosis), all three patients had died. Conclusion Cutaneous melanoma metastatic to the vitreous can present with nonpigmented or pigmented cells. Neovascular glaucoma frequently is found. External beam radiation therapy often is unsuccessful in local tumor control, and systemic prognosis is poor.
Cryptic diversity of the symbiotic cyanobacterium Synechococcus spongiarum among sponge hosts

Cyanobacteria are common members of sponge-associated bacterial communities and are particularly abundant symbionts of coral reef sponges. The unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus spongiarum is the most prevalent photosynthetic symbiont in marine sponges and inhabits taxonomically diverse hosts from tropical and temperate reefs worldwide. Despite the global distribution of S. spongiarum, molecular analyses report low levels of genetic divergence among 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences from diverse sponge hosts, resulting either from the widespread dispersal ability of these symbionts or the low phylogenetic resolution of a conserved molecular marker. Partial 16S rRNA and entire 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genes were sequenced from cyanobacteria inhabiting 32 sponges (representing 18 species, six families and four orders) from six geographical regions. ITS phylogenies revealed 12 distinct clades of S. spongiarum that displayed 9% mean sequence divergence among clades and less than 1% sequence divergence within clades. Symbiont clades ranged in specificity from generalists to specialists, with most (10 of 12) clades detected in one or several closely related hosts. Although multiple symbiont clades inhabited some host sponges, symbiont communities appear to be structured by both geography and host phylogeny. In contrast, 16S rRNA sequences were highly conserved, exhibiting less than 1% sequence divergence among symbiont clades. ITS gene sequences displayed much higher variability than 16S rRNA sequences, highlighting the utility of ITS sequences in determining the genetic diversity and host specificity of S. spongiarum populations among reef sponges. The genetic diversity of S. spongiarum revealed by ITS sequences may be correlated with different physiological capabilities and environmental preferences that may generate variable host–symbiont interactions.
Effect of particle size distribution on the performance of electrodynamic screens

Electrodynamic screens (EDS) consist of rows of parallel electrodes deposited on a dielectric substrate covered by a thin insulating coating. The EDS electrodes are connected to a single or multi-phase AC high voltage source to generate an alternating electric field between the electrodes. Such screens have been shown to remove accumulated dust when an alternating voltage is applied. The effect of dust particle size distribution (PSD) on the dust removal efficiency (DRE) of the EDS was analyzed for its application to lunar and Mars missions. Samples of JSC Mars-1 dust simulant were classified into two different particle size distributions. The PSD difference was measured using an electronic single particle relaxation time (ESPART) analyzer. The classified powder was then used to test the performance of electrodynamic screens with two different electrode geometries. The DRE for powder with a count median diameter (CMD) of 5.8 /spl mu/m was 77.3%, where as for a CMD of 5.2 /spl mu/m the DRE was 47.1%.
Lobster shal: comparison with Drosophila shal and native potassium currents in identified neurons

The transient potassium (K+) current, or A-current (IA), plays an essential role in shaping the firing properties of identified neurons in the 14-cell pyloric network in the stomatogastric ganglion of the spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus. The different cells in the pyloric network have distinct IAs. To begin to understand the molecular basis for IA heterogeneity, we examined the relationship between the Panulirus shal current, the IAs in the lateral pyloric (LP) and pyloric dilator (PY) cells, and the Drosophila shal current. After isolating a complete open reading frame for lobster shal 1, which shows significant sequence homology to the fly, mouse, and rat shal homologs, we used a single-cell reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method to demonstrate that the shal 1 gene was expressed in the LP and PY cells. Next, we compared the lobster shal 1 current generated in a Xenopus oocyte expression system to the IAs in the LP and PY neurons as well as to the Drosophila shal current in Xenopus oocytes. While the transient K+ lobster shal 1 current was similar to the IAs in pyloric neurons, a detailed comparison shows that they are not identical and differ in kinetic and voltage-dependent parameters. The highly homologous lobster and fly shal genes also produce currents with some significant similarities and differences in an oocyt.
On-line tuning of prices for network services

Recent investigations into the pricing of multiclass loss networks have shown that static prices are optimal in the asymptotic regime of many small sources. These results suggest that nearly optimal prices for highly aggregated systems can be computed from the solution to a limiting deterministic optimization model. When the assumption of many small sources does not hold, static prices are still preferable (for practical reasons), but we are left with the difficult issue of computing an optimal solution when the stochastic nature of the process cannot be ignored. In this paper, we develop a computational procedure for optimizing static prices that operates by adjusting prices in response to actual customer arrivals and departures and is robust to parametric uncertainty about the underlying system. We provide initial arguments for the convergence properties of our optimization algorithm, and we illustrate its application in several numerical examples.
Troubled sleep A response to commentaries

I am flattered by the thoughtful commentaries on my paper. ‘Troubled sleep’ had two major purposes. The first was to draw attention to the oppositely perturbed sleep of infants with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS) and explore its evolutionary implications. The involvement of imprinted genes suggests that infant sleep has been subject to antagonistic selection on genes of maternal and paternal origin with genes of maternal origin favoring less disrupted sleep. McKenna [1] is uncomfortable with the notion that night waking depends on a single gene and believes that I discount a significant role for culture. I did not intend to imply that the control of infant sleep was simple. Its pattern will be determined by complex interactions among genes, by cultural practices and by negotiations between individual caregivers and infants. My second major purpose was a critique of the idea that children would be happier, healthier and better-adjusted if we could only return to natural methods of child care. This way of thinking is often accompanied by a belief that modern practices put children at risk of irrevocable harm. The truth of such claims is ultimately an empirical question, but the claims are sometimes presented as if they had the imprimatur of evolutionary biology. This appeal to scientific authority often seems to misrepresent what evolutionary theory predicts: that which evolves is not necessarily that which is healthy. McKenna’s theoretical stance is, of course, more nuanced than a simple equation of the natural with the good, and I am perhaps guilty of using him as a straw-man by taking published statements out of context. McKenna and colleagues have done valuable research on how mothers and infants interact while sleeping together and on variation among mother–infant dyads. Their proposal that co-sleeping and night-nursing have important benefits for infants is a reasonable hypothesis and deserves investigation. Evolutionary theory should be informed by observation, but observations are interpreted in terms of implicit or explicit theoretical models and may be misinterpreted if models are faulty. A single observation is often interpreted differently by different models. Hinde [2], for example, cautions against interpreting night-nursing as a tactic to increase interbirth intervals (IBIs) because marmoset mothers are most frequently woken by their infants around the time that mothers undergo post-partum ovulation [3]. Therefore, she reasons, night-nursing does not inhibit ovulation. However, maximal waking as mothers return to fertility is precisely what would be expected from a model of parent–offspring conflict. The observation does not discriminate between models of parent–offspring harmony or conflict. The return to fertility of tamarin mothers is delayed by more intense suckling [4].
Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) hinge memory lifetime reliability modeling

The Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) continues to make significant improvements in high temperature operating lifetime. This paper will briefly describe the DMD, the hinge memory failure mode and parametrics important to characterize hinge memory, provide lifetime estimates and compare results to practical experience. The methods employed to develop an understanding of DMD lifetime are very similar to those used throughout the semiconductor industry to model reliability. While the failure modes and mechanisms may be quite different, the approach of identifying failure modes, accelerating the failures and applying acceleration to estimate lifetime is the same.
Distribution and Relative Abundance of Forest Birds in Relation to Burn Severity in Southeastern Arizona

The frequency of wild and prescribed fires in montane forests of the southwestern United States has increased after a century of fire suppression and subsequent fuels accumulation. To assess the effects of recent fires (median time since fire = 6 yr) on the montane forest bird community, we surveyed birds in 8 Sky Island mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona, USA, and examined how the distribution (i.e., presence–absence) of 65 species and relative abundance of 16 species correlated with evidence of severe and less severe fire at >1,500 survey points. We detected associations between fire and bird presence–absence for 17% of the 65 species analyzed and between fire and bird relative abundance for 25% of the 16 species analyzed. Most species (73%) were positively associated with burned areas and displayed stronger associations (i.e., more extreme odds ratios) with survey points that had evidence of severe as opposed to less severe fire. Positive associations with severe fire were strong (>3 to 1 odds) for western wood-pewee (Contopus sordidulus) and house wren (Troglodytes aedon), and negative associations with severe fire were strong for warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus) and red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). Although recent fires appear to have had a positive effect on the distribution and relative abundance of several montane forest bird species in the region, these species are not the open-woodland birds that we would have expected to have benefited from fire based on previous research. Nevertheless, our results confirm associations between fire and bird presence–absence and relative abundance reported previously for 7 species of birds. Our results also provide new information for Grace's warbler (Dendroica graciae) and greater pewee (C. pertinax), 2 species for which fire data were formerly lacking. Managers can use these data to make and test predictions about the effects of future fires, both severe and less severe, on montane forest birds in the southwestern United States.
A Highly Step-Economical Synthesis of Dictyostatin

In 1994 Petit reported the isolation and anti-cancer activity of the marine sponge-derived macrolide dictyostatin.[1] Wright subsequently isolated a sample that allowed initial biological characterization of dictyostatin as a potent inducer of tubulin polymerization,[2] and that was used by Wright and Paterson to make a full structural assignment in 2004.[3] This assignment was confirmed soon thereafter by total syntheses by Paterson[4] and Curran,[5] and the material thus obtained facilitated more detailed characterization of dictyostatin’s mechanism of action.[6,7] Total syntheses by Phillips[8] and Ramachandran,[9] formal syntheses by Micalizio[10] and Cossy,[11] a synthesis of C(9)-epi-dictyostatin by Gennari,[12] second generation syntheses by Paterson[13] and Curran,[14] and several fragment syntheses[15] followed these initial reports. In addition, the Paterson/Wright[16] and Curran/Day[17] teams have reported extensive SAR studies, while the Paterson/Diaz/Jimenez-Barbero[18] and Curran/Snyder[19] teams have advanced models for the interaction of dictyostatin with the taxane binding site on β-tubulin. Because dictyostatin and some of the prepared analogs are among the most potent microtubule-stabilizing agents characterized to date, there has been and continues to be intense interest in the possibility of advancing dictyostatin or an analog thereof into the clinic, a goal which might be facilitated by the development of a significantly more efficient and step-economical synthesis. As part of a larger program devoted to the development of new strategies and methods for the synthesis of complex and precious marine macrolides with high levels of step-economy, efficiency, and scalability,[20] we have developed and report herein a synthesis of dictyostatin that comprises just 14 steps in the longest linear sequence.
Dichelesthium oblongum (Copepoda: Dichelesthiidae) infestation in wild-caught Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus.

Atlantic sturgeon were sampled in autumn 2007 and 2008 along the New York Bight. The fish were examined for the presence of external parasites, and blood, fin, and opercula biopsies were collected for subsequent serum analysis and histopathological evaluation. Dichelesthium oblongum, a parasitic copepod, was observed on 93% of the sturgeon sampled (77 out of 83) between Rockaway and Jones Beaches, NY, and Sandy Hook, NJ. During the course of the examinations, grossly visible lesions associated with the attachment and feeding of juvenile stages of D. oblongum were noted on the operculum, pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins of infested fish. Significant differences were observed between the level of infestation and serum chemistry across sampling sites, such that the most heavily infested fish were caught off Jones Beach (15.8+2.79 lice fish 21 ), higher infestations than at Rockaway Beach (8.86+0.89 lice fish 21 ) and Sandy Hook (5.31+1.40 lice fish 21 ). Animals from Jones Beach also indicated ion loading (i.e. sodium, calcium, and magnesium), possibly as a result of stress or water loss through D. oblongum infestation compromising the epithelial barrier. The interaction of the environment and parasite with host life-history characteristics are discussed in terms of their ecological significance to this threatened fish species.
STABILIZATION POLICY, UNCERTAINTY AND INSTRUMENT PROLIFERATION

William Brainard's (1969, 1967) adaptation of the Markowitz-Tobin portfolio selection model shows that under uncertainty regarding structural parameters the optimizing policymaker will employ all available instruments in pursuit of any given number of targets. Although Brainard assumes that instruments are used without cost, Henderson-Turnovsky (1972) obtain the same result while recognizing selected instrument costs. The present paper generalizes the treatment of instrument costs and shows the earlier findings to be special case results. In general, the policymaker will employ a sub-set of available or potential instruments. Dynamic implications of the generalized instrument cost function also are considered.
Direct Calculations of Plume Dynamics of a Pulse Detonation Engine by the CE/SE Method

This paper reports preliminary numerical results of plume dynamics for a pulse detonation engine (PDE). The space-time CE/SE method was used to solve the two-dimensional and axisymmetric Euler equations in conjunction with one chemical species equation in a time-accurate manner. Chemical reactions are simulated by a one-step, irreversible, finite rate model. The stiff source term in the species equation is treated by a point-wise implicit method based on a space-time volumetric integration of the source term over each CE. Numerical results show complex vortex/shock interactions in the vicinity of the thruster exit. Away from the PDE tube, spherical expansion of sound waves is evident. Although a much finer mesh will be needed to further resolve the relevant flow physics, the present results provide an encouraging first step toward the analysis of this challenging computational aeroacoustics problem.
Hardware-efficient and highly-reconfigurable 4- and 2-track fault-tolerant designs for mesh-connected multicomputers

We consider m-track models for constructing fault-tolerant (FT) mesh systems which have one primary and m spare tracks per row and column, switches at the intersection of these tracks, and spare processors at the boundaries. A faulty system is reconfigured by finding for each fault u a reconfiguration path from the fault to a spare in which starting from the fault u, a processor is replaced or "covered" by the nearest "available" succeeding processor on the path-a processor on the path is not available if it is faulty or is used as a "cover" on some other reconfiguration path. In previous work, a 1-track design that can support any set of node-disjoint straight reconfiguration paths, and a more reliable 3-track design that can support any set of node-disjoint rectilinear reconfiguration paths have been proposed. In this paper; we present: (1) A fundamental result regarding the universality of simple "one-to-one switches" in m-track 2-D mesh designs in terms of their reconfigurabilities. (2) A 4-track mesh design that can support any set of edge-disjoint (a much less restrictive criterion than node-disjointness) rectilinear reconfiguration paths, and that has 34% less switching overhead and significantly higher actually close-to-optimal, reconfigurability compared to the previously proposed 3-track design. (3) A new 2-track design derived from the above 4-track design that we show can support the same set of reconfiguration paths as the preview 3-track design but with 33% less wiring overhead. (4) Results on the deterministic fault tolerance capabilities (the number of faults guaranteed reconfigurable) of our 4- and 2-track designs, and the previously proposed 1- and 3-track designs.
Can We Achieve High In-Field Jc at 77 K in Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O?

The critical current density of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (BSCCO) at 77 K has reached the order of 104 A/cm2, but it is rapidly reduced to less than 1000 A/cm2 at even small applied field (< 0.5 T). The mechanism responsible for such a behavior has been identified as a 3D to 2D vortex crossover that is directly related to the distance between the conduction Cu-O bilayers. For BSCCO, the bilayer distance is relatively large compared to that of YBa2Cu3Ox, and thus it has a lower crossover temperature and field. Although great attempt has been made to increase flux pinning by introduction of defects, the enhancement is only seen at low temperatures. This study presents a possible approach in flux pining of highly anisotropic high-Ta superconductors. In contrast to the previous effort in pinning of the 2D vortices, it is proposed to increase the Cu-O bilayer coupling strength by a unique processing method. Some experimental evidence suggests that the local lattice distortion can cause a slight reduction in bilayer distance. Since the Josephson coupling is related to the bilayer spacing, the coupling strength is enhanced leading to an increased 3D to 2D crossover temperature and field. As a consequence, the vortex state will remain 3D in a greater T-H region where pinning can be much more effective. Both theoretical discussions and experimental results on the new approach are presented.
Kinetic analysis of thermal stability of human low density lipoproteins: a model for LDL fusion in atherogenesis.

Fusion of modified LDL in the arterial wall promotes atherogenesis. Earlier we showed that thermal denaturation mimics LDL remodeling and fusion, and revealed kinetic origin of LDL stability. Here we report the first quantitative analysis of LDL thermal stability. Turbidity data show sigmoidal kinetics of LDL heat denaturation, which is unique among lipoproteins, suggesting that fusion is preceded by other structural changes. High activation energy of denaturation, Ea= 100 ± 8 kcal/mol, indicates disruption of extensive packing interactions in LDL. Size-exclusion chromatography, nondenaturing gel electrophoresis, and negative-stain electron microscopy suggest that LDL dimerization is an early step in thermally induced fusion. Monoclonal antibody binding suggests possible involvement of apoB N-terminal domain in early stages of LDL fusion. LDL fusion accelerates at pH
The Federal Statistical System and the Four “I”s:

This article addresses the process through which the federal statistical system may be restored to its appropriate place for providing high-quality data and information, in response to the damage caused by the budgetary woes that agencies have suffered in recent years. The article describes how this work will facilitate moving the country forward, both on its path to economic recovery and to a position of leadership internationally. Four crucial topics are examined: independence, integrity, integration, and innovation. In combination these characteristics will ensure the availability of statistical data of high quality and integrity for informed policy decisions and legislative action.
The complementary roles of laboratory notebooks and laboratory reports

Experiments can be documented by the complementary use of both laboratory notebooks and laboratory reports. The notebook serves as a chronological repository for experimental details, while the report presents a logical summary of the experiment. Emphasis on proper format and logical content in both notebooks and reports encourages the successful development of technical writing skills. When properly used, laboratory notebooks and laboratory reports interact to improve the quality of both. The authors outline the contents of laboratory notebooks and laboratory reports, and explain how the complementary use of these instruments at the Air Force Academy has resulted in better student writing, better design documentation, and more efficient use of laboratory and computer resources that should carry over into future engineering practice. >
The Internet Design Tension between Surveillance and Security

The design tension between security and surveillance has existed for decades. This article specifically examines the protocol design tension between national security interests in surveillance versus network security in the early decades of the Internet and its predecessor networks. Using archival research and protocol-specific case studies, this article describes episodes in which the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) assessed whether to build wiretapping capability into protocols, made specific engineering decisions regarding security and surveillance, and entered broader global debates about encryption strength and government policies to institute cryptographic controls that facilitate surveillance. This study reveals that, even as protocol design has continuously evolved and adapted to changing political, socioeconomic, and technological contexts, the Internet engineering community has consistently staked out a consensus position pushing back against technologically based indiscriminate government surveillance.
Quasielastic light scattering study of the reversible polymerization of hydrogen-bonded capsules

Two calixarene aryl tetraureas covalently linked at their lower rim constitute a bifunctional unit which reversibly form chains of hydrogen-bonded capsules. We determine the association constant between monomers and the chain persistence length.
Perioperative Ethical Issues

Shared decision-making is a paradigm of patient engagement that is assuming greater importance in the era of value-based health care. The basic tenets include patient engagement on clinical decisions, taking into account multiple factors that influence physician and patient decision-making. Understanding and reconciling diametrically opposed views of care are important tenets of shared decision-making. Because many decisions are made preoperatively, the applicability of these principles may be useful especially in the situation of a higher risk surgical candidate. Many patients with Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders are undergoing procedures to improve quality of life. This article explores shared decision-making and DNR.
Bonding with the Nuclear Industry: A Technical Communication Professor and His Students Partner With Y-12 National Security Complex.

This article describes how a special kind of academe–industry collaboration—based on a joint appointment agreement between a university and an industry site—was set up, promoted, and experienced by a professor of technical communication and his student interns. To illustrate the nature and value of this kind of collaboration, the article discusses several of the professor’s research projects, and the teaching scenario connected with this collaboration, as well as the experience of the student interns. The keys to success for such an exchange are to (a) create a clearly structured agreement that is easy for both parties to implement within their respective institutions, (b) promote the agreement to administrators and employees at both institutions, and (c) launch into the exchange with enthusiasm for learning, networking, and finding research projects.
Marketing Research, Operating Surveys and Analysis

A THE title suggests, this paper will be divided into two parts, although the treatment will, of necessity, overlap to some extent. In general, the first section will include sources of wholesale research information and the kinds of research studies that have been made in the field of wholesaling. The second part of the paper will discuss one type of general research in wholesaling-that which is usually entitled "Operating Surveys and Analysis." No attempt at a complete treatment of either part of the subject can be made, but it will be the purpose of the paper to cover these related subjects in such a way that outstanding illustrations of past and current research efforts will be mentioned and, it is hoped, a few new research possibilities suggested.
Abstract 1717: SATB1 expression increases resistance of bladder cancer cells to cisplatin

Background: SATB1 (special AT-rich sequence binding protein-1) is a nuclear protein involved in chromatin organization and gene regulation. Increased expression of SATB1 in breast and hepatocellular cancer cells has been shown to promote metastasis and multidrug resistance. We explored the effects of SATB1 expression in the high grade human bladder cancer cell line, HTB-5. Methods: HTB-5 cells were transfected with an shRNA construct for SATB1 or a non-silencing (NS) control. Nuclear protein and mRNA expression were measured by Western analysis and real-time PCR, respectively. Cells were counted on days 2-6 of culture, and DNA replication was measured by thymidine incorporation (TdR) on day 3. Cell cycle distribution and cell viability were analyzed by propidium iodide-Annexin V FITC flow cytometry in 3 independent experiments. Cells were treated with cisplatin (6 μM) for 3 days. Results: SATB1 mRNA and protein expression levels were 28-fold and 5-fold higher, respectively, in HTB-5 cells compared to UROtsa cells, a benign transformed human urothelial cell line. Expression of SATB1 was reduced 80% or more in shRNA transfected HTB-5 cells. Cell counts and TdR were decreased 20-23% (p Conclusions: SATB1 expression was higher in a malignant compared to benign urothelial cell line and was associated with increased proliferation and increased resistance to chemotherapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1717. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1717
William O. Douglas s Wilderness Politics: Public Protest and Committees of Correspondence in the Pacific Northwest

Employing his regional identity and exploiting wide-ranging networks of conservationists and politicians, U. S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas worked from the 1950s to the 1970s to protect various western landscapes including Olympic Beach and Cougar Lakes. His efforts for wilderness reveal the importance of local connections, broader ties, and changing environmental legislation.
Sublethal hydrogen peroxide inhibits alveolar type II cell surfactant phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes

Alveolar type II cell injury by phagocytic cell-derived reactive oxygen metabolites represents a potential mechanism for the altered surfactant metabolism found in patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Previous studies demonstrated altered surfactant phospholipid metabolism after sublethal oxidant exposure. In this study, we measured intracellular ATP levels and the activities of several enzymes involved in surfactant phospholipid biosynthesis after sublethal H2O2 exposure of cultured rat alveolar type II cells. Intracellular ATP levels were reduced by 46.6% after exposure to 75 microM H2O2. The activity of CTP:phosphorylcholine cytidyltransferase was unchanged after H2O2 exposure when measured in whole cell homogenates. However, when measured in the microsomal fraction, cytidyltransferase activity significantly fell after exposure of type II cells to 75 microM H2O2. Activity in the cytosolic fractions remained unchanged. Similarly, microsomal cholinephosphotransferase was reduced after H2O2 exposure. We conclude that H2O2 decreases surfactant phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis independently of its ability to deplete intracellular ATP content. These deleterious effects may partially explain the diminished alveolar surfactant observed in patients with ARDS.