cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Professional associations and the free rider problem: The case of optometry

Political influence by a professional association, like the influence of any special interest group, is a collective good for the members of the profession. This paper investigates the variables affecting the ability of state optometric associations to overcome the free rider problem and induce optometrists to join the association. Although the empirical results show little evidence that organization costs are reduced by concentration in urban areas, the results do strongly support the hypothesis that there will be less free riding in smaller groups. The results also support the hypothesis that selective incentives enable latent groups to overcome the free rider problem. By providing continuing education at reduced fees to members of the association, optometric associations have increased the percentage of optometrists who are association members in those states with statutory continuing education requirements.
Trauma Airway Management

Abstract Background Airway management in a trauma patient can be particularly challenging when both a difficult airway and the need for rapid action collide. The provider must evaluate the trauma patient for airway difficulty, develop an airway management plan, and be willing to act quickly with incomplete information. Discussion Thorough knowledge of airway management algorithms will assist the emergency physician in providing optimal care and offer a rapid and effective treatment plan. Conclusions Using a case-based approach, this article reviews initial trauma airway management strategies along with the rationale for evidence-based treatments.
Hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy minimizes warm ischemia

Abstract Objectives. Traditional open donor nephrectomy is associated with good donor outcomes and excellent allograft function. Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy may accomplish these same goals with less morbidity. We report our initial experience with hand-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy using a commercially available hand-assist device. Methods. Donor and allograft outcomes for the first 30 patients undergoing hand-assisted laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy in our institution were prospectively analyzed. Results. Hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy was successfully completed in 29 (97%) of 30 donors. Organ dissection was carried out purely laparoscopically. Vessel division and allograft extraction were performed using a hand-assisted technique. The average operative time was 275 minutes (range 193 to 360), with an estimated blood loss of 99 mL (range 50 to 300). Pneumoperitoneum was consistently maintained during the hand-assisted portion of the procedure. The mean warm ischemic time was 72.5 seconds (range 30 to 165). On average, the regular diet was resumed after 2.2 days (range 1 to 3), and patients were discharged home 3.4 days (range 2 to 5) after surgery. Eight minor complications occurred in the donor group. Immediate graft function occurred in all 30 cases. No ureteral complications occurred. The recipient creatinine levels ranged from 0.6 to 2.4 mg/dL at an average follow-up of 11.5 months (range 1 to 23). Conclusions. Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is technically feasible and can be performed with minimal morbidity. Hand-assisted kidney extraction may help to facilitate immediate allograft function by minimizing the warm ischemic time.
α-Synuclein phosphorylation controls neurotoxicity and inclusion formation in a Drosophila model of Parkinson disease

α-Synuclein is phosphorylated at serine 129 (Ser129) in intracellular protein aggregates called Lewy bodies. These inclusion bodies are the characteristic pathologic lesions of Parkinson disease. Here we define the role of phosphorylation of Ser129 in α-synuclein toxicity and inclusion formation using a Drosophila model of Parkinson disease. Mutation of Ser129 to alanine to prevent phosphorylation completely suppresses dopaminergic neuronal loss produced by expression of human α-synuclein. In contrast, altering Ser129 to the negatively charged residue aspartate, to mimic phosphorylation, significantly enhances α-synuclein toxicity. The G protein–coupled receptor kinase 2 (Gprk2) phosphorylates Ser129 in vivo and enhances α-synuclein toxicity. Blocking phosphorylation at Ser129 substantially increases aggregate formation. Thus Ser129 phosphorylation status is crucial in mediating α-synuclein neurotoxicity and inclusion formation. Because increased number of inclusion bodies correlates with reduced toxicity, inclusion bodies may protect neurons from α-synuclein toxicity.
Building asymmetry into circular distributions

Most of the tractable distributions currently available for modeling circular data are symmetric around a modal direction, prominent among them the von Mises distribution. Here we discuss a method of introducing asymmetry into any such symmetric circular model and develop general classes of non-symmetric circular distributions. In particular, we introduce and study a resulting variation of the classical von Mises distribution, along with a biological application.
The better colectomy project: association of evidence-based best-practice adherence rates to outcomes in colorectal surgery.

Objective: To evaluate whether adherence to evidence-based best practices in colorectal surgery predicts improved postoperative outcomes. Summary and Background Data: Over a quarter of a million colon and rectal resections are performed annually in the United States. The average postoperative complication rate for these procedures approaches 30%. Methods: A panel of colorectal and general surgeons from 3 hospitals 11 academic medical center and 2 community hospitals) was assembled to ascertain a set of 37 evidence-based practices that they felt were the most pertinent to the evaluation and management of a patient undergoing a colorectal resection. Fifteen of these practices were classified as "key processes" for the prevention of complications. We then retrospectively reviewed medical records for 370 consecutive patients undergoing colorectal resection at these institutions. We evaluated the association of best-practice adherence to complications in the subset of patients with outcome data available through the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Results: Nonadherence rates exceeded 40% for 11 practices (including 2 key processes: avoidance of unnecessary blood transfusions and timely removal of central venous catheters). Among 198 patients with American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program outcomes data, 38 (19%) experienced complications, of which 31 (82%) involved postoperative infection. Nonadherence to key-processes significantly predicted the occurrence of a complication (P = 0.002). Each additional process missed increased the odds of a postoperative complication by 60% (odds ratio: 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.2―2.2). Conclusions: Failures of adherence with best practices in colorectal surgery is associated with an increased occurrence of complications. This study merits further research to confirm that improvement in compliance with perioperative best practices will reduce complication rates significantly.
Host plants and the performance of some lures for Japanese beetles.

Mixtures (1:9) of eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) with geraniol (trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-l-ol), phenethyl butyrate, or anethole ( p -propenylanisole), adult laboratory diet, and ripe fruit were evaluated in 4 location in conjunction with different host plants as lures for Popillia japonica Newman. Also, some of the same lures were tested in a field cage. No significant differences were apparent in either study in the trap captures between phenthyl butyrate + eugenol and geraniol + eugenol, but the catches of phenethyl butyrate + eugenol differed from that of anethole + eugenol in both studies. Geraniol + eugenol was better than anethole + eugenol in the field. When mean trap captures were compared anethole + eugenol lured more beetles when it was associated with American elder, geraniol + eugenol was more effective when it was associated with sassafras, and phenethyl butyrate + eugenol outperformed other lures when associated with Virginia creeper. Our data indicated the performance of a lure was modified by its association with a host plant.
Do animals significantly increase indoor endotoxin exposure

Abstract Rationale The presence of a cat or dog in the home has been associated with decreased sensitization to animal allergens. Some studies have suggested that this phenomenon could reflect higher levels of endotoxin. Methods Dust samples were collected from the living room floor and airborne samples were collected using an ion charging device (Clin Exp All;33:986) from 54 houses in Virginia, 39 with a pet (ie. cat or dog) and 15 without. Samples were assayed for cat, dog, and the Group I dust mite allergens using the ELISA technique and for endotoxin using the LAL assay, Biowhittaker. Results The concentration of endotoxin in floor dust was higher in houses with a pet (geometric mean=36,638 EU/g) than in those without (21,732 EU/g). However, the range of values was very wide (2,040 to 877,540 EU/g with a pet and 340 to 1,311,000 EU/g without pets). There was no significant difference in airborne endotoxin, with levels ranging from 3 ] in homes with an animal and r 2 =0.075) or floor dust ( r 2 =0.002) endotoxin. Conclusion Although endotoxin levels in floor dust were higher in houses with an animal, the difference in airborne endotoxin was not significant. More important, the range of values observed was so wide that it is unlikely that differences observed could explain the effects of cat ownership.
Calibration considerations for hybrid VANET simulation

The simulation of intervehicle communication (IVC) in a Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) requires the modeling of traffic movement patterns and the simulation of wireless communication between the vehicles which act as mobile nodes within the wireless network. This paper discusses the calibration and fitness of the JIST/SWANS network simulator for use in hybrid VANET simulation using readily available wireless hardware. The associated research creates a hybrid simulation platform coupling the microscopic transportation modeling of flow and vehicle movement with a wireless simulator to offer analysis on wireless interaction in a vehicular network. Although the ultimate goal of this research is to model the behavior of a handheld Intelligent Traveler Assistant (ITA) device, this paper concerns the validation of the ad-hoc wireless portion of the SWANS simulator.
EEG and behavioral changes in a hyperkinetic child concurrent with training of the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR): a preliminary report

Reduced seizure incidence coupled with voluntary motor inhibition accompanied conditioned increases in the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR), a 12-14 Hz rhythm appearing over rolandic cortex. Although SMR biofeedback training has been successfully applied to various forms of epilepsy in humans, its potential use in decreasing hyperactivity has been limited to a few cases in which a seizure history was also a significant feature. The present study represents a first attempt to explore the technique's applicability to the problem of hyperkinesis independent of the epilepsy issue. The results of several months of EEG biofeedback training in a hyperkinetic child tend to corroborate and extend previous findings. Feedback presentations for SMR were contingent on the production of 12-14-Hz activity in the absence of 4- 7-Hz slow-wave activity. A substantial increase in SMR occurred with progressive SMR training and was associated with enhanced motor inhibition, as gauged by laboratory measures of muscular tone (chin EMG) and by a global behavioral assessment in the classroom. Opposite trends in motor inhibition occurred when the training procedure was reversed and feedback presentations were contingent on the production of 4-7 Hz in the absence of 12-14-Hz activity. Although the preliminary nature of these results is stressed, the subject population has recently been increased to establish the validity and generality of the findings and will include the use of SMR biofeedback training after medication has been withdrawn.
Effect of Colloidal Silica Treatments on Sizing and Finishing Characteristics of Cotton Yarns1

Cotton in lap form was treated with a colloidal silica compound, and together with an untreated lap was processed into 15/1, 36/1, and 50/1 yarns. Samples of these yarns were used for control, for mercerizing, for bleaching, and for dyeing. Analyses of ash content were made on these four sets of samples. In addition, other samples of the yarns were used to assess the reaction to slashing, desizing, and abrasion. In general, the presence of colloidal silica, on medium and fine carded yarns, did not affect the operations of mercerizing, bleaching, and dyeing. Yarn strength differences between treated and untreated samples were of the same order after as before each of these chemical processes. Quantitative tests (ash-content analyses) to determine the effect of these processes on the permanence of the colloidal silica on the fiber were inconclusive.
Guest Editorial: Satellite Data Compression

This PDF file contains the editorial “Guest Editorial: Satellite Data Compression” for JRS Vol. 4 Issue 01
The role of reproductive hormones in vascular disease and hypertension

Review of pertinent research demonstrates a link between sex steroids and vascular disease. Evidence for this association includes: beneficial effect of estrogens on the blood lipids (elevation of high-density lipoproteins and lowering of low-density lipoproteins), adverse effect of high-dose synthetic estrogens on coagulation, vasodilating action of progesterone, and adverse effect of androgens and androgen-derived progestagens on lipoproteins. Natural steroids appear to differ in their impact from synthetic compounds; endogenous hormones from exogenous and parenterally administered preparations. Furthermore, steroids have different effects at different concentrations, doses, and ratios. Their actions also vary according to age, sex, pregnant or nonpregnant state, body weight, smoking, and other risk factors. In this article, the following areas will be considered in relation to the impact of sex steroids on cardiovascular phenomena and hypertension: menstrual cycle and its disturbances; amenorrhea and hyperandrogenism; pregnancy with its hyperdynamic state and a tendency to gestational hypertension; oral-contraception-induced, dose-related thromboembolic phenomena; menopause and estrogen deficiency states with increased incidence of atherogenesis; estrogen replacement therapy with its decrease in cardiovascular morbidity; other hormonal therapies which induce hypoestrogenism with its consequences. The evidence is emerging that hormonal modifications may be useful in the prevention of cardiovascular morbidity.
In-Service Teacher Education in Classroom Communication.

This article summarizes findings from a national survey undertaken to determine the extent and nature of graduate courses in classroom communication theory and skills currently available to practicing elementary and secondary teachers. “Classroom Communication” was broadly defined as “the verbal and nonverbal interaction between teacher and students, and between or among students.” The findings indicate that such courses are relatively new, economically feasible, and growing despite current retrenchments in education. The majority of reported courses are being taught by education faculty with little or no formal background in speech communication.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL METALLODIELECTRIC PHOTONIC CRYSTALS INCORPORATING FLAT METAL ELEMENTS

A three-dimensional metallodielectric photonic crystal (MDPC) that utilizes planar metal scattering elements in a dielectric medium has been studied at microwave frequencies. The metal elements are flat copper circles defined on thin dielectric sheets using standard printed-circuit techniques. Thicker polyethelene sheets are alternately stacked with the thin metallized sheets to form a (111)-oriented face-centered-cubic lattice. A photonic stopband has been measured from this “flat-atom” MDPC at 8.4 GHz with a rejection level of 18 dB per lattice period and a width of 50% of the center frequency. The photonic stopband persists over a broad range of angles. Flat-atom MDPC results are compared with measurements made on “spherical-atom” MDPC structures. Variation of the stopband characteristics with thickness of the dielectric layers has been explored. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 17: 153–156, 1998.
Parity mixed doublets in A=36 nuclei.

The \ensuremath{\gamma}-circular polarizations (${\mathit{P}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$) and asymmetries (${\mathit{A}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$) of the parity forbidden M1+E2 \ensuremath{\gamma} decays, $^{36}\mathrm{Cl}^{\mathrm{*}}$(${\mathit{J}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}$=${2}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$;T=1;${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{x}}$=1.95 MeV)${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{36}$Cl(${\mathit{J}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}$=${2}^{+}$;T=1; g.s.) and $^{36}\mathrm{Ar}^{\mathrm{*}}$(${\mathit{J}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}$=${2}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$;T=0;${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{x}}$=4.97 MeV) ${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{36}$${\mathrm{Ar}}^{\mathrm{*}}$(${\mathit{J}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}$-${2}^{+}$;T=0;${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{x}}$=1.97 MeV), are investigated theoretically. We use the recently proposed Warburton-Becker-Brown shell-model interaction. For the weak forces we discuss comparatively different weak interaction models based on different assumptions for evaluationg the weak meson-hadron coupling constants. The results determine a range of ${\mathit{P}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ values from which we find the most probable values: ${\mathit{P}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$=1.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ for $^{36}\mathrm{Cl}$ and ${\mathit{P}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$=3.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ for $^{36}\mathrm{Ar}$.
Cross-Antagonism of a T Cell Clone Expressing Two Distinct T Cell Receptors

Abstract Inhibition of T cell activation can be mediated by analogs of the original antigenic peptide (TCR antagonists). Here, a T cell clone expressing two distinct TCR was used to investigate whether such inhibition involves an active mechanism by examining whether an antagonist for one TCR could influence responses stimulated by the other TCR engaging its agonist. Our results demonstrate functional cross-inhibition under these conditions involving the ability of antagonist:TCR interactions to diminish Lck enzymatic activity associated with the agonist-recognizing second TCR, apparently through enhancement of SHP-1 association with these receptors. Our findings reveal that inhibition of cellular responses by antagonists arises at least in part from active negative regulation of proximal TCR signaling and identify elements of the biochemical process.
Critical current in a superconducting film with an array of ferromagnetic dots

We study the anisotropy and temperature dependence of the critical current in a superconducting film covered with a regular square array of ferromagnetic dots with magnetization perpendicular to the film and sufficiently large to generate vortices in the superconducting film under each dot and antivortices between the dots. Assuming that the vortices do not move, we calculate the velocity of the antivortices and the induced electric field driven by the dc exceeding its critical value. We predict the appearance of the Shapiro steps in this system. Finally, we discuss properties of a superconducting film covered with an array of ferromagnetic dots whose magnetic moments alternate.
An experimental investigation of super majority voting rules: Implications for the financial accounting standards board

Abstract The objective of this research is to investigate some basic issues related to the effects of different voting rules. Specifically, this research addresses (1) how simple majority and super majority rules for adoption of committee decisions may affect committee decisions and (2) how the inclusion of a party with veto power may influence a committee's decisions. Hypotheses are developed based on the theory of the core and are tested experimentally. The results of 24 committee sessions provided mixed support for the model.
Interest rates, aggregate information, and monetary policy

Abstract Interest rates set on economy-wide markets represent an important source of information to economic agents, within the class of business cycle models advanced by Lucas and Barro. This paper explores the information conveyed by such aggregate signals and the types of monetary policies that can influence economic activity by changing the information content of interest rates.
Depth of processing reexamined: The effects of the precision of encoding and test appropriateness

Two experiments examined the effects of level of processing and uniqueness of encoding on the ability to recognize the nominal stimulus among either sematically similar or structurally similar distractor items. Experiment 1 showed that semantic acquisition was superior to structural (case) acquisition given a semantically oriented recognition test, but that case acquisition was superior to semantic acquisition given a case oriented recognition test. Experiment 2 demonstrated that contrary to other reports, uniqueness as defined by the number of similarly encoded items affects nonsemantic as well as semantic modes of processing. The results favor a “precision of encoding” framework over one of “levels of processing.”
Functional morphology of pylorus and rectal glands in Reduviidae (Insecta—Heteroptera)

Anatomical and histological studies of the alimentary organs of sixteen reduviids, with diverse food habits indicate structural variations. The terminal part of the tubular second midgut of these predaceous insects has a permanent sac-like region with distinct histology, concerned with absorption of digested food. In addition, the digestive system is characterised by a reduced pylorus with pyloric-intestinal and pyloric-rectal valves, surrounded by flask-shaped ampullae of the four malpighian tubules. The ampullary cells with their filamentous apices and with fibrillar cytoplasmic processes are concerned with. water absorption. Commonly in all these terrestrial insects, the anterior end of the rectum also bears a well-developed, inverted cup-like rectal gland, the cells of which also absorb water from the excreta stored in the impermeable, intima lined rectum. Members of Ectrichodiinae show simple ampullary cells and a unique rectum, reported for the first time among reduviids with scattered dome-shaped glandular cells as found in Homoptera and in some phytophagous Heteroptera. The simple nature of the alimentary organs indicates its primitive organization within the reduviid subfamilies.
Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Left Atrial Myxoma

Abstract The presence of a left atrial myxoma in a young woman who presented with mitral valve obstruction was established by echocardiography before surgery. A systematic echocardiographic approach to such a patient is described, by which other diagnostic possibilities, including artifacts, may be eliminated. It is indicated that echocardiography should be performed in patients with suspected obstructive lesions at the mitral valve, unexplained syncope or suspected bacterial endocarditis, as well as in patients who have had atrial myxomas removed since these tumors occasionally recur.
Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Sporadic Ventricular Ectopic Arrhythmias

Exercise stress testing and 24-hour ambulatory monitoring have been employed to evaluate antiarrhythmic drug efficacy in patients with sporadic ventricular ectopic arrhythmias (VEA). Twenty-three patients with often recurring VEA were exercised 123 times and subjected to 66 ambulatory monitoring sessions during control periods and while receiving either procaine amide or quinidine. Two dose schedules were employed; procaine amide, 3.0 and 6.0 g daily and quinidine, 1.2 and 1.8 g daily. Though adequate and even high drug blood levels were reached, an effective antiarrhythmic response was observed in only eight patients receiving procaine amide and in seven of those taking quinidine. These modest successful results were associated with a high incidence of troublesome adverse effects which were noted in 11 patients receiving procaine amide and six of those receiving quinidine. It is concluded that these antiarrhythmic drugs should not be employed in the patient with episodic VEA unless the arrhythmias are sy...
Regional Impairment of Mucociliary Clearance in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Asthmatic subjects with tidal expiratory flow limitation have mucociliary clearance (MC) impairment in central airways. Because tidal flow limitation develops in COPD, it is possible that regional MC in these patients also may be affected. We tested this hypothesis by measuring MC in the presence or absence of flow limitations. Patients with COPD and chronic flow limitation were compared with non-flow-limited normal volunteers. Deposition was normalized for regional lung volume and expressed as the specific central to peripheral (sC/P) ratio. In COPD subjects, clearance from the whole lung and central airways was significantly different from that of normal subjects after 20 min of observation. In the peripheral airways, there were no significant differences between COPD and normal subjects. An alternative analysis of regional MC indicated patients retained particles in central airways while normal subjects, with intact MC, emptied central airways. Thus, COPD subjects with tidal expiratory flow limitation have impaired MC in their central airways.
Developing Fair Tests for Mathematics Curriculum Comparison Studies: The Role of Content Analyses.

This article describes the process of development of assessment instruments for a three-year longitudinal comparative study that focused on evaluating American high school students’ mathematics learning from two distinct approaches to content organization: curriculum built around a sequence of three full-year courses (Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2) and a sequence of integrated mathematics courses (algebra and geometry content, together with functions, data analysis, and discrete mathematics is integrated each year). The study was conducted in six school districts in five states involving over 4,000 students from schools that were using both curricular approaches but with different groups of students. In order to develop assessment instruments that were not biased towards either of the two curriculum programs (Fair Tests), an iterative process of content analyses, identification of common topics, internal and external reviews, pilot tests, and revisions was followed, resulting in five tests that were used in the three years of the study. Results indicate that these tests have solid discrimination properties and address adequately mathematics content common to both secondary curriculum programs. The corresponding scoring rubrics are highly reliable, with interrater reliability above 94% for all tests. Mathematics education researchers involved in curriculum comparison studies need to conduct content analyses of the curriculum materials under study in order to identify salient relationships between curriculum programs and student outcomes.
Ganglion cells of the cat accessory optic system: morphology and retinal topography.

The ganglion cells of the cat's retina form classes that are distinct in their cell morphology, retinal distribution, central projections, and functional properties. By means of the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase injected into the accessory optic nuclei of the cat midbrain, we have characterized the retinal ganglion cells projecting to these nuclei. The retinal projection is virtually completely crossed to the medial terminal nucleus and to the lateral terminal nucleus. This appears to be true for the dorsal terminal nucleus as well, although difficulties of the technique limit our findings for this region. No differences were found in either the spatial distribution, or the somal size distribution, or the morphological characteristics of the ganglion cells projecting to these three nuclei. In spatial distribution, these cells are concentrated in the area centralis and visual streak and show no evidence of a nasotemporal divison. Morphologically, they have small to medium-sized somas and delicate, sparsely branching dendrites. They do not appear to belong to any of the morphological cell types thus far identified.
Stock market reaction to CEO certification: the signaling role of CEO background

As a direct result of the corporate scandals that started with Enron and led to general unrest in the financial markets, the Securities and Exchange Commission required chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers of large publicly traded companies to certify their financial statements. Using market signaling theory, we propose that attributes of the CEO send important signals to the investment community as to the credibility of the CEO certification and thus the quality of the firm's financial statements, which in turn impact the stock market reaction to the CEO certification. We find that a CEO's shareholdings and external directorships are positively related to the abnormal returns of CEO certification. Further, the stock market penalizes a firm with a CEO who is associated with the firm's prior financial restatement and rewards a firm with a CEO who is appointed after the firm's prior financial restatement. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Targeting Inhibitors of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) For New Breast Cancer Therapeutics

Apoptosis resistance is a hallmark of human cancer. Research in the last two decades has identified key regulators of apoptosis, including inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). These critical apoptosis regulators have been targeted for the development of new cancer therapeutics. In this article, we will discuss three members of IAP proteins, namely XIAP, cIAP1 and cIAP2, as cancer therapeutic targets and the progress made in developing new cancer therapeutic agents to target these IAP proteins.
An evolutionary arms race between KRAB zinc-finger genes ZNF91/93 and SVA/L1 retrotransposons

Throughout evolution primate genomes have been modified by waves of retrotransposon insertions. For each wave, the host eventually finds a way to repress retrotransposon transcription and prevent further insertions. In mouse embryonic stem cells, transcriptional silencing of retrotransposons requires KAP1 (also known as TRIM28) and its repressive complex, which can be recruited to target sites by KRAB zinc-finger (KZNF) proteins such as murine-specific ZFP809 which binds to integrated murine leukaemia virus DNA elements and recruits KAP1 to repress them. KZNF genes are one of the fastest growing gene families in primates and this expansion is hypothesized to enable primates to respond to newly emerged retrotransposons. However, the identity of KZNF genes battling retrotransposons currently active in the human genome, such as SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) and long interspersed nuclear element 1 (L1), is unknown. Here we show that two primate-specific KZNF genes rapidly evolved to repress these two distinct retrotransposon families shortly after they began to spread in our ancestral genome. ZNF91 underwent a series of structural changes 8-12 million years ago that enabled it to repress SVA elements. ZNF93 evolved earlier to repress the primate L1 lineage until ∼12.5 million years ago when the L1PA3-subfamily of retrotransposons escaped ZNF93's restriction through the removal of the ZNF93-binding site. Our data support a model where KZNF gene expansion limits the activity of newly emerged retrotransposon classes, and this is followed by mutations in these retrotransposons to evade repression, a cycle of events that could explain the rapid expansion of lineage-specific KZNF genes.
Asymptotic normality of a variance estimator of a linear combination of a function of order statistics

An estimator of the asymptotic variance of (a randomly stopped) linear combination of a function of order statistics is considered and its asymptotic normality is studied under appropriate regularity conditions. A comparative study of the regularity conditions pertaining to the asymptotic normality and strong convergence of linear combinations of functions of order statistics and their estimated asymptotic variances is also made.
Analysis of iridium reflectance measurements for AXAF witness mirrors from 2 to 12 keV

For the best flexibility in ground and on-orbit calibration modeling of the AXAF telescope over its entire field of view, including off-axis calibration evaluations, AXAF synchrotron reflectance calibrations require that the measured reflectance data be reduced to optical parameters analogous to n and k. We have developed a method for AXAF witness mirror analysis which is a modification of the NKFIT optical constants algorithm published by D.L. Windt. The algorithm assumes uniform layer thicknesses using a recursive, exact formation of Fresnel's equations, with a modified Debye-Waller roughness correction factor. The recursion formula has been modified to include an explicit double-precision formulation. The results of most of the fits of AXAF calibration measurements yield residuals less than 1 percent of the reflectance value levels down to R approximately .03. The precision of the measurements is smaller still, which compromises the (chi) 2 fitting algorithm; however, the results will most likely prove adequate for AXAF witness mirrors calibrated in the 5-12 keV range. Coating density determined from the refractive index n is approximately 98.5 percent of the bulk for iridium. Derived coating thicknesses are extremely consistent with the photon energy, giving still more significant calibration information to the program.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Field evidence for copper mobilization by dissolved organic matter

Fluxes of copper from the sediments to the water column in response to the presence of dissolved organic matter were measured in field enclosures placed on the floor of the Contrary Creek arm of Lake Anna, Virginia. Experimental chambers received a spike input of either sodium humate or phytoplankton; unamended chambers served as controls. Over the subsequent five days, water samples were withdrawn from the chambers and analyzed for total and dissolved copper, total and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) Eh, pH, dissolved oxygen, dissolved sulfides and heterotrophic microbial activity. Chambers amended with phytoplankton did not experience a rise in dissolved copper concentrations. Furthermore, the concentrations of dissolved copper in these chambers were not well-correlated with DOC concentrations (r = 0.1175, P = 0.642). Dissolved copper concentrations in chambers amended with sodium humate rose approximately 500% and remained elevated for the duration of the experimental trial (5 days). In this treatment, dissolved copper concentrations were well-correlated with DOC concentrations (r = 0.798, P < 0.005). The increase in dissolved copper in the chambers amended with sodium humate was observed to persist despite reducing conditions which were confirmed by redox measurements and the occurrence of dissolved sulfides. The addition of sodium humate to the chamber water resulted in a net mobilization of copper to the water column from the sediments. In contrast, dissolved organic carbon generated by the decomposition of phytoplankton did not appear to mobilize copper over the time interval examined. None of the changes in soluble copper concentrations could be related to Eh or pH effects. Supplementary laboratory experiments corroborated the field trials. The results suggest that long term (but not short term) products of decomposition processes may enhance the concentration of dissolved copper in the water column by the formation of soluble organometallic complexes.
Context surrounding processing sites is crucial in determining cleavage rate of a subset of processing sites in HIV-1 Gag and Gag-Pro-Pol polyprotein precursors by viral protease.

Processing of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag and Gag-Pro-Pol polyproteins by the HIV-1 protease (PR) is essential for the production of infectious particles. However, the determinants governing the rates of processing of these substrates are not clearly understood. We studied the effect of substrate context on processing by utilizing a novel protease assay in which a substrate containing HIV-1 matrix (MA) and the N-terminal domain of capsid (CA) is labeled with a FlAsH (fluorescein arsenical hairpin) reagent. When the seven cleavage sites within the Gag and Gag-Pro-Pol polyproteins were placed at the MA/CA site, the rates of cleavage changed dramatically compared with that of the cognate sites in the natural context reported previously. The rate of processing was affected the most for three sites: CA/spacer peptide 1 (SP1) (≈10-fold increase), SP1/nucleocapsid (NC) (≈10–30-fold decrease), and SP2/p6 (≈30-fold decrease). One of two multidrug-resistant (MDR) PR variants altered the pattern of processing rates significantly. Cleavage sites within the Pro-Pol region were cleaved in a context-independent manner, suggesting for these sites that the sequence itself was the determinant of rate. In addition, a chimera consisting of SP1/NC P4–P1 and MA/CA P1′–P4′ residues (ATIM↓PIVQ) abolished processing by wild type and MDR proteases, and the reciprocal chimera consisting of MA/CA P4–P1 and SP1/NC P1′–4′ (SQNY↓IQKG) was cleaved only by one of the MDR proteases. These results suggest that complex substrate interactions both beyond the active site of the enzyme and across the scissile bond contribute to defining the rate of processing by the HIV-1 PR.
Assessing the contributions of John Snow to epidemiology: 150 years after removal of the broad street pump handle.

On September 8, 1854, John Snow did not remove the handle of a pump, nor did he end an epidemic of cholera in London. However, the evening before, he did convince the municipal authorities to remove the handle of the popular water pump near the corner of Broad and Cambridge Streets in Soho. Probably to Snow's surprise-because his public health advice generally fell on deaf ears-the authorities followed his advice on the following day. As for the Soho outbreak, it was already on the wane, cholera deaths having declined from 127 on September 2 to 30 on September 8. The epidemic ended, as Snow himself wrote, because the local citizenry packed up and left.l(P.51) Snow is not unique in being a hero remembered for feats never accomplished. However, unlike some mythic heroes, once the myth is removed, good reasons for remembering Snow remain, especially for epidemiologists. Snow's work on cholera illustrates, perhaps better than any other body of writings, a key epidemiologic principle: that the most important information to have about any communicable disease is its mode of communication. Once mode of communication is established, preventive measures nearly always follow, a principle as true for SARS in the 21st century, as for AIDS in the 20th and cholera in the 19th. Snow suspected that the agent of cholera was a tiny agent-too small to be seen with the naked eye, capable of reproduction, and probably constructed like a cell.'(P-)5 However, unlike several of his medical contemporaries, Snow was not distracted by a fruitless microscopic search for the agent. Rather, he focused his science squarely on establishing the ways in which the disease was transmitted from person to person. We sometimes assume that the science of disease control operates in stepwise fashion, starting with agent identification. However, knowing the specific agent is often only faintly relevant to infectious disease control and is regularly preceded (as it was for cholera, typhoid fever, yellow fever, AIDS, and SARS, among many other diseases) by discovery of the mode of communication and by interruption of transmission. The 1983 pre-HIV recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention2 for AIDS prevention do not greatly differ from current policy. It is sometimes taught that Snow's work demonstrates that the phenomenologic or "black-box" quality of epidemiology is more valuable to public health than is the pursuit of subcellular mechanisms of disease. However, this is a misunderstanding of Snow, whose insights into cholera transmission flowed from a deep understanding of the disease's pathophysiology and pathochemistry. Snow simply chose to pursue a disease mechanism that does not operate within cells, but within populations of people. The laws
Access to Mental Health Services: The Struggle of Poverty Affected Urban Children of Color

It is estimated that, in the United States, one in ten children and adolescents suffer from illness severe enough to cause some level of psychosocial dysfunction. Urban children, and in particular low-income children of color, are at greater risk of developing mental health problems, and are less likely to receive effective child mental health services. Prompt and effective access to mental health services by urban children of color is a critical direct practice and social policy concern. This article provides an overview of significant barriers to mental health care experienced by poverty affected urban children of color and their families. It also addresses a broad range of practice and policy issues that need to be raised in order to ensure competent delivery of mental health services for children living in urban environments. The role of social work in assisting poor urban children of color to access and benefit from mental health services is stressed.
Contextual influences on school provision of health services.

Abstract Purpose: To examine contextual factors that may facilitate or impede the provision of school health services. Methods: Using a composite database derived primarily from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we used logistic regression to examine how selected characteristics of communities, schools, and state-level policies are related to the provision of specific health services by high schools. Results: Schools whose students experienced more health risks were generally more likely to provide related services than schools whose students experienced fewer risks. State policies and requirements for health-related programs and services were associated with greater school-based provision of services. Availability of health care services within the community was associated with a reduced likelihood that schools provided similar services on-site; however, for some health services, the reverse was true. In general, more affluent communities were more likely to provide school health services than less affluent communities. Public schools were more likely to offer health services than private schools. Conclusions: Certain characteristics of communities, schools, and state-level policies are associated with the provision of school health services. These contextual factors appear to operate by creating a demand for services and by creating the opportunity for schools to provide health services.
Scalable Implementations of Ensemble Filter Algorithms for Data Assimilation

Abstract A variant of a least squares ensemble (Kalman) filter that is suitable for implementation on parallel architectures is presented. This parallel ensemble filter produces results that are identical to those from sequential algorithms already described in the literature when forward observation operators that relate the model state vector to the expected value of observations are linear (although actual results may differ due to floating point arithmetic round-off error). For nonlinear forward observation operators, the sequential and parallel algorithms solve different linear approximations to the full problem but produce qualitatively similar results. The parallel algorithm can be implemented to produce identical answers with the state variable prior ensembles arbitrarily partitioned onto a set of processors for the assimilation step (no caveat on round-off is needed for this result). Example implementations of the parallel algorithm are described for environments with low (high) communication lat...
The Chemistry of the N-Methyl-3-dehydropyridinium Ylid

The reaction of atomic carbon with N-methylpyrrole, 5b, at 77 K generates the N-methyl-3-dehydropyridinium ylid, 6b, which can be trapped with added hydrogen halides or CO2. The addition of CO2 is strong evidence for the ylid 6b rather than cumulene 7. Deuterium and 13C labeling studies demonstrate that 6b rapidly rearranges to the N-methyl-2-dehydropyridinium ylid, 13, by an intermolecular mechanism. Ylid 13 can be trapped with added acids or with O2 to form 1-methyl-2-pyridone.
Digibind Reverses Inhibition of Cellular Rb+ Uptake Caused by Endogenous Sodium Pump Inhibitors Present in Serum and Placenta of Women with Preeclampsia:

Introduction: Mechanisms mediating preeclampsia (PE) are unclear. Endogenous digitalis-like factors (EDLFs) are sodium pump (SP) inhibitors implicated in essential hypertension, but not fully explored in PE. This study asks whether EDLFs are present and increased in PE and considers their source. Methods: EDLF in sera and placentas from third trimester women with uncomplicated pregnancies or PE was assessed by a Rb+ uptake assay. A digoxin antibody Fab fragment (Digibind) known to inactivate EDLFs was also used to assess EDLFs. Results: PE serum caused significantly more SP inhibition than serum from uncomplicated pregnancies. This inhibition was concentration-dependent and reversed by Digibind. Serum from uncomplicated pregnancies showed no concentration-dependence or reversal with Digibind. Placental homogenates from control women showed little SP inhibition, but homogenates from PE women showed marked SP inhibition reversed by Digibind. Conclusion: These studies evidence EDLF in PE serum. Additionally,...
Providing Care for Elderly Parents: A Structurational Approach to Family Caregiver Identity

Because of expanding life spans and the increasingly chronic nature of disease, caregiving is becoming a dominant activity in today's society. Caregiving for elderly parents has been identified as a complex activity involving the balancing of many tasks and roles, and an activity that has the potential for both intense stress and for psychological and relational rewards. In this study, we consider the complexity of caregiving by examining the identity and identification processes of family caregivers. Taking a structurational approach to identity and identification, we examine in-depth interviews with 11 caregivers of elderly parents. The narratives and comments provided by these caregivers led us to the consideration of two major structures influencing the identity of family caregivers: structures of parenting and structures of competence. We explore the nature of these structures in terms of the ways they are adapted and transformed in the identification of caregivers and the way they influence rewards ...