cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6) increases radiosensitivity of prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6) is a serine/threonine kinase belonging to the p21-activated kinase (PAK) family. We investigated the role of PAK6 in radiation-induced cell death in human prostate cancer cells. METHODS We used a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) strategy to stably knock down PAK6 in PC3 and DU145 cells. Radiation sensitivities were compared in PAK6 stably knockdown cells versus the scrambled shRNA-expressing control cells. RESULTS PAK6 mRNA and protein levels in PC3 and DU145 cells were upregulated upon exposure to 6 Gy of radiation. After irradiation, an increased percentage of apoptotic cells and cleaved caspase-3 levels were demonstrated in combination with a decrease in cell viability and a reduction in clonogenic survival in PAK6-knockdown cells. In addition, transfection with PAK6 shRNA blocked cells in a more radiosensitive G2-M phase and increased levels of DNA double-strand breaks. We further explored the potential mechanisms by which PAK6 mediates resistance to radiation-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of PAK6 caused a decrease in Ser112 phosphorylation of BAD, a proapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, which led to enhanced binding of BAD to Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL and release of cytochrome c culminating into caspase activation and cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS The combination of PAK6 inhibition and irradiation resulted in significantly decreased survival of prostate cancer cells. The underlying mechanisms by which targeting PAK6 may improve radiation response seem to be multifaceted, and involve alterations in cell cycle distribution and impaired DNA double-strand break repair as well as relieved BAD phosphorylation. Prostate 70: 807–816, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Neuroethology: self-recognition helps octopuses avoid entanglement.

Summary How an octopus performs complex movements of its eight sucker-studded arms without entanglement has been a mystery. A new study has found that self-recognition of the octopus's skin by its suckers inhibits reflexive grasping of its own arms, simplifying the mechanisms needed to generate intricate arm behavior.
Digital Explorations Along the Borderlands: Transfronterizo Youth, Testimonio and Personal Learning Networks

Pedagogical strategies that use technologies for connecting and communicating across differences, provide us with opportunities to disseminate historically excluded voices in academia and in society. The use of new and emerging technologies in and out of classrooms provides students and teachers with tools to craft, narrate, create, and share their lived experiences, life stories, and testimonios in digitized formats. The authors present three digital explorations that focus on technological tools that on the surface may seem simplistic but that carry deep constructs of meaning for the participants involved. These digital explorations focus on the affordances provided to students of all ages by the use of technological tools to demonstrate cultural and linguistic agency and embrace their Community Cultural Wealth in using critical media. The authors hope to signal the need for critical pedagogues to further incorporate digital learning technologies in classrooms.
Cytochalasin B: Its morphological and electrophysiological actions on synthetic strands of cardiac muscle

Abstract Synthetic strands of cardiac muscle grown in tissue culture from embryonic chick heart cells were exposed to cytochalasin B (10–40 μg/ml) for as long as 4 hr. During this time, intracellular microelectrodes were used to study the electrical properties of the strands, and contractile activity was monitored by means of a closed ciruit television-microscopy system. The areas of the strands from which recordings were obtained were examined by light and electron microscopy. In the presence of cytochalasin the action potential decreased in amplitude, overshoot, and maximum rate of depolarization ( V max ), concomitant with an increase in duration. The S-shaped relationship between V max and membrane potential shifted to the right (the maximum values were reduced by a factor of 2), and the conduction velocity decreased by 30%. Contractility ceased only when the preparation became electrically inexicitable. The electrophysiological data suggest that cytochalasin reduces the number of Na-carrying channels per unit area of membrane as well as the effective number of fibers per unit cross-sectional area of the preparation. Correlative microscopic studies of treated preparations showed that cytochalasin disaggregates the fiber into individual cells by disrupting cell junctions and in some regions, disrupts myofibrils. Cytochalasin is thus shown to be a membrane-active drug that also disrupts the integrity of cardiac muscle on the tissue and cell level.
Identification of degraded fingerprints using PCA- and ICA-based features

Many algorithms have been developed for fingerprint identification. The main challenge in many of the applications remains in the identification of degraded images in which the fingerprints are smudged or incomplete. Fingerprints from the FVC2000 databases have been utilized in this project to develop and implement feature extraction and classification algorithms. Besides the degraded images in the database, artificially degraded images have also been used. In this paper we use features based on PCA (principal component analysis) and ICA (independent component analysis) to identify fingerprints. PCA and ICA reduce the dimensionality of the input image data. PCA- and ICA-based features do not contain redundancies in the data. Different multilayer neural network architectures have been implemented as classifiers. The performance of different features and networks is presented in this paper.
The combination of genistin and ipriflavone prevents mammary tumorigenesis and modulates lipid profile.

Summary Background & aims Recent reports have indicated that soy isoflavones may be protective against breast cancer. However, the effects of the synthetic isoflavone, ipriflavone, on mammary tumorigenisis, alone or in combination with genistin, a soy isoflavone, have not been investigated. Methods Eighty-eight 36-day-old female Sprague–Dawley rats were divided as follows: Gen (20 mg genistin/kg body weight), Ipr (200 mg ipriflavone/kg body weight), Gen + Ipr (20/200 mg per kg body weight, respectively), and control (solvent vehicle). A week later, animals were injected with a single dose of methylnitrosourea. The isoflavones and solvent vehicle were administered daily via gastric gavage for 84 days post methylnitrosurea injection. Results The Gen + Ipr group had the lowest number of palpable tumors and adenocarcinomas per group, the least palpable tumors per rat, and the highest serum total and non-HDL cholesterol levels. No changes in circulating levels of indicators of oxidative stress were detected due to treatment. Conclusions The findings of this study imply that the combination of genistin and ipriflavone is effective in suppressing mammary methylnitrosurea-induced tumorigenesis and also the lipid environment of the tumor cells that impact tumor growth or proliferation. Further studies are needed to establish the optimal dose of genistin and ipriflavone, individually or in combination, for the prevention of mammary tumorigenesis.
Resolution of international water conflicts: from the US southwest to the Euphrates River basin states

Environmental security models predict that natural resource scarcities, in particular freshwater, can increase the probability of conflict within and between countries. This is an especially critical problem on internationally shared rivers in the arid Middle East. Riparians in the arid US west have long relied on interstate water compacts to manage their interstate waters effectively and to resolve their conflicts peacefully. This paper identifies a hitherto ignored research path. It lays out the rationale for systematically analysing the strategies used in the US compacts in order to derive conflict-mitigating approaches that could be adapted to the Euphrates River basin states.
The construct validity of trait‐based measures of interpersonal competence

Measures of traits conceptually constitutive of interpersonal competence were selected and administered to 427 subjects. Factor analytic and intercorrelation results indicate that composure and altercentrism dimensions are useful metaphors for integrating not only the traits of interpersonal competence, but also a broad expanse of literature concerning interpersonal orientations and relational dialectics.
Salient Features Regarding Medicolegal Certificate

General duty doctors in all major hospitals -Govt and Private-are often unclear regarding when to label a case as medicolegal. This paper attempts to give general guidelines to doctors regarding this problem.
Cu-64-Labeled Lactam Bridge-Cyclized α-MSH Peptides for PET Imaging of Melanoma

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the melanoma targeting and imaging properties of 64Cu-NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex {64Cu-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid-Gly-Gly-Nle-c[Asp-His-DPhe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-CONH2} and 64Cu-DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex {64Cu-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclononane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-GGNle-CycMSHhex}. Two lactam bridge-cyclized peptides, NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex and DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex, were synthesized using fluorenylmethyloxy carbonyl (Fmoc) chemistry. The melanocortin-1 (MC1) receptor binding affinity of NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex was determined in B16/F1 melanoma cells and compared with DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex. The melanoma targeting and imaging properties of 64Cu-NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex and 64Cu-DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex were determined in B16/F1 melanoma-bearing C57 mice. NOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex and DOTA-GGNle-CycMSHhex displayed comparable MC1 receptor binding affinities (1.6 vs 2.1 nM). The substitution of DOTA with NOTA dramatically increased the melanoma uptake and decreased the renal a...
Binary kinetics in the Y‐Ba‐Cu system: 1. Mixed powders

The kinetics of the reactions between mixed powders BaCO3 and CuO, as well as BaCO3 and Y2O3, have been studied using DXRD techniques as a function of particle size, temperature, and CO2 pressure. Except for intial nucleation phenomena, the reaction ration rates are governed by shrinking core bahavior for BaCO3 particle sizes between 6 and 33 μm. During the initial stages of the reactions, the surface reaction kinetics are gare governing, whereas the diffusion of CuO, Y2O3, and CO2 are limiting factors at later stages in the reactions. Quantitative conversion dat were used to determine the values of the activation energies and the pertinent diffucivities in these systems.
Origin and direction of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli K12.

Abstract Measurement of gene frequencies in Escherichia coli K12 by the transducing bacteriophage P1 showed that DNA replication proceeded in both directions from a fixed origin. Thymine starvation initiated a new origin from which replication was bidirectional; conjugation initiated a new origin at the point of transfer of DNA and replication was unidirectional.
Highly aligned, large pore ordered mesoporous carbon films by solvent vapor annealing with soft shear

Abstract Macroscopic alignment of block copolymer (BCP)-templated mesoporous carbon films is challenging, especially for large pores (>10 nm), due to the slow dynamics of the polymer segments that impede re-orientation of the ordered domains. Here, we demonstrate a facile method, solvent vapor annealing with soft shear (SVA–SS), to fabricate unidirectionally aligned, ordered mesoporous carbon films using two different BCP templates, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(n-butyl acrylate) and polystyrene-block-poly(N,N-dimethyl-n-octadecylammonium p-styrenesulfonate), and we illustrate the efficacy of this technique for both cylindrical and spherical morphologies with relatively large accessible pores (≈15 nm). This alignment is preserved through the thermopolymerization of resol and carbonization. The alignment of the mesopores impacts several key properties of these carbon films, especially for the unidirectional cylindrical mesostructures. The highly aligned mesoporous carbon films exhibit a more narrow pore size distribution than the analogous unaligned ordered mesoporous carbon as determined by ellipsometric porosimetry. Moreover, the electrical conductivity becomes anisotropic with nearly 40% difference in conductivity between parallel and perpendicular directions of the cylindrical mesopores. In the parallel orientation, the electrical conductivity is over 20% greater than the analogous unoriented (random) films. These results illustrate the applicability of SVA–SS to obtain unidirectional aligned mesoporous carbon films over large areas without additional physical or chemical templating.
The psychology of suicide-murder and the death penalty

To understand the dynamics of individuals who seek or are attracted to the death penalty as a form of suicide, one must first probe the dynamics of a related matter, the so-called murder-suicide syndrome. Following a review of the literature on murderers who killed themselves shortly after committing murder, a sketch of twenty-two cases of murderers in the United States who killed in hopes of getting themselves executed, is provided. In recognition of the primacy of suicide in some forms of homicide, the term suicide-murder is used instead of murder-suicide.
Mitochondrial expression and function of GAS-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

A mutation in the gene gas-1 alters sensitivity to volatile anesthetics, fecundity, and life span in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. gas-1 encodes a close homologue of the 49-kDa iron protein subunit of Complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain from bovine heart.gas-1 is widely expressed in the nematode neuromuscular system and in a subcellular pattern consistent with that of a mitochondrial protein. Pharmacological studies indicate thatgas-1 functions partially via presynaptic effects. In addition, a mutation in the gas-1 gene profoundly decreases Complex I-dependent metabolism in mitochondria as measured by rates of both oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport. An increase in Complex II-dependent metabolism also is seen in mitochondria from gas-1 animals. There is no apparent alteration in physical structure in mitochondria from gas-1nematodes compared with those from wild type. These data indicate thatgas-1 is the major 49-kDa protein of complex I and that the GAS-1 protein is critical to mitochondrial function in C. elegans. They also reveal the importance of mitochondrial function in determining not only aging and life span, but also anesthetic sensitivity, in this model organism.
Interannual Tropospheric Aerosol Variability in the Late Twentieth Century and Its Impact on Tropical Atlantic and West African Climate by Direct and Semidirect Effects

AbstractA new high-resolution global tropospheric aerosol dataset with monthly resolution is generated using version 4 of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4) coupled to a bulk aerosol model and forced with recent estimates of surface emissions for the period 1961–2000 to identify tropospheric aerosol-induced interannual climate variations. The surface emissions dataset is constructed from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) decadal-resolution surface emissions dataset to include reanalysis of tropospheric chemical composition [40-yr Reanalysis of Tropospheric Chemical Composition (RETRO)] wildfire monthly emissions data. A four-member ensemble run is conducted using the spectral configuration of CAM4, forced with the new tropospheric aerosol dataset and prescribed with observed sea surface temperature, sea ice, and greenhouse gases. CAM4 only simulates the direct and semidirect effects of aerosols on the climate. The simulations reveal that variations in tropospheric aerosol lev...
Market reactions to repeat preannouncements

Reviews the literature on earnings preannouncements (EPs) and investigates their use as a communication strategy and the difference in investor’s reactions to occasional, regular and one‐off EPs by using 1995‐1997 US data on 1,444 EPs. Finds that in general, market reactions to PSs is larger than to formal earnings announcements, that about half the EPs were one‐offs and that firms tended to release all of their bad news but only some of the good. Analyses abnormal returns to suggest that investors anticipate earnings surprises better for repeated EPs, although there is no evidence that firms using them repeatedly choose their amounts differently from one‐off announcers. Briefly considers consistency with other research and avenues for further research.
Copula Variability, Accountability, And the Concept of "Polylectal" Grammars

This paper examines variation in the use of copula forms and copulative structures in the Guyanese Creole (GC) continuum. A previous analysis by Bickerton (1973a, 1973b), who presented a polylectal grammar based on implicational relationships in the introduction and use of copular be, is examined in light of Labov's "principle of accountability." The primary focus of the paper is on so-called "predicate adjective" structures in basilectal GC (dipikni bin sik; dipikni a sik; dipikni go sik, and so forth) and their counterparts in the lower and mid-to-upper mesolects of the continuum {dipikni did sik; dipikni doz (bii) sik; dipikni go (bii) sik, etc.). It is argued that the range of contexts relevant to the analysis of copula variability in these structures is far wider than B's analysis accounted for. Moreover, there are substantial differences between basilectal and mesolectal varieties in phrase structure and in the organization of tense-aspect oppositions — differences overlooked in B's earlier treatment. As a result of these limitations, B's polylectal grammar provides an incomplete picture of the patterns of variation in these structures, and of the grammatical systems underlying them. The paper concludes that the claim that a polylectal grammar represents the workings of a unified system is not borne out by the evidence presented here. While an implicational scale may provide useful insight into patterns of variation and change in creole continua, the information contained in it cannot be translated directly into a synchronic grammar.
Hydroisomerization process using catalysts based on noble metal ECR-1 or mazmorite zeolites.

Noble metal containing ECR-1 or mazmorite compositions are effective catalysts for the hydroisomerization of n-paraffins to branched paraffins. They show a strong selectivity to mono-branched products, with excellent selectivity at high conversion levels.
Recent status of total mercury and methyl mercury in the coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico using oysters and sediments from NOAA's mussel watch program.

Abstract The current status of mercury concentrations in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were assessed using the Mussel Watch Program (MWP) contaminant monitoring data, which is based on the analysis of oyster tissue and sediment samples. In both matrices, tHg and MeHg concentrations varied broadly. Significant concentration differences (p
DETECTION OF ACUTE SERUM ANTIBODIES TO A/NEW JERSEY/76 INFLUENZA VIRUS AFTER REMOVAL OF IgG WITH COWAN I STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Cowan I strain of Staphylococcus aureus contains a cell wall substance, protein A, which can absorb most of the IgG from human serum; IgM, IgA, and IgD remain practically unaffected. In the present study, acute sera from children who received killed A/New Jersey/76 influenza virus vaccine were absorbed with S. aureus (Cowan I). An aliquot of the serum was also absorbed with S. aureus (Wood), a strain which does not contain protein A. A third aliquot was left unabsorbed. Hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) antibodies to A/New Jersey/76 antigen were determined on the three serum aliquots in tandem. The unabsorbed sera and sera which were absorbed with S. aureus (Wood) had comparable HAI antibody titers. The sera of 11 of 14 children had an eight-fold or less decline in HAI antibody titer after absorption with S. aureus (Cowan I); the sera of two other children decreased sixteen-fold. Only one child's serum had no detectable HAI antibodies after the absorption procedure with S. aureus (Cowan I). In contrast, the latter absorption completely removed HAI antibodies from the sera of a control group who had long-standing antibodies to A/New Jersey/76 (or an antigenically similar virus). The acute sera of the vaccinees which still contained HAI antibodies after S. aureus (Cowan I) absorption suggests the presence of specific IgM and/or IgA antibodies. This relatively simple absorption procedure performed on a single serum may be useful for the detection of an acute influenzal infection.
Radiance Temperatures and Normal Spectral Emittances (in the Wavelength Range of 1500 to 5000 nm) of Tin, Zinc, Aluminum, and Silver at Their Melting Points by a Pulse-Heating Technique

The radiance temperatures at four wavelengths (in the range of 1500 to 5000 nm) of tin, zinc, aluminum, and silver at their respective melting points were measured by a pulse-heating technique using a high-speed fiber-coupled four-wavelength infrared pyrometer. The method is based on rapid resistive self-heating of a sample from room temperature to its melting point in less than 1 s while measuring the radiance emitted by it in four wavelength bands as a function of time. A plateau in the recorded radiance-versus-time traces indicates melting of the sample. The melting-point radiance temperatures for a given sample are determined by averaging the measured temperatures along the plateau at each wavelength. The melting-point radiance temperatures for each metal are, in turn, determined by averaging results for several samples. The normal spectral emittances at the melting transition of each metal are derived from the measured radiances at each wavelength and the published values of the thermodynamic (true) melting temperatures.
Predicted ultraviolet spectra from stellar chromospheres

Abstract Perhaps the most tangible evidence of the existence and structure of postulated stellar chromospheres of otherwise relatively cool stars would be the detection of an intense ultraviolet spectrum. The solar case for which a variety of measurements is available now reveals that the observed spectrum depends in a very complex and not thoroughly understood manner on the physical and geometrical conditions, such as the nature of departures from thermodynamic equilibrium, inhomogeneities, the form of mechanical energy input, etc. At the same time it is obvious that some of these structural features are of little importance for the actual form of the ultraviolet spectrum, in particular, the intensity of the H, HeI, and HeII resonance lines and continua. A set of representative models has been investigated in order to establish realistic boundaries for the expected intensities of pertinent spectral features. It appears possible that the Lyman-α radiation from several near-by stars could indeed be detected with equipment presently available for rocket or satellite experiments.
Thought, language, and communication disorders. I. Clinical assessment, definition of terms, and evaluation of their reliability.

• Bleulerian psychiatry has considered thought disorder to be a pathognomonic symptom of schizophrenia. Evaluation of the Bleulerian perspective has been severely handicapped by the lack of any standard and widely agreed-on definition of thought disorder. Consequently, the conceptualization of thought disorder has tended to be quite diverse, and evaluation of thought disorder has tended to be quite unreliable. This report presents a set of definitions of linguistic and cognitive behaviors frequently observed in patients. These definitions derive from clinical experience, use an empirical approach, and avoid making inferences about underlying processes of thought. They attempt to define the broad range of language, thought, and communication behaviors observed in patients and are not limited to those considered characteristic of schizophrenia. The reliability of these definitions has been assessed using both tape-recorded and live interviews with patients, and it has been found to be quite good for most of the terms defined.
Sodium nitroprusside enhanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (SNPeCPR) improves vital organ perfusion pressures and carotid blood flow in a porcine model of cardiac arrest

Purpose of the study To describe a new method of CPR that optimizes vital organ perfusion pressures and carotid blood flow. We tested the hypothesis that a combination of high dose sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as well as non-invasive devices and techniques known independently to enhance circulation would significantly improve carotid blood flow (CBF) and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rates in a porcine model of cardiac arrest.
Resolution of two charm puzzles: Hadroproduction and neutrino-induced same-sign dileptons

Abstract The ambiguities are studied in leading-order QCD calculations of charm hadroproduction and neutrino-induced same-sign dimuons and the popular belief is questioned that these processes constitute a challenge to the standard model.
Subjective age and health perceptions of older persons: maintaining the youthful bias in sickness and in health

Self-reports of 250 persons fifty years of age and older confirm the increasing bias toward reporting a more youthful age as one increases in years. Optimistic perceptions of health care also maintained in older persons. Results from two subsets of this sample (N = 48) further indicate that the youthful and optimistic bias occurs in older persons with poorer and failing health (N = 23) as well as for persons in stable and good health (N = 25). Given the importance of self-perceptions in quality of life and in determining survivability, and given the indication that such measures are modifiable, it is suggested that future research be aimed at identifying those self-perceptions of health and age that are most susceptible to intervention.
Slow electron scattering from one-dimensional crystal models

Abstract Calculations have been made for low energy elastic scattering of electrons from several one-dimensional models of a crystal. Two forms of the surface potential have been used: the square barrier and the cutoff classical image potential. Interaction of the incident electron with the ion-cores of the “crystal” is introduced by δ-function potentials at “lattice” sites. Two models of the lattice are considered: (i) a semi-infinite array of identical δ potentials and (ii) a small finite number of δ-function of variable strength and spacing to represent limited penetration of low energy electrons. Reflection coefficients as a function of incident electron energy, i.e., ∼ 0–100 eV were calculated for all cases. The resulting curves exhibit considerable structure. Comparison is made with experimental data (i.e., slow electron reflection, electron diffraction, etc.) and other one-dimensional model calculations.
Passivated Electrode Actuator with Stable Resonance Amplitude

In this paper we demonstrate how parametric resonant excitation of a surface drive actuator with dielectric coated electrodes makes the response amplitude independent of the driving force. This behavior can be beneficially utilized to maintain constant excitation amplitude in spite of time-varying charge screening on dielectric passivated electrodes and the associated actuation force decay. Such operation makes the device suitable for applications where constant amplitude operation is critical, such as driving vibratory rate gyroscopes.
Battered wives, lawyers, and district attorneys: An examination of law in action

The legal services received by 146 Milwaukee women who had been beaten by their husbands, but had been free of the violence for at least a year, are described and evaluated. Of these women 106 recieved legal help in connection with at least one battering incident. Some women saw more than one member of the legal profession, so the total number of legal contacts among the 106 women was 255. There is evidence that lawyers and district attorneys were most likely to be used by those battered women for whom the use of personal strategies and informal help sources (such as family and friends) were ineffective in combatting the violence. Contrary to the negative image of lawyers and district attorneys found in the literature on wife beating, most legal service contracts were rated as very or fairly successful by the battered women. The more difficult and severe the situation, the higher the success ratings given to lawyers and district attorneys by their clients. Despite the generally positive reactions that most beaten women had to lawyers and district attorneys, there were many negative incidents reported, including district attorneys who refused service or discouraged battered women from filing charges, and lawyers who sided with the aggressors or attempted to meet their personal and professional needs at the expense of their clients. These incidents remind us that it would be useful to educate legal professionals about the nature of family violence, the situation and needs of battered women, and the legal and ethical responsibilities that lawyers and district attorneys have when they are contacted by battered women.
The dismal trade as culture industry

Abstract The American funeral industry has become increasingly corporatized and consumer-centric and, as a result, the production-side mechanisms involved in creating, marketing, and distributing its goods have changed. In this paper, I look at four mainstays of the funeral industry—embalmed bodies, burial containers, burial grounds, and funeral events—to examine how people and production processes shape those products. Doing so allows one to view the funeral industry's contributions as a culture industry that helps shape and gets shaped by broader economic and ideological forces. I describe some of the ongoing and emergent processes that allow for shifting roles of both funeral workers and consumers. By emphasizing the production of cultural objects, the symbolic systems that contribute to meanings around death, consumption, and remembrance are revealed. It is through these various products and processes that the industry contributes to cultural management by highlighting or concealing representations of the deceased, prescribing particular ritualistic behaviors, and distributing memorial artifacts as part of a broader material culture regarding the dead.
Dynamic Modeling of Performance Indices for Planning of Sustainable Transportation Systems

Recently, sustainability has become a very important research area in transportation because of the dependencies between transportation, economic, and environmental systems. A great deal of research is being conducted regarding various aspects in order to try to understand these interdependencies. However, still there is a need to capture the behavior of such systems over time. This study attempts to build dynamic models to capture the interdependent behavior of transportation, economic, and environmental systems. The research is motivated by the well-known predator–prey models developed by renowned researchers Lotka and Volterra. Non-linear modeling techniques were utilized to capture the nominal behavior of all the three systems. The results indicated periodic behavior with a phase lag for the performance of transportation and the activity system; the performance of environment system decayed with time. The proposed modeling approach is expected to be helpful to other researchers in enhancing non-linear models for better analysis of sustainable systems.
Loss of water and hydrogen cyanide from aquopentamminecobalt(III) hexacyanoferrate(III)

Abstract Previous studies on the non-isothermal decomposition of [Co(NH3)5H2O] [Fe(CN)6] showed that H2O and three molecules of HCN are lost simultaneously but the results of the isothermal studies reported here show that these processes can be partially separated. It was found that the first reaction involves the loss of H2O and two molecules of HCN and the second reaction results in the loss of an additional molecule of HCN. Kinetic studies have been performed and kinetic parameters are reported here and possible mechanisms are discussed.
Conformational analyses of a partially-folded bioactive prodomain of human furin

The 81-residue multifunctional prodomain of human furin adopts only a partially-folded conformational state under near physiological conditions. By use of NMR spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the N-terminal residues 1–46 of the prodomain in 50% trifluoroethanol (TFE) populates backbone conformations containing a short helix, a β-strand and a helix-loop-helix super-secondary structure with elements of tertiary interactions. 15N NMR relaxation measurements indicate that the helix-loop-helix region has similar motional characteristics in the fast picosecond to nanosecond timescales. On the other hand, the intervening segment (residues 47–65) is predominately unstructured with a long and highly flexible region surrounding the protease ‘activation loop’ followed by a partially helical segment in the C-terminal end. Interestingly, the helix-loop-helix “fold” was found to be populated even when excised out of the full-length prodomain, since a peptide fragment derived from residues Pro16-Arg49 can also form the helix-loop-helix structure in aqueous solution in the absence of TFE. Structure analyses reveal that two helices orient in an antiparallel fashion directed by the sharing of hydrophobic residues involved in helix-capping interactions. Very importantly, a positively-charged Lys residue replacing His43 in the 16–49 fragment imparts stability to the super-secondary structure at both acidic and neutral pH, while a hydrophobic residue Leu at position 43 appears to destabilize the helical conformation in the 31–44 region. As such, this study provides valuable insights into the structural properties of the furin prodomain in relation to its role in the folding of the furin zymogen and its inhibitory action toward furin. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 86: 329–344, 2007. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Short-term outcomes of acute knee injuries: Does the provider make a difference?

Objective To compare the short-term outcomes of acute knee injuries treated by specialists and generalists. Methods Using patient logs, 168 adults with acute knee injuries were identified; 131 (78%) completed a questionnaire 3 months after initial presentation. Results The mean age of the 77 male and 54 female responders was 34.6 years (range 18–73 years). The injuries were classified as mild (n = 35), moderate (n = 75), or severe (n = 21). Most responders were satisfied with their care and outcome, but 22% noted some functional limitations. The 59 patients seeing an orthopedist were more likely to have had a severe injury, more physician visits, activity limitations, lost time from work or recreation, and more pain when compared with the 72 patients who never saw an orthopedist. Excluding surgical patients, however, satisfaction was not significantly different by provider. After multivariate modeling (adjusting for age, sex, injury severity, and diagnosis), there was no significant association between having seen an orthopedist and either treatment success or satisfaction. Conclusion With the exception of time lost for recuperation in our community there is little difference in short-term outcome for patients with acute knee injury not undergoing surgery, regardless of the specialty of the treating physician.
Hole-hole interactions and the properties of nuclear matter

Recently a number of authors have suggested modifications of the Brueckner theory of nuclear matter so as to include hole-hole interactions, as well as particle-particle interactions. Iwamoto has demonstrated that in a perturbation theory calculation the inclusion of hole-hole interaction makes no change in the ground-state energy through second order. The singular two-body potential between nucleons makes it difficult, however, to conclude anything about the contribution of these terms in nuclear matter. The formal similarity between the equation of Iwamoto and the equation for the energy gap in nuclear matter, coupled with the fact that the energy gap is very small at normal density, indicates that the effect of hole-hole interactions is probably only a very small change in the ground-state energy of nuclear matter. It is the point of this note to show that this conclusion is in fact correct, the demonstration proceeding by use of the separation method for evaluating the energy of nuclear matter.
Separation Anxiety Disorder in Childhood as a Risk Factor for Future Mental Illness

ABSTRACT Objective To ascertain the extent to which childhood separation anxiety disorder (SAD) confers risk for the development of psychopathology during young adulthood (ages 19-30). Method A subset of the participants of the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project ( n = 816) was used. Subjects provided retrospective reports of lifetime mental illness (including SAD) and concurrent reports of current mental illness at age 16 and were then followed prospectively until age 30. Diagnostic assessments were conducted twice during adolescence and again at ages 24 and 30. Based on diagnosis during childhood/adolescence, the subjects were partitioned into four orthogonal groups: SAD ( n = 42), other anxiety disorders ( n = 88), a heterogeneous psychiatric disorders control group ( n = 389), and a not mentally ill control group ( n = 297). Adjusting for demographic variables that were significantly associated with group status and for comorbid disorders prior to age 19, the results were analyzed with hierarchical multiple logistic regression. Results SAD was a strong (78.6%) risk factor for the development of mental disorders during young adulthood. The major vulnerabilities were for panic disorder and depression. Conclusions Because SAD creates a major vulnerability for mental disorders during young adulthood, clinicians should be sensitive to the presence of SAD, and children and adolescents with SAD should be treated. Future research should evaluate whether successful treatment of SAD and/or the provision of a preventive intervention during childhood/adolescence reduce the risk for future psychopathology.
Examining the Effect of Secondary Packaging on Microbial Penetration into Sterile Medical Device Trays

The relative efficacy of secondary packaging on the prevention of microbial ingress into sterile medical device trays was examined. Sterile device trays were aseptically filled with growth medium, exposed to microbial challenge, incubated, and inspected for growth. During microbial challenge, all package systems were subjected to a pressure differential that simulated those experienced during distribution. Penetration rates were significantly decreased (P = 0.01) when unlidded trays were packaged in pouches (0/39), compared to those in cartons (37/39). Similarly, the number of colony forming units (CFU) present was greater for unlidded trays packaged in cartons, compared to those in pouches (P = 0.03). To further explore the efficacy of cartons as a barrier to microbial ingress, lidded trays with a single 100 μm breach were packaged in cartons and subjected to the same methodologies; approximately 15% exhibited growth. When compared to unlidded trays, penetration rates (P<0.0001) and number of CFU decreased (P=0.0048). Microbial penetration was more prevalent for sterile trays packaged within cartons than in pouches. While folding cartons are not intended to perform as sterile barriers, this suggests that microbial penetration is more likely to occur for trays packaged within cartons than those in pouches.
Stress Corrosion Cracking of Copper Alloys: The Effects of Corrosion Potential and Tarnishing Characteristics

Abstract The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) characteristics of a variety of copper-base alloys has been investigated in four different ammoniacal solutions in the range of pH values from 4 to 14. Failure times were correlated to free corrosion potentials and tarnishing behavior. In each solution, failure times decreased with more active corrosion potentials and faster tarnishing rates. No difference in behavior was found between the alloys that crack transgranularly and those that crack intergranularly. Parallel markings, similar to previously reported crack arrest markings on transgranular fracture surfaces, have even been found on intergranular fracture surfaces. The results imply that stress corrosion of copper alloys is controlled by anodic crack tip dissolution.
Observations of electron density in the solar corona during sunspot minimum and global electric currents around the sun

Abstract The observed difference in electron density between the equatorial plane and the polar direction is compared for three empirical distributions: the Allen distribution, the Saito distribution, and the Saito-Munro-Jackson distribution. It is shown that from 1.5Ro to 5Ro the observed difference in electron density is sufficient to result in a global azimuthal electric current flow around the sun. The dependence of the calculated current density on the radial distance and solar latitude is discussed.
Human lens hexokinase.

Abstract Clear crystalline lenses were obtained post-mortem from human prenates, neonates, young and old adults. Senile cataracts removed surgically were also studied. The specific activity of soluble fetal lens hexokinase is equal to that of the rat lens. There is a progressive decrease in specific activity as the lens size increases. In the fetal lens cortex and nucleus there is high hexokinase activity; young adult and cataractous lens nuclei are practically devoid of hexokinase activity. The epithelium and most superficial cortex possess high hexokinase levels even in the senile cataract. There is a large amount of insoluble hexokinase in the epithelium and most superficial cortex of the senile cataract. This can be solubilized with salts and detergents. No soluble or insoluble hexokinase is found in the nucleus of the senile cataract. Starch gel electrophoresis reveals the presence of Type I and probably also Type II hexokinase in the human lens. Types I and II were definitely found in the lens of the Rhesus monkey. There is a thermolabile form (presumably Type II hexokinase) and a thermostable form (presumably Type I) of hexokinase in the human lens. Michaelis constants were measured. In the fetal lens: K M glu = 0·11 m m , K M ATP = 0·74 m m ; in the senile cataract: K M glu = 0·045 m m , K M ATP = 0·385 m m . There is great similarity between the hexokinases of the rat, rabbit and human lens. Further investigation employing lenses of these experimental animals is likely to yield results relevant to the human lens.
Use of Lymphocytes for Assessing Ethanol‐Mediated Alterations in the Expression of Hepatic Cytochrome P4502E1

The ethanol-inducible cytochrome P4502E1 (2E1) is involved in the bioactivation of numerous hepatotoxins and hepatocarcinogens. Because high levels of expression may enhance the degree and severity of hepatotoxicity from exposure to chemicals metabolized by this enzyme, a relatively noninvasive method to phenotypically distinguish those individuals exhibiting elevated concentrations of 2E1 may be useful. With this in mind, we examined whether ethanol exposure could alter 2E1 in rabbit white blood cells and liver in a similar manner. Microsomes prepared from freshly isolated, rather than cultured cells, were used to immunochemically detect 2E1. The enzyme was found in lymphocytes and neutrophils. Lymphocytes, which comprise the majority of the white cell population in rabbits, were monitored for changes in 2E1 protein levels after ethanol exposure and compared with alterations of the hepatic enzyme. Results presented herein demonstrate that the degree of enhancement in 2E1 expression of lymphocytes and liver was dependent on the length and dose of alcohol exposure. Indeed, correlations were observed between blood alcohol concentrations and 2E1 content in lymphocytes (r = 0.65, p < 0.01) and liver (r = 0.60, p < 0.01). The greatest increase in 2E1 (6- to 10-fold) occurred in both liver and lymphocytes at a dose of 15% ethanol for 12 days of treatment. This induction was evident regardless of whether blood was taken from treated and compared with untreated rabbits or if white cells were obtained from the same animal before and after ethanol exposure. The latter findings demonstrate that changes in lymphocyte 2E1 were caused by ethanol exposure and not to variability in enzyme expression among rabbits. Interestingly, at the 10% dose, elevation of 2E1 was noted as early as 3 days, declined at 6 days, and at 12 and 24 days returned to slightly higher levels than those seen at the 3-day exposure period. This pattern of 2E1 elevation was observed in both the liver and lymphocytes. In fact, at all exposure periods and at the two doses of alcohol examined, a correlation (r = 0.70, p < 0.01) was observed between lymphocyte and liver 2E1 content. Collectively, these studies show that induction of 2E1 in lymphocytes and liver occurs in a parallel fashion. Furthermore, results suggest that blood 2E1 may be used in humans as a phenotypic marker for xenobiotic-promoted alterations in the expression of the liver enzyme. These findings should have a significant impact on in vivo monitoring of this P450 enzyme.
The matching problem

Tables of the exact distributions of number of matches are given for small decks having the same number of cards in each suit. Several approximate distributions are considered for use with larger decks, and some indication of the goodness of the approximations is given.
Morpholino phenocopies of endothelin 1 (sucker) and other anterior arch class mutations.

The pharyngeal cartilages of zebrafish endothelin 1 (sucker or edn1) mutants are severely defective (Miller et al., 2000). Similar but milder defects are present in mutants for any of three other still molecularly unknown “anterior arch” class genes (Kimmel et al., 1998; Piotrowski et al., 1996). These milder phenotypes might be the result of partial loss of Endothelin 1 signaling, as we now examine directly by injecting a concentration series of endothelin1-morpholino oligonucleotides (edn1-MO) to gradually reduce edn1 function. We observe that high amounts (5–15 ng) phenocopy the facial and pharyngeal cartilage phenotypes of edn1 mutants, and lower amounts (0.5–1.5 ng) phenocopy the milder phenotypes of the other anterior arch class mutants (Table 1, Fig. 1a–f). edn1-MO-injected and mutant phenotypes strikingly correspond; for example, joints are more sensitive to slight reduction of edn1 function than ventral cartilage, as in the original mutant phenotypic series (Kimmel et al., 1998). We verified that the high level injections eliminated the same specific expression domains of the edn1 target genes dHAND and goosecoid as eliminated in edn1 mutants (Fig. 1g–l; see Miller et al., 2000). Hence our experiments show that edn1-MOs allow edn1 function to be reduced in a graded fashion, and provide strong support for the hypothesis that all of the anterior arch loci function in the edn1 pathway.
Psychoeducational Workshops as a Practical Tool to Facilitate Resettlement with Iraqi Refugees and Anchor Relatives

This article describes an intervention developed by master's-level Applied Community Psychology students in collaboration with a Los Angeles-based refugee resettlement agency. As community practitioners, the authors consulted with agency stakeholders to assess the difficulties identified by the organization and proposed an intervention consisting of three psychoeducational workshops to facilitate the resettlement process. All three workshops allow the agency to partner with the refugee and the anchor relative to work toward the goal of self-sufficiency for the refugee. Although these interventions were developed for a specific resettlement agency, they can be generalized for use in most resettlement agencies in the United States working within U.S. State Department guidelines.