Soft X--Ray Properties of Seyfert Galaxies in the Rosat All--Sky Survey

We present the results of ROSAT All-Sky Survey observations of Seyfert and IR-luminous galaxies from the Extended 12 Micron Galaxy Sample and the optically-selected CfA Sample. Roughly half of the Seyferts (mostly Seyfert 1s) have been fitted to an absorbed power-law model, yielding an average gamma of 2.26+-0.11 for 43 Seyfert 1s and 2.45+-0.18 for 10 Seyfert 2s, with both types having a median value of 2.3. The soft X-ray (SXR) luminosity correlates with the 12um luminosity, with Seyfert 1s having relatively more SXR emission than Seyfert 2s of similar mid-infrared luminosities, by a factor of 1.6+-0.3. Several physical interpretations of these results are discussed, including the standard unified model for Seyfert galaxies. Infrared-luminous non-Seyferts are shown to have similar distributions of SXR luminosity and X-ray-to-IR slope as Seyfert 2s, suggesting that some of them may harbor obscured active nuclei (as has already been shown to be true for several objects) and/or that the soft X-rays from some Seyferts 2s may be non-nuclear. A SXR luminosity function (XLF) is calculated for the 12um sample, which is well described by a single power-law with a slope of -1.75. The normalization of this XLF agrees well with that of a HXR selected sample. Several of our results, related to the XLF and the X-ray-to-IR relation are shown to be consistent with the HXR observations of the 12um sample by Barcons et al.Comment: AASTeX, 40 pages. Text and Table 2 only. PostScript versions of this file, figures, and Table 1, and a latex version of Table 1 are available by ftp://ftp.astro.ucla.edu/pub/rush/papers, get rmfv*. Accepted by ApJ ~1996 May 10. Should be published in late 199

Mitochondrial Targeted Coenzyme Q, Superoxide, and Fuel Selectivity in Endothelial Cells

Background Previously, we reported that the “antioxidant” compound “mitoQ” (mitochondrial-targeted ubiquinol/ubiquinone) actually increased superoxide production by bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cell mitochondria incubated with complex I but not complex II substrates. Methods and Results To further define the site of action of the targeted coenzyme Q compound, we extended these studies to include different substrate and inhibitor conditions. In addition, we assessed the effects of mitoquinone on mitochondrial respiration, measured respiration and mitochondrial membrane potential in intact cells, and tested the intriguing hypothesis that mitoquinone might impart fuel selectivity in intact BAE cells. In mitochondria respiring on differing concentrations of complex I substrates, mitoquinone and rotenone had interactive effects on ROS consistent with redox cycling at multiple sites within complex I. Mitoquinone increased respiration in isolated mitochondria respiring on complex I but not complex II substrates. Mitoquinone also increased oxygen consumption by intact BAE cells. Moreover, when added to intact cells at 50 to 1000 nM, mitoquinone increased glucose oxidation and reduced fat oxidation, at doses that did not alter membrane potential or induce cell toxicity. Although high dose mitoquinone reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, the positively charged mitochondrial-targeted cation, decyltriphenylphosphonium (mitoquinone without the coenzyme Q moiety), decreased membrane potential more than mitoquinone, but did not alter fuel selectivity. Therefore, non-specific effects of the positive charge were not responsible and the quinone moiety is required for altered nutrient selectivity. Conclusions In summary, the interactive effects of mitoquinone and rotenone are consistent with redox cycling at more than one site within complex I. In addition, mitoquinone has substrate dependent effects on mitochondrial respiration, increases repiration by intact cells, and alters fuel selectivity favoring glucose over fatty acid oxidation at the intact cell level.This work was supported by Veterans Affairs Medical Research Funds and grant DK25295 from the National Institutes of Health

Food Localization: Empowering Community Food Systems Through the Farm Bill

Our intent in this Article is not to delineate foods that are local or not local, nor is it to lionize one agricultural production method over another. Rather, we hope to build on the literature that for many decades has documented how local communities have emerged as influential actors on the American food system through establishing control over local supply chains often alongside national and global supply chains. We begin with Part I, which explores how some food-system scholars have conceptualized these democratic changes occurring. We look to Thomas Lyson’s concept of civic agriculture, which attempts to move corporation-oriented communities away from the model of industrial agriculture and toward a model in which individuals are locally empowered in the land and marketplace. We also review Neil D. Hamilton’s concept of food democracy, which, like civic agriculture, acts as a set of alternative choices to the industrial food system and allows for more localized control of the food supply chain. Afterward, we attempt to connect two seemingly unrelated case studies to demonstrate what a food system influenced by Lyson and Hamilton could look like and how it could empower local communities. Next, in Part II, we turn to the federal government’s local-food policy. We discuss why laws promoting local food systems are proxies for laws democratizing our food system, and we then review a selection of federal legislation, often originating in the Farm Bill, that promote localization of the food system. In Part III, we explore deliberative democracy, a political framework that encourages the sort of participation and representation conceptualized in food democracy and civic agriculture. We then summarize the work of contemporary schools who have identified how deliberative democracy has been crafted by food-system participants. We highlight examples from the American political process to demonstrate their current existence in the food system. Afterward, we observe more deeply how deliberative democracy has grounded federal agriculture policy. Finally, in Part IV, influenced by past Farm Bills and historical agricultural policy, we propose various mechanisms Congress can implement in future Farm Bills to further legitimize its actions to promote localized food systems, as well as to provide structure to the democratization efforts it continues to support. Specifically, we propose various ways Congress can increase diverse representation in the food system and federal agricultural programs, which, through expanded access to decision-making and the strengthening of self-determination among an array of individuals, provide for further and enhanced food localization

Designing and Operating Safe and Secure Transit Systems: Assessing Current Practices in the United States and Abroad, MTI Report 04-05

Public transit systems around the world have for decades served as a principal venue for terrorist acts. Today, transit security is widely viewed as an important public policy issue and is a high priority at most large transit systems and at smaller systems operating in large metropolitan areas. Research on transit security in the United States has mushroomed since 9/11; this study is part of that new wave of research. This study contributes to our understanding of transit security by (1) reviewing and synthesizing nearly all previously published research on transit terrorism; (2) conducting detailed case studies of transit systems in London, Madrid, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.; (3) interviewing federal officials here in the United States responsible for overseeing transit security and transit industry representatives both here and abroad to learn about efforts to coordinate and finance transit security planning; and (4) surveying 113 of the largest transit operators in the United States. Our major findings include: (1) the threat of transit terrorism is probably not universal—most major attacks in the developed world have been on the largest systems in the largest cities; (2) this asymmetry of risk does not square with fiscal politics that seek to spread security funding among many jurisdictions; (3) transit managers are struggling to balance the costs and (uncertain) benefits of increased security against the costs and (certain) benefits of attracting passengers; (4) coordination and cooperation between security and transit agencies is improving, but far from complete; (5) enlisting passengers in surveillance has benefits, but fearful passengers may stop using public transit; (6) the role of crime prevention through environmental design in security planning is waxing; and (7) given the uncertain effectiveness of antitransit terrorism efforts, the most tangible benefits of increased attention to and spending on transit security may be a reduction in transit-related person and property crimes

Flavonoid intake and breast cancer incidence and survival

Flavonoids are phytochemicals found in a variety of foods that have demonstrated anti-carcinogenic properties in experimental studies. Two epidemiologic studies conducted in the Mediterranean have observed an inverse association between dietary intake of certain flavonoid classes and breast cancer incidence. However, it is unknown whether a similar association is evident among American women. Further, whether flavonoids affect breast cancer survival is unknown. We investigated whether dietary flavonoid intake influences breast cancer incidence and survival among a population-based cohort of American women. Methods: A population-based, case-control study was conducted among women ages 20-98 years who resided in Nassau and Suffolk counties in Long Island, New York. Cases were newly diagnosed with a first invasive breast cancer between August 1, 1996 and July 31, 1997; controls were identified using random digit dialing and Health Care Finance Administration rosters. Trained interviewers administered an in-person questionnaire to participants on known and suspected breast cancer risk factors. Participants also completed a self-administered food frequency questionnaire regarding their average frequency of food and beverage consumption in the prior 12 months. For those with known menopausal status, 1,434 breast cancer cases and 1,440 controls provided adequate dietary responses. Case medical records were obtained to assess tumor characteristics and initial course of treatment. Cases were followed-up through 2002. All-cause mortality (n = 173) and breast cancer-specific mortality (n = 113) were determined through the National Death Index. Results: Increasing intake of flavonols, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and lignans, as reported at the case-control interview, was associated with a reduced risk of incident postmenopausal breast cancer among Long Island women. All-cause mortality among postmenopausal women was reduced for intake of flavones and isoflavones and similar results were observed for breast cancer-specific mortality. Conclusion: Findings provide evidence for a beneficial effect of flavones, flavonols and lignans on breast cancer incidence among post-menopausal women. Results from the follow-up study indicate that mortality among post-menopausal breast cancer patients is reduced in association with high intake of flavones and isoflavones near the time of diagnosis. These findings suggest American women can consume sufficient levels of flavonoid-rich foods to benefit from their potential chemopreventive effects

Optimal Robust Multihop Routing for Wireless Networks of Mobile Micro Autonomous Systems

This paper develops algorithms to ensure that agents of a mobile micro autonomous system (MMAS) maintain integrity of communication flows as they move to accomplish their task. Due to inherent uncertainties in estimation of wireless channels, we advocate a stochastic approach whereby achievable communication rates of point-to-point links are regarded as random variables with known means and variances. To achieve reliable end-to-end communication flows, terminals route their traffic through various alternative paths to reduce the effect of uncertainty in individual link rates. The proposed algorithms are optimal and robust in that routes are obtained as solutions of optimization problems subject to constraints on minimum required rates and maximum acceptable variances. Algorithms are tested in an event-based simulator that uses an accurate data-driven model of radio communications to model both the structure of code running independently on multiple robots as well as the transmission of messages via a real radio. Simulation results corroborate that rates of end-to-end flows are maintained at target levels despite variations in the rates of individual links

Functionalized silicon nanoparticles from reactive cavitation erosion of silicon wafers

Sonochemical reactor used for reactive cavitation erosion formation of functionalized silicon nanoparticles.</p

FASTER MT: Isolation of Pure Populations of a and α Ascospores from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has many traits that make it useful for studies of quantitative inheritance. Genome-wide association studies and bulk segregant analyses often serve as first steps toward the identification of quantitative trait loci. These approaches benefit from having large numbers of ascospores pooled by mating type without contamination by vegetative cells. To this end, we inserted a gene encoding red fluorescent protein into the MATa locus. Red fluorescent protein expression caused MATa and a/α diploid vegetative cells and MATa ascospores to fluoresce; MATα cells without the gene did not fluoresce. Heterozygous diploids segregated fluorescent and nonfluorescent ascospores 2:2 in tetrads and bulk populations. The two populations of spores were separable by fluorescence-activated cell sorting with little cross contamination or contamination with diploid vegetative cells. This approach, which we call Fluorescent Ascospore Technique for Efficient Recovery of Mating Type (FASTER MT), should be applicable to laboratory, industrial, and undomesticated, strains

Analysis of the Relationship Between Diet and Exercise Beliefs and Actual Behaviors Among Breast Cancer Survivors in Northwest Ohio

Introduction: Studies have shown that a diet high in fruit and vegetable intake, as well as a routine including daily exercise or physical activity, can independently affect relapse rates and survivorship in breast cancer patients. Fruits and vegetables contain powerful anti-oxidant molecules, capable of preventing tumor formation and proliferation. Exercise can lower circulating levels of estrogen, the female hormone responsible for tumor proliferation in the estrogen-sensitive form of the disease. The most beneficial results have been shown in women who exercise and consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. We studied the attitudes towards and behaviors related to fruit and vegetable intake and exercise in a cohort of breast cancer survivors in northwest Ohio. Materials and Methods: Data were gathered from a survey sent out by the Northwest Ohio Branch of the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation. We assessed and evaluated survivors’ self-reported beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding exercise and fruit and vegetable intake. Results: Nearly half of the survivors (46.5%) reported being unsure or in disagreement with the statement “Eating at least 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day will reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.” Only 46.8% of those in agreement with the previous statement actually report eating at least 5 fruits and/or vegetables per day. With respect to exercise, 32.9% reported being unsure or in disagreement with the statement “Engaging in regular physical activity will reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.” Only 68.5% of those in agreement with the previous statement report any physical activity in the past 30 days. Conclusions: Many breast cancer survivors do not appear to be aware of the benefits of diet and exercise. Further, a large proportion of those who are aware of the benefits do not adapt a healthy diet and exercise as part of their lifestyle. A majority of these survivors see a primary care physician, which we believe is the best venue to bridge this education gap. It is apparent by the pattern our data shows that more needs to be done to educate breast cancer survivors about the benefits of exercise and fruit and vegetable intake. Steps need to be taken to ensure that those who are educated also remain motivated to engage in a healthy lifestyle with the hopes of avoiding breast cancer recurrence