cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of a C. elegans Dopamine Neuron Degeneration Assay for the Validation of Potential Parkinson's Disease Genes

Improvements to the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) are dependent upon knowledge about susceptibility factors that render populations at risk. In the process of attempting to identify novel genetic factors associated with PD, scientists have generated many lists of candidate genes, polymorphisms, and proteins that represent important advances, but these leads remain mechanistically undefined. Our work is aimed toward significantly narrowing such lists by exploiting the advantages of a simple animal model system. While humans have billions of neurons, the microscopic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has precisely 302, of which only eight produce dopamine (DA) in hemaphrodites. Expression of a human gene encoding the PD-associated protein, alpha-synuclein, in C. elegans DA neurons results in dosage and age-dependent neurodegeneration. Worms expressing human alpha-synuclein in DA neurons are isogenic and express both GFP and human alpha-synuclein under the DA transporter promoter (Pdat-1). The presence of GFP serves as a readily visualized marker for following DA neurodegeneration in these animals. We initially demonstrated that alpha-synuclein-induced DA neurodegeneration could be rescued in these animals by torsinA, a protein with molecular chaperone activity 1. Further, candidate PD-related genes identified in our lab via large-scale RNAi screening efforts using an alpha-synuclein misfolding assay were then over-expressed in C. elegans DA neurons. We determined that five of seven genes tested represented significant candidate modulators of PD as they rescued alpha-synuclein-induced DA neurodegeneration 2. Additionally, the Lindquist Lab (this issue of JoVE) has performed yeast screens whereby alpha-synuclein-dependent toxicity is used as a readout for genes that can enhance or suppress cytotoxicity. We subsequently examined the yeast candidate genes in our C. elegans alpha-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration assay and successfully validated many of these targets 3, 4. Our methodology involves generation of a C. elegans DA neuron-specific expression vector using recombinational cloning of candidate gene cDNAs under control of the Pdat-1 promoter. These plasmids are then microinjected in wild-type (N2) worms, along with a selectable marker for successful transformation. Multiple stable transgenic lines producing the candidate protein in DA neurons are obtained and then independently crossed into the alpha-synuclein degenerative strain and assessed for neurodegeneration, at both the animal and individual neuron level, over the course of aging.
Synthesis of TiB2 in liquid copper

Abstract To fabricate Cu TiB 2 composite materials for electric and heat conductive applications, the direct synthesis of TiB 2 in liquid copper has been considered. Different types of precursors consisting in Cu Ti alloys or mixtures of elemental powders were used in combination with boron to form the starting reagents. Differential thermal analysis results show that the TiB 2 forming reaction proceeds from an incipient liquid phase formed at a temperature and with a composition that depend on both the concentration of titanium in reagents and the type of precursors used, Cu Ti alloys or elemental powder mixtures. Whatever the heating method is (electric arc or resistance furnaces), the reaction products contain only Cu and TiB 2 and the titanium concentration within copper is below 1%. Because the forming reaction is highly exothermic, the concentration of titanium within reagents should be limited to 27 wt.% to avoid excessive copper vaporization. Therefore, the maximum volume content within Cu TiB 2 composites could not be higher than 55%. To obtain small crystal sizes and to limit their growth, a temperature close to the temperature of formation of TiB 2 is recommended.
Controller Design for Delay-Independent Stability of Multiple Time-Delay Systems via DéScirctes's Rule of Signs

Abstract A general class of multi-input linear time-invariant (LTI) multiple time-delay system (MTDS) is investigated in order to obtain a control law which stabilizes the LTI-MTDS independently of all the delays. The method commences by reformulating the infinite-dimensional analysis as a finite-dimensional algebraic one without any sacrifice of accuracy and exactness. After this step, iterated discriminant allows one to construct a single-variable polynomial, coefficients of which are the controller gains. This crucial step succinctly formulates the delay-independent stability (DIS) condition of the controlled MTDS based on the roots of the single-variable polynomial. Implementation of the DeScirctes's rule of signs then reveals, without computing these roots, the sufficient conditions on the controller gains to make the LTI-MTDS delay-independent stable. Case studies are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Resistance of oxidative phosphorylation inEscherichia coli to hyperoxia

Exposure to oxygen at 6 atmospheres which was sufficient to stop growth and to reduce respiration rate ofEscherichia coli, did not significantly alter the oxidative phosphorylation efficiency of various cell-free fractions when measured in air. The P/O ratio was approximately 1·00±0·25 for complete extracts and 0·5 for the dialyzed fraction of greater than approximately 300,000 molecular weight. The fraction containing components of less than 300,000 in molecular weight did not phosphorylate. The rate of phosphorylation in complete extracts was sufficient to account for the production of approximately 34,400±9,700 molecules of ATP from ADP/sec/bacterium. However, intact bacteria in exponential growth had approximately 59-times the oxygen uptake rate of extracts derived therefrom.
Sarcoidosis Presenting as Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis From Bilateral Compression of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerves From Thoracic Adenopathy

Bilateral true vocal fold paralysis is rarely attributable to inflammatory diseases. We describe what appears to be the first case in the medical literature of sarcoidosis presenting as isolated, bilateral true vocal cord paralysis resulting from compressive bilateral mediastinal adenopathy. The presenting symptoms, clinical outcome, radiographs and laryngeal findings are discussed in detail. Sarcoidosis should therefore be added to the differential diagnosis of bilateral vocal fold paralysis.
Philosophical and ethical issues at the forefront of neuroscience and genetics: an overview for psychiatrists.

The rapid pace of research advances in neuroscience and genetics has given rise to a new field of study, neuroethics, which seeks to explore the moral questions that arise from the use of new brain-based therapies and from our growing understanding of the biology of human behavior, cognition, and emotion. The authors present an overview of selected topics in neuroethics that may be of special interest to psychiatrists, including a discussion of how genetics and functional neuroimaging have added nuance and complexity to mind/body dualism, the concept of free will, and the proper role of emotion in morality. Other topics include the use of brain-based therapies such as neuromodulation, psychopharmacology, and genetic technologies as enhancements to normal mental functioning.
Strangers or Friends?: A Proposal for a New Spirituality-in-Medicine Ethic

We argue that debate regarding whether and how physicians should engage religious concerns has proceeded under inadequate terms. The prevailing paradigm approaches dialogue regarding religion as a form of therapeutic technique, engaged by one stranger, the physician, upon another stranger, the patient. This stranger-technique framework focuses the debate on questions of physicians' competence, threats to patients' autonomy, and neutrality regarding religion, and in so doing, it too greatly circumscribes the scope of physician-patient dialogue. In contrast, we argue that dialogue regarding religion is better approached as a form of philosophical discourse about ultimate human concerns. Such moral discourse is often essential to the patient-physician relationship, and rather than shrinking from such discourse, physicians might engage patients regarding religious concerns guided by an ethic of moral friendship that seeks the patient's good through wisdom, candor, and respect.
Energy-loss image formation in scanning transmission ion microscopy

Abstract One contrast parameter which can be used to form images in scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM) is the energy loss of individual transmitted ions. This paper explores three techniques which can be used if energies of several ions are measured at each incident beam location. The techniques are energy averaging, summing of events within a preset energy window, and median filtering of energy values. Median filtering is the method of choice to reduce noise and to sharpen certain features. Examples of line scans of a sharp edge and of a ramp-like knife edge are presented. With median filtering localization of features to within 10% of beam size is demonstrated. A mechanism for identifying and mapping unresolved spatial structure is proposed. The other techniques are shown to be better tools for beam-profile diagnostics.
Relation of Spatial Abilities and Selected Personality Traits.

Witkin, et al. (1954, 1962) classified Ss into field-independent and field-dependent categories on the basis of their responses to perceptual tasks. It was also found that different personality characteristics were associated with these classifications. Field-independent Ss depended less on the field and more on themselves as a referent point in perceptual judgments than the field-dependent Ss. Independent Ss were generally more aggressive, more dominant, and required less environmental support for he i r decisions. Field-dependent Ss were found to be more accepting of authority, more anxious, and required more support from the environment. The present study was conducted as a preliminary investigation to determine whether other spatial tests would show similar relationships with personality for 106 undergraduates, given the Guilford-Zimmerman Spatial Orientation Test, Guilford-Zimmerman Spatial Visualization Test, and the 16 P.F. These spatial tests were chosen because the definitions of these abilities seemed closely parallel to those of field-independence. Although the Pearsonian rs were relatively low, several were significant. The traits correlated with G-Z Spatial Orientation were Factor E (Dominance) .36, Factor A (Cyclothpmia) M.26, and Factor B (General Ability) .24. G-Z Spatial Visualization was related to Factor E (Dominance) .36, Facror A (Cyclothymia) -.24, Factor B (General Ability) .33, Factor I (Sensitivity) -.27, and Factor L (Protention) .24. Ss were also divided into two groups designated field-independent and field-dependent on the basis of their scores on the spatial tests. The means of the two groups on the personality measures were: fieldindependent-Factor A 9.64, Factor B 9.14, Factor E 16.28, Factor I 10.00, and Factor L 10.35, Field-dependent-Factor A 11.20, Factor B 7.89, Factor E 13.25, Factor I 11.79, and Factor L 8.17. These relationships are congruous with previous findings. If these spatial tests do measure field-independence, a positive relationship would be expected between independence and dominance and a negative relationship with cyclothymia and sensitivity. These expectations were confirmed in this study. In general, these correlations support the concept that these spatial ability tests tend to measure the characteristics of field-independence and with further research may be useful in personality assessment.
The loss of the BH3-only Bcl-2 family member Bid delays T-cell leukemogenesis in Atm-/- mice

Multicellular organisms maintain genomic integrity and resist tumorigenesis through a tightly regulated DNA damage response (DDR) that prevents propagation of deleterious mutations either through DNA repair or programmed cell death. An impaired DDR leads to tumorigenesis that is accelerated when programmed cell death is prevented. Loss of the ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated)-mediated DDR in mice results in T-cell leukemia driven by accumulation of DNA damage accrued during normal T-cell development. Pro-apoptotic BH3-only Bid is a substrate of Atm, and Bid phosphorylation is required for proper cell cycle checkpoint control and regulation of hematopoietic function. In this report, we demonstrate that, surprisingly, loss of Bid increases the latency of leukemogenesis in Atm-/- mice. Bid-/-Atm-/- mice display impaired checkpoint control and increased cell death of DN3 thymocytes. Loss of Bid thus inhibits T-cell tumorigenesis by increasing clearance of damaged cells, and preventing propagation of deleterious mutations.
The Effect of Abutment Angulation on Stress Transfer for an Implant

Purpose This investigation compared the stress production characteristics of five abutment angulations for a specific implant system. Materials and methods Photoelastic resin was cast directly to a 3.75 x 10-mm Branemark fixture (Nobelpharma USA, Inc, Chicago, IL) in a 50 x 70 x 13-mm mold. A strain gauge rosette was also incorporated in the resin to allow precise determination of normal stresses at a specific point. Each 4-mm abutment (15 degrees, 25 degrees, and 35 degrees from Implant Innovations (West Palm Beach, FL) and 0 degree and 30 degrees from Nobelpharma) was assembled on the fixture, subjected to 178N load, and viewed with a circular polariscope. Observed fringes were photographed and strain indicator readings were recorded. Results Mean observed fringe order and mean principle stress and strain at the location of the rosette were determined. Conclusion At the location of the rosette, all five of the abutments produced principal strains (compressive and tensile) within the physiological zone for bone. The rosette was located approximately 4 mm away from the fixture. Higher stresses and strains can be expected in regions closer to the implant.
Magnetic resonance angiography of the distal lower extremity

Objective : To assess magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for demonstration of arterial patency in the ankle and foot of patients with peripheral vascular disease. Methods : Peripheral MRA of the ankle and foot was performed on 34 limbs of 31 insulin-dependent diabetics. 2-D time-of-flight MRA (TR 33 ms/TE 7.7 ms/inferior saturation band) was performed with 16 cm field of view. Pre- or intra-operative angiographic correlation was available in all cases. Results : In 24 limbs MRA was compared to conventional angiography. MRA showed more patent run-off vessel segments (120) than angiography (100). In 10 limbs MRA was compared to intraoperative angiography and for the detection of patent vessel segments showed a sensitivity of 87.5% (42/48) with a 95% confidence interval of 75% to 95% and a specificity of 95% (38/40) with a 95% confidence interval of 83% to 99%. Pitfalls included difficulty in visualizing flow at the bifurcation of the peroneal artery, in the plantar arch and retrograde flow in the lateral plantar artery. Conclusions : MRA is sensitive for the detection of patent arteries in the ankle and foot but artefacts may cause overdiagnosis of focal stenoses or occlusions.
Observations of Blocking-Induced Convergence Zones and Effects on Precipitation in Complex Terrain

Abstract Through an extensive set of observations, including standard surface measurements, Doppler radar, routine National Weather Service radiosondes and special Cross-chain Loran Atmospheric Sounding System (CLASS) data, two case studies of wintertime storms on the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado are presented (9–10 February 1988 and 30–31 March 1988). The emphases are the effects of blocking-induced convergence zones on snowfall distributions, snow crystal production mechanisms and banded reflectivity structure. As shown by the analysis of a typical Front Range storm, cold air damming can frequently lead to convergence zones and enhanced precipitation east of the mountains. The meso-fronts often form in place just east of the foothills, and are sensitive to the nature of the low-level synoptic easterly flow. For other upslope situations, the convergence zone does not appear as a meso-front, but as a less distinct area of convergence. Measured vertical profiles associated with the blocked surface patterns reveal a distincly layered temperature and wind structure. These soundings, along with surface measurements of wind, moisture and snow crystal types, enable some microphysical interpretation to be made concerning snowfall production in zones of ascent aloft, which are related to frontal surface as well as lifting at the top of the blocking-induced cold pool. Predominance of heavily rimed, dendritic aggregates implies lifting associated with the layered vertical structure in both storms. Bands of enhanced Doppler reflectivity exhibit significant correlation with snowfall intensity. The two case studies demonstrate that distinctly different patterns of blocking and convergence can appear in Colorado Front Range storms, each resulting in a unique snowfall distribution.
Treatment of poor linear growth in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta type III.

Abstract Introduction: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a group of bone and connective tissue disorders arising from a genetic defect. Case summary: An 11-year-old boy with OI had >50 fractures before initiating treatment with bisphosphonate (BPT) in 1999; many of these fractures required surgery. Despite improvement in bone mineral density (from 0.260 g/cm 2 in 1999 to 0.547 g/cm 2 in 2002), linear growth did not improve with BPT. Somatropin depot (SD) therapy was started in May 2002 to improve the child's poor linear growth (PLG). The rate of growth was 0.011 cm/d before SD initiation and 0.015 cm/d during SD therapy, a 36% increase in growth rate (standard physiologic rate, 0.014 cm/d). The number of fractures did not increase with the addition of SD. Insulin-like growth factor 1 levels, as well as renal and hematologic parameters indicative of safety, did not change. Discussion: Growth hormone use in mild to moderate OI has produced promising results, as in the presentstudy. However, its long-term effectiveness and its potential for helping patients attain adequate adult stature have been questioned. Conclusions: Short-term use of SD in the treatment of this case of PLG appeared to be effective and well tolerated. Future work is necessary to determine the long-term safety profile and effectiveness of SD therapy in children with PLG who have OI.
Nonlinear optics at very low power levels

We present small modal area Surface Plasmon waveguides, with low group velocities over unusually large bandwidths. Also, we show how Electro-magnetically Induced Transparency materials, inserted into microcavities, enable optical non-linearities at single photon power levels.
Annexation Activity and State Law in the United States

This article explores the impact of 15 separate provisions of state annexation laws on seven different measures of annexation activity. This analysis uses annexation data from 42 states between 1990 and 1998. The analysis finds that there are different patterns of annexation activity for laws designed to constrain annexation, as compared with laws designed to facilitate annexation. Laws designed to facilitate annexation are likely to be associated with high levels of annexation activity. On the other hand, laws designed to constrain annexation are not very likely to have lower levels of activity.
Distributions for time-frequency analysis: a generalization of Choi-Williams and the Butterworth distribution

The authors generalize the Choi-Williams (1989) time-frequency exponential distribution (ED) and propose the Butterworth distribution (BUD). The kernels of both act as 2-D lowpass filters in the ambiguity function plane with variable filter characteristics. Increasing the order parameters results in flatter passbands and narrower transition regions, approaching ideal lowpass filters. The scaling parameters can be selected to scale the kernel's passband edge or stopband edge. It is shown that the BUD and the GED satisfy all the desirable properties of the ED, and optimum design equations for the BUD kernel parameters are derived. An optional order parameter quantization is discussed, and examples that demonstrate the superior nature of the GED and the BUD over the ED in removing cross-terms while retaining desirable auto-terms are given. >
Translating recursion equations into flow charts

This paper proposes the foundation for a systematic study of the translation of recursive function definitions into flow charts (often called the removal of recursions). Several notions of translation are presented. Emphasis is placed on translation which could be performed mechanically, operating only on the syntactic structure of the recursion equations. Systems of recursion equations are classified by structure and by the dynamics of their implicit computations. A theorem concerned with the relation between iterative form recursion equations and flow charts completes Part I. In Part II a class of systems of recursion equations which are not translatable is exhibited. A restrictive notion of translatability, motivated by a desire for efficient programs as translations, is characterized for a wide (decidable) class. Translation algorithms are presented.
California Sparrows Return from Displacement to Maryland

Twenty-two migratory sparrows (Zonotrichia) which had returned to their winter home at San Jose, California (1962-63), after being displaced 2900 kilometers to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the winter of 1961-62, were then displaced the 3860 kilometers to Laurel, Maryland, during the winter of 1962-63. Six of the 22 birds returned across the continent to San Jose to be recaptured during the winter of 1963-64.
Latent Nonstructural Differentiation among Homologous Chromosomes at the Diploid Level: Chromosome 6Be of AEGILOPS LONGISSIMA

Previous work has shown that chromosome pairing at metaphase I (MI) of wheat homologous chromosomes from different inbred lines (heterohomologous chromosomes) is reduced relative to that between homologous chromosomes within an inbred line (euhomologous chromosomes). In order to determine if a potential for this phenomenon exists in diploid species closely related to the wheat B genome, MI chromosome pairing was investigated between euhomologous and heterohomologous 6Be (=6Se) chromosomes, each from a different population of Aegilops longissima Schweinf. et Muschl. (2n = 2x = 14) substituted for chromosome 6B of Chinese Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 6x = 42). Euhomologous and heterohomologous monotelodisomics, i.e., plants with one complete chromosome 6Be and a telosome of either 6Bep or 6Beq, were constructed in the isogenic background of Chinese Spring. Pairing at MI of the Ae. longissima chromosomes was reduced in heterohomologous monotelodisomics compared to that in the corresponding euhomologous monotelodisomics. The remaining 20 pairs of Chinese Spring chromosomes paired equally well in the euhomologous and heterohomologous monotelodisomics. Thus, the cause of the reduced pairing must reside specifically in the Ae. longissima heterohomologues. In the hybrids between the Ae. longissima lines that contributed the substituted chromosomes, pairing between the heterohomologous chromosomes was normal and did not differ from that of the euhomologous chromosomes. These data provide evidence that a potential for reduced pairing between the heterohomologues is present in the diploid species, but is expressed only in the polyploid wheat genetic background. The reduction in heterohomologous chromosome pairing was greater in the p arm than in the q arm, exactly as in chromosome 6B of wheat. It is concluded that the reduced pairing between Ae. longissima heterohomologues has little to do with constitutive heterochromatin. The value of chromosome pairing as an unequivocal means of determining the origin of genomes in polyploid plants is questioned.
Tropical land‐cover change alters biogeochemical inputs to ecosystems in a Mexican montane landscape

In tropical regions, the effects of land-cover change on nutrient and pollutant inputs to ecosystems remain poorly documented and may be pronounced, especially in montane areas exposed to elevated atmospheric deposition. We examined atmospheric deposition and canopy interactions of sulfate-sulfur (SO4 2� -S), chloride (Cl � ), and nitrate- nitrogen (NO3 � -N) in three extensive tropical montane land-cover types: clearings, forest, and coffee agroforest. Bulk and fog deposition to clearings was measured as well as throughfall (water that falls through plant canopies) ion fluxes in seven forest and five coffee sites. Sampling was conducted from 2005 to 2008 across two regions in the Sierra Madre Oriental, Veracruz, Mexico. Annual throughfall fluxes to forest and coffee sites ranged over 6-27 kg SO4 2� -S/ha, 12-69 kg Cl � /ha, and 2-6 kg NO3 � -N/ha. Sulfate-S in forest and coffee throughfall was higher or similar to bulk S deposition measured in clearings. Throughfall Clinputs, however, were consistently higher than Clamounts deposited to cleared areas, with net Clfluxes enhanced in evergreen coffee relative to semi-deciduous forest plots. Compared to bulk nitrate-N deposition, forest and coffee canopies retained 1-4 kg NO3 � -N/ha annually, reducing NO3 � -N inputs to soils. Overall, throughfall fluxes were similar to values reported for Neotropical sites influenced by anthropogenic emissions, while bulk S and N deposition were nine- and eightfold greater, respectively, than background wet deposition rates for remote tropical areas. Our results demonstrate that land-cover type significantly alters the magnitude and spatial distribution of atmospheric inputs to tropical ecosystems, primarily through canopy-induced changes in fog and dry deposition. However, we found that land cover interacts with topography and climate in significant ways to produce spatially heterogeneous patterns of anion fluxes, and that these factors can converge to create deposition hotspots. For land managers, this finding suggests that there is potential to identify species and ecosystems at risk of excess and increasing deposition in montane watersheds undergoing rapid transformation. Our data further indicate that montane ecosystems are vulnerable to air pollution impacts in this and similar tropical regions downwind of urban, industrial, and agricultural emission sources.
Influence of the Atmospheric Surface Layer on a Turbulent Flow Downstream of a Ship Superstructure

AbstractThis paper describes a set of turbulence measurements at sea in the area of high flow distortion in the near-wake and recirculation zone behind a ship's superstructure that is similar in geometry to a helicopter hangar/flight deck arrangement found on many modern U.S. Navy ships. The instrumented ship is a 32-m-long training vessel operated by the United States Naval Academy that has been modified by adding a representative flight deck and hangar structure. The flight deck is instrumented with up to seven sonic anemometers/thermometers that are used to obtain simultaneous velocity measurements at various spatial locations on the flight deck, and one sonic anemometer at bow mast is used to characterize inflow atmospheric boundary conditions. Data characterizing wind over the deck at an incoming angle of 0° (head winds) and wind speeds from 2 to 10 m s−1 obtained in the Chesapeake Bay are presented and discussed. Turbulent statistics of inflow conditions are analyzed using the Kaimal universal turbu...
Study of Magnetron Sputter Deposition of Metal Gate Electrodes

A systematic study of magnetron sputter deposition of metal gate is presented. On-wafer probes were used to measure ion current and floating voltage. Charge monitoring wafers was used to evaluate charging damage. C-V measurements showed that the interface trap density of metal gated MOS capacitors was reduced with thicker dielectric layer thickness and with the insertion of ALD deposited buffer layer. Lower pressure, higher sputtering power, and pulsed DC sputtering were found to cause larger plasma damage to the ultra-thin dielectric layer, most likely due to increased energetic particle bombardment as a result of higher plasma density and higher ion and neutral energies.
Effect of psychrotrophic microorganisms on the plasmin system in milk

Abstract The psychrotrophic bacteria that are present in raw milk produce heat-stable proteases that affect the plasmin system and, in turn, the quality of the processed milk and other dairy products. Three bacterial strains, Pseudomonas spp. SRM21A and SRM28A and Pseudomonas fluorescens M3/6, were inoculated at a level of ∼10 3 cfu/ml into reconstituted nonfat dry milk and incubated at 4°C for up to 9 d. From each sample, casein and whey fractions were obtained and electrophoresed to visualize protein hydrolysis and plasmin activity. Colorimetric assays were used to quantify plasmin-related activities. The casein SDS-PAGE gels showed that, by 5 d of incubation, caseinolytic activity was visible in whey fractions of all three strains at the same molecular mass range as commercial bovine plasmin, which was used as a control. Colorimetric assays indicated that plasmin activity in the casein samples decreased as incubation time increased; plasmin activity in the whey samples increased, peaking at 5 to 7 d. Plasminogen activity decreased over time in the casein fraction and increased in the whey fraction. Protein immunodetection indicated crossreactivity between anti-bovine plasminogen and the plasmin and plasminogen from whey samples collected at 5 and 7 d from the incubated milk. The growth of the Pseudomonas strains tested and their concomitant production of proteases caused the release of plasmin and plasminogen from the casein micelle into the whey fraction.
Development and initial validation of quality-of-life questionnaires for intermittent exotropia.

Purpose The development and initial validation of patient-derived, health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) questionnaires for intermittent exotropia (IXT). Design Cross-sectional study. Participants In a development phase, 27 children (age, 2–17 years) with IXT and 1 of their parents. In an initial validation phase, 33 children with IXT and 49 control children (age, 5–17 years), along with 1 parent for each child. Children in the control group had no strabismus or amblyopia. Methods Individual patient interviews generated 35 items for child and proxy (parental assessment of child's HRQOL) questionnaires and 46 items for a parent questionnaire. To reduce to a feasible number of items, questionnaires were administered to 5- to 17-year-old children with IXT (n = 15) and parents of 2- to 17-year-old children with IXT (n = 27). Responses were analyzed using standard item reduction methodology. Three final derived IXT questionnaires (IXTQ): child, proxy, and parent (12, 12, and 17 items, respectively) were administered to children with IXT and control children and to parents of IXT and control children. Likert-type scales ranging from never (100, best HRQOL) to almost always (0, worst HRQOL) were used. Main Outcome Measures Median scores for IXT and control groups, compared using Wilcoxon tests. Results Median child scores were significantly lower (worse HRQOL) in the IXT group compared with the control group: 85 (quartiles, 73–92) versus 92 (quartiles, 79–96; P = 0.04). Median proxy IXTQ scores were significantly lower for IXT children than controls: 83 (quartiles, 75–94) versus 98 (quartiles, 92–100; P P Conclusions A new 3-part patient-derived HRQOL questionnaire for children with IXT and their parents has been developed and validated, comprising child, proxy, and parent questionnaires. These questionnaires detect reduced HRQOL in children with IXT as reported by the children themselves and perceived by their parents (proxy report). Childhood IXT also seems to affect parent HRQOL. The IXTQ HRQOL questionnaires may prove useful in the clinical assessment of IXT and for clinical trials. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
A temperature compensated fully trimmable on-chip IC oscillator

The design of an IC on-chip oscillator, including temperature compensation circuitry, a robust spread reduction technique and digital trimming is described. The IC oscillator provides a 12.8 MHz clock signal with a frequency spread of /spl plusmn/25% before the 8 bit digital trimming. After centering the oscillator at the target frequency, a temperature compensated voltage and current reference circuit allows for less than /spl plusmn/5 % frequency variation when operating from 3 to 5 V power supply and from -40 to 125 /spl deg/C of temperature range. The oscillator is implemented in a 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS technology, occupies an area of 420/spl times/440 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and dissipates less than 400 /spl mu/W at 3 V supply without requiring any external reference or components.
Purification of a Membrane Protein Distributed in a Topographic Gradient in Chicken Retina

Abstract Antigenic molecules termed TOP, which are distributed in a dorsal greater than ventral concentration gradient in chicken retina, are expressed early in development (by 48 hr after fertilization) in the optic cup of chicken embryos and continue to be expressed in retina thereafter. 35S-labeled-TOP-antibody complexes were purified by protein A-Sepharose column chromatography and subjected to NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. TOP also was purified from dorsal retina by anti-TOP IgG-Affi-Gel 10 affinity column chromatography. In both cases, one major band of protein at Mr approximately 47,000 was obtained. A protein of Mr approximately 47,000 also was purified from chicken embryo brain. Cultured cells dissociated from 8-day chicken embryo retinas accumulated the amount of TOP expected of cells in the intact retina, depending on the position of the cells in the retina. TOP accumulations by cells dissociated from dorsal or ventral retina, mixed in different proportions, and cocultured were additive. These results show that TOP is a protein, that the gradient of TOP is established early in development, and that perpetuation of the gradient does not depend on the continuous presence of an extracellular gradient of diffusable molecules or on maintenance of interactions between cells.
High‐dose leucovorin reverses acute high‐dose methotrexate neurotoxicity in the rat

Intravenous high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) reduces cerebral glucose metabolism and produces behavioral abnormalities and electroencephalographic slowing in an animal model of acute HD-MTX neurotoxicity and in cancer patients undergoing HD-MTX chemotherapy. We used our model of HD-MTX neurotoxicity in the rat to determine if leucovorin (5-formyltetrahydrofolate) reduces this neurotoxicity, and extended our characterization of this model to identify regional as well as global HD-MTX treatment effects and to investigate HD-MTX-induced alterations in regional brain pH. Intravenous high-dose leucovorin reversed the HD-MTX-induced decrease in cerebral glucose metabolism and associated behavioral and electroencephalographic abnormalities in the rat, but low-dose leucovorin was ineffective. The major effect of HD-MTX on cerebral glucose metabolism was a global reduction; however, smaller region-specific treatment effects were identified in auditory, thalamic, and white matter structures. HD-MTX did not alter regiona brain pH. These findings suggest a potential clinical role for high-dose leucovorin in severe or prolonged acute HD-MTX neurotoxicity and provide an important justification for the role of positron emission tomography in the early detection of clinical HD-MTX neurotoxicity.
Green Supercomputing in a Desktop Box

The advent of the Beowulf cluster in 1994 provided dedicated compute cycles, i.e., supercomputing for the masses, as a cost-effective alternative to large supercomputers, i.e., supercomputing for the few. However as the cluster movement matured, these clusters became like their large-scale supercomputing brethren - a shared (and power-hungry) datacenter resource that must reside in a actively-cooled machine room in order to operate properly. The above observation, coupled with the increasing performance gap between the PC and supercomputer, provides the motivation for a "green supercomputer" in a desktop box. Thus, this paper presents and evaluates such an architectural solution: a 12-node personal desktop supercomputer that offers an interactive environment for developing parallel codes and achieves 14 Gflops on Linpack but sips only 185 watts of power at load - all this in the approximate form factor of a Sun SPARCstation 1 pizza box.
Plasma membrane organization and function: moving past lipid rafts

"Lipid raft" is the name given to the tiny, dynamic, and ordered domains of cholesterol and sphingolipids that are hypothesized to exist in the plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells. According to the lipid raft hypothesis, these cholesterol- and sphingolipid-enriched domains modulate the protein-protein interactions that are essential for cellular function. Indeed, many studies have shown that cellular levels of cholesterol and sphingolipids influence plasma membrane organization, cell signaling, and other important biological processes. Despite 15 years of research and the application of highly advanced imaging techniques, data that unambiguously demonstrate the existence of lipid rafts in mammalian cells are still lacking. This Perspective summarizes the results that challenge the lipid raft hypothesis and discusses alternative hypothetical models of plasma membrane organization and lipid-mediated cellular function.
Unpublished Manuscripts and the Right of Fair Use: Copyright Law and the Strategic Management of Information Resources

Two recent decisions from the United States Court of Appeals sharply restrict the “fair use” of unpublished manuscripts and threaten the traditional activities of historians and biographers.1 The rulings have curtailed broad public access to archival materials as publishers revise and cancel projects drawing upon unpublished resources.2 These copyright developments raise questions about the utility of manuscript collections, and thus have the unintended—but perhaps paramount—effect of heightening the responsibilities of archivists to collection donors and to the researchers they serve.3 Archivists inadvertently have joined researchers and publishers as the newest “gatekeepers” of legal rights and privileges. This article . . .
Use of silver thiosulfate to prevent flower abscission from potted plants

Cameron, A.C. and Reid, M.S., 1983. Use of silver thiosulfate to prevent flower abscission from potted plants. Scientia Hortic., 19: 373--378. Abcission of petals from the flowers of the seedling geranium (Pelargonium hortorum Bailey) cultivars 'Sprinter White', 'Sooner Deep Salmon', 'Ringo Scarlet' and 'Carefree Red' was almost completely suppressed by 0.5 mM foliar sprays of the silver thiosulfate complex (STS). STS was effective whether applied to entire plants or just to the individual developing inflorescences. Foliar sprays of 0.5 mM STS on Calceolaria herbeohybrida Voss reduced flower abcission following 4 days in the dark or 2 days exposure to 1 ~11-1 ethylene. Bougainvillea glabra Chois. bracteole drop following 3 days of drought was also reduced by foliar sprays of 0.5 mM STS. Phytotoxicity was never observed on any of these species following STS application at concentrations of 0.5 mM or less.
Health, Naturalism, and Functional Efficiency

This essay develops an account of health, the functional efficiency theory, which derives from Christopher Boorse’s biostatistical theory (BST). Like the BST, the functional efficiency theory is a nonevaluative view of health, but unlike the BST, it argues that the fundamental theoretical task is to distinguish levels of efficiency with which the parts and processes within organisms and within systems within organisms function. Which of these to label as healthy or pathological is of secondary importance. Because the statistical distributions that Boorse’s account relies on are distributions of functional efficiency, the functional efficiency theory arguably complements rather than challenges the BST.
Human RNase L tunes gene expression by selectively destabilizing the microRNA-regulated transcriptome

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) activates the innate immune system of mammalian cells and triggers intracellular RNA decay by the pseudokinase and endoribonuclease RNase L. RNase L protects from pathogens and regulates cell growth and differentiation by destabilizing largely unknown mammalian RNA targets. We developed an approach for transcriptome-wide profiling of RNase L activity in human cells and identified hundreds of direct RNA targets and nontargets. We show that this RNase L-dependent decay selectively affects transcripts regulated by microRNA (miR)-17/miR-29/miR-200 and other miRs that function as suppressors of mammalian cell adhesion and proliferation. RNase L mimics the effects of these miRs and acts as a suppressor of proliferation and adhesion in mammalian cells. Our data suggest that RNase L-dependent decay serves to establish an antiproliferative state via destabilization of the miR-regulated transcriptome.
The Effect of Pan-Ethnic and National Origin Specific Descriptive Representation on Latino's Views of Government and of Themselves

A substantial increase in the number of Latino and African American elected officials has led to a number of studies focused on the potential impact of descriptive representation on minority constituencies. This research has generated some important conclusions, including that descriptive representation has a meaningful effect on the way African Americans view the political world (Gay 2002; Tate 2003; Bobo and Gilliam 1990; Banducci, Donovan, and Karp 2005). However, few studies have explored the relationship between descriptive representation and Latino political attitudes. We intend to shed some light on this relationship by investigating the potential impact of Latino mayoral representation on the political attitudes and group identity of Latinos through the use of the Latino National Survey (LNS). By exploring the relationship between pan-ethnic and national based descriptive representation on the political attitudes of Latinos, we will be able to determine if congruency in national origin among Latino elected officials and their co-ethnic constituents has a more pronounced impact on Latino attitudes than ethnicity alone. We believe that our findings will help to provide a stronger theoretical foundation for future work exploring the nature of descriptive representation for the Latino population.
PION CAPTURE REACTIONS — Workshop C

This workshop has been added to our program to include the flurry of papers on the pion capture reactions. The main activity in this subject surrounds the experimental data obtained on (π-, γ) reactions in nuclei and the new calculations which have appeared. Not to be slighted are a smaller number of papers dealing with other dominant pion capture reactions. Finally we will hear a paper today on the (π, 2γ) process.
Disavowing Tolerance: Kant, Locke, Descartes,

This paper engages the intellectual history that underpins contemporary tolerance. The idea is to focus on thinkers that contemporary democratic theory identifies as essential to the history of tolerance, and to show how these thinkers struggle with pressures that arise from the intellectualist imperative and the relegation of pain to the unexamined background. My contention is that the relegation of pain leads to a disavowal of tolerance, and that this disavowal is the main reason why contemporary tolerance no longer is as viable as we are led to believe by theorists such as Rawls, Habermas, and Forst. At the same time, I do not join the ranks of some contemporary feminists and critical theorist who criticize tolerance without challenging the concept’s history. I challenge this consensus, not only because it seems historically misguided to ignore insights from traditions that are either older or less dominant, but also because I don’t think that there is only one way to define tolerance in a world of deep pluralism. Why allow one single tradition to monopolize the intellectual history of tolerance? Can’t - shouldn’t - a commitment to pluralism also apply to the way political theorists read and discuss texts concerning tolerance and democratic citizenship? By engaging these questions the paper contributes to a mode of theorization often associated with the turn to affect and the sensorium in contemporary democratic theory.
A review of Geographies of Globalization by Warwick E. Murray and John Overton

Published in the Routledge Contemporary Human Geography Series edited by David Bell and Stephen Wynn Williams, this is a genuinely geographic account of globalization that does an excellent job of ...
Better Graphical Representation of Earthquake Magnitude

Maps depicting the distribution of earthquakes typically have not employed truly proportional symbols. In most cases it would be a simple, practical, and more graphically effective way of representing the quantitative nature of the data. Circles and spheres are likely choices for such symbols. However, proportional squares or cubes may also be used as alternate symbols on earthquake maps. In order to correctly represent the amount of ground shaking implied by Richter magnitude, the area of the circle or square, or the volume of the sphere or cube should increase by a factor of ten with each ascending magnitude. Simple logarithmic computations allow determination of symbol sizes representing different magnitudes. Seismic energy increases by a factor of approximately thirty-two with each ascending order of Richter magnitude. This necessitates a much greater range in symbol size if energy is to be graphically represented. The only practical way to handle such a range is to employ a three-dimensional symbol such as a sphere or cube, whose volume is proportional to energy released.
Characterization of VTI media with P-SV AVO attributes

Amplitude variation with offset (AVO) signatures in vertically transverse isotropic (VTI) media vary as the degree of the anisotropy contrast varies between layers. When the values of two parameters (δ and e) that quantify the VTI elastic anisotropy are varied, the fraction of energy that reflects from a given layer interface as a modeconverted shear wave (RPS ) also varies for specified angles of incidence. Mode-converted AVO crossplots might potentially be used to map stratigraphic layers exhibiting intrinsic VTI with the moderate to high degrees of weak elastic anisotropy that are often associated with shale formations. When the parameter δ varies from -0.06 to 0.1, some spread can be observed on a mode-converted AVO crossplot. Therefore, AVO attribute maps might be capable of delineating the degree of anisotropy present in subsurface rocks. Additionally, using this mode-converted AVO information in conjunction with PP, SV-SV, and SH-SH AVO crossplot analysis might increase the confidence in sweet spot delineation for organic shale formations.