cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Choline Acetyltransferase: Celebrating Its Fiftieth Year

It is well known that the regulation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity under physiological and pathological conditions is important for the development and neuronal activities of cholinergic systems involved in many fundamental brain functions. This review focuses on recent progress in understanding the regulation of ChAT at the levels of both the protein and the mRNA. A deficiency in ChAT activity has been reported for neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and schizophrenia. Although a major feature of ChAT regulation is likely to involve the spatial and temporal control of transcription, regulation of expression can also be at the level of RNA processing, transport/translocation, turnover, or translation. In addition, there is increasing evidence that ChAT might be regulated at the posttranslational level by compartmentation and/or covalent modification, i.e., phosphorylation, as well as noncovalent modification (protein-protein interaction, etc.). Synaptic activity and the state of neuronal transmission may also involve the regulation of ChAT at different levels via both positive and negative feedback loops, as was demonstrated in the characterization of two ChAT mutant Drosophila strains. Clearly, identification of cholinergic-specific elements and the characterization of the trans-acting factors that bind to them represent an important area of future research. Equally important is research on the mechanisms governing ChAT as an enzymatic entity. The future should be an exciting time during which we look forward to the elucidation of the cholinergic signal and its regulation as well as the determination of the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme.
The Relationship Between Dealloying and Transgranular Stress-Corrosion Cracking of Cu-Zn and Cu-Al Alloys

Single crystals of various ..cap alpha..-phase Cu-Zn and Cu-Al alloys have been tested for dealloying and stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) in cuprous ammonia solutions. All tests were done at the equilibrium potential of a copper electrode. The dealloying tests were done by scratching coated specimens and measuring the consequent anodic current transients, and the SCC tests used a constant extension rate. The rate of dealloying increased almost discontinuously between 17 and 20 atom percent (a/o) Zn and between 11 and 16 a/o Al. These ''parting limits'' corresponded identically to the onset of transgranular SCC in both systems. The results support a percolation model of dealloying and a film-induced cleavage model for stress-corrosion cracking.
Contraplacental Hypogastrinemic Effect of Gastrin Infusion in Sheep

Infusion of gastrin, G-17I, at 0.4 microgram/min into either the maternal or fetal venous circulation of six late gestation sheep was associated with increases in serum gastrin concentration in the infused circulation and reciprocal decreases in the serum gastrin concentration in the other circulation (contraplacental) that perfused the placenta. Pentagastrin infusion at 0.4 microgram/min was associated with an increase in C-terminal specific gastrin immunoreactivity in both the infused and the contraplacental circulations. These observations suggest that biologically active fragments of gastrin, but not the intact molecule, may cross the ovine placenta. An alternative explanation for our results is that gastrin infusion into either the maternal or fetal circulation which perfuses the placenta may result in the release of an inhibitor (i.e., somatostatin) into the other circulation. Of broad importance, these observations indicate that although intact polypeptide hormones may not traverse the placenta, their concentrations in maternal and fetal sera may not be as independent as previously believed. Serum gastrin half-life values in late gestation sheep fetuses, lambs, and ewes were determined to be 13.7 +/- 1.9, 16.7 +/- 2.6, and 15.2 +/- 2.8 min, respectively. These similar values indicate that the relatively high serum gastrin concentrations observed in near-term sheep fetuses are not the result of prolonged half-life in the fetus.
Theoretical design of bioinspired macromolecular electrets based on anthranilamide derivatives

Polypeptide helices possess considerable intrinsic dipole moments oriented along their axes. While for proline helices the dipoles originate solely from the ordered orientation of the amide bonds, for 3 10 - and α-helices the polarization resultant from the formation of hydrogen-bond network further increases the magnitude of the macromolecular dipoles. The enormous electric-field gradients, generated by the dipoles of α-helices (which amount to about 5 D per residue with 0.15 nm residue increments along the helix), play a crucial role in the selectivity and the transport properties of ion channels. The demonstration of dipole-induced rectification of vectorial charge transfer mediated by α-helices has opened a range of possibilities for applications of these macromolecules in molecular and biomolecular electronics. These biopolymers, however, possess relatively large bandgaps. As an alternative, we examined a series of synthetic macromolecules, aromatic oligo-ortho-amides, which form extended structures with amide bonds in ordered orientation, supported by a hydrogen-bond network. Unlike their biomolecular counterparts, the extended π-conjugation of these macromolecules will produce bandgaps significantly smaller than the polypeptide bandgaps. Using ab initio density functional theory calculations, we modeled anthranilamide derivatives that are representative oligo-ortho-amide conjugates. Our calculations, indeed, showed intrinsic dipole moments oriented along the polymer axes and increasing with the increase in the length of the oligomers. Each anthranilamide residue contributed about 3 D to the vectorial macromolecular dipole. When we added electron donating (diethylamine) and electron withdrawing (nitro and trifluoromethyl) groups for n- and p-doping, respectively, we observed that: (1) proper positioning of the electron donating and withdrawing groups further polarized the aromatic residues, increasing the intrinsic dipole to about 4.5 D per residue; and (2) extension of the π-conjugation over some of the doping groups narrowed the band gaps with as much as 1 eV. The investigated bioinspired systems offer alternatives for the development of broad range of organic electronic materials with nonlinear properties.
Navigation solution to maneuver a spacecraft relative to multiple satellites and ground locations

Abstract A dynamic differential correction algorithm is presented to deliver an impulsive maneuver to a satellite to place it within overlapping spheres, with user defined radii, centered around multiple non-maneuvering satellites and ground location׳s user defined line-of-sight within a constrained time. The solution is further constrained by elevation considerations for the ground locations. The differential correction algorithm develops and utilizes the state transition matrix, along with the equations of motion and multiple satellite׳s state information and ground location state information to determine the optimum trajectory to achieve the desired results. The results from the differential correction algorithm are very accurate for prograde orbits, as presented. The results allow for orbit design trade-offs, including the maneuvering satellite׳s initial inclination. The results deliver an analytical method to determine the optimum Δ V solution for the provided problem. This work ultimately establishes the generalized framework for applying the algorithm to a unique maneuvering spacecraft scenario which includes multiple satellites and ground locations.
Improved bounds and containing ellipsoids in Karmarkar's linear programming algorithm

Karmarkar's projective algorithm for linear programming provides not only primal solutions but dual solutions giving bounds on the optimal value. Here we show how improved bounds can be obtained at the expense of solving a two-dimensional linear programming problem at every iteration, and also how an ellipsoid containing all dual optimal solutions can be generated from available information. We also give the results of limited computational experiments related to these topics.
Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? The Effect of Race-Related Visual and Verbal Exemplars on Attitudes and Support for Social Policies

The present study experimentally assesses the relative influence of visual and verbal exemplars on news readers’ judgments regarding use of emergency room health care services by undocumented immigrants and uninsured U.S. citizens. Assumptions from exemplification theory and theories of information processing guided the investigation. A series of two studies found that pictures and personal stories have comparable effects on perceptions of and attitudes about the issue. Furthermore, conflicting personal stories and pictures embedded in the same news item nullify each other's effect.
Microsatellite missions to conduct midlatitude studies of equatorial ionospheric plasma bubbles

Abstract Two missions presently under development by the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), FalconSAT-2 and FalconSAT-3, include mission scientific objectives targeting the study of ionospheric F region plasma density depletions and topside bubbles associated with the so-called Equatorial Spread F (ESF) phenomena. The Miniature Electrostatic Analyzer (MESA), a USAFA-designed patch sensor that measures differential energy fluxes of electrons from 0.05 to 13 eV in six channels, is the primary experiment aboard FalconSAT-2, a 25-kg microsatellite intended for launch into an International Space Station (ISS) orbit via the Space Shuttle. Because the orbit will be approximately 360 km in altitude and of 52° inclination, FalconSAT-2 observations will complement those of low latitude missions (e.g., C/NOFS) and polar latitude, higher altitude missions (e.g., DMSP). Realistic internal magnetic field models demonstrate that field lines with apex heights of 1500 km (representing the upper altitude limit of equatorial plasma bubbles) may intersect the orbit plane at dip latitudes greater than 35°. Thus, FalconSAT-2 will be able to observe plasma depletions that have propagated poleward along the field lines and lower in altitude, depletions that may not be observed with the high altitude DMSP and the low latitude C/NOFS. Additionally, there may be opportunities for FalconSAT-2 to make simultaneous multipoint in situ measurements of large-scale plasma bubbles with other low altitude satellites, such as C/NOFS and DMSP. We will present a statistical analysis of the probability of making such measurements using nominal orbital parameters of the relevant spacecraft. Finally, a description of the FalconSAT-3 follow-on mission, including scientific objectives associated with seeking kinetic effects, is presented.
The effect of dexamethasone on epidermal growth factor binding and stimulation of proliferation in young and senescent WI38 cells.

Abstract Addition of 0.14 μM dexamethasone (DEX) to young log-phase WI38 cultures seeded at various densities in serum-free medium containing 4.1 nM epidermal growth factor (EGF) resulted in a synergistic increase in proliferation and final cell density. The action of DEX plus EGF was stimulatory but not synergistic in young confluent cultures. DEX plus EGF had no synergistic effect on senescent cells either during log phase or at confluence. Analysis of the effect of DEX on [125I]EGF binding revealed no statistically significant changes in either the number of binding sites or the apparent dissociation constant of the EGF-receptor complex.
Pay-Back-Revenue-Sharing Contract in Coordinating Supply Chains with Random Yield

We consider coordination issues in supply chains where supplier's production process is subject to random yield losses. For a simple supply chain with a single supplier and retailer facing deterministic demand, a pay back contract which has the retailer paying a discount price for the supplier's excess units can provide the right incentive for the supplier to increase his production size and achieve coordination. Building upon this result, we consider coordination issues for two other supply chains: one with competing retailers, the other with stochastic demand. When retailers compete for both demand and supply, they tend to over-order. We show that a combination of a pay back and revenue sharing mechanism can coordinate the supply chain, with the pay back mechanism correcting the supplier's under-producing problem and the revenue sharing mechanism correcting the retailers' over-ordering problem. When demand is stochastic, we consider a modified pay-back-revenue-sharing contract under which the retailer agrees to not only purchase the supplier's excess output (beyond the retailer's order), but also share with the supplier a portion of the revenue made from the sales of the excess output. We show that this contract, by giving the supplier additional incentives in the form of revenue share, can achieve coordination.
DIFFERENTIAL-GEOMETRIC METHODS FOR CONTROL OF ELECTRIC MOTORS

SUMMARY The di⁄erential-geometric techniques of nonlinear control developed over the last 20 years or so include static and dynamic feedback linearization, input—output linearization, nonlinear state observers and disturbance decoupling. The theory has now reached a level of maturity where control practicioners are making e⁄ective use of the techniques for electric motors. Indeed, DC and AC motors have well-defined nonlinear mathematical models which often satisfy the structural conditions required of the di⁄erential-geometric theory. In this paper, the application of various di⁄erential-geometric methods of nonlinear control is shown by way of examples including DC motors (series, shunt and separately excited), induction motors, synchronous motors and DC—DC converters. A number of contributions are surveyed which show the benefits of the methods for the design of global control laws by systematic means. ( 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stability of magnitude production scales for oral and nonoral vibrotactile mechanoreceptive systems

The stability of oral and nonoral vibrotactile magnitude scales produced by the method of magnitude production was investigated for 11 adult subjects. Each subject was tested over four sessions separated by 1-wk. intervals. Data analyses included correlations across trials of power function slopes as well as individual adjustments of intensity. Analysis showed a lack of stability over time for the slope functions obtained on the thenar eminence but moderate stability for the functions obtained on the tongue. Individual adjustments on intensity showed consistently high correlations across trials and structures. It was concluded that the subjects' responses were guided by the imposed experimental variables and that each individual's scaling was not necessarily reflected by the correlations based on power function slopes established over the four trials.
Identification and characterization of syntaxin 1 antisense variants in Limulus polyphemus.

1. A Limulus SMARTTM cDNA library screening resulted in the cloning of four syntaxin 1 homologs (referred to as Limulus syntaxin [Lim-syn] 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D) (Wang, Y., Cao, Z., Xu, W., Kemp, M. D., McAdory, B. S., Newkirk, R. F., Ivy, M. T., and Townsel, J. G. (2004). Gene326:189–199) and two novel intron-retaining syntaxin 1-like variants, designated Limulus syntaxin variant [Lim-synV] 1A/1C and Lim-synV 1B/1D. 2. The variants exhibited high amino acid sequence identity with the four syntaxin 1 homologs. Specifically, Lim-synV 1A/1C and Lim-synV 1B/1D were homologous to Lim-syn 1A/1C and Lim-syn 1B/1D, respectively. Surprisingly, both Lim-synV 1A/1C and 1B/1D are unusual in that each has a poly A+ tail, an intron, and the common splice motif “GT–AG” at the intron–exon boundary. Exons one and two on the complementary transcript of Lim-synV 1B/1D are separated by a 150 bp intron beginning at #95/96 of the predicted sequences for Lim-syn 1B and 1D, respectively. 3. In contrast, examination of the approximately 3.17 kb Lim-synV 1A/1C clone indicated the inclusion of an insert of 1120 base pairs (bp) beginning at codon #37/38 of the predicted Lim-syn 1A and 1C cDNAs’ open reading frames (ORFs). Further, the intron sequence of Lim-synV 1A/C contained multiple stop codons and showed no significant homology to other known sequences as determined by a search of the GenBank database. Thus, the focus of this paper will be Lim-synV 1B/D exclusively. 4. To substantiate that an intron is retained in the full-length mRNA, two types of syntaxin cDNA fragments for Lim-syn 1B/D were generated by RT-PCR and analyzed on Northern blots. The products generated were a mixture of intron-retaining, as well as intron-spliced products. The syntaxin-like variants that retained the intron presumably are derived from a mRNA molecule that has not undergone splicing. 5. Although the significance of such intron-containing mRNAs in Limulus has not yet been elucidated, future studies of such variants may serve to broaden our knowledge concerning established splicing mechanisms as well as to focus attention on nonconventional concepts about gene product regulation.
Capillary-electrochromatographic separations with copolymeric reversed-stationary phase and ion-exchanger-packed columns.

A macroporous, spherical, 7 μm, polystyrene–divinylbenzene (PS–DVB), reversed-phase adsorbent (PRP-1) was evaluated as a stationary phase for the capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) separation of neutral, acidic, and basic analytes of pharmaceutical interest. Electroosmotic flow (EOF) for a PRP-1 packed capillary is nearly constant over the pH 2 to 10 range and is higher than for a silica-based C18 packed capillary on the acidic side. EOF increases with an increase in buffer acetonitrile concentration or as applied potential increases. As analyte hydrophobicity increases, analyte retention and migration time increases. Increasing buffer acetonitrile concentration reduces analyte partitioning with the PS–DVB stationary phase and analyte retention and migration time decreases. When exchange sites are present on the PS–DVB copolymer, EOF (EOF is reversed for the anion-exchanger) increases as the exchange capacity increases. An increased exchange capacity also reduces partitioning of the analyte with the PS–DVB matrix and analyte retention and migration time decrease. Because of excellent stability in an acid environment, the PRP-1 packed capillary can be used in strong acid buffer solution and weak acid and base analytes depending on pKa values can be separated as neutral species and cations, respectively. CEC separations on a PRP-1 capillary of neutral steroids, weak base pharmaceuticals (separation as cations), purines and pyrimidines (as cations), fatty acids (as undissociated species), and sulfa derivatives (as cations) are described. Efficiency for the PRP-1 packed capillary for acetone or thiourea as the analyte is about 6·104 plates m−1.
Recent progress in the development and testing of vaccines against human tuberculosis

The growing pandemic of human tuberculosis has not been affected significantly by the widespread use of the only currently available vaccine, bacille Calmette Guerin. Bacille Calmette Guerin protects uniformly against serious paediatric forms of tuberculosis and against adult pulmonary tuberculosis in some parts of the world, but there are clearly populations in high-burden countries which do not benefit from the current vaccination regimen. New tuberculosis vaccines will be essential for the ultimate control of this ancient disease. Research over the past 10 years has produced literally hundreds of new tuberculosis vaccine candidates representing all of the major vaccine design strategies; protein/peptide vaccines in adjuvants, DNA vaccines, naturally and rationally attenuated strains of mycobacteria, recombinant mycobacteria and other living vaccine vectors expressing genes coding for immunodominant mycobacterial antigens, and non-peptide vaccines. Many of these vaccines have been tested for immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mouse and guinea pig models of low-dose pulmonary tuberculosis. In addition, alternative routes of tuberculosis vaccine delivery (e.g. oral, respiratory, gene gun) and various combinations of priming or boosting an experimental vaccine with bacille Calmette Guerin have been examined in relevant animal models. One of the most promising of these vaccines is currently in Phase I trials in human subjects, and others are expected to follow in the near future. This review will summarise the most recent progress made toward the development and preclinical evaluation of novel vaccines for human tuberculosis.
Quantum optomechanics beyond linearization

The quantum dynamics of optomechanical systems has mostly been studied to determine the fluctuations around classical steady states. We present a theoretical approach to determining the system observables of optomechanical systems as genuine quantum objects, for example, a quantum-mechanical oscillator coupled to a cavity single photon. In this approach we study the dynamics of such systems in the strong-coupling regime. We find that, under strong optomechanical coupling, steady quantum states of optomechanical systems driven by continuous-wave single photons exhibit periodic oscillation, and cavity noise considerably affects the system observables.
Steric inhibition of cytoplasmic dynein and kinesin motility by MAP2

Using several in vitro motility assays, we found that motility driven by the microtubule (MT) motors, kinesin and cytoplasmic dynein, could be inhibited by MAP2 but not by tau protein or the MT-binding proteolytic fragment of MAP2. In MT gliding assays, even the presence of one MAP2 molecule per sixty-nine tubulin dimers caused an inhibition of about 75% of MT motility at low concentrations of both motors. The percent inhibition of motility decreased with increasing concentration of either motor, suggesting that the inhibition was the result of competition for access to the MT surface. The decrease in the number of moving MTs with MAP2 was correlated with an increase in the frequency of release of moving MTs from the motor-coated glass. In assays of in vitro vesicular organelle motility and formation of ER networks, the presence of MAP2 inhibited small vesicle movements and to a lesser extent ER network formation. To determine if competition for specific sites on the MT or coating of the MT surface inhibited motility, we used tau protein and the chymotryptic MT-binding fragments of MAP2 to coat MTs. No inhibition was observed and there was even an increase in the number of attached and moving MTs in the gliding assay with tau-coated MTs. Because MAP2, tau and the chymotryptic MT-binding fragments of MAP2 bind to the same domain on tubulin, masking of the MT surface sites does not appear responsible for the inhibition of motility by MAP2. Rather, we suggest that the sidearm of MAP2 interfered with the interaction of motors with MTs and caused a dramatic increase in the rate of MT release. In vivo, MAP2 could play a major role in the generation of cellular polarity even at substoichiometric levels by inhibiting transport on microtubules in specific domains of the cytoplasm. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A continuous assay for the spectrophotometric analysis of sulfotransferases using aryl sulfotransferase IV.

We have developed a continuous spectrophotometric coupled-enzyme assay for sulfotransferase activity. This assay is based on the regeneration of 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) from the desulfated 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphate (PAP) by a recombinant aryl sulfotransferase using p-nitrophenyl sulfate as the sulfate donor and visible spectrophotometric indicator of enzyme turnover. Here recombinant rat aryl sulfotransferase IV (AST-IV) is expressed, resolved to the pure beta-form during purification, and utilized for the regeneration. The activity of betaAST-IV to catalyze the synthesis of PAPS from PAP and p-nitrophenyl sulfate is demonstrated via capillary zone electrophoresis, and the kinetics of this reverse-physiological reaction are calculated. betaAST-IV is then applied to the coupled enzyme system, where the steady-state activity of the commercially available Nod factor sulfotransferase is verified with an enzyme concentration study and substrate-specificity assays of N-chitoses. The potential applications of this assay include rapid kinetic determinations for carbohydrate and protein sulfotransferases, high-throughput screening of potential sulfotransferase substrates and inhibitors, and biomedical screening of blood samples and other tissues for specific sulfotransferase enzyme activity and substrate concentration.
Phosphorus sequestration in soil aggregates after long-term tillage and cropping

Cultivated soils in the Everglades are being converted to their historic use as pastures or seasonally flooded prairies as parts of restoration efforts, but long-term cultivation may have altered soil P distribution and availability which may pose eutrophication hazards upon change in land use. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of P in soil chemical and physical fractions for contrasting long-term land management practices. The distribution of P in labile, Fe–Al bound, Ca bound, humic–fulvic acid, and residual pools in five aggregate-size fractions were measured for fields under sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) cropping for 50 years and perennial pasture for 100 years. Both land uses were characterized by a high degree of macroaggregation, as aggregates >0.25 mm contained 76 and 83% of the total soil under cultivation and pasture, respectively. Soils under sugarcane sequestered a total of 77 kg ha � 1 more P than pasture at 0–15 cm. The distribution of P in chemical fractions significantly varied between land uses as cultivation increased P sequestration in Ca-bound fractions more for sugarcane (244 kg P ha � 1 ) than pasture (65 kg P ha � 1 ). Pasture sequestered more P in organic pools, as storage in humic–fulvic acid and residual fractions were 26 and 25%, respectively, higher than sugarcane. Labile P was 100% higher for pasture than sugarcane, but Fe–Al bound P storage did not differ between land uses. Aggregation increased P sequestration in humic–fulvic acid and residual fractions, and P storage in organic pools increased with increasing aggregate size. In contrast, cultivation decreased aggregation and increased P accumulation in inorganic fractions. Long-term cultivation altered the distribution of soil P from organic to inorganic pools. The P stored in inorganic pools is stable under current land use, but may be unstable and pose eutrophication hazards upon onset of future land use change to the seasonally flooded prairie ecosystem.
The Angels of Bataan

Fifty years ago, the strategic Battle of Bataan marked the end of American dominance in the Philippine Islands. Historians record the combat on that peninsula, during the winter and spring of 1942, as among the most brutal the United States Army and Navy ever fought. Eighty-eight women, including the first group of American military nurses to be sent into the field in World War II and 25 Filipina nurses endured the entire battle. The purpose of this article is to examine their experiences during the four months these nurses lived and worked through combat, starvation and illness on Bataan. Analysis of primary archival material from federal, private and military sources and nine oral history interviews indicate the women successfully adjusted from peacetime to war roles. They learned that individual and group self-reliance could help them survive the worse in war. From their earliest memoirs to recent interviews, the nurses displayed both a pride in their service and a sense of grief at the losses suffered on Bataan.
The Indirect Costs of Obesity to Society

Losses in productivity due to illnesses associated with obesity are considerable. In addition, significant social costs resulting from underachievement in education, reduced social activity and job discrimination can be incurred. While social class appears to influence the prevalence of obesity, obesity has, in turn, an influence on social class, probably through employment discrimination; obese men and women have lower status jobs, a situation that is perpetuated through lower status marriages.
Simulating the opening of fusible-link-actuated fire vents

Model equations, suitable for general use in compartment fire models, are developed to simulate the thermal response to arbitrary fire environments of fusible-link-activated automatic fire vents. The method of analysis, which focused on a prototype three-element link-mount design, can be extended to arbitrary multiple-element link mounts, including single-element simply supported links. A method was developed to determine the values of the set of parameters that characterize a particular multiple link-mount design. This involves: (1) the measured time-dependent thermal response of the link-mount design to exposure in a plunge test, the type of test used to characterize the thermal response of sprinkler links; and (2) an analytic means of determining values of the design parameters that yield an optimum fit between a solution to the model equations and the temperature data. The method takes account of the pre-fusing solder-melting phase of fusible-link response. The latter was shown to be very important for the link design used in this study. The method was carried out successfully for four plunge tests involving three link-mount systems and one or two system/flow orientations. The resulting system parameters and model equations were used in a successful simulation of vent actuation in a real, large-scale, fire scenario.
Attachment organization in a sample of incarcerated mothers: Distribution of classifications and associations with substance abuse history, depressive symptoms, perceptions of parenting competency and social support

We report attachment classifications in a sample of pregnant women incarcerated in a state prison with a nursery program. Analyses were based on 69 women serving sentences for felony crimes who were followed from the birth of their child to completion of the prison nursery co-residence. They completed the Adult Attachment Interview shortly after entering the program and scales measuring depression, perceived parenting competency, and social support at study entry (Time 1) and program completion (Time 2). Incarcerated mothers had higher rates of insecure attachment than previous low-risk community samples. Compared with dismissing and secure mothers, preoccupied mothers reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, lower parenting competency, and lower satisfaction with social support at the conclusion of the nursery program. Higher scores on unresolved loss and derogation were associated with a history of substance abuse; higher scores on unresolved trauma were associated with depressive symptoms at program completion.
Issues posed by chronic US deficits

Abstract Policy makers do not seem to learn from past mistakes. The same fiscal problems that were generated by Vietnam War finance are present again in connection with the Iraq War. Also the deficit generating policies of the Reagan Administration did not “… get away with it …” as suggested as justification for the present deficits. Uncertainty and attitudes towards energy policies once again are troublesome. Monetary policy alone, cannot deal with present deficit problems; there is a need for appropriate policy coordination – monetary and fiscal.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy A Review for Sonographers

A review of the mechanics, technical components, and treatment specifics associated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is presented. An overview of device similarities and differences, shock wave theory, and the use of ESWL for treatment of biliary and urinary calculi is covered. A general synopsis of relevant topics is provided with emphasis placed on those aspects that are related to sonography or may potentially require the involvement of a sonographer.
Hamster hepatocyte-mediated activation of procarcinogens to mutagens in the l5178y/tk mutation assay.

Eight procarcinogens including three nitrosamines, three polycyclic hydrocarbons, and two aromatic amines were tested for mutagenic potential at the thymidine kinase (TK) locus in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells co-cultivated with viable hamster hepatocytes. All eight chemicals produced substantial mutagenic activity as indicated by increased trifluorothymidine resistance in L5178Y cells treated in the presence of hepatocytes. Mutagenic responses to benzo[ a ]pyrene, 3-methyl-cholanthrene, N -nitrosodiethylamine, and N -nitrosodipropylamine first increased, then plateaued within the range of mutagen concentrations tested, while consistent dose-dependent increases in mutant frequencies were observed following 2-aminoanthracene, 2-aminofluorene, or N -nitrosodimethylamine treatments. The relatively flat portions of the mutant frequency curves for benzo[ a ]pyrene and 3-methylcholanthrene coincided with maximum chemical solubility as obvious from visible or microscopically detectable precipitate. These hamster cells readily facilitated the metabolism of 1,2-benzanthracene to a detectable mutagen and were especially competent in the activation of the two aromatic amines. Thus, cultured hamster hepatocytes can activate a variety of chemical carcinogens including polycyclic hydrocarbons to mutagens in a whole cell-mediated in vitro assay using L5178Y/TK +/− cells as the target organism.
Assessing Differences Between Grouped and Individual-Level Regression Coefficients Alternative Approaches

Several techniques for assessing differences between least-squares estimators of regression coefficients from group and individual-level data are summarized. The structural equations approach (Hannan and Burstein, 1974) and the X-rule approach (Firebaugh, 1978) generate estimates of predicted bias when individual-level data are available, and it is important to determine the consequences ofgrouping according to a known procedure. While the X-rule provides slightly more accurate forecasts, both approaches identify the same methods of grouping as resulting in either large or small bias. An approach based on the statistical significance of differences between estimators at two levels (Feige and Watts, 1972) is also described along with an alternative test based on a different interpretation of the standard test for significant differences among regression models. The empirical results indicate that both the Feige- Watts test and the proposed alternative significance test behave well for cases with small diff...
Recent Trends in State Spending: Patterns, Problems, Prospects

After more than three decades of institutional and fiscal capacity-building, the debate over the states' commitment to their citizens and local governments continues. Federaldomestic disengagement, the national recession, taxpayer unrest, and anti-incumbent sentiments, among other factors, have raised concerns about the states'performance. This article reviews recent trends in state spendingfor public education, Medicaid, corrections, AFDC, and local aid to discern changes and assess their implications for the states' role and record.
The profits of the Cross: merchant involvement in the Baltic Crusade (c. 1180-1230)

The establishment of the Roman Catholic Church and a German ethnic community on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea in the Middle Ages was a result of the coordinated efforts of the north German ecclesiastical establishment, the Saxon-Westphalian knighthood, and the merchants of the nascent Hansa in the first half of the thirteenth century. The conversion of the indigenous peoples of the Baltic to Christianity was carried out under the ideological umbrella of crusade as part of the effort to construct an episcopal state in the region. Commercial interests actively supported the crusade deemed necessary to accomplish this conversion effort in order to accomplish their mercantile aims. Conversion entailed the acceptance of the prevalent legal norms and mores of Latin Christendom by the Balts and so provided for a safer and more congenial environment for the conduct of trade by north German merchants.
A Cyclic AMP Response Element in the Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Gene and the Transcription Factor CREM Are Required for Transcription of the mRNA for the Testicular Isozyme

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene produces two mRNA species from tissue-specific promoters. The transcription start site of the mRNA for the smaller testicular isozyme (ACET) is located within an intron of the larger transcription unit that encodes the pulmonary isozyme (ACEP).We have previously demonstrated that a 298-base pair DNA fragment, 5′ to the rabbit ACET mRNA transcription initiation site, can activate the testicular expression of a transgenic reporter gene. In the current study, using the same transgenic reporter system, we identified a putative cyclic AMP response element present within this DNA fragment to be absolutely essential for transcriptional activation. Moreover, we observed that ACET mRNA was not expressed in the testes of mice homozygous for a null mutation in the transcription factor CREM. However, in the same mice, ACEP mRNA was abundantly expressed in the lung. Our observations indicate that ACET mRNA expression in the testes is regulated by the putative cyclic AMP response element present 5′ to the transcription start site and the corresponding transcription factor CREM.
Tropospheric ozone evolution between 1890 and 1990

[1] In this study, we have performed a set of simulations to detail the evolution of tropospheric ozone from 1890 to 1990. The simulations are compared with available measurements for present-day conditions and earlier. Using our best estimates of ozone precursors emissions (based on the work by van Aardenne et al. (2001)), we have found a tropospheric ozone burden increase of 71 Tg between 1890 and 1990, an increase of � 30%. When no anthropogenic emissions in 1890 are considered, this burden increase reaches 88 Tg. The ozone lifetime is shown to have decreased by � 30%, especially after 1930. It is also shown that the net chemical production in the lower troposphere exceeded that in the free troposphere for the first time in the 1950–1970 period. In addition, the ozone production in this study increased rapidly between 1890 and 1930 and from 1970 to 1990. However, the ozone production efficiency in the troposphere is shown to have decreased during the 20th century, making the troposphere less NOx limited. Finally, a decrease in the OH burden is estimated to be on the order of 8%, matched by a similar increase in the CO lifetime.
Variance of collapse capacity of SDOF systems under earthquake excitations

The variance of collapse capacity is an important constituent of probabilistic methodologies used to evaluate the probability of collapse of structures subjected to earthquake ground motions. This study evaluates the effect of ground motion randomness (i.e. record-to-record (RTR) variability) and uncertainty in the deterioration parameters of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems on the variance of collapse capacity. Collapse capacity is evaluated in terms of a relative intensity defined as the ratio of ground motion intensity to a structure strength parameter. The effect of RTR variability on the variance of collapse capacity is directly obtained by performing dynamic analyses of deteriorating hysteretic models for a set of representative ground motions. The first-order second-moment (FOSM) method is used to quantify the effect of deterioration parameter uncertainty. In addition to RTR variability, the results indicate that uncertainty in the displacement at the peak (cap) strength and the post-capping stiffness significantly contribute to the variance of collapse capacity. If large dispersion of these parameters exists, the effect of uncertainty in deterioration parameters on the variance of collapse capacity may be comparable to that caused by RTR variability. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards a multi-disciplinary Bradford law

Bradford's law, perhaps the most well known of the Informetric regularities, analyzes the scattering of articles in a single discipline over journals. Yet journals are multi-disciplinary entities. This paper discusses the implications for Bradford's law of the multi-disciplinary character of journals, and defines a simple model that indicates the evolution of journals as a competition among subjects for space.
Molecular Simulations Revealing Dynamics of a Chemokine Receptor Homodimer

Mutation resistance is currently a problem for anti-HIV therapies that inhibit protease and reverse transcriptase mechanisms. HIV penetration is initiated by viral surface proteins interacting with host cell receptors, such as the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) CXC Chemokine Receptor 4 (CXCR4), and targeting this protein represents a viable solution to resistance setbacks. Recently, multiple crystal structures of CXCR4 have been solved, which include notable differences from other GPCR structures available, including a likely biologically relevant homodimer interface. These structures allude to unique dynamics and possible ligand design strategies. Explicit atomic level molecular dynamics simulations of CXCR4 have been carried out, and are discussed in the context of current trends and observations of GPCR dynamics, modeling and functional modulation. Investigation of monomer-monomer interactions were emphasized, and compared to crystal structure observations.
Structure-function analysis of photosystem II subunit S (PsbS) in vivo.

In land plants, photosystem II subunit S (PsbS) plays a key role in xanthophyll- and pH-dependent non-photochemical quenching (qE) of excess absorbed light energy. Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. npq4 mutants are defective in the psbS gene and have impaired qE. Exactly how the PsbS protein is involved in qE is unclear, but it has been proposed that PsbS binds H+ and/or de-epoxidized xanthophylls in excess light as part of the qE mechanism. To identify amino acid residues that are important for PsbS function, we sequenced the psbS gene from eight npq4 point mutant alleles isolated by forward genetics screening, including two new alleles. In the four transmembrane helices of PsbS, several amino acid residues were found to affect the stability and/or function of the protein. By comparing the predicted amino acid sequences of PsbS from several plant species and studying the proposed topological structure of PsbS, eight possible H+-binding amino acid residues on the lumenal side of the protein were identified and then altered by site-directed mutagenesis in vitro. The mutant psbS genes were transformed into npq4-1, a psbS deletion mutant, to test the stability and function of the mutant PsbS proteins invivo. The results demonstrate that two conserved, protonatable amino acids, E122 and E226, are especially critical for the function of PsbS.
Temporal analysis of DNA restriction digests by capillary electrophoresis

We demonstrate a facile means for temporal analysis of DNA restriction enzyme digests by capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detection. phi X-174 DNA was digested with HaeIII restriction enzyme under conditions that allowed the monitoring of digestion as it proceeded toward completion. Separation by a polymer solution of methylcellulose in a polyacrylamide coated capillary allowed high resolution and a high degree of reproducibility between sequential runs. At pre-selected time intervals an injection of the digest, directly from the reaction mixture, was made. Sensitive detection was achieved by using ethidium bromide as an intercalation dye and allowing intercalation to occur on-column. It is demonstrated that the course of the digestion (i.e., the creation and diminishing of fragment peaks) can be followed using this methodology. Also demonstrated is the ability to use temporal analysis to determine ideal conditions for producing a single cut within a cloning and expression vector (pET3a-PAI-1) which contains 11 potential restriction endonuclease cleavage sites. This initial attempt to follow a restriction digest on-column not only provides meaningful information for the biochemical researcher, but also furthers the use of CE a diagnostic tool for the biochemical laboratory.
Radiometric calibration of Landsat Thematic Mapper Thermal Band

Radiometric calibration of satellite-acquired data is essential for quantitative scientific studies, as well as for a variety of image-processing applications. This paper describes a multiyear, on-orbit radiometric calibration of the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) Band 6 conducted at DOE's Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Numerous Landsat TM scenes acquired and analyzed included day and night coverages at several geographical locations over several seasons. Concurrent with Landsat overpasses, thermal field and local meteorological (surface and radiosonde) measurements were collected. At-satellite (uncorrected) radiances and temperatures for water and nonwater land cover were compared to ground truth (GT) measurements after making adjustments for atmospheric (using LOWTRAN), mixed-pixel, and emissivity effects. Results indicate that, for both water and nonwater features, TM Band 6 average corrected temperature determinations using local radiosonde data to adjust for atmospheric effects, and using appropriate emissivities, are within 1.0 C of GT temperature values. Temperatures of water pixels derived from uncorrected TM Band 6 data varied roughly between 1 and 3 C of ground truth values for water temperatures ranging between 4 and 24 C. Moreover, corrections using nonlocal and noncoincident radiosonde data resulted in errors as large as 12 C. Corrections using the U.S. Standard Atmosphere gave temperature values within 1 to 2 C of GT. The average uncertainty for field instruments was + or - 0.2 C; average uncertainty for Landsat TM corrected temperature determinations was + or - 0.4 C.
Comment on ‘Dynamic analysis of optimality in myocardial energy metabolism under normal and ischemic conditions’

Mol Syst Biol. 4: 207 In a recent paper, Luo et al (2006) present an innovative and perhaps useful approach to simulating metabolism, termed M‐dynamic flux balance analysis, in which metabolic fluxes are estimated by minimizing an objective function that is computed from a weighted sum of deviations in fluxes and concentrations from baseline conditions. Unfortunately, this study is severely deficient in terms of its presentation, model assumptions, and validation of modeling predictions. One problem with the presentation is that key variables are not given units. For example, the flow F is varied from 1 to 0.2 to simulate myocardial ischemia. Although the reader is not told about the units by which flow is measured, it is apparent from the equations that F must have units of inverse time. Thus perhaps F represents flow divided by volume. In that case, for the simulated range to be reasonable, we might guess that the units are 1/min. The following analysis of the method and results of Luo et al (2006) assumes this guess to be correct. In addition to the lack of rigor in its …
Agent Technologies for Control Applications in the Power Grid

Remotely controlled network devices will transform the way power systems are operated and studied. One possible application for this is the use of agent based technologies to implement decentralized control algorithms. The agents would perform local control actions instead of centralized control actions. Two cases are presented. The second case would be examined in detail. In the first case, the power losses were minimized using a decentralized algorithm and the results were similar to those found using a centralized algorithm. In the second case, transmission line overloads are relieved by controlling the load in the system. For this case, a detailed algorithm to control loads was presented to show the integration that would be required between the transmission and distribution network. This work showed that to implement decentralized control a reliable communication network within the power system will be necessary.