cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coordinate changes in fast thin filament and Z-line protein expression in the early response to chronic stimulation

The early response to chronic low frequency stimulation is characterized by coordinate changes in fast thin filament and Z-line protein expression prior to the expression of slow contractile proteins. Within the first 3 weeks of intervention there is 1) a transition from expression of the fast troponin (Tn) Ts TnT1f and TnT2f to expression of TnT3f, 2) a parallel change in Z-line protein expression in which alpha-actinin1f/s becomes predominant, and 3) a small but significant increase in the levels of the beta-tropomyosin (Tm) subunit. The timing of these changes coincides with the conversion to thick Z-lines, and the kinetics of changes in fast TnT and alpha-actinin isoforms suggests that the expression of TnT3f with alpha-actinin1f/s and a combination of alpha beta and beta 2-Tm, which we have designated the TnT3f program, is coordinated. Because fast fibers expressing TnT3f with alpha beta and beta 2-Tm, like slow fibers, exhibit a more graded response to calcium (Schachat, F.H., Diamond, M.S., and Brandt, P.W. (1987) J. Mol. Biol., 198, 551-555), this change appears to be an adaptive response, illustrating the contribution of isoform diversity to the physiological plasticity of fast skeletal muscle and indicating that expression of the TnT3f program may be an intermediate phase in the conversion from a fast to a slow molecular phenotype.
OpenMath Content Dictionaries for SI Quantities and Units

We document the creation of a new set of OpenMath content dictionaries to support the expression of quantities and units under the International System of Units (SI). While preserving many of the concepts embodied in the original content dictionaries, these new content dictionaries provide a foundation for quantities and units that is compliant with international standards. We respond to questions raised in prior efforts to create content dictionaries for units and dimensions by proposing and applying some rationalized criteria for the creation of content dictionaries in general. The results have been released and submitted to the OpenMath website as contributed content dictionaries.
Optimized Routing in the Cray T3D

The Cray T3D uses a bidirectional, 3D torus interconnection network. Virtual channels are used both to prevent deadlock, and to improve network performance. This paper describes the Cray T3D network and introduces the concept of virtual channel balance. We show that balancing the traffic carried by each virtual channel can significantly improve network performance. We also discuss a technique, employing simulated annealing, for assigning virtual channels to routes in order to improve virtual channel balance.
Is Internet Exceptionalism Dead

Is there such a thing as Internet exceptionalism? If so, just what is the Internet an exception to? It may appear technical, but this is actually one of the big questions of our generation, for the Internet has shaped the United States and the world over the last twenty years in ways people still struggle to understand. The question is not merely academic. The greatest Internet firms can be succinctly defined as those that have best understood what makes the Internet different.
Genetic Characterization of Cytological Region 77A–D Harboring the Presenilin Gene of Drosophila melanogaster

We performed a systematic lethal mutagenesis of the genomic region uncovered by Df(3L)rdgC-co2 (cytological interval 77A-D) to isolate mutations in the single known Presenilin (Psn) gene of Drosophila melanogaster. Because this segment of chromosome III has not been systematically characterized before, inter se complementation testing of newly recovered mutants was carried out. A total of 79 lethal mutations were isolated, representing at least 17 lethal complementation groups, including one corresponding to the Psn gene. Fine structure mapping of the genomic region surrounding the Psn transcription unit by transgenic rescue experiments allowed us to localize two of the essential loci together with Psn within an approximately 12-kb genomic DNA region. One of these loci, located 3' to Psn, encodes a Drosophila protein related to the yeast 60S ribosomal protein L10 precursor. We also determined which of the newly recovered lethal mutant groups correspond to previously isolated lethal P-element insertions, lethal inversion breakpoints, and lethal polo gene mutants. Point mutations were identified in all five recovered Psn alleles, one of which results in a single amino acid substitution G-E at a conserved residue in the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of the protein, suggesting an important functional role for this C-terminal domain of Presenilin. In addition, some viable mutations were recovered in the screen, including new alleles of the clipped and inturned loci.
Who are the Europeans? European Identity Outside of European Integration

What do we know about the relationship between Europe, the European Union and European identity? While national identity is a multifaceted phenomenon, European identity has been linked to the growth of the European Union. This article attempts to analyze some of the attributes of individuals with European identity in central and eastern Europe prior to EU accession by applying existing hypotheses on correlates of European identity. The phenomenon of identification with Europe prior to EU accession provides a window into understanding the identity mechanisms that inform the concept of European identity. The first Eurobarometer surveys measuring European identification in central and eastern accession states reported a puzzling finding: that more people, not less, identified with Europe than in existing EU states. An analysis of the Eurobarometer results provides counter-intuitive comparisons and contrasts between eastern and western Europe and uncovers potential mechanisms illustrating the content of contemporary European identity.
Accurate and stable matrix-free time-domain method independent of element shape for general electromagnetic analysis

In this paper, we present a new time-domain method that is naturally matrix free, i.e., requiring no matrix solution, regardless of whether the discretization is a structured grid or an unstructured mesh. Its matrix-free property is independent of the element shape used for discretization, and its implementation is straightforward. No interpolations, projections, and mass lumping are required. The accuracy and stability of the proposed method are theoretically analyzed and shown to be guaranteed. In addition, no dual mesh is needed and the tangential continuity of the fields is satisfied across the element interface. The flexible framework of the proposed method also allows for a straightforward extension to higher-order accuracy in both electric and magnetic fields. Numerical experiments have validated the accuracy and generality of the proposed matrix-free method.
How Reliable Are the ICD9-CM Billing Codes in the Administrative Data To Estimate the Risk of Seizures and Epilepsy after Stroke? (P05.247)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether ICD9 hospital discharge codes for seizures and epilepsy reliably identify seizures occurring during hospitalization for stroke. BACKGROUND: A prospective study found that first-ever post stroke seizures occurred in 8.9% of patients within 2 weeks of acute stroke. Retrospective studies have found rates from 2 to 6%. DESIGN/METHODS: We used ICD9 discharge codes for seizures (780.3x) and epilepsy (345.xx) to identify possible seizures occurring during hospitalization for acute stroke using the Montefiore Stroke Registry from January 2009- December 2011. RESULTS: Among 3003 confirmed stroke cases, 241 (8.0%) had a primary or secondary ICD9 code for seizure or epilepsy, out of which chart review confirmed that a seizure occurred during hospitalization or there was a history of epilepsy in 212 cases (88%). A first-ever seizure occurred in 93 cases (3.1%), among whom 39 (42%) were coded as epilepsy and 54 (58%) as seizure. There was a history of epilepsy prior to stroke in 119 cases (4.0%), among whom 99 (83%) were coded as epilepsy and 20 (17%) as seizure. Another 29 cases (1.0%) did not have a seizure during hospitalization or history of epilepsy prior to stroke, among whom 14 (48%) had a code for epilepsy and 15 (52%) for seizure. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with acute stroke, secondary ICD9 codes identified 3.1% with first-ever stroke-related seizures, a figure only slightly lower than identified in other retrospective studies. The codes correctly identified that a seizure had occurred at some point in time almost 90% of the time; however the assignment of codes for seizure versus epilepsy was erratic, perhaps due to the common use of the term “seizure disorder” for epilepsy. It appears that administrative databases may be used as an effective screen for acute post-stroke seizures but chart review remains necessary for confirmation. Disclosure: Dr. De Jesus-Alvelo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Labovitz has nothing to disclose.
Notch signaling inhibits muscle cell differentiation through a CBF1-independent pathway

Notch controls cell fate by inhibiting cellular differentiation, presumably through activation of the transcriptional regulator human C promoter Binding Factor (CBF1), which transactivates the hairy and Enhancer of split (HES-1) gene. However, we describe constitutively active forms of Notch1, which inhibit muscle cell differentiation but do not interact with CBF1 or upregulate endogenous HES-1 expression. In addition, Jagged-Notch interactions that prevent the expression of muscle cell specific genes do not involve the upregulation of endogenous HES-1. In fact, exogenous expression of HES-1 in C2C12 myoblasts does not block myogenesis. Our data demonstrate the existence of a CBF1-independent pathway by which Notch inhibits differentiation. We therefore propose that Notch signaling activates at least two different pathways: one which involves CBF1 as an intermediate and one which does not.
Practical Resource Monitoring for Robust High Throughput Computing

Robust high throughput computing requires effective monitoring and enforcement of a variety of resources including CPU cores, memory, disk, and network traffic. Without effective monitoring and enforcement, it is easy to overload machines, causing failures and slowdowns, or underutilize machines, which results in wasted opportunities. This paper explores how to describe, measure, and enforce resources used by computational tasks. We focus on tasks running in distributed execution systems, in which a task requests the resources it needs, and the execution system ensures the availability of such resources. This presents two non-trivial problems: how to measure the resources consumed by a task, and how to monitor and report resource exhaustion in a robust and timely manner. For both of these tasks, operating systems have a variety of mechanisms with different degrees of availability, accuracy, overhead, and intrusiveness. We describe various forms of monitoring and the available mechanisms in contemporary operating systems. We then present two specific monitoring tools that choose different tradeoffs in overhead and accuracy, and evaluate them on a selection of benchmarks.
Highly Specific Novel Method for Isolation and Purification of Lupus Anti‐DNA Antibody via Oligo‐(dT) Magnetic Beads

A novel method for isolation and purification of anti-ssDNA antibodies from human sera is developed. The process involves: antibody purification based on their affinity for single-stranded sequence of thymidines and removal of remaining components via protein G coated magnetic beads, with high affinity for only IgG subclass. The high degree of purity and molecular weights of healthy versus lupus anti-ssDNA antibodies were confirmed by SDS-PAGE and silver staining. Western blot confirmed IgG isotype. This novel technique allows for diagnostic purposes, structural and functional analysis of anti-DNA antibodies, and studies of their role in autoimmune diseases.
Geochemical behaviors of different element groups during shale weathering at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory

Major and trace element concentrations were measured in bedrock, regolith and stream sediments from a first-order catchment developed entirely on grey shale in central Pennsylvania, USA. These elements can be classified into five major groups based on statistical data analysis. The presence of different elemental groups is due to the mineralogical origin, cycling processes, and geochemical properties of these elements during soil formation. A better understanding of the behaviors of these elements during chemical weathering would allow for their possible use as natural tracers in Critical Zone processes.
Assembly and manipulation of micro devices-A state of the art survey

This paper provides a comprehensive review of research efforts in the emerging field of micro devices assembly (MDA) as well as identifies future directions for research. The general domain dealing with both manual and automated assembly of micro devices can be referred to as MDA. The study of computer-based methods to accomplish the assembly of micron-sized parts can be described as Automated MDA (AMDA). The primary focus of this paper is to provide an overview of concepts related to MDA as well as a review of various segments of MDA research including study of the role of interactive forces at the micro level, the design of innovative gripping and assembly techniques as well as the use of information technology (IT) based approaches.
Missing-Data Adjustments in Large Surveys

Useful properties of a general-purpose imputation method for numerical data are suggested and discussed in the context of several large government surveys. Imputation based on predictive mean matching is proposed as a useful extension of methods in existing practice, and versions of the method are presented for unit nonresponse and item nonresponse with a general pattern of missingness. Extensions of the method to provide multiple imputations are also considered. Pros and cons of weighting adjustments are discussed, and weighting-based analogs to predictive mean matching are outlined.
955-57 Intravenous Dextrose Albumin Sonicated with Evaporated Perfluoropentane Reduces Left Ventricular Cavity Attenuation and Improves the Echocardiographic Detection of Posterior Myocardial Perfusion Abnormalities

Large concentrations of intravenous (IV) albumin microbubbles are capable of producing visual anterior myocardial contrast (MC). This also results in high left ventricular cavity contrast which prevents visualization of posterior myocardium due to attenuation. Recently, MC following intravenous sonicated dextrose albumin has been possible by altering microbubble (MB) gas composition to one with lower blood solubility and diffusivity due to their higher molecular weight (MW). Since this preserves MB size in blood, we hypothesized that lower doses of this contrast could produce the same MC effect with less cavity attenuation following intravenous injection. Accordingly, we sonicated dextrose albumin with two different gases of different MW: an evaporated fluorocarbon gas (perfluoropentane: MW 270 grams/mole (PPSDA); or perfluoropropane MW 188 g/mole (PESDA)). A total of 30 intravenous doses of 0.015–0.060 ml/kg of the two different samples were given to open chest dogs under baseline conditions, during adenosine infusion (140 /kg/min), during acute ischemia produced by a left circumflex stenosis or occlusion, and finally during subsequent reperfusion of the circumflex vessel. The peak myocardial videointensity (PMVI) and duration (in seconds) of attenuation (ATT) in the posteriorwall of these two agents were compared. PMVI in the anterior (AW) and posterior wall (PW) were measured following each injection, as were left circumflex and left anterior descending flow rates with a Transonic Doppler. Values are mean ± standard deviation: AW PMVI PW PMVI ATT PESDA 4.8 ± 2.2 0.6 ± 0.9 24 ± 8 PPSDA 4.4 ± 1.5 3.4 ± 2.4 * 14 ± 6 * * p l 0.01 compared to PESDA Both agents produced visually evident and similaranterior myocardial contrast, but PESDA caused prolonged posterior wall attenuation and failed to produce significant posterior wall contrast. The dextrose albumin sonicated with the gas of highest MW(PPSDA) produced significantly higher posterior wall contrast (see example) which also improved the detection of area at risk during LCX ischemia. We conclude that dextrose albumin sonicated with an evaporated larger molecular weight fluorocarbon gas results in (a) improved myocardial contrast of the posterior leftventricularwall with significantly less attenuation; and (b) visual determination of the area at risk during posterior ischemia.
A tracheal culture model of respiratory tract infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the respiratory tract has been examined using hamster tracheal organ cultures. Tracheal rings prepared from male Syrian hamsters, strain LSH/LAK, were infected with P. aeruginosa for 4 h and processed at 4-h intervals for 24 h for examination by light- and electron microscopy. Tissue destruction was observed within 8 h after infection with 10(8) colony-forming units (cfu)/ml and within 12 h after infection with 10(4) or 10(6) cfu/ml. Ciliated cells that contained abnormal subcellular organelles were expelled from the epithelium. By 20 h the epithelial borders were composed primarily of nonciliated cells. Transmission- and scanning electron microscopy revealed details of the cellular destruction and attachment of P. aeruginosa to the ciliated epithelium. Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes a rapid destruction of the epithelium of hamster trachea in cultures. Hamster tracheal organ cultures have been shown to be useful in studying the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa for the respiratory tract.
Two 3'-terminal sequences in satellite tobacco necrosis virus RNA.

Two 3′-terminal sequences, G(U, 2AC)COH and G(U, 2AC, C)COH, have been isolated in approximately equal amounts from RNA of Satellite Tobacco Necrosis Virus. The RNA preparations do not contain detectable amounts of 3′-terminal adenosine.
Solidification of a supercooled liquid in stagnation-point flow

Abstract The solidification of a thermally supercooled liquid in stagnation-point flow is investigated. Due to the advancing solidifying front, both the temperature and flow fields are time dependent. A numerical solution to the problem using an interface tracking method is compared to analytical solutions obtained for instantaneous similarity (short time solution) and quasi-steady state (long time solution). The results show that the velocity of the solid–liquid interface eventually reaches a constant value and that the magnitude of the interface velocity increases with greater thermal supercooling. The solution to this problem provides insight into more complicated solidification problems relating to crystal growth.
Equilibrium and Kinetic Analysis of the Condensation of Multifunctional Units in the Limit of High Functionality

Abstract Experimental data' has recently been obtained on the cluster size distributions for antigen-coated microspheres crosslinked by antibody molecules. A theoretical analysis of this system, assuming that thermo-dynamic equilibrium has been achieved, and using the appropriate bonding rules for this antigen-antibody system, results in a prediction that the cluster size distribution has the following form where Xm is the mole fraction of clusters containing m microspheres, Xo is the mole fraction of the total number of microspheres originally put into solution, and b is the mean number of bonds per microsphere. This distribution is identical to the Flory-Stockmayer distribution for the self-condensation of multi-functional units in the limit of high functionality. For such a distribution the sol-gel transition occurs at b=0.5.
Political Ontology and Institutional Design in Montesquieu and Rousseau

Historians of political thought have been puzzled by Montesquieu's simultaneous appeals to the diversity of human practices and eternal norms of justice. Isaiah Berlin famously referred to this as an impassable “contradiction” burdening his work. Careful examination of Rousseau's appropriations from and developments on Montesquieu, however, reveal that these observations are not merely reconcilable—they provide a fruitful way to approach legislation and constitution drafting. This is accomplished by understanding his employment of the principle of transcendent constrained indeterminacy.
Time-resolved study of sideband generation and transition to chaos on an infrared FEL

We report observations on sideband generation and transition to chaos in an infrared Free Electron Laser operating at a wavelength {lambda}{sub r} of 4 {mu}m with a low loss optical cavity. The temporal evolution of the radiation spectrum through the complete macropulse has been measured on a micropulse to micropulse basis. Stable sidebands are observed for small cavity detuning with frequency offsets in good agreement with calculations. For even smaller cavity detuning, self-oscillations occur with the main laser wavelength varying by up to 2%. Using a wavelength stabilization system based on RF feedback, we have suppressed these wavelength fluctuations without loss of peak power.
Applications of stochastic optimal control/dynamic programming to international finance and debt crises

Abstract In July 1997, the economies of East Asia became embroiled in one of the worst financial crises of the postwar period. In 2001 Argentina defaulted on its sovereign debt. Prior to the crises, the markets and the International Monetary Fund viewed these economies as models of growth and stability. We use stochastic optimal control and dynamic programming to model an optimal foreign debt and show why divergences of the actual debt from the optimal make the economies vulnerable to crises. These divergences imply measurable warning signals. We provide examples of the derived warning signals for Korea and Argentina.
KRb ratios in Precambrian granulite terranes

Concentrations of potassium and rubidium are reported for 62 Precambrian shield whole-rock samples belonging to the pyroxene granulite facies of world-wide distribution. Compared with the Main Trend established by Shaw (1968) for igneous and quasi-igneous rocks of the upper crust, the high-grade metamorphic granulites exhibit a similar correlation but with a measurable depletion in Rb for a given K content. The Metamorphic Trend may be described by the equations: log10 (ppm Rb) = 1.136 log10 (per cent K) + 1.495 or ppm Rb = 31.28 (per cent K)1.136. The square of the product moment correlation coefficient shows that 80 per cent of the variation in Rb is associated with variation in K. All suites studied have initial 87Sr86Sr ratios less than 0.707. This low value argues against repeated extraction of Rb and K through time on a regional scale. Rather, the major depletion in these lithophile elements occurred in the early stages of crustal evolution.
Bayesian Estimates of the Evolutionary Rate and Age of Hepatitis B Virus

Accurately estimating the evolutionary rate and age of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has proven to be one of the most difficult problems in studies of viral evolution. To help resolve these issues we employed a recently developed Bayesian coalescent approach to globally sampled human and avian hepadnavirus genome sequences, accounting for lineage-specific rate variation, the presence of overlapping reading frames, and the potential impact of recombination. Our analysis revealed an unexpectedly high rate of evolutionary change—up to 10−4 nucleotide substitutions (subs) per site per year and always more than ~10−6 subs/site/year. These rates suggested a time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of the sampled isolates of consistently less than ~1500 years ago for human HBV and less than 6000 years ago for the avian hepadnaviruses. Notably, the evolutionary rate of nonoverlapping regions of the viral genome was ~2-fold greater than that of overlapping genome regions, reflecting the complex patterns of selective constraint inherent in the former. We also reveal that most recombination events in both human and avian HBV tend to fall in a specific region of the viral genome, which contains all four viral open reading frames and which may therefore represent a “hot spot” for recombination. However, while recombination affects estimates of both evolutionary rate and tMRCA, in no case was this sufficient to challenge the hypothesis that the dominant mode of HBV evolution is by recent cross-species transmission. We conclude that HBV exhibits rapid evolutionary dynamics, typical of other viruses dependent on reverse transcriptase-mediated replication.
Human lung adenocarcinoma α1,3/4-L-fucosyltransferase displays two molecular forms, high substrate affinity for clustered sialyl LacNAc type 1 units as well as mucin core 2 sialyl LacNAc type 2 unit and novel α1,2-L-fucosylating activity

Human lung tumor alpha1,3/4-L-fucosyltransferase (FT) was purified (2000-fold, 29% recovery) from 290 g of tissue by including a chromatography step on Affinity Gel-GDP. Two molecular forms (FTA, larger size carrying 15% alpha1,4-FT activity; FTB, the major form with 85% activity) were separated by further fractionation on a Sephacryl S-100 HR column. A difference in the electrophoretic mobilities of these two activities was also found on native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Both forms were devoid of typical alpha1,2-fucosylating activity but were associated with the novel alpha1,2-fucosylating ability of converting the Lewis a determinant to Lewis b. Based on percentage activity toward 2-O-MeGalbeta1,3GlcNAcbeta-O-Bn, both forms exhibited the same extent of activity toward various acceptors, which included sulfated, sialylated, or methylated LacNAc type 1 or type 2 as well as mucin core 2 acceptors. However, FTA and FTB exhibited a difference in their ability to act on mucin core 2 3'-sialyl LacNAc (activities 24.2% and 40.8%, respectively, as compared to 2-O-MeGalbeta1,3GlcNAcbeta-O-Bn). The unsubstituted LacNAc type 1 acceptors were 15-20 times as active as the corresponding LacNAc type 2 acceptors. The 3-O-substitution on the beta1,4-linked Gal (methyl, sulfate, or sialyl) in mucin core 2 acceptors increased the efficiency of these acceptors five- to eightfold. The most efficient acceptor for FTA and FTB was 3-O-sulfoGalbeta1,3GlcNAcbeta-O-Al (K(m) 100 and 47 microM, respectively). The K(m) (mM) values for 2-O-methyl Galbeta1,3GlcNAcbeta-O-Bn and 3-O-sialyl Galbeta1,3GlcNAcbeta-O-Bn were 0.40 and 2.5 (FTA) and 0.16 and 0.67 (FTB), respectively. The 35-kDa glycoprotein ancrod (from Malayan pit viper venom) containing 36% complex N-glycans with the antennae NeuAcalpha2,3Galbeta1,3GlcNAcbeta- acted as the best macromolecular acceptor substrate (K(m): 45 microM), as examined with FTB. On desialylation the acceptor efficiency dropped to approximately 50% (K(m) for asialo ancrod: 167 microM). Sialylglycoproteins, such as carcinoembryonic antigen, fetuin, and bovine alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein, were better acceptors than asialo fetuin. On the contrary, fetuin triantennary glycopeptide containing predominantly NeuAcalpha2,3Galbeta1,4GlcNAcbeta- was only 55% active as compared to the asialo glycopeptide (K(m): 1.43 and 0.63 mM, respectively). Thus, the human lung tumor alpha1,3/4-L-FT has the potential to generate clustered sialyl Lewis a and Lewis b determinants in N-glycans and sialyl Lewis x determinant in mucin core 2 structures.
Rethinking religion and world affairs

Rethinking Religion and World Affairs is a post-9/11 dive into the turbid and heretofore carefully avoided waters of religion and its impact on world affairs. Although the editors pay respect to sc...
NIF optical component wavefront measurement instrumentation and initial manufaturing results

Optical specifications for the National Ignition Facility apply power spectral density (PSD) analysis to restrict the influence of periodic frequencies over the range of 0.03 mm−1 to 100 mm−1. Phase measuring interferometry is applied to the measurement of such frequencies and presented here is a description of the instrumentation and example measurements on NIF pilot production optics.
Asymptotic Geometry of Hyperbolic Well-ordered Cantor Sets

In this paper we study the well-ordered Cantor sets in hyperbolic sets on the line and the plane. Examples of such sets occur in circle maps and in area-preserving twist maps. We set up a renormalization scheme employing in both cases the first return map. We prove convergence of this scheme. The convergence implies that the asymptotic geometry of such a well-ordered set with irrational rotation number and their nearby well-ordered orbits is determined by the Lyapunov exponent of this set.
Lyapunov convexity type theorems for non-atomic vector measures

Given a Banach space X , we consider the problem of when the range of a non-atomic, and σ-additive X -valued measure has a convex closure. We give a survey of Lyapunov convexity type theorems pertaining to this problem. We also give a necessary and sufficient condition that will insure the convexity of the closure of the range of the measure. In particular, we show that the closure of the range of a non-atomic and σ-additive X -valued measure is convex whenever it is compact. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 46G10, 46B99 Key words: Vector measures, Lyapunov convexity theorem, Lyapunov property, Banach spaces Quaestiones Mathematicae 26(2003), 371–383
Silver-Enhanced Colloidal Gold Electrochemical Stripping Detection of DNA Hybridization

We report on a novel method for detecting DNA hybridization, based on the precipitation of silver on gold nanoparticle tags and a subsequent electrochemical stripping detection of the dissolved silver. Such coupling of a nanoparticle-promoted silver precipitation with the remarkable sensitivity of stripping metal analysis offers a dramatic enhancement of the hybridization response. An efficient magnetic isolation of the duplex is used for discriminating against nonhybridized DNA, including an excess of mismatched oligonucleotides. The new silver-enhanced colloidal gold stripping detection strategy holds great promise for the detection of DNA hybridization and represents an attractive alternative to indirect optical affinity assays of nucleic acids and other biomolecules.
Ontogeny of opioid and related peptides in the rat cns and pituitary: an immunocytochemical study.

The development of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) derived peptides was compared to that of leucine-enkephalin ([Leu]ENK) and dynorphin A (DYN-A) immunoreactivity (i.r.) in the rat CNS and pituitary gland. POMC i.r. appeared first in hypothalamic neurons on embryonic day E12, in pituitary anterior lobe (AL) cells on E15, in pituitary intermediate lobe (IL) cells on E16, and in perikarya of the nucleus tractus solitarius on E17. In the fetal stages (E19-22), all POMC systems appeared adult-like; however, peak i.r. occurred between postnatal days P21-28. The development of alpha-MSH (a-MSH) i.r. was dissimilar to that of other POMC peptides including beta-endorphin (B-End). In contrast, both [Leu]ENK and DYN-A i.r. appeared in later embryonic stages (E16-17), and their maturation lagged behind that of POMC peptides. Peak i.r. for these latter peptides also occurred between P21-28.
Genotype-informed estimation of risk of coronary heart disease based on genome-wide association data linked to the electronic medical record

Susceptibility variants identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have modest effect sizes. Whether such variants provide incremental information in assessing risk for common 'complex' diseases is unclear. We investigated whether measured and imputed genotypes from a GWAS dataset linked to the electronic medical record alter estimates of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Study participants (n = 1243) had no known cardiovascular disease and were considered to be at high, intermediate, or low 10-year risk of CHD based on the Framingham risk score (FRS) which includes age, sex, total and HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking status. Of twelve SNPs identified in prior GWAS to be associated with CHD, four were genotyped in the participants as part of a GWAS. Genotypes for seven SNPs were imputed from HapMap CEU population using the program MACH. We calculated a multiplex genetic risk score for each patient based on the odds ratios of the susceptibility SNPs and incorporated this into the FRS. The mean (SD) number of risk alleles was 12.31 (1.95), range 6-18. The mean (SD) of the weighted genetic risk score was 12.64 (2.05), range 5.75-18.20. The CHD genetic risk score was not correlated with the FRS (P = 0.78). After incorporating the genetic risk score into the FRS, a total of 380 individuals (30.6%) were reclassified into higher-(188) or lower-risk groups (192). A genetic risk score based on measured/imputed genotypes at 11 susceptibility SNPs, led to significant reclassification in the 10-y CHD risk categories. Additional prospective studies are needed to assess accuracy and clinical utility of such reclassification.
Cellular and physiological effects of anthrax exotoxin and its relevance to disease.

Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, secretes a tripartite exotoxin that exerts pleiotropic effects on the host. The purification of the exotoxin components, protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor allowed the rapid characterization of their physiologic effects on the host. As molecular biology matured, interest focused on the molecular mechanisms and cellular alterations induced by intoxication. Only recently have researchers begun to connect molecular and cellular knowledge back to the broader physiological effects of the exotoxin. This review focuses on the progress that has been made bridging molecular knowledge back to the exotoxin’s physiological effects on the host.
Structural and geochemical constraints on the reassembly of disrupted mid-Miocene volcanoes in the Lake Mead-Eldorado Valley area of southern Nevada

In the Lake Mead-Eldorado Valley (LMEV) area of southern Nevada, mid-Tertiary volcanic and plutonic rocks in the River, McCullough, and Eldorado mountains lie in the upper plate of a regional detachment structure. The detachment structure and strike-slip faults of the Lake Mead fault zone are temporally and kinematically related. Strike-slip systems and normal faults (Eldorado Valley fault) serve as boundaries between regions of variable extension in the upper plate of this detachment. Geochemical correlation and geometric reconstructions suggest that prior to extension, the LMEV area was characterized by three stratovolcano complexes, each above or adjacent to a chemically correlative pluton. Geochemical correlation techniques are useful tools that may have general application in reconstructing structurally disrupted volcanic-plutonic terranes.
Vertical and lateral order in adsorbed water layers on anatase TiO2(101).

The structure and energetics of thin water overlayers on the (101) surface of TiO2-anatase have been studied through first-principles molecular dynamics simulations at T = 160 K. At one monolayer coverage, H2O molecules are adsorbed at the 5-fold Ti sites (Ti5c), forming an ordered crystal-like 2D layer with no significant water−water interactions. For an adsorbed bilayer, H2O molecules at both Ti5c and bridging oxygen (O2c) sites form a partially ordered structure, where the water oxygens occupy regular sites but the orientation of the molecules is disordered; in addition, stress-relieving defects are usually present. When a third layer is adsorbed, very limited parallel and perpendicular order is observed above the first bilayer. The calculated energetics of multilayer adsorption is in good agreement with recent temperature-programmed desorption data.
Optically pumped type-II mid-IR tunable DFB laser

A new approach to tunable mid-infrared lasers, an optically pumped, type-II, InGaSb/InAs gain medium with a chirped distributed feedback grating, has been developed. The chirped grating is patterned using an interferometric lithography (IL) technique with spherical wave fronts and etched into the top cladding of the laser slab waveguide structure. Because the period of grating increases gradually laterally, wavelength tuning is implemented by shifting pump stripe to different positions on the device with different grating periods. Fabry-Perot modes from the cleaved facets are successfully suppressed by fabricating the grating 6° tilted with respect to facets and adjusting the pump stripe normal to the grating. Continuous tuning of 30 nm around 3.1 μm with 320 mW single facet output power at 80K and a 1.6 nm FWHM is reported. The present device is designed in the 3- to 4-μm range which matches a low loss atmospheric transmission window, and covers an important region of molecular vibration spectra, in particular, the hydrocarbon C-H stretch at ~ 3.3 μm, making it suitable for atmospheric pressure remote gas sensing of industrially important small molecules such as methane, hydrogen chloride and ammonia.
Tolerância zero: a má interpretação dos resultados

The strategies and the realities of policing as practiced on the streets of New York City have changed dramatically in the last twenty years. Aggressive programs aimed at taking guns and drugs off the streets were among the main goals of these new anti-crime strategies. At at time when crime is at its lowest level in thirty years, arrests for low-level offences are higher than ever before. There is little evidence to suggest that drug markets have been eliminated or even substantially reduced. This ethnographic research explores the impact of these new policing strategies on the quality of life in the neighborhoods of New York City and argues that an understanding of the complex relationships between drug markets and crime must move beyond simply coparing the numbers of arrests genberated by different policing sterategies to an understanding of the role played by drugs in the wider political eceonomy.
Species designation of the Bruneau Dune tiger beetle (Cicindela waynei) is supported by phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data

Beetles comprise nearly one quarter of described species and show high levels of morphological and ecological diversification. Because of their wide distribution, ease of detection, and correlation of species richness patterns with other taxa, tiger beetles have been recommended for use as a global indicator of regional biodiversity, requiring accurate taxonomic designations. The Bruneau Dune tiger beetle (Cicindela waynei), whose habitat consists of an isolated dune field in southern Idaho, was recently described as a distinct species from the St. Anthony Dunes tiger beetle (C. arenicola) based on morphological characteristics. While these characteristics include distinct differences in genital morphology that could indicate intrinsic reproductive isolation, morphological characteristics have sometimes been misleading in tiger beetle taxonomy. To evaluate genetic support for this species designation, we analyzed 1,751 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA sequence from 147 tiger beetles collected throughout the range of both C. arenicola and C. waynei. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses indicated monophyly for C. waynei on a well-supported, short branch nested within C. arenicola. Bayesian species delimitation analyses strongly supported C. waynei as a distinct species (speciation probability = 1.0) with the estimated time of divergence ca. 14,500–67,000 years ago. This lack of reciprocal monophyly and recency of speciation is consistent with C. waynei as a member of an evolutionary front where speciation has occurred at a rapid rate. Mitochondrial sequence data supports the species designation of C. waynei, emphasizing the need to determine appropriate management for this species and its restricted habitat.
The measurement of flexibility in manufacturing systems

This article provides a theoretical basis for measuring the flexibility of manufacturing systems. The concept of multiple levels of measures (necessary, capability, actual, inflexibility, and optimality) for each flexibility type is introduced. Capability and actual measures are then developed for machine, routing, process, product, and volume flexibilities. For each of these flexibility types, a state defining variable is identified. A measure of flexibility is then derived by computing either, (i) the change effort expended in moving between states, (ii) the drop in system performance in moving between states, (iii) a general or physical scale of difference between two successive states, or (iv) a measure combining all three. The use of the developed measures is illustrated via a two-facility example.
Voluntary conservation of endangered species: when does no regulatory assurance mean no conservation?

Abstract Voluntary conservation agreements are becoming increasingly important in implementing the Endangered Species Act on private land. We analyze when such agreements arise and what level of conservation they generate in the presence of uncertainty about future conservation benefits and irreversibility of habitat loss and species extinction. Our results suggest that the likelihood of an agreement and the resulting conservation levels depend on the background threat of regulation, the cost advantage offered by voluntary agreements, and the availability of assurances regarding future regulation. Under conditions likely to hold in practice, conservation agreements that offer assurances may generate higher levels of conservation and higher net social benefits than agreements that do not offer assurances. However, the resulting level of conservation will not be optimal, and may be lower than that attainable under regulation.
Spatial and temporal trends in invertebrate communities of Great Lakes coastal wetlands, with emphasis on Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron

Abstract The shallow-sloping coastal bathymetry of Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) supports broad fringing wetlands. Because benthic invertebrates form an important forage base for fish, wading birds, and waterfowl that utilize these habitats, understanding the drivers of invertebrate community structure has significant management implications. We used Great Lakes basin-wide data from 2002 to place Saginaw Bay wetland invertebrate communities and their environmental drivers into a basin-wide context. Various aspects of community structure were highly correlated with fetch and watershed agriculture across the basin. Saginaw Bay wetlands had relatively high fetch and watershed agriculture and supported unique invertebrate communities, typified by high abundances of many insect taxa. Wetlands from other regions around the basin tended to have more crustaceans and gastropods than the Saginaw Bay wetlands. A 1997–2012 time series from three representative Saginaw Bay wetlands revealed substantial shifts in community structure throughout the period, especially from 2001 through 2004. These years followed a 1-m decline in Lake Huron water levels that occurred between 1997 and 2000. Major community changes included decreasing insect abundance, especially chironomids, and increasing crustacean abundances, especially Hyalella azteca (Amphipoda). While factors in addition to water levels were likely also important, our time series analysis reveals the marked temporal dynamics of Saginaw Bay wetland invertebrate communities and suggests that water level decline may have influenced these communities substantially. Both the spatial and temporal community patterns that we found should be considered in future bio-assessments utilizing wetland invertebrates.
Visualization of grain boundary/dislocation interactions using tomographic reconstructions

A combination of electron tomography, electron backscatter diffraction and traditional |g.b| analysis is used to characterize a dislocation transmission event across a Σ3 grain boundary in 304 stainless steel. The parallel {1 1 1} planes across a Σ3 boundary allow simultaneous imaging of dislocations in both grains. The interaction is explained in terms of residual strain energy density in the grain boundary due to the accommodation and emission of dislocations and the magnitude of the local shear stress.
Natural and anthropogenic processes contributing to metal enrichment in surface soils of central Pennsylvania

Metals in soils may positively or negatively affect plants as well as soil micro-organisms and mesofauna, depending on their abundance and bioavailability. Atmospheric deposition and biological uplift commonly result in metal enrichment in surface soils, but the relative importance of these processes is not always resolved. Here, we used an integrated approach to study the cycling of phosphorus and a suite of metals from the soil to the canopy (and back) in a temperate watershed. The behavior of elements in these surface soils fell into three categories. First, Al, Fe, V, Co, and Cr showed little to no enrichment in the top soil layers, and their concentrations were determined primarily by soil production fluxes with little influence of either atmospheric inputs or biological activity. Second, P, Cu, Zn and Cd were moderately enriched in surface soils due to a combination of atmospheric deposition and biological uplift. Among the metals we studied, Cu, Zn and Cd concentrations in surface soils were the most sensitive to changes in atmospheric deposition fluxes. Finally, Mo and Mn showed strong enrichment in the top soil layer that could not be explained strictly by either current atmospheric deposition or biological recycling processes, but may reflect both their unique chemistry and remnants of past anthropogenic fluxes. Mn has a long residence time in the soil partly due to intense biological uplift that retains Mn in the top soil layer. Mo, in spite of the high solubility of molybdate, remains in the soil because of strong binding to natural organic matter. This study demonstrates the need to consider simultaneously the vegetation and the soils to understand elemental distribution within soil profiles as well as cycling within watersheds.
Potentiation of cisplatin activity by the bioreductive agent tirapazamine

Abstract Purpose : The chemosensitizing potential of the benzotriazine- N -oxide tirapazamine was determined in rodent mammary tumor cells grown as solid tumors. Materials and methods : C3H/HeJ mice bearing i.m. transplanted 16C mammary carcinomas were treated with varying doses of either cisplatin alone or cisplatin in combination with a 0.27 mmol/kg dose of tirapazamine. Tumor response to single agent or combination therapy was assessed using an in situ tumor growth delay assay. Normal tissue toxicity resulting from the tirapazamine, cisplatin, or tirapazamine plus cisplatin was determined by measuring bone marrow stem cell (CFU-GM) toxicities and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. Results : Tirapazamine itself had no measurable effect on the growth of this tumor. However, when administered from 3 h before to simultaneously with a single dose of cisplatin, the resultant tumor growth delay was significantly increased as compared to that seen with cisplatin alone. The administration of tirapazamine 3 h prior to a range of doses of cisplatin was found to result in a dose modifying factor (DMF) of ~1.7 in tumor response compared to cisplatin alone. Tirapazamine did demonstrate some hematologic toxicity on its own but it did not potentiate the toxicity of cisplatin when the two agents were administered in combination. BUN analysis showed that tirapazamine had little effect on BUN levels but did suppress the BUN values of mice treated with the combination of tirapazamine and 15 mg/kg cisplatin as compared to cisplatin alone. Conclusions : The present findings suggest that the addition of tirapazamine to cisplatin therapy may lead to a therapeutic benefit.