cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Artificial Neural Network Models of Watershed Nutrient Loading

This paper illustrates the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) as predictors of the nutrient load from a watershed. Accurate prediction of pollutant loadings has been recognized as important for determining effective water management strategies. This study compares Haith’s Generalized Watershed Loading Function (GWLF) and Arnold’s Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to multilayer artificial neural networks for monthly watershed load modeling. The modeling results indicate that calibrated feed-forward ANN models provide prediction which are always essentially as accurate as those obtained with GWLF and the SWAT, and some times much more accurate. With its flexibility and computation efficiency, the ANN should be a useful tool to obtain a quick simulation assessment of nutrient loading for various management strategies.
Comparison of transnasal endoscopic and open craniofacial resection for malignant tumors of the anterior skull base.

Objective/Hypothesis: Craniofacial resection (CFR) represents the traditional approach for resection of anterior skull base (ASB) malignancies. However, this past decade has witnessed the emergence of transnasal endoscopic ASB resection (TER) as a feasible alternative. The aim of this study was to compare TER and CFR for ASB malignancy resection. Methods: Retrospective analysis at a tertiary care medical center on 66 patients undergoing ASB malignant tumor resection between September 1997 and December 2006. Results: Eighteen patients were treated with TER, whereas 48 patients underwent CFR. The two groups showed no significant difference in complication rate (27.8% for TER and 25.0% for CFR, P > 0.05), survival (94.4% for TER and 83.3% for CFR, P > .05), and metastasis (11.1% for TER and 8.3% for CFR, P > .05). A significant difference was observed in hospital stay with an average of 3.8 days in the TER group compared to 8.1 days in the CFR group (P < .05). Local recurrence approximated significance (5.6% for TER and 29.2% for CFR, P = .051) Conclusions: TER of ASB malignancy is associated with a decreased hospital stay and faster recovery when compared to open CFR. Lower local recurrence rate in the TER group may reflect a discrepancy in histology and clinical stage. We found no significant differences in survival, metastatic, or complication rates in the two groups, whereas patients in the TER group had the added benefit of a desirable cosmetic outcome. Overall, TER seems to be an excellent alternative to CFR in properly selected cases. Laryngoscope, 2009
The neuropathology of vascular dementia

Ischemic infarction is the main lesion underlying vascular dementia (VaD) but cases also occur after brain hemorrhage, as well as with hypoperfusive brain ischemia. Ischemic strokes include large-vessel cortico-subcortical strokes and lacunes resulting from small-vessel disease. Arteriolosclerosis and fibrinoid necrosis are the most common forms of small-vessel disease in the elderly. Although it was originally proposed that vascular dementia could result from repeated strokes with loss of >100 mL of brain tissue loss (multi-infarct dementia), it is currently held that the location of the stroke is probably more relevant to cognitive loss and dementia. In fact, a single, strategically located stroke may interrupt cortico-subcortical circuits important for memory and cognition. Hypoperfusive lesions include border-zone cortico-subcortical infarcts, temporal lobe sclerosis, and periventricular incomplete ischemic leukoencephalopathy. The latter two lesions are commonly seen in the elderly as a result of narrowing and tortuosity of medullary arterioles irrigating these distal territories, plus cardiac pump failure. Binswanger disease is characterized by extensive periventricular ischemic leukoencephalopathy that spares the arcuate U-fibers, and presence of lacunar strokes. CADASIL is a genetic form of vascular dementia characterized by a cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy. CADASIL is due to a mutation of the Notch3 gene in chromosome 19. Intracerebral hemorrhages in strategic locations may produce vascular dementia. Lesions in the basal forebrain that damage cholinergic nuclei, such as those resulting from a ruptured aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery, may produce vascular dementia. Some patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage develop normal-pressure hydrocephalus. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (congophilic angiopathy) may cause lobar hemorrhages and dementia. Vascular lesions, in particular, microinfarcts, are frequently found in patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. These mixed forms of dementia are likely to become the most common form of dementia in the elderly.
Effect on pressor and vascular responsiveness in rabbits of drugs that decrease norepinephrine uptake.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine if decreases in norepinephrine (NE) uptake would result in pressor and vascular hyperresponsiveness to vasoconstrictor substances. These experiments examined the effects of cocaine and imipramine, drugs known to decrease NE uptake, on the changes in arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance (TPR) in response to NE and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in conscious rabbits. The infusion of graded doses of NE resulted in significantly greater increases in mean arterial pressure at all dose levels following the administration of cocaine (0.6 mg/kg iv) or imipramine (0.5 mg/kg) than following the administration of the vehicle alone. The infusion of NE also resulted in greater increases in TPR as well as blood pressure following cocaine or imipramine administration than occurred prior to the administration of these drugs. The infusion of AVP caused significantly larger increases in arterial pressure and in TPR following cocaine or imipramine administration th...
Variation of Satureja douglasii monoterpenoids in relation to light intensity and herbivory

Abstract Genotypic variation of monoterpenoid yield and composition in Satureja douglasii was shown by growth of clonal transplants under uniform conditions. Differentiation of monoterpenoid yield was correlated with light intensity and degree of herbivory along transects. High-yielding genotypes occurred under low light, high herbivory conditions, whereas low-yielding genotypes occurred in high light, low herbivory conditions. Differentiation of monoterpenoid composition was more weakly correlated with herbivory and light intensity than was yield. There was also some evidence for seasonal variations of yield.
Lower Extremity Range of Motion in the Recreational Sport Runner

The purposes of this study in the recreational runner were to describe and compare lower extremity sag ittal range of motion and vertical body displacement for slow and fast paces during treadmill and over ground running, and to compare timing of the running phases at the two paces. Vertical displacement of the body, and flexion and extension of the hip, knee, and ankle were measured with a motion analysis system at 200 hertz as the subjects self-selected the two paces. No statistically significant differences were seen when comparing sagittal motion on a treadmill with overground running. Statistically more vertical displacement during overground running was re corded when compared with treadmill running. Peak vertical force was near midstance when the ankle, knee, and hip approached maximum flexion. Results demonstrated that during a slow pace the approxi mate arcs of motion were: ankle, 50°; knee, 95°; and hip, 40°. During running at a fast pace, the hip re quired more extension in early swing; the hip...
The role of auditory feedback in vocal learning and maintenance

Auditory experience is critical for the acquisition and maintenance of learned vocalizations in both humans and songbirds. Despite the central role of auditory feedback in vocal learning and maintenance, where and how auditory feedback affects neural circuits important to vocal control remain poorly understood. Recent studies of singing birds have uncovered neural mechanisms by which feedback perturbations affect vocal plasticity and also have identified feedback-sensitive neurons at or near sites of auditory and vocal motor interaction. Additionally, recent studies in marmosets have underscored that even in the absence of vocal learning, vocalization remains flexible in the face of changing acoustical environments, pointing to rapid interactions between auditory and vocal motor systems. Finally, recent studies show that a juvenile songbird's initial auditory experience of a song model has long-lasting effects on sensorimotor neurons important to vocalization, shedding light on how auditory memories and feedback interact to guide vocal learning.
Assessing the R&D capability of the Japanese pharmaceutical industry

According to some observers, Japan's pharmaceutical industry ‘emerged as a global competitor’ in the 1980s. According to others, the same firms ‘face severe obstacles’ in the 1990s and may ‘run out of time in their internationalization efforts.’ To help clarify the competitive position of the Japanese industry, this article uses an original framework and set of estimates to codify the R&D capability of the nine major Japanese pharmaceutical companies (‘the nine majors’) and compare it with the R&D capability of their Western counterparts. On this basis the article concludes that the majors are not yet global competitors, although several could be by the end of the decade. The estimates help to quantify what has been described as a large gap between the R&D position of the Japanese companies and the position of the top Western pharmaceutical firms.
H/D Exchange and Mass Spectrometry in the Studies of Protein Conformation and Dynamics: Is There a Need for a Top-Down Approach?

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) detection has matured in recent years to become a powerful tool in structural biology and biophysics. Several limitations of this technique can and will be addressed by tapping into the ever expanding arsenal of methods to manipulate ions in the gas phase offered by mass spectrometry.
Model reference control with modeling error compensation-an adaptive approach for a nonadaptive design

A control scheme is proposed which uses model reference control as a primary design to achieve control objectives for the nominal plant and uses modeling error compensation to calibrate the error of model reference control in the presence of parameter uncertainty. The proposed control system is designed based on the same idea of model reference adaptive control. However, instead of using the error signal to adjust the controller parameters, the same signal is used as a control signal and therefore it results in a linear time-invariant closed-loop system. >
The definition of a story

Abstract This paper presents a discussion of theory and data related to the concept of a story. Three major issues are considered: (1) the functions of stories; (2) the relationship between function and comprehension of stories; and (3) the definition of a story. In addressing these issues, several different perspectives are considered. It is argued that the functions of storytelling are multifaceted and mirror the wide variety of motives that underlie human social behavior. This position is in direct contrast to recent arguments that the primary purpose of the story is to entertain. A review of several current definitions of a story is then presented, along with a discussion of the differences that exist among the different definitions. By reviewing psychological approaches to the organization of conceptual knowledge, it is argued that there is not a unique set of features which is used to identify stories. An alternative framework is then presented, where it is shown that the context and semantic content of events in a story sequence, as well as certain structural features, are critical in determining the class of stories and non-stories. Data from three studies are used to support this point of view.
Thermal noise in half-infinite mirrors with nonuniform loss: A slab of excess loss in a half-infinite mirror

We calculate the thermal noise in half-infinite mirrors containing a layer of arbitrary thickness and depth made of excessively lossy material but with the same elastic material properties as the substrate. For the special case of a thin lossy layer on the surface of the mirror, the excess noise scales as the ratio of the coating loss to the substrate loss and as the ratio of the coating thickness to the laser beam spot size. Assuming a silica substrate with a loss function of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8},$ the coating loss must be less than $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ for a 6 cm spot size and a 7 \ensuremath{\mu}m thick coating to avoid increasing the spectral density of displacement noise by more than 10%. A similar number is obtained for sapphire test masses.
Hinge and amino-terminal sequences contribute to solution dimerization of human progesterone receptor

We and others have shown previously that progesterone receptors (PR) form homodimers in solution in the absence of DNA and that dimers are the preferential form of receptor that binds with high affinity to target DNA. To determine the sequence regions involved in solution homodimerization, wild type PR and truncated PR proteins were expressed in an insect baculovirus system. The expression constructs included the ligand-binding domain [LBD, amino acids (aa) 688-933], the LBD plus hinge (hLBD, aa 634-933), the hLBD plus the DNA-binding domain (DhLBD, aa 538-933), and the full- length A and B isoforms of PR. PR-PR interactions were detected by three methods, coimmunoprecipitation of the PR fragments with full-length PR-A, pull-down of PR-polypeptides with polyhistidine-tagged versions of the same polypeptides immobilized to metal affinity columns and cooperative ligand-binding assays (Hill coefficient, n(H) > 1 indicating PR-PR interaction). By all three assays, the LBD alone was not sufficient to mediate protein-protein interaction. However, the LBD did exhibit other properties ascribed to this domain, including binding to steroids with a relatively good affinity and specificity, ligand-induced conformational changes at the carboxyl terminus tail and binding of heat shock protein 90 and its dissociation in response to hormone. Thus, failure of the expressed LBD to mediate dimerization does not appear to be due to an extensively misfolded or unstable polypeptide. The minimal carboxyl-terminal fragment capable of mediating PR-PR interaction was the hLBD construct. However, by immobilized metal affinity chromatography assay, self-association of PR-A was 3.5-fold more efficient than that of either the DhLBD or hLBD constructs. An expressed amino-terminal domain (aa 165-535) lacking the DNA-binding domain, hinge, and LBD was found to physically associate with PR-A or with another amino-terminal fragment lacking the LBD, but retaining the DNA-binding domain. These results provide evidence for direct amino-terminal interactions in the more efficient PR-PR interaction exhibited by wild-type PR-A, as compared with DhLBD and hLBD constructs. The overall results of this paper are consistent with the conclusion that the carboxyl-terminal LBD is not sufficient for mediating PR dimerization and that multiple regions, including the hinge and amino-terminal sequences, contribute either directly or indirectly to homodimerization of PR.
Hydronephrosis in childhood--reliability of ultrasound screening.

The reliability of gray scale sonography for the screening of hydronephrosis is assessed in a retrospective clinical study of pediatric patients. The sensitivity was 89% and the specificity 95%. Discrepancies between the ultrasound and urographic diagnosis of mild hydronephrosis — which was usually not clinically significant — accounted for all of the errors. False positive studies can be reduced by scanning the kidneys with the bladder empty. False negative examinations may be due to the contrast induced diuresis of the urogram.
Effect of aldosterone on the sodium content and energy metabolism of epithelial cells of the toad urinary bladder.

Abstract Measurement of the electrolyte content of isolated epithelial cells of the toad urinary bladder indicates that vasopressin and aldosterone stimulate sodium transport by accelerating a rate limiting step for sodium entry into the cell across the mucosal cell membrane.
From aldosteronism to oxidative stress: the role of excessive intracellular calcium accumulation

Inappropriately (relative to dietary Na(+)) elevated plasma aldosterone concentrations (PAC), or aldosteronism, have been incriminated in both the appearance of the cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) and its progressive nature. The deleterious dual consequences of elevated PAC and dietary Na(+) have been linked to several components of the CMS, including salt-sensitive hypertension. Moreover, their adverse consequences are considered to be synergistic, culminating in a pro-oxidant phenotype with oxidative injury involving the heart and systemic tissues, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Our experimental studies in rats receiving aldosterone/salt treatment have identified a common pathogenic event that links aldosteronism to the induction of oxidative stress. Herein, we review these findings and the important role of excessive intracellular Ca(2+) accumulation (EICA), or intracellular Ca(2+) overloading, which occurs in the heart and PBMC, leading to, respectively, cardiomyocyte necrosis with a replacement fibrosis and an immunostimulatory state with consequent coronary vasculopathy. The origin of EICA is based on elevations in plasma parathyroid hormone, which are integral to the genesis of secondary hyperparathyroidism that accompanies aldosteronism and occurs in response to plasma-ionized hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia whose appearance is the consequence of marked urinary and fecal excretory losses of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+). In addition, we found intracellular Ca(2+) overloading to be intrinsically coupled to a dyshomeostasis of intracellular Zn(2+), which together regulate the redox state of cardiac myocytes and mitochondria via the induction of oxidative stress and generation of antioxidant defenses, respectively. To validate our hypothesis, a series of site-directed, sequential pharmacological and/or nutriceutical interventions targeted along cellular-molecular cascades were carried out to either block downstream events leading to the pro-oxidant phenotype or to enhance antioxidant defenses. In each case, the interventions were found to be cardioprotective. These cumulative salutary responses raise the prospect that pharmacological agents and nutriceuticals capable of influencing extra- and intracellular Ca(2+) and Zn(2+) equilibrium could prevent adverse cardiac remodeling and thereby enhance the management of aldosteronism.
Differences between circulating and tissue thyroglobulin in rats

The mechanism whereby thyroglobulin (TG) reaches the circulation can involve either the release of newly synthesized TG or the release of colloid-stored TG from the thyroid gland. To distinguish between these possibilities, we have compared the properties of circulating and glandular TG in normal and thyroidectomized thyroid tumor-bearing rats. Circulating TG had the properties of poorly iodinated molecules; it was more susceptible to dissociation into subunits and had a lower density, the latter determined by equilibrium centrifugation in concentrated RbCl. The density of circulating TG was the same as that of glandular TG from propylthiouracil-treated rats, suggesting that circulating TG was nearly or completely devoid of iodine. Circulating TG bound to Concanavalin A-Sepharose and had a normal MCR, indicating that mannose was present and galactose was not in terminal positions, both properties of glandular TG. Since previous studies suggest that these properties cannot arise from differential clearance of TG molecules in the periphery, these data suggest that the TG in the circulation may arise from the direct release of poorly iodinated newly synthesized TG from the thyroid.
Nontraumatic neck and airway emergencies in children

Acute airway obstruction in infants and children may be caused by congenital or developmental disorders, infection, inflammation, foreign body aspiration or ingestion, mass lesions, vascular abnormalities, and tracheomalacia. Airway disorders in children result in more severe symptomatology than in adults because of the smaller size and greater pliability of the pediatric airway. Clinical signs and symptoms are useful in localizing the anatomic site of abnormality. Diagnostic imaging, including radiography, fluoroscopy, sonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, plays an important role in the evaluation of pediatric airway disorders. This essay reviews the imaging approach to the various disorders resulting in acute airway obstruction in children.
Ethical Issues in the Global Economy

With the increasing focus on globalization of the economy, ethical issues are often submerged by the goal of increasing profitability. This article explores the implications of globalization and its effects on both the Earth’s poor and the Earth itself. It illustrates how poverty goes hand in hand with environmental degradation. The economic and moral impacts of international financial and regulatory organizations are analyzed and discussed. The article demonstrates how the economically marginalized suffer not only from the obvious lack of food, clothing, and shelter but also from polluted air, an unpotable water supply, and macro issues such as global warming. It concludes with the recommendation of looking to the economy of the Beatitudes of the New Testament for solutions.
A test–retest reliability study of child-reported psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses using the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (CAPA-C)

Seventy-seven 10-18-year-old psychiatric in-patients and out-patients took part in a test-retest study of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (CAPA). They were interviewed on two occasions several days apart. Overall reliability of diagnosis ranged from kappa = 0.55 (conduct disorder) to 1.0 (substance abuse or dependence). In general, reliability for scale scores of psychopathology was somewhat lower in out-patients than in-patients, though the opposite was the case for anxiety disorders and psychosocial incapacity and the reliability of the diagnosis of conduct disorder--the only individual diagnosis sufficiently common to permit this comparison. Unreliability of reports of behavioural problems was found to be related to admitting to being a liar in the first interview. The implications of these results for the use of the CAPA are discussed.
Evaluation of hand-held meters for determination of hemolymph lactate and protein concentrations in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii

We evaluated the accuracy of an Accutrend® lactate meter and a Reichert® Vet 360 temperature compensated refractometer for determining red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) hemolymph lactate and protein concentrations, with results compared to measurements obtained from spectrophotometric analyses. Results from the lactate meter (R2=0.926) and refractometer (R2=0.830) both demonstrated strong relationships with spectrophotometer measurements, indicating that these instruments provide rapid, reliable, and economical methods for determining crayfish hemolymph lactate and protein concentrations. Both meters can provide on-site information to commercial crayfish farmers and processors to assess crayfish health and stress levels, and can also provide important biomonitoring data to field biologists as they evaluate the success of water management activities designed to reduce hypoxia and improve habitat conditions for aquatic biota.
Brief Report: Relationship of Rorschach Human Percepts to Projective Descriptions with Self Reference

(1962). Brief Report: Relationship of Rorschach Human Percepts to Projective Descriptions with Self Reference. Journal of Projective Techniques: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 231-233.
Magnitude and directional measures of water and Cr(VI) fluxes by passive flux meter.

A new configuration of the passive fluxmeter (PFM) is presented that provides for simultaneous measurements of both the magnitude and the direction of ambient groundwater specific discharge q0 and Cr(VI) mass flux JCr. The PFM is configured as a cylindrical unit with an interior divided into a center section and three outer sectors, each packed with a granular anion exchange resin having high sorption capacity for the Cr(VI) oxyanions CrO42- and HCrO4-. The sorbent in the center section is preloaded with benzoate as the “resident” tracer. Laboratory experiments were conducted in which PFMs were placed in porous packed bed columns, through which was passed a measured volume of synthetic groundwater containing Cr(VI). During the deployment period, some of the resident tracer is depleted while the Cr(VI) is sorbed. The resin was then removed from the four sectors separately and extracted to determine the “captured” mass of Cr(VI) and the residual mass of the resident tracer in each. Cumulative specific disch...
CoCoA, a Nuclear Receptor Coactivator which Acts through an N-Terminal Activation Domain of p160 Coactivators

The p160 coactivators bind to and potentiate transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors by recruiting secondary coactivators such as the histone acetyltransferases p300 and CBP and the protein methyltransferase CARM1. The function of the highly conserved N-terminal basic-helix-loop-helix/Per-Arnt-Sim (bHLH-PAS) domain of p160 coactivators is unknown. This region is required for coactivator synergy among p160, p300, and CARM1 coactivators. We identified a coactivator, coiled-coil coactivator (CoCoA), which binds to this domain and thereby enhances transcriptional activation by the estrogen receptor and other nuclear receptors. Endogenous CoCoA was found simultaneously with p160 coactivators on the promoter of an endogenous estrogen-responsive gene. Reduction of endogenous cellular CoCoA levels inhibited the estrogen-stimulated expression of transiently transfected and endogenous genes. Moreover, CoCoA cooperated synergistically with GRIP1, CARM1, and p300 to enhance ER-mediated transcription. Thus, the N-terminal region of p160 coactivators contains an additional activation domain which contributes to coactivator function by recruitment of CoCoA.
THE COMMUNICATION OF SELF‐DISCLOSURE: LEVEL VERSUS VALENCE1

While assuming that another's level of self-disclosure, i.e., communication of intimacy, can be rewarding, it was hypothesized that the degree of intimacy of disclosure would be less powerful in affecting a recipient's attraction for a discloser than the positiveness or negativeness (valence) of disclosure. An experiment examined the effects of a male confederate's self-disclosure (high or low degree of intimacy) on a recipient where the valence (positive or negative) of disclosure also varied. The 80 male and female subjects were assigned to one of four experimental conditions in a factorial design. It was found that recipients of disclosure demonstrated the greatest degree of attraction for the confederate when the content of the disclosure script was positive, regardless of the degree of intimacy of the disclosure.
Support of universal newborn hearing screening among mothers and health care providers

Background Despite the 1994 Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommendation that all newborns receive hearing screens, many in the United States are not screened by 3 months of age. Objectives To assess mothers’, pediatricians’, and hearing specialists’ preferences for targeted versus universal newborn hearing screening. Study design An interactive computer-based interview, applying the analytical hierarchical process, was used to quantify preference scores for 95 post-partum women selected randomly from an obstetric ward at a university hospital and for 40 primary care pediatricians and 40 hearing specialists (audiologists and otolaryngologists) randomly selected from a local community. The main outcome of interest was preference for targeted versus universal newborn hearing screening. Three objectives were compared minimize missed hearing loss, minimize unnecessary tests, and minimize cost. Unnecessary tests included consideration of test time, test accuracy, and need for follow-up hearing evaluations. Results The majority of respondents in all three groups (97.5% hearing specialists, 82.5% pediatricians, and 89.5% mothers) favored universal over targeted screening. Differences in mean preference scores were statistically significant between hearing specialists and pediatricians (p < 0.005) and between hearing specialists and mothers (p < 0.005). All three groups ranked risk of missed hearing impairment as the most important consideration. Hearing specialists placed more weight on importance of not missing a case of hearing loss and less on unnecessary tests than mothers and pediatricians. Conclusions Even though universal newborn hearing screening was preferred by the three groups examined, a small but significant minority of pediatricians and mothers preferred targeted screening.
Interaction of Gβγ with RACK1 and other WD40 repeat proteins

Heterotrimeric G-proteins, composed of Galpha and Gbetagamma subunits, transmit numerous and diverse extracellular stimuli via a large family of heptahelical cell-surface receptors to various intracellular effector molecules. The Gbetagamma subunit plays a central role in G-protein signaling. The Gbeta subunit belongs to a large family of WD40 repeat proteins, which adopt a circular beta-bladed propeller structure. This unique structural feature confers interactions of Gbetagamma with a variety of proteins to play diverse functions. Intriguingly, we recently found that Gbetagamma can interact with three other WD40 repeat proteins, receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1), dynein intermediate chain-1A and a protein of unknown function. This raises the following questions: are interactions among WD40 proteins a common theme and does the formation of a WD40-WD40 repeat protein complex constitute a protein scaffold for integrating signals from different cellular processes. We are beginning to address these issues by studying the interaction between Gbetagamma and RACK1. Here we will describe the molecular mechanism underlying this interaction and the implications of the interaction on the signal transduction of G-protein and RACK1.
Distribution of Burkholderia cepacia phenotypes by niche, method of isolaiton and pathogenicity of onion

Summary Several proposals have been made for the subdivision of the bacterial species Burkholderia cepacia. Data applying these schemes to a collection of 188 strains of B. cepacia, isolated using a variety of methods, from soils, decayed onions, and nosocomial sources are presented. None of the schemes could be shown to be associated with the method of isolation, niche from which a strain was isolated, pectolytic activity, or pathogenicity to onion. Strains isolated by serial dilution on onion slices were much more uniform than were strains isolated using semiselective media. The nutritionally stringent medium of Lumsden and Sasser (US Patent No. 4 588 584) was judged better for the collection of a phenotypically broad sample of B. cepacia than those of Hagedorn, Gould, Bardinelli & Gustavson (1987) and Wu & Thompson (1984), which are based on antibiotic insensitivity. Pectolytic activity and pathogenicity to onion were shown to be highly correlated characters. None of the strains of clinical origin was capable of macerating onion tissue.
Rolling out a department service to all of campus: do's and don'ts

Our Information Services labs have used KeyServer to control costs and licensing of all our software for many years. Someone suggested this might be useful to other people on campus, too. Could we make this available for everyone to use? We plunged into several pilot programs with other departments without much advance planning or preparation. Learning about Project Management skills in the middle of a project was a greater challenge than the technical side of our rollout. Lessons learned here apply to any service that is offered to new groups outside your current department.
A Method of Determining Optical Cross Sections

A method of evaluation of the optical cross sections, i.e., cross sections for broadening collisions between excited atoms and foreign molecules, from experimental intensity-density data is described. This method utilizes the analytical expressions of the asymptotes to the theoretical intensity-density curves at very low, and at very high densities of the emitting atoms. Only relative intensity measurements are necessary for the evaluation of the cross sections. An intensity-density graph for the Na5890 line is constructed from photoelectric measurements of the total line intensities, emitted from a Lundegardh-type acetylene-air flame. The optical cross section for sodium corresponding to this line is found to be 64 square angstroms. A brief discussion of the possibilities of utilizing this method for the determination of the degrees of dissociation of metal salts in the flame, or the evaluation of absolute and relative f values of the spectral lines is included at the end of the paper.
UVB Dose-toxicity Thresholds and Steady-state DNA-photoproduct Levels During Chronic Irradiation of Inbred Xenopus laevis Tadpoles

Environmental stressors that severely impact some species more than others can alter ecosystems and threaten biodiversity. Genotoxic stress, such as solar UV-B irradiance, may induce levels of DNA damage at rates that exceed repair capacities in some species but remain below repair capacities in other species. Repair rates would seem to establish toxicity thresholds. We used inbred Xenopus laevis tadpoles in the laboratory to test the hypothesis that balances between rates of induction of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs; the major UV-B photoproduct in DNA) and rates of CPD removal (repair) can determine UV-B toxicity thresholds. As rates of chronic UV-B irradiance were progressively increased by decreased shielding of lamps, survival decreased sharply over a relatively narrow range of dose rates. Apparent toxicity thresholds were associated with large increases in steady-state CPD levels. Induction at twice the measured removal (repair) rate produced sustained high CPDs and 100% mortality. Induction at one-half the removal rate resulted in negligible CPD levels and low mortality. Increased intensity of visible radiation available to drive CPD photoreactivation, mimicking interspecies variation in DNA repair capacity, reduced steady-state CPD levels and increased survival at UV-B dose rates that were previously toxic, resulting in increased thresholds of apparent toxicity. We suggest that threshold effects due to DNA repair should generally be considered in assessments of effects of genotoxic agents on species-specific population decreases and human health risks.
Estimating Mean Length of Stay in Prison: Methods and Applications

This paper examines various approaches to studying the mean length of stay in prison. The literature contains a wide range of estimates of this quantity. The discrepancies that appear in these estimates and in the conclusions reached from them have been the subject of several reviews. We build upon that work, using the life table as the gold standard, to demonstrate the inaccuracy of common measures such as the ratio of the population size to the annual number of entrances or the mean length of time served by those exiting in a particular period. This demonstration is conducted in two parts. One part uses model populations with constant growth rates; the second part relies upon simulated prison populations with time-varying rates of entrance and exit. In addition, we introduce two new indirect measures that are more accurate than several existing indirect measures and that are relatively easy to use. The new measures are based on the entrance rate or the exit rate and adjust for the growth rate of the prison population.
Fixing unsaid meanings.

Abstract The First International Workshop on Semantics, Pragmatics and Rhetorics (SPR-01) was held in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain, on 22–24 November 2001. The conference was organized by the Institute for Logic, Cognition, Language and Information (ILCLI), and the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
The delta-grounded transformer

MANY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS are fed essentially from one high-voltage system through transformation. It is sometimes desirable to ground both systems at the substation which is the main source of supply to the distribution system. This grounding problem may be solved by using either a Y-Y-delta transformer with a tertiary delta winding or a conventional Y-delta bank with a separate grounding transformer. However the tertiary delta winding in the first case and the zigzag windings of the grounding transformer in the second, both remain idle under normal load conditions. In addition, a separate grounding transformer is a source of permanent no-load losses, and it requires space and extra equipment in the switchyard. The higher initial and operating costs inherent in these schemes are reduced by the use of a delta-grounded power transformer, first suggested by H. L. Hoeppner.1
Solution of transients in active four-terminal networks

Abstract Matrix and operational methods together provide a compact, convenient and systematic solution of transients. This paper illustrates the application of these methods to the solution of active four-terminal networks. First, the matrices are written with the Laplacian operator, s, as the parameter. Second, the vacuum tube as a four-terminal network is reviewed. Third, an example is given which illustrates the use of the method.
Synthesis of some 4‐substituted‐2‐(o‐halogenophenyl)‐1,2,3‐triazoles

Mesoaldehyde 1,3-dioxime was treated with either 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl- (a), o-fluorophenyl- (b), or o-bromophenyl- (c) hydrazine to give the corresponding mesoaldehyde 1,3-dioxime-2-halogenophenylhydrazones (1a,b,c). The latter were O-acetylated with acetic anhydride, and cyclized to triazole 4-oximes (3b, c) or triazole 4-O-acetyloximes (6a,b,c) with cesium carbonate, then converted to nitriles (7a,b,c) by refluxing with acetic anhydride followed by pyrolysis, or to aldehydes (4a,b,c) by hydrolysis. The nitriles (7a,b,c) were also converted to acids (9a,b,c), esters (10a,b,c), amides (8a,c), an alcohol (11a), and an amine (12a). In addition, tetrazoles of two types were prepared. The first (13d,e) were obtained from the acid chlorides by the action of 5-aminotetrazole, whereas the second (14f) was produced from the respective nitrile by the action of ammonium azide.
Excitation-Transcription Coupling: Signaling by Ion Channels to the Nucleus

Changes in the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in response to various stimuli play a role in regulating numerous cellular processes, including the activation of gene expression. In neurons, the extraordinary diversity of the response to Ca2+ signaling depends on the location, intensity, and duration of the Ca2+ transient. Interestingly, Ca2+-dependent gene transcription appears to be sensitive both to increases in nuclear Ca2+, which occur after relatively intense stimuli, and to highly localized increases in Ca2+ near the sites of Ca2+ influx. Activation of intracellular signaling pathways by specific types of Ca2+ channels depends on localization of specific Ca2+ receptors close to the channel mouth. The dual regulation of signaling pathways by Ca2+ near channels and in the nucleus may permit neurons to precisely tailor transcriptional activation to specific types of electrical or chemical stimuli and at the same time ensure that only robust stimuli that generate nuclear Ca2+ elevations are converted into long-term changes in gene expression.
Stress distributions in growing oxide films

We present a new continuum model for the growth of an oxide film that examines the generation of self-stresses. The model self-consistently accounts for the thermodynamics and kinetics of the evolution of film thickness, diffusion of all components, oxidation reaction rates and the effects of stresses on these. Numerical solution of the models shows that large compressive stresses and significant stress gradients can be developed across the oxide layer. The signs of the stress and stress gradients are consistent with experimental observations. Following an initial transient, the concentration profiles and stresses settle into a steady-state, in which the concentration profiles and stresses are independent of the relative magnitudes of the oxygen and cation diffusivities. We have developed an approximate, analytical solution for the composition and stress that accurately matches the steady-state results obtained numerically.
Investigation of an energy harvesting small unmanned air vehicle

The addition of energy harvesting is investigated to determine the benefits of its integration into a small unmanned air vehicle (UAV). Specifically, solar and piezoelectric energy harvesting techniques were selected and their basic functions analyzed. The initial investigation involved using a fundamental law of thermodynamics, entropy generation, to analyze the small UAV with and without energy harvesting. A notional mission was developed for the comparison that involved the aircraft performing a reconnaissance mission. The analysis showed that the UAV with energy harvesting generated less entropy. However, the UAV without energy harvesting outperformed the other UAV in total flight time at the target. The analysis further looked at future energy harvesting technologies and their effect on the energy harvesting UAV to conduct the mission. The results of the mission using the advanced solar technology showed that the effectiveness of the energy harvesting vehicle would increase. Designs for integrating energy harvesting into the small UAV system were also developed and tests were conducted to show how the energy harvesting designs would perform. It was demonstrated that the addition of the solar and piezoelectric devices would supply usable power for charging batteries and sensors and that it would be advantageous to implement them into a small UAV.
Congenital Arteriovenous Malformation Between the Subclavian Artery and Superior Vena Cava Presenting in Neonatal Heart Failure

Congenital arteriovenous malformations are a well-described cause of neonatal heart failure. Fistulous connections are typically intrahepatic or intracranial. We present a case of a neonate with an intrathoracic arteriovenous malformation between the subclavian artery and superior vena cava resulting in florid neonatal heart failure. This unusual fistulous connection has only rarely been reported in the literature, and in those reports, it has not resulted in neonatal heart failure.
Dangerous liaisons: STAT3 and NF-κB collaboration and crosstalk in cancer

Transcriptional factors of the NF-κB family and STAT3 are ubiquitously expressed and control numerous physiological processes including development, differentiation, immunity, metabolism and cancer. Both NF-κB and STAT3 are rapidly activated in response to various stimuli including stresses and cytokines, although they are regulated by entirely different signaling mechanisms. Once activated, NF-κB and STAT3 control the expression of anti-apoptotic, pro-proliferative and immune response genes. Some of these genes overlap and require transcriptional cooperation between the two factors. The activation of and interaction between STAT3 and NF-κB plays a key role in controlling the dialog between the malignant cell and its microenvironment, especially with inflammatory/immune cells that infiltrate tumors. Quite often, cytokines whose expression is induced in response to NF-κB in immune cells of the tumor microenvironment lead to STAT3 activation in both malignant and immune cells. While within malignant and pre-malignant cells STAT3 exerts important oncogenic functions, within inflammatory cells it may also suppress tumor promotion through its anti-inflammatory effects. Other interactions and forms of crosstalk between NF-κB and STAT3 include physical interaction between the two, cooperation of these factors at gene promoters/enhancers, the NF-κB dependent expression of inhibitors of STAT3 activation and the participation of STAT3 in inflammatory cells in the negative regulation NF-κB. Despite these versatile and occasionally antagonistic interactions, NF-κB and STAT3 cooperate to promote the development and progression of colon, gastric and liver cancers. In addition to explaining the molecular pathogenesis of cancer, these interactions also offer opportunities for the design of new therapeutic interventions.
Influence of gravity on the circadian timing system.

The circadian timing system (CTS) is responsible for daily temporal coordination of physiological and behavioral functions both internally and with the external environment. Experiments in altered gravitational environments have revealed changes in circadian rhythms of species ranging from fungi to primates. The altered gravitational environments examined included both the microgravity environment of spaceflight and hyperdynamic environments produced by centrifugation. Acute exposure to altered gravitational environments changed homeostatic parameters such as body temperature. These changes were time of day dependent. Exposure to gravitational alterations of relatively short duration produced changes in both the homeostatic level and the amplitude of circadian rhythms. Chronic exposure to a non-earth level of gravity resulted in changes in the period of the expressed rhythms as well as in the phase relationships between the rhythms and between the rhythms and the external environment. In addition, alterations in gravity appeared to act as a time cue for the CTS. Altered gravity also affected the sensitivity of the pacemaker to other aspects of the environment (i.e., light) and to shifts of time cues. Taken together, these studies lead to the conclusion that the CTS is indeed sensitive to gravity and its alterations. This finding has implications for both basic biology and space medicine.
Electrically Mediated Neuronal Guidance with Applied Alternating Current Electric Fields

Applied electric fields (EFs) have previously been presented as a potential method of inducing functional recovery after neural trauma. To date, most of this research has focused on the application of a direct current (DC) stimulus to produce the desired EF and induce neuronal growth. We propose that high duty-cycle alternating current (AC) stimulation is capable of inducing similar EFs within the spinal cord and eliciting a neural response with the added benefits of increased field propagation and lower power consumption. Through ex vivo tissue testing of porcine spinal columns and Xenopus laevis cell cultures, 80% duty-cycle AC stimulation was compared to DC stimulation for efficacy in field generation and induction of neurite growth. Results from ex vivo measurement show that AC stimulation is capable of producing EFs of greater magnitudes over an increased distance in the spinal cord than DC stimulation at the same current magnitude. Furthermore, stimulation of Xenopus laevis neuronal cultures with 80% duty-cycle rectangular waves indicated a significant increase in neurite length as compared to non-stimulated controls and cathodal preference, growth that was statistically similar to DC-stimulated cells. These results suggest high duty-cycle stimulation modalities to be applicable and perhaps preferable to DC stimulation in electrically mediated neuronal therapies.