cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Techniques for Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. control suitable for use in fallow organic transition in the southeastern U.S. coastal plain

Abstract Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. is a troublesome perennial grass and extremely difficult to control in organic crop production systems. Research trials were conducted to evaluate systems of C. dactylon control during fallow organic transition. Treatments evaluated were all possible combinations of two primary tillage implements (power spader, disk harrow), summer weed management (solarization, fallow tillage with a peanut digger, and non-treated control), and winter tillage (fallow tillage with a peanut digger and non-tilled control). C. dactylon densities were reduced by combinations of summer solarization or summer tillage with a peanut digger, followed by winter tillage with a peanut digger. The peanut digger displaced C. dactylon and exposed the vegetative material to desiccation. However, control using these systems for one season was not sufficient enough to prevent re-infestation by survivors.
Real-time holographic frequency-division demultiplexing: theoretical aspects

The multiplicative and low-band-pass filtering characteristics of real-time holograms in photorefractive media are proposed for use for frequency-division demultiplexing. Several aspects of the frequency-demultiplexer are discussed and derived. These aspects are baseband demodulation of optical division limits, heterodyne cross talk, and nonlinear cross-talk effects that are due to images, demultiplexing and high-order nonlinearities. The nonlinear cross talk is calculated in two different approaches. second-Both approaches indicate that nonlinear effects enhance the performance of this demultiplexer.
The Rate of Naked-Eye Comets from 101 BC to 1970 AD

Abstract The number of comets that are bright enough and that come close enough to Earth to be seen with the unaided eye fluctuates randomly from century to century. The mean number seen per century,R, is a parameter determined by the distribution of short-period comets and by the escape of new, near parabolic comets into the inner Solar System from the Oort Cloud (J. H. Oort, 1963,The Solar System, Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, London) and the Kuiper Belt (H. F. Levison and M. J. Duncan, 1997,Icarus127, 13–32). A measurement ofRprovides a constraint on possible escape mechanisms. In the following it is shown thatRcan be determined by a comparison of the number of comets reported from the east and west with those reported from both regions. An analysis of the reports compiled by I. Hasegawa (1980,Vistas in Astronomy, Pergamon, Great Britain) shows thatR=86.0±6.7 comets/century, and moreoverRhas been remarkably constant over the past two millennia. One could conclude from this that the mean rate at which all comets, visible and invisible, enter the inner Solar System has also been constant over this period.
Deformation of granitic rocks across the brittle-ductile transition

Abstract A microstructural analysis has been carried out on mylonites and mylonitic gneisses of the Eastern Peninsular Ranges Mylonite Zone, which were formed over a range of metamorphic conditions from lower greenschist to amphibolite facies. Composite planar fabrics in the form of C and S planes are found at all metamorphic grades. Fractured feldspars, kinked biotites and ductile deformation of quartz characterize the lower greenschist facies mylonites. At mid-upper greenschist grade orthoclase grains show dynamic recrystallization textures whereas plagioclase exhibits low temperature plasticity with only minor recovery. Biotite ribbons form by progressive rotation and coalescence of kink band segments to produce chevron fold patterns. At epidote-amphibolite grade and above, recovery processes and annealing recrystallization predominate in all minerals. Residual orthoclase porphyroclasts show strain-related myrmekite formation along those sides of the grains that face the instantaneous shortening direction. Myrmekite formation due to replacement reactions cannot explain this geometry. It is proposed that the myrmekites formed due to a combination of exsolution, replacement and strain-enhanced diffusion.
Higher order turning points

Abstract When a real homotopy is used for solving a system of nonlinear equations of complex variables, especially polynomial systems, bifurcation at singular points is inevitable. In this paper, the notion of a k th order turning point, a singular point with k bifurcation branches, is introduced. It is shown that the tangent lines of those k solution paths at a k th order turning point lie in the same one-dimensional complex plane and equally divide this plane. This result generalizes the phenomena taking place at a quadratic turning point where tangeant lines of the solution paths, only two of them, are perpendicular to each other. Moreover, our result provides a condition to verify the true multiplicity of a solution when several homotopy paths converge to it.
Technical Writing for Women of the English Renaissance Technology, Literacy, and the Emergence of a Genre

Technical books for women of the English Renaissance provide a microcosm for studying connections among the emergence of technical writing as a genre, the rise of literacy, expansion of knowledge and technology, and replacement of orality by textuality as a result of increasing knowledge. These books on Renaissance technologies such as cooking, carving, household “physick,” home management, silkworm production, farming and estate management, midwifery, medical self-diagnosis, and gardening exhibit some differences from technical books written for men. Books for women are shorter and less detailed, but their style is similar to that of books for men. The style does not suggest writers believed that their women readers possessed an inferior reading comprehension level. Content differences seem to suggest that women's work was different from men's with many skills taught by oral transmission. The increasing complexity of the styles of technical books for women during the 16th and early 17th centuries suggest...
Neuroeconomics and the Study of Addiction

We review the key findings in the application of neuroeconomics to the study of addiction. Although there are not "bright line" boundaries between neuroeconomics and other areas of behavioral science, neuroeconomics coheres around the topic of the neural representations of "Value" (synonymous with the "decision utility" of behavioral economics). Neuroeconomics parameterizes distinct features of Valuation, going beyond the general construct of "reward sensitivity" widely used in addiction research. We argue that its modeling refinements might facilitate the identification of neural substrates that contribute to addiction. We highlight two areas of neuroeconomics that have been particularly productive. The first is research on neural correlates of delay discounting (reduced Valuation of rewards as a function of their delay). The second is work that models how Value is learned as a function of "prediction-error" signaling. Although both areas are part of the neuroeconomic program, delay discounting research grows directly out of behavioral economics, whereas prediction-error work is grounded in models of learning. We also consider efforts to apply neuroeconomics to the study of self-control and discuss challenges for this area. We argue that neuroeconomic work has the potential to generate breakthrough research in addiction science.
Robotic systems for homeland security

This paper will present the concept of utilizing various mobile robotic platforms for homeland security. Highly specialized mobile robots equipped with the proper sensors and data processing capabilities have the ability to provide security and surveillance for a wide variety of applications. Large infrastructure components, such as bridges, pipelines, dams, and electrical power grids pose severe challenges for monitoring, surveillance, and protection against man-made and natural hazards. The structures are enormous, often with awkward and dangerous configurations that make it difficult, if not impossible, for continuous human surveillance. Properly outfitted robots have the potential to provide long-term surveillance without requiring continuous human supervision. Furthermore, these robotic platforms can have disaster mitigation capabilities such as evaluation of infrastructure integrity at the disaster site. The results presented will include proof-of-concept robotic platforms equipped with various sensor arrays, as well as discussion of design criteria for numerous homeland security applications.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A probabilistic theory of coalition formation in n‐person sidepayment games

This paper describes the central‐union theory, which offers a new approach to the formation of coalition structures in cooperative, sidepayment, superadditive n‐person games. This theory treats for...
Efficient low-temperature oxidation of carbon-cluster anions by SO2

Carbon-cluster anions, CN-, are very reactive toward SO2 (sticking probability of 0.012 +/- 0.005 for C27- at 25 degrees C), in contrast to their inertness toward other common atmospheric gases and pollutants. In flow reactor experiments at ambient temperature and near atmospheric pressure, primary adsorption of SO2 by the carbon cluster anions, N = 4-60, yields CNSO2- or CN-1S-. The inferred elimination of neutral CO2 is also detected as meta-stable decay in collision-induced dissociation. At higher temperatures, the reaction of SO2 with nascent carbon clusters yields CN-1SO- as well as undetected CO. The size-dependent initial reactivity reflects the previously established structural transitions (i.e., from chain to cyclic to cage structures). Such carbon clusters are formed in sooting flames and may act as nuclei for the formation of primary soot particles and serve as models for the local structural features of active soot particle sites for black-carbon soot. The facile generation of reactive carbon-sulfide and -sulfinate units may therefore have implications for understanding the health and environmental effects attributed to the coincidence of soot and SO2.
An Overview of Coastal Environmental Health Indicators

Discussions of the coastal environment and its health can be improved by more precise use of terms and clarification of the relationship, if any, between the health of ecosystems and the risks to human health. Ecosystem health is seldom defined and, in any case, has to be regarded in different terms than human health. Ecosystem health should embody both the structure and function of the ecosystem. One attractive concept is to define the health of ecosystems in terms of their vigor, organization and resilience. From that perspective, the health of an ecosystem is reduced if it becomes a less vigorous producer of valuable living resources, less diverse and organized, and more susceptible to and slower to recover from stress. Useful indicators of ecosystem health should reflect these properties, but also be supported by understanding of cause and effect relationships generated through research. Significant challenges remain in the integration of indicators in terms of both their interrelationships and holist...
Influence of sample dividing method on forage quality as determined by nirs

(…) The objective of this research was to determine the efficacy of four sample dividing methods to produce uniform subsamples for near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis. Sample dividing methods were: 1) quarter sectioning with a straight edge, 2) use of a gravimetric dividing apparatus, 3) mixing in a blender then dividing by quarter sectioning, and 4) mixing in a blender and dividing with a gravimetric dividing apparatus (…)
Making Ceramics "Ductile"

Distributed irreversible deformation in otherwise brittle ceramics (specifically, in silicon carbide and micaceous glass-ceramic) has been observed in Hertzian contacts. The deformation takes the form of an expanding microcrack damage zone below the contact circle, in place of the usual single propagating macrocrack (the Hertzian "cone fracture") outside. An important manifestation of this deformation is an effective "ductility" in the indentation stress-strain response. Control of the associated brittle-ductile transition is readily effected by appropriate design of weak interfaces, large and elongate grains, and high internal stresses in the ceramic microstructure.
Crustal structure beneath the gravity lineations in the Gravity Lineations, Intraplate Melting, Petrologic and Seismic Expedition (GLIMPSE) study area from seismic refraction data

[1] The active source seismic component of the Gravity Lineations, Intraplate Melting, Petrologic and Seismic Expedition (GLIMPSE) experiment investigated the velocity structure and crustal thickness of the Pacific plate along a ∼450 km line paralleling the southern East Pacific Rise where prominent intraplate ridges lie within lows of the lineated free-air gravity pattern. Compressional wave traveltime data collected by 10 ocean bottom seismometers indicate that the median crustal thickness is ∼6.2 km and increases to ∼8.2 km beneath the Sojourn Ridge. The conspicuous absence of crustal thinning beneath both the Sojourn and Hotu-Matua ridge systems is strong support against a boudinage-style model for the formation of these volcanic complexes. Our results suggest the ridge loads are partially supported by both plate flexure and underplating, with an additional mantle component inferred from the analysis of gravity data, Rayleigh wave tomography, and teleseismic body wave delays. Small-scale convection could produce the observed crustal thickness pattern but fails to explain the geochemical and formation age trends along the ridges. We prefer a model where the channelized flow of low-density material in the upper mantle, possibly undergoing small-scale convection, is advected toward the ridge crest. Lows in the gravity field reflect the density contrast within the asthenosphere, and decompression melting amid upwelling limbs of the convective cells sustains the development of the associated ridge systems.
InternetExpress: an inter-desktop multimedia data-transfer service

An integrated desktop data-transfer service called InternetExpress, which was designed to overcome the shortcomings in existing network-based transfer tools with respect to heterogeneity, seamlessness, user-interface simplicity, timeliness and security, is presented. This service allows users to share data conforming to any data standard across heterogeneous environments on the Internet, assuming the environments follow the general principles of the desktop metaphor. InternetExpress is selection-based. A prototype of InternetExpress has been implemented in the Intermedia desktop environment. >
A modified approach to the phomoidrides: synthesis of a late-stage intermediate containing a key carbon quaternary stereocenter

A previously developed approach to the synthesis of the phomoidrides has been modified to incorporate all necessary carbon atoms prior to the key tandem carbonylation/Cope rearrangement reaction. This modification necessitated the synthesis of a challenging all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, which in turn rendered ineffective several reactions from the original synthesis. An oxidative radical cleavage of a spirocyclopropane ring system was developed that accomplishes the synthesis of the quaternary center, and a regioselective double hydroboration reaction was devised that provides an alternate approach to a key sequence of functional group interconversions, where the originally developed route was found to be ineffective.
The Formation of the Lesser Antilles.

The Islands.-The island chain of the Lesser Antilles extends in a curve about 500 miles in length between Porto Rico and Trinidad, and includes 25 larger members with an uncounted number of smaller ones. Most of the islands are of volcanic origin, now in various stages of dissection; but five of the larger islands and two small ones consist wholly of calcareous strata, and five others are composed of both volcanic rocks and calcareous strata. Vieques and St. Croix, southeast of Porto Rico, and Barbados, east of the southern part of the chain, are of other origins. The following inferences regarding the history of the islands are based on observations made during a voyage in October and November, 1923, and on a study of all available charts and published articles. A fuller statement is in preparation for publication elsewhere. The Circuminsular Banks.-Many of the islands are associated with submarine banks, from 20 to 40 or 50 fathoms in depth. The largest of these extends SO miles eastward from Porto Rico with a width of 25 or 30 miles, and bears the mountainous Virgin islands, five of which are from 3 to 11 miles in length; but not St. Croix, which rises from a much smaller bank of its own, farther south. The second largest bank is at the other end of the chain, next north of Trinidad; it has a length of 98 miles and a breadth of from 10 to 17 miles, and includes the mountainous island of Grenada as well as the little Grenadines. Other island-bearing banks will be mentioned below. Besides these, a few additional banks, mostly of moderate or small size, are charted without islands; the largest of these is Saba bank, 33 by 20 miles. Relation of Islands and Banks.-In general, the younger a volcanic island the smaller the bank around it; the older the island, as indicated by the stage of its dissection, the larger the associated bank. Thus Saba island, near the bank of the same name, is a young, moderately clift volcanic cone, 3 miles across and 2820 feet high, with a bank less than a mile
Myocardial ischemia resulting from spontaneous dissection in a patient with massive bilateral sinus of valsalva aneurysms.

We describe a patient with large sinus of Valsalva aneurysms involving both the left and right coronary sinuses. Spontaneous dissection of the left coronary artery occurred, causing unstable angina, a complication heretofore not associated with this disease. Successful surgical reconstruction of the aortic root, aortic valve replacement, and coronary bypass grafting were performed. Pathology revealed cystic medial necrosis. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 47:194–198, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Static wetting on flexible substrates: a finite element formulation

In static wetting on an elastic substrate, force exerted by the liquid–vapour surface tension on a solid surface deforms the substrate, producing a capillary ridge along the contact line. This paper presents a finite element formulation for predicting elastic deformation, close to the static wetting line (with angle of contact=90o and σSV=σSL).The substrate deformation is modelled with the Mooney–Rivlin constitutive law for incompressible rubber-like solids. At the contact line, a stress singularity is known to arise, due to the surface tension acting on a line of infinitesimal thickness. To relive the stress singularity, either (i) the surface tension is applied over a finite contact region (of macroscopic thickness), or (ii) the solid crease angle is fixed. These two options suggest that normal component of Neumann's triangle law of forces, for the three surface tensions, is not applicable for elastic substrates (as for rigid ones). The vertical displacement of the contact line is a strong function of liquid/vapour surface tension and shear modulus of the solid. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
His Biceps become Him: A Test of Objectification Theory's Application to Drive for Muscularity and Propensity for Steroid Use in College Men.

Men's body image problems may manifest as an unhealthy drive for muscularity and propensity to use anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). Aspects of objectification theory were integrated with literature on men's drive for muscularity and AAS use to identify correlates of these problems. The resultant model was tested with path analyses of data from 270 college men. First, consistent with prior research on objectification theory, results indicated that body surveillance partially mediated the link of internalization of cultural standards of attractiveness with body shame. Second, positive outcome expectation for AAS use partially mediated the link of drive for muscularity with intention to use AAS. Third, drive for muscularity partially mediated the links of internalization with outcome expectation for AAS use and intention to use AAS. Finally, outcome expectation for AAS use was an additional partial mediator of the link of internalization with intention to use AAS. Body surveillance and body shame did not have unique direct or mediated relations with drive for muscularity or AAS variables. These findings point to internalization of cultural standards of attractiveness as the nexus of overlap between the objectification theory variables and men's drive for muscularity and propensity to use AAS.
Successful ablation of macroreentrant left atrial tachycardia after pulmonary vein isolation in a patient with cor triatriatum

Figure 1 A 69-year-old man with newly discovered nonobstructive cor triatriatum was scheduled for catheter ablation for drugrefractory persistent atypical atrial flutter. Two years previously he had undergone an electrophysiological study for recurrent atrial tachycardia. Four different left atrial (LA) focal tachycardias were observed. Two of the tachycardias were stable enough to be mapped and ablated (one at the base of the LA appendage and the other at the mid-LA septum). Pulmonary vein origin was suspected for the remaining tachycardias, and empiric circumferential antral pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was performed. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) or computed tomography (CT) cardiac imaging was not obtained at that time. A dual-chamber pacemaker was implanted after the procedure for preablation sick sinus syndrome. Pacemaker interrogation revealed no significant arrhythmias during 2 years of follow-up until the recent development of a persistent, regular atrial tachycardia with a cycle length of 280 ms and both 1:1 and 2:1 atrioventricular conduction. In preparation for the procedure, a cardiac-gated CT scan and TEE were performed, both revealing an intra-atrial membrane separating the LA into 2 chambers. The pulmonary veins were visualized draining into 1 chamber. The other chamber contained the LA appendage and the mitral valve orifice consistent with cor triatriatum as shown in the transverse CT image (Figure 1). TEE showed no significant intra-atrial hemodynamic obstruction by the membrane. There was no other evidence of congenital heart disease. During the catheter ablation procedure, navigation through the fenestration connecting the 2 atrial chambers was achieved by withdrawing the ablation catheter back near the septum. A multielectrode ring catheter demonstrated
Role of Potassium Channels in Relaxations of Isolated Canine Basilar Arteries to Acidosis

Background and Purpose Concentration of hydrogen ions is an important regulator of cerebral arterial tone under physiological and pathological conditions. Previous studies demonstrated that in cerebral arteries, relaxations to hypercapnia are due to decrease in extracellular pH. The present study was designed to determine the role of potassium channels in mediation of cerebral arterial relaxations induced by extracellular acidosis. Methods Rings of canine basilar arteries without endothelium were suspended for isometric force recording. Acidosis (pH 7.3 to 7.0) was produced by incremental addition of hydrochloric acid (1.0N). The concentration of hydrogen ions was continuously monitored with a pH meter. Results During contractions to UTP, acidosis (pH 7.3 to 7.0) induced pH-dependent relaxations. These relaxations were abolished in arteries contracted by potassium chloride (20 mmol/L). A nonselective potassium channel inhibitor, BaCl2 (10−3 and 10−4 mol/L), and an ATP-sensitive potassium channel inhibitor, glyburide (5×10−6 mol/L), significantly reduced relaxations to acidosis. Furthermore, BaCl2 (10−3 mol/L) and glyburide (5×10−6 mol/L) abolished relaxations to an ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, cromakalim (10−8 to 3×10−5 mol/L). However, these potassium channel inhibitors did not affect relaxations to a voltage-dependent calcium channel inhibitor, diltiazem (10−8 to 10−4 mol/L), and glyburide (5×10−6 mol/L) did not alter relaxations to a nitric oxide donor, SIN-1 (10−9 to 10−4 mol/L). A calcium-activated potassium channel inhibitor, charybdotoxin (10−7 mol/L), and a delayed rectifier potassium channel inhibitor, 4-aminopyridine (10−3 mol/L), did not affect relaxations to acidosis. Conclusions These results suggest that extracellular acidosis causes relaxations of cerebral arteries in part by activation of potassium channels. ATP-sensitive potassium channels appear to contribute to acidosis-induced decrease in cerebral arterial tone.
Summer is the best time for Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA): the importance of school in medication trials.

m w s i d T he Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) multisite trial is providing much useful information, including illumination of variables that may significantly influence treatment response and that will, at some point, have to be configured into treatment planning. TORDIA included 334 adolescents who did not respond to a robust daily selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor dose for at least 8 weeks; the study occurred across six U.S. sites, and the secondary analyses of the TORDIA data provide an intriguing finding described in this issue of the Journal: subjects who completed their antidepressant treatment when school was “out” (for the summer) had a more positive response than those subjects who completed their antidepressant treatment amid the school year. Indeed, 59% of those on summer vacation responded to treatment (another antidepressant with/without cognitive-behavioral therapy) compared with 41% who completed treatment during the school year. The implication is that school stress may substantially affect treatment response and should be factored into treatment planning. That said, what does this finding really suggest, and what should clinicians do, given this finding, at this point to benefit their patients? First, all studies have limitations, and this one is no different. The TORDIA trial was not designed to quantify the effects of various school variables on treatment response; however, the data collected provide an important initial finding worthy of replication and elaboration. For example, these students were categorized as ending treatment (final assessment) during the school year or not during the school year. It is still unclear how long a student must be “out of school” before that stress abates. In addition, it is not clear whether any of these students were
Jumping the Barrier to β-Lactam Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

Although the staphylococcal methicillin resistance determinant, mecA, resides on a mobile genetic element, staphylococcus cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), its distribution in nature is limited to as few as five clusters of related methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones. To investigate the potential role of the host chromosome in clonal restriction of the methicillin resistance determinant, we constructed plasmid pYK20, carrying intact mecA, and introduced it into several methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains, five of which were naive hosts (i.e., mecA not previously resident on the host chromosome) and five of which were experienced hosts (i.e., methicillin-susceptible variants of MRSA strains from which SCCmec was excised). We next assessed the effect of the recipient background on the methicillin resistance phenotype by population analysis, by assaying the mecA expression of PBP2a by Western blot analysis, and by screening for mutations affecting mecA. Each experienced host transformed with pYK20 had a resistance phenotype and expressed PBP2a similar to that of the parent with chromosomal SCCmec, but naive hosts transformed with pYK20 selected against its expression, indicative of a host barrier. Either inducible β-lactamase regulatory genes blaR1-blaI or homologous regulatory genes mecR1-mecI, which control mecA expression, acted as compensatory elements, permitting the maintenance and expression of plasmid-carried mecA.
Aflatoxin B1Epoxide, the Ultimate Carcinogenic form of Aflatoxin B1: Synthesis and Reaction with Dna

AbstractThe ultimate carcinogenic form of aflatoxin B1, the exo-8,9-epoxide, has long evaded both isolation and synthesis. The epoxide has now been prepared in essentially quantitative yield by oxidation of aflatoxin B1 with dimethyldioxirane. The epoxide is sufficiently stable that it can be isolated and characterized but it undergoes rapid solvolysis in hydroxylic media. Highly efficient reaction occurs with DNA to give N7 adducts on guanine. The oligodeoxynucleotide duplexes d(ATCGAT)2 and d(ATGCAT)2 react with the epoxide to give the AFB1 adduct at guanine N7. Stoichiometry of adduct formation is 1 per duplex in the first case and 2 per duplex in the second. NMR studies, including measurement of nuclear Overhauser effects by one and two dimensional techniques, reveal that the aflatoxin moiety is intercalated in the duplex on the 5’ side of the point of attachment. The difference in stoichiometry observed with the two duplexes reflects the fact that with d(ATCGAT)2 intercalation of aflatoxin between th...
The Structure of Racial Attitudes of Blacks

Previous research has indicated that, although the racial attitudes of whites appear to be organized around a number of different content areas, there is still enough coherence in response to warrant the use of a single summary score to represent overall racial attitude, Factor analyses of the responses of black students to a parallel attitude measure indicated the pre sence of two relatively independent factors: items dealing with feelings toward whites and items referring to the desirability of various race-related policies. These findings suggest that the structure of blacks' verbal racial attitudes differs from the structure of whites' attitudes. It is suggested that the use of a single summary score to represent the overall attitude of blacks is not justifiable; scores representing each of the two major factors should be utilized.
Determination and expression of platelet-derived growth factor-AA in bone cell cultures

We describe a sensitive technique for the extraction and quantitation of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA in serum-free culture medium conditioned by fetal rat osteoblast-enriched (Ob) cells and demonstrate the expression of PDGF-A mRNA in Ob cells. Using C18 Sep-Pak chromatography with a methanol step gradient, we extracted immunoreactive PDGF-AA from the culture medium. A RIA protocol employing a recombinant human PDGF-AA standard enabled us to measure picomolar equivalents of PDGF-AA in Ob cell culture medium. The recovery of recombinant human PDGF-AA was 50 +/- 4%, and the coefficient of variation, including chromatographic extraction, was 15% for intraassay and 8.3% for interassay variability. The polyclonal antibody to recombinant human PDGF-AA displayed approximately 20-30% cross-reactivity with PDGF-AB, but did not bind PDGF-BB or other growth factors and cytokines known to be secreted by bone cells. Medium from Ob cells cultured for 24 h contained 0.9-1.3 pM human PDGF-AA equivalents, and...
Non-enzymatic glycosylation in human diabetic lens crystallins.

Lens crystallins undergo non-enzymatic glycosylation with aging and diabetes mellitus. It is not known, however, whether all crystallins are subject to the same extent of glycosylation. Human diabetic lenses ( ∼80 years of age) were dissected into cortex and nucleus, then fractionated into various crystallins with gel chromatography (Sephacryl S-200, Sephdex G-75 or Bio Gel A-1 5m). The glycosylated crystallins were then separated from the nonglycosylated crystallins by affinity chromatography on Glyco Gel B boronic acid. The percentage of glycosylated crystallin was about 20–30%, and did not differ much among most crystallins, although γ-crystallin has significantly less (p < 0.01) glycosylated protein. The extent of glycosylation in the glycosylated crystallins, however, was found to be greater in the high molecular weight crystallins. The extent of glycosylation in α-crystallins is approximately two to four times that observed in β- or γ-crystallin. The extent of glycosylation appears to depend not only on the lysine content, which does not vary much among the crystallins, but also on the accessibility of the surface areas where lysine residues are located. This accessibility depends on the protein conformation and appears to correlate with protein unfolding.
Flow visualization of mast-mounted-sight/main rotor aerodynamic interactions

Flow visualization tests were conducted on a 27 percent-scale AH-64 attack helicopter model fitted with various mast-mounted-sight configurations in an attempt to identify the cause of adverse vibration encountered during full-scale flight tests of an Apache/Longbow configuration. The tests were conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center in the 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel. A symmetric and an asymmetric mast-mounted-sight oriented at several skew angles were tested at forward and rearward flight speeds of 30 and 45 knots. A laser light sheet seeded with vaporized propylene glycol was used to visualize the wake of the sight in planes parallel and perpendicular to the freestream flow. Analysis of the flow visualization data identified the frequency of the wake shed from the sight, the angle-of-attack at the sight, and the location where the sight wake crossed the rotor plane. Differences in wake structure were observed between the various sight configurations and slew angles. Postulations into the cause of the adverse vibration found in flight test are given along with considerations for future tests.
A Native American Perspective on Spiritual Assessment: The Strengths and Limitations of a Complementary Set of Assessment Tools

Mental health practitioners are increasingly called on to administer spiritual assessments with Native American clients, in spite of limited training on the topic. To help practitioners better understand the strengths and limitations of various assessment instruments from a Native perspective, this study used a sample of recognized experts in Native American culture (N = 50) to evaluate a complementary set of spiritual assessment instruments or tools. Specifically, each instrument's degree of consistency with Native culture was evaluated along with its strengths and limitations for use with Native clients. A brief overview of each instrument is provided, along with the results, to familiarize readers with a repertoire of spiritual assessment tools so that the most culturally appropriate method can be selected in a given clinical context.
The infectious aetiology of disease: the search for new agents

There are many diseases for which a microbial aetiology is suspected. The hypothesis that a disease has an infectious cause is supported by: clinical features (similar to those of known infectious diseases, e.g. fever, leucocytosis), epidemiology (case clustering in time or location), histology (inflammation of affected tissues, e.g. granulomata) or characteristic microbial structures, treatment (clinical response to antimicrobial treatment), and prevention of disease by vaccines targeting microbial antigens. Proof that a microbe causes a disease requires more rigorous evidence. Future attempts to identify novel microbes associated with human disease may use sequence-based approaches. High-throughput sequencing may allow identification of unique microbial nucleic acid sequences in a background of host DNA. The complete sequencing of the human genome and multiple microbial genomes make this approach more feasible. DNA microarrays are also likely to be used in the search for novel pathogens.
3,400 new expressed sequence tags identify diversity of transcripts in human brain

We present the results of the partial sequencing of over 3,400 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from human brain cDNA clones, which increases the number of distinct genes expressed in the brain, that are represented by ESTs, to about 6,000. By choosing clones in an unbiased manner, it is possible to construct a profile of the transcriptional activity of the brain at different stages. Proteins that comprise the cytoskeleton are the most abundant; however, a large variety of regulatory proteins are also seen. About half of the ESTs predicted to contain a protein-coding region have no matches in the public peptide databases and may represent new gene families.
Responsive designs in a snap

With the massive adoption of mobile devices with different form- factors, UI designers face the challenge of designing responsive UIs which are visually appealing across a wide range of devices. De- signing responsive UIs requires a deep knowledge of HTML/CSS as well as responsive patterns - juggling through various design configurations and re-designing for multiple devices is laborious and time-consuming. We present DECOR, a recommendation tool for creating multi-device responsive UIs. Given an initial UI de- sign, user-specified design constraints and a list of devices, DECOR provides ranked, device-specific recommendations to the designer for approval. Design space exploration involves a combinatorial explosion: we formulate it as a design repair problem and devise several design space pruning techniques to enable efficient repair. An evaluation over real-life designs shows that DECOR is able to compute the desired recommendations, involving a variety of responsive design patterns, in less than a minute.
Space weather research prompts study of ionosphere and upper atmospheric electrodynamics

Because our society is becoming increasingly dependent on technological systems that can be affected by ionospheric phenomena during geomagnetic storms, the ionosphere, its electrodynamics, and its coupling with the neutral atmosphere and the magnetosphere are being studied as part of a coordinated program of “space weather” research. This research seeks to characterize the variability of ionospheric density and electric currents during magnetic storms, and to determine to what extent valid predictions of those phenomena and their effects can be made.
Weighted-Climate Parametric Hydrologic Forecasting

This paper briefly summarizes an existing nonparametric method for using meteorology probability forecasts in operational hydrology and extends it for parametric estimation. The methodology builds a sample of possibilities for the future, of climate series from the historical record, which is weighted to agree with selected forecasts of meteorology probabilities. The nonparametric method concentrates on isolated event probabilities rather than on the entire probability distribution for various variables. It sometimes assigns the same weight to all climate series in selected categories, resulting in the same relative frequency for those climate series. By changing to a parametric approach, one determines entire probability distributions that match available forecast meteorology probabilities. This allows a continuous distribution of probability across a variable, not always possible with the nonparametric approach. This paper illustrates both the nonparametric and the parametric methods with an example, comments on both approaches, and evaluates both in a selected comparison.
Female mate choice across spatial scales: influence of lek and male attributes on mating success of blue-crowned manakins

Lekking males compete for females within and among leks, yet female choice is expected to work differently at each of these spatial scales. We used paternity analyses to examine how lek versus male attributes influence mate choice in the blue-crowned manakin Lepidothrix coronata. We tested the hypotheses that females prefer (i) to mate at larger leks where a larger number of potential mates can be assessed, (ii) to mate with unrelated or highly heterozygous males expected to produce high-quality offspring, (iii) to mate with males that display at higher rates, and that (iv) display honestly reflects male genetic quality. Our results show that (i) males at larger leks are not more likely to sire young, although females nesting close to small leks travel further to reach larger leks, (ii) siring males are not less related to females or more heterozygous than expected, (iii) within a lek, high-display males are more likely to sire young, and (iv) both male heterozygosity and display rate increased with lek size, and as a result display does not reliably reflect male genetic quality across leks. We suggest that female mate choice in this species is probably driven by a Fisherian process rather than adaptive genetic benefits.
Biomechanics of Ocular Pneumoplethysmography

A mathematical analysis of ocular pneumoplethysmography is presented, based on the physiological, anatomical, and biomechanical properties of the eye. Ocular pneumoplethysmography is a clinical procedure involving elevation of intraocular pressure, by application of a suction cup to the sclera, to a level that exceeds ophthalmic artery systolic pressure. As decay in intraocular pressure is allowed, return of retinal artery pulsations indicates ophthalmic artery systolic pressure. We obtain a quantitative relationship between increase in intraocular pressure and applied vacuum, and compare the theoretical predictions with experiments on rabbits in which a variable descending vacuum was applied to bilateral scleral eyecups. The bilateral intraocular pressures were simultaneously recorded from cannulae in the respective vitreous bodies, and the pressures at which return of ocular pulsations were observed were correlated with the scleral vacuums. Regression lines were calculated for three serial determinations in each animal, with two groups of animals distinguished by the inner diameter of the eyecups used. The theoretical results indicate that the relationship between intraocular pressure increase and applied vacuum is independent of Young’s modulus, and depends primarily on the ratio of the diameter of the vacuum cup to the diameter of the eye.
Neuropeptide Y Treatment and Food Deprivation Increase Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding in Rat Hypothalamus

Intrahypothalamic (IHT) administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY) induces a robust feeding response in rats. We have shown previously that NPY-induced feeding is mediated by a pertussis-toxin-sensitive G protein in rats. NPY receptors are coupled to cAMP and Ca2+. Because these second messengers are known to activate cAMP response element binding proteins, (CREB), cAMP response element modulators, or activating transcription factor 1, we investigated the involvement of these transcription factors in NPY-induced feeding in rats. Compared with control injections of cerebrospinal fluid (1 microl), IHT administration of NPY increased cAMP response element (CRE) binding to rat hypothalamic nuclear extracts in a time-dependent manner, as detected by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. In contrast, IHT administration of the anorectic neuropeptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide, strongly inhibited the CRE binding. Food deprivation for 48 hr also increased CRE binding, whereas 8 hr of refeeding normalized CRE activity. Preincubation of the hypothalamic nuclear extracts of NPY-treated and unfed rats with antibody specific to CREB blocked CRE binding, whereas preincubation with phosphoCREB antibody retarded the migration of CRE-protein complex, indicating that phosphoCREB is involved in this process. Consistently, immunohistochemical studies with food-deprived rats showed an intense phosphoCREB signal in the paraventricular nuclei and ventromedial hypothalamus in comparison to rats fed ad libitum. Hypothalamic calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity was also increased by IHT-NPY. These results suggest that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II induced phosphorylation of CREB may be involved in regulating feeding behavior induced by NPY.
Happy holidays from the editors of Pediatric Nephrology.

Dear Friends and Colleagues, On behalf of the editorial staff and Springer, we would like to wish the members of IPNA, our readers, contributors, and all of their families a happy holiday season and a joyous New Year. It has been a wonderful year for our Journal, and we have immensely enjoyed the privilege of helping to provide our readers with the latest scientific developments in pediatric nephrology. We could not have accomplished this without our contributors as well as our devoted editorial board and reviewers who helped us evaluate over 600 manuscripts last year. We are indebted to all of you, and we are deeply appreciative of your hard work. We would like to take this opportunity to mention the excellent support of our assistant editors, Uri Alon, Raymond Quigley, Franz Schaefer, and Burkhard Tonshoff whose terms will end within 2009. These assistant editors have provided invaluable assistance in handling manuscript reviews, resolving conflicting reviewer evaluations and advising on invited reviews and commentaries. Over the next year we will continue our policy of publishing excellent reviews and editorial commentaries that will keep us abreast of the latest advances in our field. The success of our educational mission in past years could not have been met without our teaching editors Willem Proesmans, Howard Trachtman, and Robert Mak and the large number of authors who have contributed articles. We are indebted to you all. We hope that you will contact us if you have any suggestions for improving Pediatric Nephrology for our aim is that your Journal will be even better in the future. The policy of publishing teaching articles open choice will continue next year so that everyone will have access to the full journal article on line, and we will be publishing two teaching articles per issue. Patrick Niaudet will join our editorial team in 2009 as an associate editor for reviews. He will no doubt increase the breadth of our invited review articles. The new IPNA web site will be completed within the next few months. This site will be directly linked to the Journal and enhance the educational mission of both our Journal and IPNA. As we begin a new year, we hope that you have a wonderful holiday season and wish you and your family health and happiness.
DAY AND NIGHT EXCRETION OF PREGNANDIOL GLUGURONIDATE AND NEUTRAL 17-KETOSTEROIDS IN PREGNANCY

IN ADDITION TO major variations over fairly long periods, the urinary excretion of pregnandiol gkp curonidate during pregnancy shows minor daily fluctuations (1-4). On preliminary examination the variations between one 12-hour period and the next appeared to be no greater than they were from day to day (4). We have therefore investigated the feasibility of substituting 12- for 24-hour determinations in the study of this compound, because of certain advantages which may be gained by such substitution. Thus, not only is the collection of 24-hour specimens an inconvenience to many subjects and therefore often inaccurately made, but, since the compound is unstable in urine, losses are apt to be more serious during 24-hour than during 12-hour periods of accumulation. Again, it may occasionally be desirable to obtain results more promptly than is possible if an entire day is consumed merely in securing the specimen to be examined. In the present study attention has been given to the relation of the short-term o...