cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prenatal exposure to stilbestrol and adenocarcinoma of the female genital tract: The pediatrician's responsibility

In 1970 Herbst and Scully1 reported seven cases of adenocarcinoma of the vagina in adolescents, of which six were of the clear-cell type. In a followup paper,2 an association was proposed between the occurrence of this previously rare tumor in young women and their exposure in utero to diethylstilbestrol (DES). This startling conclusion was immediately strengthened by reports of additional cases, and soon adenocarcinoma of the cervix also was linked to in utero DES exposure.3 These reports have been popularized by the media, and some obstetricians have recommended routine, repeated vaginal examination, biopsy, culposcopy, etc. for all females who were exposed in utero.4-6
The Enduring Connections Between Law and Culture: Reviewing Lawrence Rosen, Law as Culture, and Oscar Chase, Law, Culture, and Ritual

In an era of globalization, "culture" is sometimes treated as a dirty word. For those who see the world as increasingly "flat," culture can seem to be merely a retrograde imposition of local prerogative that stands in the way of progress. Likewise, those who seek greater harmonization of human rights norms, commercial trade rules, or other legal standards may view culture as simply a monkey wrench in the machinery of global consensus and cooperation. In such debates, culture is often conceptualized as fundamentally pre-modern, something "they" cling to, but that "we" have long since jettisoned.Two recent books - Law as Culture by Lawrence Rosen and Law, Culture, and Ritual by Oscar Chase - provide a welcome response to this "anti-culture" bias. Both works point to the enduring claims of culture as the necessary and inevitable mechanism by which human beings construct meaning out of reality. Indeed, the capacity for culture is seen as a crucial part of our very evolution as a species. Thus, culture is not simply a set of customs we can choose to put on or take off like clothing; it is woven into the fabric of our being. Accordingly, cosmopolitans no less than localists are using cultural categories, reflecting cultural assumptions, and betraying cultural presuppositions Moreover, as both books make clear, law and culture cannot be disentangled. From this perspective, we must not see law as simply an autonomous system of rules that regulates disputes. Law is instead constitutive of how members of a society envision themselves and their relations to each other. Because of the ongoing importance of culture, we should not be surprised that efforts to harmonize both substantive norms and procedural systems run into difficulty on the ground. This is not news to comparative lawyers, of course, given their consistent efforts to conceptualize and categorize differences among legal systems. Yet, even for them these books are likely to be useful, in that they offer a richly textured analysis of culture as the driving force behind this inevitable legal pluralism. And while neither book really tackles the ultimate questions of how best to design legal institutions, procedural mechanisms, or discursive practices to manage this pluralism, they do make it clear that assuming cultural considerations out of the equation is simply not an option. This insight alone makes these books a welcome addition to the legal literature.
The structure of avian type XII collagen. α1(XII) chains contain 190-kDa non-triple helical amino-terminal domains and form homotrimeric molecules

Abstract The monoclonal antibody 75d7, specific for type XII collagen (Sugrue, S.P., Gordon, M.K., Seyer, J., Dublet, B., van der Rest, M., and Olsen, B. R. (1989) J. Cell Biol., in press), was used to characterize the intact form of type XII collagen from chick embryo leg tendons. On an immunoblot of a 6% polyacrylamide gel of tendon extracts, one sharp band is recognized by the antibody at Mr = 220,000, while two fuzzy and poorly resolved bands are seen at Mr = 270,000 and Mr = 290,000. By immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled tendon culture media and electrophoresis of the precipitated material, bands with the same mobilities are observed, indicating that type XII collagen is not proteolytically processed in the extracellular space. Type XII collagen was extracted from tendons with 1 M NaCl in a Tris-HCl buffer and partially purified by concanavalin A-Sepharose and gel permeation chromatographies, using dot immunoblots to monitor the purification. Fractions highly enriched in bacterial collagenase-sensitive proteins with the same electrophoretic properties as type XII collagen were obtained. These fractions did not stain with Alcian blue and neither they nor the immunostained type XII collagen were affected by chondroitinase ABC digestion, indicating that type XII collagen is not a proteoglycan. A disulfide-bonded trimeric CNBr peptide was isolated by affinity chromatography on an antibody column and further purified by gel electrophoresis. Its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence was shown to be unique, demonstrating that type XII collagen is a homotrimer [alpha 1 (XII)]3. After bacterial collagenase digestion, both the immunopurified radiolabeled preparation and the purified tendon extract fraction showed by gel electrophoresis the presence of a large disulfide-bonded, 3 x 190-kDa, collagenase-resistant domain. Rotary shadowing and electron microscopy of the purified type XII fraction demonstrated that the molecule has the structure of a cross consisting of a 75 nm collagenase-sensitive tail, a central globule, and three 60 nm arms each ending in a small globule. After heat denaturation and renaturation, only a very large globule can be seen, attached to the triple helical tail. These results show that type XII collagen has a unique structure and is different from the other matrix constituents described so far.
Human Genome Diversity Project

Introduction HGDP Scientific Background HGDP Forms, 1991 to 1993 HGDP Stalls, 1994 to 1999 Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Raised by HGDP Group Concerns HGDP's Responses to Group Concerns Racism Future of HGDP Keywords: human genome
Detection of connective tissue disorders from 3d aortic MR images using independent component analysis

A computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) method is reported that allows the objective identification of subjects with connective tissue disorders from 3D aortic MR images using segmentation and independent component analysis (ICA). The first step to extend the model to 4D (3D + time) has also been taken. ICA is an effective tool for connective tissue disease detection in the presence of sparse data using prior knowledge to order the components, and the components can be inspected visually. 3D+time MR image data sets acquired from 31 normal and connective tissue disorder subjects at end-diastole (R-wave peak) and at 45% of the R-R interval were used to evaluate the performance of our method. The automated 3D segmentation result produced accurate aortic surfaces covering the aorta. The CAD method distinguished between normal and connective tissue disorder subjects with a classification accuracy of 93.5 %.
An enzyme assembly line

Fatty acid synthases and related megaenzymes are highly adaptable to new functions as a result of their modular architecture.
Morphometric Analysis in Neurodegenerative Disorders

The study of dendritic length and spine density has become a standard in the analysis of neuronal abnormalities since a considerable number of neurological diseases have their foundation in alterations in these structures. One of the best ways to study possible alterations in neuronal morphometry is the use of Golgi impregnation. Introduced more than a century ago, it is still the standard and state-of-the-art technique for visualization of neuronal architecture. We successfully applied the Golgi method to mouse, rat, monkey and human brain tissues for studying both the normal and abnormal morphology of neurons. We were able to discover subtle morphological alterations in neuronal dendrites and dendritic spines in different brain areas. Although Golgi preparations can be examined by electronic microscopy, we used light microscopy and Neurolucida reconstruction to quantitatively explore the relationship between total dendritic length and spine density in different types of neurons. This review summarizes the methodology used to quantify neuronal abnormalities and discusses the utility of these techniques in different models of neurodegeneration.
People, Place, and Time: How Structural Fieldwork Helps World-Systems Analysis

Some of the most insightful work in the political economy of the world-system area has been produced by researchers whose extensive fieldwork offers them deep familiarity with people and locales. Few other methods are as useful to understand the impacts of structural change on daily life and the ways agents resist, alter, and shape emerging structures. Yet such structural fieldwork is marginalized by the over-reliance of pedagogical materials on social constructionist, social psychological, or interactionist perspectives and also in world-systems research and writing by the privileging of long duree historical or quantitative cross-national methods. This paper introduces the concept of structural fieldwork to describe a qualitative field methodology in which the researcher is self-consciously guided by considerations emerging out of macro-sociological theories. We identify four advantages of structural fieldwork: the illumination of powers multiple dimensions; examination of agency and its boundaries or limitations within broad political and economic structures; attention to nuances of change and durability, spatial and temporal specificities, and processes of change and durability; and challenging and extending social theory. These advantages are illustrated in select examples from existing literature and by discussion of the two authors fieldwork-based research. The paper concludes that explicit attention to fieldwork may strengthen political economy and world-systems research and also de-marginalize political economy informed by structural fieldwork.
Prevention of Spontaneous Breast Carcinoma by Prophylactic Vaccination with Dendritic/Tumor Fusion Cells

Genetically modified mice with spontaneous development of mammary carcinoma provide a powerful tool to study the efficacy of tumor vaccines, since they mimic breast cancer development in humans. We used a transgenic murine model expressing polyomavirus middle T oncogene and mucin 1 tumor-associated Ag to determine the preventive effect of a dendritic/tumor fusion cell vaccine. The MMT (a transgenic murine model) mice developed mammary carcinoma between the ages of 65-108 days with 100% penetrance. No spontaneous CTL were detected. However, prophylactic vaccination of MMT mice with dendritic/tumor fusion cells induced polyclonal CTL activity against spontaneous mammary carcinoma cells and rendered 57-61% of the mice free of the disease at the end of experiment (180 days). Furthermore, the level of CTL activity was maintained with multiple vaccinations. The antitumor immunity induced by vaccination with dendritic/tumor fusion cells reacted differently to injected tumor cells and autochthonous tumor. Whereas the injected tumor cells were rejected, the autochthonous tumor evaded the attack and was allowed to grow. Collectively these results indicate that prophylactic vaccination with dendritic/tumor fusion cells confers sufficient antitumor immunity to counter the tumorigenesis of potent oncogenic products. The findings in the present study are highly relevant to cancers in humans.
HOMOSEXUAL PARENTS IN BRITISH CUSTODY APPEALS

6 British child custody appeal cases including a homosexual parent were compared with 6 randomly drawn appeal cases between heterosexual parents for parental and mental instability, partners' instability, residential instability, criminality, and lying, and having harmed the children and exposing children to harms. In 3 of the 6 cases the homosexual or his associates were recorded as engaging in criminality, in another 2 cases with lying. In one of the 6 homosexual cases the children were recorded as harmed. The 9 recorded harms or probable harms to children in cases involving a homosexual parent were attributed to the homosexual or her associates: children were recorded as harmed and exposed to the harm of neglect in one of the 6 comparison cases.
Quantum Statistics of Interacting Particles; Thermodynamic Quantities and Pair Distribution Function

An alternative approach to the quantum statistics of interacting particles is proposed. It consists of calculating the equilibrium thermodynamical quantities of the many-body system via the pair distribution function with the assumption that the particles interact with each other only through pair central forces. The proposed approach has some advantage over the usual treatment via the partition function in that the pair distribution function is easier to deal with than the partition function in certain circumstances particularly when the collective motion description of the system is desirable. This is because only the pair distribution function can be expressed directly in terms of the collective interaction which is closely connected with collective elementary excitation, such as a plasmon in the electron gas and a phonon in the hard-sphere Boson gas. The equation of state as well as the internal energy are obtained in the form of integrals of the pair distribution function. The close analogy between the pair distribution function and the two-body propagator, which appears in the quantum field theory, makes it possible to analyze the former by the use of Feynman diagrams identical with those usually introduced for the latter. The collective interaction, which is defined by the sum of the direct and the indirect interactions, is introduced as a particular partial sum of the perturbation series of the pair distribution function. This is used in rewriting the pair distribution function in terms of the collective interaction.It is shown that, while the simple chain approximation to the collective interaction in the electron gas is responsible for the transfer of a plasmon, the same approximation to the collective pseudo-interaction in the hard-sphere Boson system has a relation similar to that of transfer of a phonon, both cases occuring at low temperatures. The explicit calculation of the pair distribution functions for these systems at the absolute zero temperature is carried out up to the first order in the collective interaction (simple chain approximation.) These results are used to calculate the ground-state energies. For the electron gas the energy thus obtained confirms Gell-Mann-Bruckner's calculation of the correlation energy. For the hard-sphere Bosons the calculated energy reproduces the result of Lee, Huang, and Yang. The extension of the calculation to the finite temperature case is also indicated. In particular the classical Debye-Huckel equation of state for the electron gas is briefly discussed.
The Primacy and Recency Effects in Successive Single-Trial Immediate Free Recall

The present study of 82 male and female college students re-examined the primacy and recency effects in successive single-trial immediate free recall of lists of unrelated English words. With a trial-by-trial analysis of the serial position curve (SPC), it showed the shape of SPC was not invariant. The primacy effect was greater than the recency effect on the very first recall, and the relationship of these two effects immediately reversed and remained so thereafter. Analysis of the correlation between the presentation and recall order of the items recalled over successive recalls revealed an additional phenomenon-the rapid development of a recall strategy. The development of strategy concurred closely with reversal of the primacy and recency effects. An interlist proactive interference interpretation and a recall strategy interpretation have been suggested to account for the transitory change of the shape of the SPC in free recall.
5-deazafolate analogues with a rotationally restricted glutamate or ornithine side chain: synthesis and binding interaction with folylpolyglutamate synthetase.

Rotationally restricted analogues of 5-deazapteroyl-l-glutamate and (6R,6S)-5-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteroyl-l-glutamate with a one-carbon bridge between the amide nitrogen and the 6‘-position of the p-aminobenzoyl moiety were synthesized and tested as substrates for folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS), a key enzyme in folate metabolism and an important determinant of the therapeutic potency and selectivity of classical antifolates. The corresponding bridged analogues of 5-deazapteroyl-l-ornithine and (6R,6S)-5-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteroyl-l-ornithine were also synthesized as potential inhibitors. Condensation of diethyl l-glutamate with methyl 2-bromomethyl-4-nitrobenzoate followed by catalytic reduction of the nitro group, reductive coupling with 2-acetamido-6-formylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one in the presence of dimethylaminoborane, and acidolysis with HBr/AcOH yielded 2-l-[5-[N-(2-acetamido-4(3H)-oxopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-6-yl)methylamino]-2,3-dihydro-1-oxo-2(1H)-isoindolyl]glutaric acid (1)....
The Implication of Auxin in the UV Promoted Expansion of Etiolated Bean Leaf Disks

A promotion of expansion of etiolated bean leaf disks by ultraviolet (UV) radiation was confirmed. The optimum conditions for the effeet were found to be 5 seconds UV exposure followed by 24 hours of incubation at 25°C and pH 6.2. Macerations and sections of the treated and control disks indicated that the basis of the response was an increase in the number of cells in the UV treated disks. Experiments with indolebutyric acid (IBA) and p-chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid (PCIB) indicated that the UV apparently acted to reduce a superoptimal endogenous auxin level to an optimum level which resulted in promotion of the expansion.
Simulated breeding – a framework of breeding artifacts on the computer

A basic framework of Simulated Breeding, a type of interactive evolutionary computing to breed artifacts of which origin is Blind Watchmaker by R. Dawkins is considered. These methods, make it easy for humans; to design a complex object adapted to his/her subjective criteria, just similar to agricultural products that we have been developing over thousands of years. Starting from randomly initialised genome, the solution candidates are improved through several generations with artificial selection. Graphical user interface helps the process of breeding with techniques of multi‐field user interface and partial breeding. The former improves the diversity of individuals that prevents being trapped at local optimum. The latter makes it possible for the user to fix features that he/she already satisfied. These methods were examined through artistic applications by the author, SBART for graphics art and SBEAT for music. Combining with direct genome editor and exportation to another graphical or musical tool on the computer, they can be powerful tools for artistic creation. These systems may contribute to create a type of new culture.
Low-yield issue in IDDQ failure caused by the scrubber clean at SOG-CUR process stage

In the modern VLSI manufacture, the process control to eliminate yield loss can not be over-emphasized in multilevel integration circuit manufacture. The scrubber clean is widely used to remove the particles for yield improvement. When the wafers run through SOG-CUR(SOG curing) process, SOG film will crack at wafer edge and produce flake type particles dropping on the processing wafers, which will cause the yield loss dramatically. The scrubber clean was applied to remove these particles, however, it was found that there were some production lots suffering CP yield loss in IDDQ failure caused by the problem scrubber clean machines at SOG-CUR scrubber clean stage. It was suspected that the wafers after processing SOG-CUR is easily damaged by the ESD charge induced from scrubber clean process. The possible root cause as well as the in-line monitor procedure for the ESD charge damage is studied in this investigation. After improving the scrubber clean process, the yield and IDDQ failure is recovered.
Migration of a distal shunt catheter into the heart and pulmonary artery: report of a case and review of the literature

A rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement is the proximal migration of the distal catheter into the heart and pulmonary artery. There have been 12 reported cases regarding intracardiac migration. In five of the cases, the catheter traveled further into the pulmonary vasculature. The authors report another case regarding the latter situation where the catheter tip localized in a right upper lobe pulmonary arterial branch. Removal of the catheter was complicated by redundancy of the catheter and a knot along the catheter. Nevertheless, extraction was successful via endovascular retrieval using interventional radiology and loop snares. Catheter migration likely began where the right internal jugular vein was penetrated during the initial shunt placement. Subsequent venous flow and negative intrathoracic pressure coordinated the proximal migration of the catheter. The authors provide a literature review to provide information regarding management of this rare complication.
SDF1-induced antagonism of axonal repulsion requires multiple G-protein coupled signaling components that work in parallel.

SDF1 reduces the responsiveness of axonal growth cones to repellent guidance cues in a pertussis-toxin-sensitive, cAMP-dependent manner. Here, we show that SDF1's antirepellent effect can be blocked in embryonic chick dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) by expression of peptides or proteins inhibiting either Gαi, Gαq, or Gβγ. SDF1 antirepellent activity is also blocked by pharmacological inhibition of PLC, a common effector protein for Gαq. We also show that SDF1 antirepellent activity can be mimicked by overexpression of constitutively active Gαi, Gαq, or Gαs. These results suggest a model in which multiple G protein components cooperate to produce the cAMP levels required for SDF1 antirepellent activity.
A field study of group diversity, workgroup context, and performance

We explore how the context of an organizational workgroup affects the relationship between group diversity and various performance outcomes. In particular, we theorize and empirically examine the moderating effects of three categories of workgroup context variables: cultures (people- and competition-oriented), strategies (stability-, growth- and customer-oriented), and human resource practices (diversity- and training-oriented). We perform analyses on 1528 workgroups from a Fortune 500 information-processing firm. The results showed, for example, that members of groups diverse in functional background were paid higher composite bonuses when their workgroup context emphasized people-oriented cultures and lower levels of bonuses in contexts with a focus on stability-oriented strategies. In addition, members of groups diverse in level of education were awarded higher amounts of bonuses in workgroup environments that emphasized customer- and growth-oriented strategies. However, members of such groups had lower levels of composite bonuses in environments that focused on training- and diversity-oriented human resource practices. We discuss future research directions regarding diversity, workgroup context, and performance outcomes and outline some implications for managers and group leaders. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An investigation of the hyperstoichiometric Zr1−xTixCrFeyH2 system☆

The pressure-composition isotherms and relevant crystallographic, thermodynamic, and kinetic parameters are presented and discussed for the Zr/sub 1-x/Ti/sub x/CrFe/sub y/-H/sub 2/ system with x = 0.1, 0.3 and y = 1.2-1.4. The hyperstoichiometric iron was observed to have a profound effect on the equilibrium dissociation pressure, elevating the plateau pressure several times over that for the corresponding Zr/sub 1-x/Ti/sub x/CrFe hydride. The hydrogen capacities of these quaternary intermetallics are quite high, the volumetric capacity being 1.21 to 1.32 with respect to that of liquid hydrogen, the weight capacity 159.9-178.9 cm/sup 3/ H/sub 2//g alloy. The enthalpies and entropies of dissociation are in the range 27.3-31.1 kJ/mole H/sub 2/ and 100-107.2 J/K mole H/sub 2/, respectively. The dehydrogenation process was found to follow first-order kinetics with an activation energy 43.4 kJ/mole H/sub 2/. The diffusion of atomic hydrogen was considered to be the rate-determining step.
Early Teams: The Impact of Team Demography on VC Financing and Going Public

Abstract This study investigates how top management team (TMT) demographic characteristics affect firm outcomes for young high technology firms in Silicon Valley. We study how team composition and turnover shape an entrepreneurial firm's ability to attract venture capital and its ability to successfully complete an initial public offering. We find that broad access to information by virtue of having top management team members that have worked for many different employers (diverse prior company affiliations) and have diverse prior experiences (functional diversity) tend to be associated with positive outcomes. In addition, entrants to and founder exits from the TMT increase the likelihood that a firm achieves an IPO. TMT exits, in turn, reduce the likelihood of achieving an IPO. Results also suggest that prior human capital experience is consistently associated with positive firm outcomes. These findings suggest that team experiences, composition and turnover are all important for bringing new insights to the firm and are associated with the likelihood that an entrepreneurial firm will succeed.
Interstitialcy theory of simple condensed matter

A simple, more physical and compelling version of the Interstitialcy Theory of Simple Condensed Matter than that given previously is provided here. Also, computer simulation and direct and indirect experimental evidence is updated and reviewed. The theory is based on the properties of an interstitial in the interstitialcy, sometimes known as the dumbbell configuration. A free energy is derived, taking account of the unusually large shear susceptibility and vibrational entropy of the dumbbell to find the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of simple liquids and glasses. The connection between theory and experiment for some of the more notable properties of simple condensed matter found later is also discussed. The direct visual observation of interstitial diffusion to the surface in platinum near 20 K in irradiated thin films by Morgenstern et al. [M. Morgenstern, T. Michely, G. Comsa, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 1305 (1997)] is found to be sufficient compelling evidence for the interstitialcy theory.
Constructing an even grammar from a 2-element sample

This paper shows that for sample set size two, skeleton based algorithms for inferring even linear grammars either produce a language of the form {w1w2nw3w4nw5 | n e Z+}. or a language that contains only the original samples. The proof uses the fact that the sample set size is two to create a template for the transitive closure used in generating the inferred grammar.
Reorganization of the human somatosensory cortex in hand dystonia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Abnormalities of finger representations in the somatosensory cortex have been identified in patients with focal hand dystonia. Measuring blood flow with positron emission tomography (PET) can be use to demonstrate functional localization of receptive fields. METHODS A vibratory stimulus was applied to the right thumb and little finger of six healthy volunteers and six patients with focal hand dystonia to map their receptive fields using H2 (15)O PET. RESULTS The cortical finger representations in the primary somatosensory cortex were closer to each other in patients than in normal subjects. No abnormalities were found in secondary somatosensory cortex, but the somatotopy there is less well distinguished. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm prior electrophysiological and functional neuroimaging observations showing abnormalities of finger representations in somatosensory cortex of patients with focal hand dystonia.
Nonlinear evolution of the collisionless tearing mode

For a broad k vector spectrum, the collisionless tearing mode grows linearly until the Landau electrons become magnetized by the wave field. The electrons then spatially diffuse as a result of turbulent magnetic-gradient drifts which leads to a nonlinearly enhanced growth rate. At large amplitudes the nonlinear growth rate is dominated by ions.
A distributed array of automated Cherenkov telescopes for TeV gamma-ray astronomy

Abstract It is proposed that an array of widely spaced, independent detectors be used to improve the sensitivity for detection of TeV gamma-ray signals from discrete sources. The additional benefits of full automation of such a system are discussed.
The Effect of Fluorescent Labels on Protein Sorption in Polymer Hydrogels

Hydrogels are an increasingly important class of medical device materials that enable diverse and unique function, but can also be subject to significant biofouling and contamination. Although it is challenging to accurately quantify protein biofouling in hydrogels, spectroscopic detection of fluorescently labeled proteins is one method with the potential to provide direct, sensitive quantitation in transparent materials. Therefore, it is important to understand how fluorophores can affect protein-material interactions in hydrogels. This work uses an independent method, native ultraviolet fluorescence (native UV) of proteins, in conjunction with labeled protein fluorescence and the bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA), to assess the effect of fluorescent labels on protein sorption in polymer hydrogels. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LY) were labeled with two common but structurally different fluorophores and used as model biofouling proteins in three contact lens hydrogel materials. Native UV was used to directly measure both labeled and unlabeled protein sorption, while orthogonal measurements were performed with extrinsic fluorescence and BCA assay to compare with the native UV results. Sorption of labeled proteins was found to be <2-fold higher than unlabeled proteins on most protein-material combinations, while differences of up to 10-fold were observed for labeled BSA in more hydrophobic hydrogels. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) also showed that the fluorescent label chemistry can significantly affect surface adsorption of sorbed proteins on the internal surfaces of hydrogels. This study reveals the complex nature of fluorophore-protein-material interactions and shows the potential of native UV for investigating unlabeled protein biofouling in hydrogels.
Iron Confederacies: Southern Railways, Klan Violence, and Reconstruction

During Reconstruction, an alliance of southern planters and northern capitalists rebuilt the southern railway system using remnants of the Confederate railroads that had been built and destroyed during the Civil War. In the process of linking Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia by rail, this alliance created one of the largest corporations in the world, engendered bitter political struggles, and transformed the South in lasting ways, says Scott Nelson. Iron Confederacies uses the history of southern railways to explore linkages among the themes of states' rights, racial violence, labor strife, and big business in the nineteenth-century South. By 1868, Ku Klux Klan leaders had begun mobilizing white resentment against rapid economic change by asserting that railroad consolidation led to political corruption and black economic success. As Nelson notes, some of the Klan's most violent activity was concentrated along the Richmond-Atlanta rail corridor. But conflicts over railroads were eventually resolved, he argues, in agreements between northern railroad barons and Klan leaders that allowed white terrorism against black voters while surrendering states' control over the southern economy. |Focusing on the Reconstruction era, this book links the expansion of Southern railways by Southern planters and northern capitalists to issues of State's rights, racial violence, and big business.
Occipitalization of the atlas in children. Morphologic classification, associations, and clinical relevance.

Background: Occipitalization is defined as a congenital fusion of the atlas to the base of the occiput. We are not aware of any previous studies addressing the morphologic patterns of occipitalization or the implications of occipitalization in children. We present data on what we believe is the largest reported series of children with occipitalization studied with computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging, and we provide a description of their clinical characteristics. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all cases of occipitalization in children included in our spine database. Patient charts and imaging studies were reviewed. A new morphologic classification of occipitalization was developed from the two-dimensional sagittal and coronal reformatted computed tomographic reconstructions and/or magnetic resonance images. The classification includes four patterns according to the anatomic site of occipitalization (Zones 1, 2, and 3 and a combination of those zones), and it was applied to this group of patients. Imaging studies were also reviewed for evidence of cervical instability and for other anomalies of the craniovertebral junction. Results: Thirty patients with occipitalization were identified. There were twenty-four boys and six girls with a mean age of 6.5 years. The morphologic categorization was Zone 1 (a fused anterior arch) in six patients, Zone 2 (fused lateral masses) in five, Zone 3 (a fused posterior arch) in four, and a combination of fused zones in fifteen. Seventeen patients (57%) had atlantoaxial instability, and eight of them had an associated C2-C3 fusion. Eleven patients (37%) had spinal canal encroachment, and five of them had clinical findings of myelopathy. The highest prevalence of spinal canal encroachment (63%) was noted in patients with occipitalization in Zone 2. Conclusions: Occipitalization is associated with abnormalities that lead to narrowing of the space available for the spinal cord or brainstem. The risk of atlantoaxial instability developing is particularly high when there is an associated congenital C2-C3 fusion. Two-dimensional sagittal and coronal reformatted computed tomographic reconstructions and/or magnetic resonance images can help to establish the diagnosis and permit categorization of occipitalization in three zones, each of which may have a different prognostic implication. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Identification of DNA sequence responsible for 5-bromodeoxyuridine-induced gene amplification

Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) treatment of the prolactin nonproducing subclone of GH cells (rat pituitary tumor cells) induces amplification of a 20-kilobase DNA fragment including all of the prolactin gene coding sequences. This amplified DNA segment, which is flanked by two unamplified regions, thus designates a unit of BrdUrd-induced amplified sequence. Cloned DNA segments, 10.3 kilobases long, from the 5' end of the rat prolactin gene of BrdUrd-responsive and -nonresponsive cells, were ligated to the thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1TK), and the hybrid DNA was transferred to thymidine kinase-deficient mouse fibroblast cells by transfection. The HSV1TK gene and the rat prolactin gene were amplified together in drug-treated transfectants carrying the hybrid DNA HSV1TK gene and rat prolactin gene of BrdUrd-responsive GH cells. These results suggest that the 10.3-kilobase DNA segment at the 5' end of the rat prolactin gene of BrdUrd-responsive GH cells carries the information for drug-induced gene amplification (amplicon) and that another gene, such as the HSV1TK gene, is also amplified when the latter is placed adjacent to this segment.
The West Bend, Wisconsin Storm of 4 April 1981:A Problem in Operational Meteorology

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of a thunderstorm system that spawned a downburst and an F4 anticyclonictornado in the West Bend, Wisconsin area in the early morning of 4 April 1981. The tornado caused threefatalities and was one of the strongest occurring in the United States during 1981. A weakly defined bowecho of level 3 intensity was observed by the radar located at Neenah, Wisconsin during the storm. Thethunderstorm tops were measured to only 7900 m (26 000 ft) and no apparent severe weather signature inthe infrared satellite imagery could be detected. The occurrence of this severe storm event is seen to haveimplications on present and future short-term operational forecasting technology.
Transition from π-Bonded to Di-σ Metallacyclic Propene on O-Modified Ag(111)

Vibrational spectroscopic and thermal desorption evidence describing the behavior of propene on oxygen-modified Ag(111) at 100 K indicates a gradual transition from π-bonded to di-σ-bonded propene as the oxygen adatom coverage increases.
In vitro synthesis of DNA complementary to polyadenylated histone messenger RNA.

Summary The messenger RNA's for histone polypeptides were isolated from S phase HeLa S3 cells and adenylic acid residues were enzymatically added to the 3′-OH end of the molecules with a eukaryotic ATP: polynucleotidylexotransferase. The polyadenylated histone messenger RNA's were then used as templates for the synthesis of complementary DNA's by RNA-dependent DNA polymerase from Rous sarcoma virus.
Upgrading of syngas derived from biomass gasification: a thermodynamic analysis.

Abstract Hydrogen yields in the syngas produced from non-catalytic biomass gasification are generally low. The hydrogen fraction, however, can be increased by converting CO, CH4, higher hydrocarbons, and tar in a secondary reactor downstream. This paper discusses thermodynamic limits of the synthesis gas upgrading process. The method used in this process is minimization of Gibbs free energy function. The analysis is performed for temperature ranges from 400 to 1300 K, pressure of 1–10 atm (0.1–1 MPa), and different carbon to steam ratios. The study concludes that to get optimum H2 yields, with negligible CH4 and coke formation, upgrading syngas is best practiced at a temperature range of 900–1100 K. At these temperatures, H2 could be possibly increased by 43–124% of its generally observed values at the gasifier exit. The analysis revealed that increasing steam resulted in a positive effect. The study also concluded that increasing pressure from 1 to 3 atm can be applied at a temperature >1000 K to further increase H2 yields.
Modulation of neurotoxic esterase activity in vitro by phospholipids

Abstract Neurotoxic esterase (NTE), the proposed molecular site for the initiation of organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy, is a membrane-associated enzyme. NTE activity was solubilized from chicken brain microsomal membranes with the detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate and partially separated from other solubilized hen brain esterases by DEAE-Sephacel anionexchange chromatography using stepwise increases in salt concentration; however, there was poor recovery of NTE activity and only a slight increase in NTE specific activity. NTE activity in the “high salt” fraction (i.e., the NTE-enriched fraction) was markedly activated by a heatstable factor(s) present in other fractions eluted from the column. This activating factor was extracted with organic solvents, suggesting that it may be lipid. In a related study, purified phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine were also found to activate the partially separated NTE activity in a concentration-dependent manner while phosphatidylinositol was found to inhibit the same partially separated NTE fraction in a concentration-dependent manner. The results suggest that lipids may modulate NTE activity and that the loss of lipid cofactors during chromatographic separations may underlie some of the difficulties encountered in isolation of active NTE.
α-Flupenthixol increases slow-wave sleep in rats: Effect of dopamine receptor blockade

alpha-Flupenthixol (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.), a dopamine receptor blocker, significantly increased slow-wave sleep and decreased wakefulness in rats when administered either at the onset of a 12-hr light period or a 12-hr dark period. The same dose of the drug strongly antagonized the dopamine-mediated stereotype produced by an injection of apomorphine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) for at least 9-hr, indicating that dopamine receptors were blocked throughout most of the recording session. The results suggest a relationship between the blockade of dopamine receptors and the increase of slow-wave sleep time.
Incorporating hydrologic variability into nutrient spiraling

[1] Nutrient spiraling describes the path of a nutrient molecule within a stream ecosystem, combining the biochemical cycling processes with the downstream driving force of stream discharge. To date, nutrient spiraling approaches have been hampered by their inability to deal with fluctuating flows, as most studies have characterized nutrient retention within only a small range of discharges near base flow. Here hydrologic variability is incorporated into nutrient spiraling theory by drawing on the fluvial geomorphic concept of effective discharge. The effective discharge for nutrient retention is proposed to be that discharge which, over long periods of time, is responsible for the greatest portion of nutrient retention. A developed analytical model predicts that the effective discharge for nutrient retention will equal the modal discharge for small streams or those with little discharge variability. As modal discharge increases or discharge variability increases, the effective discharge becomes increasingly less than the modal discharge. In addition to the effective discharge, a new metric is proposed, the functionally equivalent discharge, which is the single discharge that will reproduce the magnitude of nutrient retention generated by the full hydrologic frequency distribution when all discharge takes place at that rate. The functionally equivalent discharge was found to be the same as the modal discharge at low hydrologic variability, but increasingly different from the modal discharge at large hydrologic variability. The functionally equivalent discharge provides a simple quantitative means of incorporating hydrologic variability into long-term nutrient budgets.
Alcohol, Phospholipase A2-Associated Neuroinflammation, and ω3 Docosahexaenoic Acid Protection

Chronic alcohol (ethanol) abuse causes neuroinflammation and brain damage that can give rise to alcoholic dementia. Insightfully, Dr. Albert Sun was an early proponent of oxidative stress as a key factor in alcoholism-related brain deterioration. In fact, oxidative stress has proven to be critical to the hippocampal and temporal cortical neurodamage resulting from repetitive "binge" alcohol exposure in adult rat models. Although the underlying mechanisms are uncertain, our immunoelectrophoretic and related assays in binge alcohol experiments in vivo (adult male rats) and in vitro (rat organotypic hippocampal-entorhinal cortical slice cultures) have implicated phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2))-activated neuroinflammatory pathways, release of pro-oxidative arachidonic acid (20:4 ω6), and elevated oxidative stress adducts (i.e., 4-hydroxynonenal-protein adducts). Also, significantly increased by the binge alcohol treatments was aquaporin-4 (AQP4), a water channel enriched in astrocytes that, when augmented, may trigger brain (esp. cellular) edema and neuroinflammation; of relevance, glial swelling is known to provoke increased PLA(2) activities or levels. Concomitant with PLA(2) activation, the results have further implicated binge alcohol-elevated poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), an oxidative stress-responsive DNA repair enzyme linked to parthanatos, a necrotic-like neuronal death process. Importantly, supplementation of the brain slice cultures with docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 ω3) exerted potent suppression of the induced changes in PLA(2) isoforms, AQP4, PARP-1 and oxidative stress footprints, and prevention of the binge alcohol neurotoxicity, by as yet unknown mechanisms. These neuroinflammatory findings from our binge alcohol studies and supportive rat binge studies in the literature are reviewed.
Deterministic and stochastic optimization problems of bolza type in discrete time

In this paper we consider deterministic and stochastic versions of discrete time analogs of optimization problems of the Bolza type. The functionals are assumed to be convex, but we make no differentiability assumptions and allow for the explicit or implicit presence of constraints both on the state xt and the increments△x t. The deterministic theory serves to set the stage for the stochastic problem. We obtain optimality conditions that are always sufficient and which are also necessary if the given problem satisfies a strict feasibility condition and, in the stochastic case, a bounded recourse condition. This is a new condition that bypasses the uniform boundedness restrictions encountered in earlier work on related problems.
Perfect reconstructable decimated two-dimensional empirical mode decomposition filter banks

Traditional two-dimensional empirical mode decomposition (2D-EMD) algorithms generate multiple subband signals, each having the same size of the original signal. Thus, huge amounts of data to be stored may be generated. Moreover, the computational load is massive as the decomposition levels increase. This paper introduces a method to reduce the data generated (i.e. reduce storage requirement) by incorporating decimation into the 2D-EMD, while maintaining perfect reconstruction. Furthermore, it is well established that traditional EMDs can be thought as having the structure of a single dyadic filter bank. The proposed algorithm is applicable into any arbitrary tree structures including octave filter banks, 2D-EMD packets when applied to a full binary tree, etc. The methodology hereby presented builds on the algorithm introduced by the authors in [8].
When and how to use informatics tools in caring for urologic patients

Decision analysis is crucial to the formulation of treatment strategies. This classical approach relies on the predictive power of statistical models, which can be represented graphically as nomograms. Designed to facilitate simple and rapid calculation of probabilities for individual patients, Michael Kattan assesses the utility of several of these nomograms for management of clinically localized prostate cancer. Making predictions is an essential part of any medical decision. It is particularly crucial when considering treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer. Nomograms and prediction model software typically provide the most accurate predictions. Many nomograms have been developed, for all prostate cancer clinical states. Some of these are discussed in this review, as is their utility in facilitating decision making and informed consent.
Identifying At-Risk Students in General Chemistry via Cluster Analysis of Affective Characteristics

The purpose of this study is to identify academically at-risk students in first-semester general chemistry using affective characteristics via cluster analysis. Through the clustering of six preselected affective variables, three distinct affective groups were identified: low (at-risk), medium, and high. Students in the low affective group reported lower scores on intellectual accessibility, emotional satisfaction, math self-concept, chemistry self-concept, and self-efficacy and a higher score on test anxiety. Significant differences were found on exam performance between the high and low affective groups with the high affective group performing significantly better than the low affective group. In terms of value beliefs, expectancy beliefs, and metacognitive self-regulation, differences were found between the high and low groups as well. These findings provide instructors an efficient way of identifying and reaching out to at-risk students early in the semester, as well as gaining a better understanding ...