cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase contrast stereometry: fatigue crack mapping in three dimensions

The work reported below describes development of a novel method, termed X-ray phase contrast stereometry, for reconstructing the three-dimensional (3D) positions of features within a specimen. The approach takes measured positions of a given feature in phase microradiographs recorded at different viewing angles and refines that feature's position numerically. The approach is designed to address limitations in conventional laboratory or synchrotron X-ray absorption micro computed tomography (microCT), particularly those inherent in studying plate-like samples. The phase stereometric reconstruction technique was applied to a small compact tension sample of aluminium alloy AA 2090 (20.3 mm wide from notch tip to back face and 2.7 mm thick) containing a fatigue crack and was used to map the 3D crack surface non-invasively. Up to ten viewing angles were used for each of 2269 points mapped on the approximately 2.7 mm × 6.0 mm surface. The 3D stereometry-derived crack surface agreed with the surface map from abs...
Current concepts in hair transplantation

Male pattern baldness (MPB) is the process in which terminal hair regresses to vellus hair. The true dimensionality and complexity of MPB has only recently begun to be appreciated. Before considering performing any type of surgical hair restorative procedure, the surgeon must be aware of the long-term nature of MPB. Failure to recognize the fact that terminal hair progresses to vellus hair far beyond the age formerly thought to define the extent of MPB, predisposes transplantation patients to long-term problems. Contemporary hair transplantation surgeons use conservative, well planned techniques that avert long-term problems and produce excellent results.
Separation of caveolae from associated microdomains of GPI-anchored proteins

In situ coating of the surface of endothelial cells in rat lung with cationic colloidal silica particles was used to separate caveolae from detergent-insoluble membranes rich in glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins but devoid of caveolin. Immunogold electron microscopy showed that ganglioside GM1-enriched caveolae associated with an annular plasmalemmal domain enriched in GPI-anchored proteins. The purified caveolae contained molecular components required for regulated transport, including various lipid-anchored signaling molecules. Such specialized distinct microdomains may exist separately or together in the plasma membrane to organize signaling molecules and to process surface-bound ligands differentially.
Remarks about fields of high intensity

Abstract At high field strength any known material will break down by the production of electrons and ions. At a higher field strength, massive production of pairs will occur. This phenomenon is discussed when heavy ions of γ ≈ 100 collide. Even when the heavy ions approach to within one nuclear radius, pair production involving electrons and mesons must be expected. High magnetic fields between the nuclei might be coupled to pairs of magnetic monopoles.
Aging-related increase in hippocampal calcium channels

Abstract This paper briefly reviews more than 10 years of our studies on brain aging and voltage-activated calcium (Ca) currents in rat hippocampal CA1 neurons. Initial studies in the hippocampal slice preparations found that synaptic plasticity was impaired with aging, apparently due to excess Ca influx. In subsequent analyses it was found that the Ca-dependent afterhyperpolarization, the Ca action potential and voltage-activated Ca currents were all increased in aged CA1 neurons. This was not due to impaired inactivation processes. Multiple types of Ca channels appear to be affected by aging. A long Ca tail current was also found in these studies, which seems to represent an unrecognized and significant Ca entry pathway at resting potential. In primary cell cultures, Ca currents and single Ca channels increase steadily over the life cycle of the cultured neurons and are correlated with cell death. Single L-type Ca channels were also studied in brain neurons of an aged mammal (rat), using the partially dissociated (“zipper”) hippocampal slice preparation. A substantial increase in the density of functionally available Ca channels was present in CA1 neurons of aged rats, similar to the increase seen in cultured neurons. Thus, a gradual increase in the density of Ca channels appears to be a consistent property of hippocampal neuronal aging and might well be a factor in the vulnerability of aged neurons to Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative/traumatic conditions.
Monoamine oxidase A and monoamine oxidase B activities are catalyzed by different proteins.

Abstract Monoamine oxidases A and B (amino: oxygen oxidoreductase (deaminating) (flavin-containing), EC 1.4.3.4) have been identified in the outer membranes of rat liver mitochondria by their covalent reaction with the inhibitor, [3H]pargyline. On analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Monoamine oxidase A was found to migrate more slowly that monoamine oxidase B. Proteins which correspond to monoamine oxidases A and B (as identified by the electrophoretic distribution of covalently bound [3H]pargyline) were excised from the gels. Subsequent analysis showed that both monoamine oxidase A and monoamine B had been highly purified by this procedure. Electrophoretic analysis of the peptides produced by limited proteolysis with bovine trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase and cyanogen bromide indicate that monoamine oxidases A and B have different amino acid sequences.
Adolescent Risk-Takers: a Trauma Center Study of Suicide Attempters and Drivers

Adolescence is a developmental stage characterized by excessive risk-taking behavior that produces adverse health effects, typically in the form of injury. At issue is whether adolescent suicide attempters and injured adolescent motor vehicle drivers constitute a common risk group and are differentiated by the response of the emergency medical care system and by case disposition. Data originated in the medical records of a Rhode Island (USA) trauma center. The two study groups were not distinguished by religious preference, socioeconomic status or timing of the injury incident, but differed significantly by gender, race, emergency vehicle use, hospital admission rates, and seasonal injury patterns. Alcohol and drug involvement was examined, but serious data deficiencies were noted. Language: en
A Model of Turbulent Mixing in the A + B 0 Reaction

The diffusion limited reaction A+B→0 in sufficiently low dimensions results in macroscopically self-regregated systems with anomalous reaction rate laws. When the chemical mixture is embedded in a fluctuating velocity field having statistics mimicking “turbulent diffusion” the effects of spatial inhomogeneities are washed out and the classical global reaction rate laws in three dimensions result.
The relation between Helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Both infection with Helicobacter pylori and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can result in gastritis and ulcers. H. pylori has been identified as a major etiologic factor in the development of peptic ulcer disease; however, its relationship to NSAID-associated toxicity is less well characterized. Several studies have suggested that NSAID use does not increase susceptibility to H. pylori, and the converse has also been suggested, namely, that H. pylori does not exacerbate NSAID-associated injury. H. pylori itself may stimulate production of gastric prostaglandins, which may have a role in ulcer healing. More carefully controlled studies may be better able to elucidate the individual and synergistic mechanisms involved in ulceration induced by H. pylori and NSAIDs. Recent studies have suggested that elimination of H. pylori before NSAID treatment decreases ulcer occurrence. Therefore, at this time, eradication of H. pylori should be considered only in certain high-risk patients, i.e., those with a history of gastroduodenal ulcers.
On Path Properties of Certain Infinitely Divisible Processes.

Abstract Let { X ( t ): t ∈ T } be a stochastic process equal in distribution to {∫ s f ( t , s ) Λ (d s ): t ∈ T }, where Λis a symmetric independently scattered random measure and f is a suitable deterministic function. It is shown that various properties of the sections f (·, s ), s ∈ S , are inherited by the sample paths of X , provided X has no Gaussian component. The analogous statement for Gaussian processes is false. As a main tool, LePage-type series representation is fully developed for symmetric stochastic integral processes and this may be of independent interest.
IMPROVING ERECTILE FUNCTION BY SILENCING PHOSPHODIESTERASE-5

ABSTRACTPurpose: We investigated whether phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) can be down-regulated by a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) and whether this would improve erectile function.Materials and Methods: A PDE5 siRNA encoding oligonucleotide was inserted into pSUPER-retro vector, resulting in the siRNA expressing construct, pPDE5-silencer. The construct was packaged into oncoretroviral particles and then transduced into rat cavernous smooth muscle cells (CSMCs). Cells were examined for PDE5 expression by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Cells were then treated with 10 μM sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and examined for cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) at 0, 10, 30, 60 and 240 minutes. The siRNA expressing cassette was transferred from the oncoretrovirus to lentivirus, which was then injected into rat penises. Three months later erectile function was examined by electrostimulation and PDE5 expression in cavernous smooth muscle was determ...
Flocculation of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Colloidal Particles in Near-Critical Pyrrolidone-Water Mixtures

The unusual solution behavior of a series of N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones has been exploited for efficient flocculation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles in aqueous dispersions. These pyrrolidones are surface-active low vapor pressure solvents of increasing industrial interest. The lower alkyl chain length pyrrolidones are completely miscible with water but aqueous solutions of higher alkyl chain length exhibit lower consolute temperatures (LCT), some close to ambient temperatures. It is shown here that pyrrolidones at concentrations and temperatures close to phase separation are outstanding reversible flocculants for graphite and coal suspensions. Flocculation with these surfactant solvents can be more effective than commercial polymeric flocculants and is reversible by manipulating the phase behavior. Furthermore, flocculation by alkyl pyrrolidones results in bigger and more compact flocs than those formed with high molecular weight polymers. In some instances, the dispersed colloidal particles were compacted into a single floc with ∼35% solid content. The flocculation efficiency of these compounds correlates with their phase behavior and is discussed in detail.
Towards the Prediction and Minimization of Device Failure for Endolvascular Grafts in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

The local dilation of the infrarenal aorta, termed an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), occurs over several years and may eventually lead to rupture, an event currently ranked the 15th leading cause of death in the United States [1, 2]. AAA can often remain quiescent and asymptomatic, making the diagnosis and treatment of AAA patients a clinical challenge. For patients whose AAAs dilate to a critical diameter there are two standard treatments: open surgical resection and endovascular repair (EVAR). EVAR involves inserting an endovascular graft into the aneurysm to prevent pressurization of the AAA cavity.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
How Ethical Theory Can Improve Practice: Lessons from Abu Ghraib

Abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq confront us with the question of how seemingly ordinary soldiers could have perpetrated harms against prisoners. In this essay I argue that a Stoic approach to the virtues can provide a bulwark against the social and personal forces that can lead to abusive behavior. In part one, I discuss Abu Ghraib. In two, I examine social psychological explanations of how ordinary, apparently decent people are able to commit atrocities. In three, I address a series of questions: why should we turn to ethics for help with these problems, and why, in particular, to Stoicism instead of other ethical theories, such as utilitarianism or Kantianism? Given the power of situations in influencing behavior, is a turn to character ethics a viable response to problems such as those at Abu Ghraib? I argue in part four that character formation drawing on Stoic values can provide soldiers with the inner resilience to resist the situational factors that press them to unwarranted aggression.
Effect of Unilateral Ovariectomy on the Structure and Function of the Corpora Lutea of the Pig

This study was designed to determine the effect of unilateral ovariectomy on follicular growth, weight of luteal tissue and luteal function of the remaining ovary in nonpregnant sows. In the first experiment, 8 sows were ovariectomized unilaterally at day 1 or day 6 of the estrous cycle and autopsied on day 14 of the same estrous cycle (day 0 being designated the first day of estrus). Eight control sows were anesthetized, but not submitted to surgery, on the same days as treated sows, and autopsied on day 14 of the estrous cycle. The remaining ovary of unilaterally ovariectomized animals responded to the absence of the other ovary with an increase in the number of follicles 5–12 mm in diameter although without the formation of additional follicles, a decrease in the average weight of luteal tissue per corpus luteum, and a reduction in the progesterone content of the luteal tissue. In a second experiment, 4 sows were ovariectomized unilaterally on day 2 of the estrous cycle. Four control sows received no t...
Affinities of ‘hyopsodontids’ to elephant shrews and a Holarctic origin of Afrotheria

In 1998 molecular evolutionists came up with the startling suggestion that a number of superficially divergent groups of mammals were closely related. Creatures as diverse as elephants, hyraxes, elephant shrews and aardvarks were dubbed ‘Afrotheres’, and said to signify an endemic radiation of mammals in Africa long ago when it was an island, rather like Australia (and its endemic marsupials) today. Afrotheria has received little or no support from palaeontologists, and it receives short shrift again this week. Zack et al. looked at hitherto enigmatic fossil mammals called hyopsodontids from North America, aligning them with elephant shrews. This suggests that if Afrotheria did exist, its origins needn't have been African. Macroscelideans (elephant shrews or sengis) are small-bodied (25–540 g), cursorial (running) and saltatorial (jumping), insectivorous and omnivorous1 placental mammals represented by at least 15 extant African species classified in four genera2. Macroscelidea is one of several morphologically diverse but predominantly African placental orders classified in the superorder Afrotheria by molecular phylogeneticists3,4. The distribution of modern afrotheres, in combination with a basal position for Afrotheria within Placentalia and molecular divergence-time estimates, has been used to link placental diversification with the mid-Cretaceous separation of South America and Africa4. Morphological phylogenetic analyses do not support Afrotheria5,6,7 and the fossil record favours a northern origin of Placentalia8. Here we describe fossil postcrania that provide evidence for a close relationship between North American Palaeocene–Eocene apheliscine ‘hyopsodontid’ ‘condylarths’ (early ungulates or hoofed mammals) and extant Macroscelidea. Apheliscine postcranial morphology is consistent with a relationship to other ungulate-like afrotheres (Hyracoidea, Proboscidea) but does not provide support for a monophyletic Afrotheria. As the oldest record of an afrothere clade, identification of macroscelidean relatives in the North American Palaeocene argues against an African origin for Afrotheria, weakening support for linking placental diversification to the break-up of Gondwana.
Combined adaptive enhancement and region-growing segmentation of breast masses on digitized mammograms.

As an ongoing effort to develop a computer aid for detection of masses on mammograms, we recently designed an object-based region-growing technique to improve mass segmentation. This segmentation method utilizes the density-weighted contrast enhancement (DWCE) filter as a preprocessing step. The DWCE filter adaptively enhances the contrast between the breast structures and the background. Object-based region growing was then applied to each of the identified structures. The region-growing technique uses gray-scale and gradient information to adjust the initial object borders and to reduce merging between adjacent or overlapping structures. Each object is then classified as a breast mass or normal tissue based on extracted morphological and texture features. In this study we evaluated the sensitivity of this combined segmentation scheme and its ability to reduce false positive (FP) detections on a data set of 253 digitized mammograms, each of which contained a biopsy-proven breast mass. It was found that the segmentation scheme detected 98% of the 253 biopsy-proven breast masses in our data set. After final FP reduction, the detection resulted in 4.2 FP per image at a 90% true positive (TP) fraction and 2.0 FPs per image at an 80% TP fraction. The combined DWCE and object-based region growing technique increased the initial detection sensitivity, reduced merging between neighboring structures, and reduced the number of FP detections in our automated breast mass detection scheme.
Sun Imaging though the Martian Atmosphere

This paper discusses the sun images acquired with the panoramic cameras (pancam) on the Mars exploration rovers. The mission goals, the camera design, the data processing and the results are discussed. Each of the two rovers has two cameras, one with a bandpass filter centered at 880 nm and one centered at 440 nm. It is observed that some of the pancams show ghost images. Based on analysis of the images, the transparency of the martian atmosphere (tau) is estimated to be ~0.9. A seasonal change in tau is observed.
The movement of zinc and copper from the fertilized egg into metallothionein-like proteins in developing chick hepatic tissue.

The movement of copper and zinc from the fertilized egg into the developing embryo and the subsequent association of the two metals with metallothionein-like proteins (MT) of chick liver was investigated. Hepatic levels of MT in 1-d-old chicks, estimated from specifically bound115mCd, were increased eightfold over endogenous levels of these copper- and zinc-binding proteins in adult liver. Copper was assimilated from the oocyte into the embryo more rapidly than zinc in the early stages of embryogenesis. Between 15 and 16 d of development, during the time that (MT) was detected, there was a significant increase in copper concentration, whereas hepatic zinc concentration remained relatively constant.
A molecular description of the evolution of resistance

BACKGROUND: In vitro evolution has been used to obtain nucleic acid molecules with interesting functional properties. The evolution process usually is carried out in a stepwise manner, involving successive rounds of selection, amplification and mutation. Recently, a continuous in vitro evolution system was devised for RNAs that catalyze the ligation of oligonucleotide substrates, allowing the evolution of catalytic function to be studied in real time. RESULTS: Continuous in vitro evolution of an RNA ligase ribozyme was carried out in the presence of a DNA enzyme that was capable of cleaving, and thereby inactivating, the ribozyme. The DNA concentration was increased steadily over 33.5 hours of evolution, reaching a final concentration that would have been sufficient to inactivate the starting population in one second. The evolved population of ribozymes developed resistance to the DNA enzyme, reducing their vulnerability to cleavage by 2000-fold but retaining their own catalytic function. Based on sequencing and kinetic analysis of the ribozymes, two mechanisms are proposed for this resistance. One involves three nucleotide substitutions, together with two compensatory mutations, that alter the site at which the DNA enzyme binds the ribozyme. The other involves enhancement of the ribozyme's ability to bind its own substrate in a way that protects it from cleavage by the DNA enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: The ability to direct the evolution of an enzyme's biochemical properties in response to the behavior of another macromolecule provides insight into the evolution of resistance and may be useful in developing enzymes with novel or enhanced function.
Intimacy dysfunction and trauma symptomatology: Long‐term correlates of different types of child abuse

The relationships among interpersonal functioning, symptomatology, and childhood abuse were examined in 315 university women. Women reporting childhood abuse had lower quality of past interpersonal relationships, greater fear of intimacy, and greater trauma symptomatology than nonabused women had. Regression analyses indicated that experiencing both sexual and physical abuse, more extensive psychological abuse, and current sexual concerns, defensive avoidance, dissociation, and intrusive experiences were significant predictors of fear of intimacy. Dysfunctional sexual behaviors, impaired self-reference, and depression were significant predictors of the quality of current interpersonal relationships, whereas sexual abuse or multiple abuse experiences in childhood and anger/irritability were predictors of the quality of prior interpersonal relationships. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed.
Do all-metal antiaromatic clusters exist?

As shown by detailed nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) analyses of the contributions of each molecular orbital, the very recently reported gas-phase all-metal Al4Li3- anion and its relatives (Kuznetsov, A.E.; Birch, K.A.; Boldyrev, A.I.; Li, X.; Zhai, A.I.; Wang, L.S. Science 2003, 300, 622) are aromatic rather than antiaromatic. The paratropic (antiaromatic) four-pi-electron contribution is overcome by the predominating diatropic effects of sigma aromaticity. However, true antiaromatic all-metal clusters, such as Sn62- (Schiemenz, B.; Huttner, G. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1993, 32, 297), do exist.
Performance of optimistic make

Optimistic make is a version of make that executes the commands necessary to bring targets up-to-date prior to the time the user types a make request. Side effects of these optimistic computations (such as file or screen updates) are concealed until the make request is issued. If the inputs read by the optimistic computations are identical to the inputs the computation would read at the time the make request is issued, the results of the optimistic computations are used immediately, resulting in improved response time. Otherwise, the necessary computations are reexecuted.We have implemented optimistic make in the V-System on a collection of SUN-3 workstations. Statistics collected from this implementation are used to synthesize a workload for a discrete-event simulation and to validate its results. The simulation shows a speedup distribution over pessimistic make with a median of 1.72 and a mean of 8.28. The speedup distribution is strongly dependent on the ratio between the target out-of-date times and the command execution times. In particular, with faster machines the median of the speedup distribution grows to 5.1, and then decreases again. The extra machine resources used by optimistic make are well within the limit of available resources, given the large idle times observed in many workstation environments.
Activation of β-Catenin Signaling in Prostate Cancer by Peptidyl-Prolyl Isomerase Pin1-Mediated Abrogation of the Androgen Receptor-β-Catenin Interaction

Androgen receptor (AR) interacts with beta-catenin and can suppress its coactivation of T cell factor 4 (Tcf4) in prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Pin1 is a peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase that stabilizes beta-catenin by inhibiting its binding to the adenomatous polyposis coli gene product and subsequent glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta)-dependent degradation. Higher Pin1 expression in primary PCa is correlated with disease recurrence, and this study found that Pin1 expression was markedly increased in metastatic PCa. Consistent with this result, increased expression of Pin1 in transfected LNCaP PCa cells strongly accelerated tumor growth in vivo in immunodeficient mice. Pin1 expression in LNCaP cells enhanced beta-catenin/Tcf4 transcriptional activity, as assessed using Tcf4-regulated reporter genes, and increased expression of endogenous Tcf4 and c-myc. However, in contrast to results in cells with intact PTEN and active GSK-3beta, Pin1 expression in LNCaP PCa cells, which are PTEN deficient, did not increase beta-catenin. Instead, Pin1 expression markedly inhibited the beta-catenin interaction with AR, and Pin1 abrogated the ability of AR to antagonize beta-catenin/Tcf4 binding and transcriptional activity. These findings demonstrate that AR can suppress beta-catenin signaling, that the AR-beta-catenin interaction can be regulated by Pin1, and that abrogation of this interaction can enhance beta-catenin/Tcf4 signaling and contribute to aggressive biological behavior in PCa.
Gale crater: the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover Landing Site

Gale crater formed from an impact on Mars ∼3.6 billion years ago. It hosts a central mound nearly 100 km wide and ∼5 km high, consisting of layered rocks with a variety of textures and spectral properties. The oldest exposed layers contain variably hydrated sulphates and smectite clay minerals, implying an aqueous origin, whereas the younger layers higher on the mound are covered by a mantle of dust. Fluvial channels carved into the crater walls and the lower mound indicate that surface liquids were present during and after deposition of the mound material. Numerous hypotheses have been advocated for the origin of some or all minerals and layers in the mound, ranging from deep lakes to playas to mostly dry dune fields to airfall dust or ash subjected to only minor alteration driven by snowmelt. The complexity of the mound suggests that multiple depositional and diagenetic processes are represented in the materials exposed today. Beginning in August 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity will explore Gale crater by ascending the mound's northwestern flank, providing unprecedented new detail on the evolution of environmental conditions and habitability over many millions of years during which the mound strata accumulated.
Marketing the centrol computing facilities

One of the consequences of a growing computer user community which is constantly diversifying its computing needs is the necessity of making sure people know what services are provided by the central computing facility. At The Ohio State University we are learning to market what we provide to our user community. This paper will discuss some of the ways we do this including: people networks; information sharinguser groupsadapting consultationword of mouthelectronic bulletin boardsdirect mailings to faculty, staff and studentspamphlets of discount programs and special informationnewsletterstraveling workshopsvideo tapesopen houses/computer festsEach category is discussed with regard to planning strategies and implementation techniques.
Phylogeny of Veneroidea (Mollusca: Bivalvia) based on morphology and molecules

The largest Recent family of Bivalvia, the marine Veneridae with approximately 800 species, comprises one of the least understood and most poorly defined molluscan taxa, despite including some of the most economically important and abundant bivalves, for example quahog, Pismo clams, and Manila clams. A review of previous phylogenetic analyses including the superfamily Veneroidea (Veneridae, Petricolidae, Glauconomidae, Turtoniidae, Neoleptonidae) and within the Veneridae shows minimal taxon sampling leading to weak conclusions and few supported synapomorphies. New phylogenetic analyses on 114 taxa tested the monophyly of Veneroidea, Veneridae, and 17 nominal venerid subfamilies, using morphological (conchological, anatomical) data and molecular sequences from mitochondrial (16S, cytochrome oxidase I) and nuclear (28S, histone 3) genes. Morphological analyses using 45 exemplar taxa and 23 traditional characters were highly homoplastic and failed to reconstruct traditional veneroid classification. Full morphological analyses (31 characters) supported the monophyly of Veneroidea and Veneridae but only when certain taxa were excluded, revealing analytical difficulties caused by a suite of characters associated with neotenous or miniaturized morphology. Molecular analyses resulted in substantially higher clade consistency. The combined molecular data set resulted in significant support for a particular topology. The monophyly of Veneridae was supported only when Petricolidae and Turtoniidae were subsumed, and recognized as members with derived or neotenous morphologies, respectively. Morphological character mapping on molecular trees retained a high level of homoplasy, but revealed synapomorphies for major branch points and supported six subfamily groups (Dosiniinae, Gemminae, Samarangiinae, Sunettinae, Tapetinae, combined Chioninae + Venerinae). Glauconomidae and Neoleptonidae are provisionally maintained in Veneroidea pending further study; Petricolinae and Turtoniinae are placed in Veneridae. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 148, 439–521.
The characterization of adult human myoglobin.

It has been reported that crystalline human myoglobin can be resolved by electrophoresis on paper into three components (1,2). Two of these possess nearly identical absorption spectra between 500 and 600 rnp and give the same reactions with oxygen. Although it was suggested that these components differ structurally (2), no evidence has been presented to support this view. In the present study the heterogeneity of human metmyoglobin has been examined with the aid of ion exchange chromatography. Five chromatographically distinct fractions, two of which represent approximately 75% of the myoglobin in skeletal muscle, have been found. Chemical and physical analyses of these fractions indicate that the globin is identical in the two myoglobins that are present in major amount. The differences in chromatographic and electrophoretic behavior of these fractions result from differences in the state of the iron in the heme prosthetic group. At least one of the other myoglobin components, which represents only a minor amount of the myoglobin of normal muscle, appears to differ in the primary structure of the globin moiety. The availability of large amounts of chromatographitally pure myoglobin has prompted further characterization of this protein.
A Review of: “Susanna Hornig Priest. Doing Media Research: An Introduction (2nd Ed.).”: Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2010, 248 pp., ISBN 978-1-4129-6097-7 (paperback).

Whether “media research” is a separate sphere of inquiry is a question with implications reaching far beyond simple methodological considerations, as it begs questions, for example, about whether m...
A prospective study of predictors of adherence to combination antiretroviral medication.

OBJECTIVE: Adherence to complex antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical for HIV treatment but difficult to achieve. The development of interventions to improve adherence requires detailed information regarding barriers to adherence. However, short follow-up and inadequate adherence measures have hampered such determinations. We sought to assess predictors of long-term (up to 1 year) adherence to newly initiated combination ART using an accurate, objective adherence measure.
MEKK2: A potential target for cancer cell migration and metastasis

A critical need exists for cancer therapies that block metastasis. Cancer metastasis requires that tumor cells move from the primary tumor to other tissues, and release of cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix is necessary for cell migration. Cellular signaling networks control tumor cell functions essential for metastasis, including migration and adhesion. For example, the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) regulate cell migration, adhesion, survival and proliferation, as well as other functions essential for tumor progression. We have demonstrated that silencing expression of the MAPK regulator MEKK2 inhibits breast tumor growth and metastasis in vivo , and decreases breast tumor cell migration in vitro . We discovered that tumor cell attachment to the matrix protein fibronectin induces MEKK2 activation and localization to protein complexes called focal adhesions that form at the cellular interface with extracellular matrices to control cell attachment. Furthermore, we found that MEKK2 controls the composition of focal adhesions, at least in part, by promoting modification of focal adhesion components leading to focal adhesion disassembly and turnover. We propose that the MEKK2 signaling network may contain novel therapeutic targets for blocking cancer metastasis. Herein we provide an update on our current work and highlight future research that will focus on defining the mechanisms by which MEKK2 and its effectors influence tumor cell function.
Determining Spatial and Temporal Inputs of Freshwater, Including Submarine Groundwater Discharge, to a Subtropical Estuary Using Geochemical Tracers, Biscayne Bay, South Florida

Geochemical mixing models were used to deci- pher the dominant source of freshwater (rainfall, canal discharge, or groundwater discharge) to Biscayne Bay, an estuary in south Florida. Discrete samples of precipitation, canal water, groundwater, and bay surface water were collected monthly for 2 years and analyzed for salinity, stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, and Sr 2+ /Ca 2+ concentrations. These geochemical tracers were used in three separate mixing models and then combined to trace the magnitude and timing of the freshwater inputs to the estuary. Fresh groundwater had an isotopic signature (δ 18 O=�2.66‰, δD �7.60‰) similar to rainfall (δ 18 O= �2.86‰, δD=�4.78‰). Canal water had a heavy isotopic signature (δ 18 O=�0.46‰, δD=�2.48‰) due to evaporation. This made it possible to use stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen to separate canal water from precipitation and groundwater as a source of freshwater into the bay. A second model using Sr 2+ /Ca 2+ ratios was developed to discern fresh groundwater inputs from precipitation inputs. Groundwater had a Sr 2+ /Ca 2+ ratio of 0.07, while precipitation had a dissimilar ratio of 0.89. When combined, these models showed a freshwater input ratio of canal/precipitation/ groundwater of 37%:53%:10% in the wet season and 40%:55%:5% in the dry season with an error of ±25%. For a bay-wide water budget that includes saltwater and freshwater mixing, fresh groundwater accounts for 1-2% of the total fresh and saline water input.
Neurobehavioral sequelae of child sexual abuse

This study examined intellectual and memory functioning in a sample of sexually abused children compared to demographically and age-matched controls. The severity of abuse and other pertinent factors were also examined in relation to cognitive performance. Elevated levels of psychopathology were present in the abused children, as well as diminished performance on tasks influenced by attention/concentration. However, after controlling for differences in IQ and socioeconomic status (SES), significant differences in memory function were not found. Results are discussed in the context of stress effects on cognition and the potential resiliency of cognitive function in children undergoing treatment for sexual abuse.
Seeking Effective Power: Why Mayors Need Community Organizations

During the first year of David N. Dinkins's term as mayor of New York, the city was hit by a barrage of highly publicized crimes-innocent children killed in cross fires by warring drug dealers, a midday attack by a gang of youth on a woman jogging in Central Park, and the murder of a tourist from Utah helping his mother stave off attackers during a mugging. The Daily News and the New York Post competed to paint the grisliest possible picture of wanton violence in the city, and the mayor was put on the defensive. The media barrage was puzzling: Dinkins knew that the actual number of murders in the city had been trending downward in the months immediately following his election. But under heavy pressure from the media, governor, and city council speaker, and despite a severe budget crisis, Dinkins felt compelled to hire more than five thousand additional police officers. To fund the hiring of additional police the mayor sought assistance from the state legislature. The assembly responded positively to the city's funding request, but mandated, over the objection of the police commissioner, that officers carry semiautomatic pistols. Although the commissioner believed that these weapons would not deter crime and posed a safety risk, legislators were eager for clear symbols of their tough stance on crime during an election year. While to the mayor and police commissioner, the legislators' micromanagement of the police was irritating and a poor use of resources, the legislators were attempting to manage the fear of crime in their districts, not crime itself. The appearance of controlling crime was at least as important to them as reducing the crime rate. In Dinkins's case, the aesthetic of crime control was ultimately more decisive than his management of actual violent crime. When Dinkins stood for reelection, despite a massive increase in police hiring and a steady reduction of violent crime during his administration, he was defeated by a conservative opponent, Rudolph Giuliani, who depicted him as soft on crime.2 Many of us in the Dinkins administration strongly suspected that his "soft on crime" image was not a technical management issue, but a political problem centered on race. Polls taken during the crime scare showed that white voters were losing confidence in Dinkins, but blacks were not. The latter were more likely to live in communities where violent crimes were most prevalent.3 We also knew
The Bully at School: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Recent legislation enacted across the United States mandates schools to intervene and improve the reporting system of school bullying. Although the laws are an extension of safe school mandates, restoring justice in schools has taken a top priority. The lack of intensity of current anti-bullying programs and educators underestimating the gravity of bullying and its long-term effects on victims is problematic. In addition, little emphasis is being placed on understanding the research base of children who bully others. A review of the criminology and psychiatric research provides insight into the behavior of the bully. Studies demonstrate that bullying in school is a "gateway" behavior toward future criminal behavior; bullying will persist if professionals do not buy into the gravity of chronic child aggressors. Remediation directed at young children is essential, concurrent with the provision of teacher training programs focused on understanding the common behavioral disorders of childhood. A look at the existing research provides direction toward meeting the significant needs of children who bully others and perpetuate violence in schools and into adulthood.
Death and dying: Issues for educational gerontologists

Research findings and other information on three topics, death orientations, the dying process, and bereavement, are reviewed with a major focus on the elderly. It is suggested that relevant knowledge and issues in these and other areas in death and dying are important for gerontological practitioners and it is proposed that such death-related content be systematically integrated into academic curricula at the pre-service and in-service levels.
Successive virgin births of viable male progeny in the checkered gartersnake, Thamnophis marcianus

In recent years genotyping analysis using mini- and microsatellite markers has provided robust DNA-based support for facultative parthenogenesis (FP) in several lineages of squamate reptiles (snakes and lizards) and sharks. Rather than incidental cases of reproductive error, there is growing evidence that FP is an alternative reproductive strategy and an important mode of reproduction in these phylogenetically divergent vertebrate groups. Because documentation of FP in vertebrates is in its infancy, additional instances supported by molecular genetic methods provide insights that advance our general understanding of this phenomenon. Here, in a female checkered gartersnake (Thamnophis marcianus) reared in isolation since a juvenile, we describe five successive parthenogenetic litters produced over a 7-year period that resulted in several viable male progeny. Cross species microsatellite amplification was performed across 30 primer pairs derived from Thamnophis spp. and related natricines to the female and nine available progeny. Five loci proved heterozygous in the maternal sample with the progeny differentially homozygous at all but one locus. Combined with evidence pertaining to captive history and litter characteristics, our analysis supports a specific type of FP, terminal fusion automictic parthenogenesis, over the competing hypothesis of long-term sperm storage. Importantly, we document that a single individual was capable of producing successive litters composed of live parthenogens. In two cases, males achieved adulthood and showed the anatomical potential to demonstrate reproductive competence (normal looking hemipenes and testes). © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 107, 566–572.
Dynamic rolling of modular robots

Highly redundant modular robots may undergo large shape changes which significantly affect the geometry and dynamics of the robot. In these motions, the shape change may induce a tipping or rolling behavior of the robot itself. The paper describes the dynamic modeling, control, and simulation of such rolling motions for the Tetrobot modular robots. The motion is described by the path profiles of controlled nodes, the tipping criteria and dynamic tipping motion, and an impact-reaction model of contact with the ground. These phases of motion are described using Newton-Euler dynamic equations and the principle of conservation of angular momentum. Simulation results illustrate the tipping behavior of a tetrahedron, the dynamic contact and rolling of an icosahedral Tetrobot, and dynamic control of the rolling Tetrobot. The resulting models are useful to analyze and control both intentional rolling as a new mode of mobility as well as the avoidance of unintentional tipping and rolling during task execution.
Histone hypercitrullination mediates chromatin decondensation and neutrophil extracellular trap formation

Peripheral blood neutrophils form highly decondensed chromatin structures, termed neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), that have been implicated in innate immune response to bacterial infection. Neutrophils express high levels of peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4), which catalyzes histone citrullination. However, whether PAD4 or histone citrullination plays a role in chromatin structure in neutrophils is unclear. In this study, we show that the hypercitrullination of histones by PAD4 mediates chromatin decondensation. Histone hypercitrullination is detected on highly decondensed chromatin in HL-60 granulocytes and blood neutrophils. The inhibition of PAD4 decreases histone hypercitrullination and the formation of NET-like structures, whereas PAD4 treatment of HL-60 cells facilitates these processes. The loss of heterochromatin and multilobular nuclear structures is detected in HL-60 granulocytes after PAD4 activation. Importantly, citrullination of biochemically defined avian nucleosome arrays inhibits their compaction by the linker histone H5 to form higher order chromatin structures. Together, these results suggest that histone hypercitrullination has important functions in chromatin decondensation in granulocytes/neutrophils.
Identification of apocalmodulin and Ca2+-calmodulin regulatory domain in skeletal muscle Ca2+ release channel, ryanodine receptor.

Abstract Fusion proteins and full-length mutants were generated to identify the Ca2+-free (apoCaM) and Ca2+-bound (CaCaM) calmodulin binding sites of the skeletal muscle Ca2+ release channel/ryanodine receptor (RyR1). [35S]Calmodulin (CaM) overlays of fusion proteins revealed one potential Ca2+-dependent (aa 3553–3662) and one Ca2+-independent (aa 4302–4430) CaM binding domain. W3620A or L3624D substitutions almost abolished completely, whereas V3619A or L3624A substitutions reduced [35S]CaM binding to fusion protein (aa 3553–3662). Three full-length RyR1 single-site mutants (V3619A,W3620A,L3624D) and one deletion mutant (Δ4274–4535) were generated and expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. L3624D exhibited greatly reduced [35S]CaM binding affinity as indicated by a lack of noticeable binding of apoCaM and CaCaM (nanomolar) and the requirement of CaCaM (micromolar) for the inhibition of RyR1 activity. W3620A bound CaM (nanomolar) only in the absence of Ca2+ and did not show inhibition of RyR1 activity by 3 μm CaCaM. V3619A and the deletion mutant bound apoCaM and CaCaM at levels compared with wild type. V3619A activity was inhibited by CaM with IC50∼200 nm, as compared with IC50 ∼50 nm for wild type and the deletion mutant. [35S]CaM binding experiments with sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles suggested that apoCaM and CaCaM bind to the same region of the native RyR1 channel complex. These results indicate that the intact RyR1 has a single CaM binding domain that is shared by apoCaM and CaCaM.
Can a New Ultra-Long-Acting Insulin Analogue Improve Patient Care? Investigating the Potential Role of Insulin Degludec

The basal-bolus concept of delivering insulin to diabetic patients makes physiological sense, as it mimics normal insulin release in people without diabetes. In line with this concept, a major effort put forth by insulin manufacturers has been to develop the ideal exogenous basal insulin product. The perfect basal insulin product would be injected into subcutaneous tissue without causing irritation, release insulin continuously at a constant rate for at least 24 hours, be stable, not contribute to weight gain, have a low risk of allergic reactions and, very importantly, minimize the risk of hypoglycaemia. While the perfect insulin has not yet been discovered, advancements are still being made. Insulin degludec is an ultra-long-acting basal insulin analogue that possesses a flat, stable glucose-lowering effect in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Insulin degludec achieves these pharmacokinetic properties by forming soluble multihexamers upon subcutaneous injection, resulting in the formation of a depot in the subcutaneous tissue that is slowly released and absorbed into circulation. Insulin degludec has been associated with slightly less weight gain and fewer nocturnal hypoglycaemic episodes when compared with insulin glargine in some, but not all, clinical studies. This article briefly reviews current evidence for the use of insulin degludec in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus and discusses the potential impact of this new basal insulin on clinical practice.