cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interference in atomic fluorescence excited by molecular photodissociation.

In photodissociation of a homonuclear diatomic molecule, conservation of linear and angular momenta requires that each atomic fragment follow identical but oppositely directed trajectories with respect to the molecular center of mass. For certain values of the incident photon energy, one of the atoms will be electronically excited while the other will be in its ground state. When a detector records the undispersed fluorescence from the decay of the excited atom it cannot distinguish which trajectory the excited atom followed and hence whether the photon possesses a blue or red Doppler shift corresponding to recoil towards or away from the detector. According to the principle of superposition in quantum mechanics, the wave function of the photon must be a sum over two paths corresponding to emission from an excited atom in either of the two recoil directions. Detection of such photons gives rise to an interference between the probability amplitudes for the two paths that is manifested in the output from the photodetector as a beat frequency. Since photodissociation of an ensemble of molecules gives rise to a distribution of recoil directions relative to the electric vector of the incident radiation, a range of beat frequencies must be present inmore » the detected signal. This paper gives a calculation of expected output voltage waveforms from a photodetector viewing atomic fluorescence excited by molecular photodissociation. Expressions are given for partial Fourier transforms of the photodetector signals. The results show that the shape of the voltage waveforms depends strongly on the asymmetry parameter for recoil of the photofragments and on whether or not the magnetic sublevels of the excited atomic state are created in a coherent superposition.« less
Predictors of Wellness and American Indians

Wellness is an important American Indian (AI) concept, understood as being in balance with one's body, mind, and environment. Wellness predictors are reported in this paper within the context of health. A cross-sectional randomized household survey of 457 AI adults at 13 rural health care sites in California was conducted. Measures included wellness perceptions, barriers, health status/health conditions, spirituality, cultural connectivity, high-risk behaviors and abuse history. Statistical analysis obtained the best predictive model for wellness. Predictors of wellness were general health status perception, participation in AI cultural practices and suicide ideation. Significant differences in wellness status were observed depending on experience of adverse events in childhood and adulthood (neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse). Cultural connectivity (speaking tribal language, participating in AI practices, and feeling connected to community) was also associated with perceptions of wellness. Recommendations are for culturally-appropriate education and interventions emphasizing community and cultural connectivity for improving wellness status.
An evaluation of the FCT method for high-speed flows on structured overlapping grids

This study considers the development and assessment of a flux-corrected transport (FCT) algorithm for simulating high-speed flows on structured overlapping grids. This class of algorithm shows promise for solving some difficult highly-nonlinear problems where robustness and control of certain features, such as maintaining positive densities, is important. Complex, possibly moving, geometry is treated through the use of structured overlapping grids. Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is employed to ensure sharp resolution of discontinuities in an efficient manner. Improvements to the FCT algorithm are proposed for the treatment of strong rarefaction waves as well as rarefaction waves containing a sonic point. Simulation results are obtained for a set of test problems and the convergence characteristics are demonstrated and compared to a high-resolution Godunov method. The problems considered are an isolated shock, an isolated contact, a modified Sod shock tube problem, a two-shock Riemann problem, the Shu-Osher test problem, shock impingement on single cylinder, and irregular Mach reflection of a strong shock striking an inclined plane.
Factors associated with prenatal smoking among black women in eastern North Carolina.

Objectives: The objective of this research was to explore prenatal smoking behaviors among Black women attending prenatal clinics. Despite the racial disparities in poor pregnancy outcomes, and the well-known association of smoking with harmful outcomes, little research has been conducted about prenatal smoking among Black women. Methods: Women were enrolled in the study and interviewed at the time of the first prenatal visit. The interview contained items to assess prenatal smoking and cessation, depressive symptoms, demographic factors, and beliefs about smoking. Reports of smoking cessation were verified using urinary cotinine. Results: The sample consisted of 811 Black women. Fourteen percent of the women were self-reported smokers, 12.6% reported cessation and 73% were nonsmokers. Twenty percent of the self-reported quitters had elevated cotinine; when these women were reclassified, 17% of the women were smokers. Factors associated with smoking in logistic regression analysis included elevated maternal depressive symptoms (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–2.6), maternal age 20 years or older (OR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.3), less than a high school education (OR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.8), unmarried/not living with a partner (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.0, 3.6), and allowing smoking in the home (OR = 5.5; 95% CI: 3.4, 8.6). Conclusions: The prevalence of maternal prenatal smoking was much higher among women in this sample than has been previously reported. The rate of nondisclosure of smoking among self-reported quitters was also high. Maternal behavioral (allowing smoking in the home) and psychosocial factors (depressive symptoms) were associated with prenatal smoking.
MDCT interpretation of the ascending aorta with semiautomated measurement software: Improved reproducibility compared with manual techniques

Abstract Background Treatment decisions for ascending aortic aneurysms are guided by measurements from CT angiograms. Objective The aim was to evaluate the reproducibility of these measurements by using manual techniques and advanced imaging software. Methods Two radiologists measured maximal ascending aorta diameter on CT angiograms in 30 subjects at 4 separate reading sessions—2 with manual techniques and 2 with semiautomated software analysis. Interobserver and intraobserver variabilities were assessed with Bland-Altman plots and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results Interobserver variability was smaller for the software-assisted method. Limits of agreement for the manual method were −4.2 mm and 9.2 mm compared with −4.0 mm and 4.6 mm for the software-assisted method; coefficients of repeatability were 6.8 mm and 4.3 mm. Intraobserver variability was inconsistent between readers. Strong correlation was found between observers who used both methods ( R 2 = 0.8078–0.9881; P Conclusion The use of an advanced imaging software for measurement of ascending aortic aneurysm reduces interobserver variability.
Lipopolysaccharide-induced murine B cell proliferation: a role of protein kinase C.

Abstract Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced marine B cell proliferation was blocked by 1-(5-isoquinoline-sulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H7), an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The maximum inhibition of B cell proliferation was observed when H7 was added at the initiation of cultures. H7-induced inhibition was prolonged and irreversible. Furthermore, pretreatment of B cells with phorbol myristate acetate ester, a process that degrades membrane-associated PKC, rendered them unresponsive to LPS. These data strongly suggest that the activation of PKC is one of the mechanisms of LPS-induced murine B Cell proliferation.
Treatment of Wilson’s disease: our patients deserve better

This editorial represents my opinion on the best management of treatment for Wilson’s disease (WD) following 40 years of experience.Unlike many rare inherited diseases, there are multiple effective...
RaPTIR: Radio-wave propagation through ionosphere regions CubeSat mission

The ionosphere plays an important role in radio-wave propagation. Lower frequency waves are deflected, and higher frequency waves are degraded in terms of amplitude, phase and polarization. The characteristics of this layer are due largely to solar conditions. The varying solar conditions cause great variability at different daily times, seasons, position and altitudes. Different techniques have been used to measure the ionosphere in the past, but they are limited in spatial coverage and resolution.
Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α Gene Mutation Associated with Familial Neonatal Hyperinsulinism and Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young

Neonatal macrosomia and hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with strong family history of diabetes may indicate monogenic diabetes. Here we report a family in which 4 individuals in 3 generations were found to have a mutation (Arg80Gln) in hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α. Genetic testing was a factor in choosing sulfonylurea therapy for diabetes.
Evaporative losses of water by birds.

Abstract 1. 1. Birds lose water in evaporation from the respiratory tract and, in many species, through the skin. Anatomical arrangements in the nasal passages contribute to conservation of water and heat from the expired air in the absence of heat loads. However, most species still expend more water in evaporation than they produce in metabolism when either quiescent or vigorously active. Certain small birds, several of them associated with arid environments, represent exceptions to this and their more favorable situation appears in part to reflect an ability to curtail cutaneous water loss. 2. 2. Birds typically resort to panting in dealing with substantial heat loads developing in hot environments or accumulated over bouts of activity. In a number of species this form of evaporative cooling is supplemented by gular fluttering. 3. 3. The ubiquitousness of active heat defense appears to reflect more the importance for birds of dealing with heat loads existing following flight or sustained running than any universal affinity for hot climates. Panting can be sustained for hours, despite progressive dehydration and, in some instances, hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis. The prominent involvement of thermoreceptors in the spinal cord in its initiation is of considerable interest.
Elite reviewers 2011

As the founding Editor-in-Chief, and on behalf of our Editorial Board members and Associate Editors, I would like to extend a special thanks to our elite reviewers for their timely, thoughtful and exemplary approach to a time honored process that has its roots in the annals of science and medicine; a tenet that serves both as a bedrock and fabric for the scholarly exchange of ideas and the dissemination of knowledge among scientists—past, present and future. The promotion of peer review and the practice of scientists independently evaluating each other’s work dates back to the Royal Society and its establishment, in 1665, of the first peer reviewed scientific journal—Philosophical Transactions [1]. Despite having its critics, peer review in its most fundamental and purest form, is the best means available to subject scholarly work to the scrutiny of experts in the field who are qualified, experienced and fully expected by their peers and by the scientific community at large to perform an impartial and unbiased review. Indeed, an elite reviewer recognizes their important role in securing the integrity of published work and embraces the responsibility, not merely by providing a ‘‘yes or no’’ judgment of publishability, but through a dedicated, rigorous and constructive assessment of a study or experiment’s purpose, methods, results, interpretation and translatability in a selected subject of inquiry. As the Editor-in-Chief, I have from the Journal’s inception in 1994, recognized the importance of selecting reviewers to serve as referees of submitted manuscriptsbeing ever mindful of potential conflicts, bias and other barriers to fulfilling our mission to provide a respected resource for clinicians and scientists active in the fields of cardiology, hematology, pharmacology and vascular biology. In this issue of the Journal, we not only acknowledge our elite reviewers, but pledge an oath to the process of peer review in its most honest, open, independent and ethical form.
Evaluation of Natural Oxides on Aluminum in Neutral Borate Electrolyte

Air‐formed and anodized barrier‐type aluminum oxides were studied in neutral borate electrolyte as a preliminary investigation into the possibility of using this environment for nondestructive evaluation of aluminum/polymer laminates. Polarization scans on air‐formed oxides determined a potential range where the faradaic current was minimized and samples appeared unaffected after several days of exposure. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy determined that borate exposure, under the prescribed testing conditions, does not permanently change the oxide thickness, and that borate ions are not incorporated into the oxide film. Analysis of the electrochemical impedance spectra of air‐formed oxides and different thicknesses of anodized barrier‐type oxide films established that the impedance response for all thicknesses could be described by a single‐circuit model whose components correspond to a parallel‐plate dielectric‐filled capacitor.
Chemical Vapor Deposition of Copper Oxide Thin Films

Copper oxide films were prepared by organometallic chemical vapor deposition of copper acetylacetonate in an oxygen-rich environment. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. At 360 °C, Cu2O films were formed for an oxygen pressure of 150 torr and a copper acetylacetonate vapor pressure of 0.2 torr). The Cu2O film was polycrystalline, but the orientation was primarily [111]. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that O2 assists decomposition of the organometallic precursor during pyrolysis.
Mixed myeloid-Lymphoid colonies in a patient with polycythemia vera.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a patient with polycythemia vera were cultured in a methylcellulose system employing human serum. Electron microscopy documented the appearance of mixed colonies containing lymphocytes, granulocytes, megakaryocytes, and erythrocytes. In vitro culture characteristics were similar to those seen for other patients with polycythemia vera, ie, colonies grew in the absence of added erythropoietin or other pathway-specific regulators. Plating efficiency was linearly related to the number of cells plated, which supports the concept that each colony arose from a single cell. The appearance of mixed myeloid—lymphoid colonies points to the existence of a primitive stem cell capable of giving rise to multiple hematopoietic cell lines.
Orbit of the Murchison meteorite

— Because the path of the Murchison meteorite fortuitously intersected the Earth's path at an angle of only a few degrees, the visual observations establish the entry velocity to be within 2 km/s of 13 km/s and determine the nature of its orbit with a precision quite unusual for visually sighted falls.
Single-session motivational intervention to decrease alcohol use during pregnancy

Abstract This randomized clinical trial tested the effectiveness of a single-session of motivational interviewing (MI) to decrease alcohol use during pregnancy, while examining theory-based mechanisms of the intervention. Eligible pregnant women who drank any amount of alcohol in the previous year ( n =122) were randomized to an intervention or comparison group. Drinking behaviors, basic psychological need satisfaction, and autonomous motivation to decrease prenatal alcohol use were measured at baseline, 30day postbaseline, and 30day postpartum follow-ups. Poisson and linear regression with generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate treatment effects over time. Although MI was not found effective in decreasing alcohol use, low levels of reported alcohol use by the women at baseline left little room for improvement due to the intervention. To prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, future studies will use self-report and biomarkers to more accurately identify women in need of interventions to reduce their risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies.
Oscillation Results for Second-order Linear Equations on a Time Scale

We are interested in extensions of certain averaging techniques for the second-order scalar differential equation ( r ( t ) x j ( t )) j + q ( t ) x  ( t )=0, on a time scale (measure chain) T . These results include some earlier criteria for the difference equations case.
A study of molecular turbulence throughthe cavity problem for air

In this paper, we study the development of turbulence for air in a two-dimensionalcavity. Primary vortices are developed first. Turbulence is then defined and developed as a stable flow which is not a primary vortex flow.
Less is more, except when less is less: Studying joint effects

Most diseases are complex in that they are caused by the joint action of multiple factors, both genetic and environmental. Over the past few decades, the mathematical convenience of logistic regression has served to enshrine the multiplicative model, to the point where many epidemiologists believe that departure from additivity on a log scale implies that two factors interact in causing disease. Other terminology in epidemiology, where students are told that inequality of relative risks across levels of a second factor should be seen as "effect modification," reinforces an uncritical acceptance of multiplicative joint effect as the biologically meaningful no-interaction null. Our first task, when studying joint effects, is to understand the limitations of our definitions for "interaction," and recognize that what statisticians mean and what biologists might want to mean by interaction may not coincide. Joint effects are notoriously hard to identify and characterize, even when asking a simple and unsatisfying question, like whether two effects are log-additive. The rule of thumb for such efforts is that a factor-of-four sample size is needed, compared with that needed to demonstrate main effects of either genes or exposures. So strategies have been devised that focus on the most informative individuals, either through risk-based sampling for a cohort, or case-control sampling, extreme phenotype sampling, pooling, two-stage sampling, exposed-only, or case-only designs. These designs gain efficiency, but at a cost of flexibility in models for joint effects. A relatively new approach avoids population controls by genotyping case-parent triads. Because it requires parents, the method works best for diseases with onset early in life. With this design, the role of autosomal genetic variants is assessed by in effect treating the nontransmitted parental alleles as controls for affected offspring. Despite advantages for looking at genetic effects, the triad design faces limitations when examining joint effects of genetic and environmental factors. Because population-based controls are not included, main effects for exposures cannot be estimated, and consequently one only has access to inference related to a multiplicative null. We have proposed a hybrid approach that offers the best features of both case-parent and case-control designs. Through genotyping of parents of population-based controls and assuming Mendelian transmission, power is markedly enhanced. One can also estimate main effects for exposures and now flexibly assess models for joint effects.
Electrical activity from the pectoral muscle of a flying bird, the budgerigar☆

Abstract 1. 1. The activation frequency of the pectoral muscle of the budgerigar was constant at 16/sec over a wide range of flight speeds. 2. 2. During normal flight the pectoral muscle performed twitch contractions. During exceedingly strenuos flight, however, the bird switched to short tetanic contractions. 3. 3. The mean muscle potential amplitude was lowest at a flight speed of 35 km/hr and increased for both lower and higher speeds.
Programmable Electro-Optic Tunable Filters

An optical filter has been developed in which the operating wavelength, linewidth, line shape and peak transmission can be independently controlled. In this filter, the optical interaction is controlled electro-optically thereby requiring much less drive power than similar filters using the acousto-optic interaction. A filter has been fabricated and tuned through the visible portion of the spectrum. The programming features of the filter are described in this paper.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Constituency Influence in Congress

Substantial constituency influence over the lower house of Congress is commonly thought to be both a normative principle and a factual truth of American government. From their draft constitution we may assume the Founding Fathers expected it, and many political scientists feel, regretfully, that the Framers' wish has come all too true. Nevertheless, much of the evidence of constituency control rests on inference. The fact that our House of Representatives, especially by comparison with the House of Commons, has irregular party voting does not of itself indicate that Congressmen deviate from party in response to local pressure. And even more, the fact that many Congressmen feel pressure from home does not of itself establish that the local constituency is performing any of the acts that a reasonable definition of control would imply. Control by the local constituency is at one pole of both the great normative controversies about representation that have arisen in modern times. It is generally recognized that constituency control is opposite to the conception of representation associated with Edmund Burke. Burke wanted the representative to serve the constituency's interest but not its will, and the extent to which the representative should be compelled by electoral sanctions to follow the “mandate” of his constituents has been at the heart of the ensuing controversy as it has continued for a century and a half.
Practical range and energy loss of 0.1-3-keV electrons in thin films of N 2 , O 2 , Ar, Kr, and Xe

Thin solid films of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, Ar, Kr, and Xe were condensed on a cooled (11 K) sapphire substrate and then bombarded by monoenergetic electrons. The fluorescence intensity of the ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{3+}$ color center in sapphire ($\ensuremath{\lambda}=693$ nm) was measured as a function of film thickness and electron energy to determine the electron practical range and effective energy loss ($\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dz}}$). The ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{3+}$ intensity versus primary-electron-energy and film-thickness curves also yield information on the production of secondary electrons. The results are compared to an extrapolation of Bethe-Bloch theory to low energies for total range and energy loss ($\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{ds}}$) and to the electron-gas statistical model of Tung, Ashley, and Ritchie for low-energy electrons.
Assessment of taurine deficiency in cystic fibrosis

Abstract Bile acid taurine deficiency is common in cystic fibrosis (CF) and is thought to be associated with impaired fat absorption. The relationship between the glycine: taurine bile acid conjugation ratio (bile acid G/T ratio) and taurine concentrations in plasma, urine and leucocytes was examined in 27 CF children aged 4–15 yr. The bile acid G/T ratio was elevated in serum in 14 of the 27 and in duodenal juice in 5 of 6 children. Subgroups of CF children with elevated and normal bile acid G/T ratio and controls ( n = 8) all had similar plasma, urine and leucocyte taurine concentrations. The results suggest that either taurine measurement in plasma, urine and leucocytes does not accurately reflect stores elsewhere in CF, or that taurine deficiency is confined to bile acids.
The solid angle subtended at a point by a circular disk

Abstract The solid angle subtended at a point by a circular disk can be well-represented by the product of an analytical expression and a slowly-varying correction factor.
The effects of institutionalization upon prescriptive teaching for the moderately mentally retarded

SynopsisThis article describes the effects of institutionalization upon moderately mentally retarded children in their experiences within the classroom. Prescriptive teaching, involving a systematic approach to the education of these children, is dependent upon knowledge of learning characteristics of the retarded, knowledge of the task, and employment of motivation techniques and procedures for teaching specific tasks. These analyses are a result of observations of 180 children involved in classroom programs in Project ≠50 located at the Columbus State Institute, Columbus, Ohio.
The potential impact of COSO internal control integrated framework revision on internal audit structured SOX work programs

Abstract The purpose of this research is to report the extent internal auditors employ structured work programs in SOX compliance programs and the extent external auditors are involved in development of internal audit work programs. Given the link between the internal audit framework established by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and the development of SOX work papers, we also summarize and explain the May 2013 changes to the COSO Internal Audit Integrated Framework. We further posit the potential effects of these changes on extant structured SOX work papers.
Infrared Recording of Optical Density vs Linear Frequency

The rapidly augmenting library of known molecular spectra makes standardized choice of scales urgent. Conversion of an early single beam instrument to double beam, recording optical density, transmission or single beam vs linear frequency, is described. An amplifier based upon the time sharing (Hornig) principle provides servo control of slit, gain, time constant, and recording rate to reduce the noise at high densities and provide adequate speed of recording.
Validation of the 12-min swim as a field test of peak aerobic power in young men.

The purposes of this study were to validate the 12-min swim as a field test of VO2max and to compare its validity with that of the 12-min run. Thirty-six young men completed 12-min swim, 12-min run, tethered swimming (TS) VO2peak, and treadmill running (TR) VO2peak tests within 3 wk. Mean (+/- SD) 12-min swim and run distances were 581 +/- 88 and 2797 +/- 290 m, and mean TS and TR VO2peak values were 50.3 +/- 6.2 and 57.2 +/- 5.5 ml.kg BW-1.min-1, respectively. Correlation coefficients and standard errors of estimate for predictions of TS VO2peak from the 12-min swim (0.40 and 5.7 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and run (0.74 and 4.2 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and for predictions of TR VO2peak from the 12-min swim (0.38 and 5.1 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and run (0.88 and 2.6 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) indicated that the 12-min run was a more accurate predictor of TS or TR VO2peak than the 12-min swim. We conclude that the 12-min swim has relatively low validity as a field test of peak aerobic power and that it should not be considered an equally valid alternative to the 12-min run in young male recreational swimmers. However, the accuracy of predicting VO2peak from the 12-min swim is as good as some other commonly used methods, and, therefore, it may be adequate for fitness classification in situations in which a high level of accuracy is not needed.
Reply to Hauck, et al. concerning Nonsexual Household Transmission of HIV in Zaire:

CDC researchers mishandle statistical evidence and overstate case against casual transmission of HIV. Reassessment by Hauck, et al. is statistically inappropriate.
Cooperative and Inquiry-Based Learning Utilizing Art-Related Topics: Teaching Chemistry to Community College Nonscience Majors.

It is an established fact that in the United States there is a great need to improve the scientific literacy of undergraduate students, especially those who are nonscience majors. Data presented herein suggest that using simple art concepts can assist nonscience majors in better appreciating scientific facts related to chemistry. However, it is essential to engage these students in cooperative, active, and inquiry-based learning in order to further strengthen their scientific literacy and improve their self-confidence in learning scientific facts and, thus, diminish their fear of taking other science classes over the course of their college careers. The teaching method students most engaged with is a combination of instructor-based lectures and hands-on experiments.
Early growth response-2 expression in uterine leiomyoma cells: regulation and function.

Objective To investigate the regulation of early growth response-2 (Egr-2) by transforming growth factor β3 (TGF-β3) and its functions in cultured human uterine leiomyoma smooth muscle cells. Design Laboratory research. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) Primary leiomyoma cells from patients with symptomatic leiomyomata. Intervention(s) Tissue culture followed by RNA and protein analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s) Cell proliferation, alteration in extracellular matrix component expression. Result(s) In vivo mRNA levels of Egr-2 were statistically significantly higher in leiomyoma tissues compared with matched myometrial tissues, and showed a statistically significant correlation with TGF-β3 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in leiomyoma tissues. In primary leiomyoma smooth muscle cells, TGF-β3 statistically significantly induced Egr-2 gene expression in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of Egr-2 markedly increased the level of the proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen and the expression of proto-oncogene c-myc. On the other hand, ablation of Egr-2 stimulated collagen-1A1 and collagen-3A1 transcription and inhibited dermatopontin gene expression. However, the mRNA levels of α-smooth muscle actin and fibronectin were not affected by Egr-2 knockdown. Conclusion(s) We demonstrated that TGF-β3 regulated Egr-2 gene expression and presented evidence that Egr-2 decreases collagen production and stimulates dermatopontin gene expression.
Association of Human Fas (CD95) with a Ubiquitin-conjugating Enzyme (UBC-FAP)

A novel human ubiquitin conjugating enzyme (UBC) was found to associate with Fas (CD95). The mRNA for this UBC Fas-associated protein (FAP) was widely expressed in human tissues, and the protein was identified in several mammalian cell lines. UBC-FAP shows strong homology to two recently identified UBCs, Hus5 and Ubc9, which control yeast cell cycle progression. UBC-FAP, but not an active site mutant, complemented ubc9-1(ts) mutants. This suggests that UBC-FAP is a human homologue of Ubc9, possesses ubiquitin conjugating activity, and may play an important role in mammalian cell cycle regulation. A single amino acid substitution in the death domain of Fas that abolishes Fas-mediated apoptosis also abolished Fas association with UBC-FAP, suggesting that UBC-FAP may play a role in Fas signal transduction. The sequence of UBC-FAP is identical to that of HsUbc9, a UBC recently shown to interact with Rad51.
Regional and local background ozone in Houston during Texas Air Quality Study 2006

[1] Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to isolate the common modes of behavior in the daily maximum 8-h average ozone mixing ratios measured at 30 Continuous Ambient Monitoring Stations in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area during the Second Texas Air Quality Study field intensive (1 August to 15 October 2006). Three principal components suffice to explain 93% of the total variance. Nearly 84% is explained by the first component, which is attributed to changes in the “regional background” determined primarily by the large-scale winds. The second component (6%) is attributed to changes in the “local background,” that is, ozone photochemically produced in the Houston area and spatially and temporally averaged by local circulations. Finally, the third component (3.5%) is attributed to short-lived plumes containing high ozone originating from industrial areas along Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Regional background ozone concentrations derived using the first component compare well with mean ozone concentrations measured above the Gulf of Mexico by the tunable profiler for aerosols and ozone lidar aboard the NOAA Twin Otter. The PCA regional background values also agree well with background values derived using the lowest daily 8-h maximum method of Nielsen-Gammon et al. (2005), provided the Galveston Airport data (C34) are omitted from that analysis. The differences found when Galveston is included are caused by the sea breeze, which depresses ozone at Galveston relative to sites further inland. PCA removes the effects of this and other local circulations to obtain a regional background value representative of the greater Houston area.
Towards improving fishery management systems

The need for and advantages of managThe purpose of this article is twofold. First. we wish to take a slightly ing commercial fisheries is convincingly demonstrated by a great deal of different approach to address the question of whether fishery managetheoretical research. Yet management ment is desirable. Problems associated with the resource, reasons which measures have frequently failed to yield justify management, results of past management experiences, and the the anticipated benefits. A number of desirable characteristics of fishery importance of political climate are considered.
Antidiuretic hormone in the serum or plasma of rats.

THE recent reports of Birnie and his colleagues were the first describing the antidiuretic action of serum of normal or adrenalectomized rats (Birnie et al., 1949 and 1950). Their results suggested that antidiuretic hormone of neurohypophysial origin can be detected in rather high concentration in rat serum especially after adrenalectomy. Subsequently, Dicker and Ginsburg (1950) concluded that heparinized plasma of rats lacks the antidiuretic substance which can be detected in serum. Their report implied that the antidiuretic substance is an artifact of the clotting process. It seemed important to reinvestigate various aspects of these findings. Does circulating blood in the normal rat contain antidiuretic hormone in relatively enormous concentrations represented by approximately 0.75 milli-unit of Pitressin per ml. of serum?2 Can a more reliable estimate of the amount of antidiuretic substance in serum be made than is possible if assays are performed by intraperitoneal or subcutaneous injection into rats...
Chemical and crystallographic phase behavior in the Ba1 − xKxBiO3 system

Abstract The chemical behavior of Ba1 − xKxBiO3 − δ at high temperature is investigated. The solubility of potassium in BaBiO3 is a strong function of temperature: as the temperature is increased for superconducting Ba0.6K0.4BiO3 (at constant PO2), potassium is initially lost from the lattice and is then reincorporated at higher temperatures. The superconducting, oxygen-stoichiometric compositions are probably metastable under ambient conditions. At room temperature, the oxygen-stoichiometric material undergoes a series of crystallographic phase transitions as the potassium content is increased. These transitions may be thought of as the logical removal of both the symmetric breathing mode and the rigid tilt distortions of the BiO6 octahedra. Eventually at x = 0.37, all static distortions are removed and the material becomes cubic and superconducting.
Is hyperbaric oxygen a useful adjunct in the management of problem lower extremity wounds

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is currently being used in the treatment of nonhealing or “problem” wounds of the lower extremities. In an attempt to evaluate the efficacy of HBO in problem wounds, a retrospective study of the HBO experience at Orlando Regional Medical Center was conducted. From 1989 to 1994, fifty-four patients with nonhealing lower extremity wounds resulting from underlying peripheral vascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus were treated with HBO. Wounds were grouped into the following five categories: (1) diabetic ulcers (n=17 [31%]); (2) arterial insufficiency (n=8 [15%]); (3) gangrenous lesions (n=6 [11%]); (4) nonhealing amputation stumps (n=13 [24%]); and (5) nonhealing operative wounds (n=10 [19%]). Each patient received an average of 30 treatments. Outcomes for all 54 patients treated with HBO in this study were dismal. None of the patients experienced complete healing, six (11%) showed some improvement, 43 (80%) showed no improvement, and in five cases (9%) results were inconclusive because these patients underwent concomitant revascularization or amputation. Thirty-eight of the 43 patients who showed no improvement (88%) ultimately required at least one surgical procedure to treat their wounds. Thirty-four patients (63%) developed complications, most commonly barotrauma to the ears, which occurred in 23 patients (43%). The average cost of 30 HBO treatments was $14,000 excluding daily inpatient charges. Based on the experience with HBO therapy at Orlando Regional Medical Center and the paucity of good supporting literature, it is difficult to justify such an expensive, ineffective, complication-prone treatment modality for problem extremity wounds.
Workplace training, workplace learning : a case study

Workplace training may be viewed as an instrumental activity that can be evaluated as to its efficiency in conveying requisite skills and knowledge. This paper develops a broader analysis of training by analyzing a series of classes offered to the production workers of a computer manufacturer. The training curriculum failed in its instrumental function, and instead was used by trainees, support staff trainers, and production floor management to pursue diverse agendas. It also simplified organizational "messes" by making them seemingly amenable to rational problem solving. On-the-job training, the formal training classes, and daily life on the production floor are analyzed as distinct "arenas for learning" that reflected organizational power as much as efficient pedagogy. The implications of this analysis for a world in which enhancing the skills of workers is widely deemed essential are also explored.
Multidimensional sequential sampling for NURBs-based metamodel development

Adaptive design of experiments approaches are intended to overcome the limitations of a priori experimental design by adapting to the results of prior runs so that subsequent runs yield more significant information. Such approaches are valuable in engineering applications with metamodels, where efficiently collecting a dataset to define an unknown function is important. While a variety of approaches have been proposed, most techniques are limited to sampling for only one phenomenon at a time. We propose a multicriteria optimization approach that effectively simultaneously samples for multiple phenomena. In addition to determining the next sequential sampling point, such an algorithm also can be formulated to support conclusions about the adequacy of the experiment through the use of convergence criteria. A multicriteria adaptive sequential sampling algorithm, along with convergence metrics, is defined and demonstrated on five trial problems of engineering interest. The results of these five problems demonstrate that a multicriteria sequential sampling approach is a useful engineering tool for modeling engineering design spaces using NURBs-based metamodels.
Gender, Welfare and the Catholic Church in Argentina: Conferencias de Senoras de San Vicente de Paul, 1890-1916

Between 1880 and 1916, elite women engaged in social welfare and transformed the politics of subordination in Argentina as they brokered a new accommodation between the Catholic Church and the Argentine state. Without ever claiming equality, women made it clear that the progress of the new nation—as male intellectuals and statesmen conceived it—could not be accomplished without their assistance. By stressing what they considered to be their essential contributions to social peace and national integration, elite women completely ignored both traditional and liberal ideas of the divisions between public and private responsibility without appearing to challenge gender norms.
Accountable Anonymity: A Proxy Re-Encryption Based Anonymous Communication System

While several well-developed anonymous services have been made available on-line to protect Internet user's privacy, we have seen that due to the lack of accountability, they have often been exploited by criminals to conduct various illegal activities (e.g., sharing child pornography materials, sending threatening emails, etc.) against innocent people in both cyberspace and physical world. There is an immediate need for building accountability within anonymous systems. In this paper, we show that although accountability appears to be contradictory to and may impair anonymity, it is technically feasible to combine anonymity and accountability into one framework, namely Accountable Anonymity. To our knowledge, this is one of the first attempts trying to achieve both accountability and anonymity. We propose an efficient proxy reencryption based design that allows normal activities to be done in anonymous manner, while keeping malicious/criminal operations accountable at the same time. Formal security analysis and prototype implementation demonstrate that our scheme is not only immune to well-known attacks against anonymity and accountability, but also able to provide non-frameability and confidentiality along with Accountable Anonymity.
381 LABELING AND ANALYSIS OF SWINE ADIPOSE-DERIVED STEM CELLS WITH CARBOXYFLUORESCEIN DIACETATE AND QUANTUM DOTS

The quantity, accessibility, and abundance of subcutaneous adipose tissue in humans make it an attractive alternative to bone marrow as a source of adult stem cells for therapeutic purposes. Adult adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into a variety of lineages including adipose, bone, cartilage, and muscle. In addition, the use of adult stem cells for regenerative medicine rather than those from embryos avoids concerns with ethics, safety, and immunology. One important issue is the ability to track the transplanted stem cells during the regeneration process to evaluate the stem cell-mediated healing. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency, longevity, and intensity of carboxyfluorescein diacetate, succinimidyl ester (CFDA SE) and quantum dot nanocrystal (Qtracker™, Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) labeled adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) over an in vitro culture period of 4 weeks. Adipose-derived stem cells (6 x 106) previously isolated and frozen at -196°C were thawed and cultured in 75-cm3 flasks with 14 mL of DMEM. Cells were grown to 80% confluence and trypsinized. After trypsinization, the cells were divided into 4 treatments (3 x 106 cells per treatment). The treatments were (1) unlabeled control, (2) labeled with 30 μM CFDA SE, (3) labeled with 15 nM Qtracker™, and (4) labeled with 15 nM Qtracker™, following the Invitrogen Qtracker™ protocol. Cells (1 x 106) were removed from each treatment every week for 4 weeks and fixed in formalin for later analysis. When all the samples were collected, they were analyzed using flow cytometry. Data were analyzed via chi-square test. The percentage of cells labeled with CFDA SE and Qtracker™ was 99.35 and 98.46%, respectively, immediately after labeling. By 1 wk, the percentage of cells labeled with CFDA SE and Qtracker™ had deceased (P < 0.01) to 0.11 and 1.48%, respectively. The CFDA SE-labeled cell percentages had decreased (P < 0.01) to 0% at 2, 3, and 4 wk, respectively. The Qtracker™-labeled cells also decreased (P < 0.01) to 0.745, 1.69 and 0.45% at 2, 3, and 4 wk, respectively. The high rate of cell division of these cells in vitro might be responsible for the rapid loss of both labels during the first week of culture. Previous results from our lab have shown that the CFDA SE is retained in the cells for up to 6 wk in vivo (Lima AS et al. 2006 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 18, 208). Similar studies need to be done with the quantum dot-labeled cells to determine the Qtracker™ label’s longevity in vivo. In conclusion, quantum dots can be used to label ADSC, in vitro, for at least 4 wk, albeit at much lower levels than those observed during the week following labeling. Determination of a suitable label for high-percentage porcine ADSC labeling during long-term in vitro culture remains to be completed. This research was supported by the Intel Scholar’s Program and the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute.
Role of Glutamic Acid 988 of Human Poly-ADP-ribose Polymerase in Polymer Formation EVIDENCE FOR ACTIVE SITE SIMILARITIES TO THE ADP-RIBOSYLATING TOXINS

Sequence similarities between the enzymatic region of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase and the corresponding region of mono-ADP-ribosylating bacterial toxins suggest similarities in active site structure and catalytic mechanism. Glu988 of the human polymerase aligns with the catalytic glutamic acid of the toxins, and replacement of this residue with Gln, Asp, or Ala caused major reductions in synthesis of enzyme-linked poly-ADP-ribose. Replacement of any of 3 other nearby Glu residues had little effect. The Glu988 mutations produced similar changes in activity in the carboxyl-terminal 40-kDa catalytic fragment fused to maltose-binding protein: E988Q and E988A reduced polymer elongation >2000-fold, and E988D ~20-fold. Smaller changes were seen in chain initiation. The mutations had little effect on the Km of NAD, indicating a predominantly catalytic function for Glu988. The results support the concept of similar active sites of the polymerase and the ADP-ribosylating toxins. Glu988 may function in polymer elongation similarly to the toxins' active site glutamate, as a general base to activate the attacking nucleophile (in the case of the polymerase, the 2′-OH of the terminal adenosine group of a nascent poly-ADP-ribose chain).
Vibrational Stark Spectroscopy in Proteins: A Probe and Calibration for Electrostatic Fields

We report the first measurement of the vibrational Stark effect in a protein, providing quantitative information on the sensitivity of a vibrational transition to an applied electric field. This can be used to interpret changes in the vibrational frequency that are often observed when amino acids are changed or when a protein undergoes a structural change in terms of the change in the internal or matrix electric field associated with the perturbation. The vibrational Stark effect has been measured for the vibration of CO bound to the heme iron in myoglobin. The vibrational Stark effect is surprisingly large, giving a Stark tuning rate of (2.4/f) cm-1/(MV/cm), where f is the local field correction; this is nearly 4 times larger than for free CO. It is also found that the change in dipole moment is parallel to the transition moment; that is, the change in dipole moment is in the direction perpendicular to the heme plane. Vibrational Stark effect data are also reported as a function of pH, for various mutant...
Comment on “American Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality”

The American Political Science Association's (APSA) Task Force on Inequality and American Democracy (2004) asserts that inequality is on the rise in the U.S., and democracy's future may be dim. These assertions are allegedly supported by empirical evidence.