cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aerosol Lidar and MODIS Satellite Comparisons for Future Aerosol Loading Forecast

Knowledge of the concentration and distribution of atmospheric aerosols using both airborne lidar and satellite instruments is a field of active research. An aircraft based aerosol lidar has been used to study the distribution of atmospheric aerosols in the California Central Valley and eastern US coast. Concurrently, satellite aerosol retrievals, from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, were take over the Central Valley. The MODIS Level 2 aerosol data product provides retrieved ambient aerosol optical properties (e.g., optical depth (AOD) and size distribution) globally over ocean and land at a spatial resolution of 10 km. The Central Valley topography was overlaid with MODIS AOD (5x5 sq km resolution) and the aerosol scattering vertical profiles from a lidar flight. Backward air parcel trajectories for the lidar data show that air from the Pacific and northern part of the Central Valley converge confining the aerosols to the lower valley region and below the mixed layer. Below an altitude of 1 km, the lidar aerosol and MODIS AOD exhibit good agreement. Both data sets indicate a high presence of aerosols near Bakersfield and the Tehachapi Mountains. These and other results to be presented indicate that the majority of the aerosols are below the mixed layer such that the MODIS AOD should correspond well with surface measurements. Lidar measurements will help interpret satellite AOD retrievals so that one day they can be used on a routine basis for prediction of boundary layer aerosol pollution events.
The public's quest for genetic information: The role of a telephone helpline

The Genetic Alliance represents more than 280 consumer and professional organizations and three million individuals, working together to enhance the lives of everyone affected by genetic conditions. As a central resource nexus, the Alliance provides an information hotline, technical assistance to support groups, public policy consultation and public and healthcare professional education. The Information Resource Center Helpline, staffed by a genetic counselor and full-time intern, has been at the core of the Alliance mission since 1986. Callers are linked to relevant, up-to-date information, referrals and resources about all things genetic through a number of different venues. Over the 12 month period (11/1/98 to 11/1/99), we answered 1435 phone calls, 619 emails, and 79 letters. During that same time, our website received 435,857 hits. The majority of callers (46%) seek information about specific genetic conditions (both common and rare). This is followed by individuals interested in support group referrals (19%) and Alliance information (11%). Most of the callers are either affected individuals (15%) or family members (38%). Others are health professionals (13%) and students (7%). Many of these individuals learn about the Alliance through our website (13%). This is especially true for those who use the e-mail Helpline to access information and resources. Other users contact the Helpline through referrals in published directories (12%) and the genetics/healthcare community (9%). When a call comes into the Helpline, the phone is answered promptly, concerns are validated, requests are assessed, and a comprehensive search is done for answers. Calls on the Helpline range in duration from less than one minute to over 20 minutes, with the average call taking about 6 minutes to complete. Helpline services center around referrals to established and credible consumer and professional resources, in particular support and research organizations and genetic specialists. We plan to expand collaborative efforts with the professional community to better serve the people who rely on our unique services.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF BINARY SOLID-LIQUID PHASE CHANGE WITH BUOYANCY AND SURFACE TENSION DRIVEN CONVECTION

The effects of thermo/diffusocapillary convection on the solidification of aqueous NH4Cl in a rectangular cavity have been simulated numerically using a newly developed continuum model. Diffusocaptttary convection is negligible relative to thermocapillary convection, and for a 20 × 20 mm cavity in a one-gravity environment, thermocapillary effects are most pronounced during the early stages of solidification, when flow conditions are characterized by three major cells. One cell, driven by solutal buoyancy forces, extends from the mushy region to the melt and separates top and bottom melt region cells driven primarily by surface tension and buoyancy forces, respectively. With increasing time, however, the top cell strengthens and eventually envelops the entire melt. In terms of the strength of the flow, the liquidus front morphology, and the amount of solid formed, final conditions differ only slightly from those predicted for pure thermal/solutal convection.
Current trends in coronary artery disease in women.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW There are some striking sex differences regarding presentation, symptoms and sign, diagnosis, and treatment of coronary artery disease. Historically, healthcare delivery to women has been plagued with treatment bias favoring men. This review will present relevant cardiovascular physiologic sex differences, current treatment options for coronary artery disease both surgical and medical, and clinical outcomes of such treatments. RECENT FINDINGS In the past, pharmacologic and interventional studies generally excluded women from their subjects. As a result, women have been traditionally treated based on the findings in their male counterparts. Recent studies examining sex differences in the treatment of coronary artery disease have given new insight into the hormonal and behavioral influences associated with coronary artery disease. Finally, these studies have drawn attention to possibly inadvertent discrepancies in the way men and women are treated for coronary artery disease. SUMMARY Despite significant advances in medical and surgical approaches to treat coronary artery disease, it remains and will continue to be the most important healthcare challenge of the 21st century. Whereas efforts are underway to encourage inclusion of more women in therapeutic trials, the educational process, particularly in medical school, needs to broadly address sex specific pathophysiology and treatment, rather than relying on sub-subspecialty training for optimizing healthcare delivery in women.
Application of the Racah algebra of finite groups to the hyperfine structure of methane

The nuclear hyperfine structure of tetrahedral molecules of the type XY4, where Y has spin 12 and X has arbitrary spin, is considered in detail. Group theory is used to construct the wave-functions, classify the hyperfine operators, and calculate matrix elements. The group theory is phrased in terms of the Racah algebra of finite groups developed by Griffith, which has great advantages over previously used methods, particularly in its conceptual simplicity. The spin-rotation and the direct and indirect spin-spin interactions are analyzed, and certain of the reduced matrix elements are listed. Algorithms for the calculation of reduced matrix elements for arbitrary J are given. The relationship of this formalism to previous ones is discussed.
Structure of Leu 5 -enkephalin bound to a model membrane as determined by high-resolution NMR

Opioid peptides are thought to interact with the cell membrane in their biological journey to the membrane-bound receptor. Both organic solvents and model membranes have been used previously to determine the stable solution conformations of peptide hormones. Leucine enkephalin has been studied in a number of different environments, but with limited resolution. Here it is shown that leucine enkephalin forms a stable type IV β-turn structure in dodecylphosphocholine micelles. We have observed a highly solvent-shielded amide proton with no evidence for a complementary hydrogen bond acceptor. The structural details of the peptide as determined by NMR spectroscopy in solution are described.
Proximity to safety-net clinics and HPV vaccine uptake among low-income, ethnic minority girls

Purpose Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake remains low. Although publicly funded programs provide free or low cost vaccines to low-income children, barriers aside from cost may prevent disadvantaged girls from getting vaccinated. Prior studies have shown distance to health care as a potential barrier to utilizing pediatric preventive services. This study examines whether HPV vaccines are geographically accessible for low-income girls in Los Angeles County and whether proximity to safety-net clinics is associated with vaccine initiation.
Symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus in very-low-birth-weight infants: 1987-1989.

Abstract Symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (sPDA) may occur in up to 50% of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW, ≤ 1500 g) infants. We reported a 16% incidence in 1979–1980 in a totally inborn population, demonstrating the importance of early fluid management. Although survival of VLBW infants, especially those 72 h (119/636) were identified and compared to matched controls ( n = 70). Incidence and onset of sPDA were 19% and 10 ± 6 days (±S.D.), respectively, the former increasing from 8% to 33% between 1251–1500 g and 500–750 g, respectively ( P P = 0.005) and intracranial hemorrhage (53% vs 21%, P 80% of infants demonstrating spontaneous closure when fluid and colloid administration are judiciously used.
A designed screening study with prespecified combinations of factor settings

Experimenters often have limited options as to which factor combinations can be selected for a designed study because of the cost involved or the resulting destruction of the part. A screening study for a production process involving five factors is con..
L-edge x-ray-absorption spectra of PdAl3 and PdCl2: A study of charge redistribution in compounds of an element with a nearly full 4d shell.

Using the x-ray-absorption near-edge structure technique discussed in the preceding paper, we have studied the Pd L-edge absorption spectra of ${\mathrm{PdAl}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{PdCl}}_{2}$. It is found that the Pd 4d population at the Pd site in these compounds is depleted relative to pure Pd metal upon compound formation in both cases. The results are discussed in terms of a d and non-d charge-compensation model for the metallic compound and a molecular-orbital approach for the molecular complex. It is also found that when compared with Pd metal the intensity ratio of the ${L}_{\mathrm{III}}$- and the ${L}_{\mathrm{II}}$-edge ``white line'' in these compounds is much closer to the statistical ratio. The implications of these observations are discussed.
Problem Solving Student Support Teams

The on-going efforts to improve Student Support Teams (SST) within a large, urban California school district are presented. The major goal of this reform has been to reshape the SSTs to focus on empirically supported interventions and data based decision making rather than student deficit and disability. Preliminary evaluation results indicate that these reform efforts increased the efficacy and effectiveness of the SST and led to a decline in over-representation of African American students referred to special education. Specific components of effective SSTs (i.e., organization and management, teamwork, and problem-solving strategies) in use in the district pilot program are described in order to assist other California School Psychologists in implementing SSTs that foster widespread commitment among the faculty and improve educational outcomes for students. These components are summarized in a Self-Study Guide Check List that school psychologists and other members of the SST may use to evaluate and reflect on the SSTs at their sites. The implications for the types of services school psychologists provide when embracing a problem solving rather than medical model for servicing students are briefly examined, as well as the limitations of the current categorical system in which we serve students with disabilities.
Musculoskeletal disorders simulating poliomyelitis.

Summary The association of a fever and constitutionalmanifestations with localized musculoskeletal findings, occurring particularly during the “polio season”, should not be sufficient evidence for a presumptive diagnosis of poliomyelitis in children.
Genomic organization of H2Av containing nucleosomes in Drosophila heterochromatin.

H2Av is a versatile histone variant that plays both positive and negative roles in transcription, DNA repair, and chromatin structure in Drosophila. H2Av, and its broader homolog H2A.Z, tend to be enriched toward 5′ ends of genes, and exist in both euchromatin and heterochromatin. Its organization around euchromatin genes and other features have been described in many eukaryotic model organisms. However, less is known about H2Av nucleosome organization in heterochromatin. Here we report the properties and organization of individual H2Av nucleosomes around genes and transposable elements located in Drosophila heterochromatic regions. We compare the similarity and differences with that found in euchromatic regions. Our analyses suggest that nucleosomes are intrinsically positioned on inverted repeats of DNA transposable elements such as those related to the “1360” element, but are not intrinsically positioned on retrotransposon-related elements.
Correlated variation of floral and leaf traits along a moisture availability gradient

Variation in flower size is an important aspect of a plant’s life history, yet few studies have shown how flower size varies with environmental conditions and to what extent foliar responses to the environment are correlated with flower size. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop a theoretical framework for linking flower size and leaf size to their costs and benefits, as assessed using foliar stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) under varying degrees of water limitation, and then (2) examine how variation in flower size within and among species growing along a naturally occurring moisture availability gradient correlates with variation in δ13C and leaf size. Five plant species were examined at three sites in Oregon. Intra- and inter-specific patterns of flower size in relation to moisture availability were the same: the ratios of the area of flower display to total leaf area and of individual flower area to leaf area were greater at sites with more soil moisture compared to those sites with less soil moisture. The increase in flower area per unit increase in leaf area was greater at sites with more soil moisture than at sites where water deficit can occur. Values of δ13C, an index of water-use efficiency, were greater for plants with larger floral size. The patterns we observed generalize across species, irrespective of overall plant morphology or pollination system. These correlations between flower size, moisture availability, and δ13C suggest that water loss from flowers can influence leaf responses to the environment, which in turn may indirectly mediate an effect on flower size.
A biological theory of finite classes

Abstract An effort is here made to express in the quantitative language of the physicist the old idea that an organism while to a large extent a mechanism, is not fully so. I show how this may be done without ever questioning the validity of the laws of physics. As a main step of the new method I postulate that any description of organisms be carried out entirely in terms of finite abstract constructs (‘finite classes’). This step is found to lead to a strong emphasis on conceptual description as compared to the usual mathematical methods of the physicist. As a consequence I have been able to write this paper without recourse to mathematical formulas so that, hopefully, it can with some effort be absorbed by mathematically not too well-trained biologists. The method of finite classes is next to be combined with the empirical fact that living matter is utterly heterogeneous in the chemical sense. After the corresponding modifications have been discussed one is led to try the application of statistical mechanics, the physicist's chief and in fact only tool of description for composite systems. As is known from the applications in physics, this will lead one to consider the number of arrangements on the molecular scale which are compatible with the quantitative (measurable) characteristics of an object of a given class, say of a species. This number is extraordinarily large; we call it ‘immense’, a term defined quantitatively, and so large that only a minute (immensely small) fraction can ever appear in the real world. On this basis one can postulate the existence of a specific order characteristic of organisms which is compatible with the laws of physics though not contained in them. I speak of ‘organismic constraints’ that re-order otherwise disordered statistical features in such a way that a discrepancy with physics would be an ‘immensely rare’ experimental outcome. The existence of these constraints is at variance from the idea valid for the homogeneous systems of the physicist, that such statistical effects always ‘average out’. A principal application of these ideas is to the theory of embryonic development with its centuries-old controversy between the view of preformation (in practice equivalent to a mechanistic biology) and the concept of epigenesis. The latter is now interpreted as due to the action of organismic constraints; it is postulated that preformationist (mechanistic) features and epigenetic ones (organismic constraints) coexist everywhere in the organism. The specific aspects of epigenesis which are not derivable from physics are withdrawn from experimental verification. This fact can be expressed in concrete language by saying that in a finite universe the set of all available samples will be exhausted before one has arrived at a decision concerning the presence or absence of such epigenetic (organismic) features.
A theoretical study of the effect of optical properties in laser ablation of tissue

The role of optical properties in the distribution of laser light and the resulting thermodynamical processes in biological tissue are studied from a theoretical perspective. Light distribution is modeled by a discrete ordinate method, and heat transfer and ablation are modeled by an immobilized finite-element method. The effect of parametric variation of absorption, scattering, and scattering anisotropicity on the dynamics of the ablation process is examined. The manifestation of temperature higher than the ablation threshold temperature in the subsurface tissue is observed and discussed. Results indicate significant differences in the ablation behavior, which may have important clinical implications. >
High pressure equation of state for solid xenon from interatomic potentials

The interatomic pair potential for xenon recently derived by Aziz and Slaman (AS) is used to calculate pressure as function of volume for solid xenon, and the results are compared with experimental data and with those calculated using the earlier potential of Barker, Klein and Bobetic (BKB). If the Axilrod-Teller (AT) interaction is included agreement with experiment is good up to 50 kbar for either potential but there are deviations at higher pressures, larger for the earlier potential. A pair potential which gives better agreement with high pressure solid state data at the expense of worse agreement with gas viscosities is described, and the respective roles of many-body interactions and uncertainties in the pair potential in explaining the discrepancies with experimental solid-state pressures are discussed. Published electronic calculations are shown to give remarkably good agreement with the high-pressure experimental data.
An Evaluation of Communication Barriers Between Tax Practitioners and Their Clients

Abstract Because tax practitioners must serve two competing interests—those of their clients and the Internal Revenue Service—they are faced with the challenge of overcoming communication barriers in their relationships with these groups. The purpose of this study was to identify those barriers perceived by tax practitioners to be the most serious in inhibiting effective communication between them and their clients. A survey eliciting the seriousness of 29 communication barriers was conducted with tax practitioners in international and national accounting firms. Several communication barriers were perceived to be the most serious in affecting communication between tax practitioners and their clients.
CD40 Activation Rescues Antiviral CD8+ T Cells from PD-1-Mediated Exhaustion

The intrahepatic immune environment is normally biased towards tolerance. Nonetheless, effective antiviral immune responses can be induced against hepatotropic pathogens. To examine the immunological basis of this paradox we studied the ability of hepatocellularly expressed hepatitis B virus (HBV) to activate immunologically naive HBV-specific CD8+ T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T cells after adoptive transfer to HBV transgenic mice. Intrahepatic priming triggered vigorous in situ T cell proliferation but failed to induce interferon gamma production or cytolytic effector function. In contrast, the same T cells differentiated into cytolytic effector T cells in HBV transgenic mice if Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) expression was genetically ablated, suggesting that intrahepatic antigen presentation per se triggers negative regulatory signals that prevent the functional differentiation of naive CD8+ T cells. Surprisingly, coadministration of an agonistic anti-CD40 antibody (αCD40) inhibited PD-1 induction and restored T cell effector function, thereby inhibiting viral gene expression and causing a necroinflammatory liver disease. Importantly, the depletion of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) strongly diminished the αCD40 mediated functional differentiation of HBV-specific CD8+ T cells, suggesting that activation of mDCs was responsible for the functional differentiation of HBV-specific CD8+ T cells in αCD40 treated animals. These results demonstrate that antigen-specific, PD-1-mediated CD8+ T cell exhaustion can be rescued by CD40-mediated mDC-activation.
Preparation of alkylamine and 125I-radiolabeled derivatives of hyaluronic acid uniquely modified at the reducing end.

Abstract Present procedures to obtain radiolabeled hyaluronic acid derivatives are limited to low-specific-activity isotopes and small amounts of material, and often involve multiple points of chemical modification within the polymer. A synthesis has been developed which affords large quantities of a unique, chemically modified derivative of hyaluronic acid containing a single hydroxyphenyl group at the reducing end, which can be radioiodinated to high specific activity. Very little alteration in oligosaccharide structure is expected since only the terminal reducing sugar is modified. Oligosaccharides of hyaluronic acid, which have no free amino groups, were first converted to alkylamine derivatives to allow subsequent reaction with the Bolton-Hunter reagent, N -succinimidyl-3(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate. Synthesis of the hyaluronate-amine was achieved by (i) reduction of the terminal reducing sugar with sodium borohydride, (ii) controlled sodium periodate oxidation to generate an aldehyde group only at the reduced end, and (iii) coupling this aldehyde to an α,ω-alkyldiamine (e.g., 1,6-hexanediamine) in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride. Purified hyaluronate-amine oligosaccharides were then reacted with the Bolton-Hunter reagent, and the hydroxyphenyl derivative thus obtained was radioiodinated with Na 125 I. Specific activities up to 8 × 10 9 cpm/nmol oligosaccharide can be obtained. This approach yields a uniquely modified, highly radioactive probe which will be useful in studies of cellular and extracellular matrix interactions with hyaluronic acid. In addition, the uniquely modified alkylamine derivative of hyaluronic acid has been used to prepare affinity chromatography media and synthetic cell culture surfaces.
Exponentially weighton running statistics for the analysis of non-stationary bioelectric signals

Exponentially weighted running statistics of electroencephalograms (EEG) from the motor cortex and dorsal hippocampus of rabbits were obtained using a special purpose analog computer designed for this research. The EEG of spontaneous arousal and drug-induced behavioral states under amphetamine and pentobarbital was studied. It appears that variability in the central nervous system (CNS) as expressed by the running variance contains valuable information about the state of the CNS. The results show that amphetamine arousal is different from spontaneous arousal in that under amphetamine a state of "hyperarousal" appears to exist. The transition from arousal to pentobarbitalinduced sedation appears to be a stage-wise process and exhibits "undershoots" and "overshoots" in the cortical-hippocampal interstructural variability. It appears that the running mean and running variance are particularly useful statistics for the analysis of nonstationary bioelectric signals.
The Kind Intentions Program: educator insights

The Kind Intentions Program (KIP) was developed in a childcare facility in an effort to encourage children to engage in kind acts. In addition to support for displays of kindness, the programme encourages children to engage in perspective taking skills as they observe the actions of those around them. This study involved the identification of the relevance and applicability of KIP for early childhood educators. Seventeen educators of young children currently working in childcare facilities reviewed the initial programme design, completed a questionnaire and participated in a telephone interview as a means for conveying their thoughts on this new programme. The results of this study indicate that KIP was positively accepted by the educators of young children who participated. These educators identified that the programme would be beneficial for the children, staff and families of their individual facilities.
Overweight status and weight control behaviors in adolescents: longitudinal and secular trends from 1999 to 2004.

Background This study examined 5-year longitudinal and secular trends in weight status and the use of healthy and unhealthy weight control behaviors in adolescents. Methods Project EAT-II followed 2516 adolescents from Minnesota longitudinally from 1999 to 2004. The population included two cohorts allowing for the observation of transitions from early to middle adolescence (junior high school to high school) and from middle to late adolescence (high school to post-high school). Results The prevalence of overweight (females: 28.7%; males: 28.0%) was high in early adolescence and remained high throughout adolescence. In females, between early and middle adolescence, there were steep longitudinal increases in the use of unhealthy weight control behaviors (48.6% to 58.8%, P = 0.001) and extreme weight control behaviors (9.4% to 17.9%, P < 0.001), and between middle and late adolescence, extreme weight control behaviors increased from 14.5% to 23.9% (P < 0.001). In males, extreme weight control behaviors doubled from middle to late adolescence (3.4% to 6.3%, P = 0.023). Use of diet pills doubled from 7.5% to 14.2% from 1999 to 2004 (P = 0.004) in high school females. One fifth (19.9%) of females in late adolescence reported taking diet pills. Conclusions Overweight status and unhealthy weight control behaviors in adolescents are major public health concerns that warrant interventions addressing both problems.
Synthesis of sulfated β-1,6-linked oligosaccharide mimetics: A novel potent inhibitor of HIV replication

Abstract A novel sulfated β(1→6)-linked oligosaccharide mimetics has been synthesized and found to be a potent inhibitor of HIV replication, with an IC50 of 1 μM.
Expression of microfibrillar proteins by bovine bladder urothelium

Abstract Objectives To determine the occurrence and potential function of proteins composing elastic microfibrils in the developing bovine bladder. Methods Monospecific antibodies, generated against two well-characterized microfibrillar proteins, microfibril-associated glycoprotein (MAGP) and fibrillin-1 (FBN1), were used in immunohistochemical analysis of full-thickness frozen sections of fetal bovine bladder. The localization of these two antibodies was compared with that of anti-type IV collagen antibody. Adjacent serial sections were stained for routine light microscopy. Cultured urothelial cells were fixed in 3.7% formaldehyde and permeabilized with 0.5% Triton X-100 before immunoanalysis. Control reactions used either preimmune serum or a monoclonal antibody to a nonmatrix protein. Poly(A+) ribonucleic acid was isolated from cultured urothelial cells and subjected to Northern analysis using specific complementary deoxyribonucleic acid probes for MAGP and FBN1. Results Both MAGP and FBN1 are expressed by the urothelium and are found in association with the underlying basement membrane, as visualized by their co-localization with type IV collagen. Furthermore, urothelial cells in culture continue to express both microfibrillar proteins. Conclusions The developing bovine urothelium expresses major microfibrillar protein components. The role of these microfibrils in the urothelium remains to be determined, but they may have an important anchoring function.
Destabilization and Intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean

For Latin America and the Caribbean, 1979 was another turning point: The Cuban Revolution celebrated its twentieth anniversary; the New Jewel Movement came to power in Grenada in March; and the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN) defeated the Somoza dictatorship in July. The political and economic paths pursued by the revolutionary leaders in these countries confirmed the worst fears of many policymakers, businesspeople, bankers, and trade union leaders in the United States. They became convinced that not since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis had U.S. security and economic interests in the Caribbean and Latin America in general been endangered so seriously. The cordial political and material relations forged between Grenada and Cuba and Nicaragua and Cuba, as well as the growing Eastern bloc trade by the two newest members of the so-called "Marxist triangle," were as conclusive proof as was needed of the alleged and oft-repeated dangers of Soviet/Cuban expansionism in "America's backyard." Events in the Caribbean and Central America have been of concern to national policy since the Monroe Doctrine (1823), and a fear that "foreign" powers might gain a foothold in adjoining territories is a preoccupation that dates from at least 1811 (Connell-Smith, 1974: 46). Considering direct military intervention alone, the Caribbean has suffered the presence of U.S. troops on its shores and soil more than any other region. Even prior to 1898 and the Spanish-Cuban-American War, U.S. troops had landed in the Caribbean and Mexico more than thirty times (U.S. Congress, 1969). Then there are the better-known and longer military occupations of this century: Panama, 1903-1914; the Dominican Republic, 1903, 1905, 1916-1924, 1965-1967; Cuba, 19061909, 1912; Honduras, 1907; Nicaragua, 1909, 1912-1925, 1926-1933; Haiti, 1915-1934; and Grenada, 1983; among others. Of course these interventions were due to geography and economics, but that is just the
The size of the rII region of bacteriophage T4.

Abstract Heteroduplex DNA molecules featuring two loops of single-stranded DNA separated by a uniform length of double-stranded DNA were observed in electron micrographs of samples taken from annealing mixtures containing denatured DNA of selected T4 rII deletion mutants and denatured DNA of T4 DJ, a mutant with a deletion in the vicinity of the rII region between genes 39 and 56. The differences of the measured double-stranded “interloop” distances between the DJ loop and the loops caused by deletions in the rII region define the distances between the left-hand ends of the three rII deletions used, viz. r2226, r3034, and rPB296. The distance between the right-hand end of the apparently dispensable DJ region and the left hand end of the rII region is 4600 base pairs, and the estimated length of the rII region and its A and B cistrons is 2645, 1800, and 845 base pairs, respectively. The length of the deletions used was determined by measurements of the single-stranded loops. Assuming a molecular weight of 1.2 × 108 daltons for T4 DNA the rII region comprises 1.4% of the total T4 genome. The significance of these measurements with respect to the in vivo transcription of the rII region is discussed.
Applications and Implementation A MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ANALYSIS OF THE ARMS TRANSFER PROCESS

The decision and information structure of the arms transfer process from major powers (especially the United States) to third-world countries is discussed. System behavior as a result of system structure, political forces, and economic factors is the focus of analysis. A system-dynamics model of transfer structures is developed and discussed. Examples of policy alternatives in arms transfer are illustrated and discussed.
ESR investigation of the binding of acidic biopolymers to synthetic apatite.

The interaction between synthetic crystalline calcium phosphate (apatite) and acidic macromolecules (sodium polyacrylate, sodium poly(L-glutamate), chondroitin sulfate, phosvitin) was investigated by electron spin resonance spectroscopy of mineral-macromolecule complexes doped with vanadyl ion (VO++) as a paramagnetic probe. Changes in magnetic parameters were interpreted in terms of bonding between mineral and macromolecule. The VO++ probe data indicated that polymer acidic functional groups were bound to mineral surfaces in all cases.
Review of ferroelectric materials usable for passive electro-optic alphanumeric display devices

Abstract Among optical field effect phenomena of known solid state materials, only three are suitable for alphanumeric displays: (i) electric field switching of the spontaneous birefringence, (ii) electric field induced birefringence and (iii) electric field switching of the spontaneous optical rotatory power (electrogyration). The birefringence effects are necessarily coupled with mechanical deformations, whereas electrogyration is not. Among the known ferroelectrics, only a few, Gd2(MoO4)3, boracites, Bi4Ti3O12, BaTiO3 and PLZT come close to meet the requirements for alphanumeric displays. For large scale production, the development of shear free or very low shear compositions-for single crystals, layers and ceramics-appears mandatory. Possibilities will be discussed. Some PLZT compositions are in an advanced development state.
David's Dying Directives according to Josephus

1 Kgs 2,1-9, «the testament of David», records the king's final instructions to his son Solomon. This article offers a detailed study of Josephus' version ( Ant. 7.383- 388) of the testament in relation to its biblical source. The study focusses particularly on the textual affinities of Josephus' presentation, given the differences among the various ancient versions (MT, LXX, Targum) of the testament. The article likewise examines the range of re-writing techniques utilized by Josephus in Ant. 7.383-388 and their contribution in generating a distinctive rendition of David's testament.
Activating Mutations in HER2: Neu Opportunities and Neu Challenges

Twenty-five years after the publication of seminal studies showing that HER2 gene amplification and protein overexpression are oncogenic in breast cancer, Bose and colleagues report on the identification of activating HER2 somatic mutations that, albeit rare, may determine the response of breast cancer cells to anti-HER2 agents. These results herald a new era for the potential use of existing HER2-targeted agents for the treatment of patients with HER2-mutant breast cancer.
Pressure-dependent Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of a poly (ester urethane).

Abstract The effects of hydrostatic pressure upon (1) a segmented poly (ester urethane), (2) a hydrolytically degraded sample of the same polymer, and (3) models for the polyurethane and polyester segments in this polymer have been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy using high-pressure diamond anvil cells (DACs). The pressure responses of the vibrational frequencies of specific functional groups of the poly (ester urethane) in the 0–100-kbar range are compared with data for individual segment models and the partially degraded sample. The results indicated that the polymer is highly stable in this pressure regime, with no measurable degradation or phase changes. Differences in the pressure dependency of specific infrared bands between the poly (ester urethane) sample and the partially degraded sample are slight and consistent with changes in hydrogen-bonding interactions and shorter chain lengths in the degraded sample.
Abnormal amino acid and protein metabolism in uremia

There has been a rapid accumulation of evidence indicating that the metabolism of many amino acids and proteins is altered in advanced renal failure. These abnormalities can be classified according to whether they are similar to those found in protein-calorie malnutrition or are secondary to uremia. Those alterations which are consistent with wasting or malnutrition (Table 1) include decreased body weight, fat, fat-free solids, and intracellular water [1–3]. Many serum proteins, e.g., albumin, transferrin, cholinesterase, and several components of the complement system, are reduced [2, 3, 5–7]. Plasma concentrations of valine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, tryptophan, and tyrosine are reduced: glycine is often increased [8–10]. The ratios of essential to nonessential amino acids, of valine:glycine and tyrosine:phenylalanine in plasma are low [2, 3, 5, 8]. Other alterations in plasma amino acids do not appear to be caused by nutritional disorders. These include increased plasma concentrations of citrulline, cystine, hydroxyproline, and 1- and 3-methylhistidine [8, 9] (see also Alvestrand et al; Holliday and Chantler, this issue).
Behavior Disruption in Cebus Monkeys as a Function of Injected Substances

Intraperitoneal injections of blood substances from schizophrenic or stressed normal human donors into primates trained to perform a precision timing task resulted in significant prolongation of time taken to complete the task as compared with injections of blood substances from normal donors.
The Economic Costs of Obesity and the Impact of Bariatric Surgery

The obesity epidemic has far-reaching implications for the economic and health care future in the United States. Treatments that show reduction in health care costs over time should be approved and made available to as many patients as possible. It is our opinion that bariatric surgery meets this criterion. However, bariatric surgery cannot provide the impact necessary for reduction in health care and economic costs on a national scale. The obesity epidemic must be addressed by policy efforts at the local, state, and national levels. As experts on obesity, bariatric surgeons must be prepared to guide and inform these efforts.
PROBABILITY ASPECTS OF THE REMOVABILITY AND ROTATABILITY OF TETRAHEDRAL BLOCKS

Rigid blocks, bounded by planar discontinuities (joints) and a free face, can move out of a rock mass by translation and/or rotation. Most published work on the kinematics of block movements has concentrated on translational failure modes, and largely ignored rotational modes. This paper applies some elementary probability theory to explore the relative importance of both modes, considering kinematics alone. A 'joint pyramid' (JP) represents all blocks defined by a given combination of joint planes and a variable free surface 'removability' is the kinematic condition of being able to translate into space. Formulae are found for: (1) the probability that a three-joint JP is removable; (2) the probability that a three-joint JP is simultaneously rotatable and removable (which has a maximum of about 0.16). The ratio of the second and first probabilities gives the relative importance of the two modes considering kinematics alone, but it does not give the true relative importance of these failure modes, which also depends on the orientation and magnitude of the force vectors and friction angles on the bounding joint planes. The rotational mode can safely be ignored for many but not most JPs. In general, a JP is less likely to be removable if it is rotatable, and a removable JP is less likely to be rotatable if it is removable. (TRRL) (Author/TRRL)
Invert your training program: have applicants train themselves before you hire

The University at Buffalo's Public Computing unit had a problem: training consultants was both expensive and time consuming, but was still not achieving the results we needed. Applicants were poorly motivated or lacked the aptitude for technical training and required remedial training to bring them up to par. To remedy this at the beginning rather than the end of the hiring cycle when it was too late, we came up with the idea of training applicants and giving them the resources to train themselves before we hired them and then using their success at training themselves as one of the determinants in hiring them as computing consultants.We found that, generally, inverting our training program resulted in substantial savings (both in student wages and staff time), produced a higher quality candidate, and created a competitive environment that motivated candidates to learn and attracted more qualified candidates to the position.
Introduction of unnatural amino acids into proteins using expressed protein ligation

Here we describe the results of studies designed to explore the scope and limitations of expressed protein ligation (EPL), a protein semisynthesis approach that allows unnatural amino acids to be site specifically introduced into large proteins. Using Src homology 3 domains from the proteins c-Abl and c-Crk as model systems, we show here that EPL can be performed in the presence of moderate concentrations of the chemical denaturant, guanidine hydrochloride, and the organic solvent dimethylsulfoxide. Use of these solubilizing agents allowed the successful preparation of two semisynthetic proteins, 10 and 12, both of which could not be prepared using standard procedures due to the low solubility of the synthetic peptide reactants in aqueous buffers. We also report the results of thiolysis and kinetic studies which indicate that stable alkyl thioester derivatives of recombinant proteins can be generated for storage and purification purposes, and that 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid compares favorably with thiophenol as the thiol cofactor for EPL reactions, while having superior handling properties. Finally, we describe the semisynthesis of the fluorescein/rhodamine-containing construct (12) and the ketone-containing construct (14). The efficiency of these two syntheses indicates that EPL offers a facile way of incorporating these important types of biophysical and biochemical probes into proteins.
Some properties of the lipase present in germinating rapeseed

The lipase content of rapeseed germinated in light increases by 100-fold over that of the dormant seed. The increase was much less in seeds germinated in the absence of light. A zero-order reaction rate for the enzyme was observed when tributyrin was employed as the substrate. Optimum activity occurred at pH 8.5. The Michaelis-Menton was calculated to be 4.06×10−4 M, which is close to values reported for other lipases. While most substances tested had no effect on fat-splitting activity, NaCN, NaN3, and glutathione behaved as activators.
A two-section dual-band Chebyshev impedance transformer

We derive a two-section dual-band impedance transformer that matches a resistive load at two arbitrary frequencies. The transformer is equivalent to a two-section Chebyshev transformer whose parameters have been adjusted to achieve reflectionless notches at the two desired frequencies.
A quantitative procedure for recovery of nucleoside phosphate ligands and preparation of apoprotein from holoproteins using blue dextran--Sepharose chromatography.

Abstract A simple chromatographic procedure is described for removal of strongly bound ligands from holoproteins whose ligand sites are constructed by an NAD-like domain. Application of such a holoprotein solution to a blue dextran-Sepharose chromatographic column equilibrated with a low ionic strength solvent results in recovery of the ligand and retention of the apoprotein. The apoprotein is then recovered by either batch or gradient elution with solvents having a high ionic strength. The quantitative removal of NAD from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the preparation of its apoprotein are illustrated.
Immunoprotective capability of somatic hybrid cells in comparison with parental tumor cells maintained in vitro.

MIZUSHIMA, Y. and COHEN, E.P. Immunoprotective Capability of Somatic Hybrid Cells in Comparison with Parental Tumor Cells Maintained In Vitro. Tohoku J. exp. Med., 1985, 145 (4), 447-453-The immunogenicity of X-irradiated hybrid cells derived from fusion of ASL-1 leukemia (A origin) and LM (TK-) fibroblasts (C3H origin) was compared to X-irradiated parental ASL-1 leukemia cells maintained in vivo (V-ASL-1) and to X-irradiated ASL-1 leukemia cells maintained in vitro (C-ASL-1). Immunization with hybrid cells induced transplantation resistance against tumor rechallenge with V-ASL-1 more effectively than did immunization with V-ASL-1 tumor cells. Immunization with X-irradiated C-ASL-1 cells produced the same, or slightly stronger level of transplantation resistance than that with X-irradiated hybrid cells. These findings were observed both in A/J and in (C3H/HeJ×A/J) F1 mice. These results raise a question about whether the apparent increased immunogenicity of hybrid cells is due to a result of cell fusion or a result of their growth in vitro.
Recognition of abasic sites and single base bulges in DNA by a metalloinsertor.

Abasic sites and single base bulges are thermodynamically destabilizing DNA defects that can lead to cancerous transformations if left unrepaired by the cell. Here we discuss the binding properties with abasic sites and single base bulges of Rh(bpy)_2(chrysi)^(3+), a complex previously shown to bind thermodynamically destabilized mismatch sites via metalloinsertion. Photocleavage experiments show that Rh(bpy)_2(chrysi)^(3+) selectively binds abasic sites with affinities of 1−4 × 10^6 M^(−1); specific binding is independent of unpaired base identity but is somewhat contingent on sequence context. Single base bulges are also selectively bound and cleaved, but in this case, the association constants are significantly lower (~10^5 M^(−1)), and the binding is dependent on both unpaired base identity and bulge sequence context. A wide variety of evidence, including strand scission asymmetry, binding enantiospecificity, and MALDI-TOF cleavage fragment analysis, suggests that Rh(bpy)_2(chrysi)^(3+) binds abasic sites, like mismatches, through insertion of the bulky chrysi ligand into the base pair stack from the minor groove side and ejection of the unpaired base. At single base bulge sites, a similar, though not identical, metalloinsertion mode is suggested. The recognition of abasic sites and single base bulges with bulky metalloinsertors holds promise for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Pittcon’s strong program continues to thrive

Abstract The annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon) was held in Orlando, FL, USA, 28 February – 5 March 2010. As the world’s premier conference and exposition on laboratory and analytical science, Pittcon attracts many thousands of attendees with a broad range of backgrounds, including industry, academia and government from all over the world. This review selectively covers state-of-the-art advances and current trends in the major research fields of analytical chemistry.