cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase Is Required for Vesicular Transport in the Early Secretory Pathway

Protein transport in the early secretory pathway requires Rab2 GTPase. This protein promotes the recruitment of soluble components that participate in protein sorting and recycling from pre-Golgi intermediates (vesicular tubular clusters (VTCs)). We previously reported that a constitutively activated form of Rab2 (Q65L) as well as Rab2 wild type promoted vesicle formation from VTCs. These vesicles contained Rab2, beta-COP, p53/gp58, and protein kinase Ciota/lambda but lacked anterograde-directed cargo. To identify other candidate Rab2 effectors, the polypeptide composition of the vesicles was further analyzed. We found that vesicles released in response to Rab2 also contained the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). To study the relationship of this enzyme to Rab2 function, we performed a quantitative binding assay to measure recruitment of GAPDH to membrane when incubated with Rab2. Rab2-treated microsomes showed a 5-10-fold increase in the level of membrane-associated GAPDH. We generated an affinity-purified anti-GAPDH polyclonal to study the biochemical role of GAPDH in the early secretory pathway. The antibody arrests transport of a reporter molecule in an assay that reconstitutes ER to Golgi traffic. Furthermore, the affinity-purified antibody blocked the ability of Rab2 to recruit GAPDH to membrane. However, the antibody did not interfere with Rab2 stimulated vesicle release. These data suggest that GAPDH is required for ER to Golgi transport. We propose that membranes incubated with anti-GAPDH and Rab2 form "dead end" vesicles that are unable to transport and fuse with the acceptor compartment.
Ictal Cortical Blindness with Permanent Visual Loss

Summary: Cortical blindness is rarely an ictal manifestation. We report the case of a man who developed transient cortical blindness followed by permanent visual deficits during repeated partial seizures. Intermittent visual impairment began at age 14 years. After he had the first generalized seizure at age 28 years, neurologic, ophthalmologic, angiographic, and brain computed tomographic (CT) examinations were normal. Several EEGs showed almost continuous biposterior spike-waves. Over the next several years, frequent partial seizures were associated with transient visual loss and left body twitching or paresthesias. When he was 32, transient blindness occurred during several days of repeated occipital seizures. Permanent left homonymous hemianopia, right homonymous central scotoma, dyschromatopsia, and altered stereopsis followed these seizures. Brain CT demonstrated a new right occipital lesion. Partial seizures arising posteriorly may cause transient cortical blindness and result in permanent visual deficits.
Integrative systems biology and networks in autophagy

The growing recognition that autophagy has important roles in many biological pathways, physiological systems, and infection and disease states necessitates a multidimensional perspective and systems-wide understanding of how autophagy is triggered or modulated by diverse stimuli. To delineate the nonlinearity and combinatorial complexity of biological networks and signaling pathways impinging on autophagy requires an integrative framework that brings together diverse information from genome-scale data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, interactomics, functional RNAi screens) to dynamic time-series analyses and biochemical assays across a variety of biological and clinical contexts. We outline recent applications of genome-wide approaches to studying autophagy and highlight how some of these could be integrated to derive sub-networks that are more functionally focused. Viewed from a network perspective, the extensive interconnectivity between pathway systems converging on autophagy provides the essential foundation from which to systematically elucidate the regulatory nuances and crosstalks that orchestrate autophagic processes in different pathophysiological contexts.
Gas-driven filter pressing in magmas

Most silicic and some mafic magmas expand via second boiling if they crystallize at depths of about 10 km or less. The buildup of gas pressure due to second boiling can be relieved by expulsion of melt out of the region of crystallization, and this process of gas-driven filter pressing assists the crystallization differentiation of magmas. For gas-driven filter pressing to be effective, the region of crystallization must inflate slowly relative to buildup of pressure and expulsion of melt. These conditions are satisfied in undercooled magmatic inclusions and in thin sheets of primitive magma underplating cooler magma reservoirs. Gas-driven filter pressing thereby adds fractionated melt to magma bodies. Gas-driven filter pressing is probably the dominant process by which highly evolved melts segregate from crystal mush to form aplitic dikes in granitic plutons; this process could also account for the production of voluminous, crystal-poor rhyolites.
Interfacial forces and the brillouin spectrum of the interfacial light-scattering power

Abstract Light scattered from a fluid surface has a spectrum that involves lines slightly displaced from the incident frequency. The detection of these lines requires resolution far beyond that of normal spectrometers. Laser heterodyne beat frequency techniques developed recently allow resolution of Brillouin lines down to the low audio-frequency region. We have developed a simple spectrometer that detects the Brillouin spectra that are associated with the interaction of light and random surface ripples. The theory and experimental techniques involved are discussed. The capillary ripple dispersion equations have been solved numerically in order to provide theoretical estimates of the frequency of the splitting and estimates of the line shape. A doublet in the photocurrent power spectrum was predicted and was observed with increasing wave number for the air-water interface. The Brillouin shift observed for the air-water interface obeyed the Kelvin dispersion relation. Applications of this new technique to the study of interfacial forces are discussed.
Greek Marbles: Determination of Provenance by Isotopic Analysis

A study has been made of carbon-13 and oxygen-18 variations in Greek marbles from the ancient quarry localities of Naxos, Paros, Mount Hymettus, and Mount Pentelikon. Parian, Hymettian, and Pentelic marbles can be clearly distinguished by the isotopic relationships; Naxian marbles fall into two groups characterized by different oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratios. Ten archeological samples were also analyzed; the isotopic data indicate that the "Theseion" is made of Pentelic marble and a block in the Treasury of Siphnos at Delphi is probably Parian marble.
Statistical Segmentation of Surgical Instruments in 3-D Ultrasound Images

Abstract The recent development of real-time 3-D ultrasound (US) enables intracardiac beating-heart procedures, but the distorted appearance of surgical instruments is a major challenge to surgeons. In addition, tissue and instruments have similar gray levels in US images and the interface between instruments and tissue is poorly defined. We present an algorithm that automatically estimates instrument location in intracardiac procedures. Expert-segmented images are used to initialize the statistical distributions of blood, tissue and instruments. Voxels are labeled through an iterative expectation-maximization algorithm using information from the neighboring voxels through a smoothing kernel. Once the three classes of voxels are separated, additional neighboring information is combined with the known shape characteristics of instruments to correct for misclassifications. We analyze the major axis of segmented data through their principal components and refine the results by a watershed transform, which corrects the results at the contact between instrument and tissue. We present results on 3-D in-vitro data from a tank trial and 3-D in-vivo data from cardiac interventions on porcine beating hearts, using instruments of four types of materials. The comparison of algorithm results to expert-annotated images shows the correct segmentation and position of the instrument shaft. (E-mail: lingurarum@mail.nih.gov )
Enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic disinfection of E. coli by carbon-sensitized nitrogen-doped titanium oxide.

Nitrogen-doped titanium oxide (TiON) nanoparticle photocatalysts were synthesized by a sol−gel process, for disinfection using E. coli as target bacteria. Our work shows that the calcination atmosphere has strong effects on the composition, structure, optical, and antimicrobial properties of TiON nanoparticles. Powders calcinated in a flow of N2 atmosphere (C−TiON) contain free carbon residue and demonstrate different structures and properties compared to the TiON powders calcinated in air. Disinfection experiments on Escherichia coli indicate that C−TiON composite photocatalyst has a much better photocatalytic activity than pure TiON photocatalyst under visible light illumination. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is related to stronger visible light absorption of the carbon-sensitized TiON.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: Histologic features and clinical correlations with 30 blinded biopsy specimens

Thirty overweight patients with clinically characterized and biopsy proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) were enrolled in a 48-week treatment trial with rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor (PPAR)-gamma agonist that enhances insulin sensitivity. Improvement in laboratory liver tests, insulin resistance and liver fat content were documented; blinded biopsy review demonstrated decreases in necroinflammatory activity or grade and in individual components of grade, and changes in the relationship of lobular and portal inflammation as well as in the nature of perisinusoidal fibrosis. The current study identified correlations of histological features of the protocol entry biopsy specimens with contemporaneous laboratory and imaging tests. Significant correlations with histologically assessed steatosis were liver fat, evaluated by computed tomography (P = 0.001); mean HbA1C, a measure of glycemic control (P = 0.004); and QUICKI, a measure of insulin sensitivity (P = 0.05). Histologically determined grades of steatohepatitis (SH) correlated with HbA1C (P = 0.01), and a trend toward elevated fasting glucose levels was seen. No subject in the study was cirrhotic at entry; fibrosis scores of the 30 subjects did not significantly correlate with age, gender, body mass index, or clinical tests. All subjects underwent 3 biopsies (prior, entry, and posttreatment), and all had undergone a prior biopsy with diagnostic SH. By blinded analysis, 7 study entry biopsy specimens did not fulfill published strict criteria for SH. Laboratory results from these subjects included normal fasting glucose level and, compared with the 23 subjects with criteria for SH, lower mean alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels (P = 0.02 for both), less insulin resistance (P = 0.03), and lower mean HbA1C (P = 0.001). We conclude that biopsy findings determined by blinded analysis correlated with image-detected steatosis, laboratory markers of hepatic inflammation, insulin resistance, and long-term glycemia; the findings confirm the usefulness of strict histological criteria in the evaluation of NASH.
Remittances and economic growth in Africa, Asia, and Latin American-Caribbean countries: a panel unit root and panel cointegration analysis

This study estimates the macroeconomic impact of remittances and some control variables such as openness of the economy, capital/labor ratio, and economic freedom on the economic growth of African, Asian, and Latin American-Caribbean countries using newly developed panel unit-root tests, cointegration tests, and Panel Fully Modified OLS (PFMOLS). We use annual panel data from 1985–2007for 64 countries consisting of 29 from Africa, 14 from Asia, and 21 from Latin America and the Caribbean region, respectively. We find that remittances, openness of the economy, and capital labor ratio have positive and significant effect on economic growth for all regions as a group and in each of the three in study. While the economic freedom index also has a positive and significant effect on growth in Africa and Latin America, however, its effect on the economic growth of Asia is mixed.
Preimplant vein intimal thickness is not a predictor of bypass graft stenosis

Abstract Purpose. Preimplant vein morphology has been implicated as a risk factor for subsequent vein graft failure. It is controversial whether microscopic intimal thickening in random saphenous vein biopsy specimens is associated with an increased risk of graft failure. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of preexisting intimal thickening in a macroscopically normal preimplant vein, and to evaluate whether preimplant vein intimal thickness was predictive of future vein graft stenosis. Methods. As part of an ongoing protocol, samples of preimplant veins were obtained at the time of the primary leg bypass. Routine duplex surveillance identified 14 patients who required operative revision for severe graft stenosis ( n = 12) or graft occlusion ( n = 2). Verhoeff's staining of specimens was performed to delineate the internal elastic lamina. Morphometric analysis of preimplant vein specimens was performed. The results were compared to a control group of 13 preimplant vein specimens selected from patients whose grafts have remained patent and stenosis-free by duplex. Results. Preoperative risk factors were identical between the two groups. Mean intimal thickness in all 27 specimens was measured by two blinded observers. Almost 50% of specimens exhibited marked intimal thickening (>0.08 mm). The mean preimplant intimal thickness of the stenosis group was 0.108 mm ± 0.155 compared to 0.100 mm ± 0.064 for the control group ( P = 0.866, NS). Conclusion. Although grossly normal preimplant veins often exhibit prominent microscopic intimal thickening, preimplant vein intimal thickness determined from a random saphenous vein biopsy at the time of primary leg bypass is not predictive to the subsequent development of vein graft stenosis.
Detecting Deceptive Chat-Based Communication Using Typing Behavior and Message Cues

Computer-mediated deception is prevalent and may have serious consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. This article investigates several metrics as predictors of deception in synchronous chat-based environments, where participants must often spontaneously formulate deceptive responses. Based on cognitive load theory, we hypothesize that deception influences response time, word count, lexical diversity, and the number of times a chat message is edited. Using a custom chatbot to conduct interviews in an experiment, we collected 1,572 deceitful and 1,590 truthful chat-based responses. The results of the experiment confirm that deception is positively correlated with response time and the number of edits and negatively correlated to word count. Contrary to our prediction, we found that deception is not significantly correlated with lexical diversity. Furthermore, the age of the participant moderates the influence of deception on response time. Our results have implications for understanding deceit in chat-based communication and building deception-detection decision aids in chat-based systems.
The analysis of planar linkages using a modular approach

Abstract Most complex planar linkages with lower pairs are actually made up of several simple mechanism components in series. When this is the case, it is possible to analyze the complex linkages by sequentially analyzing each of the simpler mechanism components. This procedure was described by Suh and Radcliffe[1], who have developed positive, velocity and acceleration equations for the component modules: rigid body, oscillating slider, two-link dyad, and rotating guide. The mechanism input module must be a driving crank. In this paper, this kinematic analysis technique is extended by incorporating dual slider, slider-crank, and inverted slider-crank modules, permitting mechanisms to be analyzed when a slider input, e.g. hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, is involved. With this extension, most of the common compound planar mechanisms with lower pairs can be analyzed. However, there is still a class of mechanisms which cannot be analyzed in a direct fashion using the modular approach. These are mechanisms, such as the Watt “walking beam”, with more than two links between the moving end of the driver link and the frame. Such mechanisms can be analyzed using an inversion technique developed by Goodman[2], however; and the use of this technique with the modular technique is also discussed. The procedure developed is noniterative in nature and therefore can be conveniently programmed and executed on a minicomputer.
N9-substituted 2,4-diaminoquinazolines: synthesis and biological evaluation of lipophilic inhibitors of pneumocystis carinii and toxoplasma gondii dihydrofolate reductase.

N9-substituted 2,4-diaminoquinazolines were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of Pneumocystis carinii (pc) and Toxoplasma gondii (tg) dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Reduction of commercially available 2,4-diamino-6-nitroquinazoline 14 with Raney nickel afforded 2,4,6-triaminoquinazoline 15. Reductive amination of 15 with the appropriate benzaldehydes or naphthaldehydes, followed by N9-alkylation, afforded the target compounds 5−13. In the 2,5-dimethoxybenzylamino substituted quinazoline analogues, replacement of the N9−CH3 group of 4 with the N9−C2H5 group of 8 resulted in a 9- and 8-fold increase in potency against pcDHFR and tgDHFR, respectively. The N9−C2H5 substituted compound 8 was highly potent, with IC50 values of 9.9 and 3.7 nM against pcDHFR and tgDHFR, respectively. N9-propyl and N9-cyclopropyl methyl substitutions did not afford further increases in potency. This study indicates that the N9-ethyl substitution is optimum for inhibitory activity against pcDHFR and tgDHFR for the 2,4-diamin...
Magnetic resonance detection of individual proton spins using quantum reporters.

We demonstrate a method of magnetic resonance imaging with single nuclear-spin sensitivity under ambient conditions. Our method employs isolated electronic-spin quantum bits (qubits) as magnetic resonance “reporters” on the surface of high purity diamond. These spin qubits are localized with nanometer-scale uncertainty, and their quantum state is coherently manipulated and measured optically via a proximal nitrogen-vacancy color center located a few nanometers below the diamond surface. This system is then used for sensing, coherent coupling, and imaging of individual proton spins on the diamond surfacewith angstrom resolution. Our approach may enable direct structural imaging of complex molecules that cannot be accessed from bulk studies. It realizes a new platform for probing novel materials, monitoring chemical reactions, and manipulation of complex systems on surfaces at a quantum level.
The problem of evil and the attributes of God

In discussions of the probabilistic argument from evil, some defenders of theism have recently argued that evil has no evidential force against theism. They base their argument on the claim that there is no reason to think that we should be able to discern morally sufficient reasons which God presumably has for permitting the evil which occurs. In this paper I try to counter this argument by discussing factors which suggest that we should generally be able to discern why God permits evil events. I close by suggesting that the theist use the evidential force which evil does have as a reason to question her understanding of the divine attributes.
Stat5 Is Required for IL-2-Induced Cell Cycle Progression of Peripheral T Cells

Many cytokines activate two highly homologous Stat proteins, 5a and 5b. Mice deficient in both genes lack all growth hormone and prolactin functions but retain functions associated with cytokines such as erythropoietin. Here, we demonstrate that, while lymphoid development is normal, Stat5a/b mutant peripheral T cells are profoundly deficient in proliferation and fail to undergo cell cycle progression or to express genes controlling cell cycle progression. In addition, the mice lack NK cells, develop splenomegaly, and have T cells with an activated phenotype, phenotypes seen in IL-2 receptor beta chain-deficient mice. These phenotypes are not seen in mice lacking Stat5a or Stat5b alone. The results demonstrate that the Stat5 proteins, redundantly, are essential mediators of IL-2 signaling in T cells.
Ion Antonescu and the Holocaust in Romania

Ion Antonescu’s obsession with what he saw as the Bolshevik menace drove his policy towards the Jews. The vast majority of those living in the provinces bordering on, and occupied by, the Soviet Union between 1940 and 1941—Bessarabia and Bukovina—were deported to Transnistria, where more than seventy percent of them were murdered or died of disease and starvation. Ukrainian militias and ethnic German Selbstschutz played a major role in the massacres, the former under the direction of Romanian gendarmes in Bogdanovka camp in the winter of 1941/1942, and the latter, independently, in southeastern Transnistria. This paper, based on the author’s research in the archives and library of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC and upon primary sources in Romania, seeks to bring into sharper focus Antonescu’s anti-Semitic actions, thereby highlighting the distinctive nature of the Holocaust in Romania and Antonescu’s part in it.
Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture

Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture. Christopher Knight. New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press, 1995. + 581 pp., charts, figures, references, index.
A hybrid micro-macro BEM with micro-scale inclusion-crack interactions

Local analysis schemes capable of detailed representations of micro-features of a problem are integrated with a macro-scale BEM technique capable of handling finite geometries and realistic boundary conditions. This paper focuses on micro-scale interactions among cracks and inclusions as well as their ramifications on macro-scale damage evaluations. The micro-scale effects are introduced into the macro-scale BEM computations through an augmented fundamental solution obtained from an integral equation representation of the micro-scale features. The proposed hybrid micro-macro BEM formulation allows complete decomposition of the real problem into two sub-problems, one residing entirely at the micro-level while the other resides at the macro-level. This allows for investigations of the micro-structural attributes while retaining the macro-scale geometric features and actual boundary conditions for the structural component under consideration. As a first attempt, dilute inclusion densities with strong inclusion-crack and crack-crack interactions are considered. The numerical results obtained from the hybrid BEM analysis establish the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed micro-macro computational scheme for this class of problems. The proposed micro-macro BEM formulation can be easily extended to investigate the effects of other micro-features (e.g., interfaces, short or continuous fibers, in the context of linear elasticity) on macro-scale failure modes observed in structural components.
Effect of Lipid Head Groups on Double-Layered Two-Dimensional Crystals Formed by Aquaporin-0

Aquaporin-0 (AQP0) is a lens-specific water channel that also forms membrane junctions. Reconstitution of AQP0 with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and E. coli polar lipids (EPL) yielded well-ordered, double-layered two-dimensional (2D) crystals that allowed electron crystallographic structure determination of the AQP0-mediated membrane junction. The interacting tetramers in the two crystalline layers are exactly in register, resulting in crystals with p422 symmetry. The high-resolution density maps also allowed modeling of the annular lipids surrounding the tetramers. Comparison of the DMPC and EPL bilayers suggested that the lipid head groups do not play an important role in the interaction of annular lipids with AQP0. We now reconstituted AQP0 with the anionic lipid dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), which yielded a mixture of 2D crystals with different symmetries. The different crystal symmetries result from shifts between the two crystalline layers, suggesting that the negatively charged PG head group destabilizes the interaction between the extracellular AQP0 surfaces. Reconstitution of AQP0 with dimyristoyl phosphatidylserine (DMPS), another anionic lipid, yielded crystals that had the usual p422 symmetry, but the crystals showed a pH-dependent tendency to stack through their cytoplasmic surfaces. Finally, AQP0 failed to reconstitute into membranes that were composed of more than 40% dimyristoyl phosphatidic acid (DMPA). Hence, although DMPG, DMPS, and DMPA are all negatively charged lipids, they have very different effects on AQP0 2D crystals, illustrating the importance of the specific lipid head group chemistry beyond its mere charge.
Adhesive substrates for fibronectin

In order to promote cell attachment, fibronectin must first undergo activation by a suitable substrate. In this study, 52 materials have been surveyed for their ability (a) to bind fibronectin, (b) to activate the cell-adhesive property of fibronectin, and (c) to support the growth of cells. Many plastics, polysaccharides, metals, and ceramics were found to support cell growth as well as the fibronectin-dependent attachment of cells. Several other substrates have been identified that were inactive in promoting either cell attachment or growth. Hydrophobic substrates were found to be active in fibronectin activation, whereas hydrophilic substrates were found to be inactive. Since fibronectin binds to substrata of extremely varied chemical composition, it is clear that the binding of fibronectin to such substrata is nonspecific in nature. Since protein pretreatment of all substrata, except collagen and poly(L-lysine), abolished the physical binding of fibronectin, the binding of fibronectin to artificial substrata is probably ascribable to a nonspecific hydrophobic protein-substratum interaction. In contrast, several lines of evidence indicate that the interaction between fibronectin and collagen displays biological specificity. Poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate)(poly(HEMA)), which has previously been shown to be nonadhesive for cells, is demonstrated here to be unique in its inability to bind fibronectin. Addition of one part per million of an adhesive polymer to poly(HEMA) permits fibronectin binding to occur.
Achieving Cryptographic Modernization Compliance for Reprogrammable Crypto in Space

The Department of Defense-directed and National Security Agency-led Cryptographic Modernization Initiative (CMI) mandates the use of space- borne reprogrammable cryptographic devices for future satellite systems. This cryptographic paradigm shift has revealed a void in the knowledge base currently used for implementation of cryptographic space products, because reprogrammability has not been addressed within the Defense community. This knowledge gap creates the need for a systems engineering-based process to enable a satellite system to achieve successful compliance with CMI, a process that this paper intends to address. The specific steps in the proposed process to achieve CMI compliance regarding the reprogrammability mandate include a review of existing policy, integration of government infrastructure and products, phasing in of technologies and functions related to reprogrammability, use case development, and requirements development. This process is envisioned as being leveraged on all future satellite systems requiring reprogrammability, including both commercial and government satellites. Additionally, this paper provides a rationale for a CMI Space Policy that will support future cryptographic development efforts. The goal of the proposed process is to create a CMI-compliant satellite system that does not sacrifice the satellite's mission for the sake of compliance.
Politics, Political Science, and Specialization

Contemporary political science is specialized, deeply concerned with its methods, and politicized. It also remains peripheral to most public debates. But the relationships among these characteristics are ambiguous and each yields advantages as well as costs.
Mallory–Weiss Tears, Angiodysplasia, Watermelon Stomach, and Dieulafoy’s: A Potpourri

Mallory–Weiss tears, angiodysplasia, watermelon stomach, and Dieulafoy's lesions are important causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and contribute substantially to the morbidity and cost of care associated with UGI hemorrhage. Recognition of such lesions is critical to provide effective hemostasis. Endoscopic therapy with thermal coagulation, injection sclerotherapy, or a combination of both can significantly improve patient outcomes. This article reviews recent advances in the endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage from Mallory–Weiss tears, angiodysplasia, watermelon stomach, and Dieulafoy's lesion.
Sequences and series

This chapter is devoted to the study of convergence of sequences (a0, a1, a2, . . . ) and series ∑ n=0 ∞ an of real numbers an. We use the notation N0 := {0, 1, 2, 3,. . .} and N := {1, 2, 3,. . .} throughout.
8.1.3 A system‐of‐systems approach for application to large‐scale transportation problems

There is growing recognition of a class of problems known as “System-of-Systems” that draws parallels to the characteristics and philosophy of Systems Engineering, but with unique complexities that deserve separate focus and study. This paper first seeks to outline defining characteristics of System-of-Systems problems, and discusses the progression of research in related fields as well as the direction for ongoing research in this area. A key aspect in System-of-Systems research is the dynamic propagation of uncertainty across the stakeholder network. To investigate this phenomenon, a system dynamics model of a Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) manufacturer is first developed. Using Monte Carlo Simulation, the variability of the manufacturer's yearly net income over a ten-year period is calculated. Combined with the evaluation of uncertainty characteristics more prevalent in other stakeholders, this methodology provides guidance in determining robust strategies at the System-of-Systems level.
Representation and recognition of handwritten digits using deformable templates

We investigate the application of deformable templates to recognition of handprinted digits. Two characters are matched by deforming the contour of one to fit the edge strengths of the other, and a dissimilarity measure is derived from the amount of deformation needed, the goodness of fit of the edges, and the interior overlap between the deformed shapes. Classification using the minimum dissimilarity results in recognition rates up to 99.25 percent on a 2,000 character subset of NIST Special Database 1. Additional experiments on an independent test data were done to demonstrate the robustness of this method. Multidimensional scaling is also applied to the 2,000/spl times/2,000 proximity matrix, using the dissimilarity measure as a distance, to embed the patterns as points in low-dimensional spaces. A nearest neighbor classifier is applied to the resulting pattern matrices. The classification accuracies obtained in the derived feature space demonstrate that there does exist a good low-dimensional representation space. Methods to reduce the computational requirements, the primary limiting factor of this method, are discussed.
Direct time-resolved observation of tungsten nanostructured growth due to helium plasma exposure

Determination of the mechanisms underlying the growth of tungsten fuzz is an important step towards mitigation of fuzz formation. Nanostructured tungsten was produced on resistively heated tungsten wires in a helicon plasma source (maximum flux of 2.5 ×10 21 m −2 s −1 ). Asymmetry in the setup allows for investigation of temperature and flux effects in a single sample. An effort at elucidating the mechanism of formation was made by inspecting SEM micrographs of the nanostructured tungsten at successive fluence steps of helium ions up to a fluence of 1 × 10 27 m −2 . To create these micrographs a single tungsten sample was exposed to the plasma, removed and inspected with an SEM, and replaced into the plasma. The tungsten surface was marked in several locations so that each micrograph is centred within 200nm of each previous micrograph. Pitting of the surface (diameter 9.5 ± 2.3nm, fluence (5 ± 2)×10 25 m −2 ) followed by surface roughening (fluence (9 ± 2) × 10 25 m −2 ) and tendril formation (diameter 30 ±10nm, fluence (2 ±1) ×10 26 m −2 ) is observed, providing evidence of bubble bursting as the mechanism for seeding the growth of the tungsten fuzz.
Culture‐making: performing Aboriginality at the Asia Society Gallery

This article presents and analyzes the construction and performance of Australian Aboriginal cultural practice, a sandpainting, at a major art exhibition at the Asia Society in New York. Drawing on an ethnography for which anthropological knowledge is part of the event itself, I examine the multiple constructions of Aboriginal identity in the performance. Such intercultural performances represent an important form of cultural production and constitute salient contexts for the contemporary negotiation and circulation of indigenous peoples' identities. The focus of the analysis is on the unsettled and pragmatic quality of the performance as a form of social action, emphasizing the goals and trajectories of the differing participants and the specificities of context and discourses involved. [Australian Aborigines, performance, intercultural, identity]
Secular Sediment Waves, Channel Bed Waves, and Legacy Sediment

The concept of sediment waves is reviewed and clarifications are proposed for nomenclature concerning vertical channel responses to large fluvial sediment fluxes over a period of a decade or longer. Gilbert’s (1917) original sediment waves are re-evaluated at their type locale and used to develop a consistent set of definitions. A ‘sediment wave’ represents a transient sediment flux that includes but is not necessarily identical to a ‘channel bed wave’ that represents the rise and fall of the bed in response to sedimentation. A large-scale sediment wave results when a major sedimentdelivery event generates an aggradation–degradation episode (ADE). It may leave a legacy of sediment deposited on valley bottoms. Gilbert’s classic sediment-wave model was empirically based on changes in bed elevations but was described as a sediment flux. He described downstream translation of an attenuating symmetrical wave although it was too large and disjointed to have a coherent waveform. Rapid return of bed elevations to pre-sedimentation levels in Gilbert’s wave should not be mistaken for exhaustion of sediment. The common concept of a symmetrical sediment wave representing the time series of sediment loads is not accurate for large-scale sedimentation events that store and slowly release sediment on floodplains. Large sediment waves composed of relatively fine material and limited bed armoring tend to be right-skewed owing to rapid vertical readjustments relative to lateral recruitment of stored sediment. A revised right-skewed conceptual model of large sediment and bed waves is presented that fits modern observations and incorporates stochastic elements of flood events. Large sediment waves may be linked to legacy sediment; that is large repositories of anthropogenic alluvium stored on valley bottom floodplains, wetlands, mill ponds, and reservoirs. This illustrates the ubiquity and importance of secular sediment waves to river management.
Mice Lacking the Basolateral Na-K-2Cl Cotransporter Have Impaired Epithelial Chloride Secretion and Are Profoundly Deaf

In chloride-secretory epithelia, the basolateral Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (NKCC1) is thought to play a major role in transepithelial Cl(-) and fluid transport. Similarly, in marginal cells of the inner ear, NKCC1 has been proposed as a component of the entry pathway for K(+) that is secreted into the endolymph, thus playing a critical role in hearing. To test these hypotheses, we generated and analyzed an NKCC1-deficient mouse. Homozygous mutant (Nkcc1(-/-)) mice exhibited growth retardation, a 28% incidence of death around the time of weaning, and mild difficulties in maintaining their balance. Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly reduced in both heterozygous and homozygous mutants, indicating an important function for NKCC1 in the maintenance of blood pressure. cAMP-induced short circuit currents, which are dependent on the CFTR Cl(-) channel, were reduced in jejunum, cecum, and trachea of Nkcc1(-/-) mice, indicating that NKCC1 contributes to cAMP-induced Cl(-) secretion. In contrast, secretion of gastric acid in adult Nkcc1(-/-) stomachs and enterotoxin-stimulated fluid secretion in the intestine of suckling Nkcc1(-/-) mice were normal. Finally, homozygous mutants were deaf, and histological analysis of the inner ear revealed a collapse of the membranous labyrinth, consistent with a critical role for NKCC1 in transepithelial K(+) movements involved in generation of the K(+)-rich endolymph and the endocochlear potential.
Macrophages modulate adult zebrafish tail fin regeneration

Neutrophils and macrophages, as key mediators of inflammation, have defined functionally important roles in mammalian tissue repair. Although recent evidence suggests that similar cells exist in zebrafish and also migrate to sites of injury in larvae, whether these cells are functionally important for wound healing or regeneration in adult zebrafish is unknown. To begin to address these questions, we first tracked neutrophils (lyzC+, mpo+) and macrophages (mpeg1+) in adult zebrafish following amputation of the tail fin, and detailed a migratory timecourse that revealed conserved elements of the inflammatory cell response with mammals. Next, we used transgenic zebrafish in which we could selectively ablate macrophages, which allowed us to investigate whether macrophages were required for tail fin regeneration. We identified stage-dependent functional roles of macrophages in mediating fin tissue outgrowth and bony ray patterning, in part through modulating levels of blastema proliferation. Moreover, we also sought to detail molecular regulators of inflammation in adult zebrafish and identified Wnt/β-catenin as a signaling pathway that regulates the injury microenvironment, inflammatory cell migration and macrophage phenotype. These results provide a cellular and molecular link between components of the inflammation response and regeneration in adult zebrafish.
Transitioning to Electronic Publishing

The following article discusses issues associated with transitioning to publishing regulatory submissions electronically. Main points include background on deciding to implement an electronic publishing system, criteria for system selection, resultant installation/implementation, and reflection on key consideration points that aid in creating a successful program.
Skin and soft tissue infections in the athlete

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are a very common problems in athletes. Whether caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, many of these skin infections may be contagious, lead to team outbreaks, and have an impact on the athlete’s eligibility to compete. Although the skin functions as a protective barrier, frequent skin trauma along with the athlete’s contact with equipment and other players predisposes them to the development of skin infections. While most of these skin conditions are relatively easy to treat, more recently the emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a recurrent and potentially serious problem among athletes. This review focuses on the recognition, management, and return to play guidelines for the skin infections that most commonly afflict athletes. Cutaneous Bacterial Infections Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Historically, clinicians could be confident that a healthy patient presenting with a skin or soft tissue infection was likely infected with either methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) or Streptococcus pyogenes (beta-hemolytic Group A streptococcus). Unfortunately, that is no longer the case and community-associated MRSA must now be considered a potential pathogen. MRSA, once considered a health care associated organism, has evolved into an important cause of community-associated SSTIs, currently accounting for more than half of all SSTI-related S. aureus infections in the outpatient setting. 1-3 While many patients with community-associated MRSA have no risk factors, the established risk factors include poor hygiene, overcrowded living conditions, skin-skin contact between individuals, sharing contaminated personal items, and trauma, all of which play a large role in disseminating the organism. 3,4 Outbreaks have occurred in athletes engaged in contact sports, including wrestlers, football players, rugby players, and fencers. 5-7 Specifically, among competitive sports, the following risk factors have
EVOLUTION AND BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY OF HETERONOMOUS APHELINID PARASITOIDS

▪ Abstract In almost all species of parasitic wasps in the Coccophaginae, a subfamily of Aphelinidae, males have host relationships different from females. In these “heteronomous” species, females are generally endoparasitoids of sternorrhynchous Hemiptera, such as scale insects, mealybugs, and whiteflies. In contrast, males may be hyperparasitoids, developing in or on conspecific females or other primary parasitoids. In other species, females are endoparasitoids of whiteflies, and males are primary endoparasitoids of eggs of Lepidoptera. Males and females may both be primary parasitoids on the same species of scale insect hosts, but females develop as endoparasitoids, whereas males are ectoparasitoids. Here we review these life histories, focusing on examples of sexually dimorphic host relationships, development, and morphology. Coccophagine species may be sexual or parthenogenetic; we discuss reproductive modes and the interaction of sex ratio distorters with sex-specific host relationships. Sex allocat...
Different disease-causing mutations in transthyretin trigger the same conformational conversion

Transthyretin (TTR)-containing amyloid fibrils are deposited in cardiac tissue as a natural consequence of aging. A large number of inherited mutations lead to amyloid diseases by accelerating TTR deposition in other organs. Amyloid formation is preceded by a disruption of the quaternary structure of TTR and conformational changes in the monomer. To study conformational changes preceding the formation of amyloid, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the wild-type monomer, amyloidogenic variants (V30M, L55P, V122I) and a protective variant (T119M) at neutral and low pH. At low pH, the D strand dissociated from the beta-sheet to expose the A strand, consistent with experimental studies. In amyloidogenic variants and in the wild-type at low pH, there was a conformational change in the beta-sheets into alpha-sheet via peptide bond flips that was not observed at neutral pH in the wild-type monomer. The same residues participated in conversion in each amyloidogenic variant simulation, originating in the G strand between residues 106 and 109, with accelerated conversion at low pH. The T119M protective variant changed the local conformation of the H strand and suppressed the conversion observed in amyloidogenic variants.
A time-domain solution approach to model reduction

Theoretical limitations for model reduction systems described by ordinary differential equations are investigated through use of the system solution rather than the system state equations. The general case is discussed first and the specialized to linear time-varying systems and finally to linear time-invariant systems. The distance between the original and reduced systems is measured by an error norm corresponding to energy. The reduction method is based on partition of the state space into two orthogonal subspaces. It is an effective procedure which works for both stable and unstable systems but requires knowledge of the system solution in order to be applied. In general the reduced-order model cannot be separated from the initial conditions, but this is possible for linear systems. If there is a driving function acting on the system, it will affect the reduced-order model in an essential way, and its order then cannot in general be reduced. >
SURVIVAL, HABITAT USE, AND MOVEMENTS OF FLEDGLING WHITE-THROATED ROBINS (TURDUS ASSIMILIS) IN A COSTA RICAN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Abstract We used radiotelemetry to study behavior of White-throated Robins (Turdus assimilis) during the postfledging dependent period. The study was conducted in a mixed agricultural and forested landscape in southern Costa Rica from March through August of 2001 and 2002. A transmitter was attached to one fledgling per brood (n = 53). Each bird was located daily prior to dispersal. We compared survivorship, habitat use, and movements of fledglings from (1) nests in coffee plantations and (2) nests in cattle pastures. The probability of surviving the first three weeks out of the nest was 0.67 ± 0.07 (SE) for fledglings from nests in all habitats, 0.58 ± 0.10 for fledglings from nests in coffee, and 0.74 ± 0.26 for fledglings from nests in pasture. Fledglings from nests in pasture left their nesting habitat at younger ages than did those from nests in coffee, and most birds from both habitats moved into forest when they left their nesting habitat. Pasture was rarely used during the postfledging period, whe...
Stage-Specific Prognostic Effect of Race in Patients with Resectable Gastric Adenocarcinoma: An 8-Institution Study of the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative

Background Gastric cancer constitutes a major public health problem. This study sought to evaluate the relevance of race in gastric cancer and its prognostic effect in the overall outcomes of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Study Design Patients who underwent curative intent resection of gastric adenocarcinoma in 8 institutions of the US Gastric Cancer Collaborative were included, from 2000 to 2012. Nonparametric descriptive statistics were used to evaluate characteristics of standard demographic data. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify factors associated with recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Results There were 1,077 patients included in the study, the majority of whom were of Caucasian race (n = 698, 68%), followed by African-American (n = 164, 15%), Asian (n = 132, 12%), Hispanic (n = 34, 3.2%), and other (n = 49, 4.5%). Clinicopathologic data were similarly distributed among the 5 groups. Mean follow-up was 27.1 months. By multivariate, stage-specific analysis, Asian race was a significant predictor of recurrence (all stages hazard ratio [HR] 0.45 95% CI [0.23, 0.97], p = 0.041) and of overall survival (all stages HR 0.35 95% CI [0.18, 0.68], p = 0.002). Recurrence-free survival was significantly increased in the Asian population compared with the non-Asian population (25th percentile: 38.6 vs 17.7 months, p = 0.0096), as was overall median survival (141 vs 38.8 months, p Conclusions Patients of Asian race undergoing curative gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma appear to have a better prognosis stage for stage. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying etiology of this phenomenon.