cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating 16S Gene Copy Number Information Improves Estimates of Microbial Diversity and Abundance

The abundance of different SSU rRNA ("16S") gene sequences in environmental samples is widely used in studies of microbial ecology as a measure of microbial community structure and diversity. However, the genomic copy number of the 16S gene varies greatly - from one in many species to up to 15 in some bacteria and to hundreds in some microbial eukaryotes. As a result of this variation the relative abundance of 16S genes in environmental samples can be attributed both to variation in the relative abundance of different organisms, and to variation in genomic 16S copy number among those organisms. Despite this fact, many studies assume that the abundance of 16S gene sequences is a surrogate measure of the relative abundance of the organisms containing those sequences. Here we present a method that uses data on sequences and genomic copy number of 16S genes along with phylogenetic placement and ancestral state estimation to estimate organismal abundances from environmental DNA sequence data. We use theory and simulations to demonstrate that 16S genomic copy number can be accurately estimated from the short reads typically obtained from high-throughput environmental sequencing of the 16S gene, and that organismal abundances in microbial communities are more strongly correlated with estimated abundances obtained from our method than with gene abundances. We re-analyze several published empirical data sets and demonstrate that the use of gene abundance versus estimated organismal abundance can lead to different inferences about community diversity and structure and the identity of the dominant taxa in microbial communities. Our approach will allow microbial ecologists to make more accurate inferences about microbial diversity and abundance based on 16S sequence data.
AIR FLOW DURING THE PRODUCTION OF SELECTED CONSONANTS.

The rate of air flow during the production of selected consonant sounds in both CV and VC syllables was studied. It was found that in the case of both CV and VC utterances the absence of voicing fo...
A Commentary on Neuronal Degeneration and Cell Death in Guam ALS and PD: An Evolutionary Process of Understanding

The Twentieth Century witnessed tremendous advances in our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. Not least among them were the contributions from hyperendemic foci of neurodegenerative disorders in isolated human groups worldwide, with the knowledge gained applicable to our understanding of related neurodegenerative diseases globally.
Yeast Geranylgeranyltransferase Type-II: Steady State Kinetic Studies of the Recombinant Enzyme†

Rab proteins in mammalian cells, or Ypt1p and Sec4p in yeast, regulate vesicular traffic. Prenylation of these small GTP-binding proteins is required for membrane attachment and subsequent biological activity. Yeast protein geranylgeranyltransferase type-II (PGGTase-II) catalyzes the prenylation of Ypt1p in the presence of an escort protein, Msi4p. The genes encoding the alpha-(BET4) and beta-(BET2) subunits of PGGTase-II were translationally coupled by overlapping the BET4-BET2 stop/start codons and by adding a ribosome-binding site near the 3'-end of BET4 that fused an -EEF C-terminal alpha-tubulin epitope to Bet4p. Active recombinant heterodimer was purified by chromatography on DE52 and anti-alpha-tubulin columns. Recombinant Msi4p with an N-terminal polyhistidine leader was purified on a Ni(2+)-Sepharose column, followed by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. An escort protein, Msi4p, was necessary for geranylgeranylation of Ypt1p by yeast PGGTase-II. Michaelis constants for GGPP and Ypt1p were 1.6 and 1.1 microM, respectively; Vmax = 1.7 nmol min-1 mg-1 for yeast PGGTase-II. Typical Michaelis-Menten behavior was also seen for the enzyme for varied concentrations of Msi4p, with a maximal catalytic activity seen for a 10-fold excess of escort protein over enzyme. In contrast to previous reports, PGGTase-II requires both Zn2+ and Mg2+ for maximal activity, although Zn2+ becomes inhibitory at concentrations above approximately 10 microM. Prenylated Ypt1p obtained after incubation of Ypt1p with PGGTase-II, Msi4p, and geranylgeranyl diphosphate was digested with trypsin. The C-terminal peptide fragment from modified Ypt1p was purified by HPLC and analyzed by electrospray mass spectrometry. The mass of the fragment is consistent with the 12-mer C-terminal amino acid fragment predicted from proteolysis by trypsin with both cysteine residues modified by geranylgeranyl moieties.
Wisdom in Jung's Answer To Job

Contemporary biblical scholarship in its understanding of the nature of lament, and the role and function of wisdom, provides a fresh context in which to view C. G. Jung's psychological commentary on the Book of Job. A brief review of the psychological model Jung used in his commentary on the Book of Job, and the practical implications of this model, is followed by a discussion of Jung's use of "lamentation" and his elaboration of the role of wisdom-an elaboration that expresses concerns similar to those contained in much of today's biblical scholarship.
SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS OF BENZOPHENONES AS INHIBITORS OF CATHEPSIN D

Abstract Non peptide inhibitors of cathepsin D, an aspartyl protease that has been implicated in many disease states including Alzheimer's disease, were prepared and evaluated. The most potent inhibitor of cathepsin D in this series was found to be (Z)-5-[[4-(4-benzoyl-3-hydroxy-2-propylphenoxy) methylphenyl]methylene]-2-thioxo-4-thiazolidinone (3f, IC50 = 210 nM).
Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi Variants in Long-Term Carriers

ABSTRACT Long-term typhoid carriers can simultaneously excrete Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi variants with considerable genetic differences, a situation that complicates the interpretation of the subtyping data used in outbreak investigations and disease surveillance.
Advances in petrochemical technology assessment

Research demonstrated the potential usefulness of a model of the petrochemical industry for long-range planning. These fundamental concepts were converted into a working tool for technology assessment. The model industry is aggregated according to process technology and these aggregate processes are linked together by the potential flow of chemicals from primary feedstocks through to final petrochemical products. Estimates are made of the materials consumption and production, energy requirements and capital investment for each of the processes in the model. Given projections of primary feedstock supplies, the demands for final products and the costs of chemicals and energy, the most economically efficient model industry is determined as a basis for long-range planning. This paper summarizes the use to which these simple concepts have been put in industrial technology assessment. 26 tables.
Comparative cognition and neuroscience: Misconceptions about brain evolution

: This paper discusses five common misconceptions about the evolution of the brain. These misconceptions are: (1) brains evolved in a unilinear, serial process; (2) brain size increased linearly from simple to complex animals; (3) all the systems in the brain in different animals evolved at the same rate; (4) the “new” part of the brain became larger through evolution; and (5) the “same” brain structures in different animals attained the “same” functions. These misunderstandings must be corrected in order for comparative brain research to be a useful approach to understand the cognitive functions of different animals. This paper also discusses the growing interest in the integration of animal cognition studies and comparative brain research in the United States of America. In particular, two recent scientific meetings are presented as examples of the type of collaborations for exploring interdisciplinary brain research for comparative cognition.
Modular assembly of primary metabolic building blocks: a chemical language in C. elegans

The metabolome of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, like that of other model organisms, remained largely uncharacterized until recent studies demonstrated the importance of small molecule-based signaling cascades for many aspects of nematode biology. These studies revealed that nematodes are amazingly skilled chemists: using simple building blocks from primary metabolism and a strategy of modular assembly, nematodes create complex molecular architectures that serve as signaling molecules. These nematode-derived modular metabolites (NDMMs) are based on the dideoxysugars ascarylose and paratose, which serve as scaffolds for the attachment of moieties from lipid, amino acid, neurotransmitter, and nucleoside metabolism. Although preliminary biosynthetic studies have confirmed the primary metabolism origin of some of the building blocks incorporated into NDMMs, the mechanisms that underlie their highly specific assembly are not understood. I argue that identification of new variants of primary metabolism-derived structures that serve important signaling functions in C. elegans and other nematodes provides a strong incentive for a comprehensive reanalysis of metabolism in higher animals, including humans.
The effect of an upstream hull on a propeller in reverse rotation

Propeller crashback is an off-design operating condition where a propeller rotates in the reverse direction. Experiments (Bridges 2004, Tech Rep. MSSU-ASE-04-1, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Mississippi State University) have shown that the presence of an upstream hull significantly increases the side force on a propeller in crashback below an advance ratio of . Large-eddy simulation (LES) is performed for a propeller with and without a hull at two advance ratios, and . LES reproduces the experimentally observed behaviour and shows good quantitative agreement. Time-averaged flow fields are investigated for a qualitative understanding of the complex flow resulting from the interaction of the upstream hull with the propeller blades. At , two noticeable flow features are found for the case with the hull – a recirculation zone upstream in the vicinity of the propeller and a vortex ring much closer to the propeller. In contrast, at , there is a much smaller recirculation zone which is further upstream due to the increased reverse flow. As a result, the hull does not make much difference in the immediate vicinity of the propeller at . For both advance ratios, side force is mainly generated from the leading-edge separation on the suction side. However, high levels of side force are also generated from trailing-edge separation on the suction side at .
A methodology for profiling consumers' decision-making styles

Consumers use a variety of decision-making styles. This paper conceptualizes eight basic characteristics of these styles and develops a Consumer Styles Inventory to measure them empirically. Factor analysis of the Consumer Styles Inventory validates these eight consumer characteristics. A valid and reliable method for presenting a Profile of Consumer Style, based on measures of the eight style characteristics, is described. Unique findings of the research are discussed, and applications of the Consumer Styles Inventory in consumer education, consumer research, and family financial counseling are suggested.
The asymptotic solution of gradient elasticity for mode III

We obtain a simple closed form solution for gradient elasticity involving a mode III crack of semi infinite length, with tractionless surfaces in an infinite plate. This solution is the gradient elastic equivalent of the small scale yielding solution of linear elasticity, e.e. the asymptotic solution
MicroRNA control of bone formation and homeostasis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) repress cellular protein levels to provide a sophisticated parameter of gene regulation that coordinates a broad spectrum of biological processes. Bone organogenesis is a complex process involving the differentiation and crosstalk of multiple cell types for formation and remodeling of the skeleton. Inhibition of mRNA translation by miRNAs has emerged as an important regulator of developmental osteogenic signaling pathways, osteoblast growth and differentiation, osteoclast-mediated bone resorption activity and bone homeostasis in the adult skeleton. miRNAs control multiple layers of gene regulation for bone development and postnatal functions, from the initial response of stem/progenitor cells to the structural and metabolic activity of the mature tissue. This Review brings into focus an emerging concept of bone-regulating miRNAs, the evidence for which has been gathered largely from in vivo mouse models and in vitro studies in human and mouse skeletal cell populations. Characterization of miRNAs that operate through tissue-specific transcription factors in osteoblast and osteoclast lineage cells, as well as intricate feedforward and reverse loops, has provided novel insights into the supervision of signaling pathways and regulatory networks controlling normal bone formation and turnover. The current knowledge of miRNAs characteristic of human pathologic disorders of the skeleton is presented with a future goal towards translational studies.
Trichomonas vaginalis: characterization of a family of P-type ATPase genes.

Abstract P-type ATPases are ion-transporting pumps that enable organisms to control cellular functions and survive changing environmental conditions by regulating internal ion concentrations. Eight P-type ATPases were identified in the amitochondriate protist Trichomonas vaginalis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with oligonucleotide primers that recognize conserved motifs present in all P-type ATPases, the ATP phosphorylation site (DKTGTLT) and the ATP binding site (TGDGVND). Phylogenetic analysis and the presence of conserved motifs in predicted peptide sequences identify the Trichomonas ATPases as a sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (TVCA1); three additional Ca2+ transporting pumps (TVCA2-4), three phospholipid translocases (TVAPLT1-3), and one P-type ATPase of unknown transport specificity (TVPATP8). Southern blot analyses indicate that the P-type ATPase genes are not linked and are present in single copy, except TVCA2 and TVCA4 which contain additional copies or closely related homologues within the genome. Transcripts of 3.1 kb for TVCA1, 3.0 kb for TVCA2, 2.9 kb for TVCA3, 4.0 kb for TVAPLT1, 4.2 kb for TVAPLT2, 3.9 kb for TVAPLT3, and 3.1 kb for TVPATP8 were detected by Northern blot analysis. No TVCA4 transcript was observed, however, RT-PCR amplification of a transcript product indicates that TVCA4 is expressed. RNA expression of the Trichomonas ATPases, except TVCA3, was constitutive over a range of environmental conditions. TVCA1, TVAPLT3 and TVPATP8 had the highest levels of RNA expression while TVAPLT1 and TVAPLT2 expression was the lowest.
Dynamic All-Red Extension at a Signalized Intersection: A Framework of Probabilistic Modeling and Performance Evaluation

Dynamic all-red extension (DARE) has recently attracted research interest as a nontraditional intersection collision-avoidance method, for which the prediction of red-light running (RLR) and its related hazardous situations is a crucial part. We propose a probabilistic framework to model and predict RLR hazards for DARE. The RLR hazard, which is quantified by a predictive encroachment time, has contributory factors, including the speed, distance, and car-following status of the violator and the empirical distribution of the entry time of conflict traffic. An offline data analysis procedure is developed to set the parameters for RLR hazard prediction. Online-wise, a 2-D normal model is developed to predict the vehicle's stop-go maneuver based on speeds at advanced detectors and the car-following status. Additionally, unlike most prediction models that are designed to minimize mean errors, our model identifies two types of errors, namely, the false alarm and a missed report. The capability of distinguishing these two types of errors is crucial to the effectiveness of dynamic operations. To quantify the tradeoff between these two types of errors in DARE, a system operating characteristic (SOC) function is then defined. Effectiveness of the proposed model and its prediction algorithm is demonstrated using data collected from a field intersection. At a false-alarm rate of less than 5% (or equivalently about one false trigger per 8 h), the algorithm reached a correct detection rate of over 70% to more than 80%. Performance evaluation results showed that the proposed DARE framework can effectively predict the RLR hazards.
Interaction between insulin receptors and glucose transport: effect of prostaglandin E2.

Abstract The effect of prostaglandin E 2 on the adipocyte glucose transport system was measured. Prostaglandin E 2 enhanced insulin's effects to accelerate adipocyte glucose transport without increasing insulin binding. However, prostaglandin E 2 did not increase transport in the absence of insulin, and is thus not an insulin-like agent. This augmenting effect appeared specific for the insulin stimulatory process since prostaglandin E 2 did not enhance the ability of “insulin-like” agents to increase glucose transport. These results suggest that prostaglandin E 2 may play a role in the interaction between insulin receptors and the glucose transport system.
Nanoparticle targeting to diseased vasculature for imaging and therapy.

Abstract Significant challenges remain in targeting drugs to diseased vasculature; most important being rapid blood flow with high shear, limited availability of stable targets, and heterogeneity and recycling of cellular markers. We developed nanoparticles (NPs) to target degraded elastic lamina, a consistent pathological feature in vascular diseases. In-vitro organ and cell culture experiments demonstrated that these NPs were not taken up by cells, but instead retained within the extracellular space; NP binding was proportional to the extent of elastic lamina damage. With three well-established rodent models of vascular diseases such as aortic aneurysm (calcium chloride mediated aortic injury in rats), atherosclerosis (fat-fed apoE-/- mice), and vascular calcification (warfarin + vitamin K injections in rats), we show precise NPs spatial targeting to degraded vascular elastic lamina while sparing healthy vasculature when NPs were delivered systemically. Nanoparticle targeting degraded elastic lamina is attractive to deliver therapeutic or imaging agents to the diseased vasculature. From the Clinical Editor This novel work focuses on nanoparticle targeting of degraded elastic lamina in a variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis, vascular calcification, and aneurysm formation, and demonstrates the feasibility to deliver therapeutic or imaging agents to the diseased vasculature.
Influence of knot configuration and tying technique on the mechanical performance of sutures

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of knot configuration and tying technique on the mechanical performance of surgical sutures. Multifilament and monofflament nylon sutures were selected for this evaluation because they are commonly used in wound closure. The mechanical performance of these sutures was judged by the following parameters: knot breakage force, configuration of secure knots, and knot run down force. During each test, tension was applied at either rapid or slow rates, which correlates with the physician's speed of tying knots. On the basis of these mechanical performance tests, four throw square (1=1=1=1) knots and five throw square (1=1=1=1=1) knots are recommended for monofilament nylon and multifilament nylon sutures, respectively, in which the speed of application of forces to the knots is relatively slow. Because these tests can easily be replicated in any laboratory, manufacturers now have a scientific basis for recommending specific tying techniques for their surgical sutures.
Attention deficits and hyperactivity.

The precise nature of the relationship among attention deficit, hyperkinesis, and specific learning disabilities remains a mystery. They are encountered in one another’s company with far greater than chance frequency. It is clear, on the one hand, that attention deficit and learning disability aggravate one another; that is, that what is difficult to learn is difficult to attend to, and vice versa. Furthermore, in children at least, attending ability and activity level have a reciprocal relationship; that is, improvement of attention tends to reduce activity level, and vice versa. On the other hand, each of these disorders is seen in isolation with sufficient frequency to assure us that none of the three is simply a by-product of one or both of the other two.
An SV40 deletion mutant accumulates late transcripts in a paranuclear extract.

Abstract We have constructed a deletion in the SV40 late region which has lost the sequences between nucleotides 226 and 656. This deletion has lost most of utilized 5′ ends, leaders, all of the intervening sequence and body acceptor site for late 19 S mRNA. We show that the transcripts made by this deletion are concentrated in a paranuclear extract relative to other subcellular fractions. Furthermore, the late transcripts of the helper virus used to grow this mutant are also concentrated in the paranuclear extract. This observation leads us to speculate that these mutant transcripts may poison the RNA transport process.
Validation of a Computational Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Model

Computational models of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) of various degrees of complexities have been reported in the recent years and are capable of simulating detail transport phenomena within the PEFCs where experimental methods cannot. A thorough model validation is necessary for the model results to be used in analysis and design. Water transport in PEFCs has a strong effect on the performance regardless of the operating conditions. In low humidity cases, especially, the amount of water exchange from anode to cathode has a strong role in governing the water content in the anode side of the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), consequently on the ionic conductivity of the anode side of the membrane and catalyst layer. In this work, we present results on validation of the previously developed CFD based PEFC model for low humidity conditions using current density and species distribution data along the flow direction provided in the open literature. An excellent current density profile was obtained and species profiles were found to capture the data trend well, especially for the first half of the flow distance. Our findings suggest that, an accurate water transport modeling is paramount in capturing the overall PEFC behavior.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Qualitative behavior of predator-prey communities.

Abstract We examine a set of n -species predator-prey models which incorporate functional responses of the predators to their prey and non-linear intraspecific interactions. We review the limitations of a linear analysis around equilibrium states and provide an extension of the Routh-Hurwitz criteria to the non-linear regime by using Birkhoff's normal forms of differential equations. Qualitative properties like the orbit structure around isolated singularities become clear in this method. It is possible to obtain the radius of the torus and the renormalized frequencies when the eigenvalues of the community matrix have small positive real parts, and to classify different topological structures near bifurcation values of a convenient set of control parameters. Examples of two, three, and four species are analyzed in the context of normal forms. We conclude with some suggestions concerning the coupling of a small subsystem to a large community, and the relations between the graphical method of isoclines and normal forms. This correspondence indicates a road to generalize the study of many-dimensional systems when the intuition provided by the graphical method fails.
The Hydrophobic Surfactant Proteins Induce Cubic-Phase Formation in a Hii Forming Phospholipid

The hydrophobic surfactant proteins, SP-B and SP-C, which represent ∼1.5% (w:w) of pulmonary surfactant, promote the rapid adsorption of the surfactant phospholipids into the alveolar air/water interface. Available evidence suggests that they facilitate adsorption by stabilizing a tightly curved rate-limiting structure that bridges the gap between the adsorbing vesicle and the nascent interfacial film. To determine if the surfactant proteins can affect the curvature of phospholipid leaflets, we used small-angle X-ray diffraction to determine how the physiological mixture of SP-B and SP-C affected the structure of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine, which forms the inverted hexagonal (Hii) phase at high temperatures. Measurements from 5-95°C at 5-10°C intervals on the phospholipid alone were consistent with previously-described transitions between two lamellar phases at 24°C, with formation of the Hii phase at ∼72°C. Addition of 0.1-2.0% (w:w) protein had no effect on the lamellar phases, but induced formation of two cubic phases, Pm3n and Im3m, beginning at temperatures as low as 50°C. The intensity of cubic relative to lamellar peaks increased with larger amounts of the proteins and temperature. At 55°C, for instance, progressive increases in protein shifted the samples from strictly lamellar structures to lamellar-cubic coexistence to strictly cubic phases. Similarly, in samples with 0.1% protein, increasing temperature shifted lamellar structures through a coexistence region (60-70°C) to exclusively cubic diffraction at higher temperatures. These results indicate that with a phospholipid that can form curved structures, the hydrophobic surfactant proteins can significantly alter its polymorphisms. These findings support the model in which the proteins achieve their kinetic effects by stabilizing a curved structure.Portions of this research were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, a national user facility operated by Stanford University on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Exosomes to the Rescue

Acute kidney injury, AKI, is relatively common in the hospital setting, and beyond the identification of the underlying cause and supportive measures, little can be done to facilitate healing of the compromised kidney. Administered bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), however, have
Evaluating the NASA small business innovation research program: preliminary evidence of a trade-off between commercialization and basic research

Abstract In 1982, the Small Business Innovation Development Act established the small business innovation research (SBIR) program. This program reserves a percentage of federal agencies’ extramural R&D budgets for research projects conducted by small businesses. When this Act was reauthorized in 1992, the selection criteria for funding dramatically increased the likelihood of funding for projects that promised to lead to commercial success. Using data from a survey of the SBIR program award recipients at NASA Langley Research Center, we address three questions about this change: (i) was there a shift to projects with more commercial potential? (ii) did these projects experience higher rates of commercial success? and (iii) was there a reduction in basic research accompanying the increased commercial success? Our analysis suggests, the answer to all three of these questions is ‘yes’.
Web data management

Web Data Management (or WDM) refers to a body of work concerned with leveraging the large collections of structured data that can be extracted from the Web. Over the past few years, several research and commercial efforts have explored these collections of data with the goal of improving Web search and developing mechanisms for surfacing different kinds of search answers. This work has leveraged (1) collections of structured data such as HTML tables, lists and forms, (2) recent ontologies and knowledge bases created by crowd-sourcing, such as Wikipedia and its derivatives, DBPedia, YAGO and Freebase, and (3) the collection of text documents from the Web, from which facts could be extracted in a domain-independent fashion. The promise of this line of work is based on the observation that new kinds of results can be obtained by leveraging a huge collection of independently created fragments of data, and typically in ways that are wholly unrelated to the authors' original intent. For example, we might use many database schemas to compute a schema thesaurus. Or we might examine many spreadsheets of scientific data that reveal the aggregate practice of an entire scientific field. As such, WDM is tightly linked to Web-enabled collaboration, even (or especially) if the collaborators are unwitting ones. We will cover the key techniques, principles and insights obtained so far in the area of Web Data Management.
Swarm Synthesis of Convergence for Symmetric Protocols

This paper presents a novel non-deterministic method for algorithmic addition of convergence to non-stabilizing symmetric protocols. The proposed method exploits randomization and parallelization in order to expand the scope of the search for self-stabilizing versions of non-stabilizing protocols. Such a non-deterministic method enables an embarrassingly parallel framework that exploits the computational resources of computer clusters for automated design of self-stabilizing protocols. We have implemented our approach in a software tool and have synthesized several new self-stabilizing solutions for well-known protocols in the literature (e.g., maximal matching, graph coloring and leader election on a ring). Our case studies demonstrate that the proposed method is able to automatically generate self-stabilizing versions of non-stabilizing protocols in cases where existing automated methods fail. As a result, the proposed approach increases the likelihood of success in synthesizing the self-stabilizing versions of non-stabilizing protocols.
Crisis in the Drylands

The article discusses the source of political and social turmoil in dryland countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan. The author suggests that the reason conflict exists in these regions does not stem from religious fanaticism but from environmental and economic challenges. He explains that many conflicts would ease over time if the regions were given access to clean, affordable water.
The Surgical Management of Thyroid-related Upper Eyelid Retraction

Abstract Excision of Muller's muscle can usually correct thyroidrelated upper eyelid retraction. A transcutaneous approach to Muller's muscle was used in 22 eyelids. The findings at surgery included diffuse eyelid scarring, disinsertion of the levator aponeurosis, fat herniation, and changes resembling dermatochalasis. Identification and correction of these factors, complemented anterior resection of Muller's muscle and influenced final eyelid position and cosmesis.
The role of context in facilitating syntactic decoding in aphasia

Abstract This study assessed the ability of aphasic listeners to use linguistic context to facilitate the comprehension of complex syntactic structures. Fourteen aphasic subjects were presented with reversible active and reversible passive sentences in each of three conditions: 1) isolation; 2) a semantically neutral prior-sentence context; and 3) a semantically supportive prior-sentence context. Following presentation of the contextual and target sentences the subjects were asked a question that assessed their appreciation of the subject/object relationship in the target sentence. A forced-choice-response paradigm was employed. The results indicated that those subjects who had the most difficulty comprehending reversible passive sentences in isolation were able to benefit from the supportive contexts. The comprehension of active sentences was not facilitated by the contexts. These results were interpreted with respect to the comprehension strategies used by aphasic listeners to integrate information from different sources.
Genogroup I and II Noroviruses Detected in Stool Samples by Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Using Highly Degenerate Universal Primers

Genogroup I noroviruses from five genetic clusters and genogroup II noroviruses from eight genetic clusters were detected in stool extracts using degenerate primers and single-tube, real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) with SYBR Green detection. Two degenerate primer sets, designated MON 431-433 and MON 432-434, were designed from consensus sequences from the major clusters of norovirus based on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region of the norovirus genome. Viruses were extracted from stool samples within 20 min using a viral RNA extraction kit. Real-time RT-PCR for noroviruses generated semiquantitative results by means of the cycle threshold data and dilution endpoint standard curves. Presumptive product verification was achieved by evaluation of first-derivative melt graphs. Multiple clusters of noroviruses were identified simultaneously in a multiplex fashion by virtue of slight differences in melting temperature. The detection of 13 different genetic clusters suggests that the MON primers may serve as universal primers for most, if not all, of the noroviruses in a multiplex assay. Our technique provides a framework for broad application of real-time RT-PCR in clinical, environmental, and food testing laboratories for a wide range of noroviruses.
Drinking behaviors: effects of lateral preoptic and lateal hypothalamic destruction.

Abstract The lateral preoptic (LPO) and/or lateral hypothalamic (LHA) areas of 139 male albino rats were bilaterally destroyed and drinking thresholds were measured following NaCl (NC) injection. Also measured were latencies to drink and water intakes following NC and polyethylene glycol (PG) injections and water deprivation (WD). Lesions confined to the LPO were associated with elevated drinking thresholds and eleongated latencies to drink following NC, PG, and WD. LPO plus some LHA destruction, in addition to the above, was associated with attenuated intake following NC and PG, but not WD. Minimal LHA damage affected all measures similar to that produced by lesions confined to the LPO, while greater LHA destruction affected the measure like the LPO plus some LHA lesions, with the additional deficit of attenuated WD intake. Gross LHA and simultaneous LPO-LHA lesions resulted in complete adipsia. The results are discussed in terms of the similar and dissimilar effects of LPO and LHA destruction.
Petriellidium (Allescheria) boydii mycetoma in an immunosuppressed host.

Mycetoma caused by Petriellidium (Allescheria) boydii was seen in a 28-year-old renal transplant recipient. This is the most common organism isolated from mycetomas in the United States and is an increasingly frequent cause of both localized and disseminated infections in debilitated or immunosuppressed patients.
The210Pb and137Cs profiles in sediment cores from Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario

210Pb,226Ra and137Cs profiles have been measured for sediment cores from three locations in Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, Canada. Compaction of the sediment with depth of burial is taken into account in calculating recent sedimentation rates and age profiles at these locations from the excess210Pb profiles. The rates are 1.803+0.592 cm·y−1 (0.254±0.083 g·cm−2·y−1), 0.101±0.017 cm·y−1 (0.036+0.006 g·cm−2·y−1), and 0.795±0.218 cm·y−1 (0.076±0.021 g·cm−2·y−1). The corresponding fluxes of excess210Pb to sediment/water interface are determined to be 1.652, 0.253, and 1.123 pCi·cm−2·y−1, respectively. The anomalies observed in the radionuclide concentration profiles are attributed to physical mixing. It is postulated that the significantly higher flux of210Pb observed at one of the locations is due to inputs from Trent River which joins the Bay near this location.
Chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer: New molecular perspectives

Abstract Objective: To provide the obstetrician-gynecologist with the recent advances in mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer. Data Sources: A computerized search of articles published through September 1997 was performed on the MEDLINE Ovid and Cancerlit databases. Additional references were identified from the reference section of all selected papers. Methods of Study Selection: All identified references were evaluated as to their relevant contribution to our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying the response to chemotherapy, the development of chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer, and possible strategies for therapy. Tabulation, Integration, and Results: One hundred sixteen references were reviewed. A brief summary of the classic concepts on resistance to cisplatin and paclitaxel is provided, followed by a description of the basic mechanisms governing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest as well as their involvement in cell response to chemotherapy and the development of chemoresistance. Finally, a brief summary of the molecular alterations described in ovarian cancer, together with hypothetic strategies for gene-targeted therapy, are reported. Conclusion: Cisplatin or paclitaxel chemotherapy induces arrest of the cell cycle or apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Tumor suppressor genes such as p53 play a paramount role in mediating this response and p21WAF1/CIP1 is a major mediator of p53-induced arrest of the cell cycle. Molecular alterations involving these tumor suppressor genes are related to the development of resistance to chemotherapy and represent possible targets for gene therapy in ovarian cancer.
Production and dechlorination of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in historically-contaminated estuarine sediments

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) are ubiquitous and considered to be unreactive to biotic and abiotic transformation processes. Here the authors demonstrate that sediment-associated 2,3,7,8-substituted dioxin residues in general, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD in particular, are in a state of flux, as they are produced from peri-dechlorination of octaCDD, and further laterally dechlorinated in 2-MCDD. This reaction can be stimulated in the presence of organic acids, 2-monobromodibenzo-p-dioxin (2-MBDD) and hydrogen, which result in the production of HpCDD, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, and 2-MCDD, respectively. The results indicate that dechlorination of 2,3,7,8-TCDD is not likely a rate-limiting step in the hydrogen-stimulated reaction, which presents a potential strategy to decontaminate dioxin-contaminated environments.
Work in progress: How differences in student motivation characterize differences between engineering disciplines

The limited impact of many engineering education reforms may be due in part to treating engineering as a single monolithic discipline. We are using student motivation to characterize differences in engineering majors in order to inform educational practices and differences in student learning. Here we report on differences in student attitudes towards their engineering majors, elucidated through the use of survey data collected from first year students and longitudinal data on their majors 2 years later. We provide a detailed picture of the complexity of the engineering population, which will help direct more in-depth qualitative research to examine possible correlations between student motivation and learning in different engineering majors.
The Thyroxine Content of Thyroactive Iodinated Proteins as Determined by a Radioactive Isotope Dilution Technique

Sumamry A procedure is described for the determination of thyroxine in thyroactive iodinated proteins by an isotope dilution technique employing radioactive thyroxine. It is shown that during hydrolysis in 40% barium hydroxide solution and subsequent isolation no significant exchange of iodine occurs between radioactive thyroxine and iodide. Analyses on seven different samples yielded an average true thyroxine value of 1.04 ± 0.049%. The average apparent thyroxine content (n-butanol soluble fraction) was 3.24 ± 0.429%. The “true” thyroxine thus comprised roughly one-third of the apparent thyroxine value.
Targeted Agents for Adjuvant Therapy of Colon Cancer

Among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed in the United States, 37.2% are diagnosed with stage III and 27.9% with stage II disease. In locoregionally advanced CRC, surgery is the primary treatment modality and has a curative intent. The survival depends on the pathologic stage and varies from 30%-60% for stage III to 60%-80% for stage II. However, as much as 40%-50% of patients will relapse and require additional treatment of the disease. Clinical failure after resection of CRC is predominantly secondary to the clinical progression of previously undetected distant metastatic disease. Until very recently, the absolute benefit for survival obtained with adjuvant therapy compared with control was about 6%. Introduction of oxaliplatin in the adjuvant setting has shown a reduction of 23% in the risk of relapse when compared with 5-fluorouracil alone (MOSAIC). Recent phase III studies have shown that targeted agents improved survival in patients with advanced-stage CRC. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor, is the first antiangiogenic drug to show improved efficacy when used in combination with irinotecan and oxaliplatin for first- and second-line treatment of CRC. Cetuximab, another monoclonal antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor, has shown efficacy in third-line therapy and promising results in first-line phase II studies. There is great interest in whether the biologic agents bevacizumab and cetuximab can improve survival in the adjuvant-therapy setting. This article reviews the adjuvant therapy for colon cancer and discusses the potential role and current trials involving the targeted agents.
Qualitative results for solutions of the steady fisher-KPP equation

In this letter, the homogeneous Dirichlet problem involving the N-dimensional Fisher-KPP equation, a reaction-diffusion model which arises in study of population genetics, is investigated for a class of nonlinear polynomial growth laws. Existence and uniqueness conditions for positive (i.e., physically realistic), steady-state solutions on finite domains, or habitats, are noted and stability questions are addressed. Of particular interest are habitats that can be modeled as open balls. For these cases, two relatively recent and powerful theorems from nonlinear analysis are employed to ascertain important qualitative information. Specifically, these solutions are shown to be strictly decreasing and radially symmetric, as well as achieving a stationary maximum at the habitat's center. In addition, the function spaces containing these solutions are determined. Last, the effects of the solution parameters are investigated numerically for the physically relevant cases of N = 2 and 3, the temporal evolution of a particular solution is illustrated, and connections to nuclear reactor science, as well as other fields, are noted.
MRI of multiple glomus tumors of the finger.

A case of multiple glomus tumors of the finger is presented, in which MRI was valuable in the diagnosis and preoperative tumor localization.
Making Movies Black: The Hollywood Message Movie from World War II to the Civil Rights Era

Cripps's Slow to Fade To Black: The Negro In American Film, 1900-1942, is considered the basic work on blacks' involvement in film, both in Hollywood and outside it. Making Movies Black continues the story up into the 1950s. It discusses the greater attention to black life in films of the early war years, including the all-black Cabin in The Sky, indicates the difficult time black leaders had with Hollywood studios in bringing pressure for better depictions of blacks on screen, describes the discovery of race-related subjects in such postwar films as Pinky and Intruder in the Dust, and depicts the rise of black stars like Sidney Poitier in Hollywood. As in Slow Fade to Black, these events are put into a broader social context.
Nitrate sorption and desorption in biochars from fast pyrolysis

Abstract Increasing the nitrate ( NO 3 - ) sorption capacity of Midwestern US soils has the potential to reduce nitrate leaching to ground water and reduce the extent of the hypoxia zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The objective of this study was to determine the sorption and desorption capacity of non-activated and chemically activated biochars from microwave pyrolysis using selected biomass feedstocks of corn stover (Zea mays L.), Ponderosa pine wood chips (Pinus ponderosa Lawson and C. Lawson), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). Surface characteristics such as surface area and net surface charge have shown significant effects on nitrate sorption and desorption in biochars. Freundlich isotherms performed well to fit the nitrate sorption data (R2 > 0.95) of biochars when compared to Langmuir isotherms. Nitrate sorption and desorption was significantly influenced by solution pH and presence of highly negative charged potential ions such as phosphate ( PO 4 3 - ) and sulfate ( SO 4 2 - ) in aqueous solution. Chemical activation with concentrated HCl had significant effect on surface characteristics of biochars and enhanced the nitrate sorption capacity. The first order model fit the nitrate desorption kinetics of biochars with a high coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.95) and low standard error (SE).
Stable, accelerating universes in modified-gravity theories

Modifications to gravity that add additional functions of the Ricci curvature to the Einstein-Hilbert action\char22{}collectively known as $f(R)$ theories\char22{}have been studied in great detail. When considered as complete theories of gravity they can generate nonperturbative deviations from the general relativistic predictions in the solar system, and the simplest models show instabilities on cosmological scales. Here, we show that it is possible to treat $f(R)=R\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{4}/R$ gravity in a perturbative fashion such that it shows no instabilities on cosmological scales and, in the solar system, is consistent with measurements of the parametrized post-Newtonian parameters. We show that such a theory produces a spatially flat, accelerating universe, even in the absence of dark energy and when the matter density is too small to close the Universe in the general relativistic case.
Low-temperature germanium ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition for back-end photonic device integration

Polycrystalline germanium (poly-Ge) grown on amorphous Si (a-Si) by ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHVCVD) over oxide barriers at low temperatures (T≤450° C) exhibits a larger grain size and lower defect density than the as-grown poly-Ge next to the oxide barriers. Poly-Ge as deposited at 450° C is p-type, but the introduction of PH 3 during Ge deposition gives n-type poly-Ge with n=2.1×1018 cm-3. The possible defect reduction and range of doping make poly-Ge a strong candidate for application to CMOS-compatible back-end photonic devices.
Throughput and delay optimization in interference-limited multihop networks

The performance of a multihop wireless network is typically affected by the interference caused by transmissions in the same network. In a statistical fading environment, the interference effects become harder to predict. Information sources in a multihop wireless network can improve throughput and delay performance of data streams by implementing interference-aware packet injection mechanisms. Forcing packets to wait at the head of queues and coordinating packet injections among different sources enable effective control of co-packet interference. In this paper, throughput and delay performance in interference-limited multi-hop networks is analyzed. Using non-linear probabilistic hopping models, waiting times which jointly optimize the performance are derived. Optimally coordinated injection strategies are also investigated as functions of the number of information sources and their separations. Obtained results provide guidelines for the placement of relay nodes in multihop wireless networks.