cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stopping Sight Distance and Horizontal Sight Line Offsets at Horizontal Curves

Criteria for the design of horizontal curves implicitly rely on design speed to produce safe and efficient designs, particularly for horizontal sight line offsets and stopping sight distances. Current design guidance provides a method for calculating minimum horizontal sight line offsets that is accurate and valid only when both driver and object are within the limits of the curve. Other methods are available to estimate minimum horizontal sight line offsets when the driver, object, or both are not within the curve limits. However, design guidance recommends using the calculated value for offsets as a conservative estimate near the ends of curves. In this study, speed prediction models and reliability theory were used to estimate the probability that drivers would not have enough sight distance to see, react to, and stop before reaching an object in the roadway if horizontal sight line offset criteria were applied when the driver or object was outside the limits of a horizontal curve. Six scenarios at the...
Geographic variation of Barbus radiatus Peters, a widely distributed African cyprinid fish

Barbus radiatus is a widely distributed, polytypic species with three recognized subspecies: radiatus Peters (1853), aurantiacus Boulenger (1910), and profundus Greenwood (1970). A phenetic analysis of relative similarity was conducted for specimens of B. radiatus from throughout its known range. The study focuses on several large population samples taken recently along the presumed central Zambian interface between the subspecies aurantiacus and radiatus. New data on meristic and morphometric variation in B. radiatus and recent rediscovery of typical radiatus in Lake Victoria demonstrate that profundus is a species distinct from radiatus. With respect to the remaining two subspecies, results indicate a populational mosaic of highly variable morphs rather than two discrete, allopatric morphs. Thus, aurantiacus is placed in synonymy of radiatus. It is hypothesized that the populational mosaic of morphology in radiatus reflects adaptive ecotypic responses to water temperature and current velocity. The characters which accounted for most of the geographic variation of radiatus were body depth, caudal peduncle length, longitudinal meristic counts, dorsal fin height, and orbit diameter.
Changes in glucose tolerance with metformin treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: a retrospective analysis.

Objective: To determine whether treatment with metformin would prevent progression to glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Methods: We conducted a ...
The Drosophila ninaG Oxidoreductase Acts in Visual Pigment Chromophore Production

The Drosophila ninaG mutant is characterized by low levels of Rh1 rhodopsin, because of the inability to transport this rhodopsin from the endoplasmic reticulum to the rhabdomere. ninaG mutants do not affect the biogenesis of the minor opsins Rh4 and Rh6. A genetic analysis placed the ninaG gene within the 86E4-86E6 chromosomal region. A sequence analysis of the 15 open reading frames within this region from the ninaGP330 mutant allele identified a stop codon in the CG6728 gene. Germ-line transformation of the CG6728 genomic region rescued the ninaG mutant phenotypes, confirming that CG6728 corresponds to the ninaG gene. The NinaG protein belongs to the glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase family of flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding enzymes catalyzing hydroxylation and oxidation of a variety of small organic molecules. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of retinoids was used to gain insight into the in vivo role of the NinaG oxidoreductase. The results show that when Rh1 is expressed as the major rhodopsin, ninaG flies fail to accumulate 3-hydroxyretinal. Further, in transgenic flies expressing Rh4 as the major rhodopsin, 3-hydroxyretinal is the major retinoid in ninaG+, but a different retinoid profile is observed in ninaGP330. These results indicate that the ninaG oxidoreductase acts in the biochemical pathway responsible for conversion of retinal to the rhodopsin chromophore, 3-hydroxyretinal.
Kidney in Galloway-Mowat syndrome: Clinical spectrum with description of pathology

Kidney in Galloway-Mowat syndrome: Clinical spectrum with description of pathology. The Galloway-Mowat syndrome, a rare inherited disorder, is characterized by congenital microcephaly with hypotonia and developmental delay, often hiatus hernia, and nephrotic syndrome manifested in infancy or in early childhood. The glomerular lesion has been poorly characterized in the few previous reports of this syndrome. We studied three siblings with microcephaly and nephrotic syndrome occurring during the first two weeks of life. Hematuria, glycosuria and renal failure were also present. Renal biopsy and postmortem specimens of two patients were studied. Glomerular structure was disorganized; capillary lumina were of varying calibers, capillary walls were adherent to one another, and mesangial zones were poorly demarcated. Glomerular basement membrane ultrastructure was markedly altered. The normal trilaminar structure was obscured or replaced by flocculent material; furthermore, 6 to 8nm fibrils of unknown nature permeated the space between endothelial and epithelial cells. Non-glomerular basement membranes were unaltered in appearance. This syndrome apparently represents, in part, a new disorder of glomerular basement membrane formation and function.
CARMIL Is a Potent Capping Protein Antagonist IDENTIFICATION OF A CONSERVED CARMIL DOMAIN THAT INHIBITS THE ACTIVITY OF CAPPING PROTEIN AND UNCAPS CAPPED ACTIN FILAMENTS

Acanthamoeba CARMIL was previously shown to co-purify with capping protein (CP) and to bind pure CP. Here we show that this interaction inhibits the barbed end-capping activity of CP. Even more strikingly, this interaction drives the uncapping of actin filaments previously capped with CP. These activities are CP-specific; CARMIL does not inhibit the capping activities of either gelsolin or CapG and does not uncap gelsolin-capped filaments. Although full-length (FL) CARMIL (residues 1-1121) possesses both anti-CP activities, C-terminal fragments like glutathione S-transferase (GST)-P (940-1121) that contain the CARMIL CP binding site are at least 10 times more active. We localized the full activities of GST-P to its C-terminal 51 residues (1071-1121). This sequence contains a stretch of 25 residues that is highly conserved in CARMIL proteins from protozoa, flies, worms, and vertebrates (CARMIL Homology domain 3; CAH3). Point mutations showed that the majority of the most highly conserved residues within CAH3 are critical for the anti-CP activity of GST-AP (862-1121). Finally, we found that GST-AP binds CP ∼20-fold more tightly than does FL-CARMIL. This observation together with the elevated activities of C-terminal fragments relative to FL-CARMIL suggests that FL-CARMIL might exist primarily in an autoinhibited state. Consistent with this idea, proteolytic cleavage of FL-CARMIL with thrombin generated an ∼14-kDa C-terminal fragment that expresses full anti-CP activities. We propose that, after some type of physiological activation event, FL-CARMIL could function in vivo as a potent CP antagonist. Given the pivotal role that CP plays in determining the global actin phenotype of cells, our results suggest that CARMIL may play an important role in the physiological regulation of actin assembly.
The Wall Structure of the Honey Bee Spermatheca with Comments about Its Function

The spermathecal wall of the queen honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is composed of a single layer of columnar epithelium lined internally with a thick mucinous cuticle and covered with an extensive tracheal network. Height of the epithelial cells increases with age. Mitoses are not found in the epithelial membrane. Respiratory connections between the external tracheae and the spermathecal lumen are not detected either by light microscopy or with the scanning electron microscope. The evidence suggests that the spermatheca is an isolating structure in which spermatozoa can be preserved for as long as the integrity of its wall is maintained.
Error Correcting Sparse Permutation Channel Codes for Digital Holographic Data Storage

We present a new class of modulation codes based on permutation coding which satisfy the channel coding constraint suitable for digital holographic data storage, and simultaneously have strong error correction capability at high code rates.
Optimal self-tuning fuzzy controller

Design of a fuzzy controller requires specification of both membership functions and decision rules. Specification of membership function for a fuzzy logic controller has been an important issue. The traditional way of selecting membership functions has been, in most cases, an ad hoc procedure. In this paper, an optimization algorithm based on simulated annealing for designing a fuzzy membership function for fuzzy controllers is introduced. An optimization algorithm for designing the membership functions and fuzzy rule base for a fuzzy controller is presented. To demonstrate the method, a fuzzy controller for the truck backup problem is designed and implemented using this procedure.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evolution of nuclear DNA and the occurrence of sequences related to new small chromosomal DNAs in the trypanosomatid genus Endotrypanum.

Abstract Comparisons of nuclear DNA restriction fragment patterns were used to examine the evolutionary relatedness among 17 strains previously identified as Endotrypanum , a trypanosomatid parasite of sloths. Fragments were obtained with 6 restriction enzymes and analyzed by Southern blotting with hybridization probes from three loci. An estimate of the percent nucleotide sequence divergence among strains, Δ, was calculated and used to construct molecular evolutionary trees. The 17 isolates fell into four distinct groups, one of which (group D) showed no more relationship to groups A–C than it did to other genera ( Leishmania, Crithidia, Leptomonas, Trypanosoma ), being too distant to be resolved with this method. These and other data suggest that group D may not actually be Endotrypanum . Molecular karyotype analysis revealed considerable variation among the chromosomes of these strains. One strain (LV88, group B) contained a linear 70-kb chromosome not evident in other isolates. Hybridization probes specific for this chromosome (LV88-70) were developed and revealed that related sequences were present at high levels in group B isolates and low levels in group A isolates, although a complex hybridization pattern was evident. Sequences related to LV88-70 were not present in groups C and D, nor in Leishmania major , showing that this DNA has a disjunct distribution which curiously parallels that of virus-like particles present in these isolates.
Phosphatidylserine/Cholesterol Bilayers Supported on a Polycation/Alkylthiol Layer Pair.

Abstract 1-Stearoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylserine (SOPS)/cholesterol bilayers, supported on a polycation/alkylthiol layer pair on a gold surface, were investigated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. The substrate was formed by electrostatic adsorbance of a hydrated poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) layer on the negatively charged surface of a self-assembled monolayer of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) on gold. Lipid membranes with different SOPS/cholesterol compositions were deposited on the PDDA/MUA layer pair by vesicle fusion. When the cholesterol content was below 20%, single bilayers were deposited. Fluorescence recovery after the bleaching experiments revealed that the SOPS/cholesterol bilayers were mobile at room temperature; lateral diffusion coefficients of a fluorescence probe were approximately 1×10 −9 cm 2 /s. The kinetics of the addition of the ion-channel-forming peptide gramicidin to the supported bilayers was detected by SPR.
Two groups of extremely large >30 MeV solar proton fluence events

Abstract The very large solar proton events, those having an omni-directional solar proton fluence greater than 10 9 cm −2 at energies >30 MeV, are the events that impose operational constraints on manned space missions and equipment. A systematic survey of these very large omni-directional fluence solar proton events shows an association with two solar source group locations. One group is the classical situation, where the spacecraft is well connected to the solar active region by the interplanetary magnetic field. The other and most often-occurring group is the interplanetary shock dominated event resulting from a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) shock near the location of the spacecraft-Sun line. This result is consistent with observations of solar particle data from Earth-orbiting spacecraft for the last 4 solar cycles and also with Earth-based observations of very large solar particle events for the last 7 solar cycles. We now have an ∼450-year record of these very large solar proton events from the analysis of the impulsive nitrate deposition events found in polar ice. The frequency distribution of these large events is consistent with the frequency distribution derived from the analysis of radionuclides found in moon rocks. These frequency distributions show that solar proton events with > 30 MeV omni-directional fluence exceeding 6 × 10 9 cm −2 are very rare.
A capillary polarimeter tube.

A technical description of a new capillary polarimeter tube and of several methods for securing cover glasses is given. The new tube has been used for precision measurements on sucrose, using a wire recorder to take data in a darkroom; for work with essential oils; and for a novel “optical titration”.
Proviral sequences detected by polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood cells of horses with equine infectious anemia lentivirus.

Proviral sequences in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 3 horses with acute equine infectious anemia virus were monitored using the polymerase chain reaction. Provirus was detected during the initial viremic episode in each horse and during each of 3 relapsing viremic cycles, although the appearance of provirus lagged behind the onset of viremia. Following each viremic episode, provirus levels in the peripheral monocytes decreased to less than 1 copy in 5×106 cells.
Ethanol tolerance and carbohydrate metabolism in lactobacilli

This paper describes the ethanol tolerance and metabolism of 31 strains ofLactobacillus on glucose, xylose, lactose, cellobiose and starch. The purpose of this work was to determine the suitability of the 31 strains as potential host for the ethanol producing genes, pyruvate decarboxylase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, fromZymomonas mobilis. The 31 strains were screened for their ability to grow in 0 to 8% v/v ethanol on all five carbohydrates. Those strains that were able to grow to an OD of 1.0 in 8% ethanol were evaluated at ethanol concentrations up to 16%. v/v. The fermentative products from the five carbohydrates were analyzed to determine the ratios of lactic acid, ethanol, and acetic acid.
Optically Powered Firing Set Using Miniature Photovoltaic Arrays.

A firing set capable of charging a 0.05 μF capacitor to 1.7 kV is constructed using a 2.5 mm diameter Series Connected Photovoltaic Array (SCPA) in lieu of a transformer as the method of high voltage generation. The source of illumination is a fiber coupled 3 W 808 nm laser diode. This paper discusses the performance and PSpice modeling of an SCPA used in a firing set application.
Wavelength-Dependent Photolysis of Glyoxal in the 290−420 nm Region

We have studied the gas-phase photolysis of glyoxal, (CHO)2, at 10 nm intervals in the 290−420 nm region by using dye laser photolysis coupled with cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Absorption cross sections of glyoxal have been measured. The HCO radical is its photodissociation product. The dependence of the HCO quantum yield on photodissociation wavelength, glyoxal pressure, and nitrogen buffer gas pressure has been determined. The HCO yields decrease with increasing glyoxal pressure in the 1−8 Torr range, owing to the increasing HCO radical reactions at higher glyoxal pressures and quenching by ground-state glyoxal. After separation of the contribution of HCO radical reactions, the aldehyde pressure quenching effect was still observed in the 320−420 nm region, and this effect increased with increasing wavelength. The HCO radical yields (all λ) and the ratios of quenching to unimolecular decay rate constants of excited glyoxal (λ ≥ 320 nm) are given. The peak HCO yield is 2.01 ± 0.08 (error quoted only inc...
Economic incentives to prevent aquatic invasive species in wetlands.

Wetlands are threatened by invasive species worldwide through vectors of aquaculture and aquarium activity. While maritime shipping has received most of the attention for invasive species control, shipping represents a mobile, transitory source of invasion, unlike aquaculture, and aquarium activities that occur in public wetlands. The public wetlands invasive species problem is modeled to compare incentives for one or all users of the public wetlands to reduce the threat of invasive species from aquaculture and aquarium trade activities. The incentives for individual versus coordinated behavior are examined, along with the conditions for all wetland users to select preemptive effort to reduce the invasive species threat. There is great potential for an environmental bond in the lease arrangements to foster preemptive effort to reduce invasive species in wetlands. Partout dans le monde, les zones humides sont menacees par des especes envahissantes introduites par l’aquaculture et l’aquariophilie. Bien que le controle des especes envahissantes ait surtout vise le transport maritime, il demeure que ce dernier constitue une source d’invasion mobile et transitoire contrairement aux activites d’aquaculture et d’aquariophilie qui se deroulent dans les zones humides situees sur des terres publiques. Nous avons elabore un modele qui represente le probleme des especes envahissantes dans les zones humides sur des terres publiques afin de comparer les stimulants individuels et les stimulants collectifs qui visent a reduire la menace que posent les especes envahissantes issues de l’aquaculture et de l’aquariophilie. Nous avons examine les stimulants qui favorisent un comportement individuel ou un comportement coordonne, de meme que les conditions qui motiveraient tous les utilisateurs de zones humides a choisir les efforts preventifs pour reduire la menace que posent les especes envahissantes. La possibilite d’inclure une obligation environnementale dans les contrats de location afin d’encourager les efforts preventifs pour reduire les especes envahissantes dans les zones humides est grande.
Tritium labelling of dopaminergic ligands domperidone and (+/-)-7-hydroxy DPAT.

Abstract Methods are presented for tritiating the D2 specific dopaminergic antagonist domperidone and D3 specific dopaminergic agonist (+/−)-7-hydroxy DPAT. Techniques to characterize the products of the tritiation are also given.
Access to health care for the uninsured. The perspective of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

INCREASINGLY concerned about the plight of the 37 million uninsured Americans, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) calls for Congress to enact legislation greatly expanding access to health insurance coverage through a plan that builds on the current private and public sector programs. While acknowledging that the present system is imperfect, the AAFP believes that the immediate concern is to provide access to health care for the uninsured while, at the same time, working toward reform of the US health care system. The AAFP plan would require employers to offer coverage to full-time workers and their dependents, substantially revise and expand the Medicaid program, and include a Medicaid buy-in for those without employer-based insurance. The total increase over current spending to implement the AAFP proposal is estimated at $18.3 billion, exclusive of administrative costs. During the past 2 years the problem of the approximately 31 to 37 million Americans
Dissection of the enhancer activity of beta-globin 5' DNase I-hypersensitive site 2 in transgenic mice.

Abstract The beta-globin locus control region (LCR) consists of four erythroid-specific DNase I-hypersensitive sites, which are necessary for high-level expression of the beta-like globin genes in erythroid tissues. One of these sites, designated 5'HS-2, functions as an erythroid-specific enhancer element in transfection and transgenic mouse experiments. Recent transfection experiments and studies of DNA-protein interactions have localized the 5'HS-2 enhancer to 18 nucleotides that contain a binding site for both the erythroid-specific factor nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NFE-2) and for activator protein 1 (AP-1). To define the sequences necessary for in vivo enhancer activity, several deletion mutants of 5'HS-2 were linked to the human beta-globin gene and their activity was tested in transgenic mice. Three upstream fragments of 5'HS-2 [341, 374, and 412 base pairs (bp)], each of which contained the NFE-2/AP-1 sequences, resulted in beta-globin expression at levels equivalent to or higher than those observed with the entire 732-bp 5'HS-2 fragment. In contrast, a 358-bp downstream portion of 5'HS-2, which lacked the NFE-2/AP-1 sequences, resulted in beta-globin expression at the low levels seen with the beta-globin gene alone. Removal of the NFE-2/AP-1 sequences by a 67-bp internal deletion resulted in similar low levels of beta-globin expression. A 100-bp 5' fragment that contained the NFE-2/AP-1 sequences resulted in beta-globin expression that was higher than the beta-globin gene alone but lower than the entire 5'HS-2 fragment or the three larger upstream fragments. These studies demonstrate that the NFE-2/AP-1 sequences are essential for enhancer activity of 5'HS-2 but that other sequences are required for full activity in vivo.
Suppression of the nonsense mutation in homozygous β 0 thalassaemia

The common form of beta thalassaemia associated with elevated haemoglobin A2 levels can be broadly classified as beta + or beta 0 type according to the presence or absence of beta-globin chain synthesis in the homozygous state. The molecular pathology of each type is heterogeneous. Apart from a subgroup of Indo-Pakistani patients, the beta-globin structural gene is intact in the majority of patients with beta 0 thalassaemia. The amount of beta-globin mRNA present in the reticulocytes of these patients varies: in some it is absent or barely detectable; in others, a substantial amount is present, but it is nonfunctional. We recently demonstrated that the molecular lesion in a Chinese patient with nonfunctional beta-globin mRNA was due to the mutation of the normal lysine codon AAG at amino acid 17 to the amber terminator codon UAG, which prematurely terminates the beta-globin chain. In the present study we demonstrate the first example of a nonsense mutation in humans which can be suppressed in vitro by the suppressor tRNA, as has been found in other eukaryotic cells and viruses.
Modified Fontan Operation in Patients with Anomalies of Systemic and Pulmonary Venous Connection

The presence of anomalies of the systemic and pulmonary venous connection associated with single ventricle anomalies has been considered a contraindication for the Fontan operation (FO). The aim of this study is to outline the technical considerations associated with the presence of anomalies of systemic and/or pulmonary venous connections and to identify the risk factors for mortality in this group of patients undergoing the modified FO. Between 1989 and 2004, 63 patients (median age, 3.2 years) with anomalous systemic or pulmonary venous connection underwent a Fontan procedure at our institution. Nine patients had a combination of anomalous systemic and pulmonary venous connection, 49 patients had anomalous drainage only from the systemic circulation, and 5 patients had isolated anomalies of pulmonary venous return. Visceral heterotaxy syndrome was diagnosed in 25 patients. Previous palliative operations had been performed in 51 patients (81%). There was 1 early death, and 2 patients required take down of Fontan procedures. Two patients required reoperation for revision of the atrial baffle. At a mean follow-up of 4.6 ± 3.4 years, there have been 5 late deaths (8%) and 45 patients (71%) have undergone Fontan completion. Actuarial survival was 92% at 1 year and 91% at 5 and 10 years-not significantly different from the overall survival of the Fontan patients. We conclude that the modified FO can be successfully performed in patients with anomalous systemic or pulmonary venous connections, including those with visceral heterotaxy syndrome, with morbidity and mortality rates that do not differ significantly from those achieved in all patients with normal connections.
Mitotic Schwann cells in developing nerve: their changes in shape, fine structure, and axon relationships.

Abstract The shape of mitotic Schwann cells and their relationships with axons and their interphase neighbors were studied in electron micrographs of longitudinally and transversely sectioned newborn rat sciatic nerves. During prophase, the radial extent of sheetlike processes surrounding axons was progressively reduced until the Schwann cell was spindle shaped. Numerous 100 nm vesicles were found in the cytoplasm as the surface area decreased; they disappeared during subsequent reextension of the radial processes. The axis of mitosis was parallel to the long axis of the cell and transverse cleavage of the cytoplasm occurred between the daughter nuclei. The earliest cytoplasmic outgrowth was identified in serial sections through an anaphase cell which was traced distally from its mid nuclear region. A slender process, originating near the spindle pole, arched over and grew longitudinally beside and beyond the dividing nucleus. Observed also in telophase, this process was thought to represent a daughter cell's new axial process and to be important in establishing the cell's longitudinal symmetry. Radial processes that surrounded axons reappeared in telophase; they began forming in the nuclear region and subsequently grew radially and extended peripherally toward both ends of the cell. Our results show that the changes in shape that occur in dividing Schwann cells and their interphase neighbors increase contacts between these Schwann cells and the axons they surround. These surface interactions probably are important in the selection of axons to be myelinated.
Latent Markov model for analyzing temporal configuration for violence profiles and trajectories in a sample of batterers.

In this article, the authors demonstrate the utility of an extended latent Markov model for analyzing temporal configurations in the behaviors of a sample of 550 domestic violence batterers. Domestic violence research indicates that victims experience a constellation of abusive behaviors rather than a single type of violent outcome. There is also evidence that observed behaviors are highly dynamic, with batterers cycling back and forth between periods of no abuse and violent or controlling behavior. These issues pose methodological challenges for social scientists. The extended latent Markov method uses multiple indicators to characterize batterer behaviors and relates the trajectories of violent states to predictors of abuse at baseline. The authors discuss both methodological refinements of the latent Markov models and policy implications of the data analysis.
Tumors and pseudotumors of the optic disc

There are many lesions that can present as an elevation of the optic disc. Since each of them has different ophthalmic and systemic significance, it is important for the ophthalmologist to recognize them and to plan strategies of management when necessary. Important inflammatory and benign congenital conditions should be differentiated from malignant neoplasms. This review covers the differential diagnosis of lesions that can cause an elevation of the optic disc. It includes selected congenital lesions, inflammatory conditions, non-inflammatory non-neoplastic disorders, benign hamartomas, and primary and secondary malignant neoplasms.
Pathophysiology of graft-versus-host disease

Complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remain barriers to its wider application for a variety of diseases. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality following allogeneic HSCT. GVHD can be considered an exaggerated, undesirable manifestation of a normal inflammatory mechanism, in which donor lymphocytes encounter foreign antigens in a milieu that fosters inflammation. Recent advances in the study of cytokine networks, chemokine gradients, and the direct mediators of cellular cytotoxicity have led to improved understanding of this complex syndrome. The pathophysiology of acute GVHD can be considered as a three-step process in which the innate and adaptive immune systems interact: (1) tissue damage to the recipient by the radiation/chemotherapy pretransplant conditioning regimen; (2) donor T-cell activation and clonal expansion; and (3) cellular and inflammatory factors. Here we review the immunologic interactions that cause clinical GVHD and discuss the risk factors and prophylactic strategies for acute GVHD according to this model.
A multi-agent architecture for control of AGV systems

Agent is an autonomous, computational entity that can be viewed as perceiving its environment and acting upon it. Agents are event-driven objects that can be integrated in automated manufacturing environments to control certain tasks. In this paper a set of agents (a multi-agent system) is introduced to control an automated manufacturing environment. The architecture includes functions at the manufacturing cell level, materials handling and transport level, and factory scheduling level. Communication between these agents is accomplished by using a relational database (blackboard system). The relational database also integrates the requirements of a manufacturing execution system within the multi-agent task structure, which is unique to this architecture. Manufacturing cell and scheduling agents have been previously described in the literature. Here we focus our attention on the functions of the agents of the transport system, which is composed of a set of AGVs.
Drug release from wax matrices. I. Analysis of data with first-order kinetics and with the diffusion-controlled model.

The release of drug into aqueous media from wax matrices has been investigated using benzoic acid and salicylic acid as the active ingredients. The data have been examined from the viewpoint of the first-order kinetic theory and that of a diffusion-controlled process. It was found that the experimental data are best analyzed using a diffusion-controlled model and square root of time release profiles. Parameters controlling the release are presented.
Effects of the sound speed of quintessence on the microwave background and large scale structure

We consider how quintessence models in which the sound speed differs from the speed of light and varies with time affect the cosmic microwave background and the fluctuation power spectrum. Significant modifications occur on length scales related to the Hubble radius during epochs in which the sound speed is near zero and the quintessence contributes a non-negligible fraction of the total energy density. For the microwave background, we find that the usual enhancement of the lowest multipole moments by the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect can be modified, resulting in suppression or bumps instead. Also, the sound speed can produce oscillations and other effects at wave numbers $kg{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}\mathrm{h}/\mathrm{M}\mathrm{p}\mathrm{c}$ in the fluctuation power spectrum.
Soil Warming and Carbon-Cycle Feedbacks to the Climate System

In a decade-long soil warming experiment in a mid-latitude hardwood forest, we documented changes in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in order to investigate the consequences of these changes for the climate system. Here we show that whereas soil warming accelerates soil organic matter decay and carbon dioxide fluxes to the atmosphere, this response is small and short-lived for a mid-latitude forest, because of the limited size of the labile soil carbon pool. We also show that warming increases the availability of mineral nitrogen to plants. Because plant growth in many mid-latitude forests is nitrogen-limited, warming has the potential to indirectly stimulate enough carbon storage in plants to at least compensate for the carbon losses from soils. Our results challenge assumptions made in some climate models that lead to projections of large long-term releases of soil carbon in response to warming of forest ecosystems.
Water Raman normalization of airborne laser fluorosensor measurements - A computer model study

The technique for normalizing airborne lidar measurements of chlorophyll fluoresence by the water Raman scattering signal is investigated for laser-excitation wavelengths of 480 and 532 nm using a semianalytic Monte Carlo methodology (SALMON). The signal-integration depth for chlorophyll fluorescence Z(90,F), is found to be insensitive to excitation wavelength and ranges from a maximum of 4.5 m in clearest waters to less than 1 m at a chlorophyll concentration of 20 microgram/liter. For excitation at 532 nm, the signal-integration depth for Raman scattering, Z(90,R), is comparable to Z(90,F). For excitation at 480 nm, Z(90,R) is four times as large as Z(90,F) in clearest waters but nearly equivalent at chlorophyll concentrations greater than 2-3 microgram/liter. Absolute signal levels are stronger with excitation at 480 nm than with excitation at 532 nm, but this advantage must be weighed against potential ambiguities resulting from different integration depths for the fluorescence and Raman scattering signals in clearer waters. To the precision of the simulations, Raman normalization produces effectively linear response to chlorophyll concentration for both excitation wavelengths.
Response of laryngeal receptors to water solutions of different osmolality and ionic composition.

Water-responsive laryngeal receptors with fibres in the superior laryngeal nerve were studied to characterize thespecific physicochemical properties of aqueous solutions that activate these endings. The responses to water (37°C) of 141 receptors were studied in 39 anaesthetized dogs breathing through a tracheostomy with the larynx functionally isolated. Of the 89 receptors stimulated by water, 53 were also challenged with isosmotic (275—315 mOsm) solutions of dextrose and sodium gluconate at 37°C. Receptors that only responded to water ( n = 31) with a long delay, long duration discharge were generally respiratory modulated. On the other hand, laryngeal receptors that responded to all test solutions ( n = 22) with a short delay, short duration discharge were generally not respiratory modulated. We conclude that the former type of receptor responds to lower osmolality, whereas the latter responds to the lack of chloride ions in the test solutions. These two types of receptor may be responsible for the cough and bronchoconstriction induced by inhaled aerosols of different osmolalities and ionic compositions.
Climate-independent paleoaltimetry using stomatal density in fossil leaves as a proxy for CO2 partial pressure: Comment and Reply: COMMENT

Stomatal density (SD) has been shown to change with CO2 concentration (at the same atmospheric pressure; [Lake et al., 2001][1]), and SD of fossilized leaf material or leaf imprints can be used to indicate past CO2 concentrations ([Beerling et al., 1998][2]). However, the results of the analytical
A mean field limit of the contact process with large range

A mean field limit of the contact process is obtained as the rangeM approaches ∞. Fluctuations about the deterministic limit are identified as a Generalized Ornstein Uhlenbeck process.
SEASONAL VARIATION OF GORSE (ULEX EUROPAEUS L) SURFACE WAX AND TRICHOMES

SUMMARY A marked seasonal variation in wax production was observed by scanning electron microscopy and confirmed by extraction and weighing the wax. Contact angles of water droplets on films of this extracted wax also showed seasonal variation as well as differences between foliage of different ages. This suggests that the chemical composition of the wax could vary in a like manner. Trichome development patterns were less distinct, but there was some indication of progressive attrition with increasing tissue age.
Physical properties of barium borate glasses determined over a wide range of compositions

Barium borate glasses are reported over an extended glass-forming range from R=0.2 (16.7 mol% BaO) to R=2.0 (66.7 mol% BaO), where R is the molar ratio of barium oxide to boron oxide. The density, Tg (glass transition temperature), Tx (glass recrystallization temperature), and optical cutoffs were determined. These data were compared with structural models for the glasses based on nuclear magnetic resonance results of Greenblatt and Bray. The barium borate data were also compared with similar studies of lithium and lead borate glasses. Key results observed include: (1) the density trends are understandable in terms of the abundance of the basic borate groups with the fraction of tetrahedral borons being the most important single factor, and (2) the Tgs are anomalously high when compared to either the alkali or lead borate systems.
Short-term pCO2 and O2 dynamics in California coastal waters

Abstract We studied short-term pCO2 and O2 variability in surface waters 30 km off Monterey, California from April to May 1995. Sensors for pCO2 and O2 were deployed for 19 days on the manned research platform, R/P FLIP. The sensors were located at 5, 10 and 31 m depths. The 31 m sensors resided below or within the thermocline, and the 5 and 10 m sensors were within the surface mixed layer during the field study. The area was characterized by surface pCO2 undersaturation and O2 supersaturation during the entire period. The average pCO2 levels at 5, 10, and 31 m, were 323±18, 326±19, and 452±63 μatm, respectively. Much of the short term variability was related to thermocline movement and advection of offshore and coastal upwelled waters around the site. Rates of gas exchange and primary production were determined during periods when advection did not appear to dominate the variability. Air-sea gas exchange models predict an observed decline in O2 supersaturation. Rapid air-sea reequilibration of O2 relative to pCO2 appears to have a significant effect on the pCO2 : O2 relationship. Primary production estimates based on CO2 and O2 rates of change match well with shipboard 14C primary production.
Drosophila foxo acts in males to cause sexual-dimorphism in tissue-specific p53 life span effects

Sex-specific selective pressures are hypothesized to lead to sexually antagonistic gene functions that contribute to phenotypes such as aging and cancer. However, relatively little is known about the identity of such genes and possible mechanisms. Here we report that nervous system-specific over-expression of wild-type p53 in Drosophila caused decreased life span in males and increased life span in females. In contrast, tissue-general over-expression produced the opposite pattern: increased life span in males and decreased life span in females. In a foxo null background, p53 life span effects in males were reversed, becoming similar to the effects in females. In contrast, a Sir2 null background tended to reduce the magnitude of p53 effects. The data demonstrate that wild-type p53 over-expression can regulate life span independent of foxo, and suggest that foxo acts in males to produce sexually antagonistic life span effects of p53.
A comparison of HIV-1, HBV, and HTLV-I/II seroprevalence rates of injured patients admitted through California emergency departments.

Abstract Study objective: To determine the seroprevalence rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I/II) and to compare these rates with the HIV-1 seroprevalence rate in a sample of injured patients admitted through ten California emergency departments. Design: Prospective blinded testing for serologic markers for HBV, HTLV-I/II, and HIV-1 on routinely collected blood samples. Setting: Ten California hospitals were chosen to reflect geographic and demographic diversity. Type of participants: All injured adult patients who were admitted to a participating hospital through the ED during consecutive three-month periods from June through November 1989. Measurements: Serum samples were tested for HIV-1 antibody, HTLV-I/II antibody, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using standard methods. Mann-Whitney U tests, χ 2 tests for independence, sign tests, χ 2 tests for goodness of fit, and logistic regression were used as appropriate. Results: Seroprevalence rates were as follows: HBV, 2.6% (57 of 2,209); HTLV-I/II, 2.0% (46 of 2,262); and HIV-1, 1.4% (31 of 2,264). Conclusion: The seroprevalence rate of HBV was slightly higher than that of HIV-1 in this sample of injured patients. Mortality estimates suggest, however, that HBV and HIV-1 pose roughly similar risks to emergency personnel, although the risk of HBV infection can be markedly reduced by vaccination. The data from this and other studies suggest that the ED incidence of HTLV-I/II in United States is low. The relative health risks to emergency personnel from HTLV-I/II appear to be minimal at this time.
Urease Activity in Blue-Green Algae

The apparent enzymatic hydrolysis of urea has been detected in whole blue-green algae and in cell extracts. Urease is present as an intracellullar component in cultures in which no bacterial contaminants are found. The activity in the cells was recovered from the extracts.
Extensive Penetrating Cosmic Ray-Showers

The density spectrum of the particles in Auger showers capable of penetrating twenty centimeters of lead has been measured at 3026-meters elevation, and found to be very nearly the same as the density spectrum of the soft component of the showers, the ratio of penetrating to soft particles apparently decreasing slowly with increasing shower density. This ratio has been measured, using the coincidences between four trays of Geiger counters, all shielded by twenty centimeters of lead, and found to be about 2.3 percent. As this value is considerably higher than the value found by other methods, some calculations on the structure of Auger showers are given, in an attempt to explain the discrepancy. It is found that any experiment using coincidences between unshielded trays, horizontally separated by a few meters, is biased strongly toward recording only the cores of the extensive showers. A cloud chamber, tripped by extensive shower counters, is used to study the structure of the extensive showers, and local production of penetrating particles in lead plates within the chamber is definitely established.
Morphometry for early monitoring of treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis

New aggressive therapeutic options have recently become available to treat inflammatory arthritis (IA) and rheumatoid arthritis in particular. These treatments not only control joint destruction, they may also aid in new bone formation at sites of eroded bone. Separation of non-responders from responders to these treatments, is critical, and is known to lead to reduced disease burden, toxicity, side-effects and overall cost. The bones of the wrist are early targets of IA and are known to show response to therapy early. In this paper, we develop a method to quantify point-wise erosive changes of wrist bones in IA patients undergoing treatment. The method employs 3D registration-based morphometric analysis. Our results indicate that the proposed method has potential to improve sensitivity to small, early changes in bone erosion status. This study has potential to provide new imaging biomarkers to be used in clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of new arthritis drugs.
Effect of sodium addition on Cu-deficient CuIn1−xGaxS2 thin film solar cells

Abstract Chalcopyrites are important contenders among solar-cell materials due to direct band gap and very high-absorption coefficients. Copper–indium–gallium disulfide (CIGS2) is a chalcopyrite material with a near-optimum band gap of 1.5 eV for terrestrial as well as space applications. At FSEC PV Materials Laboratory, record efficiency of 11.99% has been achieved on a 2.7 μm CIGS2 thin film prepared by sulfurization. There are reports of influence of sodium on copper–indium–gallium selenide (CIGS) as well as copper–indium disulfide (CIS2) solar cells. However, this is the first of its kind approach to study the effect of sodium on CIGS2 solar cells and resulting in encouraging efficiencies. Copper-deficient CIGS2 thin films were prepared with and without the addition of sodium fluoride (NaF). Effects of addition of NaF on the microstructure and device electrical properties are presented in this work.
Using Union Status or Marital Status to Study the Living Arrangements of Elderly People

The authors reflect on the use of marital status to study the living arrangements of elderly people (aged 60 years and older) in a comparative perspective. Traditionally, relevant studies have differentiated by marital status and assumed that married people lived together and that unmarried people did not live with partners. However, marital status is a social construct, whereas union status is the residential one, and although marriage is universal, it is different in different places and at different times. Using fairly recent census data from nine countries around the world, the authors examined how well marital status helps indicate union status. They found reason to believe that marital status has been a good indicator of union status in some places at certain times but that it is not always so.
Histopathologic Evaluation of three Ultraviolet-Activated Composite Resins on Monkey pulps

. The pulpal responses of three ultraviolet-activated composite resins, Nuva-Fil®, Experimental UV #1® and Experimental UV #2®, were tested on adult monkey teeth using silicate and zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) as positive and negative controls. All materials were placed in Class V cavity preparations in Rhesus monkey teeth using approximately 48 anterior and 63 posterior teeth of both the maxillary and mandibular arches. A total of 111 teeth were utilized and all materials were evaluated at 3 days, 5 and 8 weeks. Following left ventricular perfusion, the teeth were prepared for microscopic evaluation using routine histological procedures. The 3-day pulpal response of all the ultraviolet-activated composites was slight with some disruption and vacuolization in the odontoblastic layer and a slight inflammatory response. At 5 weeks there was a reduction of the inflammatory response and the formation of reparative dentin was noted for all ultraviolet composites. The 8-week pulp response was slight, characterized by a minimal inflammatory response adjacent to the zone of reparative dentin. Generally, ZOE produced the mildest response while silicate produced the most severe response at the three time intervals.
Light scattering and suspended particulate matter in the Arctic Ocean north of Ellesmere Island

Light scattering profiles and water samples for filtration of suspended particulate matter were obtained during fall, 1973, from Ice Island T-3, then located about 50 miles north of Ellesmere Island. The profiles reveal almost no variability in scattering, either in the water column, or in time during our two weeks of field work. Gravimetric analysis of the filtered suspended particulate matter shows that mass concentrations are low, averaging about 7Μg l−1, and that they too remain very constant. The four water masses present in the Arctic Ocean could not be distinguished by our observations of light scattering and mass concentration of suspended particulates.