cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isovaleric acidemia: Medical and neurodevelopmental effects of long-term therapy*

Nine patients with isovaleric acidemia were treated with a low-protein diet and supplemental glycine for up to 10 years. Carnitine was added to the therapy in four patients. Overall, the treatment was well tolerated, resulting in no significant side effects other than persistent hyperglycinemia. Normal growth was observed in all patients. Of four patients with the chronic phenotype, three, whose treatment was delayed beyond the first year of life, are mentally retarded. Two of five patients with the acute phenotype are retarded. The outcome in these two was complicated in one by neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage and in the other by therapeutic noncompliance. In our patients, only those who were treated successfully from early infancy and had no complications did not develop mental retardation. After initiation of therapy, there was a significant decrease in ketoacidotic attacks requiring hospitalization. Glycine is indicated for the treatment of acute ketoacidosis in these patients; none of the catastrophically ill newborn who received glycine died. The aim of treatment is to reduce the isovaleric acid burden to a minimum. Therapy consisting of leucine restriction with supplemental glycine and carnitine should be started as soon as possible after birth.
Ordered categorical sire evaluation for dystocia in Holsteins

New statistical procedures for analysis of ordered categorical data were investigated. In using the standardized threshold model, scores are transformed to estimate unknown boundary points and fixed and random effects on an underlying scale of continuous response. The model for calving ease included sex of calf, parity of dam, and the unknown boundary points as fixed effects; herd-year-seasons and sires were random. Data were 5029 dystocia scores on a scale of 1 to 5 collected from June 1982 to January 1984 through the Mid-States Dairy Records Processing Center. The predicted probability of a difficult birth by an average sire indicated that twice as many males as females are born with difficulty. Difficult births declined between first and second parity by a factor of 5. Herd-year-seasons accounted for 13.3% of the variance and sires 3.2%. Heritability on the underlying scale was higher (.147) than on the observed scale (.061). Rank correlations among the threshold model sire solutions and best linear unbiased predictions were .94 when herd-year-seasons were fixed, .98 with random herd-year-seasons, and .99 with normalized scores. Predicted percentage of difficult births for all sires in the analysis ranged from 6 to 18%.
Influence of grain size on deformation mechanisms: an extension to nanocrystalline materials

Abstract The deformation mechanisms occurring in coarse-grained polycrystalline materials are now understood reasonably well. The primary deformation processes are associated with the intragranular movement of dislocations either through crystallographic slip at low temperatures or through a combination of dislocation climb and glide at high temperatures. Intergranular processes become important in polycrystalline materials with small grain sizes including stress-directed vacancy diffusion and grain boundary sliding. It has been shown using molecular dynamic simulations, and confirmed in experiments, that different processes may become important when the grain size is reduced to the nanometer level. Partial dislocation emission from grain boundaries becomes a dominant process at grain sizes of 10–50 nm and this leads to the formation of deformation twins even in materials with high stacking-fault energies such as aluminum. Grain boundary sliding also becomes dominant at grain sizes below ∼10 nm at low temperatures. This paper examines the influence of grain size on the deformation mechanisms in polycrystalline materials with special emphasis on the new mechanisms that become important at the nanocrystalline level.
Towards a Psychological Model of Midlife Crisis

Midlife crisis in men is seen as a process of intensive and subjectively difficult transition of the self dealing with a reinterpretation of time perspective, the confrontation with death as a future personal event, the re-evaluation of life values and goals, and planning the second half of life. Midlife crisis arises on the relationships between the changing sociopsychological situation and internal predispositions. This study was conducted in Poland, using a sample of 144 men (aged 35-45 years). Measures were the Midlife Crisis Questionnaire, the Time Orientation Scale, the Adjective Check List, the modified version of the Ways of Coping Checklist, and the Value crisis Questionnaire. The findings indicated that the midlife crisis consists of three relatively independent dimensions, extracted by factor analysis, namely, (i) intensity of symptoms focused on changes in the self-concept, (ii) psychological maturity, and (iii) acceptance of time passing and death. Necessary and sufficient conditions of the crisis appeared to be (1) value crisis, understood as difficulties in hierarchization, integration, and realization of values, (2) emotion-focused coping versus problem-focused coping, (3) past versus future time orientation and lack of goals for the future, (4) sense of time pressure, (5) some conscientiousness, introversion, and openness to experience.
Configurational analysis of new furanosesquiterpenes from Dysidea herbacea. Assignment of absolute stereochemistry.

Abstract Two new marine furanoterpenes (+)-(4aS, 6R,8aS)-4,4,7-trimethyl-4,4a,5,6,8,8a,9-hexahydronaphtho[2,3-b]furan-6-yl acetate (1) and (+)-(4aS,7R,8aS)-6,9,9-trimethyl-4,4a,7,8,8a,9-hexahydronaphthol[2,3b]furan-7-yl acetate (2), were isolated sample of Dysidea herbacea collected from Harrier Reef on the Great Barrier Reef, Australlia. The enantiomer of 1, (−)-(4aR,6S,8aR)-4,4,7–trimethyl– 4,4a,5,6,8,8a,9–hexahydronaptho[2.3–b]furan–6–yl acetate (17) was found in another sample of D. herbacea collected nearby from Norman Reef. The structures were determined by spectroscopic methods, in particular 2D NMR, and the absolute configurations of the parent rings of 1 and 2 defined by chemical correlation and application of Kakisawa's of the Mosher ester method. Compounds 1 and 2 are diastereomers of acetates 5 and 6, reported earlier from D. herbacea, but have opposite configuration with respect to the ring junctions. These results and others suggest D. herbacea, may possess a dual capacity for antipodal cyclization pathways from a common achiral terpenoid precursor.
Vibrational corrections to magneto-optical rotation : A computational study

Vibrational corrections to the Verdet constants of nine molecules (H2, N2, CO, H2O, CH4, benzene, toluene, p-xylene, and o-xylene) were calculated with pure density functional theory (DFT), hybrid DFT, and an approximate coupled-cluster theory. Comparisons are made for the accuracy of the vibrational averages among different methods and with respect to experimental data where available. It is found that vibrational corrections to magneto-optical rotation can be as large as 10% of the equilibrium value. Hybrid DFT with the B3LYP hybrid functional offers reasonable accuracy at a relatively inexpensive computational cost for accurate calculations of vibrationally averaged Verdet constants.
An Ixodes minor and Borrelia carolinensis enzootic cycle involving a critically endangered Mojave Desert rodent.

Microtus californicus scirpensis is an endangered, isolated subspecies of California vole. It requires water pools and riparian bulrush (Schoenoplectus americanus) and occupies some of the rarest habitat of any North American mammal. The minimally vegetated, extremely arid desert surrounding the pools is essentially uninhabitable for Ixodes species ticks. We describe an enzootic cycle of Borrelia carolinensis in Ixodes minor ticks at a site 3500 km distant from the region in which I. minor is known to occur in Tecopa Host Springs, Inyo County, eastern Mojave Desert, California. Voles were live-trapped, and ticks and blood samples queried by PCR and DNA sequencing for identification and determination of the presence of Borrelia spp. Between 2011-2013, we found 21 Ixodes minor ticks (prevalence 4-8%) on Amargosa voles and Reithrodontomys megalotis. DNA sequencing of 16S rRNA from ticks yielded 99% identity to I. minor. There was 92% identity with I. minor in the calreticulin gene fragment. Three ticks (23.1%), 15 (24%) voles, three (27%) house mice, and one (7%) harvest mice were PCR positive for Borrelia spp. Sequencing of the 5S-23S intergenic spacer region and flagellin gene assigned Amargosa vole Borrelia strains to B. carolinensis. Ixodes minor, first described in 1902 from a single Guatemalan record, reportedly occurs only in the southeast American on small mammals and birds. The source of this tick in the Mojave Desert and time scale for introduction is not known but likely via migratory birds. Borrelia strains in the Amargosa ecosystem most closely resemble B. carolinensis. B. carolinensis occurs in a rodent-I. minor enzootic cycle in the southeast U.S. although its epidemiological significance for people or rodents is unknown. The presence of a tick and Borrelia spp. only known from southeast U.S. in this extremely isolated habitat on the other side of the continent is of serious concern because it suggests that the animals in the ecosystem could be vulnerable to further incursions of pathogens and parasites.
The N-Acetyl Neuraminyl Oxecarbenium Ion Is an Intermediate in the Presence of Anionic Nucleophiles

Solvolysis of CMP N-acetyl neuraminate (CMP-NeuAc) in 1.8 M acetate buffer at pH 5 containing 0.9 M azide results in the formation of both anomers of 2-deoxy-2-azido N-acetyl neuraminic acid in addition to N-acetyl neuraminic acid as determined by 1H-NMR product analysis. A rate dependence on [azide] was observed with an apparent bimolecular rate constant of (2.1 ± 0.3) × 10-3 M-l min-l which could only account for half of the azido-NeuAc formed. Comparison of rate, product ratio, and stereochemical data indicate that concurrent pathways for formation of N3-NeuAc are operative, with 17% of product forming from reaction of azide and the tight ion pair, 12% via the solvent separated ion pair, and 6% from the free NeuAc oxocarbenium ion. From the corrected product ratio data, the lifetime of the oxocarbenium ion was estimated to be ≥3 × 10-11 s. Solvolysis of CMP-NeuAc at pL = 5.0 afforded an observed solvent deuterium isotope effect (SDIE) kH2O/kD2O = 0.45, consistent with specific acid catalysis of glycosi...
Thermodynamics of concentrated electrolyte mixtures and the prediction of mineral solubilities to high temperatures for mixtures in the system Na-K-Mg-Cl-SO4-OH-H2O

Mineral solubilities in binary and ternary electrolyte mixtures in the system Na-K-Mg-Cl-SO4-OH-H2O are calculated to high temperatures using available thermodynamic data for solids and for aqueous electrolyte solutions. Activity and osmotic coefficients are derived from the ion-interaction model of Pitzer (1973, 1979) and co-workers, the parameters of which are evaluated from experimentally determined solution properties or from solubility data in binary and ternary mixtures. Excellent to good agreement with experimental solubilities for binary and ternary mixtures indicate that the model can be successfully used to predict mineral-solution equilibria to high temperatures. Although there are currently no theoretical forms for the temperature dependencies of the various model parameters, the solubility data in ternary mixtures can be adequately represented by constant values of the mixing term θij and values of ψijk which are either constant or have a simple temperature dependence. Since no additional parameters are needed to describe the thermodynamic properties of more complex electrolyte mixtures, the calculations can be extended to equilibrium studies relevant to natural systems. Examples of predicted solubilities are given for the quaternary system NaCl-KCl-MgCl2-H2O.
A novel model for spiral inductor based on a unified CPW circuit model

A novel equivalent circuit model for a spiral inductor is proposed based on a unified coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line model. The spiral inductor can be treated as a network of several individual conductor paths. The individual conductor loss is similar to the loss in CPWs, which can be explained by the unified model. The coil current of the inductor induces an eddy current in the silicon substrate which is magnetically coupled with the metal line. The substrate eddy current loss and coupling with the spiral line are modeled by an RL ladder structure and mutual inductance. Single turn spiral inductors have been designed and fabricated on various resistivity substrates. A good agreement is obtained between the measurement and the equivalent circuit even above the self-resonance frequency. This work demonstrates that the performance of spiral inductors can be predicted and investigated by the proposed equivalent circuit.
The Ubiquitous Radiosonde

The radiosonde, a meteorological instrument that is carried aloft by weather balloons to transmit data on atmospheric conditions, represents the fusion of man's ingenuity and inquisitiveness about ...
Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase attenuates hyperoxia-induced cell death through activation of ERK/MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways in lung epithelial cells

Oxygen toxicity is one of the major risk factors in the development of the chronic lung disease or bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants. Using proteomic analysis, we discovered that mito...
Effects of verbally labeled anchor points on the distributional parameters of rating measures

The hypothesis was examined that the negative skew found in most distributions of performance rat ings is a function of the verbal labels used as anchors. When verbal labels quantified on the basis...
Hydrolysis of activated esters catalyzed by L‐histidine graft copolymers

A graft copolymer of L-histidine on polyethylenimine has been demonstrated to be an efficient catalyst for the hydrolysis of activated phenyl esters in aqueous systems. A lack of any significant cooperative effects between neighboring imidazoles or amines has been shown by a study of the catalytic solvolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate at varying pH. A similar study with 4-acetoxy-3-nitrobenzoic acid has displayed a bell-shaped pH-rate profile indicative of electrostatic interactions between the catalyst and substrate. Hydrophobic interactions were also evident from an investigation of the hydrolytic rates of a series of 4-acyloxy-3-nitrobenzoic acids. In an attempt to demonstrate stereospecific catalyzed reactions, the hydrolyses of optically active esters catalyzed by the optically active copolymer were studied.
N-terminal basic amino acids are not required for translocation and processing of preproparathyroid hormone.

An N-terminal deletion mutant of preproparathyroid hormone that contains a single basic amino acid, lysine, in the N-terminal domain of the signal peptide is translocated across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane similarly to intact preproparathyroid hormone. To examine the function of charged residues preceeding the hydrophobic core, the lysine was replaced by an uncharged (methionine) or negatively charged (glutamic acid) amino acid. The translocational activity of the mutant signal peptides was assayed in a reticulocyte lysate system containing chicken oviduct microsomal membranes. Altering the net charge of the N-terminal domain did not abolish signal sequence activity, although the efficiency of translocation was decreased for the mutant with a glutamic acid substitution. Posttranslational, ribosome independent, translocation was observed for all the mutants tested, with the same dependence on N-terminal charge but with much lower efficiency than cotranslational translocation. These studies show that...
MOLECULAR CLONING OF A NOVEL TRANSCRIPTIONAL REPRESSOR PROTEIN OF THE RAT TYPE 1 VASOACTIVE INTESTINAL PEPTIDE RECEPTOR GENE

Abstract This study demonstrates that the transcriptional repressor sequence of the rat vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor (VIPR) gene constitutes a 42-base pair core element that is the binding site for a nuclear protein. We showed that this element was able to confer transcriptional repression to a heterologous promoter and that deletion or point mutations within this element resulted in loss of transcriptional repression. Southwestern blot analysis indicated that the VIPR repressor element interacts specifically with a nuclear protein of about 72 kDa. By screening a rat lung expression library coupled with rapid amplification of cDNA ends polymerase chain reactions, we isolated a cDNA clone (designated as VIPR-RP) that contains an open reading frame of 656 amino acids. VIPR-RP is 78% identical to a previously characterized protein, differentiation-specific element-binding protein, which is a member of a family of proteins including components of the DNA replication factor C complex. However, VIPR-RP cDNA encodes for a much smaller protein than differentiation-specific element-binding protein because of a frameshift. VIPR-RP mRNA is expressed in multiple tissues, including lung, liver, brain, heart, kidney, spleen, and testis. VIPR-RP protein specifically interacts with the VIPR repressor element as demonstrated by gel shift assays. Transfection of VIP-RP expression vector into Cos cells resulted in transcriptional repression of a reporter construct containing multiple copies of the VIPR repressor element. These results indicate that VIPR-RP is a novel transcriptional repressor protein that regulates VIPR expression.
Polyproline, β-turn helices. Novel secondary structures proposed for the tandem repeats within rhodopsin, synaptophysin, synexin, gliadin, RNA polymerase II, hordein, and gluten

Seven proteins each contain 8 to 52 tandem repeats of a unique class of oligopeptide. The consensus peptide for each is rhodopsin Tyr Pro Pro Gln Gly synaptophysin Tyr Gly Pro Gln Gly synexin Tyr Pro Pro Pro Pro Gly gliadin Tyr Pro Pro Pro Gln Pro RNA polymerase II Tyr Ser Pro Thr Ser Pro Ser hordein Phe Pro Gln Gln Pro Gln Gln Pro gluten Tyr Pro Thr Ser Pro Gln Gln Gly Tyr Although there is obvious variation of sequence and of length, the penta- to nonapeptides share an initial Tyr (or Phe) and have high Pro contents and abundant Gly, Gln, and Ser. We have evaluated helical models that both recognize the uniqueness of these sequence repeats and accommodate variations on the basic theme. We have developed a group of related helical models for these proteins with about three oligopeptide repeats per turn of 10-20 A. These models share several common features: Most of the phi dihedral angles are -54 degrees, to accommodate Pro at all positions except the first (Tyr). Except for the beta-turns, most psi dihedral angles are near +140 degrees as found in polyproline. Each oligopeptide has at least one beta-turn; several have two. Some contain a cis-Tyr, Pro peptide bond; a few have a cis-bond plus one beta-turn. Tyr side chains vary from totally exposed to buried within the helices and could move to accommodate either external hydrophobic interactions or phosphorylation. The several related structures seem to be readily interconverted without major change in the overall helical parameters, and therein may lie the key to their functions.
Differential Effects of Early- and Late-Life Access to Carotenoids on Adult Immune Function and Ornamentation in Mallard Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Environmental conditions early in life can affect an organism’s phenotype at adulthood, which may be tuned to perform optimally in conditions that mimic those experienced during development (Environmental Matching hypothesis), or may be generally superior when conditions during development were of higher quality (Silver Spoon hypothesis). Here, we tested these hypotheses by examining how diet during development interacted with diet during adulthood to affect adult sexually selected ornamentation and immune function in male mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). Mallards have yellow, carotenoid-pigmented beaks that are used in mate choice, and the degree of beak coloration has been linked to adult immune function. Using a 2×2 factorial experimental design, we reared mallards on diets containing either low or high levels of carotenoids (nutrients that cannot be synthesized de novo) throughout the period of growth, and then provided adults with one of these two diets while simultaneously quantifying beak coloration and response to a variety of immune challenges. We found that both developmental and adult carotenoid supplementation increased circulating carotenoid levels during dietary treatment, but that birds that received low-carotenoid diets during development maintained relatively higher circulating carotenoid levels during an adult immune challenge. Individuals that received low levels of carotenoids during development had larger phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced cutaneous immune responses at adulthood; however, dietary treatment during development and adulthood did not affect antibody response to a novel antigen, nitric oxide production, natural antibody levels, hemolytic capacity of the plasma, or beak coloration. However, beak coloration prior to immune challenges positively predicted PHA response, and strong PHA responses were correlated with losses in carotenoid-pigmented coloration. In sum, we did not find consistent support for either the Environmental Matching or Silver Spoon hypotheses. We then describe a new hypothesis that should be tested in future studies examining developmental plasticity.
Detecting Voronoi (area-of-influence) polygons

Voronoi, or area-of-influence, polygons are convex, space-filling polygons constructed around a set of points (Voronoi centers) such that each polygon contains all points closer to its Voronoi center than to the center of any other polygon. The relationship of Voronoi centers to edges of Voronoi polygons is used to test whether any convex tessellation consists of Voronoi polygons. This test amounts to finding Voronoi centers that best fit the given tessellation. Voronoi centers are found by solving two systems of linear equations. These equations represent (1) conditions on the slope of polygon edges relative to the slope of lines through Voronoi centers, and (2) conditions on the distance from edges to Voronoi centers. Least squares and constrained least-squares solutions are used to solve the two systems. Different methods of solution can provide insight as to how a tessellation varies from Voronoi polygons. A goodness-of-fit statistic is derived and examined by testing randomly generated convex tessellations. Some polygonal ice cracks provide an example of naturally occurring polygons that are approximated closely by Voronoi polygons.
Performance evaluation of storage systems based on network-attached disks

The emergence of network-attached disks provides the possibility of transferring data between the storage system and the client directly. This offers new possibilities in building a distributed storage system. In this paper, we examine different storage organizations based on network-attached disks and compare the performance of these systems to a traditional system. Trace-driven simulations are used to measure the average response times of the client requests in two different workloads. We show that the advantages of distributing the server's network processing load to disks can be offset by losses in cache hits in a system based on network-attached disks. The two workloads we considered highlight this impact. We show that it is possible to offload significant load from the server by utilizing network-attached disks and point out that specific applications may be able to better exploit the features of network-attached disks.
DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER SIMULATION OF HIGHWAY ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

This paper describes the application of a dynamic systems model to the general problem of automobile accident prevention, treatment and control. The paper describes the development of a Dynamo simulation model to describe the accident prevention, treatment and control system. In the development and description of this model, assumptions about the nature of the system are specified and several hypothetical runs of the model are described. The specific applications of the model deal with the cost and benefit of modification in speed limits and the mandatory use of seat belts and air bags. The consequences of such systems changes are noted and discussed. Implications for future research of this type are suggested.
The use of nucleotide analogs to evaluate the mechanism of the heterotropic response of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase

As an alternative method to study the heterotropic mechanism of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase, a series of nucleotide analogs were used. These nucleotide analogs have the advantage over site-specific mutagenesis experiments in that interactions between the backbone of the protein and the nucleotide could be evaluated in terms of their importance for function. The ATP analogs purine 5'-triphosphate (PTP), 6-chloropurine 5'-triphosphate (Cl-PTP), 6-mercaptopurine 5'-triphosphate (SH-PTP), 6-methylpurine 5'-triphosphate (Me-PTP), and 1-methyladenosine 5'-triphosphate (Me-ATP) were partially synthesized from their corresponding nucleosides. Kinetic analysis was performed on the wild-type enzyme in the presence of these ATP analogs along with GTP, ITP, and XTP. PTP, Cl-PTP, and SH-PTP each activate the enzyme at subsaturating concentrations of L-aspartate and saturating concentrations of carbamoyl phosphate, but not to the same extent as does ATP. These experiments suggest that the interaction between N6-amino group of ATP and the backbone of the regulatory chain is important for orienting the nucleotide and inducing the displacements of the regulatory chain backbone necessary for initiation of the regulatory response. Me-PTP and Me-ATP also activate the enzyme, but in a more complex fashion, which suggests differential binding at the two sites within each regulatory dimer. The purine nucleotides GTP, ITP, and XTP each inhibit the enzyme but to a lesser extent than CTP. The influence of deoxy and dideoxynucleotides on the activity of the enzyme was also investigated. These experiments suggest that the 2' and 3' ribose hydroxyl groups are not of significant importance for binding and orientation of the nucleotide in the regulatory binding site. 2'-dCTP inhibits the enzyme to the same extent as CTP, indicating that the interactions of the enzyme to the O2-carbonyl of CTP are critical for CTP binding, inhibition, and the ability of the enzyme to discriminate between ATP and CTP. Examination of the electrostatic surface potential of the nucleotides and the regulatory chain suggest that the complimentary electrostatic interactions between the nucleotides and the regulatory chain are important for binding and orientation of the nucleotide necessary to induce the local conformational changes that propagate the heterotropic effect.
Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (P.C.H.) following mycoplasma infection: anti-I specificity of the biphasic hemolysin.

A 17-year-old boy developed paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (P.C.H.) following a respiratory infection due to Mycoplasma. The Donath-Landsteiner test was positive; the specificity of the biphasic hemolysin was anti-I. The cold agglutinin phase of the hemolysin had specificity compatible with Marsh's concept10 of anti-IFetaI and anti-IDeveloped as shown by reactions with group O, I+, i adult and i cord cell, and serum inhibition studies with human milk.
Simultaneous determination of production and maintenance schedules using in‐line equipment condition and yield information

In many manufacturing environments, equipment condition has a significant impact on product quality, or yield. This paper presents a semi-Markov decision process model of a single-stage production system with multiple products and multiple maintenance actions. The model simultaneously determines maintenance and production schedules, accounting for the fact that equipment condition affects the yield of each product differently. It extends earlier work by allowing the expected time between decision epochs to vary by both action and machine state, by allowing multiple maintenance actions, and by treating the outcome of maintenance as less than certain. Sufficient conditions are developed that ensure the monotonicity of both the optimal production and maintenance actions. While the maintenance conditions closely resemble previously studied conditions for this type of problem, the production conditions represent a significant departure from earlier results. The simultaneous solution method is compared to an approach commonly used in industry, where the maintenance and production problems are treated independently. Solving more than one thousand test problems confirms that the combination of both features of the model—accounting for product differences and solving the problems simultaneously—has a significant impact on performance. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008
Studies of noradrenergic influence on cardiac ornithine decarboxylase in rats

Abstract Ornithine decarboxylase activity in rat heart was increased significantly by the injection of l -norepinephrine or nisoxetine, an inhibitor of norepinephrine uptake. The enzyme was also increased after 3 h of forced exercise. Propranolol, a β-noradrenergic blocking agent, prevented the enzyme increase after norepinephrine, nisoxetine and exercise. Chemical denervation with 6-hydroxydopamine prevented the effect of nisoxetine but not the effect of l -norepinephrine or exercise. Neither propranolol nor 6-hydroxydopamine significantly affected enzyme activity by themselves, suggesting that tonic noradrenergic input is not necessary for maintenance of basal ornithine decarboxylase activity in heart. These results extend previous literature indicating that cardiac ornithine decarboxylase can be elevated by increased noradrenergic input acting via β-receptors.
Clinical characteristics of eosinophilic esophagitis in children

Objectives:The role of eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) in aerodigestive tract disorders in children is underestimated and overlooked, primarily because of a lack of understanding of this disorder by ...
Equity and the Kyoto Protocol: measuring the distributional effects of alternative emissions trading regimes

Abstract This paper offers a few preliminary steps in bringing the equity implications of building global emissions trading, Annex B trading only, and no trading to the fore as an issue to be considered in the negotiations of how to implement the Kyoto Protocol. All three policy regimes worked within the Charles Rivers State Impacts Assessment Model to make the distribution of per capita gross state product across the United States worse than it would be otherwise, but not significantly. In terms of the distribution of per capita consumption across the states, though, all three of the policy alternatives worked to improve equity (even more) modestly with the largest improvement associated with the “No Trade” option. The equity implications of alternative trading regimes were far more striking in the global context. Global trading did sustain the highest mean in per capita consumption, but the “No Trade” and “Annex B” trading alternatives reduced significantly the underlying inequity in the distribution of per capita. Weighted by a logarithmic utility function, the present value of the certainty equivalent level of mean per capita consumption would fall by more than five times the efficiency gain if global trading were allowed instead of limited Annex B trading. Moreover, this measure of willingness to pay to avoid inequity would be more than eight times larger than the efficiency gain if global trading were chosen over the “No Trade” alternative. The estimates reported here are, of course, highly speculative and extremely model-specific. Different models and, more importantly, different allocations of permits within the United States and/or across the globe would produce different results. The results do not mean that global trading in emissions permits should be shelved because the equity properties are so poor. Much like the other studies that have identified issues that need to be monitored carefully in the design of mechanisms with which the signators of Kyoto Protocol might meet their commitments, though, they do emphatically add equity to the list of fundamental concerns that must be considered.
Expression of a chimeric neomycin phosphotransferase II gene in first and second generation transgenic rice plants

Abstract Following electroporation-mediated DNA transfer, rice protoplasts were transformed with a chimeric NPT II gene. Due to the expression of the NPT II gene, transformed calli that developed from these protoplasts continued to grow in the presence of the antibiotics kanamycin or G418, while the growth of nontransformed calli was inhibited. The highest frequency of resistant callus formation was obtained following selection for resistance to kanamycin, but the exposure to kanamycin interfered with the regeneration of fully-green plants. Exposure to G418 did not noticeably interfere with plant regeneration, and a higher transformation frequency, in terms of fully-green, transformed plants produced per protoplast, was obtained with G418 selection than with kanamycin. NPT II enzyme assays and DNA gel blot hybridization analyses confirmed that plants were transformed with a low number of copies of the NPT II gene. Some of these plants were also found to be transformed with a chimeric β-glucuronidase gene that was adjacent to NPT II on the plasmid used for transformation, demonstrating that this method can be used to transform rice with a second, non-selectable, gene. The analysis of second generation plants confirmed that the NPT II gene was inherited in a Mendelian fashion and that its expression was maintained in progeny of the original transformat.
Facing My Lai : moving beyond the massacre

The My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968, and the court martial of Lt. William Calley a year and a half later are among the bleakest episodes in American history and continue to provide a volatile focus for debates about the Vietnam War. Other books have exposed the facts surrounding the incident; ""Facing My Lai"" now examines its haunting legacy through an exchange of contemporary viewpoints. This powerful book presents a stellar gathering of writers, including journalists Seymour Hersh and David Halberstam, novelist Tim O'Brien, historian Stephen E. Ambrose, psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, military prosecutor William Eckhardt, and the two true heroes in the My Lai story - Hugh Thompson and the late Ron Ridenhour. As these authors show, the US is still trying to come to grips with its bitter experience in Vietnam. A grim window into the darker side of American history, ""Facing My Lai"" reminds us of humanity's baffling capacity for atrocity within the crucible of war as well as its urgent need for healing in the face of such violence.
13C–14N REAPDOR and 13C–2D θ-REDOR NMR on a blend of tri-p-tolylamine and bisphenol-A-polycarbonate

Abstract Solid-state NMR experiments are performed on amorphous blends of tri- p -tolylamine (TTA) and polycarbonate. Amines that are similar to TTA are blended with polycarbonates and used as photoconducting components in xerography. Because of its simple molecular structure, TTA is a charge-transporting molecule that is used as a model to understand charge transport in photoconducting materials. Charge transfer between amine molecules must depend on the separation and relative orientation between amine molecules. However, little information is known about the structural relationship between the amine molecules and the polymer host, presumably because of the difficulties associated with characterizing amorphous materials. We report the results of 13 C– 14 N rotational-echo, adiabatic-passage, double-resonance (REAPDOR) and 13 C– 2 D θ-rotational-echo, double-resonance (θ-REDOR) magic-angle spinning NMR experiments on a TTA/polycarbonate blend. The experiments provide information about the organization of TTA relative to polycarbonate.
The role of molecular and resonance phases in the coherent control of chemical reactions

Coherent control of the photoionization and photodissociation of HI and the photoionization of H2S were obtained in the region of the 5d(π, δ) resonance of HI. Interference between one- and three-photon excitation paths caused modulation of the HI+, I+, and H2S+ signals. Phase lags between the different modulated signals, measured as a function of excitation energy, revealed the roles played by molecular and resonance phases. A theory of the phase lag arising from a set of overlapping rotational resonances was developed and used to interpret the observations.
Chairman's corner

We talk of “the professional.” IEEE student activities are designed to help prepare the student to be a “professional.” Are there implications in the use of the word, “professional?” Often it is meant to imply a high level of competence — requiring higher education, certification, and adherence to a code of ethics.
Verbal and nonverbal cues that convey interest in dating: Two studies

Two studies identified 21 verbal and 15 nonverbal cues that convey a woman's interest in dating a man. Lists were compiled of 23 verbal and 18 nonverbal behaviors that seemed likely to be cues. For each behavior, two sets of male-female conversations were videotaped. For verbal behaviors, there were two conversations per set, one that used the behavior and one that did not. For nonverbal behaviors, there were three conversations per set, in which the woman used a high, medium, or low level of the cue. In a between-subjects design, 551 male and 225 female undergraduates watched the tapes and rated the probability that the woman would accept a date with the man. In addition, men rated the female model's attractiveness, and women rated the appropriateness of her behavior and the likelihood that they would behave similarly. A behavior was considered to be a cue if men thought the woman was more likely to accept a date with the man when she engaged in the behavior. The role that sending cues plays in women's dating initiation and the importance of empirically investigating what skills to teach in social skills training programs are discussed.
Interrogation of differential geometry properties for design and manufacture

This paper describes a new robust method to decompose a free-form surface into regions with specific range of curvature and provide important tools for surface analysis, tool-path generation, and tool-size selection for numerically controlled machining, tessellation of trimmed patches for surface interrogation and finite-element meshing, and fairing of free-form surfaces. The key element in these techniques is the computation ofall real roots within a finite box of systems of nonlinear equations involving polynomials and square roots of polynomials. The free-form surfaces are bivariate polynomial functions, but the analytical expressions of their principal curvatures involve polynomials and square roots of polynomials. Key components are the reduction of the problems into solutions of systems of polynomial equations of higher dimensionality through the introduction ofauxiliary variables and the use ofrounded interval arithmetic in the context of Bernstein subdivision to enhance the robustness of floating-point implementation. Examples are given that illustrate our techniques.
Translational repression of SLC26A3 by miR-494 in intestinal epithelial cells

SLC26A3 [downregulated in adenoma (DRA)] is a Cl−/HCO3− exchanger involved in electroneutral NaCl absorption in the mammalian intestine. Altered DRA expression levels are associated with infectious...
SOME PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF OVERRELAXATION IN DIAGNOSTIC AND FORECAST CALCULATIONS

Abstract If the conditions for the existence of a unique optimum overrelaxation factor are satisfied in a jury problem, then component suppression is a useful aid. In jury-marching forecast models, there is no unique optimum overrelaxation factor, because the error vector at acceptance is not dominated by the eigenvector corresponding to the spectral radius. The criterion for fewest iterations is not then the minimization of the spectral radius. It is advantageous to decrease the overrelaxation factor in a predetermined manner during the first two or three time steps or after component suppression. Theoretical results are derived to explain the original purely empirical observations that the coefficient which minimizes the spectral radius requires about 50 percent more computing time than is necessary.
Detection and Control of Hypertension in the Population The United States Experience

Abstract Trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the adult US population are reported. The data are from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), carried out in four separate surveys, the last being NHANES III, 1988–1991. The age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension at ≥ 160/95 mm Hg declined from 20% to 14%, and at > 140/90 mm Hg it declined from 36.3% to 20.4% in NHANES III. Hypertension awareness increased significantly to as high as 89% for those with blood pressures ≥ 160/95 mm Hg. For all people with blood pressure ≥ 160/95 mm Hg, nearly 64% have it controlled below that level, but only 29% have their blood pressure controlled below 140/90 mm Hg. Although the data from these surveys are encouraging, there are still too many people in the United States with uncontrolled hypertension.
Condensation and mixing in supernova ejecta

Low-density graphite spherules from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite contain TiC grains and possess excess 28 Si and 44 Ca (from decay of short-lived 44 Ti). These and other isotopic anomalies indicate that such grains formed by condensation from mixtures of ejecta from the interior of a core-collapse supernova with those from the exterior. Using homogenized chemical and isotopic model compositions of the eight main burning zones as end-members, Travaglio et al. (1999) attempted to find mixtures whose isotopic compositions match those observed in the graphite spherules, subject to the condition that the atomic C/O ratio = 1. They were partially successful, but this chemical condition does not guarantee condensation of TiC at a higher temperature than graphite, which is indicated by the spherule textures. In the present work, model compositions of relatively thin layers of ejecta within the main burning zones computed by Rauscher et al. (2002) for Type II supernovae of 15, 21 and 25 M( are used to construct mixtures whose chemical compositions cause equilibrium condensation of TiC at a higher temperature than graphite in an attempt to match the textures and isotopic compositions of the spherules simultaneously. The variation of pressure with temperature and the change in elemental abundances with time due to radioactive decay were taken into account in the condensation calculations. Layers were found within the main Ni, O/Ne, He/C and He/ N zones that, when mixed together, simultaneously match the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions, 44 Ti/ 48 Ti ratios and inferred initial 26 Al/ 27 Al ratios of the low-density graphite spherules, even at subsolar 12 C/ 13 C ratios. Due to the relatively large proportion of material from the Ni zone and the relative amounts of the two layers of the Ni zone required to meet these conditions, predicted 28 Si excesses are larger than observed in the low-density graphite spherules, and large negative d 46 Ti/ 48 Ti, d 47 Ti/ 48 Ti, d 49 Ti/ 48 Ti and d 50 Ti/ 48 Ti are produced, in contrast to the observed normal d 46 Ti/ 48 Ti and d 47 Ti/ 48 Ti, large positive d 49 Ti/ 48 Ti and smaller positive d 50 Ti/ 48 Ti. Although better matches to the observed d 46 Ti/ 48 Ti, d 47 Ti/ 48 Ti and 28 Si excesses can be found using much smaller amounts of Ni zone material and some Si/S zone material, it is very difficult to match simultaneously the Ti and Si isotopic compositions in any mixtures of material from these deep layers with He/C and He/N zone material, regardless of the condensation sequence. The occurrence of Fe-rich, Si-poor metal grains inside the graphite spherules does not have a satisfactory explanation. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Correction to "Renormalization of EM fields in application to large-angle scattering from randomly continuous media and sparse particle distributions"

The conventional wave-integral equation in electromagnetic scattering, consisting of a sum of directly received vacuum field plus a scattered field that sums weighted vacuum spherical waves from each scatterer, is replaced by one in which renormalized fields containing part of the multiply scattered energy replace the vacuum fields. A first-order approximation in the renormalized equation is applied to bistatic (large-angle) scattering from weak random fluctuations of the permittivity in a distant volume, and to a sparse monodisperse distribution of isotropic particles to yield scattering cross sections with extended validity for the direct polarization. A similar correction is introduced for the cross polarization in the case of backscatter. Differences with other calculations are noted.
Mixed Beds for Selective Removal of Ammonium Carbonate in Dialysate

Abstract We have studied experimentally and theoretically the exchange of NH4 +, Na+, K+, Ca++, Mg++, and H+ ions in zeolite beds, weakly-acidic resin beds, and mixed beds of the zeolite and the resin. The zeolite is highly selective for NH4 + and K+, whereas the resin with carboxyl functional groups is highly selective for Ca++ and Mg++. The effluent histories of single exchanger beds can be well predicted by the Multicomponent Chromatography Theory developed by Helfferich and Klein (1970). These histories are mainly the result of ion competition for ion exchanger sites; they can not be adjusted to meet the goal that NH4 + ions are removed and simultaneously the pH and concentrations of all the major physiological cations are maintained at normal values. The effluent histories of mixed beds, on the other hand, can be adjusted. We have designed a mixed bed which can meet the goal except that for each equivalent of NH4 + removed, 0.3 equivalents of Na+ are returned. The effluent histories of K+ and NH4 + f...
THE STAGING OF EMOTION: A DRAMATURGICAL ANALYSIS*

Dramaturgical analysis is employed in a participant observation study of the emotional performances of fans, coaches and players at a college football game. The structure of the staging for emotional display is described, as is the phasing of people into sets of contextually appropriate performances. The phasing is seen to evolve from expectation for emotional experience, to diffuse emotional readiness, and finally to specific emotional displays. The staging and phasing are shown to be directed by cue-producing others and events which evoke rapidly shifting emotional expressions. The implications of the findings for contrived emotional settings other than footgall games are discussed.
Bias effects of socioeconomic status and sex in decision making in speech-language pathology.

Within the area of speech-language pathology there is a paucity of literature that specifically addresses the issue of bias in the referral, assessment, and placement of children in programs for th...