cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suspicion of child abuse complicating the diagnosis of bleeding disorders.

Bruising is common in childhood and may be an important indicator of abuse. Physicians must accurately differentiate bruises resulting from abuse and those resulting from accidents. Complicating this task is the occasional child with nontraumatic purpura or an atypical presentation of a bleeding disorder [1–3]. We report three children with bruising due to medical problems in whom the diagnosis of child abuse was pursued, resulting in delays in the diagnosis of the underlying disorders. The parents involved were convinced that there was a problem and sought additional diagnostic testing. These cases are presented, analyzed, and suggested techniques for a comprehensive evaluation of such patients are considered.
Utility of HHV8 RNA detection for differentiating Kaposi's sarcoma from its mimics.

Background: The diagnostic distinction of atypical vascular lesion or angiomatoid/hemosiderotic dermatofibroma and Kaposi's sarcoma can be difficult, especially in AIDS patients. Given the strong association between human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) and Kaposi's sarcoma, this study attempts to determine if HHV8 RNA detection by reverse transcription (RT) in situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) could help in differentiating these entities. Methods: Twenty-three Kaposi's sarcoma cases, 13 dermatofibromas, including 7 angiomatoid or hemosiderotic variants and eight atypical vascular lesions were tested for HHV8 by RT in situ PCR; five of the patients in the latter two groups were known to have AIDS. Results: HHV8 RNA was detected in each of the 23 cases considered on histologic grounds to represent Kaposi's sarcoma; viral RNA and DNA localized to the majority of the endothelial and stromal spindle cells. None of the cases of dermatofibroma were HHV8 positive, whereas two of the atypical vascular lesions were viral positive, leading to a final diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma. Conclusions: RT in situ PCR for HHV8 RNA is a useful tool in the differential diagnosis between Kaposi's sarcoma and its mimics.
Antimicrobial properties of some erucic acid-glycolic acid derivatives

Twelve fatty acid derivatives of glycolic acid containing erucic acid, or other selected vegetable oil fatty acids, were synthesized. These were screened for antimicrobial activity against a gram-positive bacterium,Staphylococcus aureus; a gram-negative bacterium,Escherichia coli; a mold,Penicillium notatum, and a yeast,Candida utilis. All of the compounds inhibited at least one of these organisms. These compounds were derivatives of glycolic acid prepared by esterification of the carboxyl function of glycolic acid with a long-chain fatty alcohol and reaction of the hydroxyl function of glycolic acid with a long-chain fatty acyl group.
Response of a general circulation model to a prescribed Antarctic ozone hole

Model simulation of the 'ozone hole' observed in Austral springtime indicates that the ozone depletion leads to a temperature decrease in the lower Antarctic stratosphere of ∼5 K in mid-October. The temporal evolution of the thermal balance in the control shows that weak upward motion occurs by mid-September and shows the temperature tendency is dominated by the net radiative heating through late September to November. When the ozone hole is imposed, downward motion persists through September to mid-October and the final warming in November is postponed.
The radicular lingual groove: an overlooked differential diagnosis

A periodontal abscess with symptoms simulating an endodontic problem is discussed. The diffculty of diagnosis, compounded by the apparent failure of endodontic treatment on an adjacent tooth, is described. This case history illustrates the importance of awareness of developmental defects in teeth and the potential problems that they pose.
Refinement and Discovery of New Hotspots of Copy-Number Variation Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rare copy-number variants (CNVs) have been implicated in autism and intellectual disability. These variants are large and affect many genes but lack clear specificity toward autism as opposed to developmental-delay phenotypes. We exploited the repeat architecture of the genome to target segmental duplication-mediated rearrangement hotspots (n = 120, median size 1.78 Mbp, range 240 kbp to 13 Mbp) and smaller hotspots flanked by repetitive sequence (n = 1,247, median size 79 kbp, range 3–96 kbp) in 2,588 autistic individuals from simplex and multiplex families and in 580 controls. Our analysis identified several recurrent large hotspot events, including association with 1q21 duplications, which are more likely to be identified in individuals with autism than in those with developmental delay (p = 0.01; OR = 2.7). Within larger hotspots, we also identified smaller atypical CNVs that implicated CHD1L and ACACA for the 1q21 and 17q12 deletions, respectively. Our analysis, however, suggested no overall increase in the burden of smaller hotspots in autistic individuals as compared to controls. By focusing on gene-disruptive events, we identified recurrent CNVs, including DPP10, PLCB1, TRPM1, NRXN1, FHIT, and HYDIN, that are enriched in autism. We found that as the size of deletions increases, nonverbal IQ significantly decreases, but there is no impact on autism severity; and as the size of duplications increases, autism severity significantly increases but nonverbal IQ is not affected. The absence of an increased burden of smaller CNVs in individuals with autism and the failure of most large hotspots to refine to single genes is consistent with a model where imbalance of multiple genes contributes to a disease state.
Study of slip mechanisms in a magnesium alloy by neutron diffraction and modeling

Abstract Internal strains within a polycrystalline magnesium alloy plate have been measured during tensile and compression testing in situ by neutron diffraction. Using an elasto-plastic self-consistent simulation code, information about the operation of slip and mechanical twinning modes as a function of strain has been obtained.
The proton shell closure at 14C

Abstract Data for the 14 C( 3 He, d) 15 N and 14 C(t, 4 He) 13 B reactions are compared to DWBA calculations to measure the spectroscopic factors for p 1 2 and p 3 2 proton transitions. Good fits are found for the stripping data, as well as to similar stripping data on 12 C. These results lower the previous value for proton p 3 2 hole strength in 14 C by a factor of two, indicating that the neutron closure of the p-shell has provided a very good proton closed shell at 14 C. Stripping results to low-lying positive parity states in 15 N are interpreted within a Nilsson scheme, which reproduces the experimental results, but which requires a large deformation for the s-d orbitals.
The total synthesis of (+)-payllanthostatin 2

Abstract The first total synthesis of the antitumor glycoside phyllanthostatin 2 ( 3 ) is reported utilizing a Mitsunobu glycosidation protocol to unite the disaccharide and aglycone moieties.
Rapid activation of ERK1/2 and AKT in human breast cancer cells by cadmium

Cadmium (Cd), an endocrine disruptor, can induce a variety of signaling events including the activation of ERK1/2 and AKT. In this study, the involvement of estrogen receptors (ER) in these events was evaluated in three human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and SK-BR-3. The Cd-induced signal activation patterns in the three cell lines mimicked those exhibited in response to 17 beta-estradiol. Specifically, treatment of MCF-7 cells, that express ER alpha, ER beta and GPR30, to 0.5-10 microM Cd for only 2.5 min resulted in transient phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Cd also triggered a gradual increase and sustained activation of AKT during the 60 min treatment period. In SK-BR-3 cells, that express only GPR30, Cd also caused a transient activation of ERK1/2, but not of AKT. In contrast, in MDA-MB-231 cells, that express only ER beta, Cd was unable to cause rapid activation of either ERK1/2 or AKT. A transient phosphorylation of ER alpha was also observed within 2.5 min of Cd exposure in the MCF-7 cells. While the estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182,780, did not prevent the effect of Cd on these signals, specific siRNA against hER alpha significantly reduced Cd-induced activation of ERK1/2 and completely blocked the activation of AKT. It is concluded that Cd, like estradiol, can cause rapid activation of ERK1/2 and AKT and that these signaling events are mediated by possible interaction with membrane ER alpha and GPR30, but not ER beta.
Calculations of Li-Ion Diffusion in Olivine Phosphates

Kinetic pathways of Li-ion diffusion in olivine phosphates are calculated from density functional theory (DFT). Previously reported theoretical diffusion rates for Li ions and vacancies in defect-free crystalline FePO4 and LiFePO4 are six orders of magnitude faster than experimentally measured values. This discrepancy can be resolved by considering the different components of Li kinetics, including diffusion in the bulk, on the surface, in the presence of defects, and in varying local environments. Using DFT+U, we quantify each of these effects and determine that, while bulk diffusion is affected by strain and Li concentration, these are not significant enough to explain the slow diffusion observed in experiment. However, surface diffusion is observed to have have high barriers, which could contribute to slow kinetics in nanostructured cathodes. Anti-site defects also provide a possible explanation for slow diffusion, but only for vacancy diffusion in LiFePO4, which has a barrier of 0.71 eV, compared to 0...
THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS HORSE SERUM FRACTIONS IN PRODUCING CARDIOVASCULAR AND RENAL LESIONS IN RABBITS

Five groups of 10 rabbits each were injected intravenously 2 times at 15 day intervals with either whole horse serum or one of its cold alcohol-precipitated fractions. Suitable serological and general observations were made at appropriate intervals before and after each injection. All animals were sacrificed on the 22nd day of the experiment. A study of the antemortem and pathological findings led to the following conclusions. 1. Allergie arteritis, valvulitis, and to a lesser degree, focal pericarditis, Aschoff-like nodules, and glomerulitis can be produced by several of the cold alcohol-precipitated fractions of horse serum as well as by whole serum. 2. Most of the acute arteritis was seen in rabbits receiving fraction V (albumin). These rabbits showed the largest amounts of circulating antigen, low antibody titers, low tissue sensitivity, and slight elevation in sedimentation rate and temperature. 3. There was a high incidence of chronic arteritis in the rabbits receiving fraction III which is almost devoid of albumin, suggesting that the alpha and beta globulins in addition to albumin may produce arteritis. 4. A state most nearly resembling that of acute rheumatic fever was produced by either fractions III or IV-3,4 (alpha and beta globulins). Pancarditis (pericarditis, Aschoff-like lesions, and valvulitis) was found relatively frequently. Many of the rabbits developed a high sedimentation rate, elevated temperature, and high tissue sensitivity, but little acute arteritis was found in this group. 5. Gamma globulin (fraction II) produced little reaction either in the antemortem determinations or histopathologically. 6. Glomerulitis of an acute necrotizing type was seen in a few rabbits without particular correlation to the fraction injected. 7. The frequency of involvement of heart valves in rabbit serum disease follows a pattern very similar to that of rheumatic heart disesae. 8. Attempts to correlate antemortem observations and pathological findings either on a group basis or for individual animals failed.
Synthesis of High Titer Infectious Prions with Cofactor Molecules

Recently, synthetic prions with a high level of specific infectivity have been produced from chemically defined components in vitro. A major insight arising from these studies is that various classes of host-encoded cofactor molecules such as phosphatidylethanolamine and RNA molecules are required to form and maintain the specific conformation of infectious prions. Synthetic mouse prions formed with phosphatidylethanolamine exhibit levels of specific infectivity ∼1 million-fold greater than "protein-only" prions (Deleault, N. R., Walsh, D. J., Piro, J. R., Wang, F., Wang, X., Ma, J., Rees, J. R., and Supattapone, S. (2012) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 109, E1938-E1946). Moreover, cofactor molecules also appear to regulate prion strain properties by limiting the potential conformations of the prion protein (see Deleault et al. above). The production of fully infectious synthetic prions provides new opportunities to study the mechanism of prion infectivity directly by structural and biochemical methods.
Bismarck, Crown Prince Frederick William, and the Hohenzollern candidacy revisited

>ABSTRACT Although historians have valuable information on the Hohernzollem candidacy for the Spanish throne which initiated the Franco‐Prussian war of 1870–71, Bismarck's motivation in the affair remains unclear. This article examines factors underemphasised by historians, especially the attitude of Crown Prince Frederick William toward the candidacy. Though critical of Bismarck's involvement in the origins of the wars of 1864 and 1866, the crown prince supported the candidacy and held that Bismarck did not initiate it with the intent of harming French interests. This new evidence indicates that the candidacy was not an instrument of war but a project that allowed Bismarck to keep his options open.
Mucosal gene expression profiles following the colonization of immunocompetent defined-flora C3H mice with Helicobacter bilis: a prelude to typhlocolitis

An aberrant immune response to the commensal microbiota is widely hypothesized to contribute to the development of inflammatory bowel disease. Helicobacter bilis colonization of defined-flora mice has been shown to trigger host immune responses to the commensal flora. However, the magnitude of the effects on mucosal homeostasis following colonization with H. bilis has not been determined. Using microarray analysis, differential gene expression within the cecal mucosa was assessed at 15, 30, or 45 days following H. bilis colonization using Affymetrix Genechips. H. bilis colonization induced marked upregulation of genes associated with protein metabolism, immune responses, and downregulation of genes associated with fatty acid metabolism and detoxification which peaked at 15 days postinfection. A set of genes associated with glycoprotein synthesis and detoxification including Fut2, B3galt5, Ceacam12, Cyp4b1, and Ugt8a were uniquely identified and found to be similarly expressed following the induction of typhlocolitis by dextran sodium sulfate or Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. This study provides preliminary evidence as to the types of factors or changes in the intestinal mucosa that potentially predispose the host to the development of typhlocolitis.
Effect of Elevated Free-Stream Turbulence on Transitional Heat Transfer Over Dual-Scaled Rough Surfaces

The surface roughness over a serviced turbine airfoil is usually multi-scaled with varying features that are difficult to be universally characterized. However, it was previously discovered in low freestream turbulence conditions that the height of larger roughness produces separation and vortex shedding, which trigger early transition and exert a dominant effect on flow pattern and heat transfer. The geometry of the roughness and smaller roughness scales played secondary roles. This paper extends the previous study to elevated turbulence conditions with free-stream turbulence intensity ranging from 0.2–6.0 percent. A simplified test condition on a flat plate is conducted with two discrete regions having different surface roughness. The leading edge roughness is comprised of a sandpaper strip or a single cylinder. The downstream surface is either smooth or covered with sandpaper of grit sizes ranging from 100 ∼ 40 (Ra = 37 ∼ 119 μm). Hot wire measurements are conducted in the boundary layer to study the flow structure. The results of this study verify that the height of the largest-scale roughness triggers an earlier transition even under elevated turbulence conditions and exerts a more dominant effect on flow and heat transfer than does the geometry of the roughness. Heat transfer enhancements of about 30 ∼ 40 percent over the entire test surface are observed. The vortical motion, generated by the backward facing step at the joint of two roughness regions, is believed to significantly increase momentum transport across the boundary layer and bring the elevated turbulence from the freestream towards the wall. No such long-lasting heat transfer phenomenon is observed in low FSTI cases even though vortex shedding also exists in the low turbulence cases. The heat transfer enhancement decreases, instead of increases, as the downstream roughness height increases.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Memristive devices in computing system: Promises and challenges

Memristive devices with a simple structure are not only very small but also very versatile, which makes them an ideal candidate used for the next generation computing system in the post-Si era. The working mechanism of the devices and a family of nanodevices built based on this working mechanism are introduced first followed by some proposed applications of these novel devices. The promises and challenges of these devices are then discussed, together with the significant progresses made recently in dealing with these challenges.
Saturn's vertical and latitudinal cloud structure 1991–2004 from HST imaging in 30 filters

Abstract We analyzed 134 images of Saturn taken by the Hubble Space Telescope between 1991 and 2004. The images cover wavelengths between 231 and 2370 nm in 30 filters. We combined some 10 million calibrated reflectivity measurements into 18,000 center-to-limb curves. We used the method of principal component analysis to find the main latitudinal and temporal variations in Saturn's atmosphere and their spectral characteristics. The first principal variation is a strong latitudinal variation of the aerosol optical depth in the upper troposphere. This structure shifts with Saturn's seasons, but the structure on small scales of latitude stays constant. The second principal variation is a variable optical depth of stratospheric aerosols. The optical depth is large at the poles and small at mid- and low latitudes with a steep gradient in-between. This structure remains essentially constant in time. The third principal variation is a variation in the tropospheric aerosol size, which has only shallow gradients with latitude, but large seasonal variations. Thus, aerosol sizes and their phase functions inferred at a particular season are not representative of Saturn's atmosphere at other seasons. Aerosols are largest in the summer and smallest in the winter. The fourth principal variation is a feature of the tropospheric aerosols with irregular latitudinal structure and fast variability, on the time scale of months. Spherical aerosols do not display the spectral characteristic of that feature. We suspect that variations in the shape of aerosols may play a role. We found a spectral feature of the imaginary index of aerosols, which darkens them near 400 nm wavelength. While we can describe Saturn's variations quite accurately, our presented model of Saturn's average atmosphere is still uncertain due to possible systematic offsets in methane absorption data and limitations of the knowledge about the shape of aerosols. In order to compare our results with those from comparable investigations, which used less than 30 filters, we fit models to spectral subsets of our data. We found very different best-fitting models, depending on the subset of filters, indicating a high sensitivity of results on the spectral sampling.
Platelet Mechanosensing of Collagen Matrices

During vascular injury, platelets adhere to exposed subendothelial proteins, such as collagen, on the blood vessel walls to trigger clot formation. Although the biochemical signalings of platelet-collagen interactions have been well characterized, little is known about the role microenvironmental biomechanical properties, such as vascular wall stiffness, may have on clot formation. To that end, we investigated how substrates of varying stiffness conjugated with the same concentration of Type I collagen affect platelet adhesion, spreading, and activation. Using collagen-conjugated polyacrylamide (PA) gels of different stiffnesses, we observed that platelets do in fact mechanotransduce the stiffness cues of collagen substrates, manifesting in increased platelet spreading on stiffer substrates. In addition, increasing substrate stiffness also increases phosphatidylserine exposure, a key aspect of platelet activation that initiates coagulation on the platelet surface. Mechanistically, these collagen substrate stiffness effects are mediated by extracellular calcium levels and actomyosin pathways driven by myosin light chain kinase but not Rho-associated protein kinase. Overall, our results improve our understanding of how the mechanics of different tissues and stroma affect clot formation, what role the increased vessel wall stiffness in atherosclerosis may directly have on thrombosis leading to heart attacks and strokes, and how age-related increased vessel wall stiffness affects hemostasis and thrombosis.
Let Us Rank Journalism Programs

Unlike law, business, and medical schools, as well as universities in general, journalism schools and journalism programs have rarely been ranked. Publishers such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Washington Monthly do not pay them much mind. What is the best journalism school in the country? The top ten undergraduate and graduate schools? It is impossible to know. That should change, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) should lead the way. It should develop a ranking system that would be helpful to anyone interested, especially because federal policy makers soon will rate universities overall on affordability and value.
Preconditioned resistance to oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced cortical neuronal death: alterations in vesicular GABA and glutamate release

Central neurons exposed to several types of sublethal stress, including ischemia, acquire resistance to injury induced by subsequent ischemic insults, a phenomenon called ischemic preconditioning. We modeled this phenomenon in vitro, utilizing exposure to 45 mM KCl to reduce the vulnerability of cultured murine cortical neurons to subsequent oxygen-glucose deprivation. Twenty-four hours after preconditioning, cultures exhibited enhanced depolarization-induced, tetanus toxin-sensitive GABA release and a modest decrease in glutamate release. Total cellular GABA levels were unaltered. Inhibition of GABA degradation with the GABA transaminase inhibitor (+/-)-gamma-vinyl GABA, or addition of low levels of GABA, muscimol, or chlormethiazole to the bathing medium, mimicked the neuroprotective effect of preconditioning against oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced death. However, neuronal death was enhanced by higher levels of these manipulations, as well as by prior selective destruction of GABAergic neurons by kainate. Finally, selective blockade of GABA(A) receptors during oxygen-glucose deprivation or removal of GABAergic neurons eliminated the neuroprotective effects of prior preconditioning. Taken together, these data predict that presynaptic alterations, specifically enhanced GABA release together with reduced glutamate release, may be important mediators of ischemic preconditioning, but suggest caution in regard to interventions aimed at increasing GABA(A) receptor activation.
Policies affecting women's employment in the formal sector: Strategies for change

Abstract Women's participation in the formal workforce is increasing in most developing countries, but work conditions, wages, and job security are declining. As governments retreat from policies designed to protect workers and enhance their employment, the special needs of women workers are neglected. International pressures for structural adjustment in developing economies have resulted in relaxation of labor laws, privatization of industry and services, and the encouragement of international investment. Joint action is called for among governments, donors, researchers, and labor activists. They should examine the job creation process for possible interventions in investment decisions and address the nature of labor laws, the extent of their application, and the ability of unions and other workers' organizations to lobby for effective defense of workers' rights.
Multi-input transient fuel control with auto-calibration

Most engine transient fuel control methods use the mass of injected fuel to drive the compensator dynamics. This works well in conventional engines because several other main factors that affect the fuel puddle, such as mass air-flow and manifold air pressure (MAP), are coupled closely with the injected fuel. In variable cam timing (VCT) engines, MAP and mass of injected fuel are decoupled to the point that they may move in opposite directions under certain conditions. To circumvent this problem we propose using MAP as the second input to compensate for fuel puddle dynamics. The structure of the new compensator is derived from a detailed model of the puddle dynamics. Further, we provide a method to automatically fit the new model and compensator parameters from dynamometer data. The model and compensator performance is illustrated by simulations and experiments.
NMR Studies of Dilute Alloys of Ni in Cu

We have studied the nuclear magnetic resonance of Cu atoms which are near neighbors to Ni atoms in dilute $\mathrm{Cu}$ Ni alloys. The experiments were performed at liquid-helium temperatures and at magnetic fields from 6 to 60 kG. The resonances show up as weak satellites to the main absorption of more distant Cu. By varying the magnetic field, we can show that several lines arise from a single shell of neighbors having a quadrupole coupling ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{1}=1.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ MHz, asymmetry parameter $\ensuremath{\eta}=0.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05$, and a magnetic shift $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}H}{H}=\ensuremath{-}0.27\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Comparing the quadrupole coupling with estimates made by B\'eal-Monod and Tompa for CuNi by measuring wipe-out number, we conclude the lines arise from first neighbors. The magnetic shift is smaller than we had previously observed for CuCo in almost exactly the ratio of the $\ensuremath{\chi}J$'s of the two impurities, where $\ensuremath{\chi}$ is the impurity susceptibility and $J$ is the $s\ensuremath{-}d$ exchange coupling.
Of contracts and subcontracts: Small firms in vertically dis-integrated production/distribution systems in LDCs

Abstract The increasing complexity in production and distribution which accompanies development provides opportunities for small firms to participate by undertaking a limited range of activities in vertically dis-integrated systems through subcontracting arrangements. In addition to reducing costs in particular activities, this facilitates the growth of production and distribution systems which are more complex than one integrated firm could manage or finance on its own. For this pattern to work, though, contracting difficulties arising from market imperfections must be overcome. Alternative ways used by Third World firms to solve these coordination problems are identified, and policy implications suggested.
Astronomical Imaging Investigations for Shuttle and Spacelab Missions

General objectives of space astronomical imagery are briefly examined, taking into account the improved angular resolution achievable in space observations, the utilization of an accessibility of the far ultraviolet spectral range for an easier detection and more accurate measurement of very hot stars, the determination of the structure and evolution of galaxies, and the determination of the cosmic distance scale. Attention is given to the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, the Spacelab Wide Angle Telescope, and the Starlab UV/optical telescope facility. It is pointed out that Starlab is envisioned as a multi-instrument, multi-purpose astronomical facility based on a near-diffraction-limited Ritchey-Chretien telescope of about 1 meter aperture and f/15 focal ratio. These resolutions are a factor of 10 better than typically achieved with ground-based telescopes.
Expression, Purification, and Characterization of a Recombinant 5-Lipoxygenase from Potato Tuber

We have isolated a full length 5-LOX cDNA clone from potato cDNA library using degenerate primers designed from conserved sequences of LOXs. Sequence analysis and comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed high homology to other plant LOXs. We have expressed the cDNA in Escherichia coli and purified the recombinant protein to electrophoretic homogeneity by anion exchange liquid chromatography followed by HPLC on a Mono-Q column. Substrate specificity of the purified recombinant protein revealed LOX activity towards linoleic, linolenic acid, arachidonic acids as substrates with linoleic acid being the best substrate. The relative LOX activity as well as the product profiles for the recombinant L1 5-LOX are comparable to values determined for the purified potato tuber 5-LOX. When the recombinant L1 5-LOX and the native peak-2 5-LOX (the most abundant isozyme) were compared on SDS-PAGE, single bands of apparently identical mass 97,000 Da, was observed, which agrees well with the L1 molecular mass calculated from amino acid sequences.
THE POLYAMINES OF Xanthium strumarium and THEIR RESPONSE TO PHOTOPERIOD

Flowering plants of Xanthium strumarium L., grown in 8 h photoperiods, were analysed for polyamines. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine were found throughout the plant in three forms: (a) as free polyamines; (b) conjugates soluble in 5% trichloracetic acid (TCA); and (c) bound to the TCA-insoluble precipitate. On a fresh weight basis, total polyamines are most abundant in young leaves and buds, especially flower buds. Spermidine predominates in the free polyamine fractions, while spermine is dominant in the conjugated fraction. Transfer of vegetative plants from 16 h photoperiods to 1, 2, 3, or 4 inductive cycles (8 h light + 16 h uninterrupted dark) caused rapid and marked changes in the polyamine titer of the leaves and ultimately, floral initiation. The titer of free putrescine per mg protein declined progressively with induction in all leaf sizes, while the titers of free spermidine and spermine rose during days 2 and 3 in small and expanding leaves. Conjugated putrescine, spermidine and spermine rose sharply after only 1 inductive cycle, especially in small and expanding leaves, and maintained the higher level for at least several cycles. In plants given 4 inductive cycles, buds harvested after 4 additional days had sharply elevated levels of conjugated polyamines, especially spermine, on a protein basis.
Coupled channel analysis of proton scattering from 19F

Abstract Elastic and inelastic differential cross sections measured for protons of incident energies 4.26, 5.96 and 6.87 MeV scattered from 19F are analysed using the adiabatic coupled channel (ACC) approximation. The scattering to the first two, positive-parity states ( 1 2 + and 5 2 + ) of the ground state rotational band are considered, the excitation of negative-parity states being negligibly weak. Using a quadrupole deformation β=0.37 determined from Coulomb excitation measurements, good fits to the 1 2 + and 5 2 + state differential cross sections are obtained by varying only the surface absorption potential with energy, all other parameters being fixed. Comparison with a spherical, optical-model analysis of the same data shows that the latter model overestimates the spin-orbit potential by a factor of 3 compared with the value obtained from the ACC analysis. The effect is related to the large deformation.
Effects of Composition, Orientation and Temperature on the O2 Permeability of Model Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites

Studies of the barrier properties of polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites have traditionally focused on systems with low organoclay contents, with very little work comparing theory and experiment over broad composition ranges. As a result, in spite of many reports of promising enhancements in barrier properties, the envelope of applicability nanocomposite barrier models is generally unknown, making predictive modeling and materials design difficult if not impossible. In this work, model polystyrene (PS)/dimethyl ditallow modified montmorillonite (DMDT-MMT) nanocomposites are produced via a novel spray casting technique capable of creating homogeneous, free-standing nanocomposite films. This approach provides a single experimental methodology for producing films of pure polymer, pure organoclay, or any intermediate composition, with consistently high levels of layer orientation in all cases. The results of oxygen permeation analysis (OPA) performed on these model materials (0−100 vol % organoclay in 10%...
On computing and implementing the running higher order statistics

The paper considers recursive bispectrum estimation using LTI filtering for time-average estimation of the third order cumulants. It is shown that by interchanging the order of time-average and Fourier transform, one of the filter poles can be first used to map the newly arrived time sample from the time-domain to the bispectrum-domain, The single pole-based recursive bispectrum estimate is then applied to the remaining filter singularities. The bispectrum estimate changes its characteristics as it is processed by each pole and zero. It is shown that cascade implementation of the time-averaging filter allows an easy access to distinct bispectrum estimators with different temporal-spectral resolution tradeoff. Systolic array implementation and simulations of the proposed form of recursive estimation are presented. >
Development economics and the compensation principle

How does development economics address the issue of gains and losses from the displacement that inevitably accompanies many development processes? This paper argues that economists have struggled mightily between the core criterion of a “Pareto improvement”, which vests individuals with infinite rights in their current standard of living, and its deeply conservative implications—both that it would prevent redistribution away from the rich, and that it would stop most projects from ever taking place. Where they have got to conceptually is a compromise, through using distributionally sensitive weights to evaluate the gains and losses of a project. In practice, however, systematic use of such weights in project appraisal or cost-benefit analysis is rare. Apart from advocating such use, which is true to the spirit of the conceptual position reached in economics, the paper argues that specific compensation mechanisms and generalised safety nets will reduce tensions between protecting the vulnerable and supporting projects that produce aggregate net benefits—including benefits for the vulnerable themselves.
GPS-based message broadcast for adaptive inter-vehicle communications

The intelligent transportation systems (ITS) use advanced communications and control technologies to improve current transportation systems. To achieve many ITS applications, the ability to exchange messages between vehicles is necessary. This is generally required as inter vehicle communication (IVC). IVC can be considered as a special case of ad hoc networks, where nodes only move along predefined road paths. We propose new broadcast protocols that make use of global positioning system (GPS) information to enhance the performance of broadcast service in IVC. The ability to efficiently broadcast messages is necessary for any communications in IVC (e.g, updating routing tables, etc). We propose two algorithms that effectively reduce the number of re-broadcast messages without affecting the number of hosts (vehicles) that receive the broadcast. The simulation results show up to several hundred percentage of bandwidth utilization improvement can be achieved by our proposed broadcast protocols.
Aggressive Coronary Artery Vasculopathy after Combined Heart–Lung Transplantation

Combined heart-lung transplantation remains as a treatment option for patients with cardiopulmonary failure. There is speculation that lung grafts protect the heart from developing graft vasculopathy after combined heart-lung transplantation. This protective mechanism is more likely, at best, a delay in the onset of coronary artery vasculopathy. We present our experiences in two cases of an aggressive form of cardiac allograft vasculopathy after combined heart-lung transplantation that resulted in the death of both patients.
Assessing Novice CAD Model Creation and Alteration

To allow for the efficient reuse of existing CAD models, design intent has to be clearly conveyed in the original design. A modeling and alteration exercise was implemented in a freshman class using NX to assess the CAD modeling procedures of novice CAD users. To analyze the effects of CAD model attributes on alteration time and procedure, the attributes of both the original and altered models were analyzed. A
Swarm coordination under conflict

We consider the conflict dynamics between two multi-agent swarms. First, the complex nature of a single pursuer attempting to intercept a single evader (1P-1E) is investigated, and some rudimentary rules of engagement are established. We elaborate on the stability repercussions of these rules. Second, we extend the modeling and stability analysis to multi-agent swarms. The present document considers only swarms with equal membership strengths for simplicity. Due to the strong nonlinearities in the dynamics, Lyapunov-based stability analysis is used. Swarm interactions are taken in two phases: the approach phase during which the two swarms act like individuals in the 1P-1E interaction; and the individual pursuit phase where each pursuer is assigned to an evader.
Stretching Single-Stranded DNA on a Surface

A sufficiently long strand of DNA bends and balls up, like any other polymer longer than its persistence length. The ability to stretch a DNA molecule lengthwise on a substrate has garnered a great deal of attention in the past several years. There has been notable success in stretching double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), but it is more difficult to stretch single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), both because of the very short persistence length and because it is very “sticky,” and attaches nonspecifically to surfaces. In this issue of Nano Letters, Woolley and Kelly present a new method for stretching single-stranded DNA strands on surfaces.
Antagonistic Rgg Regulators Mediate Quorum Sensing via Competitive DNA Binding in Streptococcus pyogenes

ABSTRACT Recent studies have established the fact that multiple members of the Rgg family of transcriptional regulators serve as key components of quorum sensing (QS) pathways that utilize peptides as intercellular signaling molecules. We previously described a novel QS system in Streptococcus pyogenes which utilizes two Rgg-family regulators (Rgg2 and Rgg3) that respond to neighboring signaling peptides (SHP2 and SHP3) to control gene expression and biofilm formation. We have shown that Rgg2 is a transcriptional activator of target genes, whereas Rgg3 represses expression of these genes, and that SHPs function to activate the QS system. The mechanisms by which Rgg proteins regulate both QS-dependent and QS-independent processes remain poorly defined; thus, we sought to further elucidate how Rgg2 and Rgg3 mediate gene regulation. Here we provide evidence that S. pyogenes employs a unique mechanism of direct competition between the antagonistic, peptide-responsive proteins Rgg2 and Rgg3 for binding at target promoters. The highly conserved, shared binding sites for Rgg2 and Rgg3 are located proximal to the −35 nucleotide in the target promoters, and the direct competition between the two regulators results in concentration-dependent, exclusive occupation of the target promoters that can be skewed in favor of Rgg2 in vitro by the presence of SHP. These results suggest that exclusionary binding of target promoters by Rgg3 may prevent Rgg2 binding under SHP-limiting conditions, thereby preventing premature induction of the quorum sensing circuit. IMPORTANCE Rgg-family transcriptional regulators are widespread among low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria and in many cases contribute to bacterial physiology and virulence. Only recently was it discovered that several Rgg proteins function in cell-to-cell communication (quorum sensing [QS]) via direct interaction with signaling peptides. The mechanism(s) by which Rgg proteins mediate regulation is poorly understood, and further insight into Rgg function is anticipated to be of great importance for the understanding of both regulatory-network architecture and intercellular communication in Rgg-containing species. The results of this study on the Rgg2/3 QS circuit of S. pyogenes demonstrate that DNA binding of target promoters by the activator Rgg2 is directly inhibited by competitive binding by the repressor Rgg3, thereby preventing transcriptional activation of the target genes and premature induction of the QS circuit. This is a unique regulatory mechanism among Rgg proteins and other peptide-responsive QS regulators.
Malnutrition and the Role of the Soft Drink Industry in Improving Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

Undernutrition is the single largest risk factor for disease and global child mortality, according to the World Health Organization. In childhood, growth is the most important indicator of health with undernutrition, or an inadequate intake of nutrients, resulting in underweight, wasting, or stunting.1 Improving the world's nutrition is viewed as the most effective form of international aid.2 The effects of undernutrition on childhood growth and development in the first 2 years of life are irreversible. Exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, adequate nutrient intake by pregnant women, and micronutrient supplementation are viewed as some of best preventive measures to reduce the incidence of undernutrition in children younger than 5 years.2 In the developing world, centralized fortification programs are being developed to address the most commonplace micronutrient deficiencies including vitamin A, iodine, and iron deficiencies.3 The most desired foods for fortification include foodstuffs that the majority of the population regularly consumes, particularly those at greater risk for deficiencies. Vehicles for fortification include wheat flour, maize meal, salt, sugar, and cooking oil. Some African countries have already attained high levels of iodized-salt coverage, and Nigeria and South Africa have begun an iron-fortification program with wheat flour.3 The long-term goal of fortification programs is to fortify multiple staples to have the greatest impact on raising micronutrient levels. Some fortification programs have been shown to have some success, including iron-fortified foods that have resulted in a 70% reduction in the prevalence of anemia in school-aged children and an increase in hemoglobin concentrations by 7.4 g/L in children provided with iron-fortified foods in comparison with control-group children.4 In Central America, vitamin A–fortified sugar contributes to more than 50% of the vitamin intake in preschool-aged children.5 However, one of the greatest roadblocks to successful African food-fortification programs is the limited … Address correspondence to Janet M. Wojcicki, PhD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, 500 Parnassus Ave, MU 4-East, Box 0136, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0136. E-mail: wojcicki{at}gmail.com
Patient-centered interventions to improve medication management and adherence: A qualitative review of research findings

Objective Patient-centered approaches to improving medication adherence hold promise, but evidence of their effectiveness is unclear. This review reports the current state of scientific research around interventions to improve medication management through four patient-centered domains: shared decision-making, methods to enhance effective prescribing, systems for eliciting and acting on patient feedback about medication use and treatment goals, and medication-taking behavior.
Circadian Rhythms in Drosophila: A Connections Map

Genetic and biochemical experiments over the past decade have allowed the construction of a viable working model for the molecular mechanisms underlying circadian rhythm generation in Drosophila . The basic mechanism consists of two intertwined transcription-translation negative feedback loops. One loop--the "positive loop"--controls the rhythmic expression of a Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS)-domain-containing positive transcription factor, Clock. The second loop--the "negative loop"--controls the transcription of period and timeless , two genes encoding repressor proteins. The loops are intertwined because Period and Timeless directly repress transcription mediated by the Clock:Cycle heterodimer, whereas Clock:Cycle drives transcription of period and timeless , as well as that of vrille , a repressor of Clock expression. Other proteins, including kinases encoded by doubletime , shaggy , Andante , and Timekeeper , also have essential functions in the timekeeping mechanism. Light cycles can synchronize the Drosophila circadian pathway by directly stimulating Cryptochrome-dependent degradation of Timeless. This Pathway Map of the Drosophila circadian mechanism describes the individual known components of the fly circadian clock and their mutual interactions. An accompanying animation schematizes the dynamic interactions of the different components. Science Viewpoint R. N. Van Gelder, E. D. Herzog, W. J. Schwartz, P. H. Taghert, Circadian rhythms: In the loop at last. Science 300 , 1534-1535 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]
Adenosine Phosphate Hydrolases in Cell Fractions of Vitreoscilla

Bound, soluble, and whole-cell fractions of two strains of the gliding bacterium Vitreoscilla were found to contain two enzymes capable of hydrolyzing adenosine phosphates: a Mg(++)-activated adenosine triphosphatase with a temperature optimum of 37 C, and a Mg(++)-activated adenosine diphosphatase with a temperature optimum of 55 C. Both enzymes had an optimal pH response between 8.5 and 9.5. Maximal activation was achieved at an ionic strength of 0.2 for the adenosine triphosphatase and at 0.3 to 0.4 for the adenosine diphosphatase. Preliminary studies indicated a molecular weight of approximately 50,000 for the adenosine diphosphatase and a molecular weight greater than 60,000 for the adenosine triphosphatase. Comparisons are made with previously reported characteristics of these enzymes in other bacteria, and a hypothesis is offered as to the role these enzymes have in the gliding mechanism.
Cost-effective diffuse reflectance spectroscopy device for quantifying tissue absorption and scattering in vivo

A hybrid optical device that uses a multimode fiber coupled to a tunable light source for illumination and a 2.4-mm photodiode for detection in contact with the tissue surface is developed as a first step toward our goal of developing a cost-effective, miniature spectral imaging device to map tissue optical properties in vivo. This device coupled with an inverse Monte Carlo model of reflectance is demonstrated to accurately quantify tissue absorption and scattering in tissue-like turbid synthetic phantoms with a wide range of optical properties. The overall errors for quantifying the absorption and scattering coefficients are 6.0±5.6 and 6.1±4.7%, respectively. Compared with fiber-based detection, having the detector right at the tis- sue surface can significantly improve light collection effi- ciency, thus reducing the requirement for sophisticated detectors with high sensitivity, and this design can be eas- ily expanded into a quantitative spectral imaging system for mapping tissue optical properties in vivo. © 2008 Society