cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gravitational perturbation theory for intersatellite tracking

An analytical gravitational perturbation theory for the intersatellite tracking range and range-rate measurement between two satellites is developed. The satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) range data measure the difference between the position perturbations of two satellites along the direction of the intersatellite range. The SST range-rate data measure the difference between the velocity perturbations along the direction of the intersatellite range, and the difference of the position perturbation along the direction perpendicular to the intersatellite range (cross-range). The SST range and range rate depend on different orbital excitations for mapping the gravity field. For the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), approximately 97% of the geopotential coefficient pairs produce perturbations with a root-mean-square larger than 1 m on the range and 0.1 m/sec on the range rate based on the EGM96 gravity field truncated at degree and order 140. Results in this study showed that ocean tides produce significant perturbations in the range and range-rate measurements. An ocean tide field with a higher degree and order (>70) is required to model the ocean tide perturbations on the intersatellite range and range-rate measurement.
Block of single acetylcholine-activated channels in chick myotubes by alkylguanidines.

The mechanism of block of single acetylcholine-activated channels by alkylguanidines was studied by means of the gigaohm seal, patch clamp technique on chick myotubes.
Using Excel to estimate parameters from observed data: An example from source memory data

We present an application, using Excel, that can solve best-fitting parameters for multinomial models. Multinomial modeling has become increasingly popular and can be used in a variety of domains, such as memory, perception, and other domains in which processes are assumed to be dissociable. We offer an application that can be used for a variety of psychological models and can be used on both PC and Macintosh platforms. We illustrate the use of our program by analyzing data from a source memory experiment.
Efficacy over time of LHRH analogs in the treatment of PCa--a prospective analysis using serum testosterone to determine dosing intervals.

Objectives To examine the duration of serum testosterone and prostate-specific antigen suppression after each dose of a 4-month depot leuprolide acetate for 18 months and to assess the potential for using serum testosterone as a guide for redosing the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs instead of using fixed dosing intervals. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs are well established for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). However, many open questions remain regarding the optimal dosing. Methods Thirteen patients with PCa were enrolled in a longitudinal study. Serum testosterone levels were obtained at baseline and then monthly beginning 4 months after the first injection and every 2 months after the subsequent injections, for a total of 18 months. The median number of days from injection to the first serum testosterone level ≥50 ng/dL was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. Results The median duration of effect was 159, 189, and 163 days for the first, second, and third treatment cycle, respectively. The prostate-specific antigen values from entry to completion decreased in all subjects. The total number of injections was reduced in all but one subject who completed the 18-month trial. One patient developed hormone-refractory PCa. Conclusions Serum testosterone measurement might be a useful method for redosing luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs. Using testosterone levels to determine the time of reinjection has a significant economic impact. Monitoring serum testosterone not only helps to identify patients who fail to achieve testosterone suppression but also provides close monitoring for the potential development of hormone-refractory PCa.
Rhythms of temperature selection and body temperature are out of phase in the golden hamster

Body temperature, locomotor activity, and thermoregulatory behavior of freely moving golden hamsters maintained in a spatial thermocline were measured over several weeks. The thermoregulatory behavior of temperature selection exhibited a robust daily rhythm 180 degrees out of phase with the rhythms of body temperature and locomotor activity. However, the parameters of the body temperature rhythm (rhythmicity, mean level, and amplitude) were not significantly affected by the thermoregulatory behavior. Although the observed phase difference between the rhythms of temperature selection and body temperature might suggest that thermoregulatory behavior is modulated to oppose (rather than to defend) the rhythm of body temperature, the absence of effect of temperature selection on the parameters of the body temperature rhythm fails to reveal the physiological significance of such opposition. Further studies are necessary to establish the physiological significance of the rhythm of temperature selection.
Using UML Profile and OCL to Impose Regulatory Requirements on Safety-Critical System

Design a Safety critical system that satisfies all regulatory requirements is a challenging issue facing the software engineering community. In the medical systems industry, all medical devices must pass the FDA pre-market review before a new product can be deployed to the market because the FDA regulators need to ensure such new products are safe and reliable. Therefore, how to evaluate if a medical system satisfies all regulatory requirements becomes an important issue in the medical device industry. In this paper, we propose a novel profile which imposes the regulatory requirements for the generic insulin infusion pump (GIIP) example. This profile can be applied to different designs to aid the system designers in validating whether the specific design considers the regulatory requirements or not. The main contribution of our approach is that, we help the insulin infusion manufacturers to consider all the relevant regulatory requirements and also provide a mechanism for further validation. Once we deploy our profile to the industry, the insulin infusion pump manufacturers can validate whether their designs consider all the regulatory requirements. This is a fundamental step towards further validating whether a design satisfies the FDA regulatory requirements on the generic insulin infusion pump.
Ethnic aging in Canada and the United States: A comparison of social policy

Abstract Most research on ethnic aging in the U.S. has been dominated conceptually and empirically by a narrow focus on the economically disadvantaged minority aged. Despite the monopoly of the research agenda by “visible minorities,” the U.S. has witnessed declining participation of these groups in federally funded programs for the aged, and optimal policy solutions remain elusive. Heuristically, Canada provides a useful comparison because although the two countries have striking similarities, Canada has carried out research on ethnic aging that focuses on cultural variation rather than economic disadvantage, and has in its policies, responded to demographic change with significantly different values and social structures for health care, income maintenance and the accommodation of ethnic minorities. Canada's preference for universal health care and income maintenance systems, and a “multicultural mosaic” rather than melting pot philosophy of ethnic relations would suggest that the ethnic aged might fare better under the Canadian system. Nevertheless, the evidence indicates that Canadian policy may be more ideologically, than practically distinct from the U.S. equivalent.
Notochord regulates cardiac lineage in zebrafish embryos.

Abstract We focus here upon regulation by the notochord of myocardial cell fate in zebrafish. Myocardial precursors, defined by lineage tracing in the living embryo, are in the lateral plate mesoderm adjacent to the notochord-prechordal plate junction. Interestingly, the anterior end of the notochord corresponds to the posterior extent of the heart progenitor field, defined by this lineage analysis. This suggested that the notochord might suppress, or the prechordal plate might enhance, the cardiogenic fate.Nkx2.5expression is, in the zebrafish embryo, closely correlated with the position of myocardial precursors, which reside adjacent to the notochord–prechordal plate junction. This expression, however, is extinguished in the region posterior to this junction, a region normally not contributing cells to the heart. Laser ablation of the notochord tip between the 4-somite and 12-somite stage causes posterior expansion of theNkx2.5-expressing region. Thentlmutation of the notochord is associated with posterior extension ofNkx2.5expression. Lineage tracking, by laser activation of caged fluoresceinated dextran, confirms that, normally, lateral plate cells next to the notochord do not contribute progeny to the heart. After anterior notochord ablation, these cells are redirected to a heart cell fate. These data suggest that the anterior notochord delimits the posterior extent of the heart field by suppressing the heart cell fate.
Amiodarone and the thyroid.

ABSTRACT Objective To review the amiodarone-associated alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism and thyroid function and compare them with the effects of inorganic iodide. To clarify the pathophysiologic features and treatment of amiodarone-associated hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis. Summary Amiodarone, an iodinated benzofuran, is an important antianginal and antiarrhythmic medication. It also alters thyroid hormone metabolism and may precipitate hypothyrodism or hyperthyroidism. Amiodarone-associated hypothyroidism (AAH) is similar to iodine-induced hypothyroidism. Amiodarone-associated thyrotoxicosis (AAT) has a complex pathophysiology. Type I AAT is due to increased thyroid hormone synthesis and release and occurs in patients with multinodular goiter or Graves’ disease. Therapeutic interventions may include discontinuation of amiodarone, thionamide therapy, perchlorate, or surgery. In type II AAT, hyperthyroidism is the consequence of a destructive thyroiditis with release of preformed thyroid hormone. Prednisone therapy is the treatment of choice. The distinction between these two entities is of considerable clinical and therapeutic importance. (Endocr Pract. 1998;4:48-57)
A novel antibacterial resin composite for improved dental restoratives

A novel furanone-containing antibacterial resin composite has been prepared and evaluated. compressive strength (CS) and Streptococcus mutans viability were used to evaluate the mechanical strength and antibacterial activity of the composites. The modified resin composites showed a significant antibacterial activity without substantially decreasing the mechanical strengths. With 5-30 % addition of the furanone derivative, the composite kept its original CS unchanged but showed a significant antibacterial activity with a 16-68 % reduction in the S. mutans viability. Further, the antibacterial function of the new composite was not affected by human saliva. The aging study indicates that the composite may have a long-lasting antibacterial function. Within the limitations of this study, it appears that the experimental antibacterial resin composite may potentially be developed into a clinically attractive dental restorative due to its high mechanical strength and antibacterial function.
Chan chan: andean alternative of the preindustrial city.

I have discussed Chan Chan in terms of its political and economic characteristics because state organization had a pervasive impact on the growth and structure of the settlement. In this sense the capital of Chimor resembles Cuzco the Inca capital ( 1 ). Both metropolitan centers served as seats of Andean empires governed by noble classes headed by members of royal dynasties. Each state relied on a system of labor taxation and controlled the production, collection, and redistribution of goods. These political and economic institutions gave the sites distinctive but parallel forms. First, the settlements were large, containing a great deal of monumental architecture, but size and construction do not reflect substantial populations because building was done by nonresident work forces. Second, the urban proletariat were relatively few in numbers and composed of retainers or service personnel at Cuzco, as well as craftsmen and artisans at Chan Chan. Third, civic facilities were intended to serve the aristocracy and the state, not the common citizenry because these were governmental, not folk or popular, centers. And, fourth, palaces tied up a great amount of urban space because each monarch built his own seat of government during life and this became a monument to his name after death. In conclusion, I cannot say Chan Chan and Cuzco are necessarily typical of other prehistoric population centers in the region because these centers are little studied. I can, however, say Chan Chan was distinct from the preindustrial cities of Europe and Mesopotamia, but this is not surprising because the capital of Chimor was the product of distinctly Andean cultural institutions.
Analysis of the relationship between temperature dependence of the libration mode and dielectric relaxation in NaNO2

Abstract The behavior of the low frequency dielectric constant of NaNO 2 as function of frequency and temperature is consistently correlated to the temperature behavior of the frequencies and linewidths of the phonons of B 1 symmetry in the crystal. The frequency of the librational ‘soft’ mode closely related to the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition does not go to zero but tends to a hard core value at the transition temperature. The behavior of the dielectric constant as function of temperature and frequency is explained by assuming a dielectric relaxation mechanism proposed by Mason and not by Cochran's soft phonon model.
Imaging of colloidal deposits in granular porous media by X-ray difference micro-tomography

[1] High resolution synchrotron-based X-ray computed microtomography (X-CMT) was used to identify the morphology of colloidal deposits formed in porous media. We show that difference microtomography - whereby a tomographic reconstruction is performed across an absorption edge - provides valuable information on the nature and location of the aggregates formed by the deposition of colloidal particles. Column experiments were performed using an idealized porous medium consisting of glass beads through which colloidal ZrO2 particles were transported. Tomographic reconstructions of the porous medium and of the aggregate structure provide an unique opportunity to observe colloidal particle deposits and of their morphology. These results show that the local pore geometry controls particle deposition and that deposits tend to form in a rather heterogeneous manner in the porous medium.
Geo-neutrino review

Abstract The principal source of energy for dynamic processes of the earth, such as plate tectonics is thought to come from the radioactive decays of 238 U, 232 Th, and 40 K within the earth. These decays produce electron-antineutrinos, so-called geo-neutrinos, the measurement of which near the earthʼs surface allows for a direct measure of the total radiogenic heat production in the earth. The KamLAND and Borexino experiments have both measured a geo-neutrino flux significantly greater than zero. As shown in these proceedings, more precise future measurements will significantly constrain earth composition models.
FIELD STUDY OF SHREDDED-TIRE EMBANKMENT

Interim data from the ongoing field study of an experimental shredded-tire embankment constructed near Williamsburg, Virginia, are presented. Approximately 1.7 million shredded tires, mixed with a conventional fill material, were used. The results to date indicate that the settlements are somewhat larger than usual in the embankment, but there are no problems with stability. Groundwater monitoring showed no abnormal concentrations. Infrared scans reveal no signs of a potential exothermic reaction in the embankment core.
A Characterization of Domination Reducible Graphs

We introduce a hereditary class of domination reducible graphs where the minimum dominating set problem is polynomially solvable, and characterize this class in terms of forbidden induced subgraphs.
Disability Case Studies: Learning to Include All Students

(2000). Disability Case Studies: Learning to Include All Students. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 71, No. 4, pp. 37-41.
Serotonin polymorphisms and posttraumatic stress disorder in a trauma exposed African American population.

Background: Genetic polymorphisms that influence serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) neurotransmission are candidates for contributing to susceptibility to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The objective of our study was to determine if a variable length polymorphism for the promoter regions of the 5HT transporter (5HTTLPR), and/or a substitution polymorphism in the promoter region for the 5HT2A receptor, would be associated with PTSD in a trauma exposed population of adult African-Americans. Methods: Using a case control design, 118 participants recruited from the primary care clinics and the campus of a historically black university who met inclusion criteria including trauma exposure provided blood samples for genomic DNA. PTSD criteria were determined by the Clinician Assessment of PTSD Scale (CAPS) and criteria for other psychiatric disorders by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). 5HTTLPR and 5HT2A-1438A/G were genotyped using established methods. Associations of genotypes with lifetime PTSD, and models testing associations of allele “dose”, were analyzed. Results: Fifty-five (47%) participants met lifetime criteria for PTSD and 26 (22%) met criteria for (mostly comorbid) major depression. The 5HT2A (lower expressing) G allele was significantly associated with PTSD. We did not find significant associations with 5HTTLPR. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a relationship between genetic variation in the 5HT2A promoter region and PTSD. Depression and Anxiety 26:993–997, 2009. Published 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Retransplantation in the diabetic patient with a pancreas allograft

Background Retransplantation has been considered a risk factor for both postoperative complications and diminished graft survival, especially in diabetic patients. Methods A retrospective survey was performed of a consecutive case series of 196 pancreas transplants in 186 diabetic patients. All patients underwent whole organ pancreas transplantation with bladder drainage. Results A total of 33 pancreas transplants (17%) in 30 patients were performed after previous transplant. The mean interval between transplants was 3.9 years. At the time of retransplantation, 16 patients had concomitant procedures. Venous extension grafts were used in 10 patients. The mean length of initial hospital stay was 19.5 days, and mean hospital charges were approximately $125,000. The incidences of rejection, infection, and operative complications were 61%, 67%, and 45%, respectively. Patient survival was 90%, kidney graft survival was 82%, and pancreas graft survival was 61 % after a mean follow-up of 29 months. Complete rehabilitation was achieved in 73% of cases. Conclusions Pancreas transplantation after previous transplant is a challenging but safe treatment that often requires concomitant procedures, the use of vascular extension grafts, and atypical placement of the allograft. However, the good results justify an aggressive policy of re-transplantation in the diabetic patient either with a failed allograft or functioning kidney transplant.
Rereading Man's Conquest of Nature: Skill, Myths, and the Historical Construction of Masculinity in Western Extractive Industries

Writers, folklorists, historians, and others have long highlighted the gendered heritage of the American West, a region that one popular scribe has called the “He-Man Land.” Male workers in the West's extractive industries participated in the construction of these masculine ideals, but did so in ways that emphasized the acquisition of skill in the work-place. A manly worker was a skilled worker, one who could demonstrate the experience, ability, and ingenuity needed to accomplish a job. Occupational language, shop floor culture, rituals, storytelling, and folklore all reflected workers' belief in skill, not brute strength, as the defining characteristic of their manliness.
Antioxidant Effect of Riboflavin Tetrabutylate in Emulsions

The antioxidant effects of riboflavin tetrabutylate in emulsions in the dark and under irradiation were studied, as was the effect of racemic (rac) α-tocopherol on the antioxidant action. Riboflavin tetrabutylate had an antioxidant effect in the dark, but an oxidative effect when irradiated, perhaps because the activated oxygen and hydrogen peroxide produced induced lipid peroxidation. The effect of racα-tocopherol on the antioxidant action of riboflavin tetrabutylate was synergistic in the dark. The results showed that riboflavin tetrabutylate was satisfactory as an antioxidant when the emulsion was protected from light and that the effect was increased by the addition of racα-tocopherol.
Growth in the Robinson–Solow–Srinivasan model: Undiscounted optimal policy with a strictly concave welfare function

Abstract In a special case of a model due to Robinson, Solow and Srinivasan, we characterize the optimal policy function (OPF) for undiscounted optimal growth with a strictly concave felicity function. This characterization is based on an equivalence of optimal and minimum value-loss programs that allows an extension of the principal results of dynamic programming. We establish monotonicity properties of the OPF, and obtain sharper characterizations when restrictions on the marginal rate of transformation are supplemented by sufficient conditions on the “degree of concavity” of the felicity function. We show that important similarities and intriguing differences emerge between the linear and strictly concave cases as the marginal rate of transformation moves through its range of possible values.
A common theme for IT degree programs

Effective IT curricula balances tradition with innovation. One way to enhance that balance is to examine the common threads in the various knowledge areas.
How to interpret an ancient landscape

Perhaps as a foil to postmodern anthropology and geography, a seemingly increased percentage of publications examining material-grounded human ecological relationships have championed a highly deterministic view of the environment (1, 2). Rather than evolving with newly accessed data and methods for their retrieval, several pioneers of human ecology and their students continue to argue for an altered biophysical environment without assessing the changes, sometimes subtle, in societal structures (3, 4). The article by Fisher et al. (5) in this issue of PNAS takes on that tired perspective of human ecology and implicitly demonstrates the necessity of economy: how humans make a living and structure their activities to achieve that living (6). Although the report focuses on a relatively small ancient west-Mexican society, it sets the stage for deconstructing the determinism of human ecology, the view that human society both impacts and is impacted by the environment based on the same suite of physical forces that dictate changes in the natural world, a biophysical environment less subject to the different socioeconomic and sociopolitical organizational strategies practiced by humans. Although the biophysical environment remains fundamental, it is necessarily contextualized by culture.
Mechanically Throwing a Reaction into Reverse

When synthetic chemists are confronted with sluggish chemical transformations, they typically try to make the reaction go faster by increasing the temperature, pumping in more photons, or turning to specially designed catalysts. In many cases, these solutions also lead to unwanted side products that waste valuable reactants, which has led to a search for simpler strategies for speeding up chemical reactions. On page 1606 of this issue, Brantley et al. ( 1 ) report the selective activation of covalent bonds through mechanical force and observed totally different reactivity compared with thermal or photochemical activation of the same reaction. By pushing, or in this case literally pulling, the reactions down different pathways, they explore novel concepts for synthesizing organic molecules.
Paradigms Revisited: Productionism, Globality, and Postmodernity in Comparative Politics

Inspired by a seminal essay of Albert O. Hirschman, as well as by the ongoing debate on the empirical foundations of social science, this article "revisits" (1) the paradigm concept popularized by T. S. Kuhn in the 1960s and (2) the relationship between probabilistic and "possibilistic" modes of theorizing that has acquired renewed relevance in comparative politics mainly with respect to recent theories of democratization and development. It does so by reviewing three major paradigm crises in modern political science: the shift from the Aristotelian polis to the social "system," the refocusing of political explanations from the social to the global environment, and the contemporary attempts to reevaluate the role of technology in political change. The review takes stock of the record of the discipline of comparative politics, of opportunities provided by paradigm shifts, seized upon or missed by the discipline. It also allows one to seek a more even balance between the potential utility and limitations of the paradigm concept, while at the same time pointing to the perils of divorcing the art of the possible from the laws of probability.
Insights from the Sea: Structural Biology of Marine Polyketide Synthases

Covering: up to the end of 2011 The world's oceans are a rich source of natural products with extremely interesting chemistry. Biosynthetic pathways have been worked out for a few, and the story is being enriched with crystal structures of interesting pathway enzymes. By far, the greatest number of structural insights from marine biosynthetic pathways has originated with studies of curacin A, a poster child for interesting marine chemistry with its cyclopropane and thiazoline rings, internal cis double bond, and terminal alkene. Using the curacin A pathway as a model, structural details are now available for a novel loading enzyme with remarkable dual decarboxylase and acetyltransferase activities, an Fe2+/α-ketoglutarate-dependent halogenase that dictates substrate binding order through conformational changes, a decarboxylase that establishes regiochemistry for cyclopropane formation, and a thioesterase with specificity for β-sulfated substrates that lead to terminal alkene offloading. The four curacin A pathway dehydratases reveal an intrinsic flexibility that may accommodate bulky or stiff polyketide intermediates. In the salinosporamide A pathway, active site volume determines the halide specificity of a halogenase that catalyzes for the synthesis of a halogenated building block. Structures of a number of putative polyketide cyclases may help in understanding reaction mechanisms and substrate specificities although their substrates are presently unknown.
Regulation of Na+ reabsorption by the aldosterone-induced small G protein K-Ras2A

Xenopus laevis A6 cells were used as model epithelia to test the hypothesis that K-Ras2A is an aldosterone-induced protein necessary for steroid-regulated Na(+) transport. The possibility that increased K-Ras2A alone is sufficient to mimic aldosterone action on Na(+) transport also was tested. Aldosterone treatment increased K-Ras2A protein expression 2.8-fold within 4 h. Active Ras is membrane associated. After aldosterone treatment, 75% of K-Ras was localized to the plasma membrane compared with 25% in the absence of steroid. Aldosterone also increased the amount of active (phosphorylated) mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase likely through K-Ras2A signaling. Steroid-induced K-Ras2A protein levels and Na(+) transport were decreased with antisense K-ras2A oligonucleotides, showing that K-Ras2A is necessary for the natriferic actions of aldosterone. Aldosterone-induced Na(+) channel activity, was decreased from 0.40 to 0.09 by pretreatment with antisense ras oligonucleotide, implicating the luminal Na(+) channel as one final effector of Ras signaling. Overexpression of K-Ras2A increased Na(+) transport approximately 2.2-fold in the absence of aldosterone. These results suggest that aldosterone signals to the luminal Na(+) channel via multiple pathways and that K-Ras2A levels are limiting for a portion of the aldosterone-sensitive Na(+) transport.
Relative sea levels of Japan from tide-gauge records

We attempted to separate tectonic, ocean-ographic, and eustatic components of change in relative sea levels derived from the many tide-gauge records of Japan acquired during the past 50 yr. A modified eigenanalysis permitted use of station data of unequal lengths. Regression analysis and eigenanalysis revealed systematic spatial differences in relative sea-level rise of ∼25 mm/yr. Although the difference is too great to be solely eustatic in origin, data are insufficient to permit accurate separation of tectonic and eustatic effects on relative sea levels. The low-frequency patterns (periods longer than 50 yr) may have been derived from subduction of the Pacific and Philippine plates beneath Japan. Higher frequencies (12-, 6-, and 2-yr periods) are correlated with oceanographic factors such as shifts in the position of the Kuroshio and the El Nino/Southern Oscillation. The contours of relative change in sea levels provide convincing evidence that neither a single nor several Japanese tide gauges can be selected to authentically demote present or past eustatic sea-level rise.
Chronological age modifies the microscopic remodeling process in viable cardiac tissue after infarction

To define the impact of age on microscopic structural remodeling after myocardial infarction, the physical properties of infarct scar tissue and viable remote zone tissues in young (3 months) and older adult (18 months) Fischer rats were quantified with the use of high-frequency (50 MHz) high-resolution acoustic microscopy 3 months after coronary artery occlusion. We observed that integrated backscatter increased by 100% in the viable zones of old animals after infarction, but remained relatively unaffected in the same regions of younger animals. Mathematical models of myocardial scattering behavior indicated that a 25% increase in stiffness of the extracellular matrix materials in viable zones likely occurred in the older animals. Alterations in gross tissue collagen content were not responsible for this increased stiffness. These observations are compatible with the hypothesis that progressive age-related changes in the quality of the collagen (e.g., excessive age-related crosslinking) rather than its amount per se may have altered the stiffness of the extracellular matrix of remodeled viable tissue in older animals.
RhoA is dispensable for axon guidance of sensory neurons in the mouse dorsal root ganglia.

RhoA, a member of Rho family small GTPases, has been shown to play important roles in axon guidance. However, it remains unknown whether RhoA is actually required for any axon guidance events in vivo in the mammalian nervous system. To date, the physiological function of RhoA in axon guidance has not yet to be determined genetically in animals. Here we show that RhoA mRNA is strongly expressed by sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia during mouse embryogenesis. We have deleted RhoA in sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia using RhoA-floxed mice under the Wnt1-Cre driver in which Cre is strongly expressed in sensory neurons. Peripheral projections of sensory neurons appear normal and there are no detectable defects in the central projections of both cutaneous and proprioceptive sensory neurons in RhoAf/f; Wnt1-Cre mice. Furthermore, a co-culture assay using control or RhoA-deficient dorsal root ganglia explants and 293T cells expressing semaphorin3A reveals that RhoA is not required for semaphorin3A-mediated axonal repulsion of sensory neurons. Expression of RhoC, a closely related family member, is increased in RhoA-deficient sensory neurons and may play a compensatory role in this context. Taken together, these genetic studies demonstrate that RhoA is dispensable for peripheral and central projections of sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia.
Lanthanide complexes of amino acids

Abstract Even in the presence of ten-fold excess ligand, amino acids and lanthanide ions titrate 2·4–2·8 equivalents of base per mole of Ln(III) associated with hydrolysis of the metal ion in neutral solutions. Ammonium groups titrate as if unbound, and no ionization from the hydroxy group of serine appears. With all fifteen ligands studied except α,β-dicarboxylic acids, the number of equivalents due to lanthanide ion hydrolysis are the same whether or not ligand is present. The non-integral number of equivalents and the narrowness of the pH range over which their addition takes place suggest formation of polynuclear complexes in the hydrolysis region. Probably because they serve as bi- and terdentate ligands, aspartic and malic acids titrate 2·0 equivalents of base per mole of Ln(III) regardless of the ligand to lanthanide ion molar ratio. At greater than equimolar ratios malic acid yields a bipartite titration curve in the hydrolysis region, the first part of which is due to addition of 1·3–1·4 and the second to 0·6–0·7 equivalents of base. Especially for the simpler optically active amino acids, extensive increases in complexity and magnitude of circular dichroism occur through the hydrolysis region of the lanthanide ion complexes.
Percutaneous Interventions in Failing “Necklace” Hemodialysis Grafts: Long-Term Outcomes

Abstract Purpose To determine primary and secondary patency after percutaneous interventions for malfunctioning anterior chest wall (“necklace”) arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) for hemodialysis. Materials and Methods Records of six consecutive patients with subclavian artery–to–contralateral subclavian vein necklace AVGs were reviewed. Patients underwent 34 procedures, including 28 balloon angioplasties, 24 pharmacomechanical thrombolyses, and six stent placements. Patency intervals after graft placement and after first intervention were calculated. Results After 3 months, primary and secondary patency rates were 33% (two of six grafts) and 67% (four of six grafts), respectively. At 12 months, primary and secondary patency rates were 17% (one of six grafts) and 50% (three of six grafts), respectively. Median and mean primary patency times were 49 and 374 days, and median and mean secondary patency times were 293 and 575 days, respectively. The anatomic success rate of percutaneous interventions in malfunctioning AVGs was 97% (33 of 34 cases). At 3 years after implantation, the graft patency rate was 57% (four of seven grafts). Conclusions Percutaneous interventions were effective at maintaining patency in failing necklace AVGs. However, their primary and secondary patency were inferior to those cited in extremity AVG guidelines set forth by the Society of Interventional Radiology.
Asymmetric and axisymmetric constant curvature liquid-gas interfaces in pulmonary airways.

Airway closure and gas trapping can occur during lung deflation and inflation when fluid menisci form across the lumina of respiratory passageways. Previous analyses of the behavior of liquid in airways have assumed that the airway is completely wetted or that the contact angle of the liquid-gas interface with the airway wall is 0∘, and thus that the airway fluid forms an axisymmetric surface. However, some investigators have suggested that liquid in the airways is discontinuous and that contact angles can be as high as 67∘. In this study we consider the characteristics of constant curvature surfaces that could form a stable liquid-gas interface in a cylindrical airway. Our analysis suggests that, for small liquid volumes, asymmetric droplets are more likely to form than axisymmetric toroids. In addition, if the fluid contact angle is greater than 13∘, asymmetric droplets can sustain larger liquid volumes than axisymmetric toroids before collapsing to form menisci. These results suggest that (1) fluid formations other than axisymmetric toroids could occur in the airways; and (2) the analysis of the behavior of fluids and the development of liquid menisci within the lungs should include the potential role of asymmetric droplets.
A functional group oxidation model (FGOM) for SOA formation and aging

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from a volatile organic compound (VOC) involves multiple generations of oxidation that include functionalization and fragmentation of the parent carbon backbone and likely particle-phase oxidation and/or accretion reactions. Despite the typical complexity of the detailed molecular mechanism of SOA formation and aging, a relatively small number of functional groups characterize the oxidized molecules that constitute SOA. Given the carbon number and set of functional groups, the volatility of the molecule can be estimated. We present here a functional group oxidation model (FGOM) that represents the process of SOA formation and aging. The FGOM contains a set of parameters that are to be determined by fitting of the model to laboratory chamber data: total organic aerosol concentration, and O : C and H : C atomic ratios. The sensitivity of the model prediction to variation of the adjustable parameters allows one to assess the relative importance of various pathways involved in SOA formation. An analysis of SOA formation from the high- and low-NOx photooxidation of four C12 alkanes (n-dodecane, 2-methylundecane, hexylcyclohexane, and cyclododecane) using the FGOM is presented, and comparison with the statistical oxidation model (SOM) of Cappa et al. (2013) is discussed.
A psychometric analysis of residential location

Abstract Traditional housing needs studies focus on the trade-off between location and housing amenities. In most models, mode choice is viewed as conditional behavior in a given setting. New movers, however, select a new environment which includes a house, neighbourhood and transportation system. By using psychometric techniques, the attitudes and preferences of new movers to the suburbs of a large northeast city were analyzed to determine the relative importance in their selection process of the transportation characteristics of the new location. It was found that local and regional transportation and public transit played little role in selecting an apartment. There was no evidence of tradeoffs between travel time and living space postulated by urban economics. Most important to the choice process of these residents were internal characteristics of the apartment and pricing issues. This supports the idea that suburbanites chose to be captive auto users even when equivalent housing opportunities with transport alternatives are available. Implications for public transit and land use planning alternatives for the suburbs are discussed.
Distinctive features of the D101N and D101G variants of superoxide dismutase 1; two mutations that produce rapidly progressing motor neuron disease

Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis induce misfolding and aggregation of the protein with the inherent propensity of mutant SOD1 to aggregate generally correlating, with a few exceptions, to the duration of illness in patients with the same mutation. One notable exception was the D101N variant, which has been described as wild-type-like. The D101N mutation is associated with rapidly progressing motor neuron degeneration but shows a low propensity to aggregate. By assaying the kinetics of aggregation in a well-characterized cultured cell model, we show that the D101N mutant is slower to initiate aggregation than the D101G mutant. In this cell system of protein over-expression, both mutants were equally less able to acquire Zn than WT SOD1. In addition, both of these mutants were equivalently less able to fold into the trypsin-resistant conformation that characterizes WT SOD1. A second major difference between the two mutants was that the D101N variant more efficiently formed a normal intramolecular disulfide bond. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the D101N and D101G variants exhibit clearly distinctive features, including a different rate of aggregation, and yet both are associated with rapidly progressing disease. We sought to better characterize the biochemical features of two SOD1 mutants associated with rapidly progressing disease, the D101G and wild-type like D101N mutants. We observed using our cell model that that although similarities were observed when comparing the ability to bind metals and resist trypsin digestion, these mutants differed in their ability to initiate aggregation and to form the normal intramolecular disulfide bond. We conclude that these mutants exhibit distinct properties despite producing similar disease phenotypes in patients.
Effect of bacterial or porcine lipase with low- or high-fat diets on nutrient absorption in pancreatic-insufficient Dogs

Abstract Background & Aims: Treatment of human exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is suboptimal. This study assessed the effects of bacterial lipase, porcine lipase, and diets on carbohydrate, fat, and protein absorption in pancreatic-insufficient dogs. Methods: Dogs were given bacterial or porcine lipase and 3 diets: a 48% carbohydrate, 27% fat, and 25% protein standard diet; a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-protein diet; or a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and high-protein diet (66%/18%/16% and 21%/43%/36% calories). Results: With the standard diet, coefficient of fat absorption increased dose-dependently with both lipases ( P P P Conclusions: Correcting steatorrhea requires 75 times more porcine than bacterial lipase (18 vs. 240 mg). High-fat and high-protein diets optimize fat absorption with both enzymes. High-fat diets with bacterial or porcine lipase should be evaluated in humans with pancreatic steatorrhea. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1999;116:431-437
Spatial Transformation of Metropolitan Cities

This study investigates the relationships between neighbourhood change and spatial transformation in the North Carolina Piedmont region between 1980 and 2010. The dominant patterns of neighbourhood change, on the one hand, conform to some classical models of metropolitan structure, and, on the other hand, provide new insights on what has been ignored by those models. Trajectories of neighbourhood change reflect both persistent segregation and increasing diversification. A detailed analysis of trajectories of neighbourhood change points to interesting patterns in both central-city and suburban ecological succession and transformation.
Puccinia tanaceti: specialist or generalist?

Rust is reported for the first time in North America on tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), a widespread and invasive Eurasian plant that was introduced into North America in the 17th century. Morphologically, the rust fungus corresponds exactly to Gaumann's description of Puccinia tanaceti, and to European specimens of P. tanaceti on T. vulgare. An inoculation study confirmed the narrow host specialization of P. tanaceti that Gaumann described, in that T. vulgare was successfully inoculated whereas four other species of the tribe Anthemidae of the Asteraceae were entirely resistant, i.e. Leucanthemum maximum (Shasta daisy), L. vulgare (ox-eye daisy), Artemisia absinthium (wormwood), and A. tridentata (sagebrush). This confirmation of a specialized P. tanaceti invalidates P. tanaceti s. lat. The latter complex has resulted from synonymies, and compilation of host records of rust fungi resembling P. tanaceti on at least 105 species representing 19 genera from six tribes of the Asteraceae from both New and Old Worlds.
γ-Secretase: a multifaceted regulator of angiogenesis

Physiological angiogenesis is essential for development, homeostasis and tissue repair but pathological neovascularization is a major feature of tumours, rheumatoid arthritis and ocular complications. Studies over the last decade have identified gamma-secretase, a presenilin-dependent protease, as a key regulator of angiogenesis through: (i) regulated intramembrane proteolysis and transmembrane cleavage of receptors (e.g. VEGFR-1, Notch, ErbB-4, IGFI-R) followed by translocation of the intracellular domain to the nucleus, (ii) translocation of full length membrane-bound receptors to the nucleus (VEGFR-1), (iii) phosphorylation of membrane bound proteins (VEGFR-1 and ErbB-4), (iv) modulation of adherens junctions (cadherin) and regulation of permeability and (v) cleavage of amyloid precursor protein to amyloid-? which is able to regulate the angiogenic process. The gamma-secretase-induced translocation of receptors to the nucleus provides an alternative intracellular signalling pathway, which acts as a potent regulator of transcription. gamma-secretase is a complex composed of four different integral proteins (presenilin, nicastrin, Aph-1 and Pen-2), which determine the stability, substrate binding, substrate specificity and proteolytic activity of gamma-secretase. This seeming complexity allows numerous possibilities for the development of targeted gamma-secretase agonists/antagonists, which can specifically regulate the angiogenic process. This review will consider the structure and function of gamma-secretase, the growing evidence for its role in angiogenesis and the substrates involved, gamma-secretase as a therapeutic target and future challenges in this area.
The economics of nuclear power in the Soviet Union

(1982). The economics of nuclear power in the Soviet Union. Soviet Studies: Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 43-68.
Council and Administrator Perspectives on the City Manager's Role Conflict, Divergence, or Congruence?

The conflict in role perceptions held by council members and city managers has been reported frequently in the literature on urban politics and administration. In this view, the city manager has emerged into a policy leadership role but must confine that leadership to safe areas because the council continues to view the manager as an administrative technician. This thesis needs to be reexamined to better understand city managers and their relationship to elected officials. The manager's policy role is not new, and a review of evidence in existing studies as well as new surveys do not support the conclusion that the council and manager have conflicting definitions of the manager's role. There is some divergence which reflects differences in values and background between elected officials and professional administrators. The general congruence of attitudes and acceptance of the manager s policy role, however, indicates that the city manager can be a leader in the governmental process.
Mean girls and bad boys: Recent research on gender differences in conduct disorder

Abstract Research on conduct disorder has historically used primarily male samples. More recently, researchers have made an effort to include female participants. This article examines research published between the years of 2000 and 2011, providing a review of similarities and differences in development and expression of conduct disorder across gender. Many contextual variables, such as negative parenting and impoverished environment, appear to serve as risk factors for both males and females. Girls with conduct disorder differ from boys in associations with internalizing disorders and temperamental variables. Implications for theory and treatment are discussed. Methodological issues and potential ways to improve upon the current body of literature are addressed.
Matrix elements with Wilson fermions

Highlights of the results for the spectrum, meson decay constants f{sub {pi}} and f{sub v}{sup {minus}1}, the chiral parameters m{sub q} and {anti {psi}}{psi}, and the Kaon B Parameter are presented. The calculation was done using 35 quenched 16{sup 3} {times} 40 lattices at {beta} = 6.0 using Wuppertal and Wall smeared sources. We show that smeared sources improve the signal significantly, consequently we are able to improve the quality of results for a number of the phenomenologically interesting quantities.