cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Largely enhanced infrared absorption in a wide InAlAs/InGaAs quantum well and short-period superlattice barrier structure

ABSTRACT We report here a detailed study of intersubband absorption at 10.7 pm between the localized ground state andthe global miniband state in an InAlAs/InGaAs multiple quantum well and short-period superlattice (SL) barrier heterostructure. The use of enlarged quantum well and the superlattice reinforced miniband structure has shown asignificant enhancement in the net intersubband absorption. An integrated optical absorption strength of 'A = 19.5 Abs-cm' was obtained under the Brewster's incident angle at T = 300 K, which is about five times larger than thatof the conventional single bound-to-bound transition in the InAlAs/InGaAs quantum well structure.INTRODUCTIONThere has a lot of interest in quantum well physics and infrared absorption for long wavelength photodetectors andmodulators'15. A variety of studies of intersubband absorption have been conducted in the InAlAs/InGaAs systemin the 3 to 5 pm wavelength range by using the bound-to-bound transition16'17 and bound-to-continuum transition18.Recent study" shows that 8 —
Condensation in two phase and desuperheating zone for R1234ze(E), R134a and R32 in horizontal smooth tubes.

Abstract Condensation is usually assumed to begin when the bulk enthalpy reaches the saturated vapor enthalpy, which leads to discontinuity of heat transfer coefficient calculation in modeling. This paper addresses the discontinuity by showing the presence of condensation in desuperheating region when the wall temperature decreases below the saturation temperature at any operating condition. The experiments have been conducted with R134a, R1234ze(E) and R32 for mass fluxes of 100–300 kgm −2 s −1 , saturation temperatures of 30 ° C–50 °C and from x = 0.05 to superheat of 50 °C in a horizontal smooth tube with 6.1 mm inner diameter. R134a is observed to have approximately 10% higher and 20% lower HTC compared to R1234ze(E) and R32 respectively. Cavallini correlation predicted the data within an accuracy of 12% while Kondo-Hrnjak correlation predicted HTC for condensation in de-superheating zone within accuracy of 23%.
Renal cortical basolateral Na+/HCO3 - cotransporter: I. Partial purification and reconstitution

The renal basolateral Na+/HCO3- cotransporter is the main system responsible for HCO3- transport from proximal tubule cells into the blood. The present study was aimed at purifying and functionally reconstituting the Na+/HCO3- cotransporter protein from rabbit renal cortex. Highly purified rabbit renal cortical basolateral membrane vesicles (hereafter designated as original basolateral membrane), enriched 12-fold in Na-K-ATPase, were solubilized in 2% octylglucoside, and then reconstituted in L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (proteoliposomes). Na+/HCO3- cotransporter activity was assessed as the difference in 22Na uptake in the presence of HCO3- and gluconate. The activity of the Na+/HCO3- cotransporter was enhanced 18-fold in the solubilized protein reconstituted into proteoliposomes compared to the original basolateral membranes. The reconstituted solubilized purified protein exhibited kinetic properties similar to the cotransporter from original basolateral membranes. In addition, it was like the original cotransporter, inhibited by disulfonic stilbene SITS, and was electrogenic. The catalytic subunit of protein kinase A significantly inhibited Na+/HCO3- cotransporter activity in proteoliposomes. The octylglucoside-solubilized protein was further purified by hydroxylapatite column chromatography, and this resulted in an additional enhancement of Na+/HCO3- cotransporter activity of 80-fold over the original basolateral membranes. The fractions containing the highest activity were further processed by glycerol gradient centrifugation, resulting in a 124- to 300-fold increase in Na+/HCO3- cotransporter activity compared to the original basolateral membranes. SDS-PAGE analysis showed an enhancement of a protein doublet of 56 kD MW in the glycerol gradient fraction. Our results demonstrate that we have partially purified and reconstituted the renal Na+/HCO3- cotransporter and suggest that the 56 kD doublet protein may represent the Na+/HCO3- cotransporter.
Tests of Homogeneity for the Relative Difference between Strata under Inverse Sampling

This paper develops the exact and asymptotic test procedures for detecting whether the relative difference of a given disease between exposure and non-exposure to a risk factor varies between strata under inverse sampling. This paper applies Monte Carlo Simulation to evaluate the performance of the proposed asymptotic test procedures and further demonstrates that these asymptotic procedures can be useful in many situations, especially when either the number of index subjects is large or the probability of possessing the underlying disease is small.
Returning home to Haiti--providing medical care after the earthquake.

As I left an anesthesiology lecture on January 12, someone stopped me to ask whether I had checked on my family in Port-au-Prince. When he explained that there had been an earthquake, I breathed a sigh of relief — earthquakes, I reassured him, are a frequent occurrence in my country. It was not until I saw the news on television moments later that I realized the gravity of the situation. Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, I completed medical school at the Universite d'Etat d'Haiti and then served as a general practitioner for Haiti's Department of Public Health in the port . . .
Failure of (+)-naloxone to accelerate feline colonic transit.

To determine whether the colonic transit accelerating effect of (−)-naloxone (0.3 mg/kg, i.m.) is due to an action at opioid receptors or a direct pharmacologic effect, its enantiomer, (+)-naloxone (0.3 mg/kg, i.m.) was administered to cats and compared to saline control using colonic transit scintigraphy. Transit was not accelerated by (+)-naloxone. The effects of naloxone on colonic transit are thus stereospecific, and are probably mediated by opioid receptors.
What can we learn from the path equations?: Identifiability, constraints, equivalence

Procedures are given for determining identified parameters, finding constraints on the covariances, and checking equivalence, in acyclic (recursive) linear path models with correlated error terms (disturbances), by inspection of the path equations, aided by simple recursions. This provides a useful and general alternative to the employment of directed acyclic graph theory for such purposes.
Food intake and serum insulin responses to intraventricular infusions of insulin and IGF-I.

Abstract Previous studies reported that intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of insulin decreased food intake in rats and baboons. Insulin can bind to insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptors and mimic the response of IGF-I. Our objective was to determine the effects of ICV infused-insulin or IGR-I on food intake in sheep. In the present study, a 6-day ICV infusion of insulin (123 ng/kg of body weight/day) but not of IGF-I (123 ng/kg of body weight/day) decreased food intake by 40% ( p ) and body weight ( p ) compared with control sheep. In addition, sheep that received ICV insulin or IGF-I had only half the concentration of insulin in serum as compared with controls. Our results support the hypothesis that ICV insulin does not decrease food intake through IGF-I receptors. Nevertheless, apparently both insulin and IGF-I in the brain can influence the concentration of insulin in blood.
CAN I KILL MY YOUNGER SELF? TIME TRAVEL AND THE RETROSUICIDE PARADOX

If (backward) time travel is possible, presumably so is my shooting my younger self (YS); then apparently I can kill him – I can commit retrosuicide. But if I were to kill him I would not exist to shoot him, so how can I kill him? The standard solution to this paradox understands ability as compossibility with the relevant facts and points to an equivocation about which facts are relevant: my killing YS is compossible with his proximity but not with his survival, so I can kill him if facts like his survival are irrelevant but I cannot if they are relevant. I identify a lacuna in this solution, namely its reliance without argument on the hidden assumption that my killing YS is possible: if it is impossible, it is not compossible with anything. I argue that this lacuna is important, and I sketch a different solution to the paradox.
The biologic activity of mast cell granules in rat skin: effects of adrenocorticosteroids on late-phase inflammatory responses induced by mast cell granules

Abstract Mast cell degranulation in rat skin in response to Compound 4880, anti-IgE or to the intradermal injection of purified rat peritoneal mast cell granules (MCG) produces a late-phase response (LPR) characterized by polymorphonuclear infiltrates at 2 to 8 hr followed by mononuclear cell infiltrates at 24 to 48 hr. MCG generate LPR in a dose-related fashion; 1 μg is sufficient to produce discernible LPR, whereas 5 μg attract ≥ 150 cells/high-powered field (3+ to 4+ response) in rat skin after 8 and 24 hr. Infiltrates producing 3+ responses are also induced by 5 μg of two partially purified factors obtained from solubilized MCG by ultrafiltration: a high molecular weight (HMW) fraction containing molecules >10,000 daltons and a low molecular weight (LMW) fraction with a molecular weight of 500 to 10,000. The effect of depletion of endogenous corticosteroids on LPR was studied in adrenalectomized, sham-operated, and nonoperated littermates. LPRs were induced by 5 μg each of MCG, HMW and LMW fractions, and anti-IgE. Adrenalectomized, sham-operated, and normal nonoperated littermates expressed equivalent LPRs. Thus adrenalectomy has no detectable effect on LPR after mast cell degranulation. The dose-response effects of exogenous corticosteroids on LPR were assessed by pretreating rats with hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, or dexamethasone. Normal rats injected with methylprednisolone (0.5 to 500 μg), hydrocortisone (0.4 to 400 μg), or dexamethasone (7.6 μg) per 24 hr for 3 days had significantly suppressed LPRs after 8 or 24 hr in response to anti-IgE, MCG, HMW, or LMW fractions. Within 1 day of hydrocortisone (400 μg) pretreatment, the LPR induced by anti-IgE and MCG were considerably reduced. Thus there are at least two separate constituents of MCG capable of eliciting late-phase inflammatory responses in rat skin, and corticosteroids may prevent the LPR thereby elicited. The capacity of corticosteroids to suppress LPR may contribute to their clinical usefulness in treating allergic diseases.
Alterations in Rat Interlobar Artery Membrane Potential and K+ Channels in Genetic and Nongenetic Hypertension

The renal vasculature plays an important role in the control of blood pressure. K + channels have been demonstrated to regulate smooth muscle membrane potential and thereby control smooth muscle tone. However, few data are available on K + channel function in the renal vasculature of hypertensive animals. This study details changes in K + currents and membrane potential in genetic and nongenetic models of hypertension. The patch-clamp technique and Ca 2+ -imaging fluorescence were used to examine the differences in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY), Sprague-Dawley (SD), spontaneously hypertensive (SHR), and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) hypertensive single cells of rat kidney interlobar arteries. In current-clamp experiments, SHR and DOCA hypertensive cells were ≈20 mV more depolarized than the control cells. In voltage-clamp experiments with 4-aminopyridine and niflumic acid present to inhibit voltage-dependent K + (K (v) ) and Ca 2+ -activated Cl − (Cl (Ca) ) currents, SHR and DOCA hypertensive Ca 2+ -activated K + (K (Ca) ) currents were significantly larger and activated at more negative potentials than the control. Conversely, with charybdotoxin and niflumic acid present to inhibit K (Ca) and Cl (Ca) currents, SHR and DOCA hypertensive K (v) current was significantly smaller than the control. Finally, basal and angiotensin II–stimulated peak intracellular free [Ca 2+ ] was greater in the SHR and DOCA hypertensive cells compared with control cells. These results suggest that membrane potential and the activity of K (Ca) and K (v) channels are altered in hypertensive rat renal interlobar arteries and may play a role in the regulation of renal blood flow under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
Partial fraction evaluation of rational z-transforms

A method for expanding rational z-transforms in terms of partial fractions is presented. The method involves solving a system of linear equations. The computational complexity of this method is also discussed.
On the Use of Ballast Inspection Technology For the Management of Track Substructure

The railroad track substructure and specifically its ballast and sub-ballast layers play a key role in the maintenance of the stability and geometry of the track structure. However, because it traditionally has not been readily accessible below the surface of the ballast, very limited information about its conditions was available, without extensive and disruptive excavation techniques. New-generation inspection technology now allows for the access to significant additional information about the ballast and sub-ballast to include its extent, condition, depth, degree of fouling, and any inadequacies in the substructure layer that can lead to loss of track stability or accelerated degradation of the track structure. This paper discusses several of the key track substructure inspection technologies, to include the traditional monitoring of the track geometry and then addresses the new inspection technologies now available to more accurately define the ballast condition. This includes such newly introduced inspection technologies as LIDAR for measurement of the ballast profile, ground penetrating radar inspection for ballast depth deficiency, and other related inspection technologies. These new technologies allow for more accurate ballast deficit and condition analysis.
Self-diffusion of carbon in uranium monocarbide

Abstract The self-diffusion of carbon in uranium monocarbide has been determined as a function of temperature in the range 1338–1772 °K. A simple radiotracer technique has been employed which monitors the change in surface activity as a function of annealing time. The following expression adequately represents the data over the entire range of temperature studied. D = 0.1 exp (−62 500/ RT ) cm 2 / sec .
Individual differences in impulsive choice and timing in rats.

Individual differences in impulsive choice behavior have been linked to a variety of behavioral problems including substance abuse, smoking, gambling, and poor financial decision-making. Given the potential importance of individual differences in impulsive choice as a predictor of behavioral problems, the present study sought to measure the extent of individual differences in a normal sample of hooded Lister rats. Three experiments utilized variations of a delay discounting task to measure the degree of variation in impulsive choice behavior across individual rats. The individual differences accounted for 22–55% of the variance in choice behavior across the three experiments. In Experiments 2 and 3, the individual differences were still apparent when behavior was measured across multiple choice points. Large individual differences in the rate of responding, and modest individual differences in timing of responding were also observed during occasional peak trials. The individual differences in timing and rate, however, did not correlate consistently with individual differences in choice behavior. This suggests that a variety of factors may affect choice behavior, response rate, and response timing.
Desmosomes at a glance

Desmosomes are one of four intercellular junctions present on the lateral side of neighboring polarized epithelial cells. Tight junctions and adherens junctions (AJs) are restricted to the apical domain, where they form the epithelial barrier and organize cortical actin, respectively. Desmosomes are
Sestamibi SPECT Intensity Scoring System in Sporadic Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Background Most cases of sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) are due to a single parathyroid adenoma and can be treated with minimally invasive parathyroid exploration guided by sestamibi SPECT imaging and intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring. Successful surgery depends on identification of the 10–15% of patients with multiglandular disease. Failed initial parathyroid exploration is both costly and morbid. We examined whether a sestamibi SPECT scoring system could predict anatomic findings in patients with PHP.
A monoclonal antibody to SV40 large T-antigen labels a nuclear antigen in JC virus-transformed cells and in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) brain infected with JC virus

Thirty monoclonal antibodies to SV40 large T-antigen were tested for reactivity on the JC virus-transformed hamster glial cell line known as HJC-15. Two of them (PAb 416 and PAb 108) detected a nuclear antigen in both SV40-transformed CCL 75.1 cells and in HJC-15 cells, but not in control cells lacking T-antigen. These same antibodies also labeled a nuclear antigen in hamster tumor tissue derived from HJC-15 cells. In addition, the monoclonal antibody PAb 416 detected a nuclear antigen in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) tissue infected with JC virus, but not in normal brain tissue or tissue from other neurological diseases. Staining by PAb 416 was reduced by prior incubation with hamster anti-JCV tumor serum, suggesting that the polyclonal antiserum to JCV T-antigen may compete for an epitope at or near the PAb 416 binding site.
A new context for understanding civic responsibility: Relating Culture to Action at a Research University

Civic responsibility as an ideal of higher education is rarely considered through a cultural and theoretical lens. Swidler’s (1986, American Sociological Review, 51: 273–286) framework linking ideology, culture and action was used in this ethnographic study of a research university (a) to understand dominant institutional beliefs about civic responsibility and (b) to understand how institutional culture contributes to a unique approach to civic responsibility. This study examined campus ideologies and cultural forms that addressed five dimensions of civic responsibility: (a) knowledge and support of democratic values, systems and processes, (b) desire to act beneficially in community and for its members, (c) use of knowledge and skills for societal benefit, (d) appreciation for and interest in those unlike oneself, and (e) personal accountability. The “role model” approach emerged as a unique institutional approach to civic responsibility and aligned with Swidler’s framework. Findings are significant for both organization studies and student development research.
Differentiation of beauveria bassiana isolates from the darkling beetle, alphitobius diaperinus, using isozyme and RAPD analyses

Abstract Two natural genetic markers, isozymes and RAPD, were utilized to differentiate 24 strains of Beauveria bassiana (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) collected from the darkling beetle, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), from poultry houses in North Carolina and West Virginia. Nine enzyme systems were screened, of which alkaline phosphatase, α- and β-esterase, and glucose phosphate isomerase gave well-resolved, scorable bands. A total of 26 isozyme bands was generated by these four enzymes which partitioned the 24 strains into 14 classes. Three classes were shared by two or more strains while the rest of the strains had distinct electrophoretic profiles. Ten RAPD primers, selected from 72 that were screened, produced 141 bands from the 24 strains and separated each as a unique class. While both systems were able to detect variation present among the 24 strains from different regions in North Carolina and West Virginia, RAPD markers provided better resolution of the differences between strains. Variation was detected not only within and among strains from different regions but also among strains collected from a given insect host.
Wild Cattle: Red Deer in the Religious Texts, Iconography, and Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland

Humans use animals as a means of creating and manipulating relationships with other human beings. This process occurs both through the use of animals for food or raw materials and through the use of animals as literary and artistic symbols. Cervus elaphus is Ireland’s only indigenous deer species. It is also unique in being the only native Irish, wild animal to appear frequently in medieval texts, iconography, and archaeological deposits. This paper brings together diversesources of information to illuminate how early medieval monasteries used reddeer to establish an identity for themselves and to conceptualize socioeconomic relationships with others.
The effect of ethanol on prolactin release from pituitary cells in vitro.

Abstract Exposure to ethanol is recognized to cause reproductive impairment in man and animals. Since elevated levels of prolactin will interfere with normal functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and since ethanol has been shown by others to lead to increased prolactin secretion in vivo , the present in vitro study was undertaken to determine whether there is a direct effect of ethanol (ETOH) on prolactin release. Prolactin release from anterior pituitary cells maintained in monolayer culture and exposed to either no ethanol or media containing ethanol at concentrations of 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg% was measured at 1, 4, 24, 48, 72 hours in incubation. Ethanol added directly to pituitary cells stimulated prolactin release at all time points examined. Significant stimulation occurred with addition of low and mid-range ethanol concentrations (50–200 mg%); no augmented prolactin secretory response was seen with the highest ethanol concentration used (400 mg%). This pattern of response was maintained throughout the entire 72 hour incubation period. Thus, the effect of ethanol on prolactin secretion is mediated, at least in part, at the anterior pituitary level.
Faces of Political Sex Scandal: Investigating Pathways to Penance, Remedy and Resolution through Iconic Scandal

Public fascination with scandal is often seen as a distraction. Yet when the public pays attention, it embarks on a moral discourse about society's values and norms. In order to examine the unique rhetorical functions of scandal's iconic images, we consider the image of Silda Spitzer standing with her then-husband Eliot at the 2008 press conference where he stepped down as New York governor, as well as the remix, “How to tell if your dog is involved in a sex scandal.” Not all images of scandal reach iconic status, but when they do it is because of the rhetorical functions they serve—negotiating incongruities, bringing to light societal issues not readily evident, and providing pathways to penance, remedy, and resolution.
Procedural Abstraction with Reverse Prefix Trees

For memory constrained environments like embedded systems, optimization for size is often as important as, if not more important than, optimization for execution speed. A common technique for compacting code is procedural abstraction. Equivalent code fragments are identified and abstracted into a procedure. The standard algorithm for identifying these fragments is based on suffix trees. We propose in this paper the calculation of suffix trees over the program text not in the common top-down fashion, but reversed, i.e. bottom-up. With this simple modification, not only equivalent fragments can be identified, but also fragments equivalent to (possibly often differently long) suffixes of the longest fragments. A longest fragment is then abstracted, and all fragments are replaced by procedure calls to their corresponding start instruction somewhere in the abstracted procedure. This allows us to harvest more and longer fragments than with standard suffix trees, improving code size reductions on average by 8.277% over standard suffix trees.
Amyloid-β and Tau: The Trigger and Bullet in Alzheimer Disease Pathogenesis

The defining features of Alzheimer disease (AD) include conspicuous changes in both brain histology and behavior. The AD brain is characterized microscopically by the combined presence of 2 classes of abnormal structures, extracellular amyloid plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles, both of which comprise highly insoluble, densely packed filaments. The soluble building blocks of these structures are amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides for plaques and tau for tangles. Amyloid-β peptides are proteolytic fragments of the transmembrane amyloid precursor protein, whereas tau is a brain-specific, axon-enriched microtubule-associated protein. The behavioral symptoms of AD correlate with the accumulation of plaques and tangles, and they are a direct consequence of the damage and destruction of synapses that mediate memory and cognition. Synapse loss can be caused by the failure of live neurons to maintain functional axons and dendrites or by neuron death. During the past dozen years, a steadily accumulating body of evidence has indicated that soluble forms of Aβ and tau work together, independently of their accumulation into plaques and tangles, to drive healthy neurons into the diseased state and that hallmark toxic properties of Aβ require tau. For instance, acute neuron death, delayed neuron death following ectopic cell cycle reentry, and synaptic dysfunction are triggered by soluble, extracellular Aβ species and depend on soluble, cytoplasmic tau. Therefore, Aβ is upstream of tau in AD pathogenesis and triggers the conversion of tau from a normal to a toxic state, but there is also evidence that toxic tau enhances Aβ toxicity via a feedback loop. Because soluble toxic aggregates of both Aβ and tau can self-propagate and spread throughout the brain by prionlike mechanisms, successful therapeutic intervention for AD would benefit from detecting these species before plaques, tangles, and cognitive impairment become evident and from interfering with the destructive biochemical pathways that they initiate.
Potential role of mitogen-activated protein kinase in pronuclear envelope assembly and disassembly following fertilization of mouse eggs.

Changes in the activities of the p34Cdc2/cyclin B complex and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase were analyzed after insemination of mouse eggs in vitro. Whereas histone H1 kinase activity (p34cdc2/cyclin B) fell to negligible levels by 90 min postinsemination, a decrease to negligible levels of myelin basic protein kinase activity (i.e., MAP kinase) was not observed until about 7 h postinsemination. The decrease in MAP kinase activity appeared to be linked to the prior decline in p34Cdc2/cyclin B kinase activity, since inhibiting the fertilizationinduced destruction of cyclin B by treating eggs with the microtubule inhibitor nocodazole prevented the decrease in each of these protein kinases; an intact spindle is required for cyclin destruction. Moreover, experimental elevation of MAP kinase activity by okadaic acid treatment under conditions that maintain negligible levels of p34Cdc 2 /cyclin B kinase activity suggested that MAP kinase could be involved in pronuclear envelope dynamics. Specifically, preventing the fertilization-induced decrease in MAP kinase activity was correlated with inhibiting pronucleus formation, and elevating MAP kinase activity subsequent to pronucleus formation resulted in precocious pronuclear envelope breakdown prior to entry into M phase.
The NEF4 Complex Regulates Rad4 Levels and Utilizes Snf2/Swi2-Related ATPase Activity for Nucleotide Excision Repair

Nucleotide excision repair factor 4 (NEF4) is required for repair of nontranscribed DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Rad7 and the Snf2/Swi2-related ATPase Rad16 are NEF4 subunits. We report previously unrecognized similarity between Rad7 and F-box proteins. Rad16 contains a RING domain embedded within its ATPase domain, and the presence of these motifs in NEF4 suggested that NEF4 functions as both an ATPase and an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Mutational analysis provides strong support for this model. The Rad16 ATPase is important for NEF4 function in vivo, and genetic analysis uncovered new interactions between NEF4 and Rad23, a repair factor that links repair to proteasome function. Elc1 is the yeast homologue of a mammalian E3 subunit, and it is a novel component of NEF4. Moreover, the E2s Ubc9 and Ubc13 were linked to the NEF4 repair pathway by genetic criteria. Mutations in NEF4 or Ubc13 result in elevated levels of the DNA damage recognition protein Rad4 and an increase in ubiquitylated species of Rad23. As Rad23 also controls Rad4 levels, these results suggest a complex system for globally regulating repair activity in vivo by controlling turnover of Rad4.
Escherichia coli Open Reading Frame 696 Is idi, a Nonessential Gene Encoding Isopentenyl Diphosphate Isomerase

Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase catalyzes the interconversion of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). In eukaryotes, archaebacteria, and some bacteria, IPP is synthesized from acetyl coenzyme A by the mevalonate pathway. The subsequent isomerization of IPP to DMAPP activates the five-carbon isoprene unit for subsequent prenyl transfer reactions. In Escherichia coli, the isoprene unit is synthesized from pyruvate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate by the recently discovered nonmevalonate pathway. An open reading frame (ORF696) encoding a putative IPP isomerase was identified in the E. coli chromosome at 65.3 min. ORF696 was cloned into an expression vector; the 20.5 kDa recombinant protein was purified in three steps, and its identity as an IPP isomerase was established biochemically. The gene for IPP isomerase, idi, is not clustered with other known genes for enzymes in the isoprenoid pathway. E. coli FH12 was constructed by disruption of the chromosomal idi gene with the aminoglycoside 3′-phosphotransferase gene and complemented by the wild-type idi gene on plasmid pFMH33 with a temperature-sensitive origin of replication. FH12/pFMH33 was able to grow at the restrictive temperature of 44°C and FH12 lacking the plasmid grew on minimal medium, thereby establishing that idi is a nonessential gene. Although the Vmax of the bacterial protein was 20-fold lower than that of its yeast counterpart, the catalytic efficiencies of the two enzymes were similar through a counterbalance in Kms. The E. coli protein requires Mg2+ or Mn2+ for activity. The enzyme contains conserved cysteine and glutamate active-site residues found in other IPP isomerases.
DEVS-C++: a high performance modelling and simulation environment

Simulation of landscape ecosystems with high realism demands computing power greatly exceeding that of curent workstation technology. However, the prospects are excellent that modelling and simulation environments may be implemented on next-generation high-performance, heterogeneous distributed computing platforms. Computing technology is becoming powerful enough to support the voluminous amounts of knowledge/information necessary for representing such systems and the speed required of simulations to provide reliable answers in reasonable time. This paper provides an overview of a project to develop a high-performance modelling and simulation environment to support modelling of large-scale, high-resolution landscape systems: DEVS-C++, an implementation of discrete event system specification (DEVS) using container classes with C++.
Os parietale divisum.

Divisions of the parietal bone are extraordinarily rare, and have been described previously only in skull specimens in the anatomical literature. We report a case of os parietale divisum (divided parietal bone) in an infant with plagiocephaly. A 36-weeks gestation male with multiple congenital anomalies presented to the deformational plagiocephaly clinic at 11 weeks of age. CT imaging demonstrated a suture dividing the left parietal bone into two segments. He had a plagiocephalic appearance, with the greater occipital and parietal protuberances ipsilateral to the abnormal left parietal suture, and a correspondingly flatter right occiput. Head circumference was in the normal range, and the anterior fontanelle was patent and of normal size. He had mild right-sided right frontal and malar protuberance. Mandibular asymmetry was noted with a chin-point to the right of midline. He had a left-sided head tilt. He was treated with cranial molding helmet therapy for his head shape and physical therapy for his head tilt. After 16 months of helmet therapy, he had little improvement of his head shape. This case is an in vivo presentation of a rare variant, os parietale divisum. Clin. Anat. 18:452–456, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Detection of Creep Damage by Ultrasonics

Creep damage is known to affect the service life of fossil plant components. Nondestructive examination for the detection of such damage is important for assessing the remaining service life of the affected component. Ultrasonic methods have been investigated for use as inservice inspection tools in a project being funded by the Electric Power Research Institute (RP 1865–7). This on-going research has shown that the velocity of sound waves is altered by the material damage (cavitation at grain boundaries). The amount of change in the velocity can be correlated to the amount of damage. Other EPRI projects have developed a methodology to correlate the amount of cavitation to remaining service life of the material. Development of these ultrasonic methods will allow rapid performance of a volumetric examination during a short plant outage to detect the damage and estimate the remaining service life.
Transcription of the Influenza Ribonucleic Acid Genome by a Virion Polymerase II. Nature of the In Vitro Polymerase Product

Abstract The properties of the ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesized by the influenza (WSN) virion polymerase have been investigated. Most of the product RNA is synthesized in association with virion RNA species from which it can be released by heat treatment as single-stranded, ribonuclease-sensitive polynucleotides (average molecular weight, 2-hr sample, about 105 daltons). At least 95% of the product is complementary to the viral RNA species. On the basis of the molar ratio of the RNA species isolated from a 3H-uridine-labeled virus preparation, it was calculated that the WSN genome consists of seven pieces of RNA with a sum molecular weight of about 5 × 106 daltons.
Clinical Science: The Relationship Between Inflammation and cAMP Level in Human Gingiva

The levels of cAMP were measured by means of radioimmunoassay in 20 gingival samples free from inflammatory cells and 43 samples with moderately dense and dense aggregations of inflammatory cells. The average values were found to be 340 +/- 44 and 552 +/- 59 pmol/gm wet tissue, respectively. The increase in cAMP levels in inflammation is suggested to be modulated by an increase in endogenous prostaglandin synthesis and could be one of the natural mechanisms by which the host protects itself from dangerous consequences of unregulated immune response.
Dose Response Effects of Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate Treatment in Adults With ADHD: An Exploratory Study

Objective: To explore dose–response effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) treatment for ADHD. Method: This was a 4-week, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, forced-dose titration study in adult participants, aged 18 to 55 years, meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.) criteria for ADHD. Results: Nearly all participants assigned to an LDX dose achieved their assigned dose with the exception of about 4% of participants assigned to the 50 mg or 14% assigned to the 70 mg doses. Higher doses of LDX led to greater improvements in ADHD-rating scale scores, independent of prior pharmacotherapy. This was evident for both inattentive and hyperactive–impulsive symptoms. The authors found some evidence for an interaction between LDX dose and baseline severity of ADHD symptoms. Conclusion: For LDX doses between 30 and 70 mg/d, the dose–response efficacy effect for LDX is not affected by prior pharmacotherapy, but patients with a greater seve...
CRY, a Drosophila Clock and Light-Regulated Cryptochrome, Is a Major Contributor to Circadian Rhythm Resetting and Photosensitivity

Light is a major environmental signal for circadian rhythms. We have identified and analyzed cry, a novel Drosophila cryptochrome gene. All characterized family members are directly photosensitive and include plant blue light photoreceptors. We show that cry transcription is under circadian regulation, influenced by the Drosophila clock genes period, timeless, Clock, and cycle. We also show that cry protein levels are dramatically affected by light exposure. Importantly, circadian photosensitivity is increased in a cry-overexpressing strain. These physiological and genetic data therefore link a specific photoreceptor molecule to circadian rhythmicity. Taken together with the data in the accompanying paper, we propose that CRY is a major Drosophila photoreceptor dedicated to the resetting of circadian rhythms.
Sex-biased dispersal and natal philopatry in the diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin.

Nesting ecology and population studies indicate that diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) exhibit nest site fidelity and high habitat fidelity. However, genetic studies indicate high levels of gene flow. Because dispersal affects the genetics and population dynamics of a species, we used six highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to investigate sex-biased dispersal and natal philopatry of M. terrapin in Barnegat Bay, NJ. We compared results of spatial autocorrelation analysis, assignment methods and Wright’s FST estimators to a mark–recapture analysis. Mark–recapture analysis over a 4year period indicated that most individuals have relatively small home ranges (<2 km), with mature females displaying greater home ranges than males. Goodness of fit analysis of our mark–recapture study indicated that some juvenile males were likely transient individuals moving through our study location. Mean assignment indices and firstgeneration migrant tests indicated that mature males were more prone to disperse than mature females, but first-generation migrant tests indicated that per capita there are more female than male dispersers. Thus, the relative importance of males and females on gene flow in terrapin populations may change in relation to population sex ratios. Spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated that mature females exhibited natal philopatry to nesting beaches, but first-generation migrant tests indicated that a small number of females failed to nest on natal beaches. Finally, we discuss the important conservation implications of male-biased dispersal and natal philopatry in the diamondback terrapin.
The design of a fault-tolerant, real-time, multi-core computer system

The goal is a fault-tolerant, self-aware, low-power, multi-core computer for space missions with thousands of simple cores, achieving speed through concurrency. A second goal is that the system is not difficult to program. The proposed machine decides how to achieve concurrency, in real-time, rather than programmers who now spend considerable effort carefully orchestrating every data item's location and movement. Closely related, fault-tolerant and power-aware re-organizing behavior is automatic. The driving features of the system are: simple hardware that is modular in the extreme, with no shared memory, and software with significant run-time reorganizing capability.1 2
Cytochemical Observations on the Chromatoid Body of the Male Germ Cells

Earlier reports indicating the presence of significant amounts of ribonucleic acid in the chromatoid body of mammals were based on evidence obtained by using ribonuclease digestion and preferential stains on sections subsequently examined with the light microscope. In the present study several cytochemical techniques believed to be specific for the demonstration of nucleic acids at the electron microscope level provided evidence which indicates that ribonucleic acid is not present in the chromatoid body. Additionally, thin sections were digested with pronase or pepsin to determine if later forming structures of the neck or flagellum possess similar susceptibility to these enzymes as the chromatoid body. The chromatoid body resisted enzymatic digestion while the segmented columns of the connecting piece and outer dense fibers of the flagellum were extracted. In particular, this makes somewhat unlikely the suggestion in the literature that the chromatoid body may give rise to the connecting piece. In a companion paper on the origin, fine structure, and relations of the chromatoid body in male germ cells (Fawcett, Eddy, and Phillips, 1970), it was concluded that this organelle arises by consolidation of dense interstitial material deposited in the mitochondrial aggregates of spermatocytes. It establishes transient relationships with pores in the nuclear envelope of spermatids and then moves into the developing neck region where it becomes disposed around the base of the flagellum in close association with the annulus. It gradually disappears as the annulus migrates caudally along the axonemal complex to its definitive position at the junction of the midpiece and principal piece. The site of synthesis of the substance of the chromatoid body, its composition, and its function remain unknown.
“My love–hate relationship”: Ethical issues associated with nurses’ interactions with industry

Background:Ethical issues associated with nurses’ interactions with industry have implications for the safety, quality, and cost of healthcare. To date, little work has explored nurse–industry interactions and their associated ethical issues empirically.Design and participants:A phenomenological study was conducted to explore registered nurses’ interactions with industry in clinical practice. Five registered nurses working in direct patient care were recruited and individual, in-depth interviews were conducted. The University’s Committee on Human Research approved the study.Findings:Nurses frequently interacted with industry in their practice and felt ambivalent about these interactions. Nurses described systemic cuts to multiple “goods” central to nursing practice, including patient support, but paradoxically relied on industry resources to deliver these “goods.” They relied on a particular conception of trust to navigate these interactions but were left to do so individually on the basis of their experi...
Mate Selection across Cultures

Mate Selection Across Cultures. Raeann R. Hamon & Bron B. Ingoldsby (Eds.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2003. 296 pp. ISBN 0-7619-2592-9. $34.95 (cloth). In the introduction to Mate Selection Across Cultures, editors Raeann Hamon and Bron Ingoldsby identify the family as the fundamental unit of society, one that is universal even as the particulars of family organization differ. They are interested in one aspect of family life: mate selection. By compiling descriptions of couple formation from varying cultural backgrounds, they reveal the similarities and differences that this process takes. The countries and regions covered in the book are North America: United States; Caribbean and South America: the Bahamas, Ecuador and Latin America, Trinidad and Tobago; Africa: Ghana, Kenya; Middle East: Egypt, Israel, Turkey; Europe: Spain, Netherlands; Asia: India, China, Japan. As each chapter reveals, partner selection is tied to customs, rituals, and ceremonies that formalize the relationship. Fourteen countries are highlighted even though readers need to note that within countries are variations by religious, ethnic, and class positions. In that sense, this book is only a partial view of the diversity that exists around the world and within individual countries. For instance, the first selection is titled "The Mate Selection Process in the United States" by coeditor Bron Ingoldsby. The mate selection process covered in this generic title begins with the Hutterite colony in Montana (as illustrative of the diversity of families in the United States), then goes on to provide an overview of changing practices and beliefs, from colonial Puritans to contemporary times, as though those practices could be generalized to most Americans. In the chapters that follow, there is an overall lack of attention to dating and marriage for older people after death or divorce. Most articles do not mention divorce, remarriage, singlehood, gay and lesbian partnerships, childlessness, adultery, or premarital sex. I would like to have seen analysis of customs rather than simply reporting on what those customs were. Polygyny, for one, could have been analyzed in a way that showed structural conditions conducive to its emergence rather than just seeing it as traditional practice. Clearly the most glaring omission, a gender analysis, is sorely needed. Dryly presented are reports that in Ghana, half of marriages are polygynous, and men make the decisions that affect women's lives (Baffour Takyi). Another instance is when authors Stephen Wilson, Lucy Ngige, and Linda Trollinger write about Kenya and how the failure of a woman to produce children leads to humiliation, shame, and sometimes justification for taking other wives, or for women to engage in a woman-to-woman marriage so another woman can carry the child a wife fails to produce. A second Kenyan example by the same authors relates that "circumcision" is required for both boys and girls to enter marriage, without distinguishing female genital mutilation from male circumcision. …
Use of genetic tags to identify captive-bred pallid sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus albus ) in the wild: improving abundance estimates for an endangered species

The ability to distinguish captive-bred and natural-origin individuals in the wild is critical for evaluating the impact of captive breeding programs on natural populations. Continued persistence of endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Missouri River is largely dependent on captive breeding efforts that spawn natural-origin adults in fish hatcheries and release their progeny into the wild. Prior to release, hatchery-origin individuals are physically marked so they can be distinguished from natural-origin individuals when recaptured. During the years 2004–2006, 24 unmarked juvenile pallid sturgeon tissue samples were collected in the Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam, South Dakota, USA that were presumed natural-origin. However, these individuals were similar in size to hatchery-origin fish released in this area raising concerns that these individuals were actually hatchery-origin fish with lost or malfunctioning tags. We used microsatellite based parentage analysis to determine if the unmarked fish were members of hatchery families that had been released in this area. This retrospective genetic tagging approach revealed that 23 of 24 unmarked fish were indeed hatchery-origin. The origin of the remaining individual remains unknown because genetic samples were not available from all of the families released below the dam and the unassigned fish may have originated from one of these un-sampled families. These results provide important insight into the conservation status of endangered pallid sturgeon as well as provide data important for guiding management decisions. Our results also demonstrate the efficacy of using genetic tags as an alternative or complimentary approach to physically marking individuals.
Why Elephants Gallop: Assessing and Predicting Organizational Performance in Federal Agencies

'In a recent article published in this journal, the authors argued that elephants and public organizations have something in common. Both are saddled with inaccurate stereotypes. Elephants are believed to be slow and insensitive creatures, when in fact they can run very fast and are very sensitive. Similarly, public organizations are believed to be low-performing and unresponsive, when in fact many public organizations perform very well and are models of responsiveness. After making (he crucial point that some public organizations are doing a good job, the authors propose a theory of effective public organizations and urge the research community to test this theory empirically.