cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline Sn and SnO2 films with wire morphologies

Abstract A new electrodeposition condition has been developed to prepare films composed of Sn wires, using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a plating medium. The morphology of Sn deposits varied significantly depending on the aging time of the solution as well as the amount of electric charge passed through the cell prior to deposition. The wire morphology was obtained only when the DMSO solution containing 0.1 M SnCl 2 and 0.5 M NaNO 3 was aged for 2 weeks at room temperature and 20 C of electric charge were passed through the cell (−1.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl at the working electrode) before deposition. Otherwise, spherical agglomerations of Sn particles that resemble the shape of cauliflowers were obtained. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry revealed that the combination of the aging and passing electric charge processes increased the amount of tetravalent tin ions and the chloride to tin ratio in the plating medium, resulting in the formation of SnCl 6 2 - species without which Sn wires cannot be formed. The electrochemically deposited Sn films were converted to SnO 2 films by thermal oxidation while preserving the original morphologies. The SnO 2 films with wire morphology exhibited superior photoelectrochemical performances compared to the cauliflower morphology although both of these morphologies contain SnO 2 nanoparticles of similar sizes (6–15 nm). Optimizing conditions to control the fine details of wire growth is expected to create opportunities to investigate and exploit wire morphologies of Sn and SnO 2 to construct efficient and cost-effective electrode materials for Li-ion batteries and photoelectrochemical cells.
On the correlation between correlations

Specific tests for the equality of two dependent interclass correlations, estimated from a multivariate sample, have been examined in some detail by Dunn & Clark (1969, 1971). In this paper I wish to consider the dependencies among correlation coefficients in more generality, whether interclass or intraclass, and hence to suggest appropriate large-sample tests of hypotheses concerning them. This problem is of particular interest to geneticists, who may be concerned with the analysis of correlations between pairs of relatives. Rao, Morton & Yee (1974) have recently presented a general linear model for such an analysis, in which an attempt is made to apportion the total variability of a trait to environmental and genetic causes when independent estimates of the various correlations are available. In practice, however, correlations such as parent-offspring and full-sib are often estimated from a single set of nuclear families, parents and children, and so the estimates are not independent. After deriving asymptotic expressions for the correlations between each of the five different pairs of correlation coefficients possible, I indicate how they can be used to test hypotheses and to obtain pooled correlation estimates from families of different sizes.
ICI 182,780-Regulated Gene Expression in DU145 Prostate Cancer Cells Is Mediated by Estrogen Receptor-β/NFκB Crosstalk

Estrogen receptor (ER)-beta is the predominant ER subtype in prostate cancer (PCa). We previously demonstrated that ICI 182,780 (ICI), but not estrogens, exerted dose-dependent growth inhibition on DU145 PCa cells by an ER-beta-mediated pathway. Transcriptional profiling detected a greater than three-fold upregulation of seven genes after a 12-hour exposure to 1 microM ICI. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction confirmed the upregulation of four genes by ICI: interleukin-12alpha chain, interleukin-8, embryonic growth/differentiation factor, and RYK tyrosine kinase. Treatment with an ER-beta antisense oligonucleotide reduced cellular ER-beta mRNA and induced loss of expression of these genes. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of consensus NFkappaB sites, but not estrogen-responsive elements, in promoters of all four genes. Reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that ICI-induced gene expression could be mediated by crosstalk between ER-beta and the NFkappaB signaling pathway, denoting a novel mechanism of ER-beta-mediated ICI action. Therefore, combined therapies targeting ER-beta and NFkappaB signaling may be synergistic as treatment for PCa.
Application of the updated CDC isolation guidelines for health care facilities.

ABSTRACT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL and Prevention has published updated guidelines for isolation precautions that outline how health care workers can prevent the transmission of infectious agents to their patients and to themselves. THE GUIDELINES RE-EMPHASIZE standard precautions, which guide clinicians in the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), depending on the expected type of exposure. Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette is incorporated into infection control practices as a new component of standard precautions. THE ARTICLE PROVIDES information on the new guidelines as well as information on newly emerging patho gens and methods to prevent disease transmission in health care settings.
Studies on the Availability of Nitrogen from Various Ammoniated Products for Rumen Bacteria and Dairy Cattle

Summary A series of studies on the in vitro and in vivo utilization of nitrogen from ammoniated industrial by-products and ammoniated feed stuffs has been reported. The results of both types of studies indicate that nitrogen from ammoniated products is not available to rumen bacteria or to the host to the same degree as is nitrogen from urea or from natural protein sources.
Loyalty Dilemmas and Market Reform: Party-Union Alliances under Stress in Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela

Market reform has dealt a serious blow to traditional alliances between governing parties and labor unions. This article examines the fate of these alliances by applying a revised version of Albert Hirschman's schema of exit, voice, and loyalty to party-union relations in Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela. After refining the concept of loyalty, the author argues that it is embedded in the principles and norms on which these alliances are based. Market reform places party-affiliated labor leaders in a "loyalty dilemma" in which they have no choice but to behave disloyally toward one set of claimants. Their propensity to respond with either voice or exit depends on their vulnerability to reprisals for disloyal behavior and the party's capacity to retain their loyalty even in the face of sacrifices imposed on workers and unions. Both variables are linked to the authority structures in which labor and party leaders find themselves. In the short to medium run the alliances most likely to survive are those in which labor leaders have significant autonomy from their bases and/or in which the party is able and willing to challenge its own executive. In the long run, however, even these alliances may be vulnerable to collapse because of popular frustrations with the inadequacy of interest representation and the multiple pressures on political organizations to adapt to a more fluid and uncertain environment.
Design and evaluation of optical switching architectures

We report on the design and simulation of optical switches for use in communication networks. These switches are promising due to their large bandwidth potential and high switching speeds. These advantages are limited however, by high power dissipation, and device and material constraints. Architectural advances in the design of optical switches are expected to lead to improved performance and higher reliability. A 2 X 2 rectangular switch based on directional couplers is designed and simulated using PUFF. Factors employed to optimize this design include the refractive index of the substrate, LiNbO 3 , and the dimensions of the titanium waveguide. Simulation of the design prior to construction of the switch permits optimization of the PUFF results. These include the scattering parameters and their frequency response. Architectural considerations for optical switches are then evaluated using the 2 X 2 switch as a building block. Several blocking and nonblocking architectures such as crossbar matrix, double crossbar, and planar switch are designed. The system crosstalk, insertion loss, and signal to noise ratio for the architectures are calculated as a function of switch dimensions.
A process for coupling wood to thermoplastic using graft copolymers

A chemical modification method has been developed to convert lignin into lignin–styrene graft copolymers. The graft products are macromolecular surface active agents because, within each molecule, a hydrocarbon sidechain has been grown off of a natural oxyphenylpropyl backbone. Surface activity of the graft copolymers was indicated by their capacity to form stable emulsions between incompatible fluid phases and to adhesively bond to wood surfaces. Dynamic contact angle measurement using the Wilhelmy plate technique showed that the graft copolymers changed the contact angle of water on wood from 50° to 110°. Coating birch wood (Betula papyrifera) with lignin–styrene graft copolymerization product increases the water contact angle and the binding strength of polystyrene on the wood. Lap shear strengths increased 56%, from 1826 to 2840 kPa, when the wood was coated with a graft copolymer containing 51.7% lignin. Binding was tested by coating the birch with a solution of graft copolymer, drying the wood, injection molding polystyrene onto the surface of the wood, and pulling the polystyrene off the wood surface in a lap shear brace. These properties of the copolymers were used to design a process for forming wood-thermoplastic composites. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Relativistic jets and the nature of BL Lacertae objects

Abstract BL Lacertae objects are an extreme form of Active Galactic Nuclei characterized by rapid variability, high polarization, a compact radio structure, and weak emission lines. Most of these properties can be understood as consequences of a relativistic jet. The simplest model of a jet is a single homogeneous sphere of plasma emitting synchrotron and inverse—Compton radiation which is moving at relativistic speeds close to the line of sight. While real sources cannot be explained in detail with such a model, it provides a valuable framework for understanding the observational consequences of relativistic jets. More complex models involving the superposition of homogeneous regions each with different physical parameters are better able to match the radio — X-ray spectrum of BL Lacertae objects, although the model parameters are generally not well constrained. If BL Lacertae objects are indeed sources with jets oriented close to the line of sight then intrinsically identical objects must exist which just happen to have jets pointed away. A “unified scheme” for BL Lacertae objects identifies low luminosity radio galaxies as those objects. Comparisons of the properties of large samples of radio galaxies and BL Lacertae objects are valuable tools for constraining the physical parameters of jets in these AGN.
Modeling Owner-Occupied Single-Family House Values in the City of Milwaukee: A Geographically Weighted Regression Approach

This study investigates the spatial non-stationarity of the relationship between house values and various attributes in the City of Milwaukee. From the 2003 Master Property (MPROP) data file of the City of Milwaukee, a set of owner-occupied single family houses were randomly selected (representing 99% of confidence within a ±2% range of accuracy of the total population) to model how house values are related to various house attributes. Remote sensing information (the fraction of soil and impervious surface that represent degraded neighborhood environmental conditions) is added to fine-tune the relationship. A geographically weighted regression (GWR) approach is used to investigate spatial non-stationarity. The modeling revealed that significant spatial non-stationarity existed between house values and the predictors. Specifically, the study found that those house attributes—including floor size, number of bathrooms, air conditioners, and fire-places—add more value to houses in the more affluent areas (esp...
Trends in Courses Taught: Insights from CMG’s College Faculty Database

CMG updates faculty name records and course assignments twice each year from class schedules and course catalogs collected from all 3,500 accredited U.S. colleges and universities. CMG’s staff assigns each course in a given class schedule to one of CMG’s 3,700 “standardized” courses that, in total, are intended to represent the curriculum offered in all colleges and universities in the United States. This compilation methodology has been used consistently since 1977 with incremental refinements.
Novel Determinants of Epithelial Sodium Channel Gating within Extracellular Thumb Domains

Activity of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is modulated by Na+ self-inhibition, an allosteric down-regulation of channel open probability by extracellular Na+. We searched for determinants of Na+ self-inhibition by analyzing changes in this inhibitory response resulting from specific mutations within the extracellular domains of mouse ENaC subunits. Mutations at γMet438 altered the Na+ self-inhibition response in a substitution-specific manner. Fourteen substitutions (Ala, Arg, Asp, Cys, Gln, Glu, His, Ile, Phe, Pro, Ser, Thr, Tyr, and Val) significantly suppressed Na+ self-inhibition, whereas three mutations (Asn, Gly, and Leu) moderately enhanced the inhibition. Met to Lys mutation did not alter Na+ self-inhibition. Mutations at the homologous site in the α subunit (G481A, G481C, and G481M) dramatically increased the magnitude and speed of Na+ self-inhibition. Mutations at the homologous βAla422 resulted in minimal or no change in Na+ self-inhibition. Low, high, and intermediate open probabilities were observed in oocytes expressing αG481Mβγ, αβγM438V, and αG481M/βγM438V, respectively. This pair of residues map to theα5 helix in the extracellular thumb domain in the chicken acid sensing ion channel 1 structure. Both residues likely reside near the channel surface because both αG481Cβγ and αβγM438C channels were inhibited by an externally applied and membrane-impermeant sulfhydryl reagent. Our results demonstrate that αGly481 and γMet438 are functional determinants of Na+ self-inhibition and of ENaC gating and suggest that the thumb domain contributes to the channel gating machinery.
Late presentation of a biliary tract complication after right hepatic donation resulting in secondary biliary cirrhosis

Adult to adult right hepatic lobe living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) accounts for 10% of all liver transplants performed in the United States. Although the overall morbidity and mortality to the donor is low, complications resulting in death and/or need for transplantation have been previously reported. Five cases of donor related complications resulting in three deaths have been documented in the United States to date. Two of the three deaths occurred early in the postoperative period, and the third was not related to surgery, but rather due to a suicide 2 years post donation. Listing for liver transplantation was required for two donors, one for acute Budd Chiari syndrome and the other for subfulminant hepatic failure. All of these cases, with the exception of the suicide, were complications that occurred early in the post operative period following liver donation. We report a late biliary tract complication resulting in chronic liver disease likely related to a perioperative surgical complication.
Flammulina RFLP patterns identify species and show biogeographical patterns within species

Representative collections of Flammulina were examined by restriction digests of the ribosomal RNA internally transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S- ITS2). Digestion with the restriction enzymes, HaeIII and Bst F51 distinguished among the major North- ern Hemisphere species of Flammulina. Digestion of E velutipes collections with two additional restriction enzymes, Bgl I and Bst UI, gave variable restriction fragment patterns and revealed biogeographically identifiable patterns. Three haplotypes of E velutipes were identified with geographical distributions chief- ly in Asia, Europe and North America. Recent trans- fer of haplotypes among geographical areas seems plausible based on the observed haplotype distribu- tion.
Effects of indomethacin on venoconstrictor responses to bradykinin and norepinephrine.

Abstract In order to determine whether the venoconstrictor response to BK was dependent on prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, effects of indomethacin (INDO) on responses to bradykinin (BK) and norepinephrine (NE) were studied in canine lateral saphenous vein. Cumulative dose-response curves (10 −9 -10 −6 M BK or NE) were done in the presence and absence of INDO (10 −6 M). In the presence of INDO, responses to BK were markedly enhanced while responses to NE were unchanged. After prolonged periods in the bath, responses to BK were enhanced in control strips while responses of strips which had been treated with INDO were depressed. These results suggest that BK does not normally cause venoconstriction by stimulating synthesis of a venoconstrictor PG and that the increase in response to BK after prolonged periods in the bath may be related to changes in PG synthetase.
HCl acid ionization in water: A theoretical molecular modeling

Abstract The results of the examination of the acid ionization of HCl in water via a combination of ab initio electronic structure calculations and Monte Carlo simulations are described. The following key aspects are taken into account: the electronic structure change of the solute reaction system induced by the solvent polarization, the quantized nature of the proton nuclear motion, the solvent fluctuation and reorganization along with the solvent effects on the proton potential, and a Grotthuss mechanism of the proton transfer in water. The mechanism is found to involve stepwise transfers. The first is an almost activationless motion in a solvent coordinate, adiabatically followed by the quantum proton to produce a contact ion pair Cl−H3O+, which is stabilized by ∼7 kcal/mol. The second is a motion in the solvent with a small activation barrier, as the adiabatic proton transfer produces a solvent-separated ion pair from the contact ion pair in an almost thermoneutral process. Motion of a neighbouring water molecule, accomodating a primary coordination number change of a proton-accepting water, is identified as a key in the reaction promoting solvent reorganization.
Solving the small sample size problem in face recognition using generalized discriminant analysis

The goal of face recognition is to distinguish persons via their facial images. Each person's images form a cluster, and a new image is recognized by assigning it to the correct cluster. Since the images are very high-dimensional, it is necessary to reduce their dimension. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) has been shown to be effective at dimension reduction while preserving the cluster structure of the data. It is classically defined as an optimization problem involving covariance matrices that represent the scatter within and between clusters. The requirement that one of these matrices be nonsingular restricts its application to datasets in which the dimension of the data does not exceed the sample size. For face recognition, however, the dimension typically exceeds the number of images in the database, resulting in what is referred to as the small sample size problem. Recently, the applicability of LDA has been extended by using the generalized singular value decomposition (GSVD) to circumvent the nonsingularity requirement, thus making LDA directly applicable to face recognition data. Our experiments confirm that LDA/GSVD solves the small sample size problem very effectively as compared with other current methods.
A method of predicting the energy-absorption capability of composite subfloor beams

A simple method of predicting the energy-absorption capability of composite subfloor beam structure was developed. The method is based upon the weighted sum of the energy-absorption capability of constituent elements of a subfloor beam. An empirical data base of energy absorption results from circular and square cross section tube specimens were used in the prediction capability. The procedure is applicable to a wide range of subfloor beam structure. The procedure was demonstrated on three subfloor beam concepts. Agreement between test and prediction was within seven percent for all three cases.
A new directional simulation method for system reliability. Part I: application of deterministic point sets

To assess structural system reliability accurately, simulation is often the only feasible method because of dimensionality, highly nonlinear limit states, small failure probability and other factors. However, simulations can be computationally inefficient when the reliability assessment involves finite element analysis and the cost of structural analysis is large. Efficient directional simulation, as well as other simulation techniques, often can be improved in terms of accuracy and efficiency if the sample points are identified by deterministic point sets rather than generated randomly. This article introduces and investigates various deterministic point sets theoretically and experimentally in conjunction with directional simulation, and identifies one particular point set (Fekete point set) as being especially useful in this regard. New test measures are proposed to evaluate the quality and uniformity of point sets, which are essential in preserving the underlying probability distribution. A companion paper presents a point set refinement scheme using neural networks, which is a technique parallel to importance sampling.
Genomic organization of the human rod photoreceptor cGMP-gated cation channel β-subunit gene

Abstract We previously reported that the CNGB1 locus encoding the rod photoreceptor cGMP-gated channel β-subunit is complex, comprising non-overlapping transcription units that give rise to at least six transcripts (Ardell, M.D., Aragon, I., Oliveira, L., Porche, G.E., Burke, E., Pittler, S.J., 1996. The beta subunit of human rod photoreceptor cGMP-gated cation channel is generated from a complex transcription unit. FEBS Lett. 389, 213–218). To further understand the transcriptional regulation of this extraordinarily complex locus, and to develop a screen for defects in the gene in patients with hereditary disease, we determined its genomic organization and DNA sequence. The CNGB1 locus consists of 33 exons, which span approximately 100 kb of genomic DNA on chromosome 16. The β-subunit comprises two domains, an N-terminal glutamic acid-rich segment (GARP), and a C-terminal channel-like portion. Two additional exons encoding a short GARP transcript and a truncated channel-like transcript have been identified. A major transcription start point was identified 79 bp upstream of the initiator ATG. To begin analysis of the basis for the generation of multiple transcripts, and to identify promoters driving expression in retina, approximately 2.5 kb of the upstream region were sequenced. Putative cis -elements, which can bind the retina-specific transcription factors Crx and Erx, were found immediately upstream of the transcription start point, and may be important for gene expression in this tissue. From our analysis, a model is reported to account for at least four of the retinal transcripts.
Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by Nisin Combined with Grape Seed Extract or Green Tea Extract in Soy Protein Film Coated on Turkey Frankfurters

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of grape seed extract (GSE), green tea extract (GTE), nisin and their combinations (nisin with either GSE or GTE) against Listeria monocytogenes. The inhibitory effect of these natural compounds was evaluated in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) medium containing approximately 109 colony-forming units (CFU/mL) of L. monocytogenes. The effectiveness of these compounds in a meat model system was evaluated by surface inoculation (approximately 106 CFU/g) of L. monocytogenes onto turkey frankfurters. The inoculated frankfurters were dipped into soy protein film-forming solutions with and without the addition of antimicrobial agents (GSE 1% or GTE 1% or nisin 10000 IU or combinations). Samples were stored at either 4 °C or 10 °C. The inhibitory effects of edible coatings were evaluated on a weekly basis for 28 d. The greatest inhibitory effect was observed in the PBS medium containing GSE (1%) and nisin (10000 IU/mL), which caused a 9-log cycle reduction of L. monocytogenes population after 3 h incubation at 37 °C. In the meat system, the L. monocytogenes population (7.1 CFU/g) was decreased by more than 2 log cycle after 28 d at 4 °C and 10 °C, in the samples containing nisin (10000 IU) combined with either GSE (1%) or GTE (1%). This research has demonstrated that the use of an edible film coating containing both nisin and natural extracts is a promising means of controlling the growth and recontamination of L. monocytogenes on ready-to-eat meat products.
Primary structure of lysozymes from man and goose.

The primary structure of goose egg white lysozyme seems to be distinct from that of hen egg white and human leukaemia lysozymes.
Minimal Difference in the Prevalence of Asthma in the Urban and Rural Environment

Multiple risk factors can be modified to decrease asthma incidence. It is important to understand early risks to decrease exposure to harmful conditions in the environment that can trigger asthma which may not be clinically evident in children until they reach adulthood. A retrospective literature review of articles on the prevalence of asthma in the urban versus rural environment was initiated in order to understand the effect of the environment on asthma. The urban-living effect is a global problem in the face of growing population, industrialization and pollution. The socioeconomic dichotomy in the urban versus rural environment also affects access and quality of health care. Articles reviewed had differences in the urban versus rural prevalence of asthma. However, further analysis of specific risk factors and socioeconomic trends that increased susceptibility to asthma was the same in these studies. Some rural areas may have similar environmental and socioeconomic issues that place them at the same risk for the development of asthma as their urban counterparts. Urban locations generally tend to have the prototype environment that can lead to the predisposition of asthma. Ultimately, the incidence of asthma can be decreased if these environmental and socioeconomic issues are addressed. However, every effort is needed from the level of the individual to the community at large.
Towards fast, rigorous and efficient conformational sampling of biomolecules: Advances in accelerated molecular dynamics

Abstract Background Accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) has been proven to be a powerful biasing method for enhanced sampling of biomolecular conformations on general-purpose computational platforms. Biologically important long timescale events that are beyond the reach of standard molecular dynamics can be accessed without losing the detailed atomistic description of the system in aMD. Over other biasing methods, aMD offers the advantages of tuning the level of acceleration to access the desired timescale without any advance knowledge of the reaction coordinate. Scope of review Recent advances in the implementation of aMD and its applications to small peptides and biological macromolecules are reviewed here along with a brief account of all the aMD variants introduced in the last decade. Major conclusions In comparison to the original implementation of aMD, the recent variant in which all the rotatable dihedral angles are accelerated (RaMD) exhibits faster convergence rates and significant improvement in statistical accuracy of retrieved thermodynamic properties. RaMD in conjunction with accelerating diffusive degrees of freedom, i.e. dual boosting, has been rigorously tested for the most difficult conformational sampling problem, protein folding. It has been shown that RaMD with dual boosting is capable of efficiently sampling multiple folding and unfolding events in small fast folding proteins. General significance RaMD with the dual boost approach opens exciting possibilities for sampling multiple timescales in biomolecules. While equilibrium properties can be recovered satisfactorily from aMD-based methods, directly obtaining dynamics and kinetic rates for larger systems presents a future challenge. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Recent developments of molecular dynamics.
Tissue sample preparation in bioanalytical assays

Analytical quantitation of compounds in tissue has become a more prevalent addition to biological sample analysis in recent times. This increase will most certainly continue to bring the question of proper analytical method validation to the forefront of discussion. Thoughtful design of sample homogenization, analyte fortification and extraction can ensure a successful analysis. This review presents current trends in tissue sample preparation by harvesting, homogenization techniques, as well as concerns for calibrator and QC preparation. Strategies for consideration and resolution of common pitfalls in method development, for example stability issues and control biomatrices in endogenous analysis, are also presented.
Development of the neural crest: achieving specificity in regulatory pathways

Recent studies have revealed the signaling pathways and downstream effectors involved in the specification of the neural crest. Neural crest cells are generated from a zone at the neurectoderm border in response to Wnt and BMP signals. BMP signals are involved in establishing a competency zone at the border of the neurectoderm, while subsequent Wnt signals specify neural crest cells. Combinations of transcription factors, including pax and msx gene products, act downstream of these pathways to integrate signals and establish the neural crest. Mechanisms are emerging for how specificity is generated from reiterated signals and effectors.
Ke 6 Gene SEQUENCE AND ORGANIZATION AND ABERRANT REGULATION IN MURINE POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Ke 6 gene is a newly identified gene located in the major histocompatibility complex and is a candidate steroid dehydrogenase gene because of structural homology and regulatory similarities with mammalian steroid dehydrogenases. We report here the complete nucleotide sequence and intron-exon organization of the Ke 6 gene and cloning of the alternatively spliced Ke 6b transcript. We find that Ke 6 gene expression is down-regulated in pcy mice which is a murine model of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Thus far, Ke 6 gene expression is down-regulated in all murine models of PKD we have examined. Abnormal steroid metabolism as a possible cause of PKD is discussed.
Discharge of a Reissner-Nordström black hole within the event horizon.

A simple model is constructed to illustrate candidate interior geometries for charged spherical black holes. The new feature of this model is the explicit consideration of the evolution of the electromagnetic field and charge distribution in the black-hole interior. The model is constructed by joining the Reissner-Nordstr\"om and Schwarzschild geometries along a spacelike hypersurface at a constant radius lying between the inner and outer horizon radii of the Reissner-Nordstr\"om geometry. This model represents an idealization in which the Schwinger pair creation rate is approximated as zero below a critical electric field value ${E}_{0}$ and as infinity above the critical field value. The spacelike hypersurface on which the geometries are joined represents a sheet of current caused by the created charged pairs. This current eliminates the interior electromagnetic field, resulting in a final state for the black-hole interior which contains no Cauchy horizons, naked singularities, or "tunnels to elsewhere."
Laminar flow in axisymmetric conduits by a rational approach

Numerical and closed-form solutions to laminar flow in regular polygonal conduits, star-shaped conduits, and rectangular conduits are presented. Results by the present approach are shown to be more accurate and the computation to require less effort than conventional methods. The formal finite-series solutions obtained through the present approach lend themselves to parametrization and to a judicious choice of computational schemes. In addition both analytical and numerical procedures yield exact solutions to flow in an equilateral and in an elliptic conduit. The present approach proves to be advantageous in its accuracy, generality, and simplicity. On presente dans ce travail des solutions a l'ecoulement laminaire dans des conduits axi-symetriques d'intere't pratique. On explique d'abord le systeme de calcul au moyen d'exemples qui comportent un certain nombre de configurations individuelles, puis applique la methode d'une maniere systematique et parametrique. On compare les resultats avec ceux qu'on a obtenus par les methodes conventionnelles. On examine la precision des solutions actuelles et la nature des courbes d'approximation. Enfin, on discute certains avantages methodiques de la methode rationnelle en comparaison avec les procedes conventionnels. Pour conclure, on resume les concepts contenus dans la methode actuelle de solution du dit probleme.
Clinical assessment of a neuroradiology PACS

A neuroradiology PACS module developed at UCLA was evaluated in the clinical environment from February 1990 to July 1991. The results of this clinical operation will be used to assess its clinical value. The overall evaluation focused on three aspects: (1) image delivery performance, (2) system availability, and (3) user acceptance. This study evaluates the image delivery performance by analyzing the elapsed time spent in each modularized task in both the film-based system and the PACS system. The system availability was examined by observing the down-time occurrence and up-time probability of individual hardware components in the PACS module. The user acceptance was verified through the display workstation.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
MEN'S TRADITIONAL PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES ABOUT WOMEN: CORRELATES OF ADJUSTMENT OR MALADJUSTMENT

Responses to four items concerning perceptions of women workers, the fulfillment the family role gives women, discrimination against women, and attitude towards women's liberation are analyzed in r...
Treatment of the congenital vertical talus: a retrospective review of 36 feet with long-term follow-up

To ascertain whether one type of treatment of the congenital vertical talus was superior to others, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 36 congenital vertical tali in 21 patients whose average follow-up of 14 years was considered to be unusually lengthy. Ten patients (48%) had an underlying primary diagnosis, and 13 patients (62%) had at least one other secondary congenital abnormality. None of the surgical techniques produced significantly better results than any other one according to criteria involving shoewear, range of motion, and degree of pain. Subtalar and talotibial motion were frequently restricted, with or without prior arthrodesis. Pain generally was not an immediate or long-term problem. To maintain maximal foot mobility, we recommend a one-stage soft tissue correction alone in the child under 3 years of age. In older, untreated children or those in whom conservative treatments have failed, a subtalar or triple arthrodesis may be necessary.
Natural history of blue sclerae in osteogenesis imperfecta

Scleral hue is an important sign which distinguishes 2 broad groupings of patients, those with and those without blue sclerae with nonlethal osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Individuals with OI type I have distinctly blue sclerae which remain intensely blue throughout life. In OI type III and OI type IV the sclerae may also be blue at birth and during infancy, but the intensity fades with time such that these individuals have sclerae of normal hue by adolescence and adult life.
Use of alternative polyadenylation sites in the synthesis of mRNAs encoding the interferon-induced tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase

Abstract The interferon-mediated induction of the gene encoding the human tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase (WRS) results in the production of two mRNA species differing in size by approximately 800 base pairs (bp). Two distinctly sized cDNAs differing by approximately 800 bp were isolated from a cDNA library generated from mRNA prepared from IFN-γ-treated cells. Northern blot analysis using cDNA probes recognizing different regions of the WRS mRNA reveals distinctly sized mRNAs differing in the length of their 3′ untranslated regions. Differential display analysis using oligo dT primers demonstrates that the different sized WRS mRNAs result from alternative polyadenylation of this transcript.
Exception handling in the choices operating system

Exception handling is a powerful abstraction that can be used to help manage errors and support the construction of reliable operating systems. Using exceptions to notify system components about exceptional conditions also reduces coupling of error handling code and increases the modularity of the system. We explore the benefits of incorporating exception handling into the Choices operating system in order to improve reliability. We extend the set of exceptional error conditions in the kernel to include critical kernel errors such as invalid memory access and undefined instructions by wrapping them with language-based software exceptions. This allows developers to handle both hardware and software exceptions in a simple and unified manner through the use of an exception hierarchy. We also describe a catch-rethrow approach for exception propagation across protection domains. When an exception is caught by the system, generic recovery techniques like policy-driven micro-reboots and restartable processes are applied, thus increasing the reliability of the system.
Side-stream smoking reduces intestinal inflammation and increases expression of tight junction proteins

AIM: To investigate the effect of side-stream smoking on gut microflora composition, intestinal inflammation and expression of tight junction proteins. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were exposed to side-stream cigarette smoking for one hour daily over eight weeks. Cecal contents were collected for microbial composition analysis. Large intestine was collected for immunoblotting and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses of the inflammatory pathway and tight junction proteins. RESULTS: Side-stream smoking induced significant changes in the gut microbiota with increased mouse intestinal bacteria, Clostridium but decreased Fermicutes (Lactoccoci and Ruminococcus), Enterobacteriaceae family and Segmented filamentous baceteria compared to the control mice. Meanwhile, side-stream smoking inhibited the nuclear factor-κB pathway with reduced phosphorylation of p65 and IκBα, accompanied with unchanged mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α or interleukin-6. The contents of tight junction proteins, claudin3 and ZO2 were up-regulated in the large intestine of mice exposed side-stream smoking. In addition, side-stream smoking increased c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 MAPK kinase signaling, while inhibiting AMP-activated protein kinase in the large intestine. CONCLUSION: Side-stream smoking altered gut microflora composition and reduced the inflammatory response, which was associated with increased expression of tight junction proteins.
Analyticity and Epistemology

Summary This paper defends the philosophical importance of analyticity against the influential objections raised by W. V. Quine. It characterizes analyticity in a way that (a) is nonepistemic, (b) avoids Quine's objections and fits his general strictures, and (c) explains the epistemological importance of analyticity. It also explains why even proponents of Quine's naturalized epistemology should value the epistemological importance of analyticity, in connection with questions about the correctness of their epistemic principles. Given these considerations, this paper may be regarded as having rescued analyticity from the throes of suspicion and myth, as set by “Two Dogmas of Empiricism.”
Double sampling data checking technique: an online testing solution for multisource noise-induced errors on on-chip interconnects and buses

With processors and system-on-chips using nano-meter technologies, several design and test efforts have been recently developed to eliminate and test for many emerging DSM noise effects. In this paper, we show the emergence of multisource noise effects, where multiple DSM noise sources combine to produce functional and timing errors even when each separate noise source itself does not. We show the dynamic nature of multisource noise, and the need for online testing to detect such noise errors. We propose an online approach based on low-cost double-sampling data checking circuit to test for such noise effects in on-chip buses. Based on the proposed circuit, an effective and efficient testing methodology has been developed to facilitate online testing for generic on-chip buses. The applicability of this methodology is demonstrated through embedding the online detection circuit in a bus design. The validated design shows the effectiveness of the proposed testing methodology for multisource noise-induced errors in global interconnects and buses.
LINEAR HOME RANGES: EFFECTS OF SMOOTHING, SAMPLE SIZE, AND AUTOCORRELATION ON KERNEL ESTIMATES

Simulations are necessary to assess the performance of home-range estimators because the true distribution of empirical data is unknown, but we must question whether that performance applies to empirical data. Some studies have used empirically based simulations, randomly selecting subsets of data to evaluate estimator performance, but animals do not move randomly within a home range. We created an empirically based simulation using a behavioral model, generated a probability distribution from those data, and randomly selected locations from that distribution in a chronological sequence as the simulated individual moved through its home range. Thus, we examined the influence of temporal patterns of space use and determined the effects of smoothing, number of locations, and autocorrelation on kernel estimates. Additionally, home-range estimators were designed to evaluate species that use space with few restrictions, traveling almost anywhere on the landscape. Many species, however, confine their movements ...
Detection of major genes underlying several quantitative traits associated with a common disease using different ascertainment schemes

Using the Problem 2A data sets of GAW10, we assessed the power of four ascertainment schemes to localize major genes underlying a disease trait; the schemes were based on disease or quantitative trait status of nuclear families. MAPMAKER/SIBS was used to perform sib-pair analysis for all four data sets using marker data from three chromosomes, 4, 5 and 8. Each scheme varied in power to identify major genes underlying the quantitative traits depending on the genetic architecture of the data set. Three different methods, Haseman-Elston quantitative trait locus (QTL) regression analysis, maximum likelihood variance estimation and a non-parametric method, were used to assess the strength of linkage in all four data sets. False positive mappings localizing to the same region of the genome, verifiable across all three methods did not occur. Two major genes, MG1 and MG2, were successfully assigned to chromosomes 5 and 8, respectively, by at least one of the ascertainment schemes. MG1 was localized under two schemes, selection of families with exactly two affected sibs and selection of families with two sibs who had extremely discordant values for Q1. Additional weak evidence of the location of MG1 was also obtained under the other two ascertainment schemes. MG2 could not be detected by analyzing data sets ascertained either by affected sib pairs or by sib pairs with extremely discordant values for Q1. In the data set ascertained by a third strategy, selection of families with sib pairs extremely discordant for Q2, MG2 could be mapped to chromosome 8. A random ascertainment scheme yielded a data set in which we could find weak evidence for MG1 and no evidence for MG2. Thus our ability to detect major genes underlying the QTL depended on several factors which included the ascertainment scheme, the population allele frequencies, linkage and epistasis.
DISC1 (Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1) is a centrosome-associated protein that interacts with MAP1A, MIPT3, ATF4/5 and NUDEL: regulation and loss of interaction with mutation

Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a novel gene associated with schizophrenia by multiple genetic studies. In order to determine how mutations in DISC1 might cause susceptibility to schizophrenia, we undertook a comprehensive study of the cellular biology of DISC1 in its full-length and disease-associated mutant forms. DISC1 interacts by yeast two-hybrid, mammalian two-hybrid, and co-immunoprecipitation assays with multiple proteins of the centrosome and cytoskeletal system, including MIPT3, MAP1A and NUDEL; proteins which localize receptors to membranes, including alpha-actinin2 and beta4-spectrin; and proteins which transduce signals from membrane receptors, including ATF4 and ATF5. Truncated mutant DISC1 fails to interact with ATF4, ATF5 or NUDEL. Deletion mapping demonstrated that DISC1 has distinct interaction domains: MAP1A interacts via its LC2 domain with the N-terminus of DISC1, whereas MIPT3 and NUDEL bind via their C-terminal domains to the central coiled-coil domain of DISC1, and ATF4/5 bind via their C-terminal domains to the C-terminus of DISC1. In its full-length form, DISC1 protein localizes to predominantly perinuclear punctate structures which extend into neurites in some cells; mutant truncated DISC1, by contrast, is seen in a diffuse pattern throughout the cytoplasm and abundantly in neurites. Both forms co-localize with the centrosomal complex, although truncated less abundantly than full-length DISC1. Although both full-length and mutant DISC1 are found in microtubule fractions, neither form of DISC1 appears to bind directly to microtubules, but rather do so in a MIPT3-dependent fashion that is stabilized by taxol. Based on these data, we propose that DISC1 is a multifunctional protein whose truncation contributes to schizophrenia susceptibility by disrupting intracellular transport, neurite architecture and/or neuronal migration, all of which have been hypothesized to be pathogenic in the schizophrenic brain.