cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manifold estimation in view-based feature space for face synthesis across poses

This paper presents a new approach to synthesize face images under different pose changes given a single input image. The approach is based on two observations: 1. a series of face images of a single person under different poses could be mapped to a smooth manifold in the unified feature space. 2. the manifolds from different faces are separated from each other by their dissimilarities. The new manifold estimation is formulated as an energy minimization problem with smoothness constraints. The experiments show that face images under different poses can be robustly synthesized from one input image, even with large pose variations.
Adequacy of Current Succession Law in Light of the Constitution and Policy Considerations

I was pleased and honored to have the opportunity, in 1973, to represent then-Congressman Gerald R. Ford at his confirmation hearings for the Office of Vice President of the United States. Those were difficult and trying times, as some of us in this room are old enough to remember. The country was deeply split with respect to the Vietnam War, and there was constant talk of the impeachment of the President, Richard M. Nixon. With each day, a new revelation occurred that threw more coals on that fire to impeach President Nixon. It was in that environment of divisiveness in this country that Spiro T. Agnew, Nixon’s Vice President, on October 10, 1973, resigned from office.1 His resignation was not, like John C. Calhoun’s as Vice President, a voluntary one.2 Agnew’s resignation was virtually an agreed-upon condition as a plea negotiation with respect to his entry of a nolo contendere plea to bribery charges, negotiated by the Department of Justice. Shortly thereafter, President Nixon nominated the House Minority Leader, Gerald Ford, to his position. Then-Congressman Ford had been under consideration by President Nixon in 1968 at the convention as a running mate, but Nixon chose Agnew instead. In 1973, Gerald Ford was the first person ever designated under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to serve in the Office of Vice President and to fill the vacancy that existed there. The Amendment was at that time, in 1973, about five years old. There were no procedures. There were no standards. There were no rules. We only knew what the Twenty-Fifth Amendment told us. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment told us that he had to be confirmed by a majority of the Senate, and, for the very first time in American history, the first time in the Constitution or in any statute, the House of Representatives got into the
Subtrochanteric fractures of the femur

Abstract The posterior approach offers a much easier and simplified method of operating upon subtrochanteric fractures of the femur. In suitable cases, when a satisfactory reduction cannot be obtained by other methods, we believe that an early use of this procedure will be followed by better results, less inconvenience to the patients and a shorter convalescence.
An Effective Viscosity Model for Turbulent Wall Boundary Layers.

Abstract : Existing effective viscosity models which have been very valuable in the mean field closure method for turbulent boundary layer computation have shown certain undesirable limitations for certain realistic but general boundary layer flows. The more general flows usually involve non-negligible considerations of pressure gradients and such wall conditions as roughness, curvature and aspiration or transpiration in varying degrees of importance. The effects of these external and wall influences are included in the present model of the effective viscosity which is developed for a general flow. (Author)
Delineation of Signals Required for Thymocyte Positive Selection

Peptide/MHC complexes capable of inducing positive selection in mouse fetal thymic organ cultures fail to do so in suspension culture. Furthermore, this type of culture does not promote initial stages of differentiation, such as coreceptor down-modulation, unless peptides used for stimulation have (at least) weak agonist activity. We show in this study that signals provided in suspension culture by nonagonist peptide/MHC complexes on the surface of macrophages, even though apparently silent, are sufficient to promote complete phenotypic differentiation when CD4+CD8+ thymocytes are subsequently placed in a proper anatomical setting. Furthermore, the synergistic actions of suboptimal concentrations of phorbol esters and nonagonist peptide/MHC complexes can make the initial stages of positive selection visible, without converting maturation into negative selection. Thus, the correlation between efficiency of positive selection and the degree of coreceptor down-modulation on CD4+CD8+ thymocytes is not linear. Furthermore, these results suggest that the unique role of thymic stromal cells in positive selection is related not to presentation of self-peptide/MHC complexes, but most likely to another ligand.
Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair: postoperative antibiotics decrease incidence of seroma-related cellulitis.

Seroma formation has been documented as a common complication in laparoscopic ventral herniorraphy. However, there are no recent studies documenting the incidence of or protective strategies against seroma-related cellulitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate 65 laparoscopic ventral herniorraphies and to determine if seroma-related cellulitis can be prevented by the routine use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics. A retrospective case review of 65 laparoscopic ventral herniorraphies was done at our institution from February 2002 to January 2004. All were performed using either Gore-Tex DualMesh or Bard Composix mesh and performed under the direct supervision of a single surgeon. Twenty patients received only preoperative third-generation cephalosporins or fluoroquinolones. All other patients received either 7 days of post-operative oral cephalosporins or fluoroquinolones in addition to preoperative antibiotics. Sixtyfive patients underwent laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. There were 45 patients in the postoperative antibiotic group and 20 patients in the preoperative-only antibiotic group. Twenty-one patients developed seromas. Twelve of these developed cellulitis. The rates of seroma formation were similar in the two groups with 30 per cent in the preoperative only group and 33 per cent in the postoperative antibiotic group. However, 100 per cent of the seromas in the preoperative antibiotic group developed seroma-related cellulitis. Only 40 per cent of seromas in the postoperative antibiotic group developed cellulitis. In addition, two seromas in the preoperative antibiotics-only group progressed to frank mesh infection necessitating operative removal. There were no complications related to antibiotic administration. Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair is a safe and effective procedure. Our seroma rate is 30 per cent and compares equally with prior reported studies. Seroma-related cellulitis is a common problem that can lead to mesh infection, postoperative morbidity, and further need for operative care. The administration of 7 days of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics appears to be a safe and effective means to limit seroma-related cellulitis.
Effects of Sodium Loading plus Walking on Bone Mineral Content (BMC)

Determine if sodium loading and changes (Δ) in blood sodium concentration ([Na+]) are related to Δ's in BMC after walking. Methods: 2 single-blind randomized trials: 6 flour tablets (P: placebo tri...
Voluminous, Varied, and Vital

Plant Cell Vacuoles An Introduction. Deepesh N. De. CSIRO, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia, 2000. 304 pp. Paper, $60, £58.95, A$85. ISBN 0-643-06254-8. De provides an encyclopedic tour through the past quarter century of literature about plant cell vacuoles, multifunctional organelles that are crucial for the regulation and maintenance of plant growth and development.
A modified tactile brush algorithm for complex touch gestures

Several researchers have investigated phantom tactile sensation (i.e., the perception of a nonexistent actuator between two real actuators) and apparent tactile motion (i.e., the perception of a moving actuator due to time delays between onsets of multiple actuations). Prior work has focused primarily on determining appropriate Durations of Stimulation (DOS) and Stimulus Onset Asynchronies (SOA) for simple touch gestures, such as a single finger stroke. To expand upon this knowledge, we investigated complex touch gestures involving multiple, simultaneous points of contact, such as a whole hand touching the arm. To implement complex touch gestures, we modified the Tactile Brush algorithm to support rectangular areas of tactile stimulation.
If Leaders Like Alexander Von Humboldt, Ronald Reagan, and Xi Jinping Would Have Been Environmental Justice Radicals Using Public Internet and Drones: A Short Political Ecology of Central America with Regard to Global Agenda Setting in 2014

Ever since the colonialists sailed up the San Juan River, located between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, trying to battle the indigenous people and chasing down some pirates of the Caribbean, it became clear to everybody that Central America has precious resources and much real estate to offer the global community. But getting access to those resources came with great and long-lasting international conflicts. First of all, it meant bone-breaking and chaotic wilderness explorations. But perhaps even more challenging than these were highly needed management strategies to address mass human suffering and killing (which left a bad legacy for centuries, almost globally). Massive boom-and-bust cycles have occurred in recent centuries in Central America. Who still remembers the huge vertigo trade, Greytown off Costa Rica’s east coast, or the early US history in Central America? Linked with slavery and sugar and rum trade, these trade activities made for an early fast-lived center of globalization . It also provided for the required resources and for a massive “political and ideological spice.”
The use of ultraviolet light and fluorescent dyes in the detection of uterine cancer by vaginal smear

Abstract 1. A preliminary report of a new technique as a screening method in the detection of uterine cancer is described whereby the cytology of vaginal smears is studied microscopically by staining with fluorescent dyes (fluorochromes) and using filtered ultraviolet light as a source of illumination. 2. The simple and inexpensive apparatus and technique for fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence photomicrography are outlined. 3. Directions for the preparation and staining of vaginal smears are given. 4. Brief descriptions of the various distinguishing fluorescent colors associated with normal epithelial cells, leucocytes, erythrocytes, Trichomonas vaginalis, moniliasis, and bacteria of the vaginal flora are mentioned. 5. The use of this technique for differentiating normal from malignant cells by morphology, degree of fluorescent brilliance, and variation of nuclear and cytoplasmic fluorescent colors is cited.
Crizotinib: an orphan drug for treating non-small-cell lung cancer

Introduction: Crizotinib (PF02341066) was first synthesized as an inhibitor of MET tyrosine kinase (TK) and was later shown to have a potent inhibitory effect on other TKs such as anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1), which are altered in 3 – 7% and 2% of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), respectively. The aim of this review is to discuss the activity of crizotinib in patients with NSCLC whose tumors contain alterations in these genes.Areas covered: PubMed was searched for articles published in English between January 1, 2007, and June 1, 2015 using the terms “lung adenocarcinoma,” “NSCLC,” “crizotinib” and “ALK.” Articles relevant to the topic were also identified from our own files. This article summarizes results from various early-phase and Phase III clinical trials in NSCLC with crizotinib. The mechanisms by which NSCLCs that initially respond to crizotinib eventually acquire resistance to therapy, and the role of newer ALK inhibitors, such as ceritinib, in this settin...
Legislative Opinions Concerning the Private Operation of State Prisons: The Case of Florida

Although most prisons in the United States continue to be operated by public agencies, there has been a substantial increase in reliance on private organizations for the operation of corrections facilities in the past decade. Even though state legislators have critical roles in approving or denying proposals to privatize prison operations, little is known why state legislators either favor or oppose the privatization of state prisons. Based on a survey of Florida state legislators in 1998-1999, the authors attempt to identify the factors affecting legislative opinions on this issue. Legislative attitudes are examined from the perspectives of efficiency and effectiveness concerns, personal characteristics and political concerns of the individual legislators, and issues relating to coercive force, liability, and accountability. Based on that empirical evidence, the prospect of an increase in the privatization of prison operations at the state and local levels of government in the United States is addressed.
Bacterial overgrowth without clinical malabsorption in elderly hypochlorhydric subjects

Abstract Background/Aims: Bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine commonly occurs in association with hypochlorhydria caused by atrophic gastritis or during treatment with omeprazole. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of bacterial overgrowth on small intestinal absorption and permeability and to evaluate the reliability of noninvasive breath tests to detect bacterial overgrowth in subjects with hypochlorhydria. Methods: Seventeen healthy, elderly subjects with atrophic gastritis or omeprazole treatment (40 mg/day) and documented bacterial overgrowth were studied. Results: There was no evidence of fat malabsorption (72-hour fecal fat) or clinically significant carbohydrate malabsorption (25 g d-xylose and fecal pH) in any subject. The ratio of lactulose to mannitol excreted was normal in both atrophic gastritis and omeprazole-treated groups. Three subjects in each group had abnormally high α 1 -antitrypsin clearances. Lactulose (10 g) and glucose (80 g) hydrogen breath tests were only abnormal in 1 out of 17 subjects, whereas the 1 g [ 14 C]d-xylose test was abnormal in 6 out of 17 subjects. Conclusions: Bacterial overgrowth caused by atrophic gastritis or omeprazole treatment is typically not associated with clinically significant fat or carbohydrate malabsorption. Noninvasive breath tests for bacterial overgrowth are not reliable in subjects with hypochlorhydria.
Dynamics of plasma propagation and splitting during pulsed-laser ablation

Summary form only given. Pulsed laser ablation has become a well-established technique for depositing thin films of many different types of technologically important materials. Deposition is usually carried out in a low-pressure ambient background gas to aid in control of the process or to promote interactions in the gas phase. Consequently, the theoretical analysis of the dynamics of the laser-generated plasma plume in the presence of a background gas has generated widespread interest. Experimentally, it is found that the plume frequently spits into two components, one traveling at near-vacuum velocity and the other greatly slowed by interaction with the background gas. Purely hydrodynamic descriptions of the plume-background system have been unable to describe this "plume splitting". A new approach to the problem, based on a combination of multiple scattering and hydrodynamic formulations has been developed. Although relatively simple in structure, the model gives excellent fits to various experimental data for Si in background gases of He and Ar, including the previously unexplained splitting of the ablated plume. It allows the plume to be broken up into scattering order, for which particles undergo 0, 1, 2, ... collisions with the background.
A study of quinidine dosage in infants and children.

Summary 1. The foregoing study was carried out to obtain information about quinidine dosage in children, utilizing serum levels of the drug. 2. A method for determining serumquinidine concentration which is simple, can be run on capillary blood samples, and is sufficiently accurate for clinical use has been presented. 3. On the basis of body weight, infantsand young children appear to require relatively larger doses of quinidine than adults. 4. From information obtained instudies using single and multiple doses of quinidine, a tentative dosage schedule requiring a minimum of blood levels has been worked out. 5. A case has been presented inwhich the suggested dosage plan was successfully utilized to treat a 4-year-old child with congenital heart disease who had developed cardiac arrhythmia (impure auricular flutter). 6. Results which tended to vary from the normal were noted in patients with fever, with congestive heart failure, and with hydrocephalus; further work in these areas would be of particular interest.
Proteolytic Cleavage of the Ectodomain of the L1 CAM Family Member Tractin

Abstract Tractin is a member of the L1 family of cell adhesion molecules in leech. Immunoblot analysis suggests that Tractin is constitutively cleaved in vivo at a proteolytic site with the sequence RKRRSR. This sequence conforms to the consensus sequence for cleavage by members of the furin family of convertases, and this proteolytic site is shared by a majority of other L1 family members. We provide evidence with furin-specific inhibitor experiments, by site-specific mutagenesis of Tractin constructs expressed in S2 cells, as well as by Tractin expression in furin-deficient LoVo cells that a furin convertase is the likely protease mediating this processing. Cross-immunoprecipitations with Tractin domain-specific antibodies suggest that the resulting NH2- and COOH-terminal cleavage fragments interact with each other and that this interaction provides a means for the NH2-terminal fragment to be tethered to the membrane. Furthermore, in S2 cell aggregation assays we show that the NH2-terminal fragment is necessary for homophilic adhesion and that cells expressing only the transmembrane COOH-terminal fragment are non-adhesive. However, tethering of exogeneously provided Tractin NH2-terminal fragment to S2 cells expressing only the COOH-terminal fragment can functionally restore the adhesive properties of Tractin.
New Instrumentation Allows for Removal of Nonpalpable Breast Lesions

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Approximately 90% of breast cancer is curable if it is diagnosed and treated early. Increasingly, women are participating in mammographic screenings, which result in earlier detection of nonpalpable lesions. In the past, surgical removal was not an option for small lesions, and frequent mammographic monitoring was required until patients' lesions were large enough for needle core biopsies or needle localization for open surgical biopsies. Technology now has combined stereotactic imaging with a minimally invasive biopsy system for removal of these nonpalpable lesions. This capability for accurate early diagnosis and intervention is essential in improving patients' survival rates.
Conversion of Sulfur Dioxide to Sulfur Trioxide in Gas Turbine Exhaust

Acid dewpoints were calculated from SO 2 -to-SO 3 conversion in gas turbine exhaust. These data can be used as guidelines in setting feedwater temperatures in combined-cycle systems. Accurate settings can prevent corrosion of heat-exchanger (boiler) tubes, thus extending their life time. This study was done using gas turbine engines and a laboratory generator set. The units burned marine diesel or diesel No. 2 fuel with sulfur contents up to 1.3 percent. The exhaust from these systems contained an excess of 20 percent oxygen, and 3-10 percent water vapor. Exhaust temperatures randes from 728 to 893 K (455 to 620 o C)
Increasing independent mobility skills for a woman who was severely handicapped and nonambulatory

In this study, a woman who was nonambulatory and severely handicapped was taught to get out of her wheelchair and cruise around a table. She was provided with instructional feedback, repeated practice, and appropriate social reinforcement to acquire the cruising skill. Repeated practice was provided when she was unable to perform the behavior independently. Data were collected on the following behavior clusters: Look (look forward, hold on to the chair, and slide forward); Put (put your feet down, stand up, and put your hands down); and Move (move your feet, move your hands, repeat, and sit down). The results of the multiplebaseline/withdrawal design indicated that instructional feedback, repeated practice, and appropriate social reinforcement were sufficient to teach the cruising skill. Future research was suggested in instructional feedback, repeated practice, and appropriate social reinforcement.
Far-infrared emission from the intracluster medium

IRAS images of 56 clusters of galaxies are examined for evidence of diffuse, extended FIR emission at 60 and 100 microns. Of these 56 clusters, five show evidence of FIR excess, but at low levels of significance. For A496 and MKW 1, this excess is attributable to the presence of a strong point source at or near the position of the central cD galaxy. In A2344, the observed 100-micron excess is the result of the presence of a foreground cirrus concentration which coincides with the cluster. Examination of the sample as a whole indicates that clusters exhibit excess FIR emission at the 2-sigma level for apertures 4 and 10 arcmin in diameter. FIR luminosities range from about 1-0 exp 9 solar luminosities for the smallest aperture to about 10 exp 14 solar luminosities for the entire cluster.
The Scattering of 31.5-Mev Protons from Several Elements

The elastic and inelastic scattering of 31.5-Mev protons from the Berkeley linear accelerator from Be, C, Al, Pb, and Pt have been observed, using a sodium iodide (Tl) crystal and photomultiplier for particle detection and energy measurement. Inelastic scattering led to the excitation of states or closely spaced groups of states at 2.5, 6.8 and 11.6 Mev in beryllium; 4.3, (7.5), and 9.5 in carbon; and a group of states between 11 and 17 in carbon. Deuterons have been observed from the reaction ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}(p,d){\mathrm{C}}^{11}$, leading to the ground state of ${\mathrm{C}}^{11}$. Differential cross sections have been measured for all these reactions at two or three angles. The differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of 31.5-Mev protons have been measured at several angles for ${\mathrm{Be}}^{9}$, ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$, ${\mathrm{Al}}^{27}$, and Pb. A comparison with the results of calculations based on several different nuclear models is made. The extreme sensitivity of the calculated cross sections (in the backward hemisphere) to the individual phase shifts and amplitudes indicates that moderately rough measurements of the backward scattering cross sections of nuclei for neutrons in this energy range would give accurate determinations of the individual phase shifts.
Boltzmann–Grad Limits for Stochastic Hard Sphere Models

We study a d-dimensional stochastic particle system in which the particles travel deterministically in between stochastic collisions. The collisions are elastic and occur with a probability of order ɛα when two particles are at a distance less than ɛ. When the number of particles N goes to infinity and Nɛd+α−1 goes to a nonzero constant, we show that the particle density converges to a solution of the Boltzmann equation provided that α≥d+1.
On Infinite Direct Products of Copies of a Dedekind Domain

Let κ be an infinite cardinal number and letRκbe the direct product of κ copies of a Dedekind domainRwhich is not a field or a complete discrete valuation ring. IfRκequalsA ⊕ Bas anR-module, thenA ≅ RκorB ≅ Rκ. If κ < μ, the lease measurable cardinal number, or |R| < κ = μ, then any direct summand ofRκis isomorphic to a direct product of ideals inR. An infinite direct product of nonzero ideals inRis isomorphic toRαfor some infinite α.
(2R∗, 3S∗)-1- [18fluoro-2, 3-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) pentane ([18F]fluoronorhexestrol), A positron-emitting estrogen that shows highly-selective, receptor-mediated uptake by target tissues in vivo

The positron-emitting, non-steroidal estrogen (2R*, 3S*)-1-[18F]fluoro-2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentane [( 18F]-fluoronor-hexestrol), has been prepared by fluoride ion displacement on a labile trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) derivative of a suitably protected precursor, followed by removal of the aryl triflate groups with lithium aluminum hydride and purification by HPLC. In immature female rats, this compound is taken up selectively by the uterus and is retained for prolonged periods, due to its binding to the estrogen receptor. This compound and related 18F-labeled estrogens thus appear to be promising agents for imaging estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors in humans.
Examining the Crisis in Criminal Justice Policy: Online Resources for Scholars and Practitioners

Crime, its correction and punishment have been major issues for social welfare policy for as long as there has been an organized system of social welfare. Crime is a serious problem for society and...
Management of Depression in Children and Adolescents

Depression is increasingly recognized as an illness that causes functional impairment and diminished quality of life for all age groups, including children. One to two percent of children and between 4% and 8% of adolescents meet Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(4th ed.) (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for major depression. Psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy, is effective, with 70% response rates. Antidepressants are effective according to limited controlled trials; however, concern exists over the gap between research and clinical practice, as most antidepressants are not well-studied in youth. Nevertheless, pharmacotherapy has gained greater acceptance in pediatric psychiatry, and prescriptions for antidepressants in youth have increased dramatically over the past 5 to 10 years. In 1995, 1.08 million selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor prescriptions were written for children and adolescents. Scientific evidence for the safety and effectiveness of antidepressants in youth i...
Tumor-Specific Targeting With Modified Sindbis Viral Vectors: Evaluation with Optical Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography In Vivo

Purpose Sindbis virus (SINV) infect tumor cells specifically and systemically throughout the body. Sindbis vectors are capable of expressing high levels of transduced suicide genes and thus efficiently produce enzymes for prodrug conversion in infected tumor cells. The ability to monitor suicide gene expression levels and viral load in patients, after administration of the vectors, would significantly enhance this tumor-specific therapeutic option.
Microstructure and nonstoichiometry of barium strontium titanate thin films for dram applications.

In this paper we investigate the microstructural accommodation of nonstoichiometry in (Ba{sub x}Sr{sub 1{minus}x}Ti{sub 1+y}O{sub 3+z}) thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition. Films with three different (Ba+Sr)/Ti ratios of 49/51 (y=0.04 in the notation of the formula above), of 48/52 (y=0.08) and of 46.5/53.5 (y=O.15), were studied. High-resolution electron microscopy is used to study the microstructure of the BST films. High-spatial resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is used to reveal changes in chemistry and local atomic environment both at grain boundaries and within grains as a function of titanium excess. We find an amorphous phase at the grain boundaries and grain boundary segregation of excess titanium in the samples with y=0.15. In addition, EELS is also used to show that excess titanium is being partially accommodated in the grain interior. Implications for the film electrical and dielectric properties are outlined.
Machine learning approaches for high-resolution urban land cover classification: a comparative study

The proliferation of several machine learning approaches makes it difficult to identify a suitable classification technique for analyzing high-resolution remote sensing images. In this study, ten classification techniques were compared from five broad machine learning categories. Surprisingly, the performance of simple statistical classification schemes like maximum likelihood and Logistic regression over complex and recent techniques is very close. Given that these two classifiers require little input from the user, they should still be considered for most classification tasks. Multiple classifier systems is a good choice if the resources permit.
On computing the Chapman–Enskog functions for viscosity and heat transfer and the Burnett functions

Abstract Hermite cubic splines and collocation are used to solve, in an efficient and accurate way, the Chapman–Enskog equations for viscosity and heat transfer and to compute the Burnett functions required for Poiseuille-flow problems based on rigid-sphere collisions and the linearized Boltzmann equation.
Human AICAR Transformylase: Role of the 4-Carboxamide of AICAR in Binding and Catalysis†

We have prepared 4-substituted analogues of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) to investigate the specificity and mechanism of AICAR transformylase (AICAR Tfase). Of the nine analogues of AICAR studied, only one analogue, 5-aminoimidazole-4-thiocarboxamide ribonucleotide, was a substrate, and it was converted to 6-mercaptopurine ribonucleotide. The other analogues either did not bind or were competitive inhibitors, the most potent being 5-amino-4-nitroimidazole ribonucleotide with a K(i) of 0.7 +/- 0.5 microM. The results show that the 4-carboxamide of AICAR is essential for catalysis, and it is proposed to assist in mediating proton transfer, catalyzing the reaction by trapping of the addition compound. AICAR analogues where the nitrogen of the 4-carboxamide was derivatized with a methyl or an allylic group did not bind AICAR Tfase, as determined by pre-steady-state burst kinetics; however, these compounds were potent inhibitors of IMP cyclohydrolase (IMP CHase), a second activity of the bifunctional mammalian enzyme (K(i) = 0.05 +/- 0.02 microM for 4-N-allyl-AlCAR). It is proposed that the conformation of the carboxamide moiety required for binding to AICAR Tfase is different than the conformation required for binding to IMP CHase, which is supported by inhibition studies of purine ribonucleotides. It is shown that 5-formyl-AICAR (FAICAR) is a product inhibitor of AICAR Tfase with K(i) of 0.4 +/- 0.1 microM. We have determined the equilibrium constant of the transformylase reaction to be 0.024 +/- 0.001, showing that the reaction strongly favors AICAR and the 10-formyl-folate cofactor. The coupling of the AICAR Tfase and IMP CHase activities on a single polypeptide allows the overall conversion of AICAR to IMP to be favorable by coupling the unfavorable formation of FAICAR with the highly favorable cyclization reaction. The current kinetic studies have also indicated that the release of FAICAR is the rate-limiting step, under steady-state conditions, in the bifunctional enzyme and channeling is not observed between AICAR Tfase and IMP CHase.
Retrograde axonal transport in rat sciatic nerve after nerve crush injury.

Abstract We investigated the quantitative alterations in retrograde transport of proteins following a nerve crush injury using the 3 H N-succinimidyl propionate ( 3 H NSP) method in rat sciatic nerve. After subepineurial injection of 3 H NSP into the nerve the amount of radioactively labeled proteins accumulating in the cell bodies of the motor and sensory neurons was determined 1 day or 7 days later in nerves which had been crushed distal to the injection site 1, 3, 5, 7 or 33 days prior to 3 H NSP labeling. One day accumulation in the DRG and spinal cord was not altered by nerve crush. Seven day accumulation in the DRG was initially sightly increased, then fell to 73% of control by 7 days, remaining reduced 33 days after crush. Seven day accumulation in the spinal cord was reduced to 25% of control 1 day after crush and remained at that low level except for 5 days post-crush when a normal amount of labeled protein was transported to the spinal cord. The time course of these changes suggests that quantitative alterations in retrograde transport may be involved in the long-term trophic interactions between the cell body and periphery, but are too slow to account for the earliest perikaryal responses to injury. In addition, the difference between the alterations of retrograde transport in motor and sensory neurons may reflect fundamental differences in the composition of retrograde transport in those different systems.
Escherichia coli glutathionylspermidine synthetase/amidase: phylogeny and effect on regulation of gene expression

Glutathionylspermidine synthetase/amidase (Gss) and the encoding gene (gss) have only been studied in Escherichia coli and several members of the Kinetoplastida phyla. In the present article, we have studied the phylogenetic distribution of Gss and have found that Gss sequences are largely limited to certain bacteria and Kinetoplastids and are absent in a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate species, Archea, plants, and some Eubacteria. It is striking that almost all of the 75 Enterobacteria species that have been sequenced contain sequences with very high degree of homology to the E. coli Gss protein. To find out the physiological significance of glutathionylspermidine in E. coli, we have performed global transcriptome analyses. The microarray studies comparing gss+ and Δgss strains of E. coli show that a large number of genes are either up-regulated (76 genes more than threefold) or down-regulated (35 genes more than threefold) by the loss of the gss gene. Most significant categories of up-regulated genes include sulfur utilization, glutamine and succinate metabolism, polyamine and arginine metabolism, and purine and pyrimidine metabolism.
Negative Advertising and Voter Choice: The Role of Ads in Candidate Selection

Selecting between two candidates during a campaign is a crucial first step toward political involvement: an individual who does not select a preferred political candidate is unlikely to take political action. Can negative campaign ads help individuals make these electoral choices? Empirical evidence on this topic has been mixed. Some argue that negativity can increase the likelihood of choice. Others show that negativity will decrease the likelihood of choice by turning individuals away from the polls. Integrating theories from social psychology and political science I argue and show that under specific conditions, negativity increases the likelihood that an individual will make a candidate selection. Further, I differentiate between the tone and substance of ads to show that negativity has a unique effect on choice. [Supplementary material is available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Political Communication for the following free supplemental resource(s): Robustness checks. This...
GENERATION OF OPTICAL MACROSCOPIC QUANTUM SUPERPOSITION STATES VIA STATE REDUCTION WITH A MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETER CONTAINING A KERR MEDIUM

A method for producing macroscopic quantum superposition states (generally known as Schr\"odinger cat) states for optical fields is presented. The proposed method involves two modes of the field interacting dispersively in a Kerr medium where one of the modes is an arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the other mode is external to it. If the external mode initially contains a macroscopic quantum state, such as a coherent state, and the vacuum and a single photon state are the inputs to the interferometer, the external field state becomes entangled with the number states associated with the two paths of the interferometer. Selective measurement at the output ports of the interferometer project the external mode into the desired cat states. It is pointed out that the method can also be used to generate cat states out of multimode states initially containing correlations.
Glyphosate behavior in a transgenic glyphosate- and soybean cyst nematode-resistant soybean variety.

Abstract Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) varieties containing multiple traits that impart resistance to stress factors (e.g., herbicides and diseases) need to be investigated to determine if all resistance responses remain fully functional under simultaneous stress exposure. Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to investigate the effects of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) infection on glyphosate uptake, distribution, and activity in a soybean variety containing genes for SCN and glyphosate resistance (R). A glyphosate-, SCN-susceptible variety (S) was included for comparison. Glyphosate absorption was not affected by SCN infection in either variety. Glyphosate distribution in the R variety was altered slightly by SCN infection when the herbicide was applied 9 days after inoculation (DAI), but this effect diminished as herbicide application timing was delayed to 18 DAI or later, possibly due to increased expression of the SCN resistance response and lower levels of SCN infection. Glyphosate did not affe...
Voters, Parties, and the Endogenous Size of Government

Elections, often to a considerable degree, influence the fiscal policies of governments installed on the basis of their results. Yet, economists have tended to view politicians' behavior either as being determined exogenously or as the result of a social planner's maximization of a well-defined social-welfare function (subject to some appropriate technology and resource constraints). On the basis of explicit microeconomic foundations and a democratically coordinated decision-making mechanism over the optimal provision of public goods and the corresponding taxes required to finance them, this paper will introduce a simple economic model of politics that subjects individuals to a two-tiered political decision-making process over party membership and electoral participation, thereby endogenizing the evolution of the competing parties' ideologies, households' electoral behavior, and the key factors explaining the design of fiscal policies. Having the majority party's median delegate determine on the optimal degree of income redistribution suggests that a country's wealth distribution is a crucial explanatory variable explaining its politico-economic development path.
Use of electronic anatomy practical examinations for remediating “at risk” students

Restrictive laboratory scheduling, an increasing number of human cadaver-based anatomy courses and a reduction in the curricular time allotted to anatomy courses have created problems with cadaver laboratory access at the University of New England. This article describes a combination of anatomy testing and grading strategies to allow "at risk" (borderline failing) students an opportunity to remediate their lowest set of examination scores and pass their anatomy course. An alternative electronic practical examination for these students provided flexibility in laboratory scheduling, thereby increasing laboratory access for other students taking concurrent courses. Specifically, the electronic examinations allowed for a reduction in the amount of time the cadaver laboratory is locked down for examination purposes. Masters-level occupational therapy (MOT) students, physician assistant students (MPA), and doctoral level physical therapy (DPT) students participated in a prosection-based human cadaver laboratory and take cadaver-based practical examinations as part of their anatomy course. Students who were not performing at a passing level for their curriculum (69.5% for MOT and MPA, 79.5% for DPT) were given an opportunity to remediate their lowest set of multiple choice and practical examinations using the previous year's multiple choice examination and a new electronic practical examination. When the original cadaver-based practical and multiple choice examination scores were replaced with the remedial electronic practical examination and remedial multiple choice examination scores, 75% (24/32) of these students were able to successfully remediate their academic deficiencies and pass their anatomy course.
Parametrizations of inclusive cross sections for pion production in proton-proton collisions

Accurate knowledge of cross sections for pion production in proton-proton collisions finds wide application in particle physics, astrophysics, cosmic ray physics, and space radiation problems, especially in situations where an incident proton is transported through some medium, and one requires knowledge of the output particle spectrum given the input spectrum. In such cases accurate parametrizations of the cross sections are desired. In this paper we review much of the experimental data and compare it with a wide variety of different cross section parametrizations. In so doing, we provide parametrizations of neutral and charged pion cross sections which provide a very accurate description of the experimental data. Lorentz invariant differential cross sections, spectral distributions, and total cross section parametrizations are presented.
Uterine Evaluation in Turner Syndrome: A Preliminary Study With Doppler Ultrasound

Background Since the advent of in vitro fertilization and donor ovum technology, patients with Turner syndrome, previously infertile due to ovarian failure, now have an opportunity to conceive and carry a pregnancy. This new opportunity has refocused attention on nonnal uterine growth and development in Turner syndrome. Prior studies of the uterus in Turner syndrome have utilized ultrasound measurement of the uterus to describe uterine characteristics and, in the absence of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) or endogenous estrogen production, have found the uterine size to be almost unifonnly prepubertal irrespective of the age of the patient. No studies to date have assessed uterine blood flow by Doppler velocimetry in patients with Turner syndrome. Uterine blood flow is regulated by many factors but primarily by gonadal sex steroid hormones. In postmenopausal women on ERT a reduction in resistance to blood flow is seen. suggesting an increase in uterine perfusion with ERT. Whether this relationship is true in the patient with Turner syndrome is unknown. Methods We studied eleven patients with Turner syndrome by transabdominal pelvic ultrasound and evaluated, by Doppler velocimetty, the uterine artery pulsatility index (PI), calculated by (systolic – diastolic)/mean. Patients ranged in age from 5–17 (median 14). Pubertal development was assessed by Tanner staging, and height, weight and karyotype was recorded for all patients. Patients were placed on estrogen replacement therapy to initiate puberty, including type and dose of ERT, at the discretion of their physician. The ultrasonographer was blinded to the presence or absence of ERT. At the time of the first ultrasound, 6 patients were taking ERT, 2 on estrogen alone, 3 on cyclic estrogen/progestin (although all studies were performed on estrogen only day) and one was on an oral contraceptive. Mean duration of estrogen exposure was 23 months. One patient had spontaneous pubertal development and 4 patients had received no estrogen treatment and were Tanner I in development. At the time of ultrasound, uterine volume, cervix/fundus ratio and the presence of visible ovaries were also recorded. Results The mean uterine artery PI of patients with estrogen exposure was 2.21(± 1.23) and the mean of the unexposed group was 3.99(± 1.04). This suggests a trend toward decreased uterine artery resistance in the patients with estrogen exposure (p = 0.07 by Mann-Whitney test). The lowest PI was seen in the patient with spontaneous pubertal development. Uterine volume was significantly larger in the estrogen exposed group, 38.7 cm3 ± 23.3 in the estrogen exposed and 1.32 cm3 ± 0.9 in the non-exposed group. (p = 0.01 by Mann-Whitney test). Conclusion In the patient with Turner syndrome, estrogen exposure is associated with a corresponding increase in uterine volume and a trend toward decreased uterine artery resistance. Further study and continued prospective follow-up will indicate whether estrogen treatment in those patients studied prior to estrogen replacement is associated with similar changes.
Cortical brain stimulation: a potential therapeutic agent for upper limb motor recovery following stroke.

There is emerging interest in the use of cortical electrical stimulation as a novel physical agent for the treatment of upper limb motor impairment after stroke. Evidence from animal models suggests that both motor learning and cortical stimulation alter intracortical inhibitory circuits and can facilitate long-term potentiation and cortical remodeling. This article reviews current research on the physiology and use of cortical stimulation animal models and in humans with stroke-related hemiplegia. Both transcranial cortical stimulation techniques and targeted epidural cortical stimulation are discussed in detail.
The Portfolio: A Reflective Bridge Connecting the Learner, Higher Education, and the Workplace.

(2001). The Portfolio: A Reflective Bridge Connecting the Learner, Higher Education, and the Workplace. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 2-13.
Viscosity of Portland cement paste as a function of concentration

Abstract The flow behavior of Portland cement paste was studied as a function of its concentration. The relationship between viscosity and concentration was found to be well described by the Krieger-Dougherty equation. For pastes dispersed using a superplasticizer, the maximum volume fraction was found to be approximately 0.7, and the intrinsic viscosity was found to be approximately 5. Pastes that were not dispersed were considerably higher in viscosity; such flocculated pastes fit the Krieger-Dougherty equation, but gave a much lower maximum volume fraction, indicating fairly open flocs even at the high strain rate used for viscosity measurements (500 seconds−1).
Neonatal parotid gland enlargement: Is it suppurative parotitis? A case report

Background Acute suppurative parotitis (ASP) is a rare finding in the neonate. It is commonly caused by S. aureus but other bacterial isolates may be emerging. Effective treatment includes prompt diagnosis, parenteral antibiotics and supportive measures such as rehydration and bimanual gland massage. Case report This case report describes an extremely premature female infant with a complicated post-natal course who presented with unilateral swelling of the parotid region. Diagnostic workup revealed purulent exudate from Stensen's duct and ultrasound findings consistent with parotitis. Culture of the exudate showed growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus species. The patient responded well to a ten-day antibiotic course and supportive measures. Conclusions ASP, though rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a neonatal parotid swelling since early and prompt diagnosis prevents morbidity and complications.