cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of a U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Area: The case of sugar

Abstract This study examines the impact of a U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement on the U.S. sugar industry. Effects on U.S. consumers and sugar producers resulting from the removal of Colombia's sugar quota are analyzed. Following the successful North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) negotiations with Mexico, several other Latin American countries have also sought free trade accords with the United States. However, a free-trade area between the United States and Colombia may have important implications for sugar producers, consumers, and the U.S. government's sugar program. Currently, Colombia's exports to the rest of the world (including sugar reexported from the United States) is about 3% of total U.S. sugar usage. If Colombia's quota were to be eliminated, this sugar would be sold in the United States. Since the demand for sugar is, according to most estimates, inelastic, this increase would have noticeable impacts on U.S. sugar prices, with the gain to consumers ranging between $400 million and $750 million per year (or between $1.50 and $3.50 per person), and the losses to producers ranging between $260 million and $500 million.
Urinalysis: analysing urine and interpreting the results

Urinalysis is a fundamental component of the holistic and symptom assessment of any individual in poor health. Urinalysis can disclose evidence of diseases, even some that have not caused significa...
Aerosol Characterization of a Smoldering Source

The aerosol emitted by a moderately large smoldering combustion source (16 cm in diameter) has been characterized in detail. The fuel is a permeable bed of cellulosic insulation (wood fibers) receiving its primary air supply by flow up from the bottom of the bed while the smolder wave propagates downward. The mass mean particle size of the aerosol is 2–3 μm; this shows no clear trend with smolder wave depth in the bed or with air flow velocity. The large average particle size is shown to imply that, compared to punk smoke, the present aerosol requires a sevenfold greater concentration to trigger an ionization detector. Coagulation of the aerosol in the plume above the source is shown to be minimal, but substantial coagulation can occur within the source. The apparent fractional conversion of gasified mass (60–75% of the fuel) to aerosol mass decreases with smolder wave depth in the bed and with decreasing air flow rate. The mass and number flow rate of the aerosol show these same trends. The decreasing ae...
Improving SAPO-34 membrane synthesis

Abstract Previously, SAPO-34 membranes prepared using aluminum isopropoxide (Al(O–i–Pr) 3 ) and two templates (tetraethylammoniumhydroxide (TEAOH); dipropylamine (DPA)) were shown to separate CO 2 /CH 4 mixtures with high fluxes at high pressures and room temperature. In this study, the synthesis was simplified, made safer, and modified to create less toxic waste by using only one template (TEAOH), but at twice the concentration, and Al(OH) 3 instead of Al(O–i–Pr) 3 . However, some membranes prepared with the new procedure had low fluxes because they had impermeable regions. The impermeable regions were determined to be due to synthesis gel that remained in the support following a 15-min, post-synthesis rinse with water. Rinsing the membranes for at least 24 h in deionized water before calcination removed most of the residual gel and formed spatially-uniform membranes with high permeances (maximum of 1.2×10 −6 mol/(m 2 s Pa)) and high CO 2 /CH 4 separation selectivities (70) for 46-bar feed pressure. Additional benefits of these changes in membrane preparation include a 200-K increase in the temperature at which template could be removed, increased stability of calcined membranes contacted with liquid water, and better long-term stability during storage.
An improved method for the preparation of renaturable apohemoglobin chains

Abstract A rapid, effective procedure for the preparation of renaturable globin chains from human hemoglobin is described. The method utilizes hydrophobic interaction chromatography in an acid medium to separate the α and β chains of apohemoglobin. Rapid procedures for reconstitution of hemoglobin from these chains and hemin are also presented.
Thermal recovery from a multiple stimulated HDR reservoir

Abstract A conceptual model is presented to describe thermal recovery from an infinite geological body through an arbitrary number of spherical production zones. The dimensionless parameters of volume averaged fluid recovery temperature ( T D ), fluid circulation rate (QD), thermal porosity (ΦD) and geometry uniquely define response within dimensionless time (tD). Dimensionless circulation rate (QD) is directly proportional to fluid circulation rate and inversely proportional to the radii of the stimulated zones. Histories of thermal recovery are specifically presented for colinear arrays of stimulated zones produced at uniform fluid circulation rates. In the steady condition, mean recovery temperature ( T D ) is defined purely in terms of dimensionless circulation rates (QD) and the relative production geometry. In steady production, the mean output temperature ( T D ) reduces with an increase in the number of zones as a natural consequence of thermal interference. In the transient case also, production temperature ( T D ) for multiple zones reduces as both the number of zones and their mutual proximity increases. These consequences are, significantly, apparent for intermediate values of circulation rate (QD) only
Thermoelectric Properties of Eu-doped CoSb3

Resistivity and thermopower data is presented on Eu-doped CoSb3 skutterudites over the temperature range of 10 K to 700 K. Thermal conductivity is also presented from 10 K to 300 K in order to determine the figure of merit. Eu0.43Co4Sb11.59Ge0.31 and Eu0.42Co4Sb11.37Ge0.50 exhibit an enhanced figure of merit as compared to CoSb3 and Eu0.2CoSb3. Data on a series of Yb-filled CoSb3 is underway and preliminary data is presented.
Auditory steady-state response testing in children: evaluation of a new technology.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) for determining frequency-specific hearing impairment and to compare this technology with conventional auditory brainstem responses (ABR). Study design The study was a prospective clinical trial. Twenty-eight pediatric patients ranging in age from 7 to 61 months who were undergoing sedated ABR testing for evaluation of hearing impairment were also evaluated using ASSR. Estimated audiograms of the ASSR are compared with the ABR results. Results ASSR estimated audiograms with frequency-specific information were produced for all patients in whom an ABR recording was obtained. In 20 ears in which an ABR tracing was absent at the maximum level of 90 dB, 13 ears had measurable ASSR thresholds with an average threshold of 98.9 dB at 250 to 8000 Hz. Conclusion ASSR showed sensitivity equal to that of ABR for individuals with hearing levels (HL) from 0 to 90 dB HL. In patients with hearing impairment greater than 90 dB normal HL (nHL), ASSR showed distinct advantage over ABR testing in that recordings were reliably produced up to 127 dB nHL.
Fractal renewal processes as a model of charge transport in amorphous semiconductors.

We construct two relatively simple fractal renewal processes that provide a framework for understanding charge transport in amorphous semiconductors. These processes exhibit fractal behavior, with power spectral densities that vary as 1/${\mathit{f}}^{\mathit{D}}$, deriving from interevent-time probability density functions that themselves decay in a power-law fashion.
Pulmonary hypertension in older children: New approaches and therapies

Pulmonary hypertension contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of diverse cardiopulmonary and systemic disorders in children. Advances in vascular biology have led to the identification and characterization of potent endothelium-derived vasoactive mediators, which include nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin (PgI2) and endothelin-1 (ET-1), that play critical roles in the regulation of pulmonary vascular tone, reactivity, growth and structure. Insights into these agents and their signaling pathways have led directly to the development of current therapies for severe pulmonary hypertension. In this chapter, I will briefly review basic pharmacologic choices for the general management of chronic pulmonary hypertension in older children (outside of the neonatal period). Guidelines and discussion of relevant literature has been recently reviewed.
Isospin dependence of intermediate mass fragment production in heavy-ion collisions at E/A=55 MeV.

The production of intermediate mass fragments (IMF's) from the four reactions 55A MeV $^{124,136}\mathrm{Xe}$ + $^{112,124}\mathrm{Sn}$ is studied with an experimental apparatus which is highly efficient for the detection of both charged particles and neutrons. The IMF's are more localized in the midvelocity region than are the light charged particles, and the detected multiplicity of IMF's depends linearly on the charge lost from the projectile and increases with the neutron excess of the system. Remnants of the projectile, with very little velocity reduction, are found for most of the reaction cross section. Isotopic and isobaric fragment yields in the projectile-velocity region indicate that charge-to-mass ratio neutralization is generally not achieved but is approached when little remains of the projectile. For all systems, the fragments found in the midvelocity region are substantially more neutron rich than those found in the velocity region dominated by the emission from the projectile. This observation can be accounted for if the midvelocity source (or sources) is either more neutron rich or smaller, with the same neutron-to-proton ratio, than the source with the velocity of the projectile. Taken together, the observations of this work suggest that the intermediate mass fragments are, to a large extent, formed by multiple neck rupture of the overlap material, a process which might enhance the neutron-to-proton ratio of the primary source material and/or limit the size of the sources. This scenario is reminiscent of low-energy ternary fission and one predicted by Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck calculations. However, these calculations predict too much velocity damping of the projectile remnant. The calculations improve, in this regard, when the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections and the cost of creating low density material are reduced. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Factors associated with changing cognitive function in older adults: implications for nursing rehabilitation

This article reviews the significant effects of aging on cognitive function. As people age, brain tissue volume decreases, white matter hyperintensities increase, and associated deficits are seen in working memory, attention, and executive function. Comorbidities include hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors. Another factor that affects cognitive function is the presence of apolipoprotein E-4, which is negatively correlated with cognitive function. In addition, decreased serum levels of endogenous sex hormones are related to changes in cognitive function, but hormone replacement therapy may be detrimental. Improved cognition has been associated with moderate alcohol intake, regular exercise, and exposure to novel stimuli. This article also examines research evaluating brain-plasticity-based training and rehabilitation to reverse losses in sensory, cognitive, and motor processing. Rehabilitation nursing strategies for dealing with the decline of cognitive function include educating patients and developing a program about lifestyle changes that will enhance cognitive stimulation; minimizing risks for and effects of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; recognizing and accommodating sensory deficits; and maintaining awareness of current research outcomes to guide evidence-based practice.
A crystal clear view of the beta2-adrenergic receptor.

The crystal structure of a second G protein–coupled receptor sheds light on these key pharmaceutical targets.
Child abuse by siblings

The case histories of five children who inflicted serious injuries on their younger siblings are described in detail. The children shared several experiences in common: They had been physically abused themselves; their families were undergoing crises, which accentuated their maternal deprivation and rejection; they were burdened with excessive caretaking for the target sibling, who was perceived as the favorite; they had also experienced the recent loss of their father or paternal caretaker. The psychodynamics associated with sibling abuse represented an intensification of "normal" sibling rivalry due to the abuser's own maltreatment and deprivation. Pent-up rage towards the mother was displaced onto the sibling rival. The abusers made use of identification with the aggressor as a prominent mechanism of defense. The sibling attacks were adaptive for the abusers in the following ways: (a) They afforded them a measure of revenge against the more highly regarded sibling rival; (b) they served as an outlet for rage directed towards the mother; (c) they were used as an attention getting device; (d) they provided a sense of mastery over the trauma of their own abuse; and (e) were used to "educate" the abusing parent.
DRAWING THE LINE: AN EXPLORATORY TEST OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR IN NEGOTIATIONS

This is an empirical study of a business ethics issue. It examines the question of when an untrue statement in a negotiations context is considered unethical behavior. Four types of untrue statements are considered. A questionnaire was used to determine (1) if the types of untrue statements were distinct, (2) if they formed a continuum, and (3) whether the collective perspective of reasonable people was able to “draw a line” in such a continuum between ethical and unethical behavior. The results showed a consensus of moral intuition and the ability to draw a line between ethical and unethical behavior. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Nitrogen fixation by Myrica gale root nodules Massachusetts wetland.

Nitrogenase activity was measured by acetylene reduction in excised Myrica gale nodules collected throughout the growing season at two sites associated with a small lake in central Massachusetts. One site was in an open, weakly minerotrophic peatland dominated by M. gale and the other was on the lakeshore. Nitrogenase activity appeared in late May when the leaves unfolded, reached a peak in July when the maximum number of leaves was present, and declined until it was no longer measurable in late October several days after all leaves had fallen. Summer activities were substantially higher at the peatland site than the lakeshore. Maximum activities were 19.8±1.9 and 8.1±0.7 μmol/h x g dry weight (x±SE; N=20) at the peatland and lakeshore sites respectively.
Energy doubling of 42 GeV electrons in a metre-scale plasma wakefield accelerator

The energy frontier of particle physics is several trillion electron volts, but colliders capable of reaching this regime (such as the Large Hadron Collider and the International Linear Collider) are costly and time-consuming to build; it is therefore important to explore new methods of accelerating particles to high energies. Plasma-based accelerators are particularly attractive because they are capable of producing accelerating fields that are orders of magnitude larger than those used in conventional colliders. In these accelerators, a drive beam (either laser or particle) produces a plasma wave (wakefield) that accelerates charged particles. The ultimate utility of plasma accelerators will depend on sustaining ultrahigh accelerating fields over a substantial length to achieve a significant energy gain. Here we show that an energy gain of more than 42 GeV is achieved in a plasma wakefield accelerator of 85 cm length, driven by a 42 GeV electron beam at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). The results are in excellent agreement with the predictions of three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Most of the beam electrons lose energy to the plasma wave, but some electrons in the back of the same beam pulse are accelerated with a field of approximately 52 GV m(-1). This effectively doubles their energy, producing the energy gain of the 3-km-long SLAC accelerator in less than a metre for a small fraction of the electrons in the injected bunch. This is an important step towards demonstrating the viability of plasma accelerators for high-energy physics applications.
The new meningococcal conjugate vaccine. A profile of its safety, efficacy, and indications for use.

PREVIEW Meningococcal disease is a serious illness affecting all age-groups. Infants under 1 year of age, adolescents, and young adults are also especially susceptible. An effective quadrivalent meningococcal plain polysaccharide vaccine has been available for decades. However, inherent limitations of plain polysaccharide vaccines include limited duration of immunity, the potential for hyoporesponsiveness with repeated vaccinations, and ineffectiveness in children under age 2 years. The recently developed and licensed quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine should prove to provide important advantages over the plain polysaccharide vaccine. In this article, Dr Pichichero discusses these advantages, current recommendations for administration, and prospects for broader vaccine coverage.
The feasibility of wall parameter correlations for internal, field-free plasma flows

Abstract A single-fluid theory for the laminar flow of a plasma in the field-free region of a circular tube has been formulated and solved numerically. Through subsequent parametric studies, friction factor and Nusselt number correlations have been obtained in terms of independent parameters evaluated both locally and at the tube entrance. From a consideration of entrance and nonequilibrium effects, as well as from a comparison of the computed wall parameters with available data, it is concluded that general wall parameter correlations, such as apply for low and moderate temperature flows, cannot be obtained for field-free, plasma flows. Whether these correlations are developed from numerical or experimental considerations, they are so closely connected to geometric and entrance effects so as to have little or no general applicability.
Screening and Treatment of HPV-Related Diseases in Gynecologic Practice

Cervical cancer screening through Pap smears and colposcopy remains the standard model for most early cancer detection programs. The natural history of HPV infection allows for detection and treatment of precancerous changes, which in turn allows for reduction in morbidity and mortality from disease. A better understanding of low-risk and high-risk lesions, as well as low-risk and high-risk HPV subgroups, has also allowed for new strategies in triage and utilization of health care resources.
Nutritional Value of Moss for Arctic Ruminants: a Test with Muskoxen

Abstract Although moss is commonly found in the feces of arctic herbivores, we do not know the digestible value of this forage for ruminants. We compared grass hay (Bromus sp.) with moss (Hylocomium splendens, Tomenthypnum nitens) from 2 locations in Alaska, USA: Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Fairbanks. We evaluated forages by digestion in ruminally fistulated muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) by suspending forages in polyester bags before and after the rumen was acclimated with moss for 15 consecutive days. Ruminal degradation was not affected by acclimation to moss. Hay lost dry matter during 48 hours of ruminal incubation (−49%), whereas moss gained dry matter (+44–57%). Incubated moss gained nitrogen (+435–680%), as well as fiber (+18%), and one moss gained ash (+121%). Mass gained by moss in the rumen was probably due to the combined effect of microbial colonization and adsorption of fibrous particles onto the sponge-like matrix. We evaluated postruminal degradation of forages by incubation in aci...
Toward a Bill of Rights for Manuscript Submitters

The journal peer-review system has a profound effect on scholarly careers, and yet, it is “far from perfect” (Miller, 2006: 425). Over 10 years ago, Harrison (2002) proposed that we should adopt a ...
Non-Gaussian statistics and superdiffusion in a driven-dissipative dusty plasma.

Particle random motion can exhibit both anomalous diffusion and non-Gaussian statistics in some physical systems. Anomalous diffusion is quantified by a deviation from $\ensuremath{\alpha}=1$ in a power law for a particle's mean-square displacement, $\mathrm{MSD}\ensuremath{\propto}{(\ensuremath{\Delta}t)}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$. A deviation from Gaussian statistics for a probability distribution function (PDF) is quantified by fitting to a $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ function or Tsallis distribution, with a fit parameter $q$. We report an experiment and simulations to test a theory that connects anomalous diffusion and non-Gaussian statistics. In the experiment, a single-layer dusty plasma, which behaved as a two-dimensional (2D) driven-dissipative system, had a non-Gaussian PDF. By adjusting an externally applied laser heating, $q$ was varied over a wide range. A correlation between the deviations from Gaussian statistics and normal diffusion for a 2D liquid was found in the experiment. This correlation indicates a connection between anomalous diffusion and non-Gaussian statistics. However, such a connection is lacking in equilibrium 2D Yukawa liquids, as demonstrated in numerical simulations.
Developmental quiescence: Cdc14 moonlighting in G1

Cdc14 is a phosphatase that can antagonize CDK/cyclin cell-cycle functions. New insights from Caenorhabditis elegans show that CDC-14 is required to prevent cell-cycle entry during extended periods of developmentally regulated quiescence, and also clarify its role in creating the central mitotic spindle during anaphase.
Abstract 3326: Parallel EMT pathways mediated by epidermal growth factor, EpCAM and mesenchymal cadherins in benign endometriotic lesions and endometrial cancer

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA The endometrium is the major target of oncogenesis in the uterus. Endometrial tissue undergoes several cycles of disintegration and repair during women's reproductive years. The involvement of repair mechanisms that include transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) pathway may entail epithelial msenchymal transition (EMT) known to be involved in tissue repair. This suggests that the EMT program is inherent in endometrial epithelial cells and may be subverted during the development of invasive disease, whether benign such as endometriosis or malignant such as endometroid endometrial carcinoma. We therefore examined candidate mechanistic modulators of EMT in normal and malignant endometrial epithelial cells as well as endometrial carcinoma samples using cell signaling, gene expression and epigenetic regulation methodologies. Our evidence strikingly show that although both TGF-beta and epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulated primary normal endometrial epithelial cell invasiveness, EGF was the main inducer of EMT in these cells. EGF also strongly induced EMT in endometrial cancer cells. In normal and malignant cells, Raf-1/MAPK mediated EGF actions. Interestingly, EGF stimulated epithelial adhesion molecule (EpCAM) cleavage and internalization of its intracellular domain EpICD into the nucleus to activate EMT-related genes such as mesenchymal cadherins. This was associated with loss of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and upregulation of its negative regulator Snail1. The involvement of EMT in aggressive endometrial malignancy was further confirmed in a permissive transcriptional epigenetic profile of mesenchymal cadherins in endometrial cancers with poor survival compared to a silenced epigenetic signature in less aggressive tumors. This epigenetic regulation including DNA methylation and histone modification was mediated by EpCAM, as shown in EpCAM-knockdown endometrial cancer cells, suggesting that EpCAM binding to target promoters maintains an open transcriptional conformation. Combined, our data suggest that while plasticity is required for endometrial regeneration during the menstrual cycles, committed epigenetic signatures may alter the path of normal tissue repair to aberrant growth associated with benign tumors or malignant growth. In concert, activation by cell signaling such as EGF/EpCAM may determine the extent of invasiveness and disease progression. Citation Format: Ya-Ting Hsu, Joseph Liu, Peter A. Binkley, Robert S. Schenken, Rajshwar R. Tekmal, Tim H.-M. Huang, Nameer B. Kirma. Parallel EMT pathways mediated by epidermal growth factor, EpCAM and mesenchymal cadherins in benign endometriotic lesions and endometrial cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3326. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3326
Periaortic Hematoma Formation Leading to Aortic Valve Failure: A Complication of Homograft Placement for Second Valve Surgery

The aortic homograft has become the replacement valve of choice in the treatment of complicated endocarditis involving native and prosthetic aortic valves. Complications are rare, typically involving chronic leaflet degeneration causing valvular insufficiency or rarely chronic calcific stenosis. We present a case in which functional stenosis of the homograft valve was caused by compression and distortion by blood transmitted directly from the left ventricle into a space between the homograft and an external cavity formed by a Dacron wrap. The latter had been placed to help control suture-line bleeding. This case presentation demonstrates an unusual cause of homograft failure and suggests that wrapping of a homograft conduit by native aorta or an external Dacron wrap is not a substitute for meticulous surgical technique to assure a hemostatic suture line.
A transcendental approximation for natural convection at small prandtl numbers

An improved method of approximation for natural convection at small Prandtl numbers is described. It involves simple transcendental functions for profile representation. The method utilizes a physically significant model of the velocity distribution in which regions of the thermal boundary layer and viscous boundary layer are distinguished. The shape of the velocity profile is allowed to vary with Prandtl number. The method is checked against known exact results for natural convection on a vertical flat plate and is used to obtain results for a horizontal cylinder.
Inhibition of mammalian thymidylate synthase by 10-formyltetrahydropteroylpolyglutamate.

Abstract Reduced derivatives of 10-formylfolate have been evaluated as inhibitors of mammalian thymidylate synthase (EC 2.1.1.45) from H35 hepatoma cells. With 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolylheptaglutamate as the substrate, 10-formyltetrahydrofolylmonoglutamate is a competitive inhibitor with a k i of 2.4 μ m , which is reduced to 0.1 μ m for the heptaglutamate derivative. 10-Formyldihydrofolylmono- and -heptaglutamate are approximately threefold less inhibitory than the tetrahydro analog. The concentrations of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate and 10-formyldihydrofolate were measured in dividing hepatoma cells by a novel enzymatic assay and were found to be 5 μ m and undetectable, respectively. These results suggest that the concentration of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate within the dividing cells has the potential to severely inhibit or modulate thymidylate biosynthesis.
Equity in financing local services: The case of residential refuse

Abstract The paper is a review of theoretical and empirical arguments on equity considerations in the application of user charges to finance one public service, residential refuse collection and disposal. The main question examined is whether, and in what circumstances, user charges have sufficiently objectionable effects on equity as to offset their efficiency advantages. The effects of user charges and of the alternative, taxation, on both horizontal equity and vertical equity are discussed. A number of empirical studies are examined. The considerable shortcomings of available studies are emphasized. It is concluded that user charges have clear advantages over taxation for horizontal equity, and the vertical equity effects are probably not important enough to offset the horizontal equity and the efficiency advantages. However, special circumstances in a specific locality may warrant a different conclusion.
Isologous IgG-induced tolerance to benzyl penicilloyl.

INDUCTION of tolerance by haptens linked to non-immunogenic carriers1–5 is used widely, not only to investigate the cellular mechanism of tolerance6 but also as a new approach to the treatment of experimental immune disease7. A potentially therapeutic application of carrier-induced tolerance is the treatment of allergic diseases. In this respect, systemic hypersensitivity reactions to penicillin constitute a major cause of death due to anaphylaxis, and penicilloyl determinant is involved in approximately half of the cases8–10. We report here the suppression of reaginic antibody to the benzyl penicilloyl (BPO) determinant in un-primed as well as primed mice.
Crystallization of the factor H-binding protein, FhbB, from the periopathogen Treponema denticola

Treponema denticola is a primary etiological agent of periodontal disease. T. denticola evades complement-mediated killing by binding to the host’s factor H (FH), a negative regulator of the alternative complement pathway. The T. denticola FH-binding protein has been identified and designated as factor H-binding protein B (FhbB). Crystals of recombinant FhbB were obtained by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method using sodium citrate and 0.2 M sodium thiocyanate. FhbB crystals diffracted to 1.8 A resolution and belonged to space group P43212 or P41212, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 46.76, c = 167.68 A. Two FhbB molecules per asymmetric unit gave a Matthews coefficient of 2.2 A3 Da−1 and a solvent content of 44%. FhbB is the smallest bacterially produced FH-binding protein identified to date. Determination of its structure will provide unique insight into the minimal structural determinants required for FH binding.
Bremsstrahlung in p-p-collisions at an energy of 150 MeV

The differential cross section for bremsstrahlung in p-p collisions at an energy of 150 Mev is calculated at the upper end of the photon spectrum. The only transition which is considered is the E2 transition between /sup 1/D/sub 2/ and the /sup 1/S/su b 0/ state. The Siegert theorem is used and the influence of the Coulomb force between the two protons is neglected. (auth)
A logic-based formalism for pervasive workflow

In order to deal with dynamic events occurring in the system, we designed three basic operations over this ALNet: (i) search for end services that can trigger the target event, (ii) search for source nodes that have reachability to at least one of the end nodes, and (iii) select the source node that gives the best composition cost. However, with the addition of more and more services, the ALNet becomes larger and complex and then performing these three tasks might be computationally costly. In order to solve the problem, we proposed an abstraction method that improves the performance significantly and demonstrated that this can be an effective platform for realizing event handling in pervasive systems. As an evaluation of the ALNet, an experimental setup has been designed and the abstraction runtime performance has been tested over different sizes service network. We have found out that the abstraction runtime performance is improved (compared to one without the abstraction) and has shown a steady increase even with the increasing size of the ALNet network.
Integrating genome-wide association and functional validation to understand susceptibility for Alzheimer's pathology

with APOE-e4 status on AD susceptibility and cognitive decline. Results: We observed that the uncommon coding variant rs4844609 (Thr1610Ser, minor allele frequency 0.02) is strongly associated with episodic memory decline (p1⁄40.003) as well as pathologically diagnosed AD (p1⁄40.008) and accounts for the effect of the published CR1 SNP rs6656401. Moreover, we found significant associations between rs4844609 and neuritic amyloid plaques (p1⁄40.011), neurofibrillary tangles (p1⁄40.022) and amyloid angiopathy (p1⁄40.030). We also observe strong evidence for interaction (p1⁄40.004) between rs4844609 and APOE-e4 carrier status for episodic memory decline (s1⁄4-0.082, p1⁄40.005 among APOE-e4 carriers; s1⁄4-0.020, p1⁄40.156 among APOE-e4 non-carriers). Conclusions: Our analyses both identify and further our understanding of a candidate causal variant in theCR1 locus. These results suggest several possible pathways for the mediation of the observed effect on AD susceptibility and cognitive decline. In addition, we observe a significant interaction with APOE-e4 carrier status on memory decline, which may help to identify a possible mechanism of the observed effect. To determine whether this is a valid association, these results will need to be replicated in other cohorts.
Opposing Changes in 3α-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Oxidative and Reductive Activities in Rat Leydig Cells during Pubertal Development

The enzyme 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3alpha-HSD) has an important role in androgen metabolism, catalyzing the interconversion of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (3alpha-DIOL). The net direction of this interconversion will affect the amount of biologically active ligand available for androgen receptor binding. We hypothesize that in Leydig cells, differential expression of 3alpha-HSD enzymes favoring one of the two directions is a mechanism by which DHT levels are controlled. In order to characterize 3alpha-HSD in rat Leydig cells, the following properties were analyzed: rates of oxidation (3alpha-DIOL to DHT) and reduction (DHT to 3alpha-DIOL) and preference for the cofactors NADP(H) and NAD(H) (i.e., the oxidized and reduced forms of both pyridine nucleotides) in Leydig cells isolated on Days 21, 35, and 90 postpartum. Levels of 3alpha-HSD protein were measured by immunoblotting using an antibody directed against the liver type of the enzyme. Levels of 3alpha-HSD protein and rates of reduction were highest on Day 21 and lowest on Day 90. The opposite was true for the rate of 3alpha-HSD oxidation, which was barely detectable on Day 21 and highest on Day 90 (59.08 +/- 6.35 pmol/min per 10(6) cells, mean +/- SE). Therefore, the level of 3alpha-HSD protein detectable by liver enzyme was consistent with reduction but not with oxidation. There was a clear partitioning of NADP(H)-dependent activity into the cytosolic fraction of Leydig cells, whereas on Days 35 and 90, Leydig cells also contained a microsomal NAD(H)-activated 3alpha-HSD. We conclude that 1) the cytosolic 3alpha-HSD in Leydig cells on Day 21 behaves as a unidirectional NADPH-dependent reductase; 2) by Day 35, a microsomal NAD(H)-dependent enzyme activity is present and may account for predominance of 3alpha-HSD oxidation over reduction and the resultant high capacity of Leydig cells on Day 90 to synthesize DHT from 3alpha-DIOL.
Optimizing data alignment for data parallel programs

Data decomposition across processors is critical to the performance of data parallel programs on distributed-memory machines. The data decomposition problem involves data alignment and data distribution. This paper addresses the data alignment phase, which can be classified into slope alignment and offset alignment. We propose a data reference graph (DRG) model, based on which a slope alignment heuristic algorithm and an offset alignment heuristic algorithm are proposed for the purpose of minimizing interprocessor communication. Such a DRG-based data alignment framework makes our work unique from other related work. The time complexity of both proposed algorithms are in the linear order of distinct references given in a program structure. >
Human Leukocyte Antigen Class II Transgenic Mouse Model Unmasks the Significant Extrahepatic Pathology in Toxic Shock Syndrome

Among the exotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, the superantigens (SAgs) are the most potent T-cell activators known to date. SAgs are implicated in several serious diseases including toxic shock syndrome (TSS), Kawasaki disease, and sepsis. However, the immunopathogenesis of TSS and other diseases involving SAgs are still not completely understood. The commonly used conventional laboratory mouse strains do not respond robustly to SAgs in vivo. Therefore, they must be artificially rendered susceptible to TSS by using sensitizing agents such as d-galactosamine (d-galN), which skews the disease exclusively to the liver and, hence, is not representative of the disease in humans. SAg-induced TSS was characterized using transgenic mice expressing HLA class II molecules that are extremely susceptible to TSS without d-galN. HLA-DR3 transgenic mice recapitulated TSS in humans with extensive multiple-organ inflammation affecting the lung, liver, kidneys, heart, and small intestines. Heavy infiltration with T lymphocytes (both CD4+ and CD8+), neutrophils, and macrophages was noted. In particular, the pathologic changes in the small intestines were extensive and accompanied by significantly altered absorptive functions of the enterocytes. In contrast to massive liver failure alone in the d-galN sensitization model of TSS, findings of the present study suggest that gut dysfunction might be a key pathogenic event that leads to high morbidity and mortality in humans with TSS.
Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis in Children: Masquerader of Common Respiratory Diseases

BACKGROUND. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in children is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening benign tumor of the respiratory tract with laryngeal predilection. The diagnosis of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis may be challenging unless there is a high index of suspicion and awareness of the variable presentations. METHODS. We reviewed the medical charts of children with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis treated at a tertiary children’s hospital. The presentation of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is illustrated by a series of case reports. We provide a paradigm to assist in the early diagnosis of children with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. RESULTS. Five patients, aged 2 to 6 years, were erroneously diagnosed with recurrent croup, asthma, laryngeal hemangioma, and tracheomalacia after presenting with variable degrees of chronic dyspnea, cough, stridor, dysphonia, weak cry, and syncope. Once the diagnosis of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis was made, recurring surgical ablation of papillomata was initiated. CONCLUSIONS. Any child presenting with a voice disturbance with or without stridor is recommended to have diagnostic flexible fiber-optic laryngoscopy. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis should be considered in children when other common pediatric airway diseases either do not follow the natural history or do not respond to treatment of the common disorder.
Tag, You're It! Using QR Codes to Promote Library Services

The authors discuss how Quick Response code technology can be used to market library services innovatively by introducing them in a more flexible way. The authors also provide real life examples of mobile tagging efforts underway, discuss best practices, and suggest possible implications of Quick Response use in libraries.
Geochemical analysis and paleoecological implications of phosphatic microspherules (otoliths?) from Frasnian–Famennian boundary strata in the Great Basin, USA

Phosphatic microspherules (<1 mm diameter) recovered from the Upper Devonian (uppermost Frasnian) Guilmette Limestone in eastern Nevada are interpreted here to be fish otoliths and thus provide insight into ocean water chemistry just prior to the Frasnian–Famennian mass extinction boundary. Analysis by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electron microprobe indicates that they are apatite (francolite) and consist of radially aligned, concentrically banded crystals around a central nucleus. This type of microspherule, previously interpreted to be conodont pearls, has compositions more similar to fish teeth derived from the same unit than to conodonts. Microspherules and fish teeth have consistently lower concentrations in wt% of P2O5 (31.88–36.32), F (3.05–5.12), SrO (0.15–0.34), and analysis totals (indicating higher concentrations of OH and/or CO3; 90.66–96.09) and higher CaO (51.67–55.15), SO2 (0.50–0.90), MgO (0.09–0.15), and Fe2O3 (0.11–0.21) than the associated conodonts (P2O5: 37.32–40.01; F: 4.99–6.89; SrO: 0.32–1.79; totals: 96.07–100.55; CaO: 52.32–53.06; SO2: 0.05–0.21; MgO: 0.01–0.05; Fe2O3: 0.02–0.11). These differences in composition are consistent from core to rim in all microfossils analyzed and reflect primary biogenic compositions rather than diagenetic or metamorphic signatures. We interpret the apatite microspherules to be genetically related to the fish teeth rather than to the conodonts based on the geochemical analysis. The microspherules are morphologically similar to modern teleost fish otoliths. The fish teeth found associated with the microspherules are from Acanthodian or Actinopterygian fish, which possessed otoliths in the Devonian and are the distant ancestors to modern teleost fish. Modern fish otoliths normally have a calcium carbonate composition, but their trace element composition is highly sensitive to ambient water temperature and chemistry. We speculate that the stratigraphically restricted range and phosphatic composition of the Devonian otoliths reflects secretion by fish under conditions of excess dissolved reactive phosphorus in the water column that was most likely associated with upwelling and cooler-water conditions on the shelf during maximum transgression.
An RNA-Binding Chameleon

Abstract The arginine-rich RNA binding motif is found in a wide variety of proteins, including several viral regulatory proteins. Although related at the primary sequence level, arginine-rich domains from different proteins adopt different conformations depending on the RNA site recognized, and in some cases fold only in the context of RNA. Here we show that the RNA binding domain of the Jembrana disease virus (JDV) Tat protein is able to recognize two different TAR RNA sites, from human and bovine immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and BIV, respectively), adopting different conformations in the two RNA contexts and using different amino acids for recognition. In addition to the conformational differences, the JDV domain requires the cyclin T1 protein for high-affinity binding to HIV TAR, but not to BIV TAR. The "chameleon-like" behavior of the JDV Tat RNA binding domain reinforces the concept that RNA molecules can provide structural scaffolds for protein folding, and suggests mechanisms for evolving distinct RNA binding specificities from a single multifunctional domain.
High resolution emission and transmission imaging using the same detector

We demonstrate the capability of one detector, the Micro-Angiographic Fluoroscope (MAF) detector, to image for two types of applications: nuclear medicine imaging and radiography. The MAF has 1024 × 1024 pixels with an effective pixel size of 35 microns and is capable of real-time imaging at 30 fps. It has a CCD camera coupled by a fiber-optic taper to a light image intensifier (LII) viewing a 300-micron thick CsI phosphor. The large variable gain of the LII provides quantum-limited operation with little additive instrumentation noise and enables operation in both energy-integrating (El) and sensitive low-exposure single photon counting (SPC) modes. We used the El mode to take a radiograph, and the SPC mode to image a custom phantom filled with 1 mCi of 1–125. The phantom is made of hot rods with diameters ranging from 0.9 mm to 2.3 mm. A 1 mm diameter parallel hole, medium energy gamma camera collimator was placed between the phantom and the MAF and was moved multiple times at equal intervals in random directions to eliminate the grid pattern corresponding to the collimator septa. Data was acquired at 20 fps. Two algorithms to localize the events were used: 1) simple threshold and 2) a weighted centroid method. Although all the hot rods could be clearly identified, the image generated with the simple threshold method shows more blurring than that with the weighted centroid method. With the diffuse cluster of pixels from each single detection event localized to a single pixel, the weighted centroid method shows improved spatial resolution. A radiograph of the phantom was taken with the same MAF in El mode without the collimator. It shows clear structural details of the rods. Compared to the radiograph, the sharpness of the emission image is limited by the collimator resolution and could be improved by optimized collimator design. This study demonstrated that the same MAF detector can be used in both radioisotope and x-ray imaging, combining the benefits of each.
Response to Hepatitis A Epidemic: Emergency Department Collaboration with Public Health Commission

In 2004, a hepatitis A outbreak occurred in Boston, Massachusetts with an incident rate of 14.8 per 100,000, compared to 4.2 in 2003. The majority of cases had risk factors of homelessness, injection drug use, or incarceration. In September 2004, the Boston Public Health Commission began an immunization campaign partnering with health centers, detoxification centers, homeless shelters, and our Emergency Department (ED) to increase the number of hepatitis A vaccinations and stem the epidemic. The ED rapidly developed (within days) a vaccination protocol. Hepatitis A vaccinations were offered to patients over age 21 years who were homeless, substance users, or incarcerated. From October 2004 through January 2005, the ED vaccinated 122 patients notable for 64% male, 61% homeless, 28% substance users, and 11% incarcerated. No reported vaccination reactions occurred. There was a 51% decrease in the number of cases of Hepatitis A in Boston in the first 4 months of 2005. As a partner, the ED helped stem the epidemic by rapidly providing vaccinations to those most vulnerable. This project provides a model for future collaborations between EDs and local, state, and federal organizations to address epidemics.
THE STABILITY OF RHODOPSIN AND OPSIN : EFFECTS OF PH AND AGING

The stability of cattle rhodopsin and of its protein moiety opsin toward acids and alkalies and on aging was determined by two criteria: maintenance of absorption spectrum, and capacity to regenerate after exposure to light. On storage at 3°C. at pH near neutrality, the absorption spectrum in the visible region may remain unchanged for as long as 6 months; but the regenerability progressively declines, at very different rates in different preparations. The cause of this decline has not been determined. It may involve denaturation at sites other than the retinene-protein bond, which by the evidence of the absorption spectrum remains intact. Cattle rhodopsin maintains its absorption spectrum at any pH from 3.9–9.6 for at least an hour at 25–27°C. To both sides of this pH range the pigment bleaches, the extinction falling to half in 1 hour at pH 3.3 and 10.5. The exposure of rhodopsin to light greatly increases the vulnerability of the product (opsin) to acids and bases. Opsin rapidly loses its capacity to regenerate rhodopsin to both sides of the range of pH 5.5–7.0. Half the regenerability is lost within 45 seconds at pH 3.4 and 9.1; and within 1 hour at pH 5 and 8.