cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PRE-AND POST-COLONIAL SEDIMENT SOURCES AND STORAGE IN THE LOWER NEUSE BASIN, NORTH CAROLINA

Several lines of evidence are used to estimate pre-and post-colonial sediment production, transport, and storage in the lower Neuse River basin on the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Soil profile truncation indicates upland erosion rates of >9.5t/ha/yr during the post-European period, while pre-colonial rates were negligible. Comparisons of sediment yields between streams in forested and agricultural basins suggest that stream sediment loads have risen dramatically following colonial-era land clearing. Pedological indicators of sediment sources in contemporary and pre-Holocene alluvial soils show a change in dominant sediment source from an important upper-basin Piedmont contribution to a situation where Piedmont sediment is overwhelmed by Coastal Plain sources. Finally, most of the increased sediment input to the lower Neuse River and its tributaries has apparently been stored as alluvium. This is indicated by limited siltation of the Neuse estuary and limited pedogenic development on floodplains and strea...
Post-transcriptional regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase mRNA in rat liver. Glucocorticoids block the stabilization caused by thyroid hormones.

Abstract Administration of dexamethasone to hypophysectomized rats treated with thyroid hormones blocked the increase in hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase mRNA and enzyme activity which occurred in response to thyroid hormone treatment. The rate of transcription of the rat liver HMG-CoA reductase gene measured by "run-on" assays in isolated nuclei was not diminished by dexamethasone. The half-life of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA was decreased from 12-15 to 2-3 h by dexamethasone treatment of hypophysectomized rats fed thyroid powder. Adrenalectomy caused the half-life of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA to increase from 3 to 10 h, suggesting that endogenous glucocorticoids also regulate reductase mRNA stability. Reductase mRNA levels were increased only 5-fold in thyroidectomized rats fed thyroid powder compared to a 20- to 40-fold increase in similarly treated hypophysectomized rats. In thyroidectomized rats, reductase mRNA had a half-life of only 1.5 h. Thyroid hormone treatment increased this to 4.5 h, significantly less than that of similarly treated hypophysectomized rats. Hydrocortisone, like dexamethasone, lowered reductase mRNA levels, but the biologically inactive analogue epihydrocortisone did not affect reductase mRNA or activity. These results suggest that glucocorticoids decrease the abundance of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA by stimulating its degradation.
Automatic fault tree derivation from Little-JIL process definitions

Defects in safety critical processes can lead to accidents that result in harm to people or damage to property. Therefore, it is important to find ways to detect and remove defects from such processes. Earlier work has shown that Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) [3] can be effective in detecting safety critical process defects. Unfortunately, it is difficult to build a comprehensive set of Fault Trees for a complex process, especially if this process is not completely well-defined. The Little-JIL process definition language has been shown to be effective for defining complex processes clearly and precisely at whatever level of granularity is desired [1]. In this work, we present an algorithm for generating Fault Trees from Little-JIL process definitions. We demonstrate the value of this work by showing how FTA can identify safety defects in the process from which the Fault Trees were automatically derived.
DQDB: a fast converging bandwidth balancing mechanism that requires no bandwidth loss

A bandwidth balancing (BWB) mechanism has been included in the IEEE 802.6 standard for metropolitan area networks (MANs). A new BWB mechanism for the distributed queue dual bus (DQDB) is proposed that does not waste any idle slots. For this reason it can converge faster to the steady state than the current BWB mechanism of the DQDB. The authors analyze the throughput and delay performance of the proposed mechanism under a single priority traffic class and compare it with that of the current BWB mechanism of the DQDB. >
Revisão das AbordagensTerapêuticas para JovensInfratores Usuáriosde Drogas nosEstados Unidos

O uso de drogas na adolescencia e a delinquencia juvenil sao problemas complexos e inter-relacionados ainda comuns e problematicos nos Estados Unidos. Este artigo oferece um panorama de intervencoes promissoras para tratar jovens infratores que abusam de substâncias. Essas intervencoes incluem centros de avaliacao juvenis e centros que recebem jovens viciados; juizados de drogas; campos militares (boot camps); comunidades terapeuticas; intervencoes com base na familia; terapia multisistemica; terapia cognitivo-comportamental; alcoolicos anonimos; gerenciamento de caso e exames de urina para drogas. E importante que os profissionais se mantenham atualizados sobre as melhores praticas disponiveis, o que e necessario para maximizar a eficacia do tratamento de adolescentes infratores usuarios de drogas. Dados os limitados recursos atualmente alocados para este fim, e necessario um compromisso internacional para ajudar esses jovens a fim de reduzir seu uso de drogas, delinquencia e problemas associados.
Nitrosylation of cytochrome c during apoptosis

Cytochrome c released from mitochondria into the cytoplasm plays a critical role in many forms of apoptosis by stimulating apoptosome formation and subsequent caspase activation. However, the mechanisms regulating cytochrome capoptotic activity are not understood. Here we demonstrate that cytochrome c is nitrosylated on its heme iron during apoptosis. Nitrosylated cytochrome c is found predominantly in the cytoplasm in control cells. In contrast, when cytochrome c release from mitochondria is inhibited by overexpression of the anti-apoptotic proteins B cell lymphoma/leukemia (Bcl)-2 or Bcl-XL, nitrosylated cytochrome c is found in the mitochondria. These data suggest that during apoptosis, cytochrome c is nitrosylated in mitochondria and then rapidly released into the cytoplasm in the absence of Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL overexpression. In vitro nitrosylation of cytochrome c increases caspase-3 activation in cell lysates. Moreover, the inhibition of intracellular cytochromec nitrosylation is associated with a decrease in apoptosis, suggesting that cytochrome c nitrosylation is a proapoptotic modification. We conclude that nitrosylation of the heme iron of cytochrome c may be a novel mechanism of apoptosis regulation.
A Trichinella murrelli infection in a domestic dog in the United States

Trichinella murrelli infection was diagnosed in a naturally infected Beagle bitch from VA, USA, where encapsulated larvae were found in histological sections of several skeletal muscles. A laboratory reared dog fed infected muscles resulted in viable muscle larvae that were subsequently infective to Swiss-Webster mice. Multiplex PCR using larvae from the experimentally infected dog demonstrated two distinct bands migrating at 127 bp and 316 bp which together are diagnostic for T. murrelli; the isolate was assigned the ISS code: ISS1608 by the International Trichinella Reference Centre. This is the first report of T. murrelli infection in a companion animal.
Electrodynamic Focusing of Charged Aerosol Particles

An electrodynamic screen for focusing charged particles carried by an airflow stream has been constructed and tested. The screen has the shape of a cone frustum with half-angle of 8° and is 17 cm long. Entrance and exit diameters are 7.0 and 2.5 cm, respectively. Electrodes forming the screen are three 0.71-mm diameter stainless-steel wires configured as a triple-start helix with 2.0-mm pitch. A three-phase power supply drives each wire with a line-to-ground voltage of 2300 V at 350 Hz with a phase difference of 120° between adjacent wires. Test particles of 5.2-μm aerodynamic diameter with electric charge of 1850–6080 elementary units per particle in an aerosol having a mean flow velocity of 4.3×10−2 m/s parallel to the vertically oriented cone axis are confined and focused with essentially no particle loss. Minimum distance of approach of the test particles to the screen, as found from computer simulation of particle trajectories, solution of the particle equations of motion by linear approximation, and...
Heat transfer of evaporating droplet flow in low pressure systems

Convective heat transfer of laminar droplet flow is analyzed for a low pressure system, where latent heat of evaporation and ratio of liquid density to vapor density is high (for example, water at l atm). The droplet size is considered to be approximately constant but the vapor velocity is considered increasing along the tube. The heat transfer effect of droplets in the vapor stream is treated as distributed heat sink. Results are presented in non-dimensional form for circular tubes, with constant wall heat flux or constant wall temperature boundary conditions. Distinct heat transfer behavior of droplet flow is revealed. On analyse le tiansfert convectif de chaleur d'un ecouleraent laminaire de gouttelettes, dans le cas d'un systeme a basse pression pour lequel la chaleur latente d'evaporation et le rapport entre les densites respectives du liquide et de la vapeur sont eleves (exemple: eau sous une pression de I atm.). On considere que les dimensions des gouttelettes sont approximativement constantes, mais que la vitesse de la vapeur augmente le long du tube. Les gouttelettes sont considerees comme des puits de chaleurs repartis dans l'ecoulement de la vapeur. On presente les resultats sous une forme dimensionnelle dans le cas des tubes cylindriques avec pour conditions-limites, soit un flux de chaleur aux parois constant, soit une temperature de paroi constante. Ces calculs reeelent un comportement specifique au transfert de chaleur dans le cas d'un ecoulement de gouttelettes.
Development of a "membrane cloaking" method for amperometric enzyme immunoassay and surface plasmon resonance analysis of proteins in serum samples.

Detection of trace amounts of target proteins in the presence of high concentrations of matrix proteins (e.g., serum samples) without separation steps is of great significance to biomedical research but remains technically challenging. Here we report a “membrane cloaking” method to overcome nonspecific protein adsorption and fouling problems for label-free surface plasmon resonance detection and heterogeneous immunosensing. A thin, hybrid, self-assembled monolayer on gold was formed with 70 mol % mercaptopropanol and 30 mol % cysteamine/propanedithiol to facilitate membrane fusion and covalent attachment of antibodies. After antibody immobilization, the surface was incubated with lipid vesicles, which fused to form a supported membrane. The analyte spiked in serum was introduced for binding, and the membrane and nonspecifically adsorbed proteins on the membrane were subsequently removed using a nonionic surfactant before the final measurement was carried out. Selection of a suitable surfactant can preserv...
AUXIN DESTRUCTION BY MARASMIUS PERNICIOSUS

A B S T R A C T Attempts were made to determine whether Marasmius perniciosus Stahel., causal agent of the witches' broom disease of cacao, produces substances that could elicit on the host some of the symptoms which are characteristic of the disease. In vitro the fungus did not produce significant amounts of cytokinins or auxins. However, culture filtrates destroyed indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) rapidly because of two different IAA-oxidizing enzymes: (1) a peroxidase (TAA oxidase) characterized by (a) dependence on Mn++ and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), (b) pH optimum of 3.0, (c) inactivation at 85 C for 5 min, (d) stimulation of oxidative activity by addition of 0.3 ,umole/ml H202; and (2) a laccase characterized by (a) no dependence on Mn++ and DCP, (b) pH optimum of 6.0, (c) inactivation at 95 C for 5 min, (d) ability to oxidize IAA and phenolic substrates in the absence of H202. The peroxidase was completely inhibited by scopoletin (0.0002 M); the laccase was inhibited by thiourea (0.1 M). The laccase could be separated from the peroxidase by elution through a column of Sephadex G-100. It is suggested that the main pathogenic effect of the fungus may be associated with these auxin-inactivating systems.
A rose in a mirror

In this paper I reflect on the idea of a person as constructed through their actions, in science and otherwise, and the role of the teacher in enabling such action. I write, drawing on my own history in science and the imaging technologies in which I am presently involved, about how these shape the work I do with children and teachers in schools. I purposely try to make the science I do with children reflect the science I did as a scientist and it is in this context that the children act. This environment is illustrated in two stories. In the first the children are looking at lenses and discussing their qualities and the things they are able to see as they gaze through them. This conversation illuminates both the qualities of lenses, the role of the observer, and of the act of seeing. In the second story I argue that the, way I shape the classroom is in effect a lens through which we can view children. What we see through such a lens has the same qualities as the things the children and I talk about in the first story and such visions both shape and are shaped by my actions as a teacher.
Renal manifestations of Kawasaki's disease

Renal sonographic evaluation of seven patients with mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome were performed and correlated with clinical and laboratory data either supporting or not supporting renal disease associated with this entity. Four of seven patients demonstrated significant elevations of the BUN, creatinine and/or significant proteinuria. These four patients had renal sonographic findings of increased cortical echogenicity, enlarged kidneys and enhanced corticomedullary differentiation. This complication of mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome has heretofore not been noted.
Activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase is required for heterologous desensitization of adenylyl cyclase in S49 wild-type lymphoma cells.

Abstract We report here that, contrary to previously reported findings, treatment of S49 wild-type (WT) lymphoma cells with 0-50 nM epinephrine resulted in a heterologous desensitization of adenylyl cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1)--that is, epinephrine and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) stimulations of adenylyl cyclase were reduced. Observation of this heterologous desensitization required the assay of adenylyl cyclase with submillimolar concentrations of Mg2+ and low concentrations of epinephrine. Also, whereas previously there had been no evidence for any role of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the desensitization of the WT beta-adrenergic receptor, our data comparing the characteristics of the desensitization in WT, kin-, and cyc- lymphoma cells [where kin- and cyc- refer to variants of S49 WT cells lacking cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity (kin-) and the alpha subunit of the stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (cyc-)] now suggest that cAMP-dependent protein kinase mediates the heterologous desensitization of adenylyl cyclase. Specifically, we found that only the WT cells exhibited epinephrine-induced heterologous desensitization. The kin- and cyc- cells exhibited only homologous desensitization, and much higher concentrations of epinephrine were required to elicit the homologous desensitization in the variants relative to the heterologous desensitization of the WT. Treatment of WT and cyc- cells with dibutyryl cAMP or treatment of WT with forskolin or PGE1 caused the heterologous desensitization of adenylyl cyclase, indicating that neither receptor occupancy nor activation of adenylyl cyclase was necessary for the heterologous desensitization.
Insurance and Family Therapy

The advent of recent theories of family structure and socially shared psychopathology that have found expression in the practice of family therapy are forcing a re-examination of concepts of individual diagnoses in which the symptoms of an individual family member are viewed as a possible communication from a disturbed family system. In seeking reimbursement for family therapy through health and accident insurance, a problem is occurring because the traditional method of payment is based on the establishment of individual psychiatric diagnoses, and very few companies will insure a family for family therapy. This paper examines the three-part system: insurers, family, and helping professions in relation to the significance of the conflict between traditional concepts of individual psychopathology and recent concepts of socially shared family psychopathology.
Using Multiple Complementary Methods to Develop Ergonomics Audits for Mining Operations

University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 Although ergonomics audits are commonly used by consultants, the scientific literature on reliable and valid audits is sparse. This paper describes a multi-faceted methodological approach to developing ergonomics audits for three types of mining operations. The approach was derived from a validated audit (Ergonomics Assessment Program (ERNAP)) for aircraft maintenance operations. While there were contextual, regulatory, and intended end user differences, the general approach to establishing content validity through task analysis and workplace observations, surveillance data, and accepted practices and regulations proved to be effective, albeit with modifications. Analysis of fatality reports and desire for integration with existing mining safety approaches were two areas where the current approach differed from ERNAP.
Fine structure physical mapping of the region of mouse chromosome 10 homologous to human chromosome 21.

Abstract Comparative mapping of human and mouse DNA for regions of genetic homology between human Chromosome 21 and the mouse genome is of interest because of the possibility of developing mouse models of human trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), understanding chromosome evolution, and isolating novel sequences conserved between the two species. At least two mouse chromosomes are known to carry sequences homologous to those on human Chromosome 21: mouse Chromosome 16 (D21S16h, D21S13h, D21S52h, App, Sod-1, Mx-1, Ets-2, Prgs, Ifnar) and mouse Chromosome 17 (D21S56h, Crya-1, and Cbs). Recently, five additional genes have been mapped within region 21q22 of human Chromosome 21: PFKL, CD18, COL6A1, COL6A2, and S100B. To assign these sequences to specific mouse chromosomes, we used human cDNA probes for COL6A1, COL6A2, CD18, and PFKL and a rat brain cDNA probe for S100B in conjunction with a panel of seven Chinese hamster-mouse somatic cell hybrids segregating mouse chromosomes. The specific chromosome complements of the hybrid cell lines and the presence or absence of hybridizing mouse sequences in their DNAs allow us to assign all five sequences to mouse Chromosome 10, with the assignment of Pfkl reported here for the first time. Analysis of genomic mouse DNA fragments produced by digestion with rare-cutting restriction enzymes and separated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis allows us to construct a fine-structure physical map of two segments of the region of Chromosome 10 containing these five markers. The five loci span at least 1900 kb of mouse DNA and are consistent with the human order: Pfkl-Cd-18-Col6a-1-Col6a-2-S100b. These genes define a region of the mouse genome homologous to the most distal 3000 kb of the long arm of human Chromosome 21, with evidence of conservation of probe order and relative distance between the species. These results have implications for further efforts to construct mouse models of human Down syndrome and to isolate additional shared sequences in this region.
The gigahertz FPGA: design consideration and applications

This paper describes the implementation of a large scale SiGe FPGA that serves as a high speed FPGA test platform. In the FPGA core, 20 x 20 building blocks (Basic Cells) are used to implement logic applications. This chip contains 106 devices including SiGe NPNs and MOSFETs. This chip is fabricating with the IBM SiGe 7HP process with cut off frequency of 120GHz. The target running frequency of this FPGA is 10GHz. Clock repeaters are added for improved clock distribution. A test circuit whose building block cell runs up to 10GHz is fabricated and measured by the same process. Future work and some potential applications of the SiGe FPGA are also described.
Coronary Sinus to Left Atrium Communication

Coronary sinus anomalies are rare. They can be associated with other vascular anomalies such as persistent left superior vena cava or can occur in isolation. We present a rare case of an isolated coronary sinus communication to the left atrium. This anomaly may be clinically relevant in the setting of significant left-to-right shunting or when shunt reversal results from right-sided heart failure. It may also be significant in cases of persistent atrial fibrillation after attempted pulmonary vein isolation.
Traumatic Childhood and Marriage

This exploratory, qualitative study of 84 adults who have survived and transcended a traumatic childhood describes the role their spouses played in the process of rising above their difficult childhood experiences. The participants talked about what they were looking for in a spouse, negative marriage experiences, and the positive role spousal support played in transcending the traumatic childhood. The study of their lives reveals important insights into the role of marriage in the process by which people grow into healthy adults. These insights will be useful to people who work with couples in which one person is seeking to leave past difficulties behind.
A parametric study ot protease production in batch and fed‐batch cultures of Bacillus firmus

Proteolytic enzymes produced by Bacillus species find a wide variety of applications in brewing, detergent, food, and leather industries. Owing to significant differences normally observed in culture conditions promoting cell growth and those promoting production of metabolites such as enzymes, for increased efficacy of bioreactor operations it is essential to identify these sets of conditions (including medium formulation). This study is focused on formulation of a semidefined medium that substantially enhances synthesis and secretion of an alkaline protease in batch cultures of Bacillus firmus NRS 783, a known superior producer of this enzyme. The series of experiments conducted to identify culture conditions that lead to improved protease production also enables investigation of the regulatory effects of important culture parameters including pH, dissolved oxygen, and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous sources and yeast extract in the medium on cell growth, synthesis and secretion of protease, and production of two major nonbiomass products, viz., acetic acid and ethanol. Cell growth and formation of the three nonbiomass products are hampered significantly under nitrogen, phosphorous, or oxygen limitation, with the cells being unable to grow in an oxygen-free environment. Improvement in protease production is achieved with respect to each culture parameter, leading in the process to 80% enhancement in protease activity over that attained using media reported in the literature. Results of a few fed-batch experiments with constant feed rate, conducted to examine possible enhancement in protease production and to further investigate repression of protease synthesis by excess of the principal carbon and nitrogen sources, are also discussed. The detailed investigation of stimulatory and repressory effects of simple and complex nutrients on protease production and metabolism of Bacillus firmus conducted in this study will provide useful guidelines for design of bioreactors for production of protease and bulk chemicals by this bacterium.
Infrared analysis for counterfeit electronic parts detection and supply chain validation

Within the electronics industry, counterfeit electronic components entering the supply chain have steadily become an increasing threat accounting for more than 8 % of global merchandise trade and an annual $600 billion enterprise. Currently, there are not many cost-effective and nonintrusive solutions for counterfeit detection of electronic parts. In this paper, the authors present a statistical approach for detecting counterfeit components based on infrared (IR) analysis by the use of independent component analysis (ICA). As a prominent higher-order statistical analysis technique, ICA is capable of extracting relevant features from IR data. The latest applications and the extended algorithms of ICA have been elucidated for the purposes of classification and identification of counterfeit electronic parts. The theoretical framework of ICA is presented along with extensive experimental results to illustrate its feature extraction function in counterfeit electronic parts detection.
An expert system for the design and selection of ball bearing parameters

Artificial Intelligence (Al) is an emerging technology. Research in Al is focused on developing computational approaches to intelligent behavior. The computer programs with which Al could be associated are primarily symbolic processes associated with complexity, ambiguity, indecisiveness, and uncertainty. One of these computer programs is referred to as Knowledge-based Expert System as it represents knowledge acquired from various experts in a particular field of interest to the user. The expert system emulates human behavior in solving problems thought to require experts for their solution by utilizing computer programs that incorporate experts’ heuristic reasoning. In this paper, the application of Knowledge-based Expert System to aid the design of ball and roller bearings is discussed. The precision rolling-element bearings of twentieth century is a product of exacting technology and sophisticated science. A bearing supports radial and axial loads, at the same time allowing relative motion between two elements of a machine. Various requirements and steps in the design of ball and roller bearings are discussed. Equations are developed for the relevant design parameters and input into the expert system shell called VP-Expert. The expert system rules are also provided.
TU‐E‐BRB‐07: Feasibility of a Dedicated Breast CT Platform for Orthovoltage Rotational External Beam Radiation Therapy: A Simulation Study

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a dedicated breast computed tomography (bCT) platform to delivertherapeuticdose distributions, specifically for partial breast irradiation (PBI), whole breast irradiation (WBI), and dose painting, through orthovoltage rotational external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).Methods: Rotational EBRT using the geometry of a prototype bCT platform was evaluated by means of MCNPXMonte Carlo simulator. A 178 keV monoenergetic photon source was used to approximate 320 kVp photons filtered by 4 mm of copper, as validated by depth‐dose characteristics in polyethylene. The source was rotated around a 14 cm voxelized polyethylene disk (0.1 cm tall) or cylinder (9 cm tall) to simulate primary and primary + scattered photon interactions, respectively. Simulations were also performed using bCT patient images. Beam collimation was varied in the x‐y plane of rotation (1–14 cm) and in the z‐direction (0.1–10 cm).Results: As x‐y collimation narrowed, 2D dose profiles shifted from a cupped profile with high edge dose (14 cm beam) to an increasingly peaked central dose. A 1 cm beam had a center‐to‐cylinder edge dose ratio of 14.8. Similar distributions were observed experimentally. Dose painting for multiple foci, a line distribution, and a ring distribution was demonstrated using multiple rotations with varying collimation. A homogeneous dose distribution (<5% fluctuation) with skin sparing was demonstrated by weighted summation of four dose profiles. Using 2 cm z‐collimation, scatter tails decreased exponentially towards the cylinder top/bottom to 3% of maximum dose. Simulations using patient bCT images demonstrated the potential for treatment planning and image‐guided therapy. Conclusions: A bCT platform can feasibly deliver orthovoltage rotational EBRT for the treatment of breast cancer. A variety of dose distributions can be generated allowing for PBI to a single focus, dose painting, and WBI with skin sparing. Dedicated bCT is a potential platform for image‐guidedradiation therapy. One author is a consultant to Varian Imaging Systems (Palo Alto, Calif) and Artemis (Erlangen, Germany) and receives funding from Varian Imaging Systems, Fuji Medical Systems (Stamford, Conn), and Hologic (Bedford, Mass).
A Legionella pneumophila Effector Protein Encoded in a Region of Genomic Plasticity Binds to Dot/Icm-Modified Vacuoles

Legionella pneumophila is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause a severe pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease. In the environment, L. pneumophila is found in fresh water reservoirs in a large spectrum of environmental conditions, where the bacteria are able to replicate within a variety of protozoan hosts. To survive within eukaryotic cells, L. pneumophila require a type IV secretion system, designated Dot/Icm, that delivers bacterial effector proteins into the host cell cytoplasm. In recent years, a number of Dot/Icm substrate proteins have been identified; however, the function of most of these proteins remains unknown, and it is unclear why the bacterium maintains such a large repertoire of effectors to promote its survival. Here we investigate a region of the L. pneumophila chromosome that displays a high degree of plasticity among four sequenced L. pneumophila strains. Analysis of GC content suggests that several genes encoded in this region were acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Protein translocation studies establish that this region of genomic plasticity encodes for multiple Dot/Icm effectors. Ectopic expression studies in mammalian cells indicate that one of these substrates, a protein called PieA, has unique effector activities. PieA is an effector that can alter lysosome morphology and associates specifically with vacuoles that support L. pneumophila replication. It was determined that the association of PieA with vacuoles containing L. pneumophila requires modifications to the vacuole mediated by other Dot/Icm effectors. Thus, the localization properties of PieA reveal that the Dot/Icm system has the ability to spatially and temporally control the association of an effector with vacuoles containing L. pneumophila through activities mediated by other effector proteins.
Psychometric Equivalence of Recorded Spondaic Words as Test Items

In the determination of the speech-reception threshold (SRT), spondaic words are assumed to be homogeneous with respect to intelligibility; and the assumption of equal intelligibility requires that the words be comparable for all signal levels. Previous attempts to assess the equal intelligibility assumption using word thresholds as the sole criterion are not an adequate basis for specifying the equality of intelligibility. In the present study, the recorded spondaic words (Tillman recording) were analyzed in an attempt to create a more homogeneous set of spondaic words for future laboratory work. To achieve this goal, the data reported by Young, Dudley, and Gunter (1982) and data collected in our laboratory were fitted to a logistic function (psychometric function) from which a 50% point (threshold) and slope were obtained. To specify their acoustical parameters, the recorded spondaic words were digitized and the RMS level and duration of each syllable and word were calculated. None of the RMS or duratio...
Ideological or Political Origins of the Leningrad Affair? A Response to David Brandenberger

David Brandenberger is to be commended for delving into the murky origins of the Leningrad Affair in his insightful and well-researched article ("Stalin, the Leningrad Affair, and the Limits of Postwar Russocentrism") in the April 2004 issue of The Russian Review, which also carried a positive review of his original and formidable study of the development of Russian national identity during the Stalin years, National Bolshevism. The Leningrad Affair, which resulted in the first executions of nationally prominent political leaders since the Great Terror, is one of the greatest enduring mysteries of Soviet high politics of the post-World War II era. The origins and precise dimensions of the ultra-secret purge remain partly obscured due to a lack of documentation, some of which, it appears, was destroyed by Georgii Malenkov. Other materials pertinent to the case remain classified and/or have yet to be accessed by historians.' Consequently, all explanations of the case must include a fair amount of conjecture. Brandenberger attempts to revise the commonly accepted view that the purge represented the victory, in the early stages of the struggle to succeed Stalin, of the dictator's subordinates Malenkov and Lavrentii Beriia over a cohort of upstart political rivals connected to Leningrad, who were protected by Andrei Zhdanov until he died in 1948. Brandenberger proposes that the dispute may have been more ideological than political in nature by demonstrating that the "Leningraders" called for the formation of a Russian Communist Party (RKP[b]) and specifically of a Central Committee Bureau for the RSFSR, which, he asserts, probably alarmed Stalin by raising the specter of a possible confrontation between an RKP(b) and the All-Union Communist Party (VKP[b]). Although Russocentrism had become more prominent in Soviet political culture in the postwar years, Brandenberger contends that appeals for an RKP(b) went beyond the bounds of extolling Russian national culture for the purpose of solidifying the USSR. Stalin understood that creation of an RKP(b) could be dangerously divisive and decided that the idea and its proponents had to be destroyed. I would contend that the weight of background circumstances and available direct evidence suggests that discussion of creating an RKP(b) was in fact but one of several
The role of antiplatelet therapy in the management of ischemic stroke: implementation of guidelines in current practice.

Abstract Objective: To review and discuss evidence-based guideline recommendations for the use of antiplatelet agents for secondary prevention in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA. Methods: A literature search was conducted on PubMed through August 2007 using combinations of the following search terms: aspirin, clopidogrel, dipyridamole plus aspirin, transient ischemic attack, secondary prevention, stroke and guidelines. Results: Modification of risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, cigarette smoking and obesity are fundamental to stroke management. Antiplatelet therapy is highly effective in reducing the risk of recurrent vascular events and is recommended over oral anticoagulants for non-cardioembolic stroke. Evidence from head-to-head comparative clinical trials versus aspirin monotherapy has shown that clopidogrel and the combination of aspirin plus dipyridamole are safe and effective therapeutic options. Discussion: Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines...
A model for axonal propagation incorporating both radial and axial ionic transport

We present an axonal model that explicitly includes ionic diffusion in the intracellular, periaxonal, and extracellular spaces and that incorporates a Hodgkin-Huxley membrane, extended with potassium channel inactivation and active ion transport. Although ionic concentration changes may not be significant in the time course of one action potential, they are important when considering the long-term behavior (seconds to minutes) of an axon. We demonstrate this point with simulations of transected axons where ions are moving between the intra- and extracellular spaces through an opening that is sealing with time. The model predicts that sealing must occur within a critical time interval after the initial injury to prevent the entire axon from becoming permanently depolarized. This critical time interval becomes considerably shorter when active ion transport is disabled. Furthermore, the model can be used to study the effects of sodium and potassium channel inactivation; e.g., sodium inactivation must be almost complete (within 0.02%) to obtain simulation results that are realistic.
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN THE GERONTOLOGY INSTRUCTION LEADING TO THE TEXAS BASIC CERTIFICATE IN GERONTOLOGY

Are guidelines or principles developed for formal academic gerontology programs appropriate for use in gerontology instruction offered for continuing education unit (CEU) credit? The principles and practices of the Texas Basic Certificate in Gerontology courses offered by the Texas Gerontological Consortium for Continuing Education (TGCCE) are identified. Survey principles were adapted from a chapter in the second edition of Standards and Guidelines for Gerontology Programs (Rich, Connelly, & Douglass, 1990), a publication of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. TGCCE institutional representatives rated the importance of the survey principles and the degree to which they implemented them in their institutions. Respondents overwhelmingly approved the gerontology principles in the study, deeming them to be appropriate for TGCCE instruction. After a case study identified instructional practices at an active TGCCE institution, respondents compared their implementation of principles with that a...
Rates of convergence for the approximation of dual shift-invariant systems in ℓ2(ℤ)

A shift-invariant system is a collection of functions {gm,n} of the form gm,n(k)=gm(k−an). Such systems play an important role in time-frequency analysis and digital signal processing. A principal problem is to find a dual system γm,n(k)=γm(k−an) such that each functionf can be written asf= ∑〈f, γm,n〉gm,n. The mathematical theory usually addresses this problem in infinite dimensions (typically in L2 (ℝ) or l2(ℤ)), whereas numerical methods have to operate with a finite-dimensional model. Exploiting the link between the frame operator and Laurent operators with matrix-valued symbol, we apply the finite section method to show that the dual functions obtained by solving a finite-dimensional problem converge to the dual functions of the original infinite-dimensional problem in l2(ℤ). For compactly supported gm, n (FIR filter banks) we prove an exponential rate of convergence and derive explicit expressions for the involved constants. Further we investigate under which conditions one can replace the discrete model of the finite section method by the periodic discrete model, which is used in many numerical procedures. Again we provide explicit estimates for the speed of convergence. Some remarks on tight frames complete the paper.
Stereoselective C-glycoside formation with 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene protected 3-deoxy gluco- and mannopyranoside donors: comparison with O-glycoside formation.

Unlike alcohols, the reaction of C-nucleophiles with 2-O-benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-protected 3-deoxy-gluco- and mannopyranosyl thioglycosides is highly stereoselective providing the α-C-glycosides in the gluco-series and the β-C-glycosides in the manno-series. Conformational analysis of nucleophilic attack of putative intermediate glycosyl oxocarbenium ions suggests that the observed selectivities for C-glycoside formation can be explained by preferential attack on the opposite face of the oxocarbenium to the C2–H2 bond and that eclipsing interactions with this bond are the main stereodetermining factor. It is argued that the steric interactions in the attack of alcohols (sp3-hybridized O) and of typical carbon-based nucleophiles (sp2 C) on oxocarbenium ions are very different, with the former being less severe, and thus that there is no a priori reason to expect O- and C-glycosylation to exhibit parallel stereoselectivities for attack on a given oxocarbenium ion.
Is pyloric gland metaplasia in ileal pouch biopsies a marker for Crohn's disease?

Background Approximately 5–10 % of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who undergo ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) will develop postoperative complications such as refractory pouchitis or a change in diagnosis to Crohn’s disease (CD). Serological markers and histologic aspects of the pouch such as pyloric gland metaplasia (PGM) have been associated with a risk for these complications.
Optimal Policy Rules for a Temporary Incomes Policy

In this study policy rules for a temporary incomes policy are identified and examined. The Pontryagin minimum principle is used to derive these rules which are optimal with respect to the posited criterion function and a simple but plausible wage-price inflation model. The principle assumption of the underlying model is that the relevant inflation is sustained by an inflationary psychology, characterized by expectations of continuing price and wage increases. Temporary wage-price controls by dampening these expectations serve to constrain the inflation. The derived policy rules provide for (i) a reduction in price inflation to some acceptable level, (ii) an equitable distribution of any restraining impact on wages, interest rates, and profits, and (iii) terminal characteristics which minimize the possibility of the reintroduction of an explosive wage-price spiral once controls are suspended. An inherent conflict between these objectives, particularly between (ii) and (iii), implies both a variable coefficient policy rule which differs substantially from most plausible ad hoc rules and a minimum length control horizon, which can not be reduced without incurring significant social costs. In addition, the paper considers the very significant differences in the impact of policies focusing on direct wage controls and those emphasizing direct price controls. In particular, direct price controls prove to be more attractive than direct wage controls whenever it can be established that firms respond more quickly in offsetting wage increases than workers do in offsetting price increases. (This appears to be the case empirically.) This conclusion must be carefully qualified, however, because the model also implies that good direct price controls are necessarily more complex and involve larger administrative costs.
Europe 2007: From Nation-States to Member States

The fiction imagined as “Europe” has become real. By 2007, the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the process turning the nation‐states of Europe into EU member states will be nearly complete. Here's what the upcoming years could look like.
On Primoratz's Definition of Terrorism

ABSTRACT In “What is terrorism?” Igor Primoratz defines ‘terrorism’ as “the deliberate use of violence, or threat of its use, against innocent people, with the aim of intimidating them, or other people, into a course of action they otherwise would not take.” I argue that this definition needs to be modified (1) by requiring that the harm or threat be to persons other than those intimidated, (2) by including aims which do not concern action, and (3) by distinguishing terrorists who know they are terrorists from those who do not.
Metastatic adenocarcinoma with rupture through the Bruch membrane simulating a choroidal melanoma.

PURPOSE: To report a case of adenocarcinoma metastatic to the choroid with rupture through the Bruch membrane, thus, simulating a choroidal melanoma. METHODS: Interventional case report. Evaluation in a university-based clinic, including a complete eye examination, fluorescein angiography, and ultrasonography; oncological evaluation; and eventual enucleation with histopathological study, including immunohistochemical stains. RESULTS: A 62-year-old Hispanic female presented with visual loss, right eye, of short duration because of a choroidal mass with retinal detachment. Ultrasonography showed a dome-shaped lesion with an eccentric collar-button projection and medium internal reflectivity, which suggested a choroidal melanoma. Initial systemic evaluation was negative. Severe pain necessitated enucleation, RE, and histopathology of the choroidal mass demonstrated an adenocarcinoma. Further examination revealed a left, upper lobe, nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Metastatic choroidal tumors may present, although rarely, with collar-button configurations.
Marked Polymorphonuclear Pleocytosis Due to Blastomycotic Meningitis: Case Report and Review

Meningitis is an unusual manifestation of infection caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis. We describe a patient who presented with fulminant blastomycotic meningitis. Examination of the lumbar CSF demonstrated > 5,000 polymorphonuclear leukocytes/mm3. The diagnosis of B. dermatitidis meningitis was initially suggested by cytologic examination of CSF and confirmed by culture. Pleocytosis of this magnitude had not been previously described in association with blastomycosis, although review of the published literature revealed that neutrophilic pleocytosis is a common manifestation of blastomycotic meningitis and should suggest the diagnosis. This report broadens the clinical spectrum of blastomycotic meningitis and suggests that cytologic examination of CSF is a useful way to establish this diagnosis.
Passive acoustic monitoring of head disc interface interactions

A hard disc drive (HDD) recording head thermal protrusion is monitored by the passive acoustic characterization technique where adaptive discrete wavelet (ADW) filtering has been introduced to declare the contact. A phenomenological model is built to demonstrate detectability of the passive acoustic monitoring. The model is based on the mechanical impedance approach where impedances of head disc interface (HDI) and acoustic emission (AE) sensor are compared for matching over air bearing/head gimble assembly frequency bandwidth. A synthesized HDI response signal derived from the HDI mechanical impedance function is compared to the real AE signal obtained during the thermal protrusion based contact detection. A methodology of HDD level AE signal characterization presented in this work consists of the ADW filtering technique where the fifth order DB7 wavelet base function is used in AE signal decomposition. The signal decomposition order is selected by the AE signal entropy minimization.
A second-quantized formulation of inelastic scattering including core polarization

Abstract The second-quantization formalism of Villars is applied to nucleon-nucleus inelastic scattering. Both the direct and knock-out terms are found to require renormalized effective interactions. Each term is characterized by its own state-dependent coupling constant. Explicit formulae are presented to indicate how these core polarization terms may be included in a “conventional” anti-symmetrized distorted-wave calculation.
Computing Jacobians using exterior products

Abstract In this paper we describe an exterior product method for computing the Jacobian of a transformation. This alternative procedure is often simpler than the conventional determinant approach. We illustrate the proposed method via commonly used transformations in statistical distribution theory.