cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Osteoclasts in Cardiovascular Calcification

Osteoclasts are a specific subset of immune-derived, bone-resorbing cells. Because osteoclasts are the only cells that can resorb calcification, they act as crucial regulators of bone remodeling. Osteoclasts are large, multinucleated cells that fuse to the bone surface and solubilize both the organic and inorganic phases of bone through the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the secretion of hydrogen ions to create an acidic environment. While most information about osteoclasts comes from studying bone, the potential to regress ectopic calcification may be unraveled by activation of osteoclasts in the vasculature or cardiac valves, hence the need to characterize osteoclast biology outside of the bone niche. This chapter will focus in details on the signals that drive and inhibit osteoclastogenesis at the gene and protein levels. It will also discuss the bone-vascular axis in the context of atherosclerosis and calcific aortic valve disease, known as the “calcification paradox.” The mechanisms governing osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption within the bone niche may provide contextual clues of how to harness their natural potential to regress calcification in the areas such as the blood vessels and heart valves.
Politics of Universalism and Unconditional Social Policy: Examining Attitudes Toward Universal Basic Income

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a periodic cash payment to all residents in a jurisdiction without any obligations to fulfill. Universalism and unconditionality distinguish UBI from other redistributive policies that require means testing and behavioral conditions for cash benefits. Despite the increased interest in UBI, it is poorly understood how these two critical features influence public attitudes toward UBI. This paper uses the 8th round of the European Social Survey and finds that people who support unconditionality are more likely to support UBI, as expected. However, support for UBI is associated with helping low-income individuals instead of instituting universal cash transfers.
Digital Connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Perspective

Higher digital connectivity is expected to bring opportunities to leapfrog development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Experience within the region demonstrates that if there is an adequate digital infrastructure and a supportive business environment, new forms of business spring up and create jobs for the educated as well as the less educated. The paper first confirms the global digital divide through the unsupervised machine learning clustering K-means algorithm. Next, it derives a composite digital connectivity index, in the spirit of De Muro-Mazziotta-Pareto, for about 190 economies. Descriptive analysis shows that majority of SSA countries lag in digital connectivity, specifically in infrastructure, internet usage, and knowledge. Finally, using fractional logit regressions we document that better business enabling and regulatory environment, financial access, and urbanization are associated with higher digital connectivity.
Holocaust Trauma and Sequelae

The Nazi Holocaust is recognized as representing the ultimate culture of terror (Lewin, 1993). It has been argued that the effects of torture and maltreatment entered the scientific consciousness in its aftermath (Engdahl & Eberly, 1990). The enormity of the suffering of survivors of Nazi concentration camps and other atrocities has led to pioneering research on the long-term effects of massive psychic trauma. The history and contributions of the literature on survivors of the Nazi Holocaust also poignantly illustrate the complexities, ethical dilemmas, and scientific challenges inherent in understanding and documenting the role of perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, and healers at various points in the experience and aftermath of trauma (Hilberg, 1992). The ethical and moral implications of focusing on alternative perspectives must also be acknowledged. A focus on documenting adverse impacts may serve to revictimize survivors, whereas a focus on their adaptability, strength, and resiliency may be construed as trivializing the horrors that they have endured (Davidson & Charny, 1992).
Crumbling of the Wills Act: Australians Point the Way

cuted in partial violation of the formal requirements of the local wills act. For the first time a common law court ex cused a testator's failure to comply strictly with the wills act formalities. A "substantial compliance" or "harmless error" doctrine had finally been recog nized and applied. Every Anglo-American jurisdiction has a so-called wills act that prescribes the formalities for making a valid will. These statutes have a common core that traces back to English models?the wills provisions of the Statute of Frauds of 1677 and the Wills Act of 1837. This received English tradition recognizes only one mode of testation?the at tested (sometimes called the formal or witnessed) will. Its essentials are writ ing, signature, and attestation. The terms of the will must be in writing, the testator must sign it, and two (some times three) witnesses must attest the testator's signature. A variety of other formal requirements can be found in the wills acts of various jurisdictions: rules governing the acknowledgment of a signature already in place, rules call ing for the testator and the witnesses to sign in each other's presence, require ments about the positioning of signa ture, and many more. (For a fairly re cent compilation of the details, see Rees, "American Wills Statutes," 46 Virginia Law Review 613, 856 (I960).) An alternative formal system for so called holographic (handwritten) wills is permitted to testators in twenty-odd American jurisdictions, mostly those in the Western states where Spanish law has been influential, but including Pennsylvania, Virginia, and now (through the medium of the newly enacted Uniform Probate Code) Michi gan. Holograph statutes allow the tes tator in effect to substitute handwriting for attestation. He may execute his will without witnesses, but it must be "en tirely" (or in some states "materially") in his handwriting. These formal requirements are not difficult to comply with, and one of the basic responsibilities of conscientious lawyer-draftsmen is to supervise execu tion ceremonies in order to ensure compliance. In general, the bar dis charges this responsibility well, so that execution blunders rarely happen in the lawyer-served end of the estate planning spectrum. Not so for home drawn wills, however. Laymen ignor ant of the existence or true import of
Distribution of complement receptor subtypes in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of B-cell origin

Surface receptors specific for either the C4b (CR1) or C3d (CR2) component of complement were examined on the neoplastic cells from 30 cases of non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma of B-cell origin and on cells derived from 9 normal lymphoid tissues. Lymphocyte suspensions from non- neoplastic peripheral blood, tonsils, and lymph node contained three categories of complement receptor lymphocytes (CRL): cells with receptors for both C4b and C3d (CR1+, CR2+); cells with receptors for C4b but not C3d (CR1+, CR2-), and cells with receptors for C3d but not C4b (CR1-, CR2+). The mean of the proportion of total CRL expressing receptors only of C3d (CR1-, CR2+) was 0.35 for non-neoplastic tissues and 0.28 for malignant lymphomas of follicular center cell (FCC) origin. However, the proportion of cells with this phenotype was significantly higher in well differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas (WDL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (0.65) and in intermediately differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas (IDL) (0.59). Histologic compartmentalization of the CRL subtypes was observed in frozen sections of normal lymphoid tissue. CR1+ cells were present in lymphoid follicles interfollicular areas, and in splenic red pulp. CR2+ cells were confined to lymphoid follicles. These findings strongly suggest that complement receptor phenotypes may be useful markers of B-cell differentiation.
Three-dimensional cinematography: a flexible approach.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for three-dimensional cinematography in which 2 or more cameras could be placed in any position with the only restrictions that a common origin point must be in the field of view and that the optical axes should intersect. Each desired point lies on a line defined by the nodal point of the lens and the projection point. The projection point lies on a plane which is parallel to the film plane, perpendicular to the optical axis, and contains the common origin point. Two lines so defined, 1 from each camera, theoretically intersect at the desired point. The positions of two 35-mm Nikon cameras with 50-mm Nikkor lenses were determined with the use of a transit and were relative to an arbitrary Cartesian coordinate system. To validate the procedure a 17-point coordinate grid, two 8-point concentric circles and the origin were drawn on the floor. A plump bob was suspended over each point with markers at each foot level up to 4 ft. A Vanguard film ana...
Cytokines in the brain: From localization and function to clinical implications

Abstract A highly complex network of central and peripheral cytokines regulates important functions of the body that the essential to the responses to infection, inflammation and stress. This article has a focus on a new developments on the neurobiology of interleukin-1 (IL-1). IL-1 is a primary cytokine that affects key functions of the brain such as neuroendocrine regulation, temperature control, sleep, food intake and body weight. It is now clear that events that occur within the brain, particularly those that have an inflammatory component are associated with central IL-1 induction. Such events included kindled seizures, trauma, stroke, CNS infection or inflammation. It is still not clear whether events that do not exert a direct injury to the CNS such as psychological stress can activate the brain IL-1 system. Future directions for research in this field include the question of whether endogenous brain IL-1 occurring physiologically outside of the context of inflammation or acute neurogenic injury has role in the regulation of key CNS functions, such as the response to psychological stress, learning and memory, food intake and body weight regulation. Additionally, a role for brain cytokines in the biology of psychiatric disorders has not yet been fully established. A promising avenue for applied for applied research in this area is the development of IL-1 based interventions for the treatment of human CNS disorders.
Isolation and characterization of proteoglycans synthesized in ovo by embryonic chick cartilage and new bone

Cartilage proteoglycans have been well characterized in a number of developing systems, both in vitro and in vivo, but the newly synthesized molecules have been analyzed only from culture material. Because of potential culture artifacts, an attempt was made to characterize the proteoglycans newly synthesized in ovo in chick embryo sternum, tibial epiphysis, and tibial shaft. These in ovo synthesized proteoglycans share many structural features with chick proteoglycans synthesized by chondrocytes in culture including average monomer size, chondroitin sulfate chain size, keratan sulfate chain size, and the ability to aggregate with hyaluronic acid. Moreover, the newly synthesized in ovo proteoglycans, notably those of the tibial epiphysis, display reproducible changes in their structure as a function of embryonic age. These changes correlate with similar changes documented for chick cartilage proteoglycans synthesized in culture. Finally, the proteoglycans synthesized in ovo in the day 17 tibial shaft include, in addition to cartilage proteoglycans, one proteoglycan which seems to be characteristic of bone.
Inhibition of endogenous ethylene biosynthesis by L-canaline in leaves of Poa pratensis infected by Bipolaris sorokiniana

L-canaline was evaluated for its effect on hyphal growth of Bipolaris sorokiniana and on ethylene biosynthesis in leaf blades of Poa pratensis infected by B. sorokiniana. L-canaline was slightly inhibitory of hyphal growth at 10−4 m ; concentrations of 10−6, 10−8, 10−10 and 10−12 m had no effect. Application of L-canaline to leaf blades of P. pratensis did not inhibit infection or lesion development by B. sorokiniana. The ability of L-canaline to decrease ethylene biosynthesis in inoculated leaf blades varied with concentration, time, and progressive development of the disease. L-canaline at 10−4 and 10−6 m decreased ethylene biosynthesis in inoculated leaf blades at each 24-h sampling period for 96 h. L-canaline at 10−8 m decreased ethylene biosynthesis through 72 h after inoculation, and at 10−10 m it decreased ethylene through 48 h after inoculation. As lesion development progressed from 48 to 96 h, the more dilute concentrations of L-canaline failed to decrease ethylene biosynthesis; 10−8 m failed at 96 h and 10−10 m failed at 72 and 96 h. L-canaline at 10−12 m did not decrease ethylene at any time. Chlorophyll retention at 96 h after inoculation by leaf blades treated with L-canaline at 10−4 and 10−6 m was 80 and 81% of the control, respectively. More dilute concentrations did not increase the retention of chlorophyll by inoculated leaves during pathogenesis.
An Aspectual Analysis of BA

The ba construction has been widely discussed in theliterature; however, so far no analysis provides a satisfactoryaccount for all of the distributional properties of ba. Thispaper considers the ba construction from an aspectual point ofview. I argue that the ba predicate describes a bounded event.Whether an event is bounded in Chinese may depend on situationtype only, or it may depend on both situation type and the aspecta situation is presented in. As for the ba NP, it is specific inthe sense of Liu (1990). I further argue that the two properties-- boundedness and specificity -- are related. There is adependency between the ba argument denotations and the eventdescribed by the predicate, and this dependency can becharacterized in terms of a structure-preserving function -- ahomomorphism. The relation preserved is the 'all of' relation. Onthis view boundedness and specificity are simply differentmanifestations of the same property that is inherent in themeaning of a ba predicate. The ba construction is thus shown tobe an example of how aspectual considerations constrain both thepredicate and an NP argument in Chinese.
Chemical proteomics reveals a γH2AX-53BP1 interaction in the DNA damage response

DNA double-strand break repair involves phosphorylation of histone variant H2AX ('γH2AX'), which accumulates in foci at sites of DNA damage. In current models, the recruitment of multiple DNA repair proteins to γH2AX foci depends mainly on recognition of this 'mark' by a single protein, MDC1. However, DNA repair proteins accumulate at γH2AX sites without MDC1, suggesting that other 'readers' of this mark exist. Here, we use a quantitative chemical proteomics approach to profile direct, phospho-selective γH2AX binders in native proteomes. We identify γH2AX binders, including the DNA repair mediator 53BP1, which we show recognizes γH2AX through its BRCT domains. Furthermore, we investigate the targeting of wild-type 53BP1, or a mutant form deficient in γH2AX binding, to chromosomal breaks resulting from endogenous and exogenous DNA damage. Our results show how direct recognition of γH2AX modulates protein localization at DNA damage sites, and suggest how specific chromatin mark-reader interactions contribute to essential mechanisms ensuring genome stability.
Emergence and refinement of clustered horizontal connections in cat striate cortex

Pyramidal cells in layer 2/3 of adult cat striate cortex have long, intrinsic horizontal axon collaterals within both layer 2/3 and layer 5. These collaterals form periodic "clusters" of finer axon branches that link columns of similar orientation selectivity. We have investigated the sequence of events and possible mechanisms underlying the development of these clustered intrinsic horizontal connections using a combination of neuronal tracers and intracellular staining. Small injections of fluorescent latex microspheres made during the first postnatal week (at P4-6), when examined in tangential sections, produced an even, unclustered distribution of retrogradely labeled cells up to 2 mm from the injection site. At P8, retrograde labeling extended over a larger area and clustering was discernible, primarily among the most distant labeled cells. At both P6 and P8, labeling was similar in layers 2/3 and 5, indicating that the transition from clustered to unclustered connections occurred simultaneously for cells in superficial and deep laminae. By the end of the second postnatal week (P12-15), retrogradely labeled cells were far more clustered both within and beyond the extent of P6 label; the density of labeled cells was high throughout the labeled region, but much higher within clusters. The periodicity of these nascent clusters was similar to that in the adult. Despite obvious clustering, the pattern of retrograde label observed following injections at 2-3 weeks (P12-21) differed markedly from the adult, in that the regions between clusters contained many labeled cells. Over the next 3 weeks, the connections were refined, so that by the sixth postnatal week (P36-38), regions between clusters contained very few retrogradely labeled cells and the overall pattern of retrograde label was indistinguishable from that in adults. Despite differences in postmigratory ages of neurons from the superficial and deep laminae, clustering of retrogradely labeled cells from these 2 populations was similar at all ages. Experiments in which 2-3 weeks elapsed between the time microsphere injections were made and animals were killed demonstrated that neither the initial formation of crude clusters nor their refinement was due to cell death. Instead, cluster refinement resulted from specific process elimination. When a red microsphere injection at P15 was followed by a green microsphere injection at exactly the same location on P29, the earlier injection resulted in crude clustering, as expected. Virtually all of the cells double-labeled by the later injection were within the densest clusters of label from the early injection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Use of flexible bronchoscopy in an adult for removal of an aspirated foreign body at a community hospital

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is more common in children than adults with about 80% occurring in children aged less than 15 years. FBA in adults is often overlooked as a potential cause of airway obstruction especially if there is no asphyxiation. We present a case of a 45-year-old male with alcohol abuse who presented with post-obstructive pneumonia secondary to aspiration of tooth of unknown duration. The tooth was removed via flexible bronchoscopy (FBr) and we will discuss the use of FBr for foreign body (FB) removal, which FB can be easily removed by FBr, and the different techniques and devices used for FB removal via FBr.
Proximal nerve root capillary hemangioma presenting as a lung mass with bandlike chest pain: case report and review of literature.

Abstract Background Capillary hemangiomas occasionally occur in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), presenting as mass lesions causing proximal nerve root symptoms, thus prompting neurosurgical intervention. In contrast to cavernous angiomas, which may also occasionally involve the PNS, capillary hemangiomas have little or no tendency for acute or chronic bleeding and, hence, lack the apoplectic symptomatic onset and neuroimaging features of hemosiderin deposition as seen in cavernous angiomas. Case Description A 56-year-old man presented with chronic, radiating, bandlike, chest wall pain. Chest radiograph revealed an apical lung mass suspicious for malignancy. Subsequent magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enhancing dumbbell-shaped mass extending into the spinal canal and chest cavity at T3, causing a slight degree of lung compression. Differential diagnostic considerations included schwannoma, neurofibroma, and meningioma. At operation, the spongy, reddish purple vascular tumor was easily separated from dura but had to be excised en bloc, with the T3 nerve root at the neural foramen. The large intrathoracic portion measuring 37 × 41 mm was left behind. Pathology was consistent with a capillary hemangioma. Conclusions We present the second case in the English language literature of a dumbbell-shaped, epidural capillary hemangioma with intrathoracic extension. We review the literature on proximal nerve capillary hemangiomas and contrast these with cavernous angiomas and capillary hemangioblastomas, both of which occasionally involve proximal nerves. Unlike capillary hemangioblastomas, which may be multiple and associated with von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) syndrome, capillary hemangiomas are solitary lesions and have not been associated with an inherited disorder.
Laparoscopic nephrectomy for autosomal dominant polycystic kidneys in patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis: 10-year single surgeon experience from an Indian center.

Context: Pure laparoscopic nephrectomy in patients with ADPKD (autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease) and ESRD (end-stage renal disease) on MHD (maintenance hemodialysis) is challenging with high incidence of complications. Limited experiences from India has been reported in these scenarios. Aims: To present a 10-year single surgeon experience from India in laparoscopic nephrectomy in autosomal dominant polycystic kidneys (ADPKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Settings and Design: Retrospective. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of records of similar subset of patients who were offered laparoscopic nephrectomy between 2003 and 2012. Preoperative, operative and postoperative parameters were recorded. Few technical modifications were adopted over the years. Patients were sub-classified into two groups (Group I: 2003-2006, Group II: 2007-2012) based on surgical technique. Statistical Analysis Used: SAS software 9.1 version. Results: 75 patients (84 renal units, Group I: 31, Group II: 53) were included in this analysis. Unilateral procedure was performed in 66 and bilateral staged or simultaneous procedure in 9. Despite larger kidneys in Group II (mean longitudinal renal length 25.7 ± 3.4 vs 17.5 ± 2.7 centimeters, P <0.001), improved operative and postoperative profile were noted in Group II in several parameters-mean total operative time (205 ± 11.5 vs 310 ± 15.3 min, P = 0.00), time for specimen retrieval (30.5 ± 3.5 vs 45 ± 4.1 min, P = 0.02), postprocedure drop in hemoglobin (1.1 ± 0.1 vs 2.27 ± 0.03 grams/deciliter, P = 0.00). Conversion rates, intraoperative and postoperative events were also considerably less in Group II. Conclusions: Despite existence of comorbidities and technical difficulties, laparoscopic nephrectomy in patients with ADPKD with ESRD and on MHD is a feasible option. Technical modifications with increasing surgeon's experience allows successful conductance of this approach in more complex cases with better outcome.
Work narratives: gender and race in professional personhood.

An ethnographic study was conducted to explore how nurses construe and understand their professional culture and their professional personhood. The sample was 36 nurses ranging in age from 26 to 63 (12 African American women, 11 White women, 13 men 12 White and 1 Caribbean Islander). Data were gathered through participant observation, audiotaped individual conversations, a process of seven consecutive group sessions, and short narratives written by the nurses in group sessions. The data were analyzed: (a) by a coding system that focused on the formal and informal roles, rules, and relationships in work and school settings; and (b) by examining the changes in participants' narratives about their professional identity during the process of the group meetings. All the nurses in the sample had been profoundly affected by the socially accepted “feminine” images of nursing. The findings also revealed racial issues in the nursing profession. The implications of this study point to the need for new models of nursing education and nursing leadership to overcome old images and to make nursing attractive to those from diverse backgrounds. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 26:351–365, 2003
Endoscopic diagnosis of colonic endometriosis

Involvement of the colon or rectum with endometriosis is uncommon but may be a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, pain, and bleeding. To determine whether endoscopy has a role in evaluating endometriosis of the colon, we reviewed all cases of endometriosis undergoing colonic resection from 1984 to 1989. There were nine patients, six of whom had intermittent hematochezia. All had lesions detected at endoscopy described as a polyp, mass, or stricture. Five of the six patients with symptoms of hematochezia had mucosal involvement in the resected specimen. Four of these five had a visible lesion at endoscopy with endometriosis on biopsy. The three patients without hematochezia had no mucosal endometriosis in the resected colonic specimen or endometrial tissue on biopsy. In patients with colonic endometriosis and hematochezia, endoscopy and biopsy can confirm the diagnosis of colonic endometriosis.
Macroevolutionary interplay between planktic larvae and benthic predators

Many marine invertebrates have a complex life cycle in which the egg develops into an intermediate planktic larval form rather than developing directly to the benthic juvenile stage. Because of the evolutionary and ecological complexity of pelagic-benthic life cycles, the reasons behind the origin of larvae and their subsequent maintenance over geological time are not well understood. Using both a molecular clock and the fossil record, I show that the initial exploitation of the predator-free pelagic realm by lecithotrophic larvae was achieved independently multiple times by the end of the Early Cambrian, and that the convergent evolution of planktotrophy from lecithotrophic ancestors evolved between the latest Cambrian and Middle Ordovician at least four, and possibly as many as eight, times. Both the exploitation of the pelagic realm by nonfeeding larvae and the acquisition of planktotrophy correlate in time with novel modes of benthic predation, including the dramatic rise in the number and type of epifaunal suspension feeders in the Early Ordovician.
Treatment of Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease: Medical versus Endovascular versus Surgical Therapy

Aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) is an insidious, progressive atherosclerotic process that can lead to claudication, rest pain, tissue loss, and eventual lower extremity amputation. The patient with AIOD is also at risk for both fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events. Treatment of the disease includes both risk factor modification and efforts to improve blood flow to the lower extremity. For mild to moderate intermittent claudication, medical therapy as well as a supervised exercise program is advised. For debilitating claudication or critical limb ischemia, a number of recent studies support an endovascular approach for patients with AIOD, citing patency rates that compare favorably to open surgery. Surgical revascularization, however, should still be considered in selected patients.
A system of non-strictly hyperbolic conservation laws arising in elasticity theory

where r = q~(u, v). This system models the propagation of forward longitudinal and transverse waves in a stretched elastic string which moves in a plane. The wave propagation problem on an idealized nonlinear string, admitting both forward and backward waves, leads to a closely related system of four conservation laws which we also solve. The feature of interest in system (1) is that the equations are non-strictly hyperbolic in the following sense. Introduce vector notation U = (u, v), F = (~b u, r v); then the system (1) can be differentiated to produce
Case-control assessment of the association between non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and occupational radiation with doses assessed using a job exposure matrix.

Background Epidemiologic data for an association between radiation exposure and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) have been inconclusive though the strongest evidence has been provided by studies of patients treated with radiotherapy. Methods We evaluated the association between occupational radiation exposure and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in men using a population-based case-control study with 1,056 case and 1,860 control subjects sampled from eight geographic areas in the United States. Because dosimetry data were not available, doses were estimated for individuals who reported occupational radiation exposure using a radiation job exposure matrix developed for this purpose. Conditional logistic regression was used to model the association between reported occupational radiation exposure and NHL incidence. Results We found that most men (> 90%) did not report exposure to occupational sources of radiation. Among those who reported exposure, estimated cumulative doses were low, with an estimated mean of less than 0.02 Gray and a maximum of 0.12 Gray. The risk for NHL was not associated with ever having reported an occupational radiation exposure (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.74–1.10) nor was there evidence of a dose–response relationship between risk and either the estimated cumulative doses or duration of exposure. Conclusions The findings in this study are consistent with results from most current research on occupational radiation and NHL risk that have found no increased risk of NHL at low levels of occupational radiation exposure. While it should be noted that exposure misclassification likely biased our results toward the null, this large population-based case-control study adds to existing evidence which suggests that there is little to no increased risk for NHL associated with exposure to low levels of radiation such as that commonly found in many occupational settings. Am. J. Ind. Med. 38:19–27, 2000. © Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of Irradiation Spectrum on the Microstructure of Ion-Irradiated A120O3

Polycrystalline samples of alpha-alumina have been irradiated with various ions ranging from 3.6 MeV Fe+ to 1 MeV H+ ions at 650°C. Cross-section transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the depth-dependent microstructure of the irradiated specimens. The microstructure following irradiation was observed to be dependent on the irradiation spectrum. In particular, defect cluster nucleation was effectively suppressed in specimens irradiated with light ions such as I MeV H+ ions. On the other hand, light ion irradiation tended to accelerate the growth rate of dislocation loops. The microstructural observations are discussed in terms of ionization enhanced diffusion processes.
Health professionals' predictions of teenagers' preferences regarding chaperones during physical examinations

This study assessed the degree of concurrence between teenagers' stated preferences regarding chaperones and professionals' predictions about teenagers' responses. One hundred and fifty members of the Society for Adolescent Medicine received the Method section of a study investigating teenagers' attitudes about chaperones during examination of the genitalia. These professionals were asked to predict the teenagers' choices. Seventy professionals responded. Male and female professionals made highly similar predictions. Professionals' predictions were generally accurate, with four exceptions. Professionals underestimated some teenagers' desire to have a family member present (the case for females aged 14–16 yr and males 12–13 yr). They also underestimated young boys' and girls' reluctance to have an opposite-sexed nurse present. Regarding teenagers' reluctance to be alone with the physician, professionals did not appreciate the differential importance of age for males versus females. They also underestimated, for females and young males, the additive importance of the physician's sex and familiarity to the patient.
Rainfall forecasting in space and time using a neural network

Abstract A neural network is developed to forecast rainfall intensity fields in space and time; it is a three-layer learning network with input, hidden, and output layers. Training is conducted using back propagation where the input and output rainfall fields are presented to the neural network as a series of learning sets. After training is complete, the neural network is used to forecast rainfall intensity fields with a lead time of 1 h using only the current field as input. Rainfall fields are generated using a space-time mathematical rainfall simulation model, and forecasted fields are compared with the perfectly known model-produced fields. Results indicate that a neural network is capable of learning the complex relationship describing the space-time evolution of rainfall such as that inherent in a complex rainfall simulation model. One hour ahead forecasts are produced, and comparisons with true mean areal intensities and percent areal coverage indicate that in most cases the method performs well when applied to the events used in training. The neural network is used to forecast a series of events not included in the training data and is shown to perform well when a relatively large number of hidden nodes are utilized. Performance of the neural network is compared with two other methods of short-term forecasting, persistence and nowcasting.
The Limits to Caring: Sustainable Living and the Loss of Biodiversity

Caring for the Earth represents current middle-of-the-road thinking on the relationship between conservation and development. This IUCN/UNEP/WWF document has embraced a purely utilitarian perspective: it considers the conservation and development of natural resources to be the same process. In this analysis, I argue that the goal of creating the sustainable society, as defined in Caring for the Earth, is an unattainable utopia, and that the mechanisms proposed to attain this goal will lead irrevocably to the loss of biological diversity. I consider the history of the concept of sustainable development, and then document the constraints on sustainable use of natural resources. Sustainable use only occurs when both human needs are met and the losses of biodiversity and environmental degradation are acceptable. These conditions are not always met when natural resources are used, and I consider the fundamental contradictions between resource potential and human needs. I conclude by emphasizing that while sustainable use is a powerful approach to conservation, it is not the only one, and the conservation of many species and biological communities also requires a preservationist approach. Cuidar la Tierra representa una forma moderada de pensar en relacion a los conceptos de conservacion y desarrollo. Este documento de la IUCN/UNEP/WWF abarca una perspectiva totalmente utilitarista. En este se considera que la conservacion es lo mismo que el desarrollo de los recursos naturales. En este analisis, yo argumento que la meta de crear una sociedad sostenible como esta definida en Cuidar la Tierra, es una utopia que no se puede alcanzar, y que los mecanismos que se proponen para obtener esta meta llevaran a la irrevocable de la diversidad biologica. Se examina la historia del concepto de desarrollo sostenible, y despues se documentan las limitaciones del uso sostenible de los recursos naturales. El uso sostenible solamente ocurre cuando las necesidades humanas estan satisfechas y cuando las perdidas de la biodiversidad y la degradacion del ambiente son aceptables. Estas condiciones no siempre son satisfechas cuando los recursos naturales son utilizados, y examino las contradicciones fundamentales entre el potencial de los recursos y las necesidades humanas. Concluyo enfatizando que mientras el uso sostenible es un enfoque eficaz para la conservacion, no es el unico, y que la conservacion de muchas de las especies y comunidades biologicas tambien requiere de un enfoque preservacionista.
Active site phosphorylation of enzyme I of the bacterial phosphotransferase system by an ATP-dependent kinase.

Abstract Enzyme I (EI) of the bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate:glycose phosphotransferase system (PTS) is autocatalytically phosphorylated by P-enolpyruvate. We report here an ATP-dependent kinase (EI-K) from Escherichia coli that reversibly phosphorylates EI at its active site histidine; ATP and EI-K can therefore replace P-enolpyruvate. EI-K contains a bound cofactor that is lost during purification with concomitant loss of activity. NAD+ and NADP+ substitute for the cofactor and restore activity to the apoenzyme, whereas their analogues are inactive. The pyridine nucleotides do not activate EI-K by covalent modification (e.g. ADP-ribosylation), but must be present during the kinase reaction. NADH and NADPH are potent inhibitors of EI-K at all stages of purity, and enzyme activity in a mixture of NAD+ and NADH depends on the ratio of the two pyridine nucleotides. Inhibition is observed with reduced β-NMN and α-NADH, but neither is as effective as β-NADH. The reverse reaction, the transfer of the phosphoryl moiety from phospho-EI to ADP, also requires NAD+ or NADP+. In the absence of NAD+ or NADH, [32P]phospho-EI is hydrolyzed to 32Pi, suggesting that EI-K can act as a phospho-EI phosphatase. EI kinase may serve as a link between PTS-driven sugar transport and the electron transport chain.
Occurrence of two similar homologous series of oligosaccharides in wheat flour and wheat.

Abstract 1. 1. A plot of the logarithm of the mobility on paper chromatograms vs. the molecular size of the oligosaccharides extracted from wheat flour suggests the presence of two similar homologous series of oligosaccharides in this product. 2. 2. Chromatographic examination of the ethanolic extracts of wheat flour and wheat and the proximate analysis of the components show that the same oligosaccharides are present in each and that they occur naturally, not by artifact. 3. 3. The two trisaccharides and the tetrasaccharide synthesized during the sucrose-invertase reaction are chromatographically identical to certain of the oligosaccharides found in wheat flour and wheat.
Rock associations, root depth, and temperature tolerances for the ``rock live-forever,'' Dudleya saxosa, at three elevations in the north-western Sonoran Desert

Abstract At three elevations in the north-western Sonoran Desert, Dudleya saxosa (Crassulaceae) occurred predominantly where the ground surface was covered >90% by rocks. Its roots were extremely shallow, with a mean depth of only 46 mm and essentially none below 120 mm, for a north-facing dolomitic rock outcropping at an elevation of 300 m, exposed quartz veins at 825 m (Agave Hill), and a north-facing granitic outcropping at 1395 m. For a mild spring day at Agave Hill, the maximum ground surface temperature of a quartz vein was 11 °C cooler than that of the adjacent bare soil, which was a consequence of the high thermal conductivity coefficient (8.2 W m −1 °C −1 ) and low shortwave absorptance (0.23) of the quartz. The leaves and the roots of D. saxosa had only modest low-temperature tolerances and acclimation, as is typical of succulent plants. Although its root cortical cells were relatively tolerant of high temperatures, D. saxosa from Agave Hill could not tolerate shoot temperatures above 60 °C, whereas eight other succulent species endemic to the north-western Sonoran Desert can. The average increase in the temperature killing 50% of their shoot cells as the ambient temperature is increased by 10 °C was 2.4 °C for D. saxosa but averaged 5.2 °C for the eight other species. Thus, the relatively poor high-temperature tolerance and acclimation ability of its mesophyll cells may cause D. saxosa to favor cooler north-facing microhabitats, such as when it occurs on granitic outcroppings with their high shortwave absorptance (0.73).
Effect of methionine and methionine sulphoximine on rat brain S-adenosyl methionine levels.

— Rat brain SAM levels were markedly increased after methionine administration, whereas the convulsant, L-methionine-dl-sulphoximine (MSO), produced a 35 per cent decrease in whole brain content of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM). When methionine was given in combination with MSO, SAM levels were not decreased. Studies on the regional distribution of SAM revealed only a small variation between regions (from 24 nmol/g in midbrain to 49-5 nmol/g in striatum). SAM levels were reduced by about 50 per cent in the cerebellum, striatum, cortex and hippocampus 3 and 6 h after MSO. It is proposed that abberant cerebral methylation processes may be involved in the genesis of the MSO seizure.
Traffic Signal Optimization with Application of Transit Signal Priority to an Isolated Intersection

Transit signal priority (TSP) is a control strategy that has been used extensively to improve transit operations in urban networks. However, several issues related to TSP deployment—including the effect of TSP on auto traffic and the provision of priority to transit vehicles traveling in conflicting directions at traffic signals—have not yet been addressed satisfactorily by existing control systems. This paper presents a real-time, traffic-responsive signal control system for signal priority on conflicting transit routes that also minimizes the negative effects on auto traffic. The proposed system determines the signal settings that minimize the total person delay in the network while assigning priority to the transit vehicles on the basis of their passenger occupancy. The system was tested through simulation at a complex signalized intersection located in Athens, Greece, that had heavy traffic demands and multiple bus lines traveling in conflicting directions. Results showed that the proposed system led ...
Antibiotic prophylaxis of postoperative neurosurgical wound infection

✓ In an effort to reduce the incidence of postoperative wound infection, the recently proposed regimen of intravenous vancomycin and tobramycin and streptomycin irrigating solution was used in 878 neurosurgical operations. There were eight infections, for an infection rate of 0.9%. This infection rate was compared to the rate in the previously reported series using a sequential statistical analysis. The infection rate was found to be signficantly greater than that previously reported. Controlled clinical trials will be required before the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in clean neurosurgical procedures can be considered proven.
A smaller molecular weight retinol binding protein in rat testis seminiferous tubules.

Abstract In the cytosol fraction in rat testis seminiferous tubules a lower molecular weight protein of ∼4,800 daltons that binds retinol with high specificity has been isolated and purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and on Sephadex column chromatography. The hexane extract of the component gave a characteristic retinol fluorescence spectrum. The amino acid composition was qualitatively similar to the retinol binding protein in the blood with the exception that cystine and cysteine were absent.
Improved methods for measuring laminar-turbulent intermittency in boundary layers

The last stage of laminar-turbulent transition in boundary layers is commonly described using the spatial distribution of intermittency. Existing methods for computing this laminar-turbulent intermittency from experimental data involve the use of thresholds that are set by the experimentalist using subjective comparisons to the raw signal. These threshold settings cannot be reproduced by other experimentalists using different equipment, so a precise determination of intermittency is not currently possible. This note reports on a new method of determining boundary-layer intermittency that appears to be objective and reproducible. The wall shear was measured in a flat-plate boundary layer using hot-film sensors. Probability density functions (PDF's) of the calibrated wall shear are remarkably consistent. A correlation to the turbulent portion of these PDF's is given. The consistency observed in these PDF's suggests an objective and reproducible setting for the laminar-turbulent cutoff threshold. Intermittencies determined using this method can be compared quantitatively, with any differences being caused only by experimental error or differences in the flows. The universality of the method can be determined through comparisons to measurements in other flows.
Liquid-phase sintering in the glass-cordierite system: particle size effect

The effect of particle sizes of glass and ceramic filler on the densification kinetics of glassfilled ceramics has been studied using borosilicate glass-cordierite as the model system. Within the particle size range investigated, the densification is found to be significantly enhanced by increasing the cordierite size, reducing the glass size and increasing the green density. These results are attributed to both the increased driving force of densification by reducing the glass particle size and the decreased glass redistribution distance by either increasing the green density of compacts or increasing the particle size ratio between the cordierite and glass powders. In addition, a large cordierite-to-glass size ratio gives a dense, uniform microstructure of sintered body as a result of forming a homogeneous close packing of the low-melting glass phase around the refractory cordierite particles.
The uncomfortable truth about wrongful life cases

Our ambivalent attitudes toward the notion of ‘a life worth living’ present a philosophical puzzle: Why are we of two minds about the birth of a severely disabled child? Is the child’s life worth living or not worth living? Between these two apparently incompatible evaluative judgments, which is true? If one judgment is true and the other false, what makes us continue to find both evaluations appealing? Indeed, how can we manage to hold these inconsistent judgments simultaneously at all? I critically examine two solutions to this puzzle: the hidden-indexical account and Velleman’s anti-realist account. I propose an alternative explanation which appeals to (a) state-given, as opposed to object-given, reasons for belief and (b) the distinction between belief and acceptance. I argue that (1) the fact that a severely disabled life is not worth living provides object-given reason to believe that that life is not worth living, but (2) after the birth of a severely disabled child, the psychological utility of positive evaluation gives us a state-given reason to believe that that child’s life is worth living, and a reason to accept that, in our relation with the child, her life is worth living. I conclude by drawing a practical lesson about wrongful life suits.
Neutron imaging with bent perfect crystals. II. Practical multi‐wafer approach

In a previous paper [Stoica, Popovici & Hubbard (2001), J. Appl. Cryst. 34, 343-357], the phase-space analysis of neutron imaging by Bragg reflection from thick bent perfect crystals or multi-wafer assemblies resulted in the derivation of various imaging conditions. An array of new applications becomes possible, including dispersive and non-dispersive neutron imaging at a sub-millimetre spatial resolution. This paper outlines the experimental test results on non-dispersive imaging with thick packets of silicon wafers. The experimental results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations.
The role of a constitution for the US oceans

Abstract Should a fundamental governing document be prepared for the ocean waters and marine resources under US sovereignty and jurisdiction? If so, how would such a document balance the competing interests to protect the ecological vitality of the oceans while permitting citizens to enjoy US waters and the living and nonliving resources? This paper describes the experiences of several US states that have given constitutional protection to the environment and compares their different strategies. It also examines federal environmental statutes to see whether the framework of a constitutional structure is already in place. One central question is the proper role of the courts in enforcing constitutional standards designed to protect the environment. Although commentators have disagreed on this issue, the experience to date indicates that the courts can resolve disputes in a responsible manner to assist in the effort to protect the US ocean environment.