cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of the Tilted Rig Experiment

The tilted rig experiment is a derivative of the rocket rig experiment designed to study mixing of fluids by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. In the latter experiment, a tank containing two fluids of different densities is accelerated downwards between two parallel guide rods by a rocket motor. Misalignment between density and pressure gradients trigger the instability leading turbulence and mixing of the fluids. In the tilted rig experiment, the rocket rig is inclined by few degrees off the vertical before firing, creating a slanted initial perturbation interface. The purpose of the tilted rig experiment was to help with calibration of mixing models, as it is a unique two-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability flow. We reproduce conditions similar to this experiment using a Monotone Integrated Large Eddy Simulation (MILES) technique, and for the first time look at statistics of turbulence quantities that appears in “RANS-type” variable density turbulence model. Our statistics show that for the most part, the turbulence quantities in this two-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability configuration behave in a similar fashion as in the planar Rayleigh-Taylor instability configuration when looking in a direction perpendicular to the mixing layer centerline.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
NOD So Fast: NLRX1 Puts the Brake on Inflammation

In this issue of Immunity, Allen et al. (2011) and Xia et al. (2011) provide in vivo and biochemical evidence that NLRX1, a member of the nucleotide binding domain and leucine-rich-repeat-containing protein family, functions as a negative regulator of RIG-I and Toll-like receptors.
Small-signal drain conductance of MOSFET in saturation region—a simple model

A simple expression is developed which determines an upper bound on the incremental drain conductance of the long-channel MOSFET in saturation. This expression may be used to estimate efficiently lower gain bounds of MOS gain stages at the hand analysis phase of analogue circuit designs. The accuracy achieved is comparable to that of currently used commercial simulators and to the data spread observed in current MOS processes. A criterion for ‘long’-channel behaviour in saturation is proposed.
Metastatic malignant melanoma of the gastrointestinal tract.

Malignant melanoma is one of the most common malignancies to metastasize to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Metastases to the GI tract can present at the time of primary diagnosis or decades later as the first sign of recurrence. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, dysphagia, small bowel obstruction, hematemesis, and melena. We report 2 cases of malignant melanoma metastatic to the GI tract, followed by a review of the literature. The first case is a 72-year-old man who underwent resection of superficial spreading melanoma on his back 13 years previously who presented with dysphagia. A biopsy specimen of a mucosal fold in a gastric fundus noted during endoscopy was taken and revealed metastatic malignant melanoma, which was resected 1 month later. Three weeks later, the patient was found to have an ulcerated jejunal metastatic melanoma mass, which was also resected. The second case is a 63-year-old man with an ocular melanoma involving the choroid of the left eye that had been diagnosed 4 years previously, which had been excised several times, who presented with anorexia, dizziness, and fatigue. He was found to have cerebellar and stomach metastases. He underwent adjuvant radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgical resection of the gastric melanoma metastasis. In patients with a history of melanoma, a high index of suspicion for metastasis must be maintained if they present with seemingly unrelated symptoms. Diagnosis requires careful inspection of the mucosa for metastatic lesions and biopsy with special immunohistochemical stains. Management may include surgical resection, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, observation, or enrollment in clinical trials. Prognosis is poor, with a median survival of 4 to 6 months.
Avalanche extremes and atmospheric circulation patterns

Avalanche forecasters can better anticipate avalanche extremes if they understand the relationships between those extremes and atmospheric circulation patterns. We investigated the relationship between extreme avalanche days and atmospheric circulation patterns at four sites in the western United States: Bridger Bowl, Montana; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Alta, Utah; and Taos, New Mexico. For each site, we calculated a daily avalanche hazard index based on the number and size of avalanches, and we defined abnormal avalanche events as the top 10% of days with recorded avalanche activity. We assessed the influence of different variables on avalanche extremes, and found that high snow water equivalent and high snowfall correspond most closely to days of high avalanche hazard. Composite-anomaly maps of 500 hPa heights during those avalanche extremes clearly illustrate that spatial patterns of anomalous troughing prevail, though the exact position of the troughing varies between sites. These patterns can be explained by the topography of the western United States, and the low-elevation pathways for moisture that exist to the west of each of the sites. The methods developed for this research can be applied to other sites with long-term climate and avalanche databases to further our understanding of the spatial distribution of atmospheric patterns associated with extreme avalanche days.
Spectral Radiance of Sky and Terrain at Wavelengths between 1 and 20 Microns. II. Sky Measurements

Quantitative data are presented to illustrate the infrared spectral radiance of the sky under a variety of situations. A qualitative discussion of the dominant spectral features is given to show the importance of the emission and scattering processes, the effect of angle of elevation, angle of azimuth, sun angle, and cloud cover.
An adaptive time-stepping scheme for the viscoplasticity theory based on overstress

Abstract A finite element time-integration method for the viscoplasticity theory based on overstress with variable time steps is developed. The criterion for time-step change is based on the truncation error of multistep methods modified by the magnitude of the deviatoric strain tensor. Time-step changes are affected by an empirical formula which captures the characteristics of the viscoplasticity theory based on overstress. The adaptive scheme is incorporated in the forward gradient (one-step method) and two-step methods developed previously. Results for uniaxial loading and for an internally pressurized cylinder under plane strain indicate that the respective adaptive methods are more accurate and more economical than the forward gradient and the two-step methods.
Uniqueness and growth of weak solutions to certain linear differential equations in Hilbert space

Abstract In this paper, we study, by means of a modification of the weighted energy method, the questions of uniqueness and growth of weak solutions to evolutionary equations of the form u tt = Mu where M is a symmetric operator and u takes values in a Hilbert space. We show that if the initial energy is negative, then the kinetic and potential energies have exponential growth. This is also the case when the initial energy is nonnegative provided it is not too large and the cosine of the angle between the initial displacement and initial velocity is sufficiently close to one. We also derive a continuous dependence result.
Continuous and discrete global models of disease

Abstract Most clinical activities (e.g. diagnosis and prognosis) implicitly assume some definition or interpretation of disease in order to provide a means for generating explanatory and predictive hypotheses. These serve as a basis for describing and treating patients. This paper discusses two models designed to identify and characterize homogeneous subgroups of patients, based upon analysis of large scale chronic disease data banks. From consideration of the formulation of these models, we suggest that the evaluative tasks broadly labeled diagnosis and prognosis involve the rigorous and precise definition of the patient's disease. The models also reveal a duality in the quantification of clinical judgment involved in the simultaneous description of diseases and patients. An illustration from the study of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus isprovided. It is concluded that both models have significant implications for future research, including the detailed study and modeling of chronic disease spectra, clinical decision making and the analysis of applied judgmental processes.
Reorienting agricultural extension curricula in India.

Abstract This article discusses how extension should be taught at the undergraduate, M.Sc. and Ph.D level in India. Major changes are needed to prepare students to work in a rapidly changing environment. Extension education is at present in a crisis, because it has not yet adjusted to these changes. As extension graduates are not prepared to perform the roles the market demands, they have difficulties to find a job. In order to prepare the students for the present needs, more training is needed in participatory extension approaches, organizing farmers’ groups, planning extension strategies to meet farmers’ needs, Human Resource Development and the use of Information and Communication Technologies. The students ought to learn how to apply theories in these areas in the field situation. For this purpose not only agricultural graduates, but also other social scientists should participate in teaching extension. It should become clear which students will be trained to become an extension field worker, and exte...
The co-occurrence of smoking and a major depressive episode among mothers 15 months after delivery.

Abstract Objective. To examine the association between maternal smoking 15 months after delivery and the occurrence of a major depressive episode in the prior 12 months. Methods. Data were obtained from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study. In 20 U.S. cities, 4898 mothers were surveyed at delivery in the years 1998 to 2000. In a survey 15 months later, 4353 (89%) of the mothers reported their smoking behavior and symptoms of a major depressive episode during the prior 12 months. Results. At the follow-up survey, 26.6% of mothers reported that they were current smokers and 13.6% reported that they had symptoms of a major depressive episode during the prior 12 months. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, the prevalence (95% confidence interval) of a major depressive episode was higher among smokers than nonsmokers: 17.7% (15.7%, 19.8%) vs. 12.1% (10.9%, 13.3%). Smoking was also more common among mothers with a major depressive episode than in those without one: 34.0% (30.6%, 37.4%) vs. 25.5% (24.1%, 26.8%). Conclusion. Smoking and depression often co-occur among mothers with infants. This suggests that these conditions should not be diagnosed or treated in isolation from each other and that the care of mothers and children should be integrated.
Minimum weight design of a rectangular panel subject to a flutter speed constraint

Abstract The thickness distribution for a simply supported rectangular panel is determined for minimum panel weight and a specified aeroelastic eigenvalue. Finite difference equations are used for derivatives with respect to the spanwise variable so that the partial differential constraint equations are approximated by sets of ordinary differential equations. Numerical solutions are obtained for the resulting optimal control problem using a gradient projection algorithm.
Household production reconsidered: Gender, labor conflict, and technological change in Malaysia's Muda region☆

Abstract The notion of the farm-household as a bounded unit of production and consumption has become enshrined as a category of analysis, and as a policy ideal. This article points to the limitations of the neoclassical theory of the farm-household for understanding technological and economic change, and suggests an alternative, politicized approach that focuses on gender relations within and among households. Evidence to illustrate these arguments comes from the Muda region of Malaysia, often regarded as the archetypical farm-household economy.
Medical student exposure to blood and infectious body fluids

Few data assess the exposure of students to blood or other potentially infectious body fluids during medical school. Fourth-year medical students completed a written survey immediately before graduation describing exposures during their last 2 years. Nearly one half of all graduating students recalled at least one exposure, with only 40% of these exposures reported to supervising house staff or faculty. Clerkships with the highest exposure rates were emergency medicine, surgery, and obstetrics-gynecology.
X-Ray Diffraction Studies of the Solid Phases of Cholesteryl Acetate

Abstract The solid phases of cholesteryl acetate were studied by x-ray diffraction techniques. The data were analyzed in terms of the angular position of the reflections, their intensity, and their integral width. The unit cell is monoclinic with the parameters a, b, c, and β respectively equal to 10.00 A, 7.36 A, 37.2 A and 95°. The space group is either c2 or cm. The dimensions of the unit cell are the same for all three solid phases. Temperature dependent measurements show that the broad melting range of the transition into the isotropic phase is not a true melting range. Increasing lack of short range order occurring along the direction of the long axis of the molecule causes an increase of the expansion coefficient in that range.
Six Sigma and Introductory Statistics Education.

A conflict exists between the way statistics is practiced in contemporary business environments and the way statistics is taught in schools of management. While businesses are embracing programs, such as six sigma and TQM, that bring statistical methods to the forefront of management decision making, students do not graduate with the skills to apply these methods effectively. Based on the concept of process thinking, it is argued that evolutionary rather than revolutionary changes should be made in the way statistics is taught. The difference between the process thinking approach and the classic statistical approach is illustrated using several business‐related examples.
Biotin deficiency with neurologic and cutaneous manifestations but without organic aciduria.

bilirubin concentrations decreased markedly and for a longer duration. The free bilirubin procedure provided additional insight into bilirubin binding by yielding the maximum molar binding capacity and the dissociation constant of our patient's serum. Despite high total bilirubin concentrations, Scatchard plots obtained by titrating bilirubin into our patient 's serum were apparently linear within the range of concentrations used (10 to 20 mg/d l above plasma values). The apparent decrease in the maximum molar binding capacity and the decrease in the dissociation constant are indications of the relatively smaller number of bilirubin binding sites needed and the increased affinity of overall binding after plasmapheresis (Table). These two changes produced the markedly lower free bilirubin at essentially the same total bilirubin concentration seen after the procedure. The rise in free bilirubin concentrations in our patient may have resulted from a concurrent small increase in total bilirubin concentration and fall in albumin concentration secondary to severe injury, with its complications and treatment. We believe that the free bilirubin determinations more adequately assessed the bilirubin-albumin equilibrium and reflected the effects of plasmapheresis more accurately than would measurements of total bilirubin. This case does not establish a critical concentration of free bilirubin that is dangerous to such a patient. Furthermore, it does not imply that the free bilirubin concentration would have a similar relation to the bilirubin-albumin ratio in a newborn infant or a patient with hyperbilirubinemia of a different cause. It does demonstrate a successful method of monitoring and lowering free bilirubin in Crigler-Najjar syndrome.
The stereochemistry of the boswellic acids

Abstract The configuration of the substituents at C(3), C(4), C(5), C(8), C(10), C(13) and C(17) in α- and β-boswellic acids have been shown to be identical by an ursane-oleanane interconversion. Synthetic and dehydration studies of the C(3) epimeric alcohols have confirmed the axial configuration of the hydroxyl group in the boswellic acids and indicated that coplanarity of participating groups need not be an essential requirement for ring contraction. Cyclization reactions of C(3) and C(24) dihydroxy derivatives of the boswellic acids have shown that ring A can readily change from a chair to a boat form to permit cyclic acetalization of trans diaxial hydroxy groups.
MicroRNAs as pharmacological targets in endothelial cell function and dysfunction

Endothelial cell dysfunction is a term which implies the dysregulation of normal endothelial cell functions, including impairment of the barrier functions, control of vascular tone, disturbance of proliferative, migratory and morphogenic capacities of endothelial cells, as well as control of leukocyte trafficking. MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression acting predominantly at the post-transcriptional level. This review summarizes the latest insights in the identification of endothelial-specific microRNAs and their targets, as well as their roles in controlling endothelial cell functions in both autocrine and paracrine manner. In addition, we discuss the therapeutic potential for the treatment of endothelial cell dysfunction and associated vascular pathophysiological conditions.
The transformation of employee pensions in the United States: through the looking glass of organizational behavior

Organizations are fundamentally changing retirement compensation as defined benefit plans are being replaced by defined contribution plans. Psychological contract theory suggests this shift will exacerbate the trend toward transactional employment while expectancy theory posits enhanced motivational outcomes. New research directions are proposed to inform organizations on managing this historic shift. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photoacoustic Characterization of Surface Absorption

Photoacoustic spectrososcopy is used to characterize the surface absorption of polished fused silica substrates and thin films deposited on fused silica substrates. The extreme sensitivity of this technique allows measurement of surface absorptions of a few tenths of a part per million. Characterization of samples with surfaces finished using a variety of methods is reported. Key words: Photoacoustic ion beam absorption thin films. 1.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Role of the initial state distribution on first-order deactivation of microheterogeneous enzyme samples

The presence of microheterogeneity in enzymes is reviewed and its role in enzyme deactivation kinetics is examined. It is shown that discrete state and continuous distribution analysis of microheterogeneity are very similar. Continuous distribution of the thermal deactivation activation energy is assumed. Using a simple first-order deactivation model, the role of the initial shape and spread of this distribution is examined. Symmetrical distributions are seen to have very similar effects on deactivation kinetics. For asymmetrical distributions, skew of the distribution is shown to be an important parameter. The analysis shows that very detailed deactivation data is necessary to distinguish between different distributions of deactivation activation energies in enzymes.
From Organelle to Protein Gel: A 6-Wk Laboratory Project on Flagellar Proteins.

Research suggests that undergraduate students learn more from lab experiences that involve longer-term projects. We have developed a one-semester laboratory sequence aimed at sophomore-level undergraduates. In designing this curriculum, we focused on several educational objectives: 1) giving students a feel for the scientific research process, 2) introducing them to commonly used lab techniques, and 3) building skills in both data analysis and scientific writing. Over the course of the semester, students carry out two project-based lab experiences and write two substantial lab reports modeled on primary literature. Student assessment data indicate that this lab curriculum achieved these objectives. This article describes the first of these projects, which uses the biflagellate alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to introduce students to the study of flagellar motility, protein synthesis, microtubule polymerization, organelle assembly, and protein isolation and characterization.
Thoracic aortic aneurysm repair with an endovascular stent graft: the "first generation".

Abstract Objective . The feasibility and efficacy trial of an endovascular stent-grafting system for the treatment of aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta was investigated. Methods . After Institutional Review Board approval, 103 patients (mean age 69 years) underwent stent graft repair of a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm between July 1992 and November 1997. The stent graft was fabricated using self-expanding "Z" stents covered by a woven Dacron tube graft. Follow-up, which averaged 22 months, was 100% complete. Simultaneous open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair was performed in 19 patients. Results . Complete aneurysm thrombosis was achieved in 86 patients (83%). Early mortality, defined as a death during the same hospitalization or in less than 30 days, was 9 ± 3%, and was significantly associated with preoperative cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or myocardial infarction. Major perioperative morbidity occurred in 31 patients, and included paraplegia in 3, CVA in 7, and respiratory insufficiency in 12 patients each. Actuarial survival was 81 ± 4% at 1 year, and 73 ± 5% at 2 years. Treatment failure (including all late, sudden, unexplained deaths) occurred in 38 patients, and only 53 ± 10% of patients were free of treatment failure at 3.7 years. Five patients required late operative therapy for endoleaks associated with aneurysm enlargement. Conclusions . Satisfactory results were achieved using this "first-generation" homemade stent graft device. Mortality and morbidity occurred frequently, but may have been associated with the high-risk character of this patient population. Medium-term results were acceptable, but continued aortic enlargement, with the late development of endoleaks, is a significant concern. Second-generation devices with commercial development, coupled with this initial experience, should allow improved clinical results in the future. Longer term follow-up is still necessary to fully define the efficacy of this endovascular approach.
Multi-pass pipeline rendering: realism for dynamic environments

A coordinated use of hardwareprovided bltplanes and rendering pipelines can create fast ray traced quality illumination effects for dynamic environments by using Multi-pass Pipeline Rendering (MPR) techniques. We provide recttrsive reflections and refractions through the use of secondary viewpoints and projective image mapping. We extend the traditional use of shadow volumes to provide global direct illumination effects which fit into our recursive viewpoint paradiim. Hardware surface shading is fit to a physicallybaaed BRDF to provide a better local model, and the framework permits incorporation of indirect illumination as well. Furthermore, material transmittance is approximated using an extension to projective textures. Together, these techniques provide a platform for producing realistic images in highly dynamic environments. While most appropriate for scenes which specular components contribute largely to the secondary illumination, the integration of MPR with indirect racliosity solutions also provides a dynamic solution for highly diffuse environments. These techniques are immediately applicable to areas such as walkthroughs, animation, and interactive dynamic environments to produce more realistic images in near real-time.
Limitations of multiple feeds in a polarimetric-radar compact range

It is found that two feeds, one for transmit and one for receive, can be used in a polarimetric-radar compact range provided they are located symmetrically with respect to the reflector focus. Such a configuration will conserve the coherence of the polarization matrix. However, the use of four separate feeds, two for each transmit polarization and two for each receive polarization, will destroy the coherence of the polarization matrix for scatterers off of the range axis. Significant phase errors will be introduced between the elements of the polarization matrix with the result that the measured matrix will be incorrect. >
Clutter tuning for bistatic clutter control

A radar modeling and simulation tool known as RLSTAP is used to model a bistatic clutter tuning scenario. The transmit system and the receive system "circle" the ground patch where the target lies in opposite senses so the Doppler shift due to the motion of the transmit (Tx) system is cancelled by an equal and opposite Doppler shift due to the motion of the receive (Rx) system. Key results are presented for this case, as well as for various imperfect clutter tuning cases and a monostatic case.
Potent long-acting growth hormone releasing factor analogues

Amidated fragments 1 to 29 of human growth hormone releasing factor, (GRF1-29NH2), were designed to encompass modifications that could prevent degradation by exopeptidases. The NH2-terminus was blocked by either N-methylation of Tyr1 or by introduction of NMeDAla2 while the COOH-terminus was blocked by an N-ethylamide. Other substitutions such as Nle in position 27 for methionine conferred stability toward air oxidation while Asn28, an amino acid substitution found in rat GRF, seemed to confer stronger binding affinity to the GRF receptor. Potency in vitro and duration of action in vivo of [NMeTyr1,Nle27,Asn28]hGRF1-29NHEt (4SG-29) were compared to those of hGRF1-40OH. 4SG-29 was found to be both ten times more potent than hGRF1-40)OH and exhibit significantly extended duration of action.
Effects of caloric restriction on nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios in adult rat bone

RATIONALE Stable isotope analysis is a valuable technique for dietary estimation in ecological and archaeological research, yet many variables can potentially affect tissue stable isotope signatures. Controlled feeding studies across a range of species have consistently demonstrated impacts of caloric restriction on tissue stable isotope ratios, but most have focused on juvenile, fasting, and/or starving individuals, and most have utilized soft tissues despite the importance of bone for paleodietary analyses. The goal of this study was to determine whether temporally defined, moderate food restriction could affect stable carbon and/or nitrogen isotope ratios in adult mammalian bone – a tissue that arguably reflects long-term dietary signals. METHODS Adult rats fed a standard laboratory diet were restricted to 45% of ad libitum intakes for 3 or 6 months. Relevant anatomical and physiological parameters were measured to confirm that the restriction protocol resulted in significant nutritional stress and to provide independent data to facilitate interpretation of stable isotope ratios. Femoral bone δ13Ccollagen, δ15Ncollagen, and δ13Capatite values were determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. RESULTS Calorie-restricted animals exhibited a small, yet significant enrichment in 15Ncollagen compared with control animals, reflecting protein-calorie stress. While the δ13Ccollagen values did not differ, the δ13Capatite values revealed less enrichment in 13C than in controls, reflecting catabolism of body fat. Independent anatomical and physiological data from these same individuals support these interpretations. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that moderate caloric restriction does not appreciably undermine broad interpretations of dietary signals in adult mammalian bone. Significant variability among individuals or groups, however, is best explained by marked differences in energy intake over variable timescales. An inverse relationship between the δ13Capatite and δ15Ncollagen values observed in this study indicates that a more robust pattern is expected with more severe or prolonged restriction and suggests this pattern may have utility as a marker of food deprivation in archaeological populations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neutrophil Activation by Polychlorinated Biphenyls: Structure—Activity Relationship

Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) rapidly stimulate polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) in vitro to produce superoxide anion ([fig]). This response results from activation of various intracellular signal transduction pathways and appears to occur in a structure-specific fashion. Individual PCB congeners, varying in pattern and extent of chlorination, were tested for their ability to stimulate production of [fig] and/or to enhance the response to protein kinase C activation by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Neutrophils were isolated from retired breeder, male, Sprague–Dawley rats and exposed to either vehicle, 10 or 50 μM PCB for 30 min at 37°C. PMA (0 or 20 ng/ml) was added for an additional 10 min, and[fig]generated during the incubation period was measured. 2,2′-Dichlorobiphenyl (2,2′-DCB), 2,4′-DCB, or 3,3′-DCB (50 μM) stimulated neutrophils to produce [fig]. Incubation of neutrophils with 4,4′-DCB, 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (3,3′,4,4′,5-PeCB), 3,3′,4,5,5′-PeCB, or 2,2′,3,3′,4,4′-hexachlorobiphenyl (2,2′,3,3′,4,4′-HCB) did not result in generation of[fig]. Of the various congeners, 2,4′-DCB elicited the greatest production of[fig]. Exposure to 10 μM 2,2′-DCB, 2,4′-DCB, 3,3′-DCB, or 2,2′,3,3′,4,4′-HCB prior to addition of PMA caused a significant increase in the amount of [fig]produced, greater than that seen with either compound alone. PMA-stimulated [fig] production was unaffected by prior exposure to 4,4′-DCB, 3,3′,4,4′,5-PeCB, or 3,3′,4,5,5′-PeCB. In separate experiments, 3,3′,4,4′,5-PeCB inhibited the amount of [fig] produced in response to activation with either 3,3′-DCB or 2,4′-DCB. Thus, it appears that congeners which are noncoplanar are capable of stimulating neutrophil [fig] production. Coplanar congeners with high affinity for the Ah receptor do not activate neutrophils to produce [fig] and may inhibit this response. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that PCBs stimulate neutrophil [fig] production by a mechanism that is structure-specific and dependent on the chlorine substitution pattern of the biphenyl rings. Molecular modeling suggested that the sum of atomic charges on chlorine atoms is the most important descriptor for congeners which stimulate [fig] production. The angle of rotation and the difference in energy between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital are integrative descriptors which, along with the sum of chlorine atomic charges, are associated with this biological activity.
Cotranslational disassembly of flock house virus in a cell-free system

Flock house virus (FHV) is the best-studied member of the Nodaviridae, a family of small, nonenveloped, icosahedral riboviruses with bipartite positive-sense RNA genomes (3, 15). FHV was originally isolated from the New Zealand grass grub, Costelytra zealandica (28), but the virus replicates well in wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae and in Drosophila melanogaster cells in culture (11). In addition, RNA replication can result from transfecting the viral RNA into cultured vertebrate cells (2), plant protoplasts (30), or yeast (23) or from introducing intact virions directly into plants (30). Nodamura virus (NOV), the prototype member of the group, is unique among the members in its ability to lethally infect both insects and higher animals. NOV was originally isolated from mosquitoes in Japan. In the laboratory, NOV can be readily grown in suckling mice (25) or in wax moth larvae, and NOV RNA replicates in vertebrate and insect cells. However, attempts to find a cell culture system that would support virus replication have been either unsuccessful (26) or difficult to reproduce (1). The larger segment of the FHV genome (RNA 1; 3,107 nucleotides) encodes protein A, the viral contribution to the RNA replicase (14), whereas the smaller segment (RNA 2; 1,400 nucleotides) encodes a capsid protein precursor (a) that undergoes assembly-dependent cleavage to yield the two capsid proteins b and g (13). In the mature virion, 180 copies of
Rhetoric of identity: An inquiry into symbolic syntax and composition of black identity in Bamboozled

The exploration into the epistemological function of symbols, their validity, and how they contribute to identity formation is imperative because of their rhetorical properties in the conceptualization and communication of black identity. In order to conduct such an effort, I draw from the term symbolic material to explore the formation of black identity and the representation of that identity, encrypted within the film Bamboozled’s character Pierre Delacroix. What emerges from this meditation is a fresh perspective from which to understand the evolution process of identity formation. Symbolic material, specifically, highlights the subtle psychological and rhetorical fabric interwoven into identity formation and composition. To finish, I introduce questions that future researchers might address.
Cloning and expression of the Mycobacterium bovis BCG gene for extracellular alpha antigen.

Abstract The gene for the extracellular alpha antigen of Mycobacterium bovis BCG was cloned by using a single probe restricted to G or C in the third position. This technique should have great potential for the isolation of mycobacterial antigen genes. The gene analysis revealed that the alpha antigen gene encoded 323 amino acid residues, including 40 amino acids for signal peptide followed by 283 amino acids for mature protein. This is the first report on the structure of the mycobacterial signal peptide. The promoter-like sequence and ribosome-binding site were observed upstream of the open reading frame. In the coding region, the third position of the codon showed high G + C content (86%). The gene was expressed as an unfused protein in Escherichia coli by using an E. coli expression vector. This protein, which reacted with polyclonal antibody raised against alpha antigen from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, would be applicable to the immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
Heavy traffic control policies for wireless systems with time-varying channels

Heavy traffic methods are well-studied in wireline queueing networks but only recently have been applied to wireless queueing systems with their random environments (due to channel variations, multi-access interference, etc.). Under the heavy traffic method, one can obtain a limit model approximating the queueing dynamics and it typically has the form of a stochastic differential equation with reflection (SDER). In one of the first works applied to wireless (Buche and Kushner, 2002), an important assumption was made on the reflection process in order lo get existence and uniqueness of a SDER limit model. Here we obtain the optimal control policies in a wireless system with the SDER limit model using numerical methods for continuous-time stochastic control problems. The simulation results indicate the influence of the reflection process on the optimal control polices which motivates further investigation into the strength of the reflection assumption. The optimal policies have the form of a "Max Weight" discipline and are similar to results obtained analytically under simplifying assumptions.
Mouse to Human Blood-Based Cancer Biomarker Discovery Strategies

There is an urgent need for noninvasive molecular tests to assist in the detection of cancers. There is additionally a need for prognostic and predictive markers and for monitoring for disease recurrence. The improved understanding of molecular features of common cancers and the availability of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of cancer have resulted in increased interest in the application of mouse models to the discovery of cancer biomarkers relevant to humans. Unlike humans, mouse models allow sampling of tumor and host tissues and biological fluids at defined time points in the course of tumor development and progression. Interrogation of the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome of tumors and biological fluids from mouse models engineered to recapitulate human tumors makes it possible to apply a systems approach to define biomarker signatures from the earliest stages of tumor development to advanced stages and metastasis and signatures reflective of driver genes and pathways.
Incorporating eco-evolutionary dynamics into global change research

Species provide ecosystem services that support the foundation of life on this planet and many of the raw materials that drive global economies. It is thus important to understand the effects of a variable climate on the geographical boundaries and trait variation of populations. Genetic variation within a species, as well as species’ interactions with other species, can impact the ecosystem services that species provide. Therefore, it is important that we develop a deeper perspective on how a rapidly changing environment may affect genetic variation, functional traits, species interactions and ultimately the genetically based services those ecosystems provide. Because the biotic and abiotic environments experienced by individuals and populations strongly interact, these interactions can promote or constrain evolutionary processes along the gradients of global change. Since the modern synthesis, evolution has generally been taught and thought of as a slow process resulting from the accumulation of small genetic changes that may ultimately lead to genetic divergence and speciation. This perspective is changing, largely due to three points that are also fundamental to the argument for incorporating an evolutionary perspective into climate change research: rapid evolution is common, genetic divergence occurs along a variety of gradients, including those affected by global change, and
Variation of Benefits and Harms of Breast Cancer Screening With Age

The critical issue in deciding whether to recommend breast cancer screening for women in their forties is to determine whether potential benefits are substantially greater than potential harms. Recent evidence from randomized clinical trials makes it likely that, after 10‐12 years of follow-up, there is a real benefit from screening women ages 40‐49, on the order of a 15‐20% reduction in the relative risk of breast cancer death. This relative risk reduction translates into an absolute risk reduction of 1‐2 women whose lives are extended from screening 1,000 women in their forties annually for 10 years (i.e., about one life extended per 5,000 mammograms). The absolute benefit of screening increases with age. Evidence about potential harms is less well established, but it is compelling that there are 15‐40 times as many false positive as true positive mammograms (depending on the patient’s age), and that at least some of the women with false positive mammograms have ongoing psychological distress as a result. Some 30% of all women who are screened annually during their forties will have at least one false positive mammogram and this probability likely decreases with advancing age. If the balance between benefits and harms is judged to be a ‘‘close call’’ for women in their forties, a blanket recommendation for all is inappropriate. Instead, each woman in her forties should be helped to understand the pros and cons of screening, to clarify her own values, and to consider with her primary care physician what decision would be best for her. [Monogr Natl Cancer Inst 1997;22: 139‐143]
A Review of: “Bogner, M. S. (Ed.). (2004). Misadventures in Health care: Inside Stories”

The Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on quality of health care (Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 1999) documents the prevalence of medical errors and their consequences. Based on the data from two s...
COLONIAL ETHNOGRAPHY ON INDIA'S NORTH-WEST FRONTIER, 1850–1910

Seeking to challenge the totalizing theory of an ‘ethnographic state’, this article examines a mid-nineteenth-century paradigm shift that impacted the colonial study of borderland populations along India's North-West Frontier. While the establishment of metropolitan ethnographic societies in the 1870s facilitated the rise of socio-cultural evolutionism, colonial agents also utilized folklore and proverb studies to represent the borderland societies as dynamic cultural entities reactive to British encroachment. Four case-studies, moreover, demonstrate that a variety of motivations compelled colonial agents to produce ethnographic material. These factors included personal scholarly ambition, political activism, and a commitment to transregional ‘scientific’ data collection projects. This study complicates the relationship between knowledge production and state power by reasserting the significance of personality as an operative force in the formation of colonial discourse.
State Sales Taxes in Fiscal 2006: Adding Diversity to the National Revenue Portfolio

The report says state retail sales increased in fiscal 2006 by 6.2 percent of fiscal 2005. The choice of a narrow base makes it likely that the state will levy a higher rate on the purchases that remain in the base.
Undoing the Otherwise Perfect Crime: Applying Unjust Enrichment to Consumer Price-Fixing Claims

Price-fixing agreements violate federal and state antitrust statutes as well as certain states’ consumer-protection statutes. When price fixing occurs, the price-fixed products’ direct purchasers have standing to pursue claims for their overcharges under the federal antitrust statutes in federal court, but consumers are permitted to allege price-fixing claims only under certain states’ antitrust or consumer-protection statutes. Where state statutory remedies don’t necessarily exist, unjust enrichment is a viable yet commonly misunderstood and oftentimes overlooked remedy that consumers can invoke. But when consumers allege unjust enrichment, price fixers invariably argue its misapplication — claiming that unjust enrichment requires a “direct relationship” or “direct benefit” between the parties. Despite price fixers’ contrary insistence, I describe the antitrust bar, judiciary, consumers, and price fixers’ conventional misunderstandings about unjust enrichment’s application and intended purpose. My article then explains that unjust enrichment’s state-by-state similarity and historical roots actually encourage and support unjust enrichment’s application to consumer price-fixing claims. In this manner, I argue that — through unjust enrichment — all states’ consumers have a powerful tool with which to help stem price fixing and with which to ensure that they derive the privileges and benefits of a free, open, and competitive marketplace.
Laparoscopic Camera Based on an Orthogonal Magnet Arrangement

In this letter, we present for the first time a magnetic anchoring-actuation link with an auto-flip feature. This orthogonal magnetic arrangement relies on the placement of two permanent magnets such that their magnetic moments are respectfully orthogonal. Though the arrangement may have many applications, in this study we integrate it in a small factor magnetic camera for minimally invasive procedures. Upon insertion through a trocar incision, the 5.5 mm diameter and 35 mm length magnetic camera is coupled with an external robotic controller and displaced from the port thus preventing clutter of the surgical workspace. The device allows for manual lateral translation as well as robotically controlled tilt and pan, resulting in four degrees of freedom. The auto-flip feature prevents the need for image adjustment in software as the camera tilts through its hemispherical workspace. A static model that relates an input external control tilt and output camera tilt has been developed and validated. Favorable results during bench and canine cadaver evaluation suggest promise for the proposed magnetic camera to improve the state of art in minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Brazilian Foreign Policy and the Dominican Crisis: The Impact of History and Events *

On May 24, 1965, nearly a month after the first U. S. Marines landed in Santo Domingo, an inter-American military force under the command of a Brazilian general took over peacekeeping activities in the Dominican Republic. Although the first Brazilian contingent to arrive comprised only 300 troops, it later reached a total of 1,250, the largest contribution by a single Latin American nation. While Brazil's participation in the Dominican crisis was a clear indication that the independent foreign policy of Quadros and Goulart had been discarded in favor of a realignment once again with the United States, it also signified an abrupt departure from one of the basic tenets of Brazilian foreign policy—nonintervention. The case study of Brazil's role in the Dominican Republic in 1965 which follows provides a unique opportunity to examine the impact of traditional forces and contemporary events on Brazilian foreign policy at a critical juncture in that nation's history.
Structure and expression of hybrid dysgenesis-induced alleles of the ovarian tumor (otu) gene in Drosophila melanogaster

Mutations at the ovarian tumor (otu) gene of Drosophila melanogaster cause female sterility and generate a range of ovarian phenotypes. Quiescent (QUI) mutants exhibit reduced germ cell proliferation; in oncogenic (ONC) mutants germ cells undergo uncontrolled proliferation generating excessive numbers of undifferentiated cells; the egg chambers of differentiated (DIF) mutants differentiate to variable degrees but fail to complete oogenesis. We have examined mutations caused by insertion and deletion of P elements at the otu gene. The P element insertion sites are upstream of the major otu transcription start sites. In deletion derivatives, the P element, regulatory regions and/or protein coding sequences have been removed. In both insertion and deletion mutants, the level of otu expression correlates directly with the severity of the phenotype: the absence of otu function produces the most severe QUI phenotype while the ONC mutants express lower levels of otu than those which are DIF. The results of this study demonstrate that the diverse mutant phenotypes of otu are the consequence of different levels of otu function.
A common medication for neuropsychiatric illnesses may cause common problems in pregnancy

Clinicians commonly face the dilemma of maintaining control of neuropsychiatric disease in women during childbearing years in the face of potential pregnancy, even when the prescribed medications are known or suspected teratogens. In this issue of Neurology ®, Winterfeld et al.1 report on pregnancy outcomes following in utero pregabalin exposure from their multicenter prospective observational study across 8 participating Teratology Information Services in 7 countries.