cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling ring current ion and electron dynamics and plasma instabilities during a high‐speed stream driven storm

[1] The temporal and spatial development of the ring current is evaluated during the 23–26 October 2002 high-speed stream (HSS) storm, using a kinetic ring current-atmosphere interactions model with self-consistent magnetic field (RAM-SCB). The effects of nondipolar magnetic field configuration are investigated on both ring current ion and electron dynamics. As the self-consistent magnetic field is depressed at large (>4RE) radial distances on the nightside during the storm main phase, the particles' drift velocities increase, the ion and electron fluxes are reduced and the ring current is confined closer to Earth. In contrast to ions, the electron fluxes increase closer to Earth and the fractional electron energy reaches ∼20% near storm peak due to better electron trapping in a nondipolar magnetic field. The ring current contribution to Dst calculated using Biot-Savart integration differs little from the DPS relation except during quiet time. RAM-SCB simulations underestimate ∣SYM-H∣ minimum by ∼25% but reproduce very well the storm recovery phase. Increased anisotropies develop in the ion and electron velocity distributions in a self-consistent magnetic field due to energy dependent drifts, losses, and dispersed injections. There is sufficient free energy to excite whistler mode chorus, electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC), and magnetosonic waves in the equatorial magnetosphere. The linear growth rate of whistler mode chorus intensifies in the postmidnight to noon sector, EMIC waves are predominantly excited in the afternoon to midnight sector, and magnetosonic waves are excited over a broad MLT range both inside and outside the plasmasphere. The wave growth rates in a dipolar magnetic field have significantly smaller magnitude and spatial extent.
New drugs of abuse: New threat?

There has been an increase in the abuse of synthetic drugs. This article explores the prevalence and legal issues regarding synthetic drugs (e.g., bath salts).
Model-based system for vehicle detection and identification

The detection and identification of vehicles in forward looking infrared (FLIR) images presents a number of problems. Not only is the view of the vehicle influenced by its orientation and the position of the sensor, but it is also affected by the environment. To counter these effects, we have developed a set of algorithms which use models of both the vehicles of interest and the environment to aid detection and identification. This algorithm set consists of an area-of-interest locator, an object segmenter, and a template matcher. These algorithms are controlled by a process which uses information about the vehicles and the environment to select input parameters for the processing algorithms. This article contains a description of the detection and identification system algorithms, the performance characterization of the individual algorithms, and the temporal fusion performance prediction results.
Inhibition of Lymphocyte Adherence to Rat Lacrimal Acinar Epithelium by Interleukin-4 and Transforming Growth Factor-β

Abstract Mature circulating lymphocyte populations specifically bind to lacrimal gland acinar epithelium in vitro and this adherence is thought to contribute to the accumulation of lymphoid subsets within lacrimal tissue in vivo. The regulatory role of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in this adherence process was examined using an in vitro binding assay. Pretreatment of thoracic duet lymphocytes (TDLs) with increasing concentrations of IL-4 or TGF-β for 1 hr resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of lymphocyte binding to lacrimal gland acinar epithelium. In contrast, the binding of TDLs to high endothelial venules of cervical lymph node was not inhibited by either cytokine. Further, IL-4 and TGF-β pretreatment did not alter the expression of lymph node or Peyer's patch homing receptors as well as the LFA-1, VLA-4, or CD44 adhesion molecules on TDLs. These results suggest that the interaction of lymphocytes with lacrimal gland acinar epithelium may be regulated by a receptor-mediated mechanism that differs from those governing HEV recognition.
Capital in the twenty-first century, by Thomas Piketty

Thomas Piketty’s massive study of wealth inequality has stimulated a surprising amount of attention in the popular media. For readers of Critical Policy Studies, a review of the book needs to inclu...
Phase transformations in mesostructured vanadium–phosphorus-oxides

Abstract Mesostructured lamellar, hexagonal and cubic vanadium–phosphorus-oxide (VPO) phases were prepared employing cationic, anionic and alkylamine surfactants under mild conditions and low pH. The obtained mesophases displayed desirable vanadium oxidation states (+3.8 to +4.3) and P/V molar ratios ∼1.0 for the partial oxidation of n -butane to maleic anhydride. As-synthesized mesostructured VPO underwent phase transformations to various mesostructured and dense VPO phases depending on the post-synthesis treatment. The phase transformations of mesostructured VPO during Soxhlet extraction and thermal treatment in N 2 have been observed for the first time. These transformations were explained by the changes in the surfactant packing parameter, g . Calcination in air produced more disordered mesostructures and dense VPO phases such as γ-VOPO 4 and (VO) 2 P 2 O 7 .
Structural Effects and Properties of Oligomers of Interest in Separations

Abstract The contributions of the chain length, chain structure, internal rigidity, segment potential function, and “combinatorial” configurational entropy to the properties of liquid short-chain molecules and their mixtures, as exemplified by the polyphenyl series, are all shown to be significant in terms of general models of simple chain molecules such as those of Prigogine and co-workers and of Flory. The molecular parameters of these systems can be characterized sufficiently well from thermodynamic data on the short polyphenyl isomers and g. l. c. data on benzene dissolved in them so that the application of the models with minimal empirical adjustment can be justified. Fit with experimental data is entirely satisfactory. Simpler models ordinarily used, which include only Flory-Huggins entropy of mixing and regular solution or rigid lattice approximations for the heat of mixing, may thus neglect contributions similar in magnitude to those included. The practical significance of the various contribution...
Surgical approaches to the talus.

The surgical approaches to the talus must allow access for fracture fixation, removal of osteophytes, treatment of osteochondral lesions, removal of symptomatic os trigonum, and resection of hindfoot coalitions. The talar surface is covered by cartilage over 60% of its surface, thereby limiting access for its vascular supply. The circulation to the talus has been well-documented and consists of the sinus tarsi artery, peroneal artery, and contribution from the tibial artery through the deltoid ligament [1]. The surgical approaches to the talus must consider the tenuous circulation to prevent iatrogenic avascular necrosis. Displaced fractures of the talar neck should be treated with open reduction and internal fixation with two screws. Single-incision techniques have been used widely; however, this author recommends a two-incision approach to ensure anatomic reduction of the fracture [2]. The anteromedial and anterolateral approaches are used to reduce the fracture and to allow access for fixation. The anteromedial incision begins at the tip of the medial malleolus and extends along the medial border of the foot to the talonavicular joint. The deep dissection is performed by dividing the fascia that overlies the medial talus and capsule of the talonavicular joint. The saphenous nerve and vein are at risk for injury during this approach. The anterolateral incision begins 2 cm anterior to the fibula and extends over the sinus tarsi. The incision continues onto the dorsolateral aspect of the foot, 2 cm medial to the base of the fifth metatarsal. The extensor digitorum is retracted medially, whereas the origin of the extensor digitorum brevis is detached from its calcaneal origin. This allows visualization of the lateral cortex of the talus and access for screw fixation. The superficial peroneal nerve is at risk for injury during this approach and should be protected to prevent neuroma formation. Talar neck fractures often are comminuted on the medial side;
A phase II trial of gemcitabine in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND There is no effective systemic therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. A recent trial reported a moderate antitumor activity for gemcitabine among Asian patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. This led to our examination of the efficacy and tolerability of the drug in a population of U.S. patients. METHODS Thirty patients with measurable, unresectable, or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma who had received at least one previous form of systemic therapy were enrolled. All patients were required to have adequate major organ function and performance status. Patients received gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2 intravenously over 30 minutes weekly) for 3 consecutive weeks followed by a 1-week rest. Patients were assessed radiographically every 8 weeks. RESULTS All 30 patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. Ninety cycles of therapy were administered (median 2, range 1–8). No complete or partial responses were observed. Nine patients (30%) had stable disease (median duration 7.4 months, range 2–17). Median survival for all 30 patients was 6.9 months (95% confidence interval, 4.5–13.5) and the 1-year survival rate was 40%. Mild hematologic toxicity occurred. Two patients (7%) developed Grade 4 neutropenia and one patient (3%) experienced Grade 3 thrombocytopenia. There were no episodes of febrile neutropenia. One patient who had previously undergone orthotopic liver transplantation developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome that resolved with discontinuation of chemotherapy and plasmapheresis. CONCLUSIONS Although generally well tolerated, gemcitabine had minimal effect in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer 2002;94:3186–91. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10607
System Level Changes in Gene Expression in Maturing Bladder Mucosa

Purpose: Bladder problems clinically present early in life as birth defects that often lead to kidney failure and late in life as overactive bladder, incontinence and related disorders. We investigated the transcriptome of mouse bladder mucosa at juvenile and adult stages by microarray to identify the pathways associated with normal, healthy growth and maturation. We hypothesized that understanding these pathways could be key to achieving bladder regeneration or reawakening normal function in the elderly population.Materials and Methods: RNA was isolated from the mucosa at 3, 6, 20 and 30 weeks postnatally. Affymetrix® Mouse 430 v2 arrays were used to profile the expression of approximately 45,000 genes. The software program Statistical Analysis of Microarrays was used to identify genes that significantly changed during the time course.Results: No genes were significantly up-regulated during maturation. However, 66 well annotated genes demonstrated a statistically significant downward trend, of which 10 o...
In the Nature of Cities: Urban Political Ecology and the Politics of Urban Metabolism. Nik Heynen, Maria Kaika, and Erik Swyngedouw, eds.

(2007). In the Nature of Cities: Urban Political Ecology and the Politics of Urban Metabolism. Nik Heynen, Maria Kaika, and Erik Swyngedouw, eds.. Urban Geography: Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 206-208.
Risk factors for choroidal neovascularization in young patients: A case-control study

A pair-matched, case-control design was used to study exposure to Histoplasma capsulatum and other environmental factors, and to determine various host characteristics including human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typings in 94 young patients with macular choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and in 94 controls with other eye diseases. Patients with two types of retinal patterns were studied: Type I, or those with CNV with one or no chorioretinal atrophic spots in the posterior pole or periphery (n = 51), and Type II, or those with CNV and 2 or more chorioretinal atrophic spots (n = 43). Our purpose was to explore whether these two variants of idiopathic CNV have different and distinguishable epidemiologies which may or may not be related to prior exposure to Histoplasma. We found that histoplasmin skin tests were negative in all but two Type I cases. The combination of the HLA-B7 and HLA-DR2 markers (but not either marker alone) was significantly increased in Type I cases. Among Type II cases, HLA-B7, HLA-DR2, HLA-DQ1, a positive histoplasmin skin test, myopic refractive error, prior residence in a histoplasmosis endemic area, occupations involving exposure to animals, and hypertension were all significantly increased. Histoplasmin skin test responses were positive in 18 Type II cases (45%). In the multivariate analysis, only DR2 and the combined presence of DQ1 and a positive histoplasmin skin test remained predictive of Type II disease. Our findings suggest that histoplasmin sensitivity is associated with some, but not all, cases of Type II disease. However, histoplasmin sensitivity appears to have no relationship to Type I disease. HLA factors may play a role in both disease types, possibly by producing a modified immune response to Histoplasma and/or other unidentified agents.
EFFECTS OF ENDOCRINES ON AGE CHANGES IN THE EPIPHYSEAL AND ARTICULAR CARTILAGES1,2,3

THIS is a report of the growth and age changes in the skeletal tissues of mice, rats and guinea pigs. Normal time curve of the skeletal tissues. During endochondral ossification new cartilage is formed from a germinal layer of cartilage. The cartilage cells assume columnar arrangement and, at a certain phase of their development, they undergo hypertrophy. The hypertrophic cells calcify, are destroyed by constituents of the bone marrow and are replaced by primary osseous-spicules. This primary bone is subsequently resorbed by bone marrow. As long as these processes proceed at an even rate, the cellular pattern of the epiphyseal disks is regular, and the growth zones remain open. A decrease of growth or an increase of regression and resorption of the cartilage lead to a narrowing and progressive closure of the epiphyseal disks; on the other hand, an increase of proliferative or a decrease of regressive or resorptive processes may cause an enlargement of the growth zones.
The influence of macropores on debris flow initiation

Abstract Soil structure affects the movement of water in hillslope soils and therefore exerts a strong influence on slope stability. A debris flow is analysed within the confines of an instrumented catchment on the South Island, New Zealand, in order to examine the influence of soil macropores on slope stability. Tensiometric and slope throughflow data for nearby slope areas show that vertical cracks conduct rainfall at rates well in excess of the mineral soil matrix conductivity. The presence of a well connected pipe system at the soil-bedrock interface distributes this water quickly downslope. Under exceptionally high rainfall intensities, however, this crack-pipe system may induce slope instability by increasing the rate of infiltration over lateral pipeflow rates. This results in a build-up of pore pressure at the soilI–rock interface and subsequent slope failure.
Palaeontology: An insect to fill the gap

A complete insect fossil from the Devonian period has long been sought. The finding of a candidate may improve our patchy understanding of when winged insects evolved. See Letter p.82 The early evolutionary history of the insects is obscure. Fragmentary remains of insect-like arthropods are known from the Silurian to the mid-Devonian periods, 425 million to 385 million years ago, whereas modern insects are known from the Carboniferous period, around 345 million years ago. In between lies a gap, poorly sampled by fossil specimens, during which much evolution is thought to have occurred. Here, Andre Nel and colleagues present the fossil of a complete insect that sits in that gap, about 365 million years ago in the Late Devonian. The fossil insect was terrestrial, but its features suggest that modern winged insects had already started to diversify at that early date.
Regulation of cytoskeletal architecture by platelet-derived growth factor, insulin and epidermal growth factor☆

Abstract Addition of ng/ml quantities of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) component of serum to the culture medium of quiescent monolayers of BALB/c-3T3 cells rapidly altered the actomyosin cytoskeletal system. PDGF triggered dispersal of microfilament bundles and induced phosphorylation of the 20 kD myosin light chain within 5 min of addition. Additional cytoskeletal responses followed the addition of insulin and of epidermal growth factor (EGF). Insulin alone induces a transient breakdown of well defined microtubule filaments. EGF and insulin together induced moderate perturbation of the cytoplasmic network of intermediate filaments which then reformed within a 90–180 min time frame. This response, however, was greatly enhanced in cells which were pretreated with PDGF and it appears to be a secondary event occurring as a consequence of cell growth. The PDGF-induced disruption of microfilament bundles could be blocked by phalloidin with no apparent inhibition of the mitogenic response. Insulin alone is only weakly mitogenic for 3T3 cells. The data thus indicate that the architecture of two discrete cytoskeletal elements (microtubules and microfilaments) is regulated directly by separate serum growth factors (insulin and PDGF). However the disruption of microfilament architecture by PDGF does not seem necessary for induction of cell growth and the disruption of microtubule filaments by insulin is not sufficient.
Vibrational frequencies and structural determination of cyclotriphosphazene

Abstract The normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of cyclotriphosphazene (P 3 N 3 ) in D 3 h symmetry are examined theoretically using the Gaussian03 set of quantum chemistry codes. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of three types of motion (P–N stretch, P–N–P bend, and ring torsion) predicted by a group theoretical analysis. Comparing the vibrational frequencies with IR and Raman spectra available in the literature, scaling factors are derived. Molecular orbitals and bonding are examined.
A contemporary learning theory perspective on the etiology of anxiety disorders: It's not what you thought it was

The authors describe how contemporary learning theory and research provide the basis for perspectives on the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders that capture the complexity associated with individual differences in the development and course of these disorders. These insights from modern research on learning overcome the shortcomings of earlier overly simplistic behavioral approaches, which sometimes have been justifiably criticized. The authors show how considerations of early learning histories and temperamental vulnerabilities affect the short- and long-term outcomes of experiences with stressful events. They also demonstrate how contextual variables during and following stressful learning events affect the course of anxiety disorder symptoms once they develop. This range of variables can lead to a rich and nuanced understanding of the etiology and course of anxiety disorders.
Scalable parallel word search in multicore/multiprocessor systems

This paper presents a parallel algorithm for fast word search to determine the set of biological words of an input DNA sequence. The algorithm is designed to scale well on state-of-the-art multiprocessor/multicore systems for large inputs and large maximum word sizes. The pattern exhibited by many sequential solutions to this problem is a repetitive execution over a large input DNA sequence, and the generation of large amounts of output data to store and retrieve the words determined by the algorithm. As we show, this pattern does not lend itself to straightforward standard parallelization techniques. The proposed algorithm aims to achieve three major goals to overcome the drawbacks of embarrassingly parallel solution techniques: (i) to impose a high degree of cache locality on a problem that, by nature, tends to exhibit nonlocal access patterns, (ii) to be lock free or largely reduce the need for data access locking, and (iii) to enable an even distribution of the overall processing load among multiple threads. We present an implementation and performance evaluation of the proposed algorithm on DNA sequences of various sizes for different organisms on a dual processor quad-core system with a total of 8 cores. We compare the performance of the parallel word search implementation with a sequential implementation and with an embarrassingly parallel implementation. The results show that the proposed algorithm far outperforms the embarrassingly parallel strategy and achieves a speed-up's of up to 6.9 on our 8-core test system.
The Applicability of Some Population Growth Models to a Single-Species Laboratory Population

Three mathematical models of population growth, showing many improvements over the almost obsolete logistic model, were tested with laboratory data of the pteromalid wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Walker). The models fail to successfully predict the population trends of this species when reared under laboratory conditions. Utida's model shows no possible applicability for the type of population growth of this species. Cunningham's model accounts for the amplitude and damping of the oscillations, but only if an unkonwn time lag of 6 days could be identified with some biological meaning. Leslie's model fails to predict numerically the population trends but seems to show that densities of the wasp's immature stages within the host pupae are more important in controlling population fluctuations than are adult densities.
Formation of a dry spot in a horizontal liquid film heated from below

Abstract This study deals with the formation of a dry spot in a non-boiling thin film of ethanol on a horizontal surface upon slowly increasing the heat flux from an embedded nichrome strip. Appreciable thinning of the film occurred prior to rupture, and is associated with the appearance of Benard-type convective cells. The threshold heat flux for appearance of a dry spot is greater than for disappearance, presumably due to contact angle hysteresis and/or the temperature gradients in the heater strip in the vicinity of the triple interface. A quasi-static stability analysis is given, based upon the equilibrium shape of a semi-infinite drop on a heated surface.
Potentiation of methylmercury toxicity by piperonyl butoxide

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an extremely potent neurotoxin about 25% of which is degradedin vivo to inorganic mercury. Piperonyl butoxide (PB) is a widely used pesticidal synergist which inhibits many mammalian detoxification reactions. In a preliminary experiment with the high doses of PB and MeHg, PB induced a 12% decrease in mean survival time and a 20% decrease in mean latency time to neurotoxicity. The weight loss in PB-MeHg group was far greater than the control MeHg group. In a dose response experiment, mean survival times in rats fed 40 ppm MeHg-Cl were5.75, 5.3, and 5.0 weeks at 0,0.5, and 1% PB, respectively. By the ninth week 25% of rats fed 20 ppm MeHg-Cl showed neurotoxicity and 63% of the 0.5% PB fed showed neurotoxicity with some mortality. In experiments at 20 ppm MeHg-Cl both PB fed groups weighed considerably less than corresponding controls.
The Arabidopsis Cellulose Synthase Complex: A Proposed Hexamer of CESA Trimers in an Equimolar Stoichiometry

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable polymer on Earth and a major component of the plant cell wall. In vascular plants, cellulose synthesis is catalyzed by a large, plasma membrane-localized cellulose synthase complex (CSC), visualized as a hexameric rosette structure. Three unique cellulose synthase (CESA) isoforms are required for CSC assembly and function. However, elucidation of either the number or stoichiometry of CESAs within the CSC has remained elusive. In this study, we show a 1:1:1 stoichiometry between the three Arabidopsis thaliana secondary cell wall isozymes: CESA4, CESA7, and CESA8. This ratio was determined utilizing a simple but elegant method of quantitative immunoblotting using isoform-specific antibodies and 35S-labeled protein standards for each CESA. Additionally, the observed equimolar stoichiometry was found to be fixed along the axis of the stem, which represents a developmental gradient. Our results complement recent spectroscopic analyses pointing toward an 18-chain cellulose microfibril. Taken together, we propose that the CSC is composed of a hexamer of catalytically active CESA trimers, with each CESA in equimolar amounts. This finding is a crucial advance in understanding how CESAs integrate to form higher order complexes, which is a key determinate of cellulose microfibril and cell wall properties.
The Death of the Character

This article takes the opportunity, occasioned by the publication of Bonnie Honig’s profound meditations on the figure of Antigone, to dwell on the implications of the many interpretations of this ancient Greek character in modern and postmodern theory. From Hegel to Honig, we have seen a wide variety of readings of this crucial and excruciated girl, this virgin, this hero, the emblematic female, embodying family for Hegel (Phenomenology, Aesthetics), pure desire for Lacan (1997), queerness for Judith Butler (2002). This article will focus on what is lost when we read Greek tragedy for “character,” for the individual who speaks–as a character. Are we retrojecting a Cartesian selfhood, a possessive individualism, a “humanism”? The article goes back to an older philological text, R.F. Goheen’s The Imagery of Sophocles’ Antigone (1950), implicates this reading with Nicole Loraux’s observations on voices in mourning (1999), Anne Carson’s new translation of the play (2012), and thinks about the ways in which tragedy is a web of words, a rhizome.
The ray form of Newton’s law of motion

Through the use of the optical‐mechanical analogy, Newton’s law of motion may be cast into the same form as the equation for the ray in the geometrical optics of gradient‐index media. The resulting equation is called the ray form of Newton’s law of motion. The same equation may be derived by taking the geometrical optics limit of quantum mechanics. The ray form of Newton’s law of motion is derived in three different ways and is applied in the solution of several problems.
Effect of thermal changes on optical properties in fresh and previously frozen prostate tissue

The deposition, and distribution of light in laser irradiated tissue are important in determining the extent of tissue injury during laser prostatectomy. As tissue is irradiated, the optical properties change as a function of temperature due to an alteration of molecular and cellular structure. An increase in the absorption or scattering coefficient may prevent light from penetrating deeper into tissue, thus compromising laser treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine if temperature affects the optical scattering and absorption coefficients of canine prostate tissue. The effects of freezing of tissue prior to measurement were also investigated. A double integrating sphere spectrophotometer was used to measure reflectance, and transmittance of laser light in canine prostate at two wavelengths. Optical properties were calculated using an inverse adding-doubling algorithm. Measurements were made on samples heated for ten minutes in a waterbath at 10 degree increments from 35 to 55 degrees Celsius, and 5 degree increments from 60 to 85 degrees Celsius. In general, absorption and anisotropy coefficients decreased slightly with increasing exposure temperature up to 65 degrees Celsius, then increased sharply. Scattering coefficients increased slowly from the baseline temperature to 60 degrees Celsius, followed by a sharp increase between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. The scattering coefficient appeared to decrease at higher temperatures. Freezing the tissue prior to making the measurements resulted in a higher estimate of (mu) a , (mu) s , and g. These results were also found to be dependent upon the wavelength investigated. Results from this study indicate that as tissue is coagulated, thermally induced changes in the optical properties will limit the depth of penetration of light into the tissue.
Allosteric-site and catalytic-site ligand effects on PDE5 functions are associated with distinct changes in physical form of the enzyme.

Abstract Native phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) homodimer contains distinct non-catalytic cGMP allosteric sites and catalytic sites for cGMP hydrolysis. Purified recombinant PDE5 was activated by pre-incubation with cGMP. Relatively low concentrations of cGMP produced a Native PAGE gel shift of PDE5 from a single band position (lower band) to a band with decreased mobility (upper band); higher concentrations of cGMP produced a band of intermediate mobility (middle band) in addition to the upper band. Two point mutations (G659A and G659P) near the catalytic site that reduced affinity for cGMP substrate retained allosteric cGMP-binding affinity like that of WT PDE5 but displayed cGMP-induced gel shift only to the middle-band position. The upper band could represent a form produced by cGMP binding to the catalytic site, while the middle band could represent a form produced by cGMP binding to the allosteric site. Millimolar cGMP was required for gel shift of PDE5 when added to the pre-incubation before Native PAGE, presumably due to removal of most of the cGMP during electrophoresis, but micromolar cGMP was sufficient for this effect if cGMP was included in the native gel buffer. cGMP-induced gel shift was associated with stimulation of PDE5 catalytic activity, and the rates of onset and reversibility of this effect suggested that it was due to cGMP binding to the allosteric site. Incubation of PDE5 with non-hydrolyzable, catalytic site-specific, substrate analogs such as the inhibitors sildenafil and tadalafil, followed by dilution, did not produce activation of catalytic activity like that obtained with cGMP, although both inhibitors produced a similar gel shift to the upper band as that obtained with cGMP. This implied that occupation of the catalytic site alone can produce a gel shift to the upper band. PDE5 activation or gel shift was reversed by lowering cGMP with dilution followed by at least 1 h of incubation. Such slow reversibility could prolong effects of cGMP on PDE5 in cells after decline of this nucleotide. Reversal was also achieved by Mg ++ addition to the pre-incubation mixture to promote cGMP degradation, but Mg ++ addition did not reverse the gel shift caused by sildenafil, which is not hydrolyzed by PDE5. Upon extensive dilution, the effect of tadalafil, a potent PDE5 inhibitor, to enhance catalytic-site affinity for this inhibitor was rapidly reversed. Thus, kinetic effect of binding of a high-affinity PDE5 inhibitor to the catalytic site is more readily reversible than that obtained by cGMP binding to the allosteric site. It is concluded that cGMP or PDE5 inhibitor binding to the catalytic site, or ligand binding to both the catalytic site and allosteric site simultaneously, changes PDE5 to a similar physical form; this form is distinct from that produced by cGMP binding to the allosteric site, which activates the enzyme and reverses more slowly.
The ubiquitous nature of IL-17

The deubiquitinating enzyme USP25 restricts ubiquitination of the adaptors TRAF5 and TRAF6 and signaling via interleukin 17 and thus joins several ubiquitin-modifying enzymes already known to regulate this biomedically important pathway.
The ytterbium-indium system☆

X-ray diffraction, differential thermal, and metallographic methods were used to establish the ytterbium-indium phase diagram. Eutectic reactions occur at 690 °C and 11.5 at.% In, at 875 °C and 63.0 at.% In, and at 154 °C and greater than 99 at.% In. An inverted peritectic reaction develops as a result of indium additions, lowering the 792 °C transformation temperature of ytterbium to 750 °C. The intermetallic compounds, Yb5In2, Yb2In and YbIn3, decompose peritectically at 810°, 820° and 630 °C, respectively. YbIn and YbIn2 melt congruently at 1067° and 890 °C, respectively. The crystallographic data for these compounds are given. The relationships among the Yb-, Eu-, Ca-, Sr- and BaIn systems and the valency characteristics of Yb in these alloys are discussed.
Expression of aromatase protein and messenger ribonucleic acid in tumor epithelial cells and evidence of functional significance of locally produced estrogen in human breast cancers.

The expression of aromatase by breast cancer cells and the role of locally produced estrogen in the stimulation of tumor growth has been controversial. The present study was performed to determine the site of aromatization in human breast cancers, using both immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. The functional significance of locally produced estrogens on growth of the tumor was addressed by measuring aromatase activity and a marker of proliferation (PCNA score). In addition, histocultures of some tumors were carried out to investigate whether testosterone aromatization could stimulate tumor proliferation. Of the 19 tumors investigated, 10 (52.6%) showed significant immunoreactivity to antiaromatase antibody in the cytoplasm of tumor epithelial cells and in surrounding stromal cells. The presence of aromatase mRNA detected by ISH was also located in tumor epithelial cells and stromal cell, and the pattern of expression was the same as with immunocytochemistry. In the ten tumors that showed immunoreaction to aromatase, the average aromatase activity measured in cryosections was 286.5 +/- 18.6 (SE) fmol estrogen/mg protein.h, whereas in nine tumors with weak aromatase immunoreaction, the enzyme activity was 154.7 +/- 19.3 (SE) fmol estrogen/mg protein-h (P < 0.05). The mean PCNA score was 33.8 +/- 5.1 (SE)% in strongly stained tumors and 20.8 +/- 2.0 (SE)% in weakly stained tumors (P < 0.05). Aromatase activity level and PCNA score were significantly correlated. In histoculture of four tumors, estradiol increased the incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into DNA. In two of these tumors, aromatase activity was high and [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA was also stimulated by testosterone. In the other two tumors that had low aromatase activity, no such stimulation occurred with testosterone. The results indicate that aromatase is expressed mainly in tumor epithelial cells and that sufficient amounts of estrogen are synthesized by the tumor to produce a proliferative response. It is concluded that estrogen synthesis by cancer cells could play a important role in promoting growth in a significant proportion of breast tumors.
New paradigms for research on heterosexual and sexual-minority development

As psychological research on sexual-minority (i.e., nonheterosexual) adolescents has increased over the past 20 years, it has become increasingly segregated from research on mainstream heterosexual youths, as if the knowledge gleaned from each population had nothing to offer our understanding of the other. To the contrary, understanding of both populations would be greatly improved by integrating investigations of sexual-minority issues into mainstream psychological research on adolescents. I outline 4 weaknesses in contemporary research on sexual-minority youth that stem from--and perpetuate--its historical isolation from mainstream developmental research: misspecification of the populations under study, lack of attention to within-group diversity, failure to test alternative explanations for--and moderators of--"sexual-minority effects," and insufficient attention to the underlying processes and mechanisms through which sexual-minority effects operate. Correcting these weaknesses has important implications for future research on how same-sex and other-sex sexuality shape adolescent psychosocial development and clinical child and adolescent problems.
"New" lunar meteorites: Implications for composition of the global lunar surface, lunar crust, and the bulk Moon

New data for lunar meteorites and a synthesis of literature data have significant implications for the interpretation of global Th data and for the Moons bulk composition. As presently calibrated (Prettyman et al. 2002), the Lunar Prospector gamma-ray data imply that the average global surface Th = 1.58 μg/g. However, that calibration yields implausibly high concentrations for the three most Th-poor documented sampling sites, it extrapolates to a nonzero Lunar Prospector Th, ~0.7 μg/g, at zero sample Th, and it results in a misfit toward too-high Th when compared with the global regolith Th spectrum as constrained using mainly lunaite regolith breccias. Another problem is manifested by Th versus K systematics. Ground truth data plot consistently to the high-Th/K side of the Prospector data trend, offset by a factor of 1.2. A new calibration is proposed that represents a compromise between the Th levels indicated by ground truth constraints and the Prettyman et al. (2002) calibration. Conservatively assuming that the Th versus K issue is mostly a K problem, the average global surface Th is estimated to be ~1.35 μg/g. The Moons remarkable global asymmetry in KREEP abundance is even more pronounced than previously supposed. The surface Th concentration ratio between the hemisphere antipodal to the Procellarum basin and the hemisphere centered on Procellarum is reduced to 0.24 in the new calibration. This extreme disparity is most simply interpreted as a consequence of Procellarums origin at a time when the Moon still contained at least a thin residual layer of a global magma ocean. Allowing for diminution of Th with depth, the extrapolated bulk crustal Th is ~0.73 μg/g. Further extrapolation to bulk Moon Th yields ~0.07 μg/g, which is nearly identical to the consensus estimate for Earths primitive mantle. Assuming chondritic proportionality among refractory lithophile elements implies Al2O3 of approximately 3.8 wt%. The Moons bulk mantle mg ratio is only weakly constrained by seismic and mare-basaltic data. KREEPand mare-free lunaite regolith samples, other thoroughly polymict lunar meteorites, and a few KREEP-free Apollo highland samples manifest a remarkable anticorrelation on a plot of Al2O3 versus mg. This trend implies that an important component of the Moon is highly magnesian. The bulk Moon is inferred to have an Earth-like oxide mg ratio of ~87-88 mol%. The close resemblance between the bulk Moon and Earths primitive mantle extends to moderately volatile elements, most clearly Mn. Unless major proportions of Cr and V are sequestered into deep mantle spinel, remarkably Earth-like depletions (versus chondrites) are also inferred for bulk Moon Cr and V.
Deamination of Single-Stranded DNA Cytosine Residues in Aerobic Nitric Oxide Solution at Micromolar Total NO Exposures

Deamination of cytosine to uracil is a potential source of mutations in DNA. Here we examine the deaminating ability of aerobic nitric oxide (NO) toward single-stranded DNA at very low (micromolar and below) total exposures, using a sensitive genetic method that allows us to study a single deamination event at a specific site in a 7200-nucleotide DNA molecule within a pool of ca. 100,000 other identical DNA molecules. We incubated gapped C141 M13mp2 DNA with the NO-generating compound, Et2N[N(O)NO]Na (DEA/NO), in aerobic buffer for 16 h to ensure complete autoxidation at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. After ultrafiltration to remove small molecules, the DNA was transformed into isogenic Escherichia coli cultures that were either deficient (NR9404, ung-) or proficient (MC1061, ung+) in uracil-DNA glycosylase activity. The gapped DNA was constructed such that the target (CCC) codon was contained in a short single-stranded segment of otherwise double-stranded circular DNA, and the incubation was performed in a closed system to prevent loss of NO to the atmosphere before the reaction was complete. An increase in the reversion frequency in the ung- strain was noted between 0 and 1 microM DEA/NO, and the reversion frequency leveled out between 3 and 30 microM. However, 30 microM "spent" DEA/NO (i.e., that which was similarly incubated for 4 h to complete the autoxidation of NO before the DNA was added) did not increase reversion frequency relative to control. Nearly all (42/43) of the mutations identified after 1 microM DEA/NO treatment were C-->T transitions, and reversion frequency in the isogenic ung+ strain was lower than in the ung- strain. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that total NO exposures in the mumol/L range can lead to C-->T mutations via a mechanism most probably involving deamination of DNA cytosine residues.
RDC derived protein backbone resonance assignment using fragment assembly

Experimental residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) in combination with structural models have the potential for accelerating the protein backbone resonance assignment process because RDCs can be measured accurately and interpreted quantitatively. However, this application has been limited due to the need for very high-resolution structural templates. Here, we introduce a new approach to resonance assignment based on optimal agreement between the experimental and calculated RDCs from a structural template that contains all assignable residues. To overcome the inherent computational complexity of such a global search, we have adopted an efficient two-stage search algorithm and included connectivity data from conventional assignment experiments. In the first stage, a list of strings of resonances (CA-links) is generated via exhaustive searches for short segments of sequentially connected residues in a protein (local templates), and then ranked by the agreement of the experimental 13Cα chemical shifts and 15N-1H RDCs to the predicted values for each local template. In the second stage, the top CA-links for different local templates in stage I are combinatorially connected to produce CA-links for all assignable residues. The resulting CA-links are ranked for resonance assignment according to their measured RDCs and predicted values from a tertiary structure. Since the final RDC ranking of CA-links includes all assignable residues and the assignment is derived from a “global minimum”, our approach is far less reliant on the quality of experimental data and structural templates. The present approach is validated with the assignments of several proteins, including a 42 kDa maltose binding protein (MBP) using RDCs and structural templates of varying quality. Since backbone resonance assignment is an essential first step for most of biomolecular NMR applications and is often a bottleneck for large systems, we expect that this new approach will improve the efficiency of the assignment process for small and medium size proteins and will extend the size limits assignable by current methods for proteins with structural models.
Effect of the Amino Acid Attached to Escherichia coli Initiator tRNA on Its Affinity for the Initiation Factor IF2 and on the IF2 Dependence of Its Binding to the Ribosome

Abstract We show that the nature of the amino acid in the formylaminoacyl-tRNA influences initiation factor (IF) 2 dependence of its ribosome binding and that this IF2 dependence reflects the relative affinity of the formylaminoacyl-tRNA for the initiation factor IF2. We compared the template-dependent ribosome binding activities, in the presence of initiation factors, of wild type and anticodon sequence mutants of Escherichia coli initiator tRNAs that carry formylmethionine (fMet), formylglutamine (fGln), or formylvaline (fVal). The fGln-tRNA bound less well than fMet-tRNA whereas the fVal-tRNA bound as well as fMet-tRNA. The rate and extent of binding of fGln-tRNA to the ribosome was significantly increased by further addition of purified initiation factor IF2. In contrast, the binding of fVal-tRNA or fMet-tRNA was not affected much by the addition of IF2. Using gel mobility shift assay, we have measured the apparent Kd values of the IF2·formylaminoacyl-tRNA binary complexes. These are 1.8, 3.5, and 10.5 μM for fMet-tRNA, fVal-tRNA, and fGln-tRNA, respectively.
Investigation of Corona and Field Effects of AC/DC Hybrid Transmission Lines

This paper describes laboratory and analytical studies that have been conducted by The Bonneville Power Administration to determine corona and electric field effects of a proposed ac/dc hybrid transmnission line. The proposed hybrid line would consist of a 500 kV ac circuit operating on the same structure as a ±500 kV dc circuit. Generally, the laboratory studies show that, with some modifications, equations used at BPA for calculating corona phenomenon can be used for a hybrid line. The paper also describes a technique for estimating dc electric field parameters which are enhanced by the presence of ions
Order Parameter Distribution for the Electrophydrodynamic Mode of a Nematic Liquid Crystal

Abstract AC electric fields are known to induce a visible domain pattern in certain nematic liquid crystals. We have measured the focal length of the liquid crystal lens system responsible for this visibility. We have also measured the resistance change associated with this electrohydrodynamic mode. These results can be quantitatively interpreted in terms of the director's spatial distribution which is predicted by Helfrich's theory of conduction induced alignment.
A spatial filter for phase object differentiation

Abstract A spatial filter for coherent optical processing which has an amplitude transmittance proportional to the square root of the sum of the spatial frequency and a constant, is shown to produce intensity images nearly linear to the first derivative of the phase of purely phase-varying input objects. These images can then be integrated incoherently to yield the phase functions of the objects.
prediction of wine quality and geographic origin from chemical measurements by parital least-squares regression modeling

Abstract A multivariate regression method, PLS, was applied to model the relationship between objective chemical measurements and subjective sensory evaluation of Pinto Noir wine samples. Descriptive and predictive models were calculated according to present pathways in order to classify the wines according to their geographic origin and to predict several organoleptic characteristics. The importance of inorganic elements in these prediction problems was investigated.
Amperometric detection of simple carbohydrates at platinum electrodes in alkaline solutions by application of a triple-pulse potential waveform

Abstract The response of ten simple carbohydrates was investigated voltammetrically at platinum electrodes in 0.10 M sodium hydroxide by application of a conventional linear sweep waveform and a triple-pulse waveform. Linear-sweep data were interpreted to suggest that electrochemical reactions of the carbohydrates involve oxidation of adsorbed hydrogen atoms produced by surface-catalyzed dehydrogenation of the adsorbed carbohydrate. The triple-pulse measurement technique was evaluated for a flow-injection system by introducing 100-μl samples into a stream of 0.1 M NaOH with a flow rate of 0.375 ml min -1 , and measuring the peak current. Peak currents for ten carbohydrates at 0.5 mM ranged from 17 to 42 μa and a detection limit of 0.01 mM was evaluated for dextrose. Calibration plots of reciprocal peak current ( I -1 p ) vs. reciprocal of concentration (C -1 ) were linear for dextrose and sorbitol concentrations between 0.1 and 1.0 mM.