cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diacylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, and their metabolic enzymes in synaptic vesicle recycling

The synaptic vesicle (SV) cycle includes exocytosis of vesicles loaded with a neurotransmitter such as glutamate, coordinated recovery of SVs by endocytosis, refilling of vesicles, and subsequent release of the refilled vesicles from the presynaptic bouton. SV exocytosis is tightly linked with endocytosis, and variations in the number of vesicles, and/or defects in the refilling of SVs, will affect the amount of neurotransmitter available for release (Sudhof, 2004). There is increasing interest in the roles synaptic vesicle lipids and lipid metabolizing enzymes play in this recycling. Initial emphasis was placed on the role of polyphosphoinositides in SV cycling as outlined in a number of reviews (Lim and Wenk, 2009; Martin, 2012; Puchkov and Haucke, 2013; Rohrbough and Broadie, 2005). Other lipids are now recognized to also play critical roles. For example, PLD1 (Humeau et al., 2001; Rohrbough and Broadie, 2005) and some DGKs (Miller et al., 1999; Nurrish et al., 1999) play roles in neurotransmission which is consistent with the critical roles for phosphatidic acid (PtdOH) and diacylglycerol (DAG) in the regulation of SV exo/endocytosis (Cremona et al., 1999; Exton, 1994; Huttner and Schmidt, 2000; Lim and Wenk, 2009; Puchkov and Haucke, 2013; Rohrbough and Broadie, 2005). PLD generates phosphatidic acid by catalyzing the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) and in some systems this PtdOH is de-phosphorylated to generate DAG. In contrast, DGK catalyzes the phosphorylation of DAG thereby converting it into PtdOH. While both enzymes are poised to regulate the levels of DAG and PtdOH, therefore, they both lead to the generation of PtdOH and could have opposite effects on DAG levels. This is particularly important for SV cycling as PtdOH and DAG are both needed for evoked exocytosis (Lim and Wenk, 2009; Puchkov and Haucke, 2013; Rohrbough and Broadie, 2005). Two lipids and their involved metabolic enzymes, two sphingolipids have also been implicated in exocytosis: sphingosine (Camoletto et al., 2009; Chan et al., 2012; Chan and Sieburth, 2012; Darios et al., 2009; Kanno et al., 2010; Rohrbough et al., 2004) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (Chan, Hu, 2012; Chan and Sieburth, 2012; Kanno et al., 2010). Finally a number of reports have focused on the somewhat less well studies roles of sphingolipids and cholesterol in SV cycling. In this report, we review the recent understanding of the roles PLDs, DGKs, and DAG lipases, as well as sphingolipids and cholesterol play in synaptic vesicle cycling.
Threshold estimates and superthreshold behavior of ultrasound-induced lung hemorrhage in adult rats: role of pulse duration.

Abstract The study objective was to estimate the pressure threshold (ED05, effective dose, or in situ peak rarefactional pressure associated with 5% probability of lesions) of ultrasound (US)-induced lung hemorrhage as a function of pulse duration (PD) in adult rats. A total of 220 10- to 11-week-old 250-g female Sprague-Dawley rats (Harlan) were randomly divided into 20 ultrasonic exposure groups (10 rats/group) and one sham group (20 rats). The 20 ultrasonic exposure groups (2.8-MHz; 10-s exposure duration; 1-kHz PRF; −6-dB pulse-echo focal beam width of 470 μm) were divided into four PD groups (1.3, 4.4, 8.2 and 11.6 μs) and, for each PD group, there were five in situ peak rarefactional pressures (range between 4 and 9 MPa). Rats were weighed, anesthetized, depilated, exposed, and euthanized under anesthesia. The left lung was removed and scored for the occurrence of hemorrhage. If hemorrhage was present, the lesion surface area and depth were measured. Individuals involved in animal handling, exposure and lesion scoring were “blinded” to the exposure conditions. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the dependence of the lesion occurrences, and Gaussian tobit regression analysis was used to examine the dependence of the lesion surface areas and depths on in situ peak rarefactional pressure and PD. Threshold results are reported in terms of ED05. For PDs of 1.3, 4.4, 8.2 and 11.6 μs, respectively, lesion occurrence ED05s were 3.1, 2.8, 2.3 and 2.0 MPa with standard errors around 0.6 MPa. Lesion size ED05s showed similar values. A mechanical index (MI) of 1.9, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory limit of diagnostic US equipment, is equivalent to the adult rat's in situ peak rarefactional pressure of 4.0 MPa. PDs of 8.2 and 11.6 μs had ED05s more than 2 standard errors below 4.0 MPa, indicating that the ED05s of these two PDs are statistically significantly different from 4.0 MPa. The ED05 threshold levels for a PD of 1.3 μs are consistent with previous US-induced lung hemorrhage studies. As the PD increases, the ED05 levels decrease, suggesting greater likelihood of lung damage as the PD increases. All of the ED05s are less than the FDA limit. (E-mail: wdo@uiuc.edu)
Operator analysis of L=1 baryon masses in large N{sub c} QCD

The authors consider in detail the mass operator analysis for the nonstrange L=1 excited baryons in large N{sub c} QCD. They present a straightforward procedure for constructing the large N{sub c} baryon wavefunctions, and provide complete analytic expressions for the matrix elements of all the independent isosinglet mass operators. They discuss the relationship between the old-fashioned operator analyses based on nonrelativistic SU(6) symmetry and the modern large N{sub c} approach, which has a firmer theoretical foundation. They then suggest a possible dynamical interpretation for the subset of operators preferred strongly by the data.
INTEGRAL REPRESENTATIONS FOR JACOBI POLYNOMIALS AND SOME APPLICATIONS.

Abstract An integral for [P n (α + μ,β) (x)] [P n (α + μ,β) (1)] in terms of [P n (α,β) (y)] [P n (α,β) (1)] with a positive kernel is obtained. For β = ± 1 2 this integral is equivalent to an important integral of Feldheim and Vilenkin connecting ultraspherical polynomials. As an application we show that P n (α,α) (x) P n (α,α) (1) = ∫ −1 1 P n (β,β) (y) P n (β,β) (1) dμ(y) where α > β ⩾ − 1 2 , − 1 ⩽ x ⩽ 1, and dμ(y) is a positive measure which depends on x but not n . For β = − 1 2 this is a result of Seidel and Szasz. Similar results are obtained for Jacobi polynomials and the positivity of certain sums of ultraspherical and Jacobi polynomials is obtained.
The Psychological World of the Gay Teenager:Social Change, Narrative, and "Normality"

This paper examines the application of concepts of normal adolescence pioneered by Offer and colleagues to the study of gay and lesbian youth. Adolescent development among this population demonstrates remarkable historical variability along the lines of generation-cohort, revealing the utility of a life-course approach to the study of normal adolescence. Concepts of normal adolescence appear to shift with changing narratives of identity for sexual minority youth. We contrast two narratives of gay youth identity development that have emerged since the inception of substantive research programs on gay adolescence: (1) the narrative of struggle and success that came to dominate the literature in the 1980s and 1990s and (2) the narrative of emancipation that has emerged from the work of Savin-Williams and others who argue for a recognition of the diversity of adolescent development for this population. In relating this contrast to Offer’s seminal contributions to the study of adolescence, we suggest that the most normative feature of human development, particularly during adolescence, is its connection to discourses of identity through the formation of personal narratives that anchor the life course and provide meaning to conceptions of self-development. The example of shifting narratives of gay youth identity development is meant to exemplify this characteristic feature of human development.
Analysis of circulating lipid-phase micronutrients in humans by HPLC: Review and overview of new developments

Retinol, tocopherols, coenzyme Q10, carotenoids, and vitamin D are lipophilic compounds shown to function as important health-protective agents by mitigating the damaging effects of oxidative and other injury. Scientific interest in evaluating these compounds has resurfaced in recent years, particularly in the nutritional, clinical and epidemiologic fields, and has precipitated the development of a multitude of new analytical techniques. This review considers recent developments in HPLC-based assays since 2007 for the simultaneous determination of these lipid-phase compounds utilizing exclusively serum or plasma as these matrices are mostly used in clinical and epidemiological investigations. We also provide an overview of blood measurements for selected carotenoids, tocopherols, coenzyme Q10 and retinol from the last 15years of healthy umbilical cord blood, children, and adults.
Performance explorer: understanding java application behavior

This demonstration illustrates how the visualization tool, Performance Explorer (PE), can be used to understand the behavior of Java applications. PE allows the visualization of data over time in various graphical and tabular ways. In addition, PE allows the interactive creation and modification of visualizations. Most properties of the visualization are defined using expressions in a language similar to Java expressions. Finally, PE has an extensible trace format that allows flexible data acquisition and aggregation.
An Overview Of SOI By Implantation Of Oxygen: Materials, Devices And Circuits

Silicon on Insulators (SOI) formed by ion implantation of oxygen has been examined by several researchers including the present authors. This paper gives a brief review of this subject. The advantages of SOI versus Silicon on Sapphire (SOS) and bulk Si are discussed. The materials properties and the effects of ion implantation and anneal conditions are reviewed. Device modeling as it applies to SOI has been presented. Characteristics of devices built in SOI formed by ion implantation of oxygen are examined. Finally some circuit results are discussed.
Evaluation of airborne thermal infrared imagery for locating mine drainage sites in the Lower Kettle Creek and Cooks Run Basins, Pennsylvania, USA

High-resolution airborne thermal infrared (TIR) imagery data were collected over 90.6 km2 (35 mi2) of remote and rugged terrain in the Kettle Creek and Cooks Run Basins, tributaries of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in north-central Pennsylvania. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of TIR for identifying sources of acid mine drainage (AMD) associated with abandoned coal mines. Coal mining from the late 1800s resulted in many AMD sources from abandoned mines in the area. However, very little detailed mine information was available, particularly on the source locations of AMD sites. Potential AMD sources were extracted from airborne TIR data employing custom image processing algorithms and GIS data analysis. Based on field reconnaissance of 103 TIR anomalies, 53 sites (51%) were classified as AMD. The AMD sources had low pH (<4) and elevated concentrations of iron and aluminum. Of the 53 sites, approximately 26 sites could be correlated with sites previously documented as AMD. The other 27 mine discharges identified in the TIR data were previously undocumented. This paper presents a summary of the procedures used to process the TIR data and extract potential mine drainage sites, methods used for field reconnaissance and verification of TIR data, and a brief summary of water-quality data.
Outpatient and short‐stay thyroid surgery

With the realization that simple thyroid procedures had a very low rate of complication and that patients often seemed well enough to go home from the recovery room, we began performing them in an ambulatory surgery setting. We review here 134 consecutive thyroid procedures performed at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center between July 1987 and July 1989. Patients undergoing reoperation, neck dissection, sternal splits, or other concomitant procedures were excluded. There were 105 women and 29 men with an average age of 47 years. Fifty percent of the operations were performed for benign disease, although the most common diagnosis was papillary cancer (44%). Twenty-one operations (16%) were performed under local anesthesia. Most patients underwent surgery in our ambulatory surgery unit and 76 were discharged the day of surgery. Of these patients, 21 underwent total thyroidectomy, 13 subtotal thyroidectomy, and 42 simple thyroid lobectomy. Of the 58 patients who were admitted, 53 were discharged on the day following surgery. The average length of stay was 0.49 days. Extensive pre- and postoperative teaching was given regarding the signs and symptoms associated with the complications of thyroid surgery. All patients were felt to be reliable and capable of understanding the procedure and of complying with the postoperative plans. Postoperative complications included 8 patients (6%) with transient hypocalcemia and 1 patient (0.75%) with permanent unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. All complications occurred in patients who underwent total thyroidectomies. No patient had a postoperative complication requiring reoperation or readmission. We conclude that by using specific selection criteria, thyroid lobectomies and subtotal thyroidectomies can be performed safely in an ambulatory surgery setting without increase in morbidity or mortality.
Nav1.6 channels generate resurgent sodium currents in spinal sensory neurons

The Nav1.6 voltage-gated sodium channel has been implicated in the generation of resurgent currents in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Our data show that resurgent sodium currents are produced by some large diameter dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from wild-type mice, but not from Nav1.6-null mice; small DRG neurons do not produce resurgent currents. Many, but not all, DRG neurons transfected with Nav1.6 produce resurgent currents. These results demonstrate for the first time the intrinsic ability of Nav1.6 to produce a resurgent current, and also show that cell background is critical in permitting the generation of these currents.
Dynamics of quasiresonant vibration-rotation transfer in atom-diatom scattering.

Quasiresonant vibration-rotation transfer in the collision of an atom with a diatomic molecule is studied with use of classical trajectories. At high molecular rotation rates and low collision velocities the atom-diatom interaction consists of a sequence of small collisions (''collisionettes''). This leads to a nearly perfect negative correlation between the changes in the rotational and vibrational actions and very large vibrationally inelastic cross sections. This quasiresonant process shows evidence of frequency locking between the vibrator and the rotational ''oscillator.''
Rare earth element diffusion in a natural pyrope single crystal at 2.8 GPa

Volume diffusion rates of Ce, Sm, Dy, and Yb have been measured in a natural pyrope-rich garnet single crystal (Py71Alm16Gr13) at a pressure of 2.8 GPa and temperatures of 1,200–1,450 °C. Pieces of a single gem-quality pyrope megacryst were polished, coated with a thin layer of polycrystalline REE oxide, then annealed in a piston cylinder device for times between 2.6 and 90 h. Diffusion profiles in the annealed samples were measured by SIMS depth profiling. The dependence of diffusion rates on temperature can be described by the following Arrhenius equations (diffusion coefficients in m2/s): \(\)\(\matrix{ {\log _{10} D_{{\rm Yb}} = ( - 7.73 \pm 0.97) - \left( {343 \pm 30\;{\rm kJ}\;{\rm mol}^{{\rm - 1}} /2.303RT} \right)} \cr {\log _{10} D_{{\rm Dy}} = ( - 9.04 \pm 0.97) - \left( {302 \pm 30\;{\rm kJ}\;{\rm mol}^{{\rm - 1}} /2.303RT} \right)} \cr {\log _{10} D_{{\rm Sm}} = ( - 9.21 \pm 0.97) - \left( {300 \pm 30\;{\rm kJ}\;{\rm mol}^{{\rm - 1}} /2.303RT} \right)} \cr {\log _{10} D_{{\rm Ce}} = ( - 9.74 \pm 2.84) - \left( {284 \pm 91\;{\rm kJ}\;{\rm mol}^{{\rm - 1}} /2.303RT} \right)} \cr } \) . There is no significant influence of ionic radius on diffusion rates; at each temperature the diffusion coefficients for Ce, Sm, Dy, and Yb are indistinguishable from each other within the measurement uncertainty. However, comparison with other diffusion data suggests that there is a strong influence of ionic charge on diffusion rates in garnet, with REE3+ diffusion rates more than two orders of magnitude slower than divalent cation diffusion rates. This implies that the Sm–Nd isotopic chronometer may close at significantly higher temperatures than thermometers based on divalent cation exchange, such as the garnet–biotite thermometer. REE diffusion rates in pyrope are similar to Yb and Dy diffusion rates in diopside at temperatures near the solidus of garnet lherzolite (~1,450 °C at 2.8 GPa), and are an order of magnitude faster than Nd, Ce, and La in high-Ca pyroxene at these conditions. At lower temperatures relevant to the lithospheric mantle and crust, REE diffusion rates in garnet are much faster than in high-Ca pyroxene, and closure temperatures for Nd isotopes in slowly-cooled garnets are ~200 °C lower than in high-Ca pyroxene.
High-Speed Digital Fiber Optic Links For Satellite Traffic

Large aperture phased array antennas operating at millimeter wave frequencies are designed for space-based communications and imaging platforms. Array elements are comprised of active T/R modules which are linked to the central processing unit through high-speed fiber-optic networks. The system architecture satisfying system requirements at millimeter wave frequency is T/R level data mixing where data and frequency reference signals are distributed independently before mixing at the T/R modules. This paper demonstrates design procedures of a low loss high-speed fiber-optic link used for transmission of data signals over 600-900 MHz bandwidth inside satellite. The fiber-optic link is characterized for transmission of analog and digital data. A dynamic range of 79 dB/MHz was measured for analog data over the bandwidth. On the other hand, for bursted SMSK satellite traffic at 220 Mbps rates, BER of 2 x 10 to the -7th was measured for E(b)/N(o) of 14.3 dB.
Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Traumatic Brain Injury

The authors review the psychiatric disturbances associated with traumatic brain injury. They highlight the close link between traumatic brain injury and psychiatry and provide an overview of the epidemiology, risk factors, classification, and mechanisms of traumatic brain injury. They describe various neuropsychiatric sequelae, and the respective treatments are outlined with emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach.
Correlated randomness: Some examples of exotic statistical physics

One challenge of biology, medicine, and economics is that the systems treated by these sciences have no perfect metronome in time and no perfect spatial architecture-crystalline or otherwise. Nonetheless, as if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time and remarkably fine-tuned structures in space. To understand this ‘miracle’, one might consider placing aside the human tendency to see the universe as a machine. Instead, one might address the challenge of uncovering how, through randomness (albeit, as we shall see, strongly correlated randomness), one can arrive at many spatial and temporal patterns in biology, medicine, and economics. Inspired by principles developed by statistical physics over the past 50 years-scale invariance and universality-we review some recent applications of correlated randomness to fields that might startle Boltzmann if he were alive today.
Hydrothermal synthesis of lithium iron phosphate cathodes

Hydrothermal methods have been successfully applied to the synthesis of lithium iron phosphates. Li3Fe2(PO4)3 was synthesized by heating at 700°C LiFePO4(OH), formed hydrothermally in an oxidizing environment. Crystalline LiFePO4 was formed in a direct hydrothermal reaction in just a few hours, and no impurities were detected. This result leads to the possibility of an easy scale-up to a commercial process. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Both phosphates were tested as the cathode in lithium batteries and showed results comparable to those formed by conventional high-temperature synthesis.
Mucosal immunization with live attenuated Francisella novicida U112ΔiglB protects against pulmonary F. tularensis SCHU S4 in the Fischer 344 rat model

The need for an efficacious vaccine against Francisella tularensis is a consequence of its low infectious dose and high mortality rate if left untreated. This study sought to characterize a live attenuated subspecies novicida-based vaccine strain (U112ΔiglB) in an established second rodent model of pulmonary tularemia, namely the Fischer 344 rat using two distinct routes of vaccination (intratracheal [i.t.] and oral). Attenuation was verified by comparing replication of U112ΔiglB with wild type parental strain U112 in F344 primary alveolar macrophages. U112ΔiglB exhibited an LD(50)>10(7) CFU compared to the wild type (LD(50) = 5 × 10(6) CFU i.t.). Immunization with 10(7) CFU U112ΔiglB by i.t. and oral routes induced antigen-specific IFN-γ and potent humoral responses both systemically (IgG2a>IgG1 in serum) and at the site of mucosal vaccination (respiratory/intestinal compartment). Importantly, vaccination with U112ΔiglB by either i.t. or oral routes provided equivalent levels of protection (50% survival) in F344 rats against a subsequent pulmonary challenge with ~25 LD(50) (1.25 × 10(4) CFU) of the highly human virulent strain SCHU S4. Collectively, these results provide further evidence on the utility of a mucosal vaccination platform with a defined subsp. novicida U112ΔiglB vaccine strain in conferring protective immunity against pulmonary tularemia.
Self-control and social cooperation.

Abstract Participants repeatedly played a self-control game in which choice of the higher of two monetary rewards on the present trial reduced the overall reward (‘alone condition’). Other participants played a prisoner’s dilemma (social cooperation) game in which choices alternated so that overall reward-reducing consequences of choosing the higher current amount were experienced by the other player (‘together condition’). Participants playing the self-control game chose the lower current amount (and higher overall reward) significantly more frequently than did those playing the social cooperation game. In a second phase, half of the subjects who had played the self-control game played the social cooperation game and vice-versa. Little or no transfer was observed between conditions. In a second experiment, raising the amount of the next-trial reward increased self-control but not social cooperation. Some transfer between self-control and social cooperation was observed. The crucial variable responsible for participants’ better performance (closer to optimization) in the self-control game compared to the social cooperation game may have been the higher probability in the former that choice of the lower reward on the present trial would be repeated on subsequent trials.
Aspirin effects on endometrial cancer cell growth.

Abstract Objective: To find whether aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA) inhibits the growth of endometrial cancer cells in vitro in a way similar to that in colorectal cancer cells and to investigate the mechanisms by which aspirin might lead to growth inhibition. Methods: Ishikawa human endometrial tumor cells were grown in the presence of ASA (1–5 mM) for 96 hours. Controls were treated with vehicle (absolute ethanol). Cell proliferation was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay. Analysis of cell-cycle distribution and bcl-2 expression was assessed by flow cytometry. Results: Acetylsalicylic acid induced a dose-dependent inhibition of Ishikawa cells in vitro. The percentage of growth inhibition was 21–88% at concentrations of 1–5 mM. It also induced apoptosis and reduced bcl-2 expression in Ishikawa cells in a dose-dependent manner. Control cells and cells treated with the lowest concentration of ASA exhibited 2% apoptosis and more than 60% of the population expressed bcl-2. Apoptosis levels increased as levels of ASA increased from 2 to 5 mM (7–58%) with a concommitant decrease in bcl-2 expression from 46% at 2 mM to 2% at 5 mM. Acetylsalicylic acid concentrations of 3 mM or greater induced a shift from the resting phase (G0/G1) to S phase of the cell cycle. Conclusion: Acetylsalicylic acid inhibited Ishikawa cell growth in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis is one of the mechanisms involved in the response, which can be mediated in part by downregulation of bcl-2.
A neutral soluble high molecular weight keratin from epidermis.

Abstract Previously described keratins, the structural proteins of epidermis, are soluble at pH values of less than 2.5, or greater than 10. At intermediate pH values, denaturants such as urea or SDS must be added in order to dissolve them, and in addition, with some types of keratin, disulfide reducing agents are also required to effect solution. These proteins are composed of several polypeptide chains in the molecular weight range of 45,000 to 70,000 daltons. This report describes the isolation and partial characterization of a new form of keratin, called neutral soluble keratin, which is freely soluble in low ionic strength buffers at neutral pH. The molecular weights of the polypeptides comprising neutral soluble keratin are in the range of 79,000 to 90,000 daltons.
A Policy Research Paradigm for the News Media and Democracy.

L'A. s'interroge sur le role des chercheurs en communication et des journalistes dans la democratie. Il decrit la necessite de promouvoir les relations et le dialogue entre ces acteurs. Il considere qu'avec cette communication democratique, les chercheurs en particulier developperaient de nouvelles idees en matiere de recherche et de theorie
Characterization of the Human Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase (VLCAD) Gene Promoter Region † 746

Characterization of the Human Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase (VLCAD) Gene Promoter Region † 746
Physiological Integration among Clonal Ramets during Invasion of Disturbance Patches in a New England Salt Marsh

Abstract Resource sharing between ramets growing across environmental resource gradients may have important consequences for clonal plant populations and community dynamics. As the clonal salt marsh grasses, Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata, vegetatively colonize disturbance-generated bare patches, they span steep gradients in soil salinity and available sunlight. Examination of water relations and carbon translocation in the field and greenhouse revealed that connected ramets of these marsh grasses share water and carbon in response to gradients in resource availability. Ramets colonizing disturbance patches rely upon physiological integration with connected parent ramets to overcome water stress associated with hypersaline patch environments. In addition, upon establishment inside a bare patch, daughter ramets may translocate carbon back to shaded parent ramets in the surrounding vegetation outside of patches. Physiological integration of ramets colonizing disturbance-generated bare patches and parent ramets outside of patches may explain the predominance of vegetative invasion over sexual recruitment in marsh succession. Hypersaline soil conditions, which inhibit seedling recruitment into patches, have little effect on the success of clonal colonizers that can import water from parent ramets. This success appears to be due to the ability of clonal marsh grasses to translocate water and carbon products between ramets growing across opposing gradients in resource availability.
NONFATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN RELATION TO BIOGRAPHICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND RELIGIOUS FACTORS

Abstract This report compares the biographical, personality and religious factors thought to be related to nonfatal traffic violations and accidents of a non-drinking group (Seventh-Day Adventists—SDA) and its matched neighbor group. This study was performed to determine the appropriateness of comparing traffic accident rates of the non-drinking SDA population with that of a matched population, which necessitated the determination of how different these groups were with respect to factors other than their consumption of alcohol. 102 randomly-selected SDAs were compared with their third-door neighbors using a survey instrument composed of selected items from four instruments. In addition to the 23 personality and attitude factors measured by this instrument, a number of demographic and driving habit variables were included in a separate questionnaire. For the above-mentioned psychological factors, it was shown that the two groups differed significantly in only six. The SDAs had a significantly lower mean score on alcoholic tendency, ambition, and masculinity, but a higher score on benevolence, friendliness, and objectivity. No significant differences were observed on accident attitude, violation attitude, general activity, and personal relations, items on which Schuster and Guilford found significant correlations with violations and accidents in their study group. With respect to the biographical variables, significant differences were observed between the two groups in such items as church attendance, Bible study, and prayer, and the drinking of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and military service experience. No differences were observed between the groups in items such as night driving, rush-hour driving, freeway driving, average mileage, and motor vehicle accidents. In a study of the relationship of accident rates to various factors, military service experience, Bible reading, and drinking of alcohol turned out to be the most important.
Sequential aldol condensation catalyzed by DERA mutant Ser238Asp and a formal total synthesis of atorvastatin

Abstract A mutant d -2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase (DERA), Ser238Asp, was used to prepare β-hydroxy-δ-lactol synthons and a key intermediate for atorvastatin synthesis.
Economic issues and the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Enormous financial resources are expended worldwide on the treatment of the urologic complications and symptoms induced by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Even for its surgical management, where the best data exist, current international accounting of these expenditures remains very poorly documented. On February 8, 1994, the Department of Health and Human Services of the US government released clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of BPH. Imaging of the upper urinary tract as a routine diagnostic procedure is not recommended in these guidelines unless a comorbidity indicating its need exists. Diagnostic cystoscopy to assist in the decision of the need to treat is not recommended. Adherence to these two principles along with adherence to the strategies of management presented in the guidelines and discussed herein has the potential of achieving profound financial savings without impairing quality of care worldwide.
Putting renewables and energy efficiency to work: How many jobs can the clean energy industry generate in the US?

An analytical job creation model for the US power sector from 2009 to 2030 is presented. The model synthesizes data from 15 job studies covering renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency (EE), carbon capture and storage (CCS) and nuclear power. The paper employs a consistent methodology of normalizing job data to average employment per unit energy produced over plant lifetime. Job losses in the coal and natural gas industry are modeled to project net employment impacts. Benefits and drawbacks of the methodology are assessed and the resulting model is used for job projections under various renewable portfolio standards (RPS), EE, and low carbon energy scenarios We find that all non-fossil fuel technologies (renewable energy, EE, low carbon) create more jobs per unit energy than coal and natural gas. Aggressive EE measures combined with a 30% RPS target in 2030 can generate over 4 million full-time-equivalent job-years by 2030 while increasing nuclear power to 25% and CCS to 10% of overall generation in 2030 can yield an additional 500,000 job-years.
Failure Criterion of a Typical Polyamide Cured Epoxy Adhesive

Abstract The use of adhesive joints as structural elements is increasing rapidly. A thorough understanding of failure behavior of bulk adhesive is essential in analyzing the failure mode of adhesive joints.1 This article discusses existing failure criteria for continua under multiaxial stress fields in most general terms. From this general description, an attempt was made to formulate by simple experiments the specific failure criterion of a typical polyamide cured epoxy adhesive, which is to be an input for the failure analysis of a given adhesive joint system utilizing the same adhesive.
Structure and nuclear localization signal of the SK13 antiviral protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast chromosomal genes SK12, SK13, SK14, SK16, SK17 and SK18 repress the replication of double-stranded RNA viruses, protecting the host from the otherwise lethal effects of the virus. We cloned and sequenced the SK13 gene and found that it encodes a 163 kDa protein including a typical nuclear localization signal. Cell fractionation experiments show that the SK13 gene product is indeed tightly associated with nuclei and that the putative nuclear localization sequence directs β-galactosidase into the nucleus. However, fusion of a part of the SK13 protein lacking this signal with β-galactosidase directs β-galactosidase into the nucleus, suggesting the presence of a second nuclear localization signal. The SK13 gene is only essential in the presence of an M double-stranded RNA virus.
Adsorption of polyacrylic acids and their sodium salts on hydroxyapatite : Effect of relative molar mass

The effect of molar mass on the adsorptive properties of polyacrylic acids and their sodium salts (polymers) has an important bearing on the adhesive mechanisms of restorative resins based on these or similar polymers. The adsorption isotherms of the aqueous solution of polymers were determined on synthetic hydroxyapatite at room temperature to elucidate the role of physicochemical factors involved in the process. The adsorption of lower molar mass ( 60,000). The adsorption is irreversible for the acids as well as for the salts. The concentrations of calcium and phosphate ions were also determined in the filtrates in order to establish any possible correlation with the adsorbed amounts of polymers. The self-association of the polyacrylic molecules by intermolecular hydrogen bonding that may be responsible for the decrease in adsorption at higher concentrations may not play a significant role for higher molar mass acids where individual molecules can fold on themselves as intramolecular hydrogen bonding becomes more dominant. Inter- or intramolecular hydrogen bonding may not play any role in the case of salts because of Coulombic repulsion between the highly charged carboxylate groups.
The Politics of Sacred Lineages in 19th-Century Central Asia: Descent Groups Linked to Khwaja Ahmad Yasavi in Shrine Documents and Genealogical Charters

Khwaja Ahmad Yasavi, the celebrated saint of Central Asia who lived most likely in the late 12th century, is perhaps best known as a Sufi shaykh and (no doubt erroneously) as a mystical poet; his shrine in the town now known as Turkistan, in southern Kazakhstan, has been an important religious center in Central Asia at least since the monumental mausoleum that still stands was built, by order of Timur, at the end of the 14th century. While Yasavi's shrine, owing to the predilections of Soviet scholarship, was extensively studied by architectural historians and archeologists, its role in social and religious history has received scant attention; at the same time, Ahmad Yasavi's legacy as a Sufi shaykh has itself been the subject of considerable misunderstanding, resulting from two related tendencies in past scholarship: to approach the Yasavi tradition as little more than a sideline to the historically dominant Naqshbandiyya, and to regard it as a phenomenon definable in “ethnic” terms, as limited to an exclusively Turkic environment. Even less well known in the West, however, is one aspect of Ahmad Yasavi's legacy that is of increasing significance in contemporary Central Asia, as the region's religious heritage is recovered and redefined in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse—namely, the distinctive familial communities that define themselves in terms of descent from Yasavi's family, and have historically claimed specific prerogatives associated with Yasavi's shrine.
JPEG2000 compliant lossless coding of floating point data

Summary form only given. Many scientific applications require that image data be stored in floating point format due to the large dynamic range of the data. These applications pose a problem if the data needs to be compressed since modern image compression standards, such as JPEG2000, are only defined to operate on fixed point or integer data. This paper proposes straightforward extensions to the JPEG2000 image compression standard which allow for the efficient coding of floating point data. The extensions are based on the idea of representing floating point values as "extended integers", and these extensions maintain desirable properties of JPEG2000, such as scalable embedded bit streams and rate distortion optimality. Like JPEG2000, the proposed methods can be applied to both lossy and lossless compression. However, the discussion in this paper focuses on, and the test results are limited to, the lossless case. Test results show that one of the proposed lossless methods improve upon the compression ratio of standard methods such as gzip by an average of 16%.
Microbiologic Study of Street Heroin and Injection Paraphernalia

One hundred samples of heroin and 100 of injection paraphernalia were cultured. A wide variety of microorganisms were found. The heroin contained Bacillus species, Staphylococcus albus, fungi, Clostridium perfringens, and (rarely) gramnegative bacilli. The same organisms were recovered from the injection paraphernalia, along with a variety of gram-negative bacilli among which Escherichia coli predominated. Not one coagulase-positive Staphylococcus was isolated, despite the fact that this organism is the most common cause of infections in our addict population; thus, the addicts themselves are probably the source of Staphylococcus
Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis of Leaf Dissection in Tomato Using Lycopersicon pennellii Segmental Introgression Lines

Leaves are one of the most conspicuous and important organs of all seed plants. A fundamental source of morphological diversity in leaves is the degree to which the leaf is dissected by lobes and leaflets. We used publicly available segmental introgression lines to describe the quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling the difference in leaf dissection seen between two tomato species, Lycopersicon esculentum and L. pennellii. We define eight morphological characteristics that comprise the mature tomato leaf and describe loci that affect each of these characters. We found 30 QTL that contribute one or more of these characters. Of these 30 QTL, 22 primarily affect leaf dissection and 8 primarily affect leaf size. On the basis of which characters are affected, four classes of loci emerge that affect leaf dissection. The majority of the QTL produce phenotypes intermediate to the two parent lines, while 5 QTL result in transgression with drastically increased dissection relative to both parent lines.
U.S. nitrogen science plan focuses collaborative efforts

Nitrogen is a major nutrient in terrestrial ecosystems and an important catalyst in tropospheric photochemistry. Over the last century human activities have dramatically increased inputs of reactive nitrogen (Nr, the combination of oxidized, reduced, and organically bound nitrogen) to the Earth system (Figure 1). Nitrogen cycle perturbations have compromised air quality and human health, acidified ecosystems, and degraded and eutrophied lakes and coastal estuaries [Vitousek et al., 1997a, 1997b; Rabalais, 2002; Howarth et al., 2003; Townsend et al., 2003; Galloway et al., 2004]. Increased Nr affects global climate. Use of agricultural fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate leads to increased soil production of nitrous oxide (N2O), which has 320 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide (CO2). Emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx = nitric oxide, NO + nitrogen dioxide, NO2) from fossil fuel burning leads to increases in tropospheric ozone, another greenhouse gas. Ozone is phytotoxic, and may reduce terrestrial CO2 sequestration. To predict the effects of nitrogen cycling changes under changing climatic conditions, there needs to be a better understanding of the global nitrogen budget.
Tunable Magneto-Dielectric Polymer Nanocomposites for Microwave Applications

Magneto-dielectric polymer nanocomposites are investigated as a new class of functional materials well suited for RF and microwave device applications. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed in a polymer matrix, which exhibits low losses at microwave frequencies. The monodispersion of the magnetic nanoparticles, with sub-10-nm diameters and tight size distribution, enhances the microwave properties of the engineered composite material by increasing the relative permeability and relative permittivity. Moreover, complex permeability and permittivity of the nanocomposite material can be tuned by an externally applied dc magnetic field with a strength that is achievable with commercial permanent magnets. Multilayered microstrip test fixtures and preexisting measurement techniques were conjointly implemented to extract the microwave properties of the nanocomposite material in the frequency range between 1-6 GHz. The measured data revealed tunability of 5.5% in the permittivity, 37% in the permeability, and more than 100× reduction in the loss tangent at specific frequencies under externally applied magnetic fields.
Saving Facebook: A Response to Professor Freiwald

In this brief response to Professor Susan Freiwald's thoughtful comments on my article Saving Facebook, I address three of Freiwald’s points, all of which go to the heart of my project. I justify my choice of Facebook, ask when user collective action can sufficiently protect privacy, and emphasize that these privacy issues are genuinely peer-to-peer.
First Record of the Servaline Genet (Genetta servalina) in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Recently rediscovered in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, with more distributional records from several central and southern Eastern Arc Mountains, the servaline genet Genetta servalina Pucheran, 1855 remains a rarely recorded species in East Africa. Using camera traps, we document several locations for G. servalina in and around the Amani Nature Reserve, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. These records extend the range of G. servalina to the northern part of the Eastern Arc Mountains.
Dynamics of multifrequency mode-locking driven by homogenous and inhomogenous gain broadening effects

A complete characterization is given of the effects of homogeneous and inhomogeneous gain broadening on the mode-locking dynamics and stability of a laser operating simultaneously at N frequency channels. Using a low-dimensional model for the wavelength-division multiplexing interactions of the governing cubic-quintic master mode-locking equation, the interplay of the gain dynamics can be completely classified. This gives a simple way to characterize the laser performance and the parameter regimes under which stable multifrequency operation can be achieved. The analysis shows that a small amount of inhomogeneous gain broadening is critical for the multifrequency operation. The model further provides a simple framework for understanding the stability of mode-locked pulses at multiple frequencies, thus contributing to the characterization of the increasingly important and timely technology of dual-frequency and multifrequency mode-locked laser cavities.
Guanine nucleotides reduce the free calcium requirement for secretion of granule constituents from permeabilized human neutrophils

Human neutrophils can be permeabilized with the cholesterol complexing agent digitonin and then induced to secrete lysosomal constituents by increases in free Ca z+ alone. In order of increasing requirements for Ca z+, vitamin B-12 binding protein, lysozyme and fl-glucuronidase were released. A variety of guanine nucleotides were examined with respect to their abilities to modulate this response. GTP, along with its analogues 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp[NH]p) and guanosine-5'-O-[3-thiol-triphosphate (GTP[~,S]) decreased the Ca 2÷ requirements for secretion of all three granule constituents by one third to one order of magnitude. This synergy was dependent upon the concentration of guanine nucleotides employed. The effects of Gpp[NH]p could be blocked with the inactive derivative GDP[/]-SI. The active guanine nucleotides, particularly GTP, served as stimuli in their own right. At high concentrations of Ca 2+ and GTP, degranulation was strikingly inhibited; inhibition was also achieved with high concern'rations of guanylyl[fl,T-methyleneldiphosphate (Gpp[CHzlp). Both GDP and GMP were without any effect. When neutrophils were pretreated with pertussis toxin, granule discharge induced by fMet-I~u-Phe was almost completely blocked, as reported by others. If the neutrophils pretreated with pertussis toxin were then permeabilized with digitonin, the synergy between Ca 2+ and the stimulatory guanine nucleotides was maintained. These data suggest the involvement of G-proteins in secretion induced by CaZ+; however, this response either uses a different G-protein or a different pool of G-proteins from those responses triggered by fMet-Leu-Phe.
Arabs as Terrorists: Effects of Stereotypes Within Violent Contexts on Attitudes, Perceptions, and Affect

Objective: Test the effects of stereotypic video game portrayals with and without violence on attitudes toward the stereotyped group. Method: Two experiments tested the effects of stereotypic video game portrayals of Arabs in a violent and nonviolent context on implicit and explicit attitudes and perceptions of Arabs. Results: In both experiments, participants who played an antiterrorist game displayed heightened antiArab attitudes relative to participants who played a nonviolent game. In Experiment 1, those who had played a Arab-terrorist game were more likely to draw “typical” Arabs with stereotypic traits, negative affect, and weapons. In Experiment 2, inclusion of Arab characters in a nonviolent game was sufficient to increase anti-Arab attitudes, but the Arabs-as-terrorists game yielded even stronger effects. Conclusion: These results are important for three reasons. First, results suggest that video game stereotypes can prime negative and aggressive perceptions, attitudes, and affect toward the stereotyped group. Second, this effect appears larger when the stereotyped group is portrayed in a violent-terrorism context than in a nonviolent context. Third, playing a terrorism themed game even without Arab characters led to higher anti-Arab attitudes, suggesting the presence of a strong associative link between terrorism and Arabs in the sampled population.