cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
India and Space Weaponization: Why Space Debris Trumps Kinetic Energy Antisatellite Weapons as the Principal Threat to Satellites

Since China tested a Kinetic-Energy Anti-Satellite (KE-ASAT) weapon in 2007, evidence has surfaced that India may have initiated a similar program. This article makes an anticipatory policy intervention against the development of KE-ASAT weapons. It presents data to show that space debris, and not KE-ASAT weapons, pose the highest risk for the safe operation of Indian satellites. It models a KE-ASAT weapons exchange between India and China in three different scenarios to demonstrate that use of such weapons even on a limited scale would produce an exponential increase in space debris. The latter would threaten the safe operation of satellites for all countries concerned. These data suggest that the concept of deterrence as understood in conventional and nuclear spheres is not easily transportable to the domain of space weapons, which threaten the physical destruction of satellites. If weaponization of space becomes inevitable, policy makers would be better off investing in weapons that disable but do not ...
The Amplification of the ENSO Forcing over Equatorial Amazon

Abstract The remote influence of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) strongly manifests over the equatorial Amazon (EA)—including parts of southern Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname—when there is a large-scale anomalous upper-level divergence over continental tropical South America. Modeling studies conducted in this paper suggest that it is because of the modulation of the local diurnal cycle of the moisture flux convergence, which results in the local amplification of the ENSO signal over the EA. Further, it is shown that the local land surface feedback plays a relatively passive but important role of maintaining these interannual precipitation anomalies over the EA region.
Fluorometric assay for bacterial primases

Bacterial primase is a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase that functions at the replication fork to create short oligoribonucleotide polymers [1]. Knockout and mutational experiments have conWrmed that primase is an essential replication protein, as suggested by its critical role in the generation of de novo primers that provide a 3 -hydroxyl group for elongation by DNA polymerase. Thus, primase has been identiWed as a target for novel antibiotic development. The most common assay for measuring primase activity uses incorporation of radiolabeled nucleotides followed by electrophoretic separation and imaging of the RNA primers [2]. This method has been adapted into a high-throughput system using scintillation proximity assay bead technology for use in screening potential inhibitory compounds [3]. In addition, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)1 assay that is the Wrst to measure primase activity without the need for radioactivity has been described [4]. Although it oVers signiWcant improvements over the traditional primase assay in terms of speed and RNA primer information, the HPLC assay has insuYcient throughput to screen chemical libraries containing several hundred thousand compounds for potential novel antibiotics. Thus, a microplate-based Xuorescence assay that does not use radioactivity and is adaptable to robotic screening methods was developed.
Aquatic entomofauna of a Dead Sea oasis

A survey of the aquatic and semi-aquatic insect fauna of a semi-tropical, arid zone oasis on the western Dead Sea coast, was conducted primarily in the summer and winter seasons of 1980/81. A table is given of the aquatic entomofauna, including their zoogeographical affinities, Israeli distribution and presence in En Gedi and in each of the two canyons there. Zoogeographical analysis reveals a predominance of tropical and arid African affinity (Ethiopian = 31%, Saharo-Arabian = 19%), with a major affinity also to the Mediterranean (21%). The entomofaunal community was divided among seven ecological biotopes: fast or slow flowing streams and pools; eddies; bedrock or deep pools; standing or stagnant pools. A community analysis table of the occurrence of the major faunal elements in each of seven biotopes is presented. Some rather stenotopic taxa were indicative of biotopes. A comparison is made of summer and winter seasonality including the effects of flash floods and the relation of these phenomena to emigration/imigration and life cycles of the entomofauna. The effects of agriculture and tourism are discussed and proposals made for conservation of the biotope communities. These biotopes and their entomofaunal communities are presumed to represent most of the habitats of Middle East arid zone springs.
Changes in concentrations of glycolysis and krebs cycle metabolites in mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, induced by mercuric chloride and starvation

Concentrations of glycolysis and Krebs cycle metabolites in the tail tissues of mosquitofish,Gambusia holbrooki, were measured in response to starvation and to exposure to 0.62 mg Hg l−1 (as HgCl2) for 48 h. In control fish, starvation caused decreased concentrations of glucose-6-phosphate (GO, −58%) and fructose-6-phosphate (F6P, −79%). Mercury exposure resulted in decreased concentrations of G6P (− 56%) and F6P (− 79%), and to increased concentrations of pyruvate (+ 75%), α-ketoglutarate (+ 41%), succinate (+ 39%), and malate (+ 47%). Krebs cycle activity increased in response to mercury exposure, perhaps in response to greater energy needs associated with maintaining homeostasis under stressful conditions. We conclude that glycolytic activity is reduced in fish exposed to mercury and that this response is similar to that caused by a cessation of feeding.
Relative contributions of anaerobic and aerobic energy production during activity in amphibia

1. Measurements of oxygen consumption and lactate production during activity were made in three species of amphibians. Oxygen debts and rates of lactate removal were also studied. 2. Maximal values of oxygen consumption are 200 and 500% above resting levels in the plethodontid salamanderBatrachoseps attenuatus and the frogHyla regilla, respectively (Kg. 1). However, these values are not attained until 5–15 min after the cessation of activity. 3. Batrachoseps, a lungless animal, derives 25 times more energy during 2 min of activity from lactate production than from oxygen consumption.Hyla is also predominantly anaerobic during activity butBufo boreas is mainly aerobic. 4. An inverse relationship exists between aerobic and anaerobic scopes in amphibians, such that total energetic output during activity is similar even though the component factors may differ by ten-fold. 5. Oxygen debts inHyla andBatrachoseps after 2-min activity are repayed in approximately one hour but rates of lactate removal are much lower (Fig. 2); large amounts of lactate persist long after oxygen consumption has returned to resting levels. Oxygen debt, therefore, cannot be used as an estimate of energetic expenditure during activity.
Mechanical Loading Reduces Chondrocyte Death After Single Impact Trauma: Porcine Knee Model

Osteoarthritis often results from degenerative changes induced by trauma such as joint impact injuries sustained during athletics, combat, or motor vehicle accidents. Articular cartilage, avascular in nature, relies of synovial nutrition [1] and lacks sufficient regenerative capabilities [2]. Acute cartilage injuries have been shown to induce cell death [3, 4, 5], leading to reduced chondrocyte density and degenerative changes to the cartilage matrix composition; over time the tissue becomes compromised and loses its ability to maintain and restore itself. It has been demonstrated, that mechanical loading can affect local perfusion and diffusion through the matrix thereby altering the flow of nutrients and metabolites [2, 6]. Furthermore, mechanical loading modulates the chondrocyte biosynthesis of extracellular matrix that is required in the cartilage repair process. In this study, a two part in-vitro porcine knee model was utilized to investigate articular cartilage response immediately following a single impact injury under cyclic mechanical loading conditions.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
INTRASPECIFIC VARIATIONS IN δ13C INDICATE ONTOGENETIC DIET CHANGES IN DEPOSIT‐FEEDING POLYCHAETES

Many species change diets during development. Often, these ontogenetic changes are discrete and coincide with metamorphosis (e.g., amphibians), but more gradual niche changes can occur during growth. Identifying nondiscrete changes in diet and understanding their implications at the population and community levels are especially difficult for ecologists who study detritivores and other species that have poorly characterized diets. Theory and several lines of evidence suggest, however, that benthic juveniles of species that deposit feed as adults may be unable to meet their nutritional demands by deposit feeding. To reject the null hypothesis that both juveniles and adults of deposit-feeding species assimilate the same diet and to infer ontogenetic changes in diet, I used stable carbon isotopes as a natural diet tracer. I quantified body-size-dependent variations in the δ13C of four species of tentaculate, surface-deposit-feeding polychaetes: the ampharetid Hobsonia florida and the spionids Pseudopolydora kempi japonica, Polydora cornuta, and Pygospio elegans. In addition to worm tissues, I measured the isotopic compositions of the most likely primary producers at each field site (benthic diatoms, macroalgae, and saltmarsh grasses) to predict the worms’ carbon sources. All species showed significant size-dependent variations in δ13C. Furthermore, populations of P. kempi japonica at two different sandflats had similar ontogenetic trends despite isotopic differences in available foods at each site. Individuals fed a fixed diet in the laboratory, however, did not show significant size-dependent variation in δ13C, leaving ontogenetic changes in diet as the most parsimonious explanation of the field data. Regression analyses indicated that the gradual change in δ13C with body size was nonlinear, with most of the change in δ13C occurring before individuals reach sexual maturity. The complex life cycle of these species, therefore, includes both a radical change in niche when larvae metamorphose to juveniles and a gradual niche shift as benthic juveniles grow. The isotopic data indicate that the smallest juveniles assimilated much of their carbon from benthic diatoms (δ13C ≈ −20‰), while adults assimilated most of their carbon from detritus derived from macroalgae (δ13C ≈ −9‰) or saltmarsh grasses (δ13C ≈ −14‰). Because abundances of benthic diatoms or other high-quality components of sediment are more variable and more likely to be in limiting supply than detritus or bulk sedimentary organics, populations of species that deposit feed as adults may experience food-related recruitment bottlenecks during the juvenile stage.
Exploring adolescent development through the use of popular non-fiction novels

Abstract The purpose of this review is to examine the utility of using journalistic accounts of adolescence to convey the complexities of adolescent development. Three non-fiction texts are considered: Wonderland by Michael Bamberger, A Tribe Apart by Patricia Hersch, and A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind. The safe environment provided by these books gives prospective teachers an intellectual space to consider their future teaching and to hear the voices of their prospective students. Moreover, exploring these non-fiction texts helps prospective teachers understand today's adolescents and allows them to reflect on adolescent identity and development using a real-world setting.
Computer use in psychology instruction: A survey of individual and institutional characteristics

This paper reports the results of a national survey of psychology faculty regarding their instructional use of computers. The survey was designed to answer three general questions: (1) In what ways and to what extent are psychologists using computers in their instruction? (2) What individual characteristics differentiate among levels of users? (3) What institutional characteristics appear to promote or inhibit the instructional use of computers? The results reveal that, although there appears to be extensive use of computers to support instruction, there are both institutional and individual characteristics that differentiate among levels and types of use. Several factors are identified that could lead to increased instructional use of computers, but their impact will largely be determined by the characteristics of the individual and the institution.
Do smokers understand the mortality effects of smoking? Evidence from the health and retirement survey

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether smokers recognize that smoking is likely to shorten their lives and, if so, whether they understand the magnitude of this effect. METHODS: People's expectations about their chances of reaching age 75 were compared with epidemiological predictions from life tables for never, former, current light, and current heavy smokers. Data on expectations of reaching age 75 came from the Health and Retirement Survey, a national probability sample of adults aged 50 through 62 years. Predictions came from smoking-specific life tables constituted from the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey and the 1985 and 1987 National Health Interview Surveys. RESULTS: Among men and women, the survival expectations of never, former, and current light smokers were close to actual predictions. However, among current heavy smokers, expectations of reaching age 75 were nearly twice as high as actuarial predictions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that at least heavy smokers significantly ...
Enumerative applications of a decomposition for graphs and digraphs

Abstract A simple decomposition for graphs yields generating functions for counting graphs by edges and connected components. A change of variables gives a new interpretation to the Tutte polynomial of the complete graph involving inversions of trees. The relation between the Tutte polynomial of the complete graph and the inversion enumerator for trees is generalized to the Tutte polynomial of an arbitrary graph. When applied to digraphs, the decomposition yields formulas for counting digraphs and acyclic digraphs by edges and initially connected components.
Oxygen, oxidative stress, hypoxia, and heart failure

A constant supply of oxygen is indispensable for cardiac viability and function. However, the role of oxygen and oxygen-associated processes in the heart is complex, and they and can be either beneficial or contribute to cardiac dysfunction and death. As oxygen is a major determinant of cardiac gene expression, and a critical participant in the formation of ROS and numerous other cellular processes, consideration of its role in the heart is essential in understanding the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction.
Latin American Center Symposium on Environment and Health: Exploring Natural Products : April 19, 2005, Moss Auditorium, Room A2-342 Marion Davies Children's Clinic (MDCC) Center For Health Sciences

This will be an interdisciplinary one-day symposium that should be of great interest to biologists, especially botanists, biomedical researchers, practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine, and public health workers. What do the forests in Venezuela and Brazil and plants from California yield as natural products that can be exploited as alternative therapies for the benefit of health? The popular press (e.g. every Monday, the LA Times health section gives an example of some kind of `cure') is a good source of information. Thus there is an ever-growing awareness of the possibility of using such natural products in place of other drugs. Most important, there is an attempt to place these products within the realm of solid science through the publication of evidence-based reports. The symposium will be organized around three international experts who will give formal presentations from 9:00 to 12:00 h. After a no-host two-hour lunch, we will reconvene from 14:00 to 17:00 h for a roundtable discussion. There is no charge for participation and everyone is welcome.
Optimal Assignment of Emergency Response Service Units With Time-Dependent Service Demand and Travel Time

This article formulates an improved integer-programming model to assign multiple types of emergency response service units among their candidate base stations to maximize the coverage to the critical infrastructures, subject to station capacity, service time, and reliability constraints. Unlike past models, this new model formulation accounts for the fluctuation of travel time and demand frequency at different time periods of a day. The potential applications of the model have been illustrated via a case study of assigning firefighting units and ambulances in the city of El Paso, Texas. This article also demonstrates how the model can be modified for the selection of a new base station, increase in fleet size, station capacity expansion, or a combination of these.
The effects of 1-methyl-5-thiotetrazole in a rat liver vitamin K-dependent carboxylase assay.

Abstract 1-Methyl-5-thiotetrazole (NMTT), a metabolite of moxalactam (MoxamR), was studied for its potential inhibition of vitamin K-dependent carboxylation. The assay system utilized a detergent solubilized rat liver microsomal preparation. Vitamin K1H2 was artificially produced in situ by the NADH-dependent reduction of exogenous phylloquinone, and the resultant carboxylation monitored by 14C02 incorporation into a soluble peptide substrate. Warfarin, used as a reference inhibitor, gave results expected from the literature - 50% inhibition at a pharmacologically excessive level of 1.0 mM. Carboxylation was unaffected by 1.0 mM NMTT and was marginally (0–14%) diminished by 5.0 mM NMTT. Carboxylation was 25% diminished at 10.0 mM NMTT, a concentration far above that achieved in human testing of moxalactam. When NMTT was pre-incubated with the liver microsomal carboxylase enzyme preparation, 10.0.mM NMTT again caused merely a 25% diminution of carboxlyation in the assay. These results do not support a role for NMTT as an inhibitor of vitamin K-dependent carboxylation which would produce pharmacological side effects during moxalactam therapy. During these studies it was found that dramatic consumption of NADH occurs in the presence of liver microsomal preparations (independent of vitamin K and of NMTT) and that NMTT effects on these processes may explain the small carboxylation diminution observed at 10.0 mM NMTT in the carboxylase assay.
eRNAs Promote Transcription by Establishing Chromatin Accessibility at Defined Genomic Loci

Summary Transcription factors and DNA regulatory binding motifs are fundamental components of the gene regulatory network. Here, by using genome-wide binding profiling, we show extensive occupancy of transcription factors of myogenesis (MyoD and Myogenin) at extragenic enhancer regions coinciding with RNA synthesis (i.e., eRNA). In particular, multiple regions were transcribed to eRNA within the regulatory region of MYOD1 , including previously characterized distal regulatory regions ( DRR ) and core enhancer ( CE ). While CE RNA enhanced RNA polymerase II (Pol II) occupancy and transcription at MYOD1 , DRR RNA acted to activate the downstream myogenic genes. The deployment of transcriptional machinery to appropriate loci is contingent on chromatin accessibility, a rate-limiting step preceding Pol II assembly. By nuclease sensitivity assay, we found that eRNAs regulate genomic access of the transcriptional complex to defined regulatory regions. In conclusion, our data suggest that eRNAs contribute to establishing a cell-type-specific transcriptional circuitry by directing chromatin-remodeling events.
Intraplate seismicity of the Pacific Basin, 1913–1988

We establish here a comprehensive database of intraplate seismicity in the Pacific Basin. Relocation and analysis of 894 earthquakes yield 403 reliable intraplate earthquakes during 1913–1988. These numbers do not include earthquake swarms, which account for another 838 events. Most of the remainder (304 events) are actually plate boundary earthquakes that have been erroneously located in intraplate regions. A significant number occur in recent years when location capabilities should have guarded against this situation. Relocations involve a careful linear inversion of P and S arrivals, accompanied by a Monte Carlo statistical analysis. We have also attentively removed the high number of clerical errors and nuclear tests that exist in epicenter bulletins.
β-Arrestin2 Regulates the Differential Response of Cortical and Trabecular Bone to Intermittent PTH in Female Mice

Cytoplasmic arrestins regulate PTH signaling in vitro. We show that female β-arrestin2−/− mice have decreased bone mass and altered bone architecture. The effects of intermittent PTH administration on bone microarchitecture differed in β-arrestin2−/− and wildtype mice. These data indicate that arrestin-mediated regulation of intracellular signaling contributes to the differential effects of PTH at endosteal and periosteal bone surfaces. Introduction: The effects of PTH differ at endosteal and periosteal surfaces, suggesting that PTH activity in these compartments may depend on some yet unidentified mechanism(s) of regulation. The action of PTH in bone is mediated primarily by intracellular cAMP, and the cytoplasmic molecule β-arrestin2 plays a central role in this signaling regulation. Thus, we hypothesized that arrestins would modulate the effects of PTH on bone in vivo. Materials and Methods: We used pDXA, μCT, histomorphometry, and serum markers of bone turnover to assess the skeletal response to intermittent PTH (0, 20, 40, or 80 μg/kg/day) in adult female mice null for β-arrestin2 (β-arr2−/−) and wildtype (WT) littermates (7-11/group). Results and Conclusions: β-arr2−/− mice had significantly lower total body BMD, trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV), and femoral cross-sectional area compared with WT. In WT females, PTH increased total body BMD, trabecular bone parameters, and cortical thickness, with a trend toward decreased midfemoral medullary area. In β-arr2−/− mice, PTH not only improved total body BMD, trabecular bone architecture, and cortical thickness, but also dose-dependently increased femoral cross-sectional area and medullary area. Histomorphometry showed that PTH-stimulated periosteal bone formation was 2-fold higher in β-arr2−/− compared with WT. Osteocalcin levels were significantly lower in β-arr2−/− mice, but increased dose-dependently with PTH in both β-arr2−/− and WT. In contrast, whereas the resorption marker TRACP5B increased dose-dependently in WT, 20-80 μg/kg/day of PTH was equipotent with regard to stimulation of TRACP5B in β-arr2−/−. In summary, β-arrestin2 plays an important role in bone mass acquisition and remodeling. In estrogen-replete female mice, the ability of intermittent PTH to stimulate periosteal bone apposition and endosteal resorption is inhibited by arrestins. We therefore infer that arrestin-mediated regulation of intracellular signaling contributes to the differential effects of PTH on cancellous and cortical bone.
Solid‐state growth of Si to produce planar surfaces

Paralleling the sophisticated control of Si and GaAs growth from fluid media, we demonstrate control of Si growth using a solid growth medium. Faceted dissolution pits were first produced in a Si substrate using standard photolithographic techniques and Al metallization. Si was then evaporated onto the cold structure, depositing as amorphous material. Upon heating, the amorphous Si migrated through the solid Al and grew rapidly in the faceted pits, typically refilling them flush with the surrounding substrate. Evidence that the rapid growth occurs only while the amorphous Si is dissolving into the Al is presented.
On-going palliative care enhances perceived control and patient activation and reduces symptom distress in patients with symptomatic heart failure: A pilot study:

Introduction: There is a paucity of research about the impact of palliative care (PC) on perceived control (i.e. onesperceived influence over outcomes or events in the environment) and activation (i.e. ability to self-manage) in patientswith symptomatic heart failure (HF). Likewise, little is known about the association between perceived control, activation,and symptom distress in this patient population. We hypothesized that patients with advanced HF who received ongoingPC services (i.e. ≥2 PC consultations) vs no access or a single PC consultation would have greater improvementsin perceived control and activation and greater reductions in symptom distress three months post-discharge for HFexacerbation. Methods: Forty-two patients (average age 53.98.0 years; predominantly male (72%), White (61%) and married (69%))participated in the study. However, only 36 (85.7%) patients completed an outpatient PC consultation of which 29 (69%) patients returned for additional follow-up visits with the PC team. Data on perceived control, activation, and symptomdistress were collected at baseline and three months. Parametric statistical models were applied to draw conclusions. Results: Findings showed that the patients who received ≥2 PC consultations had greater improvements in perceivedcontrol and activation than their counterparts; these increases were associated with greater reductions in symptomdistress. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that on-going PC interventions enhance perceived control and activation in patientswith advanced HF and open up the possibility of planning larger studies to assess the effect of PC on these variables aspossible mediators to improvements in self-management and clinical outcomes. © The European Society of Cardiology 2014.
The coadsorption of carbon monoxide and deuterium on potassium predosed Ni(100)

Abstract The effect of potassium on the coadsorption of carbon monoxide and deuterium on Ni(100), with particular attention given to the low temperature Σ-CO and Σ-D2 desorption states, has been studied by thermal desorption spectroscopy. Potassium shifts the Σ state peak temperatures to higher values and attenuates their intensities. The effects of potassium on the higher temperature carbon monoxide and deuterium desorption states are similar to the effects observed when one or the other is absorbed alone. A model is presented for the conversion of carbide to graphite on transition metal surfaces and for a possible role which potassium may play.
Hemicraniectomy--to halve or halve not.

A large ischemic stroke that is starting to swell is one of the most alarming situations faced by neurologists and neurosurgeons. The problem progresses relentlessly, usually ending in death. This type of ischemic brain swelling has been attributed to edema, but it does not respond to the usual treatments, so it has been called “malignant edema,” although there is no connection to a brain tumor. About 5% of strokes result in this complication, and almost all are caused by embolic occlusion of the proximal middle cerebral artery. The patient's condition usually deteriorates on the third to fifth day after the . . .
Fine Structure of the Rabbit Testis after Vasectomy

The testes of adult male rabbits were studied with the light and electron microscopes at intervals of up to 9 months after vasectomy or a sham operation. No changes were detected in any rabbits killed at intervals between 2 weeks and 4 months after vasectomy or in 1 of 2 rabbits prepared 6 months after vasectomy. In one rabbit killed 6 months after operation spermatogenesis was severely depressed and a spermatic granuloma was present near the epididymis. All 3 rabbits killed 9 months after vasectomy exhibited a greater than normal number of multinucleate spermatids, and this condition was most pronounced in one rabbit in which the epididymis and vas deferens were the most greatly distended of all the vasectomized animals. No changes were observed in animals that received a sham operation.
Control of cytoskeletal architecture by the src-suppressed C kinase substrate, SSeCKS.

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) in many cell types results in cytoskeletal reorganization associated with cell proliferation. We previously described a new cell cycle-regulated myristylated PKC substrate, SSeCKS (pronounced essex), that interacts with the actin cytoskeleton [Lin et al., 1995, 1996]. SSeCKS shares significant homology with Gravin, which encodes kinase scaffolding functions for PKC and PKA [Nauert et al., 1997]. This article describes the cellular effects of ectopically expressing SSeCKS in untransformed NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Because the constitutive overexpression of SSeCKS is toxic [Lin et al., 1995], we developed cell lines with tetracycline (tet)-regulated SSeCKS expression. The induction of SSeCKS (removal of tet) caused significant cell flattening and the elaboration of an SSeCKS-associated cortical cytoskeletal matrix resistant to Triton X-100 extraction. Flattened cells were growth-arrested and marked by the formation of cellular projections and the temporary loss of actin stress fibers and vinculin-associated adhesion plaques. SSeCKS overexpression did not affect steady-state levels of actin, vinculin, or focal adhesion kinase (FAK) but did increase integrin-independent FAK tyrosine phosphorylation. Stress fiber loss was coincident with induced SSeCKS expression, strongly suggesting a direct effect. Cytochalasin, and to a lesser extent nocodazole, inhibited SSeCKS-induced cell flattening, however, only cytochalasin affected the shape of pre-flattened cells, suggesting a greater dependence on microfilaments, rather than microtubules. By contrast, only nocodazole caused retraction of the filopodia-like processes. These data indicate a role for SSeCKS in modulating both cytoskeletal and signaling pathways. Thus, we propose to expand SSeCKS scaffolding functions to include the ability to control actin-based cytoskeletal architecture, as well as mitogenic signal pathways. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 41:1–17, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cardiac Expression of a Mini-dystrophin That Normalizes Skeletal Muscle Force Only Partially Restores Heart Function in Aged Mdx Mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) affects both skeletal and cardiac muscle. It is currently unclear whether the strategies developed for skeletal muscle can ameliorate cardiomyopathy. Synthetic mini-/micro-dystrophin genes have yielded impressive skeletal muscle protection in animal models. The 6-kb ΔH2-R19 minigene is particularly promising because it completely restores skeletal muscle force to wild-type levels. Here, we examined whether expressing this minigene in the heart, but not skeletal muscle, could normalize cardiac function in the mdx model of DMD cardiomyopathy. Transgenic mdx mice were generated to express the ΔH2-R19 minigene under the control of the α-myosin heavy-chain promoter. Heart structure and function were examined in adult and very old mice. The ΔH2-R19 minigene enhanced cardiomyocyte sarcolemmal strength and prevented myocardial fibrosis. It also restored the dobutamine response and enhanced treadmill performance. Surprisingly, heart-restricted ΔH2-R19 minigene expression did not completely normalize electrocardiogram and hemodynamic abnormalities. Overall, systolic function and ejection fraction were restored to normal levels but stroke volume and cardiac output remained suboptimal. Our results demonstrate that the skeletal muscle–proven ΔH2-R19 minigene can correct cardiac histopathology but cannot fully normalize heart function. Novel strategies must be developed to completely restore heart function in DMD.
The association between peptidoglycan recognition protein-1 and coronary and peripheral atherosclerosis: Observations from the Dallas Heart Study.

Abstract Background Peptidoglycan recognition protein-1 (PGLYRP-1) is part of the innate immune system and binds to peptidoglycan, a component of bacterial cell walls that has been found in human atherosclerotic lesions. Chronic exposure to bacterial antigens may cause or exacerbate the inflammatory response to lipid deposition within arterial walls. We hypothesized that PGLYRP-1 is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis as measured by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Methods and results PGLYRP-1 was measured in 3222 subjects in the Dallas Heart Study, a probability-based population sample age 30–65 including 50% African-Americans and 56% women. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) was measured by electron beam computed tomography ( n =2467), abdominal aortic wall thickness (AWT) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ( n =2270), and abdominal aortic plaque burden (APB) by MRI ( n =2256). In univariable analyses, increasing levels of PGLYRP-1 were associated with all major cardiovascular risk factors, with inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, and with CAC, AWT, and APB ( p p =0.04) and AWT ( p =0.009) but not APB ( p =0.09). Further adjustment for novel biomarkers associated with PGLYRP-1 and atherosclerosis attenuated the association with CAC ( p =0.18) but not with AWT ( p =0.01) or APB ( p =0.037). Conclusion In this first reported clinical study of PGLYRP-1 in humans, PGLYRP-1 levels were independently associated with atherosclerosis phenotypes that represent different vascular beds and stages of atherosclerosis.
A Microbial Biosensor for p-Nitrophenol Using Arthrobacter Sp.

This article reports the construction, optimization of performance variables and analytical characterization of a sensitive and selective microbial amperometric biosensor for measurement of p-nitrophenol (PNP), a U.S. Environmental Agency priority pollutant. The biosensor consisted of PNP-degrading/oxidizing bacteria Arthrobacter sp. JS443 as biological sensing element and a dissolved oxygen electrode as the transducer. The best sensitivity and response time were obtained using a sensor constructed with 1.2 mg dry wt. of cells and operating in pH 7.5, 50 mM citrate-phosphate buffer. Using these conditions, the biosensor was able to measure as low as 28 ppb (0.2 μM) of PNP selectively without interference from structurally similar compounds, such as phenol, nitrophenols and chlorophenols. The service life of the microbial biosensor is around 5 days when stored in the operating buffer at 4 °C. The applicability to lake water is demonstrated.
Non-Contact Thermal Characterization of Individual Multi-wall Carbon Nanotubes

In this work, a novel photothermal experiment is designed and conducted to characterize the thermal transport in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) along the axial direction exclusively. For the first time, we characterize the thermal contact resistance between CNTs and the substrate. The measured value demonstrates a sound thermal contact between the CNTs and the substrate. Our experimental result reveals a low thermal conductivity of the CNTs along their axial direction. The unique structure of the CNTs characterized in our work indicates that the thermal transport in the axial direction is across the carbon atomic layers. This explains why the measured thermal conductivity is much lower than theoretical predictions, in which the thermal conductivity is along the atomic layer direction. In addition, our TEM observation of the CNTs reveals poor structural qualities, which can strongly enhance phonon scattering and reduce the thermal conductivity.
Reversion analysis of dynein intermediate chain function

The ODA6 locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii encodes a 70 kDa intermediate chain protein of the flagellar outer row dynein ATPase, and mutations at this locus prevent assembly of the entire outer row dynein arm complex. To initiate a structure-function analysis of the 70 kDa protein, we used transformation with chimeric mutant/wild-type genes to localize the defect in one assembly mutation, oda6-95. Sequence analysis revealed a frame-shift mutation in codon 53, which is followed by a stop codon after 13 amino acids in the new reading frame. By selecting intragenic pseudorevertants of this mutation we obtained 11 new oda6 alleles. Many of these pseudorevertants encode intermediate chain proteins that permit assembly of outer row arms but do not restore full wild-type motility. Revertant strains fall into two phenotypic classes, one with average beat frequencies of 54 Hz (similar to wild type) and one with average frequencies of 27 Hz (compared with 24 Hz for oda6-95) during normal forward swimming. Low beat frequency strains also display abnormalities during photophobic reversal (symmetric waveform). Amplification and sequence analysis of revertant alleles indicated that each reversion caused a second frame-shift, within a 115 nt interval, which restored the original reading frame, and that phenotypic severity was related to both direction (5' or 3') and distance between the original mutation and the reversion event. On the basis of immunoblot analysis of outer arm proteins, we conclude that revertant motility defects do not correlate with deficits in assembly of a specific dynein heavy chain or intermediate chain polypeptide, and electron microscopy confirms that revertants have normal outer arm structures. These results suggest that the 70 kDa intermediate chain plays a direct role in outer arm function distinct from its role in the assembly process.
Simulated global distribution and deposition of reactive nitrogen emitted by fossil fuel combustion

We use the medium resolution (- 265 km horizontal grid) GFDL general circulation transport model to simulate the global spread and deposition of reactive nitrogen emitted by fossil fuel combustion. The nitrogen species are transported as a single tracer with no explicit chemistry. Chemical reactions are only present implicitly in the bulk coefficients for dry and wet removal. The observed wet deposition of nitrogen over North America is used to determine the global parameter for wet deposition, and constant bulk coefficients for dry deposition over land and sea are pre-calculated from measured concentrations and deposition velocities. The simulated yearly depositions in Western Europe and at regional export sites, as well as simulated yearly concentrations and their seasonal variation over the North Pacific, are compared with available observations. The agreement is generally quite good and almost always within a factor of 2. This model is then used to identify a number of important source regions and long-range transport mechanisms: (1) Asian emissions supply two-thirds of the soluble nitrogen compounds over the North Pacific. In the summer, North American emissions are important over the subtropical North Pacific. (2) Nitrogen emissions from Europe dominate the nitrogen component of Arctic haze in the lower troposphere, while North American and Asian emissions are only important locally. The model predicts a large gradient in the Arctic with average winter mixing ratios ranging from less than 0.1 ppbv over Alaska to more than 1 ppbv over eastern Russia. (3) Throughout the Southern Hemisphere, the emissions from fossil fuel combustion account for 10% or less of the observed soluble nitrogen at remote sites, an amount less than a previously simulated contribution from stratospheric injection. The long-range transport of PAN, NO, production by lightning and biomass burning, and some, as yet, unknown marine biogenic source may all supply part of this background soluble nitrogen. However, the similarity between the seasonal cycles observed at Samoa for soluble nitrogen and for 03. a species known to be supplied from the stratosphere, suggests a major r6le for either stratospheric injection or an upper tropospheric source.
Note on the Velocity of Sound

In any of standard textbooks of college physics we may read that the velocity of sound is given by (E/ρ)1/2 where E is the modulus of elasticity for compression and ρ is the density of the medium. It is usually explained that the compressibility modulus is the one associated with adiabatic compression which is equal to S p,where S is the ratio of the specific heat at constant pressure to that at constant volume, and p is the pressure.
Plasma cytokine profiles in systemic sclerosis: associations with autoantibody subsets and clinical manifestations

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) (scleroderma) is a complex autoimmune disease that clinically manifests as progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Anti-centromere antibodies (ACAs), anti-topoisomerase antibodies (ATAs), and anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies (ARAs) are three mutually exclusive SSc-associated autoantibodies that correlate with distinct clinical subsets characterized by extent of cutaneous involvement and pattern of organ involvement. The current report sought to determine whether plasma cytokine profiles differ in SSc patients grouped according to these SSc-associated autoantibody subsets. Plasma from 444 SSc patients and 216 healthy controls was obtained from the Scleroderma Family Registry and University of Texas Rheumatology Division. Patients were classified according to the presence of ACAs, ATAs, ARAs, or none of the above (antibody-negative). Levels of 13 cytokines were determined using multiplex assays. Compared with females, healthy control males had higher plasma levels of IL-2 (P = 0.008), IL-5 (P = 0.01) and IL-8 (P = 0.01). In addition, in controls, IL-6 (P = 0.02) and IL-17 (P = 0.01) levels increased with advancing age. After adjusting for age and gender, SSc patients had higher circulating levels of TNFα (P < 0.0001), IL-6 (P < 0.0001), and IFNγ (P = 0.05) and lower IL-17 (P = 0.0005) and IL-23 (P = 0.014). Additional analyses demonstrated that disease duration also influenced these cytokine profiles. IL-6 was elevated in ATA-positive and ARA-positive patients, but not in ACA-positive patients. IL-8 was uniquely increased in the ATA-positive subset while both ATA-positive and ACA-positive subsets had elevated IFNγ and IL-10. IL-5 was only significantly increased in the ACA-positive subset. Lastly, patients with interstitial lung disease had elevated IL-6 and patients with pulmonary hypertension had elevated IL-6 and IL-13. Plasma cytokine profiles differ in SSc patients based on the presence of SSc-associated autoantibodies. Plasma cytokine profiles in SSc patients may also be affected by disease duration and the pattern of internal organ involvement.
Dances with leukocytes: how tetraspanin-enriched microdomains assemble to form endothelial adhesive platforms.

Rather than just providing an unstructured adhesive surface for leukocytes, cytokine-activated endothelial cells assemble preexisting tetraspanin-enriched microdomains to form endothelial adhesive platforms (EAPs) and endothelial docking structures. In this issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, Barreiro et al. (Barreiro, O., M. Zamai, M. Yanez-Mo, E. Tejera, P. Lopez-Romero, P.N. Monk, E. Gratton, V.R. Caiolfa, and F. Sanchez-Madrid. 2008. J. Cell Biol. 183:527–542) show how the immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecules intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)–1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)–1 form nanoclusters with the tetraspanins CD9 and CD151 in a physiologically relevant system. Furthermore, convincing biochemical data suggest that these structures are distinct from lipid rafts.
Comparative Analysis of Email Filtering Technologies

Different filtering technologies are currently in use with varying results. This paper reviews and compares a number of them by focusing on the expectation of their users and their actual capabilities
Generalized B pictures and the draft H.264/AVC video-compression standard

This paper reviews recent advances in using B pictures in the context of the draft H.264/AVC video-compression standard. We focus on reference picture selection and linearly combined motion-compensated prediction signals. We show that bidirectional prediction exploits partially the efficiency of combined prediction signals whereas multihypothesis prediction allows a more general form of B pictures. The general concept of linearly combined prediction signals chosen from an arbitrary set of reference pictures improves the H.264/AVC test model TML-9 which is used in the following. We outline H.264/AVC macroblock prediction modes for B pictures, classify them into four groups and compare their efficiency in terms of rate-distortion performance. When investigating multihypothesis prediction, we show that bidirectional prediction is a special case of this concept. Multihypothesis prediction allows also two combined forward prediction signals. Experimental results show that this case is also advantageous in terms of compression efficiency. The draft H.264/AVC video-compression standard offers improved entropy coding by context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding. Simulations show that the gains by multihypothesis prediction and arithmetic coding are additive. B pictures establish an enhancement layer and are predicted from reference pictures that are provided by the base layer. The quality of the base layer influences the rate-distortion trade-off for B pictures. We demonstrate how the quality of the B pictures should be reduced to improve the overall rate-distortion performance of the scalable representation.
Emotion Research by the People, for the People

Emotion research will leap forward when its focus changes from comparing averaged statistics of self-report data across people experiencing emotion in laboratories to characterizing patterns of data from individuals and clusters of similar individuals experiencing emotion in real life. Such an advance will come about through engineers and psychologists collaborating to create new ways for people to measure, share, analyze, and learn from objective emotional responses in situations that truly matter to people. This approach has the power to greatly advance the science of emotion while also providing personalized help to participants in the research.
A static analysis of I/O characteristics of scientific applications in a production workload

Past research on high performance computers for scientific applications has concentrated on CPU speed and exploitation of parallelism, but has, until very recently, neglected I/O considerations. This paper presents a study of the production workload at the San Diego Supercomputer Center from an I/O requirements and characteristics perspective. Results of the analyses support the hypothesis that a significant proportion of I/O intensive, long running, frequently executed scientific applications have predictable I/O requirements.
A Comparison of Proposals to Restructure the U.S. Financial System

This paper illustrates the potential for risk diversification through the common ownership of a hypothetical bank and nonbanking firm. The illustration has several implications for proposals for restructuring the financial system. Banks are not necessarily made safer by requiring that all nonbanking activities be conducted through separate subsidiaries. On the contrary, banks my be less vulnerable to failure if some nonbanking activities are offered through the banks directly. Moreover, the expected loss of federal deposit insurance funds may be lower even if the nonbanking activities are financed through insured deposits. The major proposals for restructuring the financial system would permit firms in various industries to buy banks and operate them as separate subsidiaries. Some of the proposals build in safeguards to prevent nonbanking firms from using the resources of their bank subsidiaries in wys that would increase both the chance for bank failure and the expected loss of the federal deposit insurance funds. These restrictions are based on the presumption that, without such safeguards, nonbanking firms would use the resources of their bank subsidiaries to benefit their nonbank subsidiaries.