cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Search for genetic modifiers of IRF6 and genotype–phenotype correlations in Van der Woude and popliteal pterygium syndromes

Van der Woude syndrome is the most common form of syndromic orofacial clefting, accounting for 1-2% of all patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Van der Woude and popliteal pterygium syndromes are caused by mutations in IRF6, but phenotypic variability within and among families with either syndrome suggests that other genetic factors contribute to the phenotypes. The aim of this study was to identify common variants acting as genetic modifiers of IRF6 as well as genotype-phenotype correlations based on mutation type and location. We identified an association between mutations in the DNA-binding domain of IRF6 and limb defects (including pterygia). Although we did not detect formally significant associations with the genes tested, borderline associations suggest several genes that could modify the VWS phenotype, including FOXE1, TGFB3, and TFAP2A. Some of these genes are hypothesized to be part of the IRF6 gene regulatory network and may suggest additional genes for future study when larger sample sizes are also available. We also show that families with the Van der Woude phenotype but in whom no mutations have been identified have a lower frequency of cleft lip, suggesting there may be locus and/or mutation class differences in Van der Woude syndrome.
Filling in the GAPs in the ADP-ribosylation factor story.

The GTP-binding proteins known as ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) function in cells to regulate membrane traffic and structure. Like all GTPases, ARFs cycle between a GDP-bound, inactive and a GTP-bound, active form. When GTP-bound, ARFs alter membrane lipid composition, assemble cytosolic coat proteins, and remodel actin associated with various membrane compartments. Although much of the research in the past has focused on the role of ARF1 in membrane trafficking and structure in the endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi system, there is increased interest in functions of ARF1 and the other five mammalian ARFs in the plasma and endosomal membrane systems. This interest has been fueled, in part, by the finding that ARF1 recruits coat proteins onto endosomal membranes and that ARF6 regulates membrane trafficking through endosomes and influences cortical actin at the plasma membrane (PM; refs. 1 and 2). Furthermore, over the years, there has been circumstantial evidence, although no direct proof, that the GTPase cycle of ARF could be coordinated by signaling from the PM. Several years ago, the growing list of guanine nucleotide exchange factors that catalyze exchange of GTP for GDP and convert ARFs to the active, GTP-bound state dominated the attention of those studying ARF proteins. Attention has now shifted to the function of the GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs), accessory molecules whose activities result in the hydrolysis of ARF-bound GTP and return ARFs to the inactive, GDP-bound state. These interesting multidomain GAPs, many of which have been identified over the past year and found to be peripherally localized, clearly do more than turn off ARF. They provide the link between the ARF GTPase cycle and various signal transduction events in the cell.
Atmospheric pressure visible-wavelength MALDI-MS

Abstract An atmospheric pressure (AP) visible-wavelength MALDI source was developed and coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer. This instrument employed a pulsed laser emitting light at a wavelength of 532 nm to desorb and ionize samples such as dyes, oligosaccharides, peptides, and synthetic polymers at atmospheric pressure. Ions formed were analyzed by the Q-TOF in both MS and tandem MS (MS/MS) modes. Several visible-wavelength absorbing dyes were successfully utilized and studied as matrices. Among these dyes, nuclear fast red (NFR), rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC), and 5(6)-carboxytetramethyl-rhodamine N -succinimidyl ester (TAMRA, SE) are reported as effective visible-wavelength MALDI-MS matrices for the first time. This report demonstrates applicability of visible-wavelength AP MALDI-MS and AP MALDI MS/MS to the detection and structural analysis of dye molecules, biomolecules, and synthetic polymers.
Electrostrictive and Piezoelectric Materials for Actuator Applications

The piezoelectric and electrostrictive effects in ferroelectric ceramics are reviewed with an emphasis on those properties that are relevant for applications in actua tors. Various contributions to...
The fundamentals of computer aided X-ray analysis of the spine

Abstract By three-dimensional construction of X-ray geometry, a step-wise sequential method is developed for accurate X-ray measurement of the spine or other parts of the body for use on the digital computer. A theory of error detection and discriminative measure are also implemented in the analysis to make it more practical. A numerical example is given and various aspects for increasing further accuracy are discussed.
Understanding the next act

Abstract The practitioner and analyst of Russian unconventional warfare in 1812, Denis Davydov, distinguished three levels of violence: (big) war, small war, and “burning one or two granaries” (Laqueur 1976, p. 46), for which he had no name and which I shall call small violence, or microviolence; even if passenger terminals of metropolitan airports or 747s were, in the near future, to be substituted for granaries. What differentiates microviolence—a mere quantity— is that with “small war” you may expect to impose substantial attrition on the enemy at least over the long run, and with “microviolence” not even that. The numerous writings concerned with “urban guerrillas” and modern “terrorists” have focused on what they do, and—to some extent—on what makes them do it: which environments and personalities dispose to microviolence. Even the most sophisticated treatments, such as the recent analyses by J. Bowyer Bell and Walter Laqueur, do not systematically consider what they thought they were doing, precisel...
Resolving diversely polarized, superimposed signals in three-component seismic array data

I present a novel processing approach for three-component seismic array data that entails a succession of principal component analysis, factor analysis, and principal component analysis. This formulation represents an effort to conduct principal-component polarization analysis on isolated signals whose propagation direction and apparent propagation direction have been estimated a priori using high-resolution wave-front analysis. A comparison of the signal parameter estimates realized using single-site three-component, vertical-component array, and three-component array data is provided.
Interferometric Confirmation of Radiation-Pressure Effects in Laser-Plasma Interactions

Interferometric data resolved to 1 ..mu..m and 15 psec confirm the significant role of radiation pressure during high-intensity laser-plasma interactions. Specifically observed manifestations include electron density shelves, and small- and large-scale deformations of transverse isodensity of surfaces.
A look at the basic correlates of longevity: Is longevity a superficial trait?

Nature appears to have distributed life spans, whether long or short, entirely upon the possession or non-possession of a few physiologically superficial characteristics, namely, immunity of mature, full-sized specimens from the effects of: (1) predation, (2) competition, (3) fire, (4) disease, and (5) the existence of a definite usefulness for long life spans in bridging lengthy periods unfavorable to the reproduction and/or maturation of offspring. Extremely strong correlations are presented in proof of the above relationships. Since longevity mechanisms can closely correlate to superficial traits, it is unlikely that they comprise an integral part of basic structural or biochemical processes. In the case of trees, all five of the above traits are apparently required for the achievement of potential life spans in excess of 1000 years. By contrast, the longest live animal species appear to fully possess only (1) and (3) of the five prerequisite traits above. This observation may fully account for the fact that maximum life spans of trees are 30-40 times greater than those of the longest lived animals.
Investigation of Hyperspectral Interferometer Infrared Cloud top Retrievals using High Altitude Aircraft Measurements

Hyperspectral cloud-top altitude retrievals methods applied to S-HIS (Scanning-High-Resolution-Interferometer-Sounder) measurements are presented. Included for comparison is an improvement to the traditional CO2-Slicing method. The new method, CO2-Sorting, better determines optimal channel-pairs to apply to CO2-Slicing.
Are Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Linked with HIV-Related Sexual Risk Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men?

Young men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, yet relatively little is known about the most effective theoretical frameworks for preventive interventions with this population. This study investigated the fit of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model for predicting sexual risk among a sample of ethnically diverse young men who have sex with men aged 14-21. Path analysis results indicated that the IMB model predicted a moderate amount of variance in primary and secondary sexual risk for young men who have sex with men (r(2) = .26 and .21, respectively). Fit of this model was acceptable on most indicators of model fit for primary and secondary risk.
The necessity of teacher development

The idea that workplaces have levels of moral complexity is presented to assist in understanding how schools can create conditions that foster teachers' personal and professional growth.
George Henry Thomas: As True as Steel. By Brian Steel Wills. (Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2012. Pp. vii, 585. $39.95.)

George Henry Thomas occupies a curious place in Civil War history. A native Virginian, this distinguished soldier refused to resign his US Army commission even after his state and numerous brother ...
Cloning and characterization of the glycine-cleavage enzyme system of Escherichia coli

The glycine-cleavage enzyme system of Escherichia coli has been cloned in the cosmid vector pMF7. The recombinant plasmid, designated pGS64, carries two 19.4-kb EcoRI insert fragments. One of these fragments, which carries the gcv system, was subcloned from plasmid pGS64 into the plasmid vectors pACYC184 and pSC101 (creating plasmids pGS96 and pGS97, respectively). Plasmid pGS97, but not pGS96, complements a gcv mutant on glycine-supplemented plates. Enzyme assays, however, verified that both plasmids carry an inducible gcv system. The location of the gcv system in plasmid pGS97 was determined by Tn5 insertional inactivation. Subcloning experiments identified the region on the 19.4-kb fragment that inhibits growth in strains transformed with plasmid pGS96 and a region that is possibly involved in negative regulation of the gcv system.
The spottail shiner in Lower Red Lake, Minnesota

Abstract On the basis of 14,654 spottail shiners (Notropis hudsonius) from Red Lakes, Minnesota, growth rates, strength of year classes, and food utilization were studied. Males and females had different body-scale relationships, and females grew faster than males. There was high correlation between water temperature and growth rate. Strength of year classes was closely related to size of spawning population. Food habits were related to food availability in both plankton and bottom fauna. Shiner eggs were significant items of food in larger shiners. Bottom organisms were selectively taken, and larger cladocerans were selected by large fish. Cladocerans were preferred to copepods.
Opportunistic channel-aware spectrum access for cognitive radio networks with periodic sensing

Opportunistic spectrum access in a cognitive radio network has been a challenge due to the dynamic nature of spectrum availability and possible collisions between the primary user (PU) and the secondary user (SU). To maximize the spectrum utilization, we propose a spectrum access strategy where SU's packets are interleaved with periodic sensing to detect PU's return. We formulate the sensing/probing/access process as a maximum rate-of-return problem in the optimal stopping theory framework and show that the optimal channel access strategy is a pure threshold policy. We consider a realistic channel and system model by taking into account channel fading and sensing errors. We jointly optimize the rate threshold and the packet transmission time to maximize the average throughput of SU, while limiting interference to PU.
Dynamic regulation of SCG10 in regenerating axons after injury

Peripheral axons can re-extend robustly after nerve injury. Soon after a nerve crush regenerating axons grow through the nerve segment distal to the lesion in close proximity to distal axons that are still morphologically and molecularly preserved. Hence, following the progress of regenerating axons necessitates markers that can distinguish between regenerating and degenerating axons. Here, we show that axonal levels of superior cervical ganglion 10 (SCG10) are dynamically regulated after axonal injury and provide an efficient method to label regenerating axons. In contrast to the rapid loss of SCG10 in distal axons (Shin et al., 2012b), we report that SCG10 accumulates in the proximal axons within an hour after injury, leading to a rapid identification of the lesion site. The increase in SCG10 levels is maintained during axon regeneration after nerve crush or nerve repair and allows for more selective labeling of regenerating axons than the commonly used markers growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) and YFP. SCG10 is preferentially expressed in regenerating sensory axons rather than motor axons in the sciatic nerve. In a mouse model of slow Wallerian degeneration, SCG10 labeling remains selective for regenerating axons and allows for a quantitative analysis of delayed regeneration in this mutant. Taken together, these data demonstrate the utility of SCG10 as an efficient and selective marker of sensory axon regeneration.
Empathy and Cognition in High-Functioning Children with Autism

This study compares the ability of nonretarded autistic children (9-16 years of age) with the ability of normally developing children (9-14 years of age) to discriminate between various emotional states, to take the perspective of another regarding emotional states, and to respond affectively. The children's understanding of conservation was also assessed. While the children with autism did surprisingly well on the empathy-related measures, they performed less well than the normal children on these measures and on conservation. There was a closer association between cognitive abilities and affective understanding in the group of autistic children than in the control group.
Cytokine regulation of nitric oxide synthase in mouse retinal pigment epithelial cells in culture

Abstract Nitric oxide is an intercellular signaling molecule whose numerous functions include regulation of vascular tone, mediation of the cytotoxic effects of macrophages and potentiation of synaptic transmission. For some cellular functions, nitric oxide synthesis is mediated by the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase. We now show that cultured mouse retinal pigment epithelial cells exposed to interferon-γ and lipopolysaccharide, express inducible nitric oxide synthase. The latter was detected immunocytochemically in interferon-γ-lipopolysaccharide-treated retinal pigment epithelium using rabbit antiserum to a synthetic peptide of mouse nitric oxide synthase. Untreated cultures of retinal pigment epithelium or cultures treated with either interferon-γ or lipopolysaccharide alone were not immunoreactive. Induction of iNOS in γ-interferon-lipopolysaccharide-stimulated retinal pigment epithelial cells was also evidenced by the presence of nitric oxide synthase enzyme activity in lysates of stimulated but not unstimulated retinal pigment epithelial cells. On immunoblots of lysates of stimulated murine retinal pigment epithelial cells, rabbit antiserum to iNOS recognized a 130-kDa protein which comigrated with the inducible nitric oxide synthase of macrophages and which was not detectable in lysates of unstimulated retinal pigment epithelial cells nor in lysates of cells treated with only interferon-γ or lipopolysaccharide alone. Nitrite, a stable endproduct of NO formation by cells, was detectable in the culture supernatants after 18-24 hr of exposure to interferon-γ and lipopolysaccharide, and continued to accumulate in a linear fashion for at least 96 hr. Treatment of cultured retinal pigment epithelium with interferon-γ, lipopolysaccharide and either basic fibroblast growth factor or epidermal growth factor as third signals augmented inducible nitric oxide synthase expression as evidenced by intensified signals on immunoblots, enhanced accumulation of nitrite and increased iNOS enzyme activity. Conversely, when transforming growth factor-β was present in the culture medium, γ-interferon-LPS-induced expression of nitric oxide synthase and NO release were reduced. We conclude that interferon-γ synergizes with lipopolysaccharide to induce synthesis of inducible nitric oxide synthase and production of nitric oxide by murine retinal pigment epithelium and that this induction can be modulated by basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor or transforming growth factor-β.
Automatic gas chromatographic retention time matching applied to synthetic petroleum (Fischer-Tropsch) products, using HP Chemstation software

Organic-phase liquid product of Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is analyzed in a GC and tentatively identified using Hewlett-Packard 3365 Chemstation data analysis software. The software matches retention times of peaks in a chromatogram to times listed in a calibration table. Five different tables are constructed using retention times obtained from the chromatography of standards as well as retention times calculated from temperature-programmed retention indices of gasoline compounds cited in the literature. From 57 to 77% of the approximately 90 peak identifications in an analysis are correct. The large number of compounds present in both the tables and in the FT sample hinders correct identification.
Landsat 7 on-orbit modulation transfer function estimation

The Landsat 7 spacecraft and its Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) were launched on April 15, 1999. Pre-launch modeling of the ETM+ optical system predicted that modulation transfer function (MTF) performance would change on-orbit. A method was developed to monitor the along-scan MTF performance of the ETM+ sensor system using on-orbit data of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. ETM+ image scan lines crossing the bridge were treated as multiple measurements of the target taken at varying sampling phases. These line measurements were interleaved to construct an over-sampled target profile for each ETM+ system transfer function. Model parameters were adjusted to achieve the best fit between the simulated profiles and the image measurements. The ETM+ modulation at the Nyquist frequency and the full width at half maximum of the point spread function were computed from the best-fit system transfer function model. Trending these parameters over time revealed apparent MTF performance degradation, observed mainly in the 15-meter resolution ETM+ panchromatic band. This confirmed the pre-launch model prediction that the panchromatic band was the most sensitive to changes in ETM+ optical performance.
Comparison of basement membrane matrix degradation by purified proteases and by metastatic tumor cells.

We have examined the nature of biochemical degradation of an isolated basement membrane matrix (bovine lens capsule) using different methodologies. The first strategy was quantitation of the release of surface-bound 125I and a second the documentation by SDS-PAGE of the appearance of putative cleavage products and the loss of high-molecular-weight components from the matrix. Basement membrane matrix bands resolved on SDS-PAGE were identified by their protease sensitivities as well as by Western immunoblots using monoclonal antibodies developed for this study. Radioiodinated components were found predominantly at positions on the gel equivalent to 160–200 kd and 400 kd proteins. Since these labeled moieties were sensitive to bacterial collagenase digestion and stained with anticollagen type IV antibodies, they were determined to represent various configurations of collagen type IV. Several other lower-molecular-weight bands also stained with the anticollagen IV antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies reactive with laminin exhibited a complex staining pattern on the gels, which included the expected 200 and 400 kd components. We confirmed that lens capsule basement membrane contained only a single heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan species, and tumor cell-induced glycosaminoglycan degradation within the basement membrane matrix was detected using cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Distinctive putative cleavage products were resolved on SDS-PAGE gels from matrices subjected to digestion by a variety of purified proteases as well as by metastatic tumor cells or their conditioned media. Tumor cells of different histio-types produced different characteristic cleavage patterns, suggestive of the existence of several pathways of matrix degradation. Overall, primary tumor cells exhibited a greater degradative activity towards the basement membrane matrix than did long-term tissue culture-passaged cells. The same tumor cell line could exhibit considerably different patterns of both protein and glycosaminoglycan degradation depending on recent culture history. The relevance of these biochemical studies to the pathogenesis of malignant neoplasms is shown by: (1) the evaluation of degradative activities of B16 tumor cell populations exhibiting enhanced lung-colonizing phenotypes, and (2) the ability of a known antimetastatic moiety with antiproteasc activity (Haementeria leech species salivary gland extract) to protect matrix components from degradation by tumor cell-conditioned medium.
Teacher Educator Identity Development of the Nontraditional Teacher Educator

The development of a professional teacher educator identity has implications for how one negotiates the duties of a teacher, scholar, and learner. The research on teacher educator identity in the USA has been largely conducted on traditional teacher educators, or those who have started their careers as public school teachers and then went on to the collegiate level as teacher educators. This auto-ethnography considers the professional identity formation of a nontraditional teacher educator, one whose professional career did not include a career as a public school teacher. Although there are common influences on professional development between the traditional and nontraditional teacher educator, such as biography, institutional contexts, and personal pedagogy, there are significant differences in the process as those influences are experienced. This research proposes an extended process for nontraditional teacher educators, including the search for legitimacy and belonging in the community of educators.
Teamwork and musculoskeletal health in the context of work organization interventions in office and computer work

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) are increasingly becoming more prevalent in the US workforce. The introduction of computer-based technology seems to have been accompanied by an increase in WRMDs. Computer-based technology seems to intensify work so much as to create stressful and unhealthy working conditions. In this paper, the role and impact of various psychosocial work stressors, including teamwork, in work organization interventions aimed at reducing and/or preventing WRMDs among office/computer workers are examined. Both the process and the content of the work organization interventions rely on teamwork. The results show the importance of teamwork in influencing stress and musculoskeletal discomfort. In particular, the psychosocial factors of open group process and group cohesiveness were among the most important predictors of anxiety and musculoskeletal discomfort. The results show that teamwork affects both psychosocial stress outcomes (anxiety) as well as musculoskeletal discomfort.
Chronic aluminum toxicity: effects of aluminum on neurotransmitters

Abstract Available data suggest that chronic neurotoxicity may be associated with repeated dietary exposure to extremely low concentrations of aluminum in susceptible populations. Adverse effects of aluminum on central neurotransmitter function have been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro with several different aluminum salts.
Validity of the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test for Learning-Disabled Children

This study examined the concurrent and construct validity of the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) vis-a-vis the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised (PPVT-R), the Similarities and Vocabulary subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), and the Auditory Reception and Auditory Association subtests of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA). The subjects were 97 learning-disabled students (age range = 72-143 months) in the Honolulu area who were administered all tests as part of a multidisciplinary psychoeducational evaluation. The results indicated that the EOWPVT had acceptable concurrent validity, but the construct validity of the test was questionable. The EOWPVT scores were also found to be consistently higher than the PPVT-R scores. Implications for the assessment of learning-disabled children's expressive and receptive semantic skills are discussed.
Electrophysiologic mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias

In this work the electrophysiologic mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias have been briefly summarized. Ventricular arrhytmias can be caused either by pacemaker activity or by reentrant excitation. Enhancement of normal automaticy can generate a parasystolic rhythm in normal fibers. Abnormal automaticity may arise fom fibers in which maximum diastolic potential has been reduced by a variety of interventions. Triggered activity is caused by either an early (EAD) or delayed (DAD) afterdepolarization and requires a prior normal action potential for initiation. While there is growing evidence that EAD-induced triggered activity plays a significant role in the Long QTU syndrome and Torsade de Pointes, no clinical arrhythmias has definitely been ascribed to DADs, although DADs have been recorded in man after acute digoxin intoxication. Ventricular arrhytmias can be also caused by reentrant excitation, which can be subdivided into reflection or circus movement reentry (CMR). In the reflection model impulses in both directions are transmitted over the same pathway. In the CMR three models can be differentiated: the ring model, which requires a fixed anatomical obstacle; the figure-eight model and the leading circle model, where functional rather than fixed anatomical obstacles are involved.
Screening Is Part of Kidney Disease Education

The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP), an initiative of the National Institutes of Health, works to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its complications through educational efforts targeted toward at-risk communities, patients, and health care professionals. Specifically, NKDEP aims to improve early detection of CKD, facilitate identification of patients who are at greatest risk for progression to kidney failure, and promote evidence-based interventions to slow progression of kidney disease. Guided by the Healthy People 2010 (1) objectives for CKD, NKDEP, based in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, works collaboratively with partners throughout the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, and voluntary organizations to develop educational messages and deliver them to communities at risk, patients, and health care providers. Effective communication to the public, patients, and health care professionals is critical to achieving the public health mission of NKDEP. NKDEP emphasizes that screening to identify people with CKD as early as possible in the course of their disease is important because effective interventions that can arrest or retard progression exist; however, several factors mitigate against early screening. Most individuals are asymptomatic until late in the course of their disease. A disproportionate burden of CKD is borne by people with decreased access to and decreased trust in the health care system. Use of the screening tests—creatinine-based calculation of estimated GFR (eGFR) and urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), which provide estimates of GFR and daily albumin excretion, respectively—has been hampered by lack of standardization in measurement and reporting (2,3). Health care providers may lack understanding of CKD, screening methods, and the benefits of early intervention. Clinicians may not understand the tests, may not feel confident in explaining results to patients, and may not know which diagnostic (4) and therapeutic …
Uptake of Agmatine into Rat Brain Synaptosomes: Possible Role of Cation Channels

Agmatine (decarboxylated arginine), an endogenous ligand for imidazoline receptors, has been identified in brain where it is synthesized from arginine by arginine decarboxylase. Here we report a mechanism for the transport of agmatine into rat brain synaptosomes. The uptake of agmatine was energy- and temperature-dependent and saturable with a K m of 18.83 ± 3.31 mM and a V max of 4.78 ± 0.67 nmol/mg of protein/min. Treatment with ouabain (Na + ,K + -ATPase inhibitor) or removal of extracellular Na + did not attenuate the uptake rate. Agmatine transport was not inhibited by amino acids, polyamines, or monoamines, indicating that the uptake is not mediated by any amino acid, polyamine, or monoamine carriers. When we examined the effects of some ion-channel agents on agmatine uptake, only Ca 2+ -channel blockers inhibited the uptake, whereas a reduction in extracellular Ca 2+ increased it. In addition, some imidazoline drugs, such as idazoxan and phentolamine, were strong noncompetitive inhibitors of agmatine uptake. Thus, a selective, Na + -independent uptake system for agmatine exists in brain and may be important in regulating the extracellular concentration of agmatine.
Avatar for Our Age: Sathya Sai Baba and the Cultural Contradictions of Late Capitalism

Abstract Life itself is a market. Giving and taking, bargaining and speculating, is part of the game. Life has its … profits and losses appreciation and balance sheets. But the giving of Bhakti [devotion] in exchange for Mukti [liberation] is the most powerful business of all.—Sathya Sai Baba (Gokak, V.K. 1975. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, an Interpretation. Krishna Abhinav Publications, New Delhi, p. 237) It is your imperative duty to strive for the preservation of dharma. Today some people are trying to uproot Bharatiya Dharma (Indian Religion). We must resist all such attempts.… There are some people who are blindly enamored of Modern Western Civilization.… These so-called spurious and self-styled social reformers are trying to pollute society by depriving it of dharma.—Sathya Sai Baba (Gokak, V.K. 1975. Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, an Interpretation. Krishna Abhinav Publications, New Delhi, p. 246)
A co-culture system for studies of paracrine effects of stromal cells on the growth of epithelial cells

We have developed a co-culture system to study paracrine effects of fetal mesenchyme cells on the growth of primary mammary epithelial cells of the mouse. The method should be adaptable for study of interaction of a variety of cell populations. The procedure is simple and inexpensive. The culture consists of four layers: a monolayer of mesenchyme cells on a plastic culture dish, a soft agarose layer overlaying the cell monolayer, epithelial cells suspended in collagen gel placed atop the agarose, and culture medium above the collagen gel. The agarose layer prevents direct contact of two different cell populations but allows soluble molecules produced by either cell population to diffuse through the system, so as to contact and interact with the other cell population.
Natural orbital iterations for the ground state of nitric oxide

A method for the use of natural orbital iterations in limited CI calculations is discussed. This method is then applied to the ground X2II state of the nitric oxide molecule at its experimental equilibrium internuclear separation to yield the total energy, dipole moment, spin densities at each nucleus, and approximate natural spin orbitals for this molecule.
Constitutional issues in reality-based police television programs: Media ride-alongs

Reality-based police television programs have been criticized extensively on the grounds that they overestimate the prevalence of violent crime, misrepresent the percentage of criminals who are minorities, and perpetuate myths about the effectiveness of law enforcement. However, few critiques have examined the constitutional issues behind reality-based police television programs. This paper examines constitutional issues arising from Section 1983 litigation against both the police and the media for media presence during the execution of warrants. It concludes that media presence has important implications for analyses regarding people’s right to privacy, color of law, qualified immunity, and Fourth Amendment reasonableness.
Columnar-thin-film acquisition of fingerprint topology

Fingerprint visualization obtained from physical evidence taken from crime scenes for subsequent comparison typically requires the use of physical and chemical techniques. One physical technique to visualize or develop sebaceous fingerprints on various surfaces employs the deposition of metals such as gold and zinc thereon. We have developed a different vacuum technology: the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation technique to deposit dense columnar thin films (CTFs) on latent fingerprints on different types of surfaces. Sample fingerprints, acting as nonplanar substrates, deposited on different surfaces were placed in a vacuum chamber with the fingerprint side facing a boat containing an evaporant material such as chalcogenide glass. Thermal evaporation of the solid material led to the formation of a dense CTF on the fingerprint, thereby capturing the topographical texture with high resolution. Our results show that it is possible to acquire the topology of latent fingerprints on nonporous surfaces. Additionally, deposition of CTFs on overlapping fingerprints suggested ours may be a technique for elucidating the sequence of deposition of the fingerprints at the scene.
Menstruation and fertility following anorexia nervosa

Abstract Study Objective: To determine 1) menstrual weight (% normal body weight at which menses resumed or began following anorexia nervosa) and 2) effects of anorexia nervosa on subsequent fertility. Design: Retrospective, blinded interviews of patients. Setting: Outpatient. Participants: Cohort of 83 amenorrhec adolescent females hospitalized consecutively between January 1, 1979 and September 31, 1988 on an Adolescent Medicine unit for the treatment of anorexia nervosa, interviewed ≧4 years posthospitalization. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: 1) Menstrual weight (reported weight on resumption or initiation of menses, expressed as % normal body weight for height), and 2) fertility history. Results: Menses was occurring in 83% of subjects at follow-up. The menstrual weight averaged 92.1 ± 7.4 (SD)%. The % body weight for menstruating vs. amenorrheic subjects was 99.2 ± 13.6 (SD)% vs. 86.6 ± 7.7%, respectively (p = 0.0001). All females who wanted to conceive were able to do so within 1 year of trying to become pregnant. Conclusions: Following anorexia nervosa, menses can be expected to resume when weight reaches 92% of normal weight for height. A history of anorexia nervosa is unlikely to affect fertility if weight is restored to normal.
Comment on “Unraveling the Causes of Radiation Belt Enhancements”

The excellent article by M. W. Liemohn and A. A. Chan on the radiation belts (see Eos, 88(42), 16 October 2007) is misleading in its implication that the disturbance storm-time (Dst) index is an indicator of a magnetospheric ring current. That index is formed from an average of magnetic data from three or four low-latitude stations that have been fallaciously “adjusted” to a magnetic equatorial location under the 1960's assumption [Sugiura, 1964] that the fields arrive from the growth and decay of a giant ring of current in the magnetosphere. In truth, the index has a negative lognormal form [Campbell, 1996; Yago and Kamide, 2003] as a result of its composition from numerous negative ionospheric and magnetospheric disturbance field sources, each having normal field amplitude distributions [Campbell, 2004]. Some partial ring currents [Lui et al., 1987] and their associated field-aligned currents, as well as major ionospheric currents flowing from the auroral zone to equatorial latitudes, are the main contributors to the Dst index.
A Systems Approach for Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia in Term and Near‐Term Newborns

Objective To propose and implement a family‐centered systems approach to manage newborn jaundice for safer outcomes. Design Observational study for known adverse outcomes. Setting Semiprivate urban birthing hospital. Patients/Participants 31,059 well babies discharged as healthy from a cohort of 41,961 live births (1990‐2000). Interventions Incremental implementation of a systems approach that incorporated a hospital policy to (a) authorize nurses to obtain a bilirubin (total serum/transcutaneous) measurement for clinical jaundice, (b) universal predischarge total serum bilirubin (at routine metabolic screening), and (c) targeted follow‐up, using the bilirubin nomogram (hour‐specific, percentile‐based total serum bilirubin/transcutaneous bilirubin). Main Outcome Measures Known adverse outcomes assessed for early‐ and late‐onset severe hyperbilirubinemia before, during, and after systems approach implementation. Results Adverse outcomes decreased for well babies: exchange transfusion, intensive phototherapy, and readmission. During the study period, there were no "never events" (total serum bilirubin greater than or equal to 30 mg/dl), while "close calls" (total serum bilirubin greater than or equal to 25 mg/dl) were 1 in 15,000 as compared to a reported incidence of 1 in 625. Conclusions Reduced adverse events, significant reduction in close calls, and no never events met family expectations for safer experiences with this approach.
Real-time distributed sensor fusion for time-critical sensor readings

The problem of dynamic distributed sensor fusion, where time critical sensor readings are fused concurrently by physically isolated modules, is considered. A large number of critical applications including target tracking, remote sensing, and autonomous vehicle navigation can depend on interpreting sensor readings in real time. Independent sensor modules receive partially contradictory data, but their answers must agree within computed accuracy bounds. Real-time constraints cause additional uncertainty factors. The dynamic nature of this problem requires that the problem be viewed in four dimensions and processed efficiently. We present a new method that robustly tolerates a limited number of component failures. This method has complexity O(f 4N log N), where N is the total number of modules and f is the number of faulty modules tolerated. Experimental results are given showing the merits of the proposed method.
Exact boundary integral equations for scattering of scalar waves from perfectly reflecting infinite rough surfaces

The derivation of integral equations for scattering from an infinite rough surface is not a straightforward procedure. The usual formalism involves a single plane wave incident on the surface and the free-space Green’s function. Problems arise due to waves propagating horizontal to the surface and to the inability to evaluate in a simple way the Helmholtz–Kirchhoff or Green’s surface integral on the upper hemisphere. One approach is to change the usual Sommerfeld radiation condition to exclude horizontal waves. In this paper we take a different approach. Instead of the single incident plane wave as the Born term we choose the flat surface result of incident plus reflected field. The additional field scattered from the rough surface satisfies the Sommerfeld condition. The full Green’s function is chosen as a combination of the free-space Green’s function and its image. The main result is that the Helmholtz–Kirchhoff integral using this new Born term and the image Green’s function can be evaluated exactly (and simply) on the hemisphere. This leads directly to integral equations on the total field (flat surface plus scattered fields) for the Dirichlet and Neumann problems. Simple coordinate-space representations for the kernels of these equations are also presented. Since we use image functions we have standing waves in the z-direction, so that the result is not strictly categorized as a diffraction result. Nevertheless, the integral relations induced by their choice yield an exact and simple result for the solution of an otherwise difficult problem.
State and local economic impacts from wind energy projects: Texas case study

Abstract This paper uses the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) model to estimate economic impacts from 1398 MW of wind power development in four counties in west Texas. Project-specific impacts are estimated at the local level (i.e., within a 100-mile radius around the wind farms) and at the state level. The primary economic policy question addressed is how investment in wind energy affects the state and local communities where the wind farms are built. During the four-year construction phase approximately 4100 FTE (full time equivalents) jobs were supported with turbine and supply chain impacts accounting for 58% of all jobs generated. Total lifetime economic activity to the state from the projects equated to more than $1.8 billion, or $1.3 million per MW of installed capacity. The total economic activity to the local communities was also substantial, equating to nearly $730 million over the assumed 20-year life cycle of the farms, or $0.52 million per MW of installed capacity. Given the current level of impacts observed, and the potential for increased impacts via greater utilization of instate manufacturing capacity and the development of trained wind industry specific laborers, Texas appears to be well positioned to see increasing impacts from continued wind development.
Measurement of leukocyte motility and chemotaxis parameters using a quantitative analysis of the under-agarose migration assay

Abstract The correlation between leukocyte motility properties and the effective function of the inflammatory defense response has stimulated efforts to characterize random motility and chemotaxis using in vitro assays. In order that in vitro measurements may be useful in predicting in vivo behavior, the experimental data must be used to determine quantitative parameters upon which the in vivo results will depend. The key parameters for leukocyte migration are the random motility coefficient and chemotactic coefficient. In this study, the under-agarose migration assay of Nelson et al. and others is modeled and analyzed mathematically. The relationship between the experimental cell migration-distance data and the random motility and chemotactic coefficients is determined.
Evaluating an Exercise Counseling Intervention in an Ethnic Minority Sample with Heart Failure

occured less frequently in patients cared for by cardiologists vs. other providers (15.8% vs. 21.7%, p!0.0001). Patients cared for by HF specialists had the highest rate of 30-day readmission/mortality (41.4%, p!0.0001). Readmitted patients were less likely to receive heart failure education (90% vs. 95.6%, p50.02). There was no difference in weight loss between groups (3.9268.22kg vs. 3.0669.08kg, p50.339). Conclusion: All patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of HF should receive HF education. Thirty day readmission or death for HF patients occurs despite adequate weight loss and care by HF specialists. This indicates that HF patients who experience 30-day readmission or death are generally sicker with a poorer prognosis in general. Perhaps HF readmission and mortality is a poor measure for quality care and should be re-considered as an outcome measure.
Fissioning in Planarians: Control by the Brain

Reduced population densities lead to increased rates of fissioning in planarians whereas higher population densities suppress fissioning. This effect is not primarily due to mucus deposition or substances secreted into the water. Experiments are presented which show a system of population feedback control. In the presence of other planarians, the brain exerts an influence (probably neurohormonal) to suppress fissioning. This influence becomes attenuated with axial distance from the brain.
Prefrontal cortex morphometry in abstinent adolescent marijuana users: Subtle gender effects.

Adult human studies suggest frontal dysfunction associated with chronic marijuana (MJ) use, but due to continued neuromaturation, adult studies may not generalize to adolescents. This study characterized prefrontal cortex (PFC) morphometry in chronic MJ-using adolescents following 1 month of monitored abstinence. Data were collected from MJ users (n = 16) and controls (n = 16) aged 16-18. Extensive exclusionary criteria included co-morbid psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Substance use and anatomical measures were collected after 28 days of monitored abstinence. PFC volumes were ascertained from manual tracing by reliable raters on high-resolution magnetic resonance images. After controlling for lifetime alcohol use, gender and intracranial volume, MJ users did not differ from controls in PFC volume. However, marginal group-by-gender interactions were observed (P < 0.09): female MJ users demonstrated comparatively larger PFC volumes while male MJ users had smaller volumes compared with same-gender controls. Further, group status and total PFC volume interacted in predicting executive functioning (P < 0.05). Among MJ users, smaller PFC total volume was associated with better executive functioning while the opposite pattern was seen among the controls. These preliminary results indicate that gender may moderate the relationship between MJ use and PFC morphometry. Given the relationship between larger PFC total volumes and poorer executive functioning among MJ users, female MJ users may be at increased risk for neurocognitive consequences. Future research will measure PFC gray and white matter separately and follow boys and girls over adolescence to examine the influence of MJ use on neurodevelopment.
Breast fine needle aspiration biopsy: prevailing recommendations and contemporary practices.

Abstract In 1996, a National Cancer Institute conference was held in Bethesda,Maryland to define parameters for the practice of breast fine needle aspiration (BFNA). Representatives of the American Society of Cytopathology, Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology, American College of Radiology, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Society of Surgical Oncology, American Academy of Family Physicians, College of American Pathologists, National Consortium of Breast Centers, International Academy of Cytology, American Society of Clinical Pathologists, American Cancer Society, American College of Surgeons, and American Society for Cytotechnology developed and reviewed recommendations. These guidelines were referred to as "The Uniform Approach to Breast Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy." This article reviews these recommendations and the contemporary evolution of the practice of BFNA since their original publication.