cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solvents having high dielectric constants. XVI. Properties of colloids in N-methylacetamide

Abstract CuS and As 2 S 3 sols in N -methylacetamide have been prepared and have been purified by electrodialysis. Both sols were found to carry negative charges. Flocculation values were determined using solutions of NaI and of CaCl 2 in NMA at 40°C. The experimental values for both sols were considerably higher than for similar systems in water. As 2 S 3 sols in NMA exhibit very unusual stability, showing no flocculation after three months. The CuS sol was found to be inherently unstable in NMA and to dissolve in a few days. Coordination of NMA molecules around the Cu ++ , ion and the very high dielectric constant of the medium may contribute to this behavior.
Influence of local and remote SST on North Atlantic tropical cyclone potential intensity

We examine the role of local and remote sea surface temperature (SST) on the tropical cyclone potential intensity in the North Atlantic using a suite of model simulations, while separating the impact of anthropogenic (external) forcing and the internal influence of Atlantic Multidecadal Variability. To enable the separation by SST region of influence we use an ensemble of global atmospheric climate model simulations forced with historical, 1856–2006 full global SSTs, and compare the results to two other simulations with historical SSTs confined to the tropical Atlantic and to the tropical Indian Ocean and Pacific. The effects of anthropogenic plus other external forcing and that of internal variability are separated by using a linear, “signal-to-noise” maximizing EOF analysis and by projecting the three model ensemble outputs onto the respective external forcing and internal variability time series. Consistent with previous results indicating a tampering influence of global tropical warming on the Atlantic hurricane potential intensity, our results show that non-local SST tends to reduce potential intensity associated with locally forced warming through changing the upper level atmospheric temperatures. Our results further indicate that the late twentieth Century increase in North Atlantic potential intensity, may not have been dominated by anthropogenic influence but rather by internal variability.
Perspectives on Fatigue from the Study of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Related Conditions

Fatigue is a symptom whose causes are protean and whose phenotype includes physical, mood, and behavioral components. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness that has strong biological underpinnings and no definite etiology. Diagnostic criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have helped classify CFS as an overlap of mood, behavioral, and biological components. These include the presence of fatigue for more than 6 months associated with a diminution of functional activity and somatic symptoms, and pain not attributable to a specific diagnosis or disease. Four of the following criteria need to be present: sore throat, impaired memory or cognition, unrefreshing sleep, postexertional fatigue, tender glands, aching stiff muscles, joint pain, and headaches. Many researchers have observed that CFS shares features in common with other somatic syndromes, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Correlations between inflammation and infection, augmented sensory processing, abnormalities of neurotransmitters, nerve growth factors, low levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, abnormalities of homeostasis of the stress system, and autonomic dysfunction may be hallmarks of CFS. The relative contributions of each of these abnormalities to the profound fatigue associated with CFS need to be explored further to better evaluate and treat the syndrome.
Thermal and photochemical oxidation of 2,6‐dimethylphenyl phenyl ether: A model for poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide)

The oxygenation of 2,6-dimethylphenyl phenyl ether (I) at 260°C has resulted in the formation of 4-methylxanthone (II), 2-hydroxy-3-methylbenzophenone(III), 2-phenoxy-3-methylbenzaldehyde (IV), 2-phenoxy-3-methylbenzoic acid (V), 2-phenoxy-3-methylbenzyl o-cresotinate (VI), 2-phenoxy-3-methylbenzyl alcohol (VII), and 2-phenoxy-3-methylbenzyl 2-phenoxy-3-methylbenzoate (VIII), The photochemical oxidation at 75° produced compounds II, III, IV, VII, and VIII. Oxidation of poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,4-phenylene oxide) film at 200°C and photochemically at 50°C produced a carbonyl band at ca. 1730 cm−1. The gel content of the photochemically aged film could be significantly reduced and the 1730 cm−1 peak in the thermally aged specimen could be moved to longer wavelength by base treatment. The isolation of compound VIII in both processes with the model compound and the results with the polymer allows us to propose an ester group as a crosslinking unit in thermally and photochemically aged polymer film.
Generalized energy transport models for semiconductor device simulation

Abstract Two systems of generalized equations are derived by applying the method of moments to an approximation of the Boltzmann transport equation for semiconductors, valid for general band structure. The equations of one of the resulting models are examined in detail and the presence of a convective term in the definition of the odd-order moments is highlighted. The energy transport models are obtained by truncating the system of equations at the third order moments. As a closure assumption, the coefficients of the models are computed numerically from homogeneous solutions of the expansion of the Boltzmann transport equation. The models are applied to a ballistic diode and the results are compared with those obtained from the solution of the expansion of the Boltzmann transport equation, showing a satisfactory agreement without any fitting of parameters. Finally, the simulation of an LDD-MOS transistor is presented and the results are compared with those obtained from a hydrodynamic model. A good agreement is found in this case as well.
Preservation of Myocyte Contractile Function After Hypothermic Cardioplegic Arrest by Activation of ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels

Background Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction can occur after hyperkalemic cardioplegic arrest and subsequent reperfusion and rewarming. Activation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (Katp) channels within the myocyte sarcolemma has been shown to be cardioprotective for myocardial reperfusion injury and ischemia and may play a contributory role in preconditioning for cardioplegic arrest. Accordingly, the present study tested the hypothesis that cardioplegic arrest and activation of Katp channels by a potassium channel opener (PCO) would attenuate alterations in ionic homeostasis and improve myocyte contractile function. Methods and Results Porcine LV myocytes were isolated and randomly assigned to the following treatment groups: normothermic control, incubation in cell culture media for 2 hours at 37°C (n=60); hyperkalemic cardioplegia, incubation for 2 hours in hypothermic hyperkalemic cardioplegic solution (n=60); or PCO/cardioplegia, incubation in cardioplegic solution containing 100 μm...
Recruitment of Uev1B to Hrs-containing endosomes and its effect on endosomal trafficking

Endocytosis of signaling receptors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), tightly controls the signal transduction process triggered by ligand activation of these receptors. To identify new regulators of the endocytic trafficking of EGFR an RNA interference screen was performed for genes involved in ubiquitin conjugation and down-regulation of EGFR. The screen revealed that small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that target the conserved ubiquitin-binding domain Uev1 increased down-regulation of EGFR. Since these siRNAs simultaneously targeted multiple genes containing a Uev1 domain, we analyzed the role of these gene products by overexpressing individual Uev1-related proteins. This analysis revealed that overexpression of Uev1A (UBE2V1) has no effect on the degradation of EGFR:EGF complexes. In contrast, overexpression of Uev1B (TMEM189-UBE2V1 isoform 2) slowed the degradation of EGF:receptor complexes. The Uev1B protein was found to strongly colocalize and associate with ubiquitin and Hrs in endosomes. Moreover, overexpression of Uev1B abrogated the ability of Hrs to colocalize with EGFR. The B-domain of Uev1B, and not the UEV-domain, was mainly responsible for the observed phenotypes suggesting the presence of a novel endosomal targeting sequence within the B-domain. Together, the data show that elevated levels of Uev1B protein in cells lead to decreased efficiency of endosomal sorting by associating with ubiquitinated proteins and Hrs.
The cultural context of women prisoners’ mental health A comparison of two prison systems

A rise in governmentality, the development of the risk society and shifts in cultural sensibilities have all been used to explain recent trends in crime control and penal policies most notably in t...
Propositional structure and truth conditions

This paper presents an account of the manner in which a proposition’s immediate structural features are related to its core truth-conditional features. The leading idea is that for a proposition to have a certain immediate structure is just for certain entities to play certain roles in the correct theory of the brute facts regarding that proposition’s truth conditions. The paper explains how this account addresses certain worries and questions recently raised by Jeffery King and Scott Soames.
Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy Studies of Au/Molecule/n-GaAs Diodes

We present nanometer-scale resolution, ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM) studies of Au/octanedithiol/n-GaAs (001) diodes. The presence of the molecule dramatically increases the BEEM threshold voltage and displays an unusual transport signature as compared to reference Au/GaAs diodes. Furthermore, BEEM images indicate laterally inhomogeneous interfacial structure. We present calculations that address the role of the molecular layer at the interface. Our results indicate that spatially resolved measurements add new insight to studies using conventional spatial-averaging techniques.
Dimensions of Peak Communication Experiences: An Exploratory Study:

A brief inventory of characteristics of “peak communication experiences” was developed from Maslow's model of the generalized peak experience. Data from 74 subjects were submitted to principal components analysis with varimax rotation, yielding six factors which accounted for 66.1% of the total variance, as follows: Loving Acceptance (25.9%), Openminded Insight (10.2%), Spontaneity (9.2%), Pleasant Fear (80%), Absorption (7.0%), and Self-detachment (5 8%). Analyses of variance showed that women rated their peak communication experiences higher than men on Loving Acceptance and Spontaneity.
Stimulant medication withdrawal during long-term therapy in children with comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and chronic multiple tic disorder.

Objectives. In this study we examined changes in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder behaviors and motor and vocal tics during withdrawal from long-term maintenance therapy with stimulant medication. Methods. Subjects were 19 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and chronic tic disorder who had received methylphenidate (n = 17) or dextroamphetamine (n = 2) for a minimum of 1 year. Children were switched to placebo under double-blind conditions. Treatment effects were assessed by using direct observations of child behavior in a simulated (clinic-based) classroom and behavior rating scales completed by parents and clinician. Results. There was no change (group data) in the frequency or severity of motor tics or vocal tics during the placebo condition compared with maintenance dose of stimulant medication (ie, no evidence of tic exacerbation while receiving medication or of a withdrawal reaction). There was no evidence of tic exacerbation in the evening as a rebound effect. Treatment with the maintenance dose was also associated with behavioral improvement in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder behaviors, indicating continued efficacy. Conclusions. Abrupt withdrawal of stimulant medication in children receiving long-term maintenance therapy does not appear to result in worsening of tic frequency or severity. Nevertheless, these findings do not preclude the possibility of drug withdrawal reactions in susceptible individuals.
Efficacy of reversal of aortic calcification by chelating agents

Elastin-specific medial vascular calcification, termed "Monckeberg's sclerosis," has been recognized as a major risk factor for various cardiovascular events. We hypothesize that chelating agents, such as disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), and sodium thiosulfate (STS) might reverse elastin calcification by directly removing calcium from calcified tissues into soluble calcium complexes. We assessed the chelating ability of EDTA, DTPA, and STS on removal of calcium from hydroxyapatite (HA) powder, calcified porcine aortic elastin, and calcified human aorta in vitro. We show that both EDTA and DTPA could effectively remove calcium from HA and calcified tissues, while STS was not effective. The tissue architecture was not altered during chelation. In the animal model of aortic elastin-specific calcification, we further show that local periadventitial delivery of EDTA loaded in to poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles regressed elastin-specific calcification in the aorta. Collectively, the data indicate that elastin-specific medial vascular calcification could be reversed by chelating agents.
The spring transition from horizontal to vertical thermal stratification on a midlatitude continental shelf

[1] The spring transition from wintertime horizontal thermal stratification to the summertime vertically stratified state on a wide, sloping midlatitude continental shelf is investigated. The sigma z-level model (SZM), a new three-dimensional primitive equation numerical ocean model employing a hybrid sigma coordinate and z-level coordinate in the vertical, simulates the continental shelf region. A simple analytical model to describe the heating rate of a well-mixed water column is applied to the problem to illustrate the importance of bottom slope in determining the evolution of the horizontal thermal stratification. The applicability of this simple model to continental shelf dynamics forced by realistic surface fluxes is studied with a “pseudo” two-dimensional (x-z) form of the SZM forced with daily heat flux and wind stress records from the West Florida Shelf. A term-by-term analysis of the depth-averaged time-integrated temperature equation quantifies the contribution of each physical process to the evolution of the horizontal temperature field. The simple model used to describe the heating rate of a homogeneous water column appears as the dominant balance in the integrated temperature equation. Cross-shelf temperature advection associated with upwelling and downwelling alters the horizontal depth-integrated temperature over the shelf predicted by the simple model. Two processes describe the spring transition. The erosion of the wintertime horizontal thermal gradient occurs on a timescale of a few months when the water column is being heated and mixed periodically. The second process is the formation of the seasonal thermocline following the last strong mixing event. This occurs on a timescale of less than a week under a stabilizing heat flux and light winds completing the spring transition from horizontal to vertical thermal stratification.
Development of Valid Methods to Measure Insulin-Like Growth Factors-I and -II in Bone Cell-Conditioned Medium*

A variety of human cells and biological fluids have been shown to produce or contain insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-specific binding proteins (BPs). The existence of these BPs in serum and conditioned medium of cell and organ cultures has complicated radioligand assays for measurement of IGFs. Various strategies have been proposed to avoid interference of BPs with these assays, including acid-ethanol precipitation of BPs and acid-gel filtration. Many of these procedures are time consuming, exhibit low recoveries, and do not completely eliminate BP artifacts. In this study we have investigated interference of inhibitory IGF-BP (In-IGF-BP) purified from bone cellconditioned medium in an IGF-II RRA and IGF-I RIA and developed methods to neutralize In-IGF-BP artifacts in IGF assays. In the IGF-II RRA, purified In-IGF-BP competed for [125I]IGF-II binding to H-35 cells in a dose-dependent manner and, thus, increased the apparent value for IGF-II in the medium. Fifty percent inhibition of [125I]IGF-II binding ...
Experimental verification of spectral grating interference in multiplexed volume holograms employed as broadband dispersive elements for solar concentrators

Using diverse bandgap photovoltaic cells can improve solar conversion efficiency, but these systems also require efficient dispersive optics to direct portions of the solar spectrum onto the appropriate optimized cells. We use an extended coupled-mode model to show how multiplexed volume gratings interact with one another reducing efficiency in the diffraction orders of interest as well as increasing stray light under certain conditions. We conducted experiments with multiplexed gratings in dichromated gelatin to verify our theory. This technique reveals effects that cannot be seen through superposition of single grating models, which suggests that multiplexed gratings must be treated simultaneously when designing such a system.
Cognitive rehabilitation two and one-half years post right temporal lobectomy

A 45-year old radiologist, who underwent a right temporal lobectomy to remove a tumor, sought treatment for difficulties with attention/scanning, sustained concentration, leisure reading, driving, and self-monitoring in social situations. A neuropsychological evaluation conducted 2.5 years postsurgery revealed impaired visual-spatial memory, inefficiency in general visual scanning, a mild left-sided neglect, and diminished social perception. The patient subsequently underwent a 4-month cognitive retraining program, which was tailored to his specific neuropsychological deficits. At the termination of treatment, improvements were observed on follow-up neuropsychological data, behavioral observations made by the patient's wife, and efficiency on work-related tasks. This case illustrates the ecological validity of cognitive rehabilitation procedures and emphasizes the need to tailor the procedures to specific cognitive deficits revealed on neuropsychological testing.
Retention of Mold Fragments by Butter, Buttermilk and Wash Water during Manufacture of Butter*

Summary Total visible mold filament was determined on butter, buttermilk and wash water of both laboratory and commercial churnings. Results indicated that butter usually retained more than 50 per cent of the total length of mold filament and that the wash water contained a very small percentage. The butter appeared to retain the long filaments during churning and most of the tiny fragments passed out into the buttermilk. Studies on some commercial churnings indicated that butter retained a very small percentage of the bacteria of the original cream. Most of the bacteria were found in the buttermilk. This occurred in spite of the fact that many chains of the bacteria approximated the mold filaments in size. The total mold content of laboratory churned butter approximated that of commercially churned from the same respective lots of cream. The possible effects of other factors such as fat content of cream and degree of agitation during churning on retention of mold fragments by butter are briefly discussed.
Measurement of inducible proteins improves the precision of the local pigeon crop-sac bioassay for prolactin.

Abstract The pigeon crop-sac is a well-known target organ of prolactin (PRL). Pukac and Horseman (Endocrinology 114: 1718, 1984) reported that injections of the hormone caused changes in the expression of several specific proteins in that organ. We investigated the possibility that measuring the amounts of three of these proteins might improve the precision of the local pigeon crop-sac assay to PRL. Pigeons were given four injections of phosphate-buffered saline or different doses of ovine (o) PRL for 2 days and were killed on day 3. The DNA and total protein content of their crop-sac mucosal epithelial cells were measured and a supernatant of homogenized epithelial cells was processed by SDS-PAGE. The amounts of the three specific proteins in the stained gels were measured by densitometry. Treatment with oPRL increased the concentration of two of these proteins in the crop mucosal tissue (CP 14 and CP 25) and decreased that of the third one (CP 17). Measurement of total protein or of changes in the individual protein bands gave dose-response relationships with poor indices of precision (λ>0.3). Measurement of DNA content gave an assay endpoint with a reasonably good λ value (0.16) but when the changes in the amounts of CP 14 and CP 25 were expressed as ratios to the changes occurring in CP 17, very precise assay endpoints (λ=0.06−0.08) were obtained.
Randomized registers and iterative algorithms

We present three different specifications of a read-write register that may occasionally return out-of-date values -namely, a (basic) random register, a P-random register, and a monotone random register. We show that these specifications are implemented by the probabilistic quorum algorithm of Malkhi, Reiter, Wool, and Wright, and we illustrate how to program with such registers in the framework of Bertsekas, using the notation of Uresin and Dubois. Consequently, existing iterative algorithms for a significant class of problems (including solving systems of linear equations, finding shortest paths, constraint satisfaction, and transitive closure) will converge with high probability if executed in a system in which the shared data is implemented with registers satisfying the new specifications. Furthermore, the algorithms in this framework will inherit positive attributes concerning load and fault-tolerance from the underlying register implementation. The expected convergence time for iterative algorithms using the monotone implementation is analyzed and shown experimentally to improve on that of the original implementation. The message complexity for iterative algorithms using the monotone probabilistic quorum implementation is shown to improve on that of non-probabilistic implementations in a quantifiable situation.
Regulatory control of pyrimidine biosynthesis in mammalian systems.

Summary A variety of pyrimidine and pyrimidine analogs effect an inhibition of partially purified ATC from rat liver and various hepatomas. The uridine derivatives were as effective as the cytidine compounds as inhibitors of this enzyme suggesting a marked difference between the bacterial and mammalian enzymes. Thymidine exhibited the most pronounced inhibitory efficacy of the “naturally-occurring” pyrimidines; BCDR was the most potent inhibitor of a series of analogs. De-ADR and de-AMP effected the largest reduction in enzymatic activity of all the tested compounds. These results suggested a role for purine derivatives as regulators of the de novo pathway for pyrimidine biosynthesis. ATC was identical in liver and in the hepatomas as defined by pH optimum, K m values for aspartate and carbamyl phosphate, V max , degree of inhibition by Cu ++ , by the pyrimidines, and by the inhibition constants for BCDR, FUDR, TdR, and de-AMP. A series of attempts at repression of ATC in chick embryonic liver, and regenerating rat liver by pyrimidines, and at derepression of ATC in adult mouse liver and in later-stage chick embryonic liver by 6-azauridine were unsuccessful. The possibility of multiple factors involved in the construction of the repressor was considered. Dihydroorotase activity in extracts of the Novikoff ascites hepatoma was markedly inhibited by pyrimidines, pyrimidine analogs and purine derivatives. The most potent of these were: CMP, de-CMP, TdR, BCDR, de-ADR, ATP, and adenosine-N 1 -oxide. The inhibitions were of the competitive type. Aspartate-C 14 incorporation into the acid-soluble pyrimidine nucleotides and the pyrimidine nucleotides of RNA was markedly inhibited by adenine. The exact mechanism for this inhibition is unknown although the inhibition of ATC and dihydroorotase was suggested as a working hypothesis.
Creating a culture of vocabulary acquisition for children living in poverty

This paper presents a compelling case for early and sustained vocabulary development for children reared in poverty. Research findings indicate that vocabulary knowledge is a critical factor in literacy and academic success for low-income children from preschool to higher levels of schooling. Vocabulary proficiency is strongly related to language and reading understanding and to success in academic subjects, particularly when topics are presented with semantically laden words related to conceptual knowledge. Practitioners learn which words to emphasize in the continuum range of high frequency/high utility to rare words and why conversation, discussion, book readings, morpheme and root word play, and writing become so important in the learning of new words. Presented are four broad suggestions relating to (1) using enhanced talk in the classroom, (2) capitalizing on the rich vocabulary of children's book authors, (3) manipulating morphemes with word roots, and (4) developing the vocabulary of informational...
Impurity segregation and ordering in Si / SiO 2 / HfO 2 structures

We use first-principles calculations and experimental data to demonstrate that impurity segregation at heterointerfaces is governed by several factors. In particular, Hf impurities avoid the ${\text{Si-SiO}}_{2}$ interface when present in the ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$ side, might segregate if present in the Si side, but do not cross into ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$. Substitutional Hf impurities in ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$, as revealed by a through-focal series of $Z$-contrast images, act as markers for Si sites, suggesting ordering in the first two Si planes of the amorphous ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$. Finally, we show that dopants in Si segregate at the interface by adopting several distinct configurations and also do not cross into ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$.
Prescreening entire mammograms for masses with artificial neural networks: Preliminary results

Rationale and Objectives. The authors evaluated the feasibility of combining wavelet transform and artificial neural network (ANN) technologies to prescreen mammograms for masses. Methods and Materials. Fifty-five mammograms (29 with masses and 26 without) were digitized to 100-mm resolution and processed by using wavelet transformation. These wavelets were subjected to a linear output sequential recursive auto-associative memory ANN and cluster analysis with feature vector formation. These vectors were used in two separate experiments—one with 13 cases and another with seven cases held out in a test set—to train feed-forward ANNs to detect the mammograms with a mass. The experiments were repeated with rerandomization of the data, four and six times, respectively. Results. There was a statistically significant correlation (P Conclusion. Although preliminary, the combination of wavelet transform and ANN is promising and may provide a viable method to prescreen mammograms for masses with high sensitivity and reasonable specificity.
The minimal free resolutions of the Huneke—Ulrich deviation two gorenstein ideals

Structure theorems exist for Gorenstein ideals of small grade. A different parameter one can use for organizing ideals is deviation (or complete intersection defect). The deviation of the ideal I is the minimal number of generators of I minus the grade of I. A deviation zero ideal is a complete intersection. Kunz [S] proved that there are no deviation one Gorenstein ideals. Presently people are trying to find all deviation two Gorenstein ideals. See, for example, [3]. A hypersurface section of a grade g 1 deviation two Gorenstein ideal is a grade g deviation two Gorenstein ideal. We consider this to be a trivial example. Very few non-trivial examples of deviation two Gorenstein ideals are known. The Buchsbaum-Eisenbud structure theorem [2] describes all grade three Gorenstein ideals. In particular, every deviation two grade three Gorenstein ideal is generated by the maximal order pfaflians of a 5 x 5 alternating matrix. No non-trivial deviation two Gorenstein ideals of even grade are known. Herzog and Miller [3] have taken a step toward proving that all grade four deviation two Gorenstein ideals are trivial. Let I be a grade four deviation two Gorenstein ideal. If I is a generic complete intersection and I/I* is CohenMacaulay, then I is a hypersurface section. The only known non-trivial deviation 2 Gorenstein ideals of grade at least four are the ideals of Huneke and Ulrich [4], which are the ideals studied in this paper. For each integer s, let y’“’ be a 1 x s matrix of indeterminates, X’“’ be an s x s alternating matrix of indeterminates, g’“’ be the product y(“X(‘), and ct.‘) be the sequence gp),..., g’,“! , . Let A, be the ideal of
The Cell Center at 100

A modern cell biologist is struck by the space Wilson devoted to the centrosome in his famous 1925 text, especially considering that much of the work was done by Boveri and colleagues more than 20 years earlier. It is striking both because of the quality of the information—much of what we know about the centrosome during fertilization still derives from these careful studies—and the quantity—most modern cell biology texts offer little to compare. The relative paucity, until recently, of new information could be directly attributed to the traditional difficulties of working with the microtubule organizing center: small amounts of material and an unsure relationship between the animal cell centrosome and the morphologically different SPB found in the advanced genetic model systems. These difficulties have now been largely overcome. Large quantities of centrosomal material can be purified (although this is still not easy), and there are obvious homologies between centrosomes and SPBs that make it possible to glean general information from detailed genetic studies.Continued study of centrosomes and SPBs will lead to an understanding of how they are produced and how they function, and will also help to determine how these processes can go awry in disease states and other maladies. Infertility can, in some cases, be traced to defects in reconstitution of centrosome function from the sperm basal body (G. Schatten). Both S. Doxsey and J. Salisbury reported that centrosome defects including increased size and number, as well as supernumerary centrioles, and other defects, were common in carcinoma cells from various tumors. These observations suggest that these cells had lost control of normal centrosome duplication and integrity, such that it is easy to imagine these cells displaying genomic instability because of severe defects in centrosome assembly and behavior that negatively impact mitotic spindle assembly and function. Given the importance of genomic instability in the ontogeny of cancer, Bruce Alberts (NAS, Washington D.C.; UCSF, San Francisco, California) encouraged the community to consider these observations as the basis for therapeutic approaches. A heady goal for the next 100 years.
Almond brown line and decline : a new disease probably caused by a mycoplasma-like organism

Summary Young almond (Prunus dulcis, cvs Carmel, Peerless and Price) orchards established on the plum rootstock Marianna 2624 (P. cerasifera×P. munsoniana) contained trees that exhibited poor terminal shoot growth and wilted, chlorotic leaves. The scion/rootstock graft union showed an external splitting of the bark and an internal line of necrotic bark tissues that extended into the woody cylinder of the union, which was deeply pitted. Affected trees declined. The disease was named almond brown line and decline (ABLD). Incidence of ABLD ranged up to 55% per cultivar in some orchards. Numerous attempts to graft-transmit orchard collections of ABLD to healthy almond/Marianna 2624 indicators failed. Also, ABLD does not appear to be soil-borne. However, ABLD was serendipitiously determined to be bud-perpetuated when infected scion buds from an apparently healthy appearing Peerless almond/peach tree located in a foundation orchard were grafted onto healthy rooted cuttings of Marianna 2624 to produce yearling trees. Also, graft-inoculations on the almond scion portion of healthy trees, but not the plum rootstock portion, with the peach yellow leafroll mycoplasma-like organism (PYLR-MLO) caused symptoms resembling ABLD. Laboratory and glasshouse assays of several symptomatic trees did not detect tomato ringspot virus and two ilarviruses. These results suggest that an MLO, possibly PYLR-MLO, may be the causal agent of ABLD and that Marianna 2624 is probably resistant to the PYLR-MLO.
Sensitivity analysis of automatic flight control systems using singular-value concepts

A recently developed sensitivity analysis technique for linear control systems, which is based on the gradients of the return-difference-matrix singular values, is improved by introducing system scaling, and extended to include digital systems. System scaling is used to improve the reliability of the singular values as measures of relative stability. Digital systems are included in the analysis through the derivation of new equations for the matrix singular-value gradients. An example of the applicability of the method to high-order, digital, multiloop systems is presented using the X-29A lateral-directional control laws. Results for the X-29A are discussed, as well as the range of validity of these results. ations in the model. Fewer techniques exist, however, for deter- mining how additional wind-tunnel or flight testing should be conducted if it is deemed necessary. References 1 and 2 present such a technique: a sensitivity analysis that determines the spe- cific model parameters that are most important to the stable operation of a continuous control system. The procedure is based on the singular values of the return difference matrix, and the gradients of these singular values with respect to sys- tem and controller parameters. In Refs. 1 and 2, singular-value gradients were demonstrated to be a viable way to determine which parameters, of the many that describe a control system, most strongly effect that system's relative stability. This paper presents the extension of this analysis to digital systems, and attempts to improve the accuracy of the singular- value plot (d-plot) as a measure of system relative stability. These extensions, with a few other modifications to the analy- sis, allow complex, high-order, digital systems to be analyzed. This paper will begin by discussing real diagonal scaling as a partial solution to the problem of the overconservative nature of singular values. It will then give a brief review of the tech- nique introduced in Ref. 1, followed by a derivation of the singular-value gradients (<r -gradients) for digital systems. Next, the technique is applied to the linear model of the X-29A Advanced Technology Demonstrator; a -plot results are given and the sensitivity analysis technique is demonstrated. The linearity of singular-valu e plots is then investigated to deter- mine the range of usefulness of predictions that are based on a -gradients.
Historic Contact: Indian People and Colonists in Today's Northeastern United States in the Sixteenth through Eighteenth Centuries

Historic Contact summarizes some of the results of European interaction with Native Americans from earliest encounters through approximately the American War for Independence in the area now called the Northeastern United States. It does not include adjacent portions of Canada. The author has arranged his account of culture contact into thirty-four regions, or "Indian countries." For example, he identifies countries such as the Eastern Abenaki, Mohegan-Pequot, Seneca, and Powhattan. He uses the same chronological format (by century, from the sixteenth through the eighteenth) to outline evidence for contact in each country. Grumet surveyed an enormous literature, including unpublished materials, and his synthesis of the archaeological and historical evidence for culture contact in these regions seems remarkably accurate and up to date. According to the foreword by Francis Jennings, the bibliography contains 1,111 entries. But this is only a fraction of the pertinent literature. For example, the bibliography for the Smithsonian Handbook of North American Indians: Northeast (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 1978) includes over 3,000 entries. Parenthetically, Grumet's Historic Contact overlaps, replicates, or augments much of the aforementioned Smithsonian volume.
Milnesium lagniappe, a New Species of Water Bear (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada, Apochela, Milnesiidae) from the Southern United States

ABSTRACT. Over 200 species of freshwater and terrestrial water bears (phylum Tardigrada) are known to occur in North America. Of these, 20 species have been recorded in Louisiana. Foliose and fruticose lichen and moss samples collected in 2011 in the city of Lake Charles and in Sam Houston Jones State Park, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, USA, were stored in paper envelopes and later soaked in tap water overnight. Tardigrade specimens and eggs were extracted and mounted in polyvinyl lactophenol. The samples contained a new species of tardigrade. Milnesium lagniappe sp. n. has claw formula [2–3]-[3–2] and 9 sculptured bands in the dorsal and lateral cuticle. The new species most closely resembles Milnesium reticulatum, a species known only from the Seychelles Islands, in its cuticular pattern. However, M. lagniappe sp. n. is almost twice as large as M. reticulatum, lacks gibbosities, has proportionally wider buccal tube and longer claws, and has a more posterior point of stylet insertion. Reexamination of tar...
The Acidic Domain of the Human Cytomegalovirus UL37 Immediate Early Glycoprotein Is Dispensable for Its Transactivating Activity and Localization but Is Not for Its Synergism

The product of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate early (IE) UL37 gene, gpUL37, is predicted to be a type I membrane-bound glycoprotein. Typically for HCMV IE proteins, gpUL37 transactivates nuclear gene expression and acts synergistically with other IE proteins. We have initiated mutational analysis of the gpUL37 domains to determine which are required for its transactivating activity. The acidic domain, a feature notably required for the activity of many nuclear transcription factors, was deleted from gpUL37. Similar to wild-type gpUL37, the mutant retained a dose responsive transactivating activity in transiently transfected HeLa cells. Transactivating activity of the mutant was also observed in permissive human diploid fibroblasts when it was cotransfected with IE1. However, the gpUL37 acidic domain mutant is defective for synergism with another HCMV IE protein, pUS3. We found that wild-type gpUL37 and its acidic domain mutant (delta aa53-140) are nonnuclear proteins and are indistinguishable in localization. Confocal microscopy of human cell types coexpressing both HCMV IE regulatory proteins, IE1 and gpUL37, showed gpUL37 does not colocalize with the IE1 nuclear protein. Taken together, our results establish that gpUL37 is a nonnuclear protein that requires its acidic domain for synergism with pUS3 but not for its transactivating activity or its localization.
Functionally active estrogen receptor isoform profiles in the breast tumors of African American women are different from the profiles in breast tumors of Caucasian women.

BACKGROUND Several cancer surveys have shown that African-American women (AAW) develop highly aggressive breast tumors and experience about three times higher mortality rates compared with other populations. Generally, breast tumors in AAW are poorly differentiated or undifferentiated and exhibit increased frequency of nuclear atypia, higher mitotic activity, higher S-phase fraction, and tumor necrosis. The molecular factors responsible for these tumor characteristics are mostly unknown. METHODS To explore whether the aggressive tumor biology observed in AAW is related to distinct alterations in estrogen receptor (ER) isoforms, the relative expression levels of four functionally active ER isoform mRNAs, ERα wild type, ERβ wild type, ERα exon 3Δ, and ERα exon 5Δ, were measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis in 18 immunohistochemically ERα positive tumors and in 6 ERα negative tumors and their matched normal tissues. RESULTS In the tumors of AAW, the protective ERβ isoform was decreased significantly compared with matched normal tissues (paired t test; n = 24 patients; P = 0.0018). In addition, both the constitutively active ERα exon 5Δ and the dominant negative ERα exon 3Δ mRNA levels were elevated in tumor tissues compared with matched normal tissues (paired t tests; n = 24 patients; P = 0.0002 and P = 0.024, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The data presented here show for the first time that functionally active ER isoform profiles in the breast tumors of AAW are different from those in Caucasian women. The tumors in AAW are characterized by decreased levels of the protective ERβ isoform and elevated levels of the constitutively active ERα exon 5Δ isoform. Variations in estrogen-mediated signaling because of the alterations in these two ER isoforms may account in part for differences in tumor biology between AAW and Caucasian women. Cancer 2002;94:615–23. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10274
Global Forest Watch Initiative Provides Opportunity for Worldwide Monitoring

A new initiative is using advances in satellite technology, open access to data, cloud computing, and crowdsourcing to try to stem deforestation around the world.
Modification of a Popular Syngeneic Murine Mammary Tumor Model for Immunotherapy Studies

To facilitate the evaluation of immunotherapeutic intervention against malignant diseases, it is desirable to have a syngeneic tumor model that closely resembles the growth pattern of human tumors. Murine 4T1 breast cancer model is known for its metastatic properties that mimic its human counterpart. However, a drawback of this model is the lack of an identified tumor antigen to function as a therapeutic target for immunologic intervention. We used the piggyBac transposon system to stably transduce a tumor antigen, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene (HER2), into this tumor cell. In vitro characterization shows that the newly established cells have a similar growth pattern as the parental line. In vivo evaluation shows that host immune response was generated against the HER2 tumor antigen, despite the high homology between HER2 and its murine counterpart (neu gene). When implanted into immune-deficient mice, the HER2-expressing 4T1 cells readily formed sizable tumors, indicating that these cells are useful for evaluating the therapeutic effect of adoptively transferred cytotoxic T cells that are specifically raised or modified to target the HER2 tumor antigen.
Similarity rules for isothermal bubble growth

A normalized formulation of the problem of isothermal bubble growth, dominated by viscosity and diffusion, reveals that in its full generality the problem involves eight dimensionless parameters. Limiting cases for extreme values of each of these parameters are investigated.
Sialic Acid (N-Acetyl Neuraminic Acid) Utilization by Bacteroides fragilis Requires a Novel N-Acetyl Mannosamine Epimerase

We characterized the nanLET operon in Bacteroides fragilis, whose products are required for the utilization of the sialic acid N-acetyl neuraminic acid (NANA) as a carbon and energy source. The first gene of the operon is nanL, which codes for an aldolase that cleaves NANA into N-acetyl mannosamine (manNAc) and pyruvate. The next gene, nanE, codes for a manNAc/N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) epimerase, which, intriguingly, possesses more similarity to eukaryotic renin binding proteins than to other bacterial NanE epimerase proteins. Unphosphorylated manNAc is the substrate of NanE, while ATP is a cofactor in the epimerase reaction. The third gene of the operon is nanT, which shows similarity to the major transporter facilitator superfamily and is most likely to be a NANA transporter. Deletion of any of these genes eliminates the ability of B. fragilis to grow on NANA. Although B. fragilis does not normally grow with manNAc as the sole carbon source, we isolated a B. fragilis mutant strain that can grow on this substrate, likely due to a mutation in a NAG transporter; both manNAc transport and NAG transport are affected in this strain. Deletion of the nanE epimerase gene or the rokA hexokinase gene, whose product phosphorylates NAG, in the manNAc-enabled strain abolishes growth on manNAc. Thus, B. fragilis possesses a new pathway of NANA utilization, which we show is also found in other Bacteroides species.
The Chimeric Genome of Sphaerochaeta: Nonspiral Spirochetes That Break with the Prevalent Dogma in Spirochete Biology

ABSTRACT Spirochaetes is one of a few bacterial phyla that are characterized by a unifying diagnostic feature, namely, the helical morphology and motility conferred by axial periplasmic flagella. Their unique morphology and mode of propulsion also represent major pathogenicity factors of clinical spirochetes. Here we describe the genome sequences of two coccoid isolates of the recently described genus Sphaerochaeta which are members of the phylum Spirochaetes based on 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome phylogenies. Interestingly, the Sphaerochaeta genomes completely lack the motility and associated signal transduction genes present in all sequenced spirochete genomes. Additional analyses revealed that the lack of flagella is associated with a unique, nonrigid cell wall structure hallmarked by a lack of transpeptidase and transglycosylase genes, which is also unprecedented in spirochetes. The Sphaerochaeta genomes are highly enriched in fermentation and carbohydrate metabolism genes relative to other spirochetes, indicating a fermentative lifestyle. Remarkably, most of the enriched genes appear to have been acquired from nonspirochetes, particularly clostridia, in several massive horizontal gene transfer events (>40% of the total number of genes in each genome). Such a high level of direct interphylum genetic exchange is extremely rare among mesophilic organisms and has important implications for the assembly of the prokaryotic tree of life. IMPORTANCE Spiral shape and motility historically have been the unifying hallmarks of the phylum Spirochaetes . These features also represent important virulence factors of highly invasive pathogenic spirochetes such as the causative agents of syphilis and Lyme disease. Through the integration of genome sequencing, microscopy, and physiological studies, we conclusively show that the spiral morphology and motility of spirochetes are not universal morphological properties. In particular, we found that the genomes of the members of the recently described genus Sphaerochaeta lack the genes encoding the characteristic flagellar apparatus and, in contrast to most other spirochetes, have acquired many metabolic and fermentation genes from clostridia. These findings have major implications for the isolation and study of spirochetes, the diagnosis of spirochete-caused diseases, and the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of this important bacterial phylum. The Sphaerochaeta sp. genomes offer new avenues to link ecophysiology with the functionality and evolution of the spirochete flagellar apparatus.