cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Avian Melatonin Synthesis: Photic and Circadian Regulation of Serotonin N-Acetyltransferase mRNA in the Chicken Pineal Gland and Retina

The circadian rhythms in melatonin production in the chicken pineal gland and retina reflect changes in the activity of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase; AA-NAT; EC 2.3.1.87). Here we determined that the chicken AA-NAT mRNA is detectable in follicular pineal cells and retinal photoreceptors and that it exhibits a circadian rhythm, with peak levels at night. AA-NAT mRNA was not detected in other tissues. The AA-NAT mRNA rhythm in the pineal gland and retina persists in constant darkness (DD) and constant lighting (LL). The amplitude of the pineal mRNA rhythm is not decreased in LL. Light appears to influence the phase of the clock driving the rhythm in pineal AA-NAT mRNA in two ways: The peak is delayed by approximately 6 h in LL, and it is advanced by > 4 h by a 6-h light pulse late in subjective night in DD. Nocturnal AA-NAT mRNA levels do not change during a 20-min exposure to light, whereas this treatment dramatically decreases AA-NAT activity. These observations suggest that the rhythmic changes in chicken pineal AA-NAT activity reflect, at least in part, clock-generated changes in mRNA levels. In contrast, changes in mRNA content are not involved in the rapid light-induced decrease in AA-NAT activity.
When I'm Bad, I'm Better: Mae West, Sex, and American Entertainment

In a world of trendsetting film icons, few are more familiar than Mae West. Yet for all her public controversy, West is also a mystery. Marybeth Hamilton combines elements of biography, cultural analysis, and social history to unmask West and reveal her commercial savvy, willpower, and truly shocking theatrical transgressions.
CHALLENGES OF ACCELERATED AGING TECHNIQUES FOR ELASTOMER LIFETIME PREDICTIONS

ABSTRACT Elastomers are often degraded when exposed to air or high humidity for extended times (years to decades). Lifetime estimates normally involve extrapolating accelerated aging results made at higher than ambient environments. Several potential problems associated with such studies are reviewed, and experimental and theoretical methods to address them are provided. The importance of verifying time–temperature superposition of degradation data is emphasized as evidence that the overall nature of the degradation process remains unchanged versus acceleration temperature. The confounding effects that occur when diffusion-limited oxidation (DLO) contributes under accelerated conditions are described, and it is shown that the DLO magnitude can be modeled by measurements or estimates of the oxygen permeability coefficient (POx) and oxygen consumption rate (ϕ). POx and ϕ measurements can be influenced by DLO, and it is demonstrated how confident values can be derived. In addition, several experimental profi...
Technique for Atraumatic Scrotal Pouch Orchiopexy in Management of Testicular Torsion

AbstractPurpose: Scrotal pouch orchiopexy without suture fixation will result in strong atraumatic fixation of the testis in the management of undescended testis. We describe a similar technique that is effective in the management of testicular torsion.Materials and Methods: A total of 19 scrotal pouch orchiopexies was performed in 11 boys with testicular torsion. Age ranged from 10 to 17 years (mean 14). Orchiopexy was done using a scrotal pouch without transparenchymal suture fixation of the testis. The partial serosal sac was obliterated, placing the testis in a secured extravaginal position.Results: Follow up ranged from 17 to 33 months (mean 25.6). There were no instances of infection, hematoma, wound dehiscence, atrophy or recurrent torsion.Conclusions: Scrotal pouch orchiopexy as described is recommended to prevent torsion of the testis.
The Reality of Perceptions: The Future Earning Power of Community College Students.

Is a person's earning power positively affected by completion of a course of study at a community college? The answer to this question may be a significant consideration for state legislators exami...
The case for systemic therapy alone for prostate cancer

Purpose: This review details clinical scenarios that may be appropriate for the use of primary androgen deprivation alone for organ confined prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: The Medline and National Cancer Institute clinical trials databases were used. Searches were made regarding current and potential data to guide therapeutic decision making.Results: Data integration that incorporates patient comorbidities and cancer histological features can identify patients at low vs high risk for death from prostate cancer. Observational databases have documented an increase in the use of primary androgen deprivation for low and high risk disease. Outcome data on androgen deprivation therapy alone in patients with metastatic as well as localized disease were reviewed. The potential of newer therapies, including chemotherapy, and therapies that target aberrant signaling pathways was also reviewed. The latter holds the potential to more effectively eradicate distant metastatic disease.Conclusions: Patients with ...
Lower sodium lactate in Whitten's medium improves in vitro developmental capacity of one-cell mouse embryos.

Abstract A modification of Whitten's medium, involving a reduced content of Na-lactate syrup (0.2 ml/100 ml; 11.65 mM) and osmolarity (251 mOsm), was compared with normal Whitten's medium (0.37 ml/100 ml; 21.6 mM) for ability to support mouse embryonic development in vitro from one-cell to the blastocyst stage. In a pilot study utilizing 10 ICR donor female mice, in vitro developmental capacity (IVDC; percentage of fertilized one-cell embryos developing to blastocysts in vitro per female donor) was significantly enhanced by the modified medium (68.0 versus 24.0%; P
Vasculitis: determinants of disease patterns

The vasculitides are a large group of heterogeneous diseases for which it has been assumed that pathogenesis is largely autoimmune. As clinicians, we distinguish one form of vasculitis from another on the basis of observed patterns of organ injury, the size of the vessels affected and histopathological findings. The terms 'small-vessel', 'medium-vessel' and 'large-vessel' vasculitis are useful clinical descriptors, but fail to inform us about why vessels of a certain calibre are favoured by one disease and not another. Classification based on vessel size also fails to consider that vessels of a specific calibre are not equally prone to injury. Distinct vulnerabilities undoubtedly relate to the fact that same-size vessels in different tissues may not be identical conduits. In fact, vessels become specialized, from the earliest stages of embryonic development, to suit the needs of different anatomical locations. Vessels of the same calibre in different locations and organs are as different as the organ parenchymal cells through which they travel. The dialogue between developing vessels and the tissues they perfuse is designed to meet special local needs. Added to the story of vascular diversity and vulnerability are changes that occur during growth, development and ageing. An improved understanding of the unique territorial vulnerabilities of vessels could form the basis of new hypotheses for the aetiopathogenesis of the vasculitides. This Review considers how certain antigens, including infectious agents, might become disease-relevant and how vascular diversity could influence disease phenotypes and the spectrum of vascular inflammatory diseases.
In vitro cell shearing device to investigate the dynamic response of cells in a controlled hydrodynamic environment.

Mechanical stresses and strains play important roles in the normal growth and development of biological tissues, yet the cellular mechanisms of mechanotransduction have not been identified. A variety of in vitro systems for applying mechanical loads to cell populations have been developed to gain insight into these mechanisms. However, limitations in the ability to control precisely relevant aspects of the mechanical stimuli have obscured the physical relationships between mechanical loading and the biochemical signals that mediate the cellular response. We present a novel in vitro cell shearing device based on the principles of a cone and plate viscometer that utilizes microstepper motor technology to control independently the dynamic and steady components of a hydrodynamic shear-stress environment. Physical measurements of the cone velocity demonstrated faithful reproduction of user-defined input wave forms. Computational modeling of the fluid environment for the unsteady startup confirmed small inertial contributions and negligible secondary flows. Finally, we present experimental results demonstrating the onset rate dependence of functional and structural responses of endothelial cell cultures to dynamically applied shear stress. The controlled cell shearing device is a novel tool for elucidating mechanisms by which mechanical forces give rise to the biological signals that modulate cellular morphology and metabolism. © 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC00: 8780Rb, 8717-d
Performance characteristics of an R.F.-only quadrupole

Abstract The r.f.-only quadrupole is of interest because of its potential for (i) greater sensitivity than the normal quadrupole at good resolution, (ii) tolerance of the effects of contamination or errors in construction, and (iii) the absence of discrimination against high mass ions. The performance characteristics of one type of r.f.-only quadrupole were examined in detail with particular reference to peak shape, peak tailing and resolution as a function of ion velocity using various combinations of ion mass, ion energy and applied r.f. frequency.
Vertically pointing airborne Doppler radar observations of Kelvin-Helmholtz billows

Abstract A train of Kelvin–Helmholtz billows in a deep stratiform cloud over a mountain range is documented using data from a high-resolution vertically pointing airborne Doppler radar. The billows had a spacing of 2–2.5 km and a small aspect ratio. The formation and decay of the billows appear to be related to flow acceleration over a mountain.
Pump-probe optical microscopy for imaging nonfluorescent chromophores

Many chromophores absorb light intensely but have undetectable fluorescence. Hence microscopy techniques other than fluorescence are highly desirable for imaging these chromophores inside live cells, tissues, and organisms. The recently developed pump-probe optical microscopy techniques provide fluorescence-free contrast mechanisms by employing several fundamental light–molecule interactions including excited state absorption, stimulated emission, ground state depletion, and the photothermal effect. By using the pump pulse to excite molecules and the subsequent probe pulse to interrogate the created transient states on a laser scanning microscope, pump-probe microscopy offers imaging capability with high sensitivity and specificity toward nonfluorescent chromophores. Single-molecule sensitivity has even been demonstrated. Here we review and summarize the underlying principles of this emerging class of molecular imaging techniques.
Alteration of lymphocyte function in nzb/nzw mice

NZB/NZW F1 female mice received levamisole in an attempt to increase suppressor T cell function. Responses varied with dosage of drug and age of mice. When treatment with 25 microgram/gm doses (intermittent or daily) was begun at 12 weeks of age, nephritis was accelerated in spite of transient reduction of anti-DNA antibodies. When treatment was begun at 4 weeks, or when doses of 250 microgram/gm were given, no clinical effects were observed. In the mice with accelerated disease, delayed hypersensitivity and antibody responses to sheep erythrocytes increased; antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharide were unaffected. It is possible that some increased immune responses associated with levamisole are undesirable in murine lupus.
Peer relations in the anxiety–depression link: test of a mediation model

We employed a five-month longitudinal study to test a model in which the association between anxiety and depression symptoms is mediated by peer relations difficulties among a sample of 91 adolescents ages 14-17 (M=15.5, SD=.61) years. Adolescents completed measures of anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, peer group experiences (i.e., peer acceptance and victimization from peers), and friendship quality (i.e., positive qualities and conflict). As hypothesized, Time 1 anxiety symptoms predicted Time 2 (T2) depression symptoms, and this association was mediated by T2 low perceived peer acceptance and T2 victimization from peers, both of which emerged as unique mediators when they were considered simultaneously in the model. Contrary to expectations, qualities of adolescents' best friendships at T2 did not emerge as mediators and were largely unrelated to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Implications of the findings include the importance of addressing peer relations difficulties, especially peer acceptance and victimization, in the treatment of anxiety and the prevention of depression among anxious youth.
Cation-Ratio Dating of Petroglyphs from the Western Great Basin, North America

Using a new age-determination technique for rock varnish, cation-ratio dating1, we have obtained absolute dates for varnishes within the pecked surfaces of five petroglyphs from the Coso Range, Inyo County, California. Our age determinations, based on analytical data gathered directly from petroglyphs, revise previously proposed chronologies and suggest a greater antiquity for Great Basin rock art in the western United States.
Induction of Sensitivity to the Insulin-Like Action of Growth Hormone in Normal Rat Adipose Tissue

The initial exposure of adipose tissue from hypophysectomized rats to GH results in an insulin-like response, characterized by increased utilization of glucose, pyruvate, and leucine and antilipolysis. These effects disappear after 2 or 3 h and are followed by a period of refractoriness in which reexposure of the tissues to GH fails to elicit an insulin-like response. Adipose tissue from normal rats is refractory to the insulin-like effects of GH when tested in the initial hour after excision, but incubation of such tissues without GH for 2 h or more restores sensitivity to the insulin-like action of GH added in the third, fourth, or fifth hour after excision. One microgram of GH per ml added in the fourth hour produced effects equivalent to approximately 50 μU/ml insulin. Increases in the oxidation of glucose, pyruvate, and leucine and in the incorporation of glucose carbons into fatty acids were seen, along with inhibition of epinephrineinduced lipolysis. These effects could be initiated with aslittle a...
Dose-response characteristics of a ferrous-sulphate-doped gelatin system for determining radiation absorbed dose distributions by magnetic resonance imaging (Fe MRI)

The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) longitudinal relaxation rate R1 dose-response characteristics of a ferrous-sulphate-doped chemical dosimeter system (Fe MRI) immobilized in a gelatin matrix were explored. Samples containing various concentrations of the FeSO4 dosimeter were irradiated to absorbed doses of 0-150 Gy. R1 relaxation rates were determined by imaging the samples at a field strength of 1.5T(1H Lamor frequency of 63.8 MHz). The response of the system was found to be approximately linear up to doses of 50 Gy for all FeSO4 concentrations studied (0.1-2.0 mM). Changing concentrations in the range of 0.1-0.5 mM affected both the slope and intercept of the dose-response curve. For concentrations of 0.5-2.0 mM, the slope of the dose-response curves remained constant at approximately 0.0423 s-1 Gy-1 in the dose range of 0-50 Gy. However, the intercept of the curve continued to increase in that region, as expected, because of the additional paramagnetic ions. The reproducibility of the absorbed dose estimates for measurements made over a 22 cm field of view was found to be 5% in the range of 20-50 Gy (an uncertainty of 0.81 Gy on average), decreasing to approximately 10% in the dose range of 5-10 Gy.
Does pharmacogenomics account for variability in control of acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting with 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptor antagonists?

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is one of the most concerning adverse drug effects from cytotoxic chemotherapy. Despite appropriate use of antiemetic guidelines, 20–30 % of patients experience breakthrough nausea and vomiting secondary to chemotherapy. To assess the variability of 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptor antagonist efficacy caused by genetic variation, a review of the available literature was conducted. From the literature, three sources of pharmacogenomic variability were identified: polymorphisms associated with 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptor subunits, drug metabolism via cytochromes P450, and drug transport in the body. Testing for receptor subunit polymorphisms is not applicable to a clinical setting at this time; however, cytochrome P450 2D6 testing is FDA-approved and widely accessible. Cytochrome P450 2D6 ultrarapid metabolizers and poor metabolizers displayed altered antiemetic efficacy when compared with intermediate metabolizers and extensive metabolizers. We postulate that testing for cytochrome P450 2D6 phenotypes may be the most accessible way to provide individualized antiemetic therapy in the future.
Heparin-Latex Test in Rheumatoid and Non-Rheumatoid Serums.

SummaryThe rather high incidence of false-positive results with serums containing elevated a-globulin levels, limits the practical value of the heparin-latex test for routine testing in rheumatoid arthritis.
Very long gauge length fiber optic sensing and applications

Integrating fiber optic sensors offer the potential to monitor large spatial extents due to their geometric flexibility. To date, this potential has not been widely exploited. By increasing the length of an integrating fiber optic sensor, its gain and/or gauge length can be increased. In addition, by configuring the sensor to a spatial distribution of some parameter field of interest, the antenna gain of the sensor will provide selectivity for that particular distribution and in effect, act as a preprocessor. In this paper we will discuss the theoretical aspects of antenna gain using spatially distributed long gauge length integrating fiber optic sensors. We will then review potential applications including vibration mode filtering, vehicle identification and seismic/nuclear test detection which have been reported. Finally, we will discuss the future directions that the technology might take.
Porous Inserts for Passive Control of Noise and Thermo-Acoustic Instabilities in LDI Combustion

In this study, ring-shaped porous inserts made from high-strength, temperature-resistant ceramic materials are utilized within the combustor to passively reduce noise and thermo-acoustic instabilities in lean direct injection (LDI) combustion. Inserts of 85% porosity; pore density of 18 pores per cm; and converging, diverging, and hyperbolic configurations are considered. Kerosene fuel atomized by an air-blast fuel injector is introduced in the swirl-stabilized combustor operated at atmospheric pressure. For a fixed equivalence ratio, emissions and acoustics measurements are obtained at different heat release rates and atomizing air to liquid mass ratios. Results show negligible effects of porous inserts on NOx and CO emissions at the combustor exit. Porous inserts are, however, very effective in suppressing both noise and thermo-acoustic instabilities for a range of operating conditions. The measured trends in acoustic absorption are predicted using a simplified thin-layer model of the porous material, a...
Reduced felt arm sensation effects on visual adaptation

Proprioception is often considered to be critically involved in producing adaptation to a prism-induced visual displacement. The present study focused on reduction of proprioceptive feedback during prism exposure by means of hypnotically induced anesthesia in the adapting arm. In addition, intermanual transfer was considered. Results showed adaptation occurring in situations where S could feel arm sensations while viewing arm movement during a prism exposure. However, if the adapting arm was hypnotically anesthetized while still remaining mobile, adaptation did not occur. No intermanual transfer was found between the adapted arm and the unadapted arm.
Coplanar circular cracks under shear loading

Abstract Stress distributions in an infinite elastic solid are sought when loadings are prescribed over two coplanar circular regions. Boundary conditions, which are prescribed interior and exterior to these circular regions, are mixed with respect to shear loadings and tangential displacements; the stress normal to the plane of loading is taken to be zero. The problems are reduced to the determination of the solution to infinite sets of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. Examples are worked for the case corresponding to coplanar penny-shaped cracks with constant shear loadings applied. With the assumption that the spacing between the cracks is large as compared with their radii, the integral equations are solved iteratively.
Levetiracetam reduces spike-wave density and duration during continuous EEG monitoring in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Levetiracetam reduces spike-wave density and duration during continuous EEG monitoring in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
The permanent magnet system for NIST-4

At the National Institute of Standards and Technology a new watt balance, NIST-4, is currently being designed. This apparatus will be used to realize the base unit of mass after the redefinition of the SI has taken effect. As a realization device, NIST-4 is designed to be easy to use with low maintenance. To meet these requirements we decided to use a permanent magnet system to generate the magnetic flux. A brief overview of the permanent magnet system is given.
Prognostic implication of late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac MRI in light chain (AL) amyloidosis on long term follow up

Light chain amyloidosis (AL) is a rare plasma cell dyscrasia associated with poor survival especially in the setting of heart failure. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac MRI was recently found to correlate with myocardial amyloid deposition but the prognostic role is not established. The aim is to determine the prognostic significance of LGE in AL by comparing long term survival of AL patients with and without LGE. Twenty nine consecutive patients (14 females; 62 ± 11 years) with biopsy-proven AL undergoing cardiac MRI with gadolinium as part of AL workup were included. Survival was prospectively followed 29 months (median) following MRI and compared between those with and without LGE by Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses. LGE was positive in 23 subjects (79%) and negative in 6 (21%). Left ventricular ejection fraction was 66 ± 17% in LGE-positive and 69 ± 12% in LGE-negative patients (p = 0.8). Overall 1-year mortality was 36%. On follow-up, 14/23 LGE-positive and none of LGE-negative patients died (log rank p = 0.0061). Presenting New York Heart Association heart failure class was also associated with poor survival (p = 0.0059). Survival between two LGE groups stratified by heart failure class still showed a significant difference by a stratified log-rank test (p = 0.04). Late gadolinium enhancement is common and is associated with poor long-term survival in light chain amyloidosis, even after adjustment for heart failure class presentation. The prognostic significance of late gadolinium enhancement in this disease may be useful in patient risk-stratification.
Brute luck and responsibility

The concept of agent-responsibility for an outcome (that is, of the outcome reflecting the autonomous choice of the agent) is central to both ethics and political philosophy. The concept, however, remains radically under-explored. In particular, the issue of partial responsibility for an outcome needs further development. I propose an account of partial responsibility based on partial causal contribution. Agents who choose autonomously in full knowledge of the consequences are agent-responsible, I claim, for the shift in the objective probability of the outcome in question that her choice induces. Thus, agents will typically be only partially agent-responsible (that is, for a shift of less than 100 percent) for any given outcome. The model has an implication that is generally rejected: that agents who purchase lottery tickets and win are agent-responsible for only part of the winnings.
Presence and distribution of vimentin in cynomolgus monkey trabecular cells.

The role of the trabecular meshwork in the ocular outflow tract has made it the object of considerable study. Recent work has examined the presence and function of microfilaments and microtubules in the cytoskeleton of cultured cynomolgus monkey trabecular cells. In this study, we used an indirect immunofluorescence technique to investigate the presence and distribution of the intermediate filament vimentin in cultured cynomolgus monkey trabecular cells. The cytoskeletal active agents cytochalasin B, Colchicine, nocodozole, and taxol were also employed to investigate the role of vimentin in these cells. Vimentin formed a network of filaments that radiated throughout the cytoplasm from the nucleus to the cellular projections and cell membrane. The extensiveness of the vimentin network, and the cell shape, were observed to vary according to the degree of cell confluence, the degree of cell spread, and the degree of cell/cell contact. Cells in the less-confluent periphery had extensive vimentin networks and greater cell spreading and were polygonal in shape. Cells in the more confluent areas had a less-extensive vimentin network, underwent less cell spreading, and were primarily fusiform in shape. The change in cellular morphology induced by colchicine, nocodozole and taxol was proportional to the extensiveness and the degree of change of the vimentin network. Our observations have identified a proportional association between the extensiveness of the vimentin network, changes in the vimentin organization, and alterations in cellular morphology that is suggestive of a role for vimentin in determining cellular structure and shape. Because reports have suggested that alterations in trabecular cell morphology are related to changes in ocular outflow, our work suggests a role for vimentin in ultimately regulating the ocular outflow tract through the vimentin network's effects on trabecular cell structure and morphology.
From Information to Knowledge: The Information Literacy Conundrum

The fusion of learning, information, and technology presents dynamic challenges for all librarians, educators and students in 21st century libraries and schools. At the heart of this fusion is the growth of a pervasive, integrated information environment characterized by vast quantities of digital content, open choice, collaborative and participatory digital spaces, and the transition of the web environments from consumption of information to creation of information. This environment heralds important opportunities for librarians and teachers to rethink, re-imagine and recreate a dynamic approaches to information literacy instruction. Drawing on an extensive body of research undertaken through the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL), and published research on both information literacy and constructivist learning, this paper provides a critical examination of the current status of information literacy: its multiple conceptualizations, competing models, viewpoints, and its operationalizations in educational and library environments. The paper will challenge information literacy practices which center on simplistic, reductionist approaches to information literacy development, and the separation of information process and knowledge content. In particular it will address apparent contradictions in espoused conceptions of information literacy which revolve around 'knowledge": knowledge construction, critical thinking, problem solving and the development of knowledgeable people; and information literacy practices which revolve around "information": a predominant focus on skills of access and evaluation of resources and with less attention given to engaging with found information to develop deep knowledge and understanding. The paper will present a series of challenges for moving forward with information literacy agendas in libraries and schools.
Elastin degradation by proteases from cultured human breast cancer cells.

Summary Potent elastinolytic activity was elaborated into the media of several cultured human breast cancer cell lines. Cultured stromal cells from normal and tumor-bearing human breast tissue contained no such activity. This elastase-like activity was resolved into three major peaks of activity by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. Two of the three activities were separated from the collegenolytic activity also produced by these cells. Inhibition profiles of the elastinolytic activities indicated that two were serine proteases and one was a metalloprotease. Each of these three proteases were in an inactive form and required trypsin pretreatment for activity. The desmoplastic reaction to human breast cancer contains both collagen and elastin. The present findings indicate that the breast tumor cells themselves may modulate the turnover of these stromal proteins.
Degenerate four-wave mixing of CdS/polymer composite

Abstract We report degenerate four-wave mixing study of 50 A CdS particles embedded in a thin polymer film. The CdS band-gap is blue-shifted compared to the bulk value (quantum size effect). Photoluminescence spectra show that three particles contain intrinsic defects, most likely due to sulfur vacancies. Preliminary results show that both the four-wave mixing signal and the transmission saturate at moderate power (a few MW/cm 2 ). These results are qualitatively consistent with the three-level saturable absorber model.
Granulocyte Precipitins of Human Tissues and Activated Sera

IN a preliminary communication1 we reported that the addition of water-soluble extracts of human granulocytes to saline extracts of any other human cell resulted in the formation of a precipitate. This phenomenon can be studied by Ouchterlony's double gel diffusion method2. The substances giving rise to the precipitate were designated as ‘granulocyte factor’ and ‘tissue factor’
Analysis of cytoplasmic membrane from wild type and mutant Paracoccus denitrificans containing excess nitrate reductase protein and cytochrome b

Cytoplasmic membranes were isolated from wild type and mutants strain M-1 of Paracoccus denitrificans grown with low aeration to promote synthesis of nitrate reductase protein and cytochrome b. The presence of 10-100-fold excess of nitrate reductase in the wild type or the corresponding enzymically inactive protein in the mutant did not significantly affect respiratory oxidase activities with NADH, succinate or TMPD-ascorbate as electron donor. A cytochrome b-nitrate reductase complex was resolved by isoelectric focussing of Triton X-100 solubilized membranes from the wild type grown with azide and from the mutant, whereas the enzyme complex from nitrate-grown wild type was not resolved from cytochrome c. Preparations from azideinduced wild type or from the mutant could be a suitable source of the cytochrome b associated with nitrate reductase for more detailed studies.
Selecting Ions by Size in a Calcium Channel: The Ryanodine Receptor Case Study

Many calcium channels can distinguish between ions of the same charge but different size. For example, when cations are in direct competition with each other, the ryanodine receptor (RyR) calcium channel preferentially conducts smaller cations such as Li+ and Na+ over larger ones such as K+ and Cs+. Here, we analyze the physical basis for this preference using a previously established model of RyR permeation and selectivity. Like other calcium channels, RyR has four aspartate residues in its GGGIGDE selectivity filter. These aspartates have their terminal carboxyl group in the pore lumen, which take up much of the available space for permeating ions. We find that small ions are preferred by RyR because they can fit into this crowded environment more easily.
A step and settle positioning algorithm for electro-mechanical systems with damping

An algorithm for rapid step and settle positioning of electro-mechanical systems with damping is developed and applied. The controller combines a sub-optimal bang-bang trajectory with a smooth transition to a linear state feedback controller. This work follows from existing proximate time optimal control methods and extends the applicability of such methods by including damping in the plant model and relaxing a restriction on the allowable state feedback gains. By considering damping in the design, a trajectory profile that allows higher velocities is possible; the improvement in moving times is most apparent in systems with significant damping and for long moves. The controller is applied to a direct drive positioning table used in microelectronics manufacturing. Implementation issues are discussed and experimental results show the effectiveness of the technique.
Meteoric smoke production in the atmosphere

Nanometer-sized smoke particles produced during ablation of incoming micrometeorites influence the ion chemistry in the 80–120km region and are believed to play an important role in the nucleation of mesospheric ice particles. We present a new model of cosmic dust ablation and smoke production in the Earth's atmosphere using realistic size and velocity distributions of the incoming dust particles. We show that, while the seasonal changes in our atmosphere can be safely neglected, the shape of micro-meteoroids strongly affects their ablation.
Forward‐Looking Forest Restoration Under Climate Change—Are U.S. Nurseries Ready?

The pace of climate change suggests that restoration efforts once focused on past conditions should become more forward-looking. Suggestions for such restoration emphasize the use of a suite of species adapted to a range of possible future climates. In forest restoration, opportunities for forward-looking restoration may be limited by the availability of suitable stock from state and commercial nurseries. Presently, most state nurseries have stock potentially suited to warmer climates than currently exist in their states. However, these nurseries are generally not actively incorporating information about climate change into their stocking choices and some see clear obstacles to providing such stock, particularly uncertainty about the future climate, and the existence of seed zones and other policies designed to protect locally adapted species genetics. As restoration ecologists adapt their methods to incorporate climate change, state nurseries should be involved in those discussions and may be important partners in outreach.
Frequency-domain analysis of analog single-event transients (ASETs) based on energy spectral density

We present an analysis of analog single-event transients (ASETs) in the frequency domain. Through an overall error energy defined here, a metric of part susceptibility and the impact on surrounding system components can be determined.
Ovol1 regulates meiotic pachytene progression during spermatogenesis by repressing Id2 expression.

Previous studies have shown that a targeted deletion of Ovol1 (previously known as movo1 ), encoding a member of the Ovo family of zinc-finger transcription factors, leads to germ cell degeneration and defective sperm production in adult mice. To explore the cellular and molecular mechanism of Ovol1 function, we have examined the mutant testis phenotype during the first wave of spermatogenesis in juvenile mice. Consistent with the detection of Ovol1 transcripts in pachytene spermatocytes of the meiotic prophase, Ovol1 -deficient germ cells were defective in progressing through the pachytene stage. The pachytene arrest was accompanied by an inefficient exit from proliferation, increased apoptosis and an abnormal nuclear localization of the G2-M cell cycle regulator cyclin B1, but was not associated with apparent chromosomal or recombination defects. Transcriptional profiling and northern blot analysis revealed reduced expression of pachytene markers in the mutant, providing molecular evidence that pachytene differentiation was defective. In addition, the expression of Id2 (inhibitor of differentiation 2), a known regulator of spermatogenesis, was upregulated in Ovol1 -deficient pachytene spermatocytes and repressed by Ovol1 in reporter assays. Taken together, our studies demonstrate a role for Ovol1 in regulating pachytene progression of male germ cells, and identify Id2 as a Ovol1 target.
Collaborative Development of Textile and Apparel Curriculum Designed to Foster Students’ Global Competence

Textile and apparel industry professionals must be capable of dealing with cultural differences and diverse perspectives on a multinational scale. To address the challenges involved in educating students for the global industry workforce, a 3-year collaborative project was conducted through partnerships between faculty at three U.S. universities and five universities in Thailand, Australia, and Russia. The project was designed to create learning modules based on real-world industry issues to foster global competence among students in textile and apparel programs. Tested in existing courses, module effectiveness was assessed using pre- and post-tests that included closed- and open-ended questions designed to measure students’ “cultural intelligence” as an indication of global competence. Results suggest that exposure to the modules helped to improve students’ global competence. However, further development and testing of the modules is needed to include students in programs and countries in addition to those represented by this study.
Major histocompatibility antigens: The human (HLA-A,-B,-C) and murine (H-2K, H-2D) class I molecules

Hidde L. Ploegh,* Harry T. Orrt and Jack L. Strominger Harvard University The Biological Laboratories Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Introduction More than 40 years ago skin grafting experiments carried out in mice showed that the rejection of grafts is under genetic control. Differences between individ- ual mice at any of a number of loci could lead to graft rejection. However, one locus stood out in its ability to provoke graft rejection; it was subsequently named the H-2 locus, or major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (Klein, 1975). Not until some 25 years later, by a rather different route, could a similar region be identified in humans, which has been named the HLA region (Bach and van Rood, 1976). Although originally discovered through grafting ex- periments, the MHC has been analyzed most exten- sively with serological reagents. In mice, individual animals will produce antibodies after deliberate im- munization with lymphoid cells or after skin grafting when differences exist between the immunizing and responding animal with respect to histocompatibility loci. Sera of exquisite specificity can be obtained through the use of congenic mouse strains (strains of mice that have identical genetic backgrounds, but differ only in a well defined segment of the genome- for example, in the MHC or a portion of it [Snell, 1980]). With the advent of monoclonal antibodies (Moller, 1979) the specificity of serologic reagents can be even more precise. In humans, most antibodies for the analysis of the HLA system are derived from women who have been pregnant multiple times and are immunized by pater- nal antigens present on fetal cells in the maternal circulation. Depending on the differences in HLA type and the degree of antigenic stimulation, these re- agents can be of sufficiently high titer and specificity to be used as tissue-typing reagents. Again, mono- clonal antibodies may improve the serological defini- tion of HLA antigens (Parham and Bodmer, 1978; Brodsky et al., 1979). One of the features of the MHC that was quickly uncovered is its extensive polymorphism (Klein, 1979). It is now thought that at each of the recognized loci in the H-2 complex up to a hundred alleles may exist in the population. For the HLA loci, a high degree of polymorphism has also been demonstrated (Figure 1). By applying serological techniques to the study of inbred strains of mice and human families carrying
Obstacle detection for high speed autonomous navigation

Several schemes are presented for obstacle detection for autonomous vehicles traveling at high speeds (about 5 m/s). In particular, the authors discuss schemes that make a globally flat-world assumption and ignore vehicle pitch motion. They examine methods that relax the above assumptions. In each case the strengths and weaknesses of the solutions proposed are discussed. Experimental and simulation results are presented. >
RACE AND POVERTY IN AMERICA PUBLIC MISPERCEPTIONS AND THE AMERICAN NEWS MEDIA

Over the past decades, the black urban poor have come to dominate public images of poverty. Surveys show that the Ameri- can public dramatically exaggerates the proportion of African Americans among the poor and that such misperceptions are associ- ated with greater opposition to welfare. In this article I examine the relationship between news media portrayals and public images of poverty. I find that network TV news and weekly newsmagazines portray the poor as substantially more black than is really the case. In more detailed analyses of newsmagazines, I find that the most sympathetic subgroups of the poor, such as the elderly and the work- ing poor, are underrepresented, while the least sympathetic group- unemployed working-age adults-is overrepresented. Finally, these discrepancies between magazine portrayals of the poor and the true nature of poverty are greater for African Americans than for others. Thus the unflattering (and distorted) portrait of the poor presented in these newsmagazines is even more unflattering (and more dis- torted) for poor African Americans.
Fragile Edges Between Security and Insecurity: China's Border Regions

Considerable analysis has focused on regions in which a fragile state or states interact with neighboring states to incubate widening, regional conflict; however, work addressing the impact of fragile states on the countries with which they share an international border from a subregional or subnational perspective has been more limited. This chapter seeks to contribute to filling this gap by looking at the particular vulnerabilities to human security experienced by the subregions along borders of fragile states. Focusing on China's border with North Korea, this chapter examines the dimensions of fragility in China's border areas to formulate some preliminary conclusions about the dynamics of subregional fragility.
Transfer factor in the treatment of carcinoma of the lung.

Abstract From 1976 to 1982, 63 patients with carcinoma of the lung underwent curative pulmonary resection, mediastinal lymph node dissection, and postoperative mediastinal irradiation when indicated. After operation, the patients were randomized by cell type and stage of disease into two groups. Beginning 1 month postoperatively, Group 1 patients (N = 28) received 1 ml of transfer factor that had been extracted from the blood of normal individuals. Subsequent doses were administered at 3-month intervals. Group 2 patients (N = 35) served as controls. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to age, sex, extent of resection, histological cell type, or stage of disease. Twenty of the 28 treated patients were alive and free from disease from 7 to 77 months after treatment, whereas 17 of the 35 control patients were free from disease. The 1-year survival for Group 1 was 84% and for Group 2, 81%. The 2-year survival was 78% for Group 1 and 46% for Group 2 ( p = 0.045). The survival rates by stage of disease were as follows: Stage I, 15 out of 17 or 88% in Group 1 and 15 out of 23 or 65% in Group 2 ( p = 0.097); Stages II and III, 5 out of 11 or 45% in Group 1 and 3 out of 12 or 25% in Group 2 ( p = 0.304). The results of the study suggest that the administration of transfer factor to patients who have undergone pulmonary resection for carcinoma of the lung can have a significant impact on the prolongation of life.
Neuro-oncology: What is the optimal use of bevacizumab in glioblastoma?

Bevacizumab is approved for use in recurrent glioblastoma, but whether it benefits patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma remains unclear. Two new studies further question the use of the bevacizumab in this context, but leave much to be clarified about its optimal clinical application.
Organic particle types by single-particle measurements using a time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer coupled with a light scattering module

Abstract. Chemical and physical properties of individual ambient aerosol particles can vary greatly, so measuring the chemical composition at the single-particle level is essential for understanding atmospheric sources and transformations. Here we describe 46 days of single-particle measurements of atmospheric particles using a time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer coupled with a light scattering module (LS-ToF-AMS). The light scattering module optically detects particles larger than 180 nm vacuum aerodynamic diameter (130 nm geometric diameter) before they arrive at the chemical mass spectrometer and then triggers the saving of single-particle mass spectra. 271 641 particles were detected and sampled during 237 h of sampling in single-particle mode. By comparing timing of the predicted chemical ion signals from the light scattering measurement with the measured chemical ion signals by the mass spectrometer for each particle, particle types were classified and their number fractions determined as follows: prompt vaporization (46%), delayed vaporization (6%), and null (48%), where null was operationally defined as less than 6 ions per particle. Prompt and delayed vaporization particles with sufficient chemical information (i.e., more than 40 ions per particle) were clustered based on similarity of organic mass spectra (using k-means algorithm) to result in three major clusters: highly oxidized particles (dominated by m/z 44), relatively less oxidized particles (dominated by m/z 43), and particles associated with fresh urban emissions. Each of the three organic clusters had limited chemical properties of other clusters, suggesting that all of the sampled organic particle types were internally mixed to some degree; however, the internal mixing was never uniform and distinct particle types existed throughout the study. Furthermore, the single-particle mass spectra and time series of these clusters agreed well with mass-based components identified (using factor analysis) from simultaneous ensemble-averaged measurements, supporting the connection between ensemble-based factors and atmospheric particle sources and processes. Measurements in this study illustrate that LS-ToF-AMS provides unique information about organic particle types by number as well as mass.
Friend recommendations in social networks using genetic algorithms and network topology

Social networking sites employ recommendation systems in contribution to providing better user experiences. The complexity in developing recommendation systems is largely due to the heterogeneous nature of social networks. This paper presents an approach to friend recommendation systems by using complex network theory, cognitive theory and a Pareto-optimal genetic algorithm in a two-step approach to provide quality, friend recommendations while simultaneously determining an individual's perception of friendship. Our research emphasizes that by combining network topology and genetic algorithms, better recommendations can be achieved compared to each individual counterpart. We test our approach on 1,200 Facebook users in which we observe the combined method to outper form purely social or purely network-based approaches. Our preliminary results represent strong potential for developing link recommendation systems using this combined approach of personal interests and the underlying network.