cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orthostatic Hypotension and Symptoms in the AASK Trial.

Background Multiple definitions are used to characterize orthostatic hypotension (OH), but the degree to which these definitions correspond with orthostatic symptoms is unknown. Methods We analyzed data from African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), a randomized trial of African Americans with hypertension and kidney disease, to characterize the relationship between OH definitions and self-reported syncope, dizziness, or light-headedness. Orthostatic changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), or heart rate (HR) were determined each visit after standing 2:45 minutes. OH was defined using the consensus definition (a drop in SBP ≥20 mm Hg or DBP ≥10 mm Hg) or an often used clinical substitute based on HR (an increase ≥20 bpm). Results Among 1,094 participants (mean age 54.5 ± 10.7 years, 38.9% female), there were 52,636 visits (mean 48/person). Mean resting SBP, DBP, and HR at baseline were 147.7 ± 22.3 mm Hg, 92.2 ± 13.4 mm Hg, and 71.1 ± 11.7 bpm, respectively. While the OH consensus definition was associated with syncope (odds ratio 2.49; 95% confidence interval: 1.13, 5.51), dizziness (1.89; 1.53, 2.33), and light-headedness (1.84; 1.52, 2.23), the clinical HR definition was only associated with dizziness (1.28; 1.07, 1.52). None of the OH components (SBP, DBP, or HR) reflected a natural threshold in the prevalence of symptoms; definitions using each of the 3 components were highly specific (≥96%) with low sensitivity (1-5%). Conclusions While the consensus definition was more strongly associated with symptoms, OH definitions did not reflect natural thresholds in symptoms and were insensitive. This implies that the absence of OH using either consensus or clinical definitions does not exclude orthostatic symptoms, which has implications for evaluating clinical events like falls. Clinical trials registration Trial Number: NCT01206062 (clinicaltrials.gov).
Adverse childhood experiences and complex health concerns among child welfare-involved children

ABSTRACTAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to public health concerns, as they have been linked to chronic diseases in adulthood. From the seminal ACEs study in the mid-1990s (Felitti et al., 1998) to today, the Centers for Disease Control (2016) reports well over 50 studies that link ACEs to adult health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and mental illness. This preponderance of evidence has prompted widespread attention to the possibility that preventing and successfully treating ACE-associated traumatic stress would greatly reduce our country’s incidence of chronic disease and the associated public health burden and cost (Danese et al., 2009). To illustrate, one study suggests that child abuse and neglect alone costs the United States $124 billion annually, with individual lifetime costs that are higher than or equal to the economic burden of diabetes and stroke (Fang, Brown, Florence, & Mercy, 2012). That child maltreatment is just one category of 10 total ACEs sugges...
Light hydrocarbon production in freshwater marsh soil as influenced by soil redox conditions

The potential role of wetland soil redox condition to global atmospheric light hydrocarbon budget was evaluated. The effect of soil redox condition on gaseous hydrocarbon production in freshwater marsh soil was studied. Soil from a Mississippi River Deltaic plain freshwater marsh was equilibrated under controlled redox levels ranging from +550 mV to −170 mV The production of methane, ethane, propane, butane, ethylene, propylene and isobutane as influenced by redox condition was quantified. The production of all hydrocarbon gases increased as soil redox potential decreased. A soil redox value of -100 mV was critical for methane production. Isobutane production was also sensitive to redox potential, with emission occurring only at soil redox levels below 0 mV Results show the significance of degree of soil reduction in production or emission of light hydrocarbons in wetland soil or sediment. In addition to methane significant amounts of non-methane hydrocarbons are produced in wetland soils.
Effect of Not Having Homogeneous Test Units in Accelerated Life Tests

The information obtained at high stress levels in accelerated life tests is generally extrapolated with an appropriate statistical model to estimate parameters of interest at normal stress levels. However, these statistical analyses do not take batch di..
Seasonal patterns of nonstructural carbohydrate reserves in four woody boreal species

Plants store nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs), such as sugars and starch, to use as carbon and energy sources for daily maintenance and growth needs as well as during times of stress. Allocation of NSCs to storage provides an important physiological strategy associated with future growth and survival, and thus understanding the seasonal patterns of NSC reserves provides insight into how species with different traits (e.g., growth form, leaf habit, wood anatomy) may respond to stress. We characterized the seasonal patterns of NSCs in four woody boreal plant species in Minnesota, USA. Sugar and starch concentrations were measured across the year in the roots and branches of two conifer trees, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and eastern tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch), as well as in the leaves and branches of two evergreen broadleaf shrubs, bog Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) Kron & Judd) and leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench). In general, seasonal variation was dominated by changes in starch across all organs and species. While similar seasonal patterns of NSCs were observed in the shrubs, different seasonal patterns were observed between the trees, particularly in the roots. Our results suggest that species-specific traits likely have consequences for organ-level storage dynamics, which may influence whole-plant growth and survival under global change.
Treatment of catatonia in autism spectrum disorders.

Objective To review the treatment courses of 22 autistic patients diagnosed with catatonia over a 12-year period, including treatment with benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy. Method Retrospective review of inpatient and outpatient records of 22 autistic youth presenting to a neurobehavioral service who were treated for catatonia. Results Six girls and 16 boys ranging from ages 8 to 26 years old presenting for neurobehavioral assessment were found to meet criteria for catatonia according to the DSM5 and were treated for such. All but one patient was initially unsuccessfully treated with benzodiazepines in dosages ranging from 1 to 27 mg daily, and all patients underwent electroconvulsive therapy. Mean age of ECT start was 15.6 years old, and the total number of ECT received ranged from 16 to 688, with 13 patients still receiving maintenance ECT at the end of the study period. ECT conferred prominent patient benefit in terms of catatonic symptom reduction, including alleviation of incapacitating, treatment-resistant self-injury. Conclusion Myriad symptoms of catatonia were seen in this sample of 22 autistic youth. Implementation of anti-catatonic paradigms, particularly electroconvulsive therapy, conferred vast patient benefit.
Temperature-independent thermal radiation.

Thermal emission is the process by which all objects at nonzero temperatures emit light and is well described by the Planck, Kirchhoff, and Stefan–Boltzmann laws. For most solids, the thermally emitted power increases monotonically with temperature in a one-to-one relationship that enables applications such as infrared imaging and noncontact thermometry. Here, we demonstrated ultrathin thermal emitters that violate this one-to-one relationship via the use of samarium nickel oxide (SmNiO3), a strongly correlated quantum material that undergoes a fully reversible, temperature-driven solid-state phase transition. The smooth and hysteresis-free nature of this unique insulator-to-metal phase transition enabled us to engineer the temperature dependence of emissivity to precisely cancel out the intrinsic blackbody profile described by the Stefan–Boltzmann law, for both heating and cooling. Our design results in temperature-independent thermally emitted power within the long-wave atmospheric transparency window (wavelengths of 8 to 14 µm), across a broad temperature range of ∼30 °C, centered around ∼120 °C. The ability to decouple temperature and thermal emission opens a gateway for controlling the visibility of objects to infrared cameras and, more broadly, opportunities for quantum materials in controlling heat transfer.
Cells Deploy a Two-Pronged Strategy to Rectify Misfolded Proinsulin Aggregates

Insulin gene coding sequence mutations are known to cause mutant INS-gene-induced diabetes of youth (MIDY), yet the cellular pathways needed to prevent misfolded proinsulin accumulation remain incompletely understood. Here, we report that Akita mutant proinsulin forms detergent-insoluble aggregates that entrap wild-type (WT) proinsulin in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), thereby blocking insulin production. Two distinct quality-control mechanisms operate together to combat this insult: the ER luminal chaperone Grp170 prevents proinsulin aggregation, while the ER membrane morphogenic protein reticulon-3 (RTN3) disposes of aggregates via ER-coupled autophagy (ER-phagy). We show that enhanced RTN-dependent clearance of aggregated Akita proinsulin helps to restore ER export of WT proinsulin, which can promote WT insulin production, potentially alleviating MIDY. We also find that RTN3 participates in the clearance of other mutant prohormone aggregates. Together, these results identify a series of substrates of RTN3-mediated ER-phagy, highlighting RTN3 in the disposal of pathogenic prohormone aggregates.
Indole inhibitors of human nonpancreatic secretory phospholipase A2. 3. Indole-3-glyoxamides.

Phospholipases (PLAs) produce rate-limiting precursors in the biosynthesis of various types of biologically active lipids involved in inflammatory processes. Increased levels of human nonpancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 (hnps-PLA2) have been detected in several pathological conditions. An inhibitor of this enzyme could have therapeutic utility. A broad screening program was carried out to identify chemical structures which could inhibit hnps-PLA2. One of the lead compounds generated by the screening program was 5-methoxy-2-methyl-1-(phenylmethyl)-1H-indole-3-acetic acid (13a). We describe the syntheses, structure−activity relationships, and pharmacological activities of a series of indole-3-acetamides and related compounds derived from this lead. This SAR was undertaken with the aid of X-ray crystal structures of complexes between the inhibitors and hnps-PLA2 which were of great value in directing the SAR.
Firms’ heterogeneity and margins of trade under uncertainty

ABSTRACTThis study provides empirical evidence for the impact of uncertainty on the firms' export decisions. In the heterogeneous firms model, the firms' export decisions are affected by uncertaint...
NEUTRON-HOLE-STATE STRUCTURE IN N = 81 NUCLEI. I. $sup 144$Sm AND $sup 142$Nd (p,d).

In continuation of our program of neutron-hole-state studies in $N=81$ nuclei, angular distributions of deuterons from ($p,d$) reactions (energy resolution \ensuremath{\sim}35 keV) on $^{140}\mathrm{Ce}$ and $^{138}\mathrm{Ba}$ at ${E}_{p}=35$ MeV have been measured and compared with distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations including finite-range and nonlocality corrections. These calculations yield acceptable spectroscopic factors and are in fair agreement with the shapes of the experimental angular distributions. The neutron-single-hole energies have been determined. These energies (in MeV) are ${d}_{\frac{3}{2}}$, 0.0; ${s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, 0.33; ${h}_{\frac{11}{2}}$, 1.07; ${d}_{\frac{5}{2}}$, 1.72; and ${g}_{\frac{7}{2}}$, 2.90 for $^{139}\mathrm{Ce}$; and ${d}_{\frac{3}{2}}$, 0.0; ${s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, 0.54; ${h}_{\frac{11}{2}}$, 1.07; ${d}_{\frac{5}{2}}$, 1.71; and ${g}_{\frac{7}{2}}$, 2.93 for $^{137}\mathrm{Ba}$.Considerable fractionation of the ${(2{d}_{\frac{5}{2}})}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and the ${(1{g}_{\frac{7}{2}})}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ states is observed while the ${(1{h}_{\frac{11}{2}})}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and the ${(3{s}_{\frac{1}{2}})}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ states are each observed to split mostly into two components. Systematics of the energies and strengths of the various neutron-single-hole states and their components are presented for all $N=81$ nuclei from $^{137}\mathrm{Ba}$ through $^{143}\mathrm{Sm}$ and the significance of the systematics discussed. No measurable population of any neutron state in the $82lN\ensuremath{\le}126$ major shell has been observed.
Scalable unified framework of total and allele-specific counts for cis-QTL, fine-mapping, and prediction

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have achieved great success in identifying genomic loci robustly associated with complex traits. However, given the non-coding nature of the findings, the causal genes that mediate the associations are difficult to establish. To tackle this challenge, many approaches and tools have been proposed that integrate transcriptome and GWAS studies. Colocalization approaches seek to quantify the probability of shared causal variants, whereas association approaches test the correlation between the genetic component of expression traits with the complex traits. All these methods rely on high-quality QTL mapping, fine-mapping, and prediction strategies. However, current large-scale RNA-seq studies do not take full advantage of total and allele-specific reads due to the computational burden of existing methods. Here, we provide a unified framework that combines total and allele-specific (at the gene level) read counts and is scalable to large studies with thousands of samples, such as GTEx. Using simulated and real data from GTEx, we demonstrate the improved performance of our framework. For about a third of the genes, which had large enough allele-specific counts, we show an average gain of 29% in effective sample size. We implemented a suite of tools, mixQTL, mixFine, and mixPred, which are made freely available.
Foreign Direct Investment, Product Sophistication, and the Demand for Skilled and Unskilled Labor in Chilean Manufacturing

This paper uses plant-level data from the manufacturing sector of Chile for the period 1995–2007 to analyse the existence of spillover effects from foreign direct investment (FDI) and the role of p...
Does Exposure to Diverse Perspectives Mitigate Biases in Crowdwork? An Explorative Study

Earlier research has shown the promise of enabling worker interactions in crowdwork to mitigate worker biases and improve the quality of crowdwork. In this study, we focus on one characteristic of the interacting workers that may influence the effectiveness of worker interactions in enhancing crowdwork—the diversity of perspectives that the interacting workers bring together—and we explore whether and how interactions between a set of workers holding different perspectives can help mitigate biases in crowdwork. Through two sets of randomized experiments, we find that whether interactions between workers with different perspectives can help mitigate biases in crowdwork depends on task properties. We also find no conclusive evidence in our experimental settings suggesting that interactions among workers with diverse perspectives reduce biases in crowdwork to a larger extent compared to interactions among workers with similar perspectives.
Bunad, minorities and belonging in Norway

The increase and visibility of non-white Norwegian minorities who wear the national costume, bunad, has generated much debate and rancor in the Norwegian media in recent years. This study employs a...
Lidar Technology Role in Future Robotic and Manned Missions to Solar System Bodies

Future planetary exploration missions will require safe and precision soft-landing to target scientifically interesting sites near hazardous terrain features, such as escarpments, craters, slopes, and rocks. Although the landing accuracy has steadily improved over time to approximately 35 km for the recent Mars Exploration Rovers due to better approach navigation, a drastically different guidance, navigation and control concept is required to meet future mission requirements. For example, future rovers will require better than 6 km landing accuracy for Mars and better than 1 km for the Moon plus 100 m maneuvering capability to avoid hazards. Laser Radar or Lidar technology can be the key to meeting these objectives since it can provide highresolution 3-D maps of the terrain, accurately measure ground proximity and velocity, and determine atmospheric pressure and wind velocity. These lidar capabilities can enable the landers of the future to identify the pre-selected landing zone and hazardous terrain features within it, determine the optimum flight path, having atmospheric pressure and winds data, and accurately navigate using precision ground proximity and velocity data. This paper examines the potential of lidar technology in future human and robotic missions to the Moon, Mars, and other planetary bodies. A guidance and navigation control architecture concept utilizing lidar sensors will be presented and its operation will be described. The performance and physical requirements of the lidar sensors will be also discussed.
Central Bank Intervention and the Role of Political Connections

This paper analyzes the characteristics of banks that received emergency loans from the Federal Reserve during the recent financial crisis. Using unique data consisting of emergency loan transactions, I provide evidence that larger banks, in terms of assets and market capitalization, were more likely to receive emergency support. I also show that banks that held more loans, deposits, and investment securities as assets, as well as banks with higher share prices, greater stock trading activity, and more market risk, were more likely to receive support. After controlling for balance sheet characteristics and other measures of bank riskiness, I provide strong evidence that banks that were politically connected?either through lobbying efforts or employment of politically connected individuals?were substantially more likely to receive emergency support from the Federal Reserve. In economic terms, the Federal Reserve was 10?17 percent more likely to give emergency loans to banks that were politically connected than to banks that were not politically connected.
Prostaglandin E2 Signaling Mediates Oenocytoid Immune Cell Function and Lysis, Limiting Bacteria and Plasmodium Oocyst Survival in Anopheles gambiae

Lipid-derived signaling molecules known as eicosanoids have integral roles in mediating immune and inflammatory processes across metazoans. This includes the function of prostaglandins and their cognate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to employ their immunological actions. In insects, prostaglandins have been implicated in the regulation of both cellular and humoral immune responses, yet in arthropods of medical importance, studies have been limited. Here, we describe a prostaglandin E2 receptor (AgPGE2R) in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae and demonstrate that its expression is most abundant in oenocytoid immune cell populations. Through the administration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and AgPGE2R-silencing, we demonstrate that prostaglandin E2 signaling regulates a subset of prophenoloxidases (PPOs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are strongly expressed in populations of oenocytoids. We demonstrate that PGE2 signaling via the AgPGE2R significantly limits both bacterial replication and Plasmodium oocyst survival. Additional experiments establish that PGE2 treatment increases phenoloxidase (PO) activity through the increased expression of PPO1 and PPO3, genes essential to anti-Plasmodium immune responses that promote oocyst killing. We also provide evidence that the mechanisms of PGE2 signaling are concentration-dependent, where high concentrations of PGE2 promote oenocytoid lysis, negating the protective effects of lower concentrations of PGE2 on anti-Plasmodium immunity. Taken together, our results provide new insights into the role of PGE2 signaling on immune cell function and its contributions to mosquito innate immunity that promote pathogen killing.
Aquaglyceroporin AQP7's affinity for its substrate glycerol

AQP7 is one of the four human aquaglyceroporins that facilitate glycerol transport across the cell membrane, a biophysical process that is essential in human physiology. Therefore, it is interesting to compute AQP7s affinity for its substrate (glycerol) with reasonable certainty to compare with the experimental data suggesting high affinity in contrast with most computational studies predicting low affinity. In this study aimed at computing the AQP7-glycerol affinity with high confidence, we implemented a direct computation of the affinity from unbiased equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of three all-atom systems constituted with 0.16M, 4.32M, and 10.23M atoms, respectively. These three sets of simulations manifested a fundamental physics law that the intrinsic fluctuations of pressure in a system are inversely proportional to the system size (the number of atoms in it). These simulations showed that the computed values of glycerol-AQP7 affinity are dependent upon the system size (the inverse affinity estimations were, respectively, 47.3 mM, 1.6 mM, and 0.92 mM for the three model systems). In this, we obtained a lower bound for the AQP7-glycerol affinity (an upper bound for the dissociation constant). Namely, the AQP7-glycerol affinity is stronger than 1087/M (the dissociation constant is less than 0.92 mM). Additionally, we conducted hyper steered MD (hSMD) simulations to map out the Gibbs free-energy profile. From the free-energy profile, we produced an independent computation of the AQP7-glycerol dissociation constant being approximately 0.18 mM. Table of contents entry O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=87 SRC="FIGDIR/small/469753v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (48K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@420c90org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@46d27borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a4b269org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1bd3979_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
Improved first-pass spiral myocardial perfusion imaging with variable density trajectories.

Purpose To develop and evaluate variable-density spiral first-pass perfusion pulse sequences for improved efficiency and off-resonance performance and to demonstrate the utility of an apodizing density compensation function (DCF) to improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reduce dark-rim artifact caused by cardiac motion and Gibbs Ringing. Methods Three variable density spiral trajectories were designed, simulated, and evaluated in 18 normal subjects, and in eight patients with cardiac pathology on a 1.5T scanner. Results By using a DCF, which intentionally apodizes the k-space data, the sidelobe amplitude of the theoretical point spread function (PSF) is reduced by 68%, with only a 13% increase in the full-width at half-maximum of the main-lobe when compared with the same data corrected with a conventional variable-density DCF, and has an 8% higher resolution than a uniform density spiral with the same number of interleaves and readout duration. Furthermore, this strategy results in a greater than 60% increase in measured SNR when compared with the same variable-density spiral data corrected with a conventional DCF (P < 0.01). Perfusion defects could be clearly visualized with minimal off-resonance and dark-rim artifacts. Conclusion Variable-density spiral pulse sequences using an apodized DCF produce high-quality first-pass perfusion images with minimal dark-rim and off-resonance artifacts, high SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio, and good delineation of resting perfusion abnormalities. Magn Reson Med 70:1369–1379, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Right ventricular infarction. Clinical and hemodynamic features.

Abstract Six patients with acute myocardial infarction presented with hemodynamic evidence of predominant right ventricular failure, characterized by a mean right atrial pressure averaging 20.2 mm Hg and left ventricular filling pressure averaging 16.3 mm Hg. Autopsy in two cases revealed extensive involvement of the right as well as the left ventricle. Clinically the patients usually had evidence of diaphragmatic wall infarction, distended neck veins, hypotension and heart block. Pressure contours and mean pressure often showed no significant change as the catheter was advanced from the right atrium to the pulmonary artery. Shock in three patients was effectively treated with plasma volume expansion, to increase further right-sided pressure, or the administration of sodium nitroprusside, to reduce left-sided filling pressure. It is suggested that when right ventricular infarction accompanies left ventricular infarction, a unique clinical and hemodynamic syndrome occurs because the ability of the right ventricle to maintain adequate left ventricular filling is impaired. Recognition of this syndrome is vital if appropriate therapy is to be instituted.
Origins of the developing countries' debt crisis: 1970 to 1982

Abstract This paper reports on an attempt to quantify the relative contribution of global conditions and domestic policies to the origins of individual countries' debt difficulties. The need for systematic quantification is beyond doubt, but there is no satisfactory methodology for estimation on a comparable basis across countries. This paper provides some preliminary results and highlights some of the methodological difficulties that must be confronted in such an effort. The results, for 19 countries, must be interpreted with care, but nonetheless underscore the significant differences among developing countries in the origins of, and response to, debt difficulties. Recognition of this diversity is important for understanding the present positions of many developing countries, and assessing the needed shifts in policy if there is to be an acceptable resolution to the difficulties.
Physiological Characteristics of Cowpea Rhizobia: Evaluation of Symbiotic Efficiency in Vigna unguiculata.

One fast-growing and three slow-growing strains of Rhizobium (isolated from cowpeas) were evaluated for symbiotic performance on Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. cultivar California no. 5 blackeyes. Plants inoculated with slow-growing strains 176A22, 176A30, and 176A32 developed a maximum acetylene reduction activity of 24.6, 27.0, and 32 μmol of ethylene formed per plant per h, respectively, versus 6.4 μmol per plant per h in plants inoculated with the fast-growing strain 176A28. When inoculated with approximately equal proportions of rhizobia, the fast-growing strain 176A28 produced 95% of the nodules when challenged with the slow-growing strain 176A22, but formed only 6% of the nodules when challenged with the slow-growing strain 176A30. Consequently, there was no relation between the growth rate in vitro and the capability of rhizobia to compete for nodule-forming sites. Plants inoculated with strain 176A28 and subjected to drought during the vegetative growth period recovered to the same level of nitrogen fixation and nodulation as those that received adequate irrigation. On the other hand, plants inoculated with strains 176A22, 176A30, and 176A32 failed to achieve the same levels of nodulation and nitrogen fixation under drought as compared with irrigated conditions.
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF SHOCKED WATER AND AMMONIA

The electrical conductivity of shocked H/sub 2/O was measured between 30 to 60 GPa and the conductivity of shocked NH/sub 3/ to 28 GPa.
Core Formation and the Acquisition of Fusion Competence are Linked During Secretory Granule Maturation in Tetrahymena

The formation of dense core secretory granules is a multistage process beginning in the trans Golgi network and continuing during a period of granule maturation. Direct interactions between proteins in the membrane and those in the forming dense core may be important for sorting during this process, as well as for organizing membrane proteins in mature granules. We have isolated two mutants in dense core granule formation in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, an organism in which this pathway is genetically accessible. The mutants lie in two distinct genes but have similar phenotypes, marked by accumulation of a set of granule cargo markers in intracellular vesicles resembling immature secretory granules. Sorting to these vesicles appears specific, since they do not contain detectable levels of an extraneous secretory marker. The mutants were initially identified on the basis of aberrant proprotein processing, but also showed defects in the docking of the immature granules. These defects, in core assembly and docking, were similarly conditional with respect to growth conditions, and therefore are likely to be tightly linked. In starved cells, the processing defect was less severe, and the immature granules could dock but still did not undergo stimulated exocytosis. We identified a lumenal protein that localizes to the docking-competent end of wildtype granules, but which is delocalized in the mutants. Our results suggest that dense cores have functionally distinct domains that may be important for organizing membrane proteins involved in docking and fusion.
The electrophoretic mobility of imogolite and allophane in the presence of inorganic anions and citrate

The purpose of this study was to investigate bonding mechanisms of representative inorganic anions and citrate with imogolite and allophane using electrophoresis. The electrophoretic mobility (EM) of synthetic imogolite and allophanes with Al/Si molar ratios of 2.02, 1.64, and 1.26 was determined in 0.001 and 0.01 M sodium solutions. The highest point of zero mobility (PZM) values for imogolite and the highest point of zero charge (PZC) values for allophane occurred in the presence of ClO4, NO3, Br, I, and Cl. Below the PZM and PZC, Cl and I lowered the EM relative to the other anions but did not shift the PZM and PZC significantly. This indicates that Cl and I formed more outer-sphere complexes than the other ions. The EM of imogolite and allophane was negative at pH < 6 in 0.001 and 0.01 M NaF probably due to a phase change. We observed the formation of cryolite (Na3AlF6) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the NaF systems at low pH. Conversely, phosphate at 0.001 and 0.01 M concentrations lowered both the PZM and the EM in imogolite and both the PZC and the EM in allophane compared with ClO4. Phosphate-treated allophane had the same PZC as a synthetic amorphous aluminum phosphate. The PZM values of imogolite and allophane with 2:1 Al/Si in 0.0001 M Na-citrate were 10.9 and 5.9, respectively. At pH 7.3, Na-citrate lowered allophane EM more than it lowered imogolite EM relative to ClO4. The EM in NaClO4 and Na2SO4 was reversible by forward- and back-titration with NaOH and HClO4, indicated that ClO4 and SO4 were not specifically adsorbed. Chloride likely formed more outer-sphere complexes than ClO4. Imogolite EM and allophane EM in dilute NaF and NaH2PO4 solutions were not reversible, indicating either surface inner-sphere complexes or surface precipitates of aluminum fluoride and amorphous aluminum phosphate-like materials on these minerals. Sulfate gave a lower EM than the monovalent anions, implying a greater tendency to form outer-sphere complexes. Citrate appeared to form inner-sphere complexes on both imogolite and allophane, but formation was concentration-dependent. The tendency of anions to form surface complexes with imogolite and allophane is consistent with the tendency of anions to form soluble aluminum complexes.
The challenge of the women's movement to American gynecology

Abstract The medical problems of women are but one facet of their social and political problems. The women's movement is working for a redistribution of power between the gynecologist and the patient. The abortion question dramatizes the entire issue. Entry into the medical profession is still fraught with obstacles for women. Women in all walks of life are rebelling against being treated like children or inferiors, and are using time-honored techniques to carry on the battle.
The development of sexual dimorphism: studies of the Caenorhabditis elegans male

Studies of the development of the Caenorhabditis elegans male have been carried out with the aim of understanding the basis of sexual dimorphism. Postembryonic development of the two C. elegans sexes differs extensively. Development along either the hermaphrodite or male pathway is specified initially by the X to autosome ratio. The regulatory events initiated by this ratio include a male-determining paracrine intercellular signal. Expression of this signal leads to different consequences in three regions of the body: the nongonadal soma, the somatic parts of the gonad, and the germ line. In the nongonadal soma, activity of the key Zn-finger transcription factor TRA-1 determines hermaphrodite development; in its absence, the male pathway is followed. Only a few genes directly regulated by TRA-1 are currently known, including members of the evolutionarily conserved, male-determining DM domain Zn-finger transcription factors. In the somatic parts of the gonad and germ line, absence of TRA-1 activity is not sufficient for full expression of the male pathway. Several additional transcription factors involved have been identified. In the germ line, regulatory genes for sperm development that act at the level of RNA in the cytoplasm play a prominent role.
Cell motility as a prognostic factor in Stage I nonsmall cell lung carcinoma: the role of gelsolin expression

BACKGROUND Tumor cell motility is an important characteristic that facilitates the multistep process of tumor metastasis. Rac, ABP-280, and gelsolin are proteins that interact with actin and are important in cell motility. METHODS The authors studied a cohort of 229 Stage I nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients who had a minimum of 3 years follow-up and had been previously analyzed for 22 clinical, pathologic, and molecular features, of which 9 had been found to provide significant prognostic information in a Cox proportional hazards model. Tumor sections were stained by the avidin-biotin complex method using monoclonal antibodies against rac, ABP-280, and gelsolin. RESULTS In a pilot analysis of over 50 patients each, rac and ABP-280 were found to be moderately-to-highly expressed in the majority of tumors and to provide no prognostic information. Gelsolin expression was more variable and appeared to be negatively correlated with survival in the pilot population. In the larger 229-patient population, high focal gelsolin expression was seen in 32 tumors (14%) and conferred the highest relative risk (4.04) of cancer recurrence among all factors tested, compared with tumors that had no or low gelsolin expression. Moderate focal gelsolin expression, seen in 46 patients (20%), also conferred a significant risk of cancer recurrence, with a relative risk of 2.26 compared with tumors that had no or low gelsolin expression. Consideration of average gelsolin expression and of overall survival yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS Gelsolin expression appears to be a significant prognostic factor for cancer recurrence in cases of Stage I NSCLC. Cancer 1999;85:47–57. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
The tandem mirror hybrid reactor

Abstract A tandem-mirror fusion reactor was designed to produce fissile fuel for conventional fission-power reactors. The tandem-mirror concept lends itself to the development of an excellent hybrid reactor because of its cylindrical geometry and steady-state nature. Different coolant technology, fuel cycles, and physics operating modes were considered. The four technologies distinguished by coolant type are: (1) gas, either helium or steam, (2) water, (3) liquid metal, and (4) molten salt. Four physics operating modes were considered: (1) the two-component, (2) Kelley, (3) thermal and (4) thermal barrier. The thermal-barrier mode was finally chosen because of its simultaneous high Q and low beam, and magnet technologies gave superior performance. The design described, however, uses the Q ∼ 2 thermal mode because the thermal barrier concept was invented toward the end of the study. The neutral-beam injectors are of the negative-ion type operated at 400 keV. The magnet technology under consideration is based on Nb 3 Sn conductor operated at 12–15 T. The plasma exhaust is converted at 50% efficiency to electricity in a one-stage, direct-energy converter. We set the size of the commercial plant at 4000 MW nuclear and placed primary emphasis on 233 U production. We dropped water as a coolant option because of poor breeding resulting from neutron moderation. Liquid metal was dropped because of its safety-related fire-hazard and MHD-design problems, which resulted in some drop in breeding. After a more thorough study of molten salt and helium, we judged the molten salt case we studied to require too much development with too great a risk of not finding solutions to problems such as fabrication of molybdenum structures. The helium-cooled, Th-metal blanket performed well and resulted in a fuel cost of $ 70/g 233 U (compared to $ 80/g for molten salt) and had a support ratio of 9, which is not as high as the fission-suppressed molten-salt case of 20 but is still a large number. The general class of fission suppressed blankets of which molten salt is only one example was judged to be well worth further study. The electric power capacity of 233 U-fueled, light-water fission reactors that can be supported by the hybrid of the same nuclear power is 11 000 MWe for the gas-cooled case and 28 000 MWe for the molten salt case at an add-on cost of electricity of 24% for He and 14% for molten salt to account for the hybrid part of the system.
Francesca Bray, Technology and Gender: Fabrics of Power in Late Imperial China. Berkeley: University of California, 1997. xvi + 419 pp. $50.00 cloth; $19.95 paper.

If you are looking for a book about the relationship between gender and technology in the conventional sense—machines, science, manufacturing—you might be disappointed by Francesca Bray's Technology and Gender. What Bray offers instead is a sweeping analysis of how the objects encountered in daily life gave meaning to women's experience during that long period known as “late imperial China” (1000–1800). The work will certainly become a classic in Chinese women's history, but it also deserves to be read by a much larger audience, including those interested in subaltern studies, economic history, and the current debate about world-systems history.
TradeMaker: automated dynamic analysis of synthesized tradespaces

System designers today are focusing less on point solutions for complex systems and more on design spaces, often with a focus on understanding tradeoffs among non-functional properties across such spaces. This shift places a premium on the efficient comparative evaluation of non-functional properties of designs in such spaces. While static analysis of designs will sometimes suffice, often one must run designs dynamically, under comparable loads, to determine properties and tradeoffs. Yet variant designs often present variant interfaces, requiring that common loads be specialized to many interfaces. The main contributions of this paper are a mathematical framework, architecture, and tool for specification-driven synthesis of design spaces and common loads specialized to individual designs for dynamic tradeoff analysis of non-functional properties in large design spaces. To test our approach we used it to run an experiment to test the validity of static metrics for object-relational database mappings, requiring design space and load synthesis for, and dynamic analysis of, hundreds of database designs.
Synthesis of a broth levan by a cell-bound levansucrase from Streptococcus salivarius (SS2)

Abstract The levansucrase from Streptococcus salivarius (SS2) is a constitutive, cellbound enzyme. When SS2 is cultured in the absence of sucrose, neither puromycin nor chloramphenicol inhibit the synthesis of the levan upon the addition of sucrose to the media. The levansucrase is found associated with the cell-wall fraction of the cell following cellular disruption and differential centrifugation. The enzyme can be released from the cell-wall fraction and from intact whole cells by extraction with 8 M lithium chloride. The isolated levansucrase has a pH optimum of 5.6 and is independent of divalent cations for activity.
The bow shock structure of IRS 7 - Wind-wind collision near the Galactic center

New structural details of ionized gas associated with IRS 7, a mass-losing supergiant near the Galactic center, are reported, and radio continuum and theoretical maps are compared. High-resolution multiconfiguration VLA observations of IRS 7 reveal ionized gas with a bow shock structure at a wavelength of 2 cm. The apex of the bow shock is facing more toward the cluster of blue stellar objects, known as IRS 16, than Sgr A*, the compact nonthermal source near the Galaxy's dynamical center. It is inferred that the shape of the mass-losing envelope of IRS 7 is influenced by Galactic winds from IRS 16. It is concluded from a comparison of the morphology of the ionized envelope of IRS 7 with simple theoretical modeling of the bow shock structure that the shape of the shock results from the collision between the Galactic center and stellar winds rather than from the motion of IRS 7 through the interstellar medium.
Electron Hopping Through Single-to-Few-Layer Graphene Oxide Films. Side-Selective Photocatalytic Deposition of Metal Nanoparticles

Single- to few-layer graphene oxide (GO) sheets have been successfully anchored onto TiO2 films using electrophoretic deposition. Upon UV illumination of TiO2–GO films, photogenerated electrons from TiO2 are captured by GO. These electrons are initially used in GO’s reduction, while additional electron transfer results in storage across its sp2 network. In the presence of silver ions, deposition of silver nanoparticles (NPs) is accomplished on the GO surface opposite the TiO2, thus confirming the ability of GO to transport electrons through its plane. Illumination-controlled reduction of silver ions allows for simple selection of particle size and loading, making these semiconductor–graphene–metal (SGM) films ideal for custom catalysis and sensor applications. Initial testing of SGM films as surface-enhanced resonance Raman (SERRS) sensors produced significant target molecule signal enhancements, enabling detection of nanomolar concentrations.
VAN DER WAALS INTERACTION OF TWO ATOMS NEAR A METALLIC PLANE

We have made the first calculation of the retarded van der Waals potential for two identical, neutral atoms near a perfectly conducting plane. As the distance between the atoms and the plane becomes large, compared to atomic dimensions, our results reduce to the Casimir–Polder potential. We have shown that one of the effects determined by the boundary is either an attractive or a repulsive force between the atoms and the plane.
Solution‐Processible Highly Conducting Fullerenes

n-Doping of solution-processible organic semiconductors: highly conductive fullerenes are demonstrated through solution-processed fulleropyrrolidinium iodide (FPI) and FPI-doped PCBM to reach a high conductivity (3.2 S/m). The n-doping proceeds via anion-induced electron transfer between the iodide on FPI and the fullerene in the solid state.
Pressure dependence of the thermal conductivity of glasses

Abstract The volume (pressure) dependence of the thermal conductivity for a number of glasses has been evaluated. The calculation is based on a simple model, assuming the thermal conductivity of the glass to be equal to the minimum of the thermal conductivity, and treating the acoustical phonons by a continuum Debye model, and the optical phonons by an Einstein type model. For SiO 2 based glasses, the logarithmic volume derivative of the thermal conductivity turns out to be small, with both positive and negative values occurring, while for the chalcogenide glass As 2 S 3 this quantity is appreciably larger and positive.
An exploratory study of the impacts of upgrading packaged software: a stakeholder perspective

Once an organization has adopted packaged software, upgrades to newer versions are inevitable. Anecdotal reports suggest that software upgrades are extremely costly and may not bring actual benefit to stakeholders in the organization. Because software upgrades recur periodically, it is important to understand the impacts of software upgrades on organizational stakeholders. In this study, we examine the impact of packaged software upgrades from the perspectives of IS staff and IS users. A dual case study was conducted to understand the impacts of an SAP upgrade and a Windows upgrade. Our study shows that there are two essential costs in each upgrade, the cost of implementation and the costs of users’ learning. Moreover, not all users experience positive impacts from software upgrade. Users’ experience of beneficial impact is contingent upon users’ explicit adoption of useful new features and improvement in features that users use.
Concentrations of Glucosinolates and S-Methylcysteine Sulfoxide in Ensiled Rape (Brassica napus L.)

Abstract Cruciferous forages ( Brassica sp. ) contain glucosinolates and S-methylcysteine sulfoxide, compounds that are potentially toxic to livestock, but there is little information concerning the possible effects of ensiling on these constituents. This study compared concentrations of glucosinolates and S-methylcysteine sulfoxide in rape ( Brassica napus L.) forage before and postensiling after 0, 4, or 25h of field wilting. Field-grown rape was harvested 100 d after planting and immediately ensiled in laboratory scale silos or wilted for 4 or 25h prior to ensiling. After 30 d, silages were frozen and stored at −20°C. Unensiled samples also were frozen at −20°C for an estimate of glucosinolates and S-methylcysteine sulfoxide in fresh forage. In addition to analysis for glucosinolates and S-methylcysteine sulfoxide, determinations were made of DM concentration in fresh and ensiled material and pH of the silage. Ensiling reduced glucosinolate concentration from approximately .3 to .03% of DM and wilting had little additional effect. Ensiling slightly but significantly reduced S-methylcysteine sulfoxide; wilting had no significant additional effect. Results of this study indicate that ensiling can effectively reduce the potential toxicity of rape forage.
Co-simulation of dynamic systems in parallel and serial model configurations

Recent advancements in simulation software and computation hardware make it realizable to simulate complex dynamic systems comprised of multiple submodels developed in different modeling languages. The so-called co-simulation enables one to study various aspects of a complex dynamic system with heterogeneous submodels in a cost-effective manner. Among several different model configurations for co-simulation, synchronized parallel configuration is regarded to expedite the simulation process by simulating multiple submodels concurrently on a multicore processor. In this paper, computational accuracies as well as computation time are studied for three different co-simulation frameworks: integrated, serial, and parallel. For this purpose, analytical evaluations of the three different methods are made using the explicit Euler method and then they are applied to two-DOF mass-spring systems. The results show that while the parallel simulation configuration produces the same accurate results as the integrated configuration, results of the serial configuration show a slight deviation. It is also shown that the computation time can be reduced by running simulation in the parallel configuration. Therefore, it can be concluded that the synchronized parallel simulation methodology is the best for both simulation accuracy and timeefficiency.