cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Point-spread sensitivity analysis for 3-D flourescence microscopy

Previous empirical results suggest that the use of an experimentally determined point-spread function (PSF) instead of a theoretical one improves reconstructions of three-dimensional (3- D) microscopic objects from optical sections. The microscope's PSF is usually measured by imaging a small fluorescent bead. There is a tradeoff in this measurement: very small beads are dim and bleach rapidly, while larger beads are a poorer approximation to a point source. We have simulated the effect of the bead on the shape of the PSF by convolving a theoretically determined PSF (of a 40 X 1.0 N.A. oil-immersion lens) with spheres of varying diameters. Simulated data were generated with a 3-D phantom and the theoretical PSF, which is defined to be the `true' PSF for the simulation. Reconstructions of the phantom were obtained with each of the theoretical PSFs obtained from the beads using a regularized linear least-squares method. Results show a significant drop (more than 50%) in the signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstructions for beads with diameter larger than 0.22 micrometers . These results suggest that the bead used in the PSF measurement should have a diameter less than 30% of the diameter of the first dark ring of the infocus two-dimensional (2-D) PSF. This study quantifies the tradeoff between the quality of the reconstructions and the bead size used in the PSF measurement.
Sites on Calmodulin That Interact with the C-terminal Tail of Cav1.2 Channel

Two fragments of the C-terminal tail of the alpha(1) subunit (CT1, amino acids 1538-1692 and CT2, amino acids 1596-1692) of human cardiac L-type calcium channel (Ca(V)1.2) have been expressed, refolded, and purified. A single Ca(2+)-calmodulin binds to each fragment, and this interaction with Ca(2+)-calmodulin is required for proper folding of the fragment. Ca(2+)-calmodulin, bound to these fragments, is in a more extended conformation than calmodulin bound to a synthetic peptide representing the IQ motif, suggesting that either the conformation of the IQ sequence is different in the context of the longer fragment, or other sequences within CT2 contribute to the binding of calmodulin. NMR amide chemical shift perturbation mapping shows the backbone conformation of calmodulin is nearly identical when bound to CT1 and CT2, suggesting that amino acids 1538-1595 do not contribute to or alter calmodulin binding to amino acids 1596-1692 of Ca(V)1.2. The interaction with CT2 produces the greatest changes in the backbone amides of hydrophobic residues in the N-lobe and hydrophilic residues in the C-lobe of calmodulin and has a greater effect on residues located in Ca(2+) binding loops I and II in the N-lobe relative to loops III and IV in the C-lobe. In conclusion, Ca(2+)-calmodulin assumes a novel conformation when part of a complex with the C-terminal tail of the Ca(V)1.2 alpha(1) subunit that is not duplicated by synthetic peptides corresponding to the putative binding motifs.
A Comparison of the Nutritional Value of High Lysine, Floury-2 and Normal Corn for the Laying Hen

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to compare the nutritional value of high lysine, floury-2 and normal corn for the laying hen in corn-soybean meal diets. In the first experiment, high lysine corn was compared with normal corn in isonitrogenous diets containing 11, 14 and 17% protein with 28-week old pullets. At 14 and 17% protein levels with or without methionine supplementation, egg production and feed conversion during the 15-week period were similar for both corn sources. With 11% protein in methionine supplemented diets, high lysine corn resulted in significantly (P In the second experiment, two high lysine corn varieties, floury-2 corn and normal corn were compared in isonitrogenous diets containing 11.5% protein using 58-week old hens in a twelve week study. Significantly (P
Entrepreneurs, high growth entrepreneurs, and managers: Contrasting and overlapping motivational patterns

Abstract This paper describes a program of research, based on role motivation theory and dealing with entrepreneurship, as it has evolved over some 15 years. It notes both dead-ends and successful navigations. Subsequent to the literature review, new findings are presented indicating that motivational measures are particularly effective in identifying growth-oriented entrepreneurs. Implications of these findings for theory construction and for the identification of entrepreneurs capable of establishing growing businesses are discussed. The role motivation typology involving hierarchic, professional, task, and group systems is reviewed. The view that effective organizational performance is a function of the fit between organizational systems and motivational patterns of key performers is discussed. The presentation then focuses on the hierarchic and task domains that are of primary concern in this paper. Functional motives in the hierarchic domain are a favorable attitude toward people in authority, a desire to compete, a desire to exercise power, a desire to assert oneself, a desire to assume a distinctive status, and a desire to perform routine managerial duties. In the task domain the essential motives are a desire to achieve through one's own efforts, a desire to avoid risk, a desire for feedback, a desire to introduce innovative solutions, and a desire to plan. Measures of these constructs are described, and research results are considered. Although hierarchic motivation consistently relates to managerial success, it tends to be at a low level among entrepreneurs. In contrast, studies of the task motivation of entrepreneurs consistently find it at a high level relative to managers. The present research indicates a similar superiority of entrepreneurs over managers in task motivation. However, it goes beyond prior studies in indicating an increased differential for chief executive entrepreneurs who head growth-oriented firms. This is the arena in which task theory really works. Furthermore, entrepreneurial and managerial motivation appear to exhibit only a marginal relationship to one another. These findings are extended in a theoretical sense to develop an agenda for research into the mixes of task and managerial motivation required as firms move through the life cycle. The significant role that individuals with both task and managerial motivation may play in this context is explored. In addition, attention is given to the useful role motivational measures can play in helping those who fund new ventures to identify entrepreneurial talent.
Vibrational frequencies and structural determinations of hexamethylenetetraamine.

Abstract The normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of hexamethylenetetraamine (HMTA) in Td symmetry are examined theoretically using the Gaussian 98 set of quantum chemistry codes. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of eight types of motion predicted by a group theoretical analysis. The vibrational modes of the deuterated form of HMTA (HMTA d-12) were also calculated and compared against experimental data. The normal mode vibrational frequencies were shifted to lower frequencies as on deuteration as expected. However, in some cases the dominant motion type changed on deuteration leading to an apparent ‘blue shift’ of some of the NC stretching modes. It is possible that the observed frequency shifts are the result of a Fermi resonance condition.
Clinical evaluation of a topographically based contact lens fitting software.

Background. Second generation corneal topography-based contact lens software programs attempt to fit the cornea based on topographical information rather than simulated keratometry and nomogram-based fits. The EyeSys System 2000 Pro-Fit software (Version 3.1 ) was clinically evaluated for efficiency in fitting rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses on 22 normal subjects. Methods. Balanced manifest refractions, slitlamp examinations, keratometry, computerized topographic analysis and lens fitting, and manual diagnostic RGP fitting were performed on all patients. The topographically fit eyes were compared to corresponding eyes which were manually fit with diagnostic trial lenses. Lens parameters for the topographically fit eye were chosen after an optimal fluorescein pattern was achieved by either accepting the initially recommended Pro-Fit lens or a modification. Final lens parameters were based on clinical performance. Lenses were reordered when there was a need for base curve changes of 0.1 mm or more, power alterations of ±0.50 D or more, or for any alteration in diameter, optic zone, or edge lift. Results. Both manual and topographically fit groups achieved 17/22 (77%) eyes successfully fit without any subsequent lens modifications. Time records for the manually fit group averaged 16.5 min, whereas the topographically fit group averaged 8.0 min. Conclusions. This study reports a 51.4% reduction in chair time when using a topographically based contact lens software program while achieving the same clinical results as in traditional diagnostic RGP fitting, suggesting increased efficiency in fitting RGPs to normal eyes.
Spherical resonant-mass gravitational wave detectors.

A spherical gravitational wave antenna is a very promising detector for gravitational wave astronomy because it has a large cross section, isotropic sky coverage, and can provide the capability of determining the wave direction. In this paper we discuss several aspects of spherical detectors, including the eigenfunctions and eigenfrequencies of the normal modes of an elastic sphere, the energy cross section, and the response functions that are used to obtain the noise-free solution to the inverse problem. Using the maximum likelihood estimation method the inverse problem in the presence of noise is solved. We also determine the false-alarm probability and the detection probability for a network of spherical detectors and estimate the detectable event rates for supernova collapses and binary coalescences.
Insulin Signaling in Chick Embryos Exposed to Alcohol

Although insulin is known to be an important generator of regulatory signals during fetal growth and development, neither the immediate nor long-term effects of alcohol (ethanol) on insulin action are well understood. In the rat, fetal exposure to alcohol has been shown to be correlated with a subsequent abnormal response to a glucose load in the neonate and adult. Further, fetal hypoplasia secondary to maternal alcohol consumption is correlated with decreased placental glucose transport and with a lowering of the glucose levels in fetal tissues. However, the fetal effects of alcohol cannot be completely overcome by glucose/caloric supplementation, suggesting that factors other than glucose transport are involved. Using an embryonic chick model that negates the factors of maternal/placental metabolism and transport, the current study found that fetal alcohol exposure markedly increased insulin binding in developing tissue, but had little effect on the binding of the insulin-like growth factors. Competitive binding experiments revealed a marked increase in insulin receptor numbers, but no change in binding affinity as a result of the alcohol exposure. Basal uptake of 2-deoxyglucose by fetal tissue was lowered by alcohol exposure, but incubation with exogenous porcine insulin (1 x 10 -7 M) resulted in a significant increase in glucose uptake by the alcohol-exposed embryos. The increases in insulin binding and in insulin-dependent glucose uptake notwithstanding, exogenous insulin could not induce normal levels of ornithine decarboxylase activity in embryonic cells previously exposed to alcohol. Furthermore, insulin treatment seemed to inhibit growth in alcohol-exposed whole embryos. Molecular changes in the insulin signaling cascade occurring as the result of alcohol exposure included an increase in specific phosphotyrosine content that was markedly decreased following insulin stimulation. The decrease in phosphotyrosine content did not seem to involve the insulin receptor substrate-1 :phosphoinositol-3 (Pl-3) kinase complex, because alcohol-treated embryos had significantly elevated basal Pl-3 kinase activity that was not altered by insulin exposure. In summary, alcohol-induced growth suppression in the chick embryo is associated with several changes in insulin signaling and thus data suggest that this important mitogenic pathway is impaired as the result of fetal alcohol exposure.
Identification of new netrin family members in zebrafish: Developmental expression of netrin2 and netrin4

Netrin 1 is a diffusible factor that attracts commissural axons to the floor plate of the spinal cord. Recent evidence indicates that Netrin 1 is widely expressed and functions in the development of multiple organ systems. In mammals, there are three genes encoding Netrins, whereas in zebrafish, only the Netrin 1 orthologs netrin 1a and netrin 1b have been identified. Here, we have cloned two new zebrafish Netrins, netrin 2 and netrin 4, and present a comparative sequence and expression analysis. Despite significant sequence similarity with netrin 1a/netrin 1b, netrin 2 displays a unique expression pattern. Netrin 2 transcript is first detected in the notochord and in developing somites at early somitogenesis. By late somitogenesis, netrin 2 is expressed in the fourth rhombomere and is subsequently expressed in the hindbrain and otic vesicles. In contrast, netrin 4 is detected only at very low levels during early development. The nonoverlapping expression patterns of these four Netrins suggest that they may play unique roles in zebrafish development.
A Three Stage Mass Spectrometer

A three stage mass spectrometer, utilizing two consecutive magnetic focusing lenses of 20" radius followed by a 20" radius of curvature electrostatic analyzer, is described. An abundance sensitivity of 1010 was measured for this instrument in the low mass region. Application of this instrument to analytical and research problems in the field of mass spectrometry and results obtained are discussed.
An analytical calculation of the density of states in the Coulomb gap

Abstract We extend the work of Pollak and Knotek to find more realistic occupation probabilities for sites in the Coulomb gap, and to obtain the density of states N(E) in the gap.
The Pontry-Agin maximum principle for minimax problems of optimal control

The subject of this paper is the Pontryagin maximum principle for the minimax problem of optimal control. That is, we will derive the necessary conditions which a control must satisfy in order to be optimal for the problem in which the cost is measured pointwise in time by the essential supremum over t of some function of time, the state, and the control. It is desired to use controls to minimize this cost
Soil chemistry in lithologically diverse datasets: The quartz dilution effect

Abstract National- and continental-scale soil geochemical datasets are likely to move our understanding of broad soil geochemistry patterns forward significantly. Patterns of chemistry and mineralogy delineated from these datasets are strongly influenced by the composition of the soil parent material, which itself is largely a function of lithology and particle size sorting. Such controls present a challenge by obscuring subtler patterns arising from subsequent pedogenic processes. Here the effect of quartz concentration is examined in moist-climate soils from a pilot dataset of the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project. Due to variable and high quartz contents (6.2–81.7 wt.%), and its residual and inert nature in soil, quartz is demonstrated to influence broad patterns in soil chemistry. A dilution effect is observed whereby concentrations of various elements are significantly and strongly negatively correlated with quartz. Quartz content drives artificial positive correlations between concentrations of some elements and obscures negative correlations between others. Unadjusted soil data show the highly mobile base cations Ca, Mg, and Na to be often strongly positively correlated with intermediately mobile Al or Fe, and generally uncorrelated with the relatively immobile high-field-strength elements (HFS) Ti and Nb. Both patterns are contrary to broad expectations for soils being weathered and leached. After transforming bulk soil chemistry to a quartz-free basis, the base cations are generally uncorrelated with Al and Fe, and negative correlations generally emerge with the HFS elements. Quartz-free element data may be a useful tool for elucidating patterns of weathering or parent-material chemistry in large soil datasets.
SAGA: array storage as a DB with support for structural aggregations

In recent years, many Array DBMSs, including SciDB and RasDaMan have emerged to meet the needs of data management applications where the natural structures are the arrays. These systems, like their relational counterparts, involve an expensive data ingestion phase. The paradigm of using native storage as a DB and providing database-like support (e.g., the NoDB approach) has recently been shown to be an effective approach for dealing with infrequently queried data, where data ingestion costs cannot be justified, though only in context of relational data.Applications that generate massive arrays, such as the scientific simulations, often store the data in one of a small number of array storage formats, like NetCDF or HDF5. Thus, a natural question is, "can database-like functionality be supported over native array storage?". In this paper, we present algorithms, different partitioning strategies, and an analytical model for supporting structural (grid, sliding, hierarchical, and circular) aggregations over native array storage, and describe implementation of this approach in a system we refer to as Structural AGgregations over Array storage (SAGA). We show how the relative performance of different partitioning strategies changes with varying amount of computation in the aggregation function and different levels of data skew, and our model is effective in choosing the best partitioning strategy. Performance comparison with SciDB shows that despite working on native array storage, the aggregation costs with our system are lower. Finally, we also show that our structural aggregation implementations achieve high parallel efficiency.
Spectroscopic evaluation of sun protection factors of sunscreen preparations using dimethylsulfoxide as the solvent

Abstract The use of dimethylsulfoxide as a solvent for various sunscreen preparations allows for the direct photometric assay of the sun protection factor(SPF). Plots of the reciprocal of transmittance versus SPF have correlation coefficients that range from 0.831 to 0.979. Most of the error may be ascribed to the large standard deviation inherent in the determination and reporting of the SPF.
Ethylene is a selective ribosomal cistron regulator in Allium cepa epidermal cells.

Abstract In Allium cepa L. (onion) the number, size, and morphology of visible nucleoli per nucleus varies during cell division, growth, differentiation, storage, activation of quiescent tissue, senescence, wounding, and disease (host-pathogen interactions). Since there are two types (differentiated visually by size) of ribosomal cistron in onion (major and minor nucleoli differ in the external spacer nucleotide sequences), we inferred that they function separately. In controls, major nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were visible in epidermal cell nuclei as nucleoli. After exposure of the tissue to ambient conditions, these nucleoli enlarged and changed morphology. Minor NORs (when in the genome) required more than 6 h to become developed as visible nucleoli. In the ethylene treatments, the major NORs (visible nucleoli in quiescent epidermal cells) increased in size (activation of a greater number of tandem rRNA genes) as in the controls. The minor, quiescent NORs became active and visible (activation of quiescent, inactive NORs) within 3 h. Actinomycin D, and cycloheximide, with or without ethylene, inhibited the increase in size of the major NORs, and prevented activation of the minor NORs (i.e. they did not become visible). Silver nitrate and cobalt chloride had no effect on major NORs but inhibited the appearance of minor nucleoli when combined with ethylene treatments. We infer: ethylene acts to regulate the expression of the minor NORs (selective ribosomal cistron regulation); and, other hormone(s) are involved in the regulation of the major NORs. Yellow and white sweet Spanish onions we studied had two major NORs and two minor NORs. Red sweet Spanish onions we studied had only the two major NORs.
Molecular oxygen sensors based on photoluminescent silica aerogels

Photoluminescent silica aerogel acts as the active element of an optical sensor for molecular oxygen. The luminescent aerogel is prepared by the action of energized reducing gases on a standard silica aerogel. Intensity of aerogel photoluminescence decreases as the collision frequency between oxygen molecules and the luminescent carriers in the aerogel matrix increases. This behavior is a characteristic of many photoluminescent materials and arises from a transfer of energy from the aerogel to surrounding oxygen molecules. A sensor for oxygen concentration or air pressure can therefore be simply constructed utilizing an ultraviolet source for excitation and a suitable detector for the emitted visible signal. Stern–Volmer quenching constants for the aerogel sensing element are 1.55×10−2 Torr−1 for hydrophilic aerogel and 2.4×10−3 Torr−1 for hydrophobic aerogel.
Intervention type matters in primary prevention of abusive head injury: event history analysis results.

Abstract Purpose The current study sought to compare interventional materials intended to raise public awareness of the caregiving practices connected to Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Two hundred and sixty four adults (mean age 32 years) were recruited for participation through convenience sampling at a large Northeastern university. Participants fell into two groups—those who regularly cared for children (46%) and those who did not (54%). Methods SBS awareness was surveyed prior to an educational intervention and at three times points (2, 6, and 12 weeks post-intervention) longitudinally. Three intervention levels were used: Two different video conditions, each with an informational brochure, and the brochure-only condition. Survey responses were combined into five factor scores. Changes in factor score over time were modeled using event history analysis to predict the conditional probability of change in awareness as a discreet event. Results The resulting models show consistent results for three of the five factors, predicting the highest likelihood of increased awareness for a teaching video intervention, followed by a testimonial video, and the lowest probability for increased awareness for the use of an intervention using only a brochure. Negative change, or decreased awareness, was not predicted by the type of intervention materials. Demographic variables were not significant predictors of either positive or negative change. Conclusion The results indicate that the addition of video materials, and in particular material focusing on teaching alternative behaviors, significantly increases the likelihood of positive changes in SBS awareness over interventions which use only a brochure. Implications for practice or research The present study uses a two by three design to describe levels of improved awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome across two groups of participants (those who regularly care for children and those who do not) and type of educational material (a brochure versus two different videos each in combination with the brochure). Results show a differential effect for each intervention level, and indicate a need for careful selection of educational materials for intervention programs concerned with preventing SBS through public awareness.
Spatial filtering of general linear Gauss-Markov processes

Abstract In this correspondence, an algorithm to jointly estimate signal directions and signal parameters for a class of analogue communications signals collected by a uniform linear array is presented. It has been shown that for the combination of quadrature baseband model and linear Gauss–Markov sources, the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm can be used to jointly estimate both signal directions of arrival and signal parameters. The EM algorithm presented uses fixed interval smoothing in the E-step, and an exact M-step for a two sensor array. Having an exact M-step for an EM algorithm significantly reduces computation. An iterative method to estimate an empirical Fisher information matrix (FIM) is applied to calculate the Cramer–Rao bound (CRB). For the algorithm presented, several important properties such as robust performance are identified through computer simulations, while the estimated CRB is used to indicate performance.
A genome-scale, constraint-based approach to systems biology of human metabolism

The recent sequencing and annotation of the human genome enables a new era in biomedicine that will be based on an interdisciplinary, systemic approach to the elucidation and treatment of human disease. Reconstruction of genome-scale metabolic networks is an important part of this approach since networks represent the integration of diverse biological data such as genome annotations, high-throughput data, and legacy biochemical knowledge. This article will describe Homo sapiens Recon 1, a functionally tested, genome-scale reconstruction of human cellular metabolism, and its capabilities for facilitating the understanding of physiological and disease metabolic states.
Proteins of green leaves. VIII. The distribution of fraction I Protein in the plant kingdom as detected by precipitin and ultracentrifugal analyses.

1. 1. Rabbit antisera against Fraction I protein from Nicotiana debneyi were prepared. 2. 2. Quantitative precipitin tests with the γ-globulin fraction of the pooled antisera showed no overlap between the regions of antigen and antibody excess, which was taken as evidence for the serological homogeneity of the reaction. 3. 3. A series of tobacco-cytoplasm samples from which Fraction I had been partly removed by means of ultracentrifugation in a separation cell was prepared. A positive correlation was shown to exist between the removal of Fraction I and the change in the antigen-dilution end-points of the samples. 4. 4. Cytoplasmic preparations from plants represnnting the major divisions of the plant kingdom were tested for the presence of Fraction I protein by means of analytical ultracentrifugation and precipitin analyses. Agreement between the two methods was good. 5. 5. The presence of Fraction I was shown in representative plants of the major divisions of the plant kingdom.
BuMPing iron with modified heparins.

In this issue of Blood , Poli et al demonstrate that heparin analogs engineered to minimize their anticoagulant properties can potently downregulate hepcidin production in vitro and in vivo, and may potentially be used to treat the anemia of inflammation.[1][1] ![Figure][2] Proposed role of
Cognitive regulation of food craving: effects of three cognitive reappraisal strategies on neural response to palatable foods

Cognitive regulation of food craving: effects of three cognitive reappraisal strategies on neural response to palatable foods
Construction and testing of the wavefront sensor camera for the new MMT adaptive optics system

This paper describes the construction and testing of the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor camera for the new MMT adaptive optics system. Construction and use of the sensor is greatly simplified by having the 12 X 12 lenslet array permanently glued to the detector array, obviating the need for any further realignment. The detector is a frame transfer CCD made by EEV with 80 by 80 pixels, each 24 microns square, and 4 output amplifiers operated simultaneously. 3 by 3 pixel binning is used to create in effect an array of quad-cells, each centered on a spot formed by a lenslet. Centration of the lenslet images is measured to have an accuracy of 1 micrometers rms. The maximum frame rate in the binned mode is 625 Hz, when the rms noise is 4.5-5 electrons. In use at the telescope, the guide star entering the wavefront sensor passes through a 2.4 arcsec squares field stop matched to the quall-cell size, and each lenslet samples a 54 cm square segment of the atmospherically aberrated wavefront to form a guide star image at a plate scale of 60 micrometers /arcsec. Charge diffusion between adjacent detector pixels is small: the signal modulation in 0.7 arcsec seeing is reduced by only 10 percent compared to an ideal quad-cell with perfectly sharp boundaries.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Business alliances at Eli Lilly: a successful innovation strategy

Purpose – Eli Lilly's director of alliance management tells how the company has learned to make a success of its partnership strategy.Design/methodology/approach – The author describes best practices and key principles.Findings – The Lilly process has proven successful – of the last six products the firm has launched, four are promoted with a partner.Practical implications – Lilly has developed a “three‐dimensional fit” analysis that helps the firm identify elements of strategic fit, cultural fit and operational fit between Lilly and a partner company.Originality/value – Lilly describes how the elements of their alliance program increase the likelihood of success for individual partnerships and how a continuous learning process contributes to the success of future alliances.
Geometric methods for determining system poles from transient response

The problem treated is that of identifying the poles of a finite order system by observing its transient decay after cessation of input, for a limited time, using (possibly) multiple observation points and experimental repetition. Various approaches are studied, having the common characteristic that a homogeneous matrix equation must be solved. Several techniques that have been given scant attention in the literature are consolidated by a geometric treatment, together with new results including an analytical treatment of the consequences of assuming an excessively high system order, derivation of a statistically unbiased estimate for an intermediate parameter in the solution, new theorems on error effects, a recipe for effective use of the singular value decomposition, and a new method for suppression of extraneous poles.
Tumors and Malformations of the Caudal Spinal Axis

The early development of the neural tube has been well studied in animals and humans. After axial determinants have been accomplished the processes of primary and secondary neurulation take place. Successful completion results in a spinal cord that has arisen from primary neurulation and a lower sacro-coccygeal portion from secondary neurulation. The latter region is the site of numerous skin-covered clinical lesions, which include tumors and malformations. A listing of selected features in 764 cases of skin-covered sacrococcygeal lesions is presented. The manner in which these lesions arise and the potential for genetic factors being responsible is discussed.
Elasticity of Small Pulmonary Veins in the Cat

The distensibility of pulmonary veins of cats, in the diametric range of 100-1200 micrometer, was studied as a function of the venous pressure p upsilon and pleural pressure p PL, while the alveolar air pressure was maintained at zero (atmospheric). The resulting percentage changes in diameter normalized with respect to the diameter at delta P of 10 cm H20 (D10) are expressed as function of delta = p upsilon - p PL. It was found that in most cases the diameter varies linearly with delta P: D/D10 = 1 + alpha (p upsilon - p PL) where alpha is the compliance coefficient. The results show that smaller veins of the cat are more compliant than larger veins. For example, when pleural pressure is -10 cm H2O, the values of alpha for vessels in the ranges of diameters of 100-200 micrometer, 200-400 micrometer, 400-800 micrometer and 800-1200 micrometer are, respectively, 2.05, 1.44, 1.08 and 0.71 percent per cm H2O or Pa-1. The effects of lung inflation on the distensibility of pulmonary veins are also studied. Our results show that for vessel sizes in the range of 400-800 micrometer and 800-1200 micrometer the compliance constant alpha is not affected by the inflation of the lungs (changes in pleural pressure to more negative values). For smaller veins in the size ranges 100-200 micrometer and 200-400 micrometer our results show an increase in compliance from 2.05 to 2.79 and from 1.44 to 2.01 percent per cm H20 or Pa-1, respectively, when pleural pressure is changed from -10 to -15 cm H20. When the pleural pressure is more negative than -15 cm H20, however, the compliance of the vessels in the foregoing two size ranges is observed to decrease.
Structural features and light-dependent changes in the sequence 306-322 extending from helix VII to the palmitoylation sites in rhodopsin: a site-directed spin-labeling study.

Sixteen single-cysteine substitution mutants of rhodopsin were prepared in the sequence 306−321 which begins in transmembrane helix VII and ends at the palmitoylation sites at 322C and 323C. The substituted cysteine residues were modified with a selective reagent to generate a nitroxide side chain, and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of each spin-labeled mutant was analyzed in terms of residue accessibility and mobility. The periodic behavior of these parameters along the sequence indicated that residues 306−314 were in a regular α-helical conformation representing the end of helix VII. This helix apparently extends about 1.5 turns above the surface of the membrane, with one face in strong tertiary interaction with the core of the protein. For the segment 315−321, substituted cysteine residues at 317, 318, 320, and 321 had low reactivity with the spin-label reagent. This segment has the most extensive tertiary interactions yet observed in the rhodopsin extra-membrane sequences at the cytoplas...
Just Queer Folks: Gender and Sexuality in Rural America Colin R. Johnson. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2013.

Just Queer Folks: Gender and Sexuality in Rural America Colin R. Johnson. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2013.Ever since Thomas Jefferson penned panegyrics to those who "labored in the earth," conceptions of American citizenship have been organized by space: heartland conservatives versus urban elitists, tolerant cosmopolitans against atavistic hillbillies. Nowhere is this truer than in queer politics, where the urban is regarded as the iconic site of same-sex desire and the only possible location for its consummation. Though there is risk in the countryside-consider the account of Matthew Shepard, mistaken for a scarecrow when his body was discovered lashed to a fence in rural Wyoming-the solution to oppression is not "metrochauvinism" (197). The binaristic formulation of urban/rural and queer/straight empowers homophobia and is a myth to be resisted.Colin R. Johnson's Just Queer Folks does more than unsettle that binary; it offers a queer history of rural America, as well as an account of the normalizing national practices that transformed the countryside into the center of vicious normalcy. While he does not contest John D'Emilio's claim that urban capitalism created coherent queer identity, Johnson focuses not on identity but practices. He also refuses the oppositional status of the country and the city, since the urban sphere is a particular location, while the territory is diffuse and massive, stretching between the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans with only a discrete handful of metropolitan interruptions.Over the course of six chapters, Johnson devotes much of his attention to rural, white working-class cisgender men, about whom the most substantial archive exists and for whom the prospect of queemess is now presumed most remote (23). Historically, these men have required normative discipline, because homosocial locations provide frequent contexts for the development of heterosexual masculinity (157). The final chapter, "Hard Women: Rural Women and Female Masculinity," proffers compelling readings of female sharecroppers in Walker Evans and James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941) in conversation with changing standards of Depression Era fashion and Dorothy Allison's figuration of rural women as "measured [and] manlike... solid [and] stolid" (179-180). Female masculinity, Johnson suggests, is not simply a radical posture toward queer futurity; it also resists novel forms of feminine self-fashioning offered by modern capitalism's ready-to-wear clothing and impractical shoes. …
Bestimmung des Bilirubins im Blute

Sowohl dieHijmans v. d. Berghsche Methode, als auch ihre bisherige Abanderungen sind nicht allgemein brauchbar zur Bestimmung des Blutbilirubins. DieThannhauser-Andersensche Modifikation ergibt so fur direktes wie fur indirektes Bilirubin, zu niedrige Werte.
Allozymic Variation and Population Structure of the California Grunion, Leuresthes tenuis (Atheriniformes: Atherinopsidae)

Abstract Population structure of the California grunion, Leuresthes tenuis, was asssessed by examining patterns of allozymic variation. Six specimens from each of four southern California locations (Goleta, Malibu, San Pedro, and Imperial Beach) were examined electrophoretically for the gene products of 55 presumptive loci; nine loci were found to be polyallelic. Direct-count heterozygosity averaged 0.036. A total of 50 specimens from each of the four locations was scored for the gene products of the nine polyallelic loci. A conservative significance test using exact probabilities showed that all four samples individually agreed with Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Few private alleles were detected, and Nei's genetic distances between pairs of samples were negligible. F-statistics were not significantly different from zero. However, a contingency chi-square test including all four geographic samples falsified the null hypothesis of no significant difference among the samples (P = 0.038). A Mantel test showed...
Presidential Leadership, Illness, and Decision Making

1. Introduction 2. Aging, illness, and addiction 3. The exacerbation of personality: Woodrow Wilson 4. Leading while dying: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1943-45 5. Addicted to power: John F. Kennedy 6. Richard Nixon: bordering on sanity 7. 25th Amendment 8. Presidential care.
Kinder, gentler average-case analysis for convex hulls and maximal vectors

While the derivations of precise asymptotic estimates found in the mathematical literature are not easily accessible to the non-specialist, there are rather simple arguments for deriving rougher "big-theta" bounds on the expected size of random convex hulls. These arguments are presented, then applied to verify a recently published conjecture on the expected number of maximal vectors among a set of random points chosen from a ball. A summary of recent progress follows. Results relevant for analyzing algorithms are emphasized.
A Module System for a Programming Language Based on the LF Logical Framework

Abstract : We describe a module system for Elf, a logic programming language based on the LF logical framework. The static part of module calculus addresses name-space management and structured presentation of deductive systems. The dynamic part addresses search-space management and modularization of logic programs.
Multilevel Coarse-to-Fine PCFG Parsing

We present a PCFG parsing algorithm that uses a multilevel coarse-to-fine (mlctf) scheme to improve the efficiency of search for the best parse. Our approach requires the user to specify a sequence of nested partitions or equivalence classes of the PCFG nonterminals. We define a sequence of PCFGs corresponding to each partition, where the nonterminals of each PCFG are clusters of nonterminals of the original source PCFG. We use the results of parsing at a coarser level (i.e., grammar defined in terms of a coarser partition) to prune the next finer level. We present experiments showing that with our algorithm the work load (as measured by the total number of constituents processed) is decreased by a factor of ten with no decrease in parsing accuracy compared to standard CKY parsing with the original PCFG. We suggest that the search space over mlctf algorithms is almost totally unexplored so that future work should be able to improve significantly on these results.
Malignant CD5 B Cells-Biased Immunoglobulin Variable Gene Usage and Autoantibody Production

Malignant CD5 B cells obtained from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) were analyzed for immunoglobulin variable gene usage, CD5 gene expression and autoantibody production. A statistically significant biased usage of the VH5, VH6 and VKIII immunoglobulin variable gene families was observed. It is important to point out that both VHS and VH6 are extremely small families which are located at the 3′ extremity of the immunoglobulin variable gene locus. We determined that the transcription of the CD5 gene in T cell malignancies, CLL, SLL and a selected group of EBV transformed lines was identical. Autoantibody production was studied in a panel of heterohybridomas obtained by the fusion of CLL cells with mouse myeloma line SP2/0. A large fraction of these heterohybridomas secrete autoantibodies; some were monospecific, some bispecific and some polyspecific.
An enlarged postcranial sample confirms Australopithecus afarensis dimorphism was similar to modern humans

In a previous study, we introduced the template method as a means of enlarging the Australopithecus afarensis postcranial sample to more accurately estimate its skeletal dimorphism. Results indicated dimorphism to be largely comparable to that of Homo sapiens. Some have since argued that our results were biased by artificial homogeneity in our Au. afarensis sample. Here we report the results from inclusion of 12 additional, newly reported, specimens. The results are consistent with those of our original study and with the hypothesis that early hominid demographic success derived from a reproductive strategy involving male provisioning of pair-bonded females.
Stent fractures in congenital heart disease.

Objective: To describe incidence, characteristics, predictive factors, and sequelae of stent fractures in congenital heart disease. Background: Stent fracture in congenital heart disease patients is rarely reported. Methods: Patients with stents implanted from 1990 to 2006, with subsequent fluoroscopy were enrolled. Information obtained included: stent type, location, balloon diameter, and residual narrowing. Fracture characteristics, radiographic appearance, and clinical sequelae were also obtained in those with fractures identified. Results: Two hundred and sixty-five patients (583 stents) had fluoroscopy 4.2 ± 3.3 years after stent implantation. The majority of stents (395, 67.7%) were placed in a pulmonary artery (PA) or its branches. Sixteen stents (2.7%) were placed in a right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit. Fourteen fractures (2.4%) were identified 5.0 ± 3.2 years after implantation: RV-PA conduit 4/16, proximal right PA 4/135, proximal left PA 6/184 (P = 0.003). Identification was primarily made on lateral fluoroscopy. Review of chest radiographs demonstrated fractures in only 71%. In fractured PA stents, five were redilated and three had additional stents placed. Of the four conduit stent fractures: one underwent redilation, one had embolized segments, and one was reinforced with a second stent that also fractured and embolized a segment during redilation at a later catheterization. All fractures were asymptomatic. Conclusions: With the exception of RV-PA conduit stents, fracture is rare and asymptomatic. PA stent fractures occurred in 2.5% and did not embolize, whereas RV-PA conduit stent fractures were significantly more common and may embolize. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Generation of transgenic maize with enhanced provitamin A content

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects over 250 million people worldwide and is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies in developing countries, resulting in significant socio-economic losses. Provitamin A carotenoids such as β-carotene, are derived from plant foods and are a major source of vitamin A for the majority of the world's population. Several years of intense research has resulted in the production of ‘Golden Rice 2’ which contains sufficiently high levels of provitamin A carotenoids to combat VAD. In this report, the focus is on the generation of transgenic maize with enhanced provitamin A content in their kernels. Overexpression of the bacterial genes crtB (for phytoene synthase) and crtI (for the four desaturation steps of the carotenoid pathway catalysed by phytoene desaturase and ζ-carotene desaturase in plants), under the control of a ‘super γ-zein promoter’ for endosperm-specific expression, resulted in an increase of total carotenoids of up to 34-fold with a preferential accumulation of β-carotene in the maize endosperm. The levels attained approach those estimated to have a significant impact on the nutritional status of target populations in developing countries. The high β-carotene trait was found to be reproducible over at least four generations. Gene expression analyses suggest that increased accumulation of β-carotene is due to an up-regulation of the endogenous lycopene β-cylase. These experiments set the stage for the design of transgenic approaches to generate provitamin A-rich maize that will help alleviate VAD.
Microbial sweetening of sour natural gas using mixed cultures

About twenty-five percent of natural gas produced in the United States is sour containing significant volumes of hydrogen sulfide. Liquid redox processes remove hydrogen sulfide from natural gas. Aqueous solution of chelated ferric ions oxidize the hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur. The reduced iron chelate is then oxidized by contact with air and recycled. This requires expensive equipment for regeneration and the process is usually energy intensive. A microbial process for regeneration of chelated ferric ions may offer an economical alternative to commercial liquid redox processes. The present study investigates the use of a mixed culture of iron oxidizing bacteria to regenerate commercial iron chelate catalysts. The objective of this study is to quantify an increase in the biologically enhanced redox solution reoxidation rates. It was observed that the presence of bacterial cultures enhance the reoxidation rates and sulfur removal significantly. The proprietary mixed cultures of iron oxidizing bacteria used in this study derive the energy required for their growth from the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds and form the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) ions in presence of air. 21 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.