cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Unemployment Effects of Minimum Wages

Analyses the effect of a minimum wage on unemployment. Using a model with covered and non‐covered sectors, comparative static analysis is performed with respect to the elasticity of demand for labour in the covered sector, the elasticity of the wage in the non‐covered sector with respect to the size of the non‐covered sector labour force, and the size of the minimum wage. It turns out, contrary to the existing literature, that for none of these parameters is the comparative static effect unidirectional.
The Ethics of Patenting Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Just as human embryonic stem cell research has generated controversy about the uses of human embryos for research and therapeutic applications, human embryonic stem cell patents raise fundamental ethical issues. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted foundational patents, including a composition of matter (or product) patent to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the University of Wisconsin-Madison's intellectual property office. In contrast, the European Patent Office rejected the same WARF patent application for ethical reasons. This article assesses the appropriateness of these patents placing the discussion in the context of the deontological and consequentialist ethical issues related to human embryonic stem cell patenting. It advocates for a patent system that explicitly takes ethical factors into account and explores options for new types of intellectual property arrangements consistent with ethical concerns.
Growth and nutrient uptake of Newport bluegrass as affected by soil oxygen

An oxygen diffusion rate of 20×10−8 g cm−2 min−1 is required for root growth of Newport bluegrass. The optimum O.D.R. is in a range above 40.
Estimation of the OSCAT Spatial Response Function Using Island Targets

Originally designed for wind velocity estimation over the ocean, scatterometers have been applied to weather forecasting, global climatological studies, and monitoring of large-scale human interaction on the planet. Launched in September of 2009, the Oceansat-2 Ku-band scatterometer (OSCAT) is an excellent candidate for continuing the data time series begun with QuikSCAT, which was the SeaWinds scatterometer flown on the QuikSCAT mission 1999-2009. Some processing algorithms require knowledge of the spatial response function (SRF) of the scatterometer. With limited knowledge of OSCAT implementation, and thus its SRF, a procedure is developed for estimating the SRF. The estimation procedure uses scatterometer measurements over islands to invert the radar equation. A mathematical model is developed that reduces the solution to rank-reduced least-squares estimation. The geographic sampling region is discussed, and a simulation is performed to verify the efficacy of the method, while also providing guidelines for island choice and the number of singular values used in rank reduction. The utility of OSCAT SRF estimates is demonstrated through the construction of an enhanced-resolution radar backscatter image over the Amazon rainforest.
Epigenetics in human disease and prospects for epigenetic therapy

Epigenetic mechanisms, which involve DNA and histone modifications, result in the heritable silencing of genes without a change in their coding sequence. The study of human disease has focused on genetic mechanisms, but disruption of the balance of epigenetic networks can cause several major pathologies, including cancer, syndromes involving chromosomal instabilities, and mental retardation. The development of new diagnostic tools might reveal other diseases that are caused by epigenetic alterations. Great potential lies in the development of ‘epigenetic therapies’ — several inhibitors of enzymes controlling epigenetic modifications, specifically DNA methyltransferases and histone deacetylases, have shown promising anti-tumorigenic effects for some malignancies.
Mechanisms for the Interannual Variability in the Tropical Indian Ocean. Part II: Regional Processes

Abstract To understand the mechanisms of the interannual variability in the tropical Indian Ocean, two long-term simulations are conducted using a coupled ocean–atmosphere GCM—one with active air–sea coupling over the global ocean and the other with regional coupling restricted within the Indian Ocean to the north of 30°S while the climatological monthly sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are prescribed in the uncoupled oceans to drive the atmospheric circulation. The major spatial patterns of the observed upper-ocean heat content and SST anomalies can be reproduced realistically by both simulations, suggesting that they are determined by intrinsic coupled processes within the Indian Ocean. In both simulations, the interannual variability in the Indian Ocean is dominated by a tropical mode and a subtropical mode. The tropical mode is characterized by a coupled feedback among thermocline depth, zonal SST gradient, and wind anomalies over the equatorial and southern tropical Indian Ocean, which is strongest in...
Pollution prevention in the magnetic tape industry: Waterborne coating formulations for video tape manufacture

A waterborne magnetic tape coating formulation was designed and used to prepare experimental magnetic tape samples in a pilot coating trial. The formulations contained a blend of a water-dispersed polyester and an ethylene/vinyl chloride copolymer emulsion, cross-linked with melamine-formaldehyde to give tensile properties (tensile strength 8.69 MPa and Young's modulus 245 MPa) that were comparable to a standard solvent-based binder composition. The pilot tape trial used existing processing equipment, including calendering and slitting. The tape had good magnetic properties and excellent adhesion between the pigmented magnetic layer and the base film, easily exceeding the 8 mm helical scan tape standard of 0.96 N peel force. An economic impact analysis for the case of using our waterborne video tape coating process in a conventional tape manufacturing plant showed a significant decrease in costs for adopting the waterborne process.
Dictionaries of Quotations: A Comparative Review

Dictionaries of quotations are one of the more personal categories of reference books as evidenced by the diverse responses of their reviewers. The latest edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations was considered “a splendid achievement” by one and “a disaster” by another, while a third introduced his critique with the caution, “It can be said about any such book that its contents will be in‐adequate and its editors presumptuous …”
Methodological Challenges Facing Researchers in Examining the Effects of Divorce on Children

Abstract This paper examines some of the challenges that family researchers face in assessing the effects of divorce, particularly on children. The author highlights five of the most significant of these challenges. They include examining (1) the effects of divorce before it is completed, (2) controlling for socioeconomic status, (3) the effects of divorce on the general population, who are not immediately involved in the change in family structure, (4) the problems in assessing the effects of divorce, and (5) considering what psychological and academic measures to use when assessing the influence of family structure. Based on contemporary research, this paper addresses some of the relevant issues under each of these challenges and then offers some solutions.
Diminished Paracrine Regulation of the Epithelial Na+ Channel by Purinergic Signaling in Mice Lacking Connexin 30

We tested whether ATP release through Connexin 30 (Cx30) is part of a local purinergic regulatory system intrinsic to the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron (ASDN) important for proper control of sodium excretion; if changes in sodium intake influence ATP release via Cx30; and if this allows a normal ENaC response to changes in systemic sodium levels. In addition, we define the consequences of disrupting ATP regulation of ENaC in Cx30−/− mice. Urinary ATP levels in wild-type mice increase with sodium intake, being lower and less dependent on sodium intake in Cx30−/− mice. Loss of inhibitory ATP regulation causes ENaC activity to be greater in Cx30−/− versus wild-type mice, particularly with high sodium intake. This results from compromised ATP release rather than end-organ resistance: ENaC in Cx30−/− mice responds to exogenous ATP. Thus, loss of paracrine ATP feedback regulation of ENaC in Cx30−/− mice disrupts normal responses to changes in sodium intake. Consequently, ENaC is hyperactive in Cx30−/− mice lowering sodium excretion particularly during increases in sodium intake. Clamping mineralocorticoids high in Cx30−/− mice fed a high sodium diet causes a marked decline in renal sodium excretion. This is not the case in wild-type mice, which are capable of undergoing aldosterone-escape. This loss of the ability of ENaC to respond to changes in sodium levels contributes to salt-sensitive hypertension in Cx30−/− mice.
Evidence-Based Practice Guideline: Wheelchair Biking for the Treatment of Depression

Depression is a problem that will continue to burden older adults and challenge health care providers. Failing to recognize and effectively treat depression in institutionalized older adults is sanctioning these members of society to live their final years in despair and emotional suffering. The wheelchair biking program described in this evidence-based practice guideline provides a refreshing, safe, innovative tool to address depression and improve quality of life in older adults.
Key political symbols: the dissociation process

Key political symbols are an important but neglected topic in the policy sciences. As instruments of policy, they are used to fashion consensus and misused for purposes of exploitation. Scientific inquiry into the possibilities for maximizing consent and minimizing exploitation has been frustrated for lack of systematic, empirical methods - despite a rich theoretical tradition that has been available for decades. This article introduces suitable methods and reintroduces available theory through a case study of a key symbol, ‘Watergate.’ Originally a reference to a building in Washington, D.C., it became a reference to a complex of unresolved involving integrity in government. The process of dissociation from its original meaning provides cues that policy scientists might use to anticipate the course of issue expansion and simplification in connection with other policy issues, including the Iran-Contra arms affair.
Sampling large conformational transitions: adenylate kinase as a testing ground

A fundamental problem in computational biophysics is to deduce the function of a protein from the structure. Many biological macromolecules such as enzymes, molecular motors or membrane transport p...
Laser-induced changes in DNA synthesis and embryonic development in sea urchins.

Abstract Arbacia punctulata eggs were irradiated with low level laser energy (3.2 millijoules (mJ)/cm 2 for 500 μsec) before fertilization. The zygotes and early embryos were observed in order to detect developmental changes and alterations in DNA synthesis. No microscopic changes occurred in the eggs after irradiation, but many developmental abnormalities, similar to those produced by cytotoxic or metabolic agents, appeared after fertilization. A moderate degree of asynchrony was also detected in irradiated populations. Synthesis of DNA (S phase) was determined by using tritiated thymidine and scintillation counting techniques. The low level laser irradiation produced a pronounced delay in post-fertilization DNA synthesis. The onset of the first synthetic period was delayed approximately twice as long as the control. The delay continued throughout four synthetic periods, finally (at 140 min), resulting in a delay of one synthetic period behind the controls. The duration of these synthetic periods was variable and always longer than the controls.
SOME EXACT SOLUTIONS OF THE VIBRATION OF NON-HOMOGENEOUS MEMBRANES

The purpose of this note is to show that the linear density variation case studied by Masad has a closed form exact solution. Also, we shall present another exact solution for the vibration of a continuously non homogeneous annular membrane
Reshaping of the endoplasmic reticulum limits the rate for nuclear envelope formation

During mitosis in metazoans, segregated chromosomes become enclosed by the nuclear envelope (NE), a double membrane that is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recent in vitro data suggest that NE formation occurs by chromatin-mediated reorganization of the tubular ER; however, the basic principles of such a membrane-reshaping process remain uncharacterized. Here, we present a quantitative analysis of nuclear membrane assembly in mammalian cells using time-lapse microscopy. From the initial recruitment of ER tubules to chromatin, the formation of a membrane-enclosed, transport-competent nucleus occurs within ∼12 min. Overexpression of the ER tubule-forming proteins reticulon 3, reticulon 4, and DP1 inhibits NE formation and nuclear expansion, whereas their knockdown accelerates nuclear assembly. This suggests that the transition from membrane tubules to sheets is rate-limiting for nuclear assembly. Our results provide evidence that ER-shaping proteins are directly involved in the reconstruction of the nuclear compartment and that morphological restructuring of the ER is the principal mechanism of NE formation in vivo.
Determination of129I and127I in human thyroid blocks containing mercury as a preservative

A solvent extraction techniques has been developed to separate iodine from mercury contained in thyroid tissues for the determinations of129I and127I in human thyroid blocks by neutron activation analysis. The tissue samples are digested with a mixture of 5 ml HCl and 1 ml HNO3 in a round-bottomed flask fitted with a condenser running with cold water to avoid any loss of iodine. Iodine is extracted into 0.1 M dihexyl sulfide solution in xylene leaving the majority of the mercury in the aqueous phase. Iodine is adsorbed on activated charcoal packed in quartz tubes either by heating the xylene containing iodine in the presence of oxygen or by heating the aqueous solution obtained after back extracting iodine from xylene using a saturated sulfur dioxide solution. Iodine is desorbed from the charcoal and trapped into a quartz ampule which is sent for neutron activation.
The Subunits of Dogfish M4 Lactic Dehydrogenase

Amino acid sequence of dogfish lactic dehydrogenase, isolating acylated amino-terminal peptide and arginine residues, indicating four polypeptide chain composition
Sphincter-saving anastomosis for rectal cancer: an overview

To review the role of sphincter-saving anastomosis in the treatment of low rectal cancer, through a review of literature, we consider the oncologic value and the impact on morbidity and mortality of abdominoperineal resection compared specifically to sphincter-saving procedures. We also review the functional results reported after sphincter-saving procedures. Sphincter-saving procedures are now considered to be the first therapeutic choice in the approach to low rectal cancer. This choice is based on both the appraisal of the oncologic validity of this option and also on the realization of the significant negative impact on the quality of life to patients after an abdominoperineal resection. Functional results after sphincter saving procedures seem to be related to the length of the remaining rectal stump and the addition of a colonic J-pouch and have been documented as beneficial. In conclusion our review supports the trend towards sphincter-saving procedures as a first choice in the treatment of low rectal cancer. Tumours located at or near the spincter or the dentate line and preexisting incontinence still remain indications for abdominoperineal resection.
Thin Films and Their Uses for the Extreme Ultraviolet

The transmittance characteristics in the extreme ultraviolet of unbacked films are discussed; data are presented for films of Al, In, Bi, Ge, Si, and certain organic materials. Generally, the metals begin to transmit shortward of their critical wavelengths, determined by the electron eigenloss, and reach maximum transparency at the nearest x-ray edge; to shorter wavelengths regions of transparency exist between the other x-ray edges. Their use in order-sorting, and for eliminating long-wavelength stray light, is illustrated with laboratory spectra and solar spectra obtained from rockets.
The trophic influence of autonomic nerves on electrical properties of the cell membrane in smooth muscle.

Abstract The relationship of neurotransmission to sensitivity in a variety of effector cell types is briefly surveyed. The several cellular changes which contribute to supersensitivity in denervated skeletal muscle are listed. Subsequently evidence is reviewed regarding the role of a partial depolarization of the smooth muscle cells in the development of supersensitivity in the guinea-pig vas deferens. The depolarization appears to be the result of the decreased activity of an electrogenic Na + , K + pump. The applicability of these findings to other autonomically innervated effectors is discussed.
Advances in cell-based therapy for peripheral vascular disease

Evidence is accumulating to support cell-based therapies as a new approach for chronic diseases. Perhaps the area of greatest impact, in terms of patient numbers, is cardiovascular disorders. This review considers cell transplantation as a potential treatment for peripheral vascular disease, including ischemic stroke and erectile dysfunction. Bone marrow derived cells are required for endogenous repair in adult individuals affected by angiopathies. Clinical trials using progenitor cells generated from monocytic or non-monocytic cells indicate that both are effective, suggesting that angiogenesis is the result of cross talk between different cells and pathways. Currently, there are 14 registered clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov) examining different approaches to stem cell therapy to cure peripheral artery disease, of which 6 have completed enrollment. Here, we will review published clinical studies that used cell transplantation for peripheral vascular ischemic disorders.
The real transform of a Boolean function and its applications

Abstract The concept of real transform of a Boolean function is discussed. It is shown that real transforms allow the formulation of switching problems in the real domain, where the techniques of mathematical programming for obtaining optimal solutions can be applied. The method is used to derive optimal tests for the detection or location of permanent logical faults in combinational networks. It is also shown that the problem of solving a system of Boolean equations may be transformed into an equivalent maximization or minimization problem.
Parental Development of Eimerian Coccidia in Sandhill and Whopping Cranes1

In contrast with isosporoid species of coccidia that have established extraintestinal phases of development, the eimeriids, except for a few species, generally have been considered inhabitants of the intestinal tract. Eimeria infection in sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) and whooping cranes (G. americana) may result in disseminated visceral coccidiosis. Nodules were observed in the oral cavity of 33% (n = 95) of the G. canadensis at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) in Laurel, MD. Necropsy of six of the afflicted cranes revealed granulomatous nodules in many tissues and organs. Histologic studies disclosed protozoan organisms morphologically resembling schizonts in the granulomas, and endogenous stages of coccidia were present in the intestines of four birds. Fecalysis of three of four sandhill cranes yielded oocysts of E. reichenowi and E. gruis. Only E. reichenowi-type oocysts were recovered from a dead whooping crane sample. Domestic broiler chicks each intubated with about 1 times 106 pooled sporulated oocysts of E. reichenowi and E. gruis were not infected. Exposure of six incubator-hatched and hand-reared sandhill crane chicks to oocysts artificially (two chicks) and naturally (four chicks) resulted in typical infection of intestinal epithelium with invasion of subepithelial tissues extending to the muscular layer and widespread extraintestinal development. Asexual and sexual stages occurred primarily in macrophages in the liver, spleen, heart, and lung. In the lung, oocysts were found in bronchial exudate and epithelial lining cells. Six of ten G. canadensis chicks, one adult G. americana, and three of five G. americana chicks that died naturally at PWRC had disseminated visceral coccidiosis.
Super-resolution mbPAINT for optical localization of single-stranded DNA.

We demonstrate the application of superlocalization microscopy to identify sequence-specific portions of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) with sequence resolution of 50 nucleotides, corresponding to a spatial resolution of 30 nm. Super-resolution imaging was achieved using a variation of a single-molecule localization method, termed as “motion blur” point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (mbPAINT). The target ssDNA molecules were immobilized on the substrate. Short, dye-labeled, and complementary ssDNA molecules stochastically bound to the target ssDNA, with repeated binding events allowing super-resolution. Sequence specificity was demonstrated via the use of a control, noncomplementary probe. The results support the possibility of employing relatively inexpensive short ssDNAs to identify gene sequence specificity with improved resolution in comparison to the existing methods.
Corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA in rat thymus and spleen

Abstract Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) initiates stress-induced immunosuppression via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. CRF has also been shown to have direct stimulatory and suppressive effects on immune cells. We have previously detected immunoreactive and bioactive CRF in the rat spleen and thymus. To determine if CRF is synthesized in these tissues, we analyzed rat spleen and thymus for the presence of CRF mRNA. RNA was reverse transcribed, and the resulting cDNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction with CRF gene-specific oligonucleotide primers. After Southern blotting and hybridization with an internal CRF gene probe, a product of the expected size was detected in the spleen, thymus, and hypothalamus (positive control) but not in liver or kidney (negative controls), indicating that CRF is synthesized in the spleen and thymus. Furthermore, CRF could be secreted from splenic and thymic adherent cells in culture. Secretion increased severalfold in response to nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a lipoxygenase pathway inhibitor, whereas interleukin 1 had no effect, suggesting that regulation of CRF secretion may differ from that in the hypothalamus. CRF mRNA was detected in NDGA-stimulated thymic adherent cells and in both control and NDGA-stimulated splenic nonadherent cells. The finding that CRF is synthesized in the spleen and thymus suggests that locally synthesized "immune" CRF, acting as an autocrine or paracrine cytokine, may have direct regulatory effects on immune function.
Subtractive assembly of DNA nanoarchitectures driven by fuel strand displacement

Herein we demonstrate that flexible DNA architectures with larger cavities can be efficiently constructed by first assembling a relatively more rigid DNA tile architecture and subsequently subtracting a center tile through fuel strand displacement; such structures are otherwise difficult to obtain if the center tile is missing in the beginning, proving a new strategy for DNA self-assembly.
Factors affecting food decisions made by individual consumers

Abstract Food decisions made by individuals affect the healthfulness of their food intakes and influence the success or failure of food products in the consumer-oriented food marketplace of today. Because consumers develop their own systems of deciding what to eat and how to follow the Food Guide Pyramid, it is difficult to know which factors or combinations of factors that influence those decisions are most important. Some of these factors that influence consumer food choices are discussed in this paper. These include cultural factors, psychological factors, lifestyle factors, and food trends. Barriers to food decisions that follow Food Guide Pyramid recommendations for healthy diets are identified. These are barriers related to food, consumer food behavior and dietary guidance. Approaches are summarized for modifying consumer food decision-making behavior in the direction of healthful diets that follow the Food Guide Pyramid.
Remorse as a derivative psychoanalytic construct

Arbitrators of linguistic and colloquial usage of affect-laden terms have not fared better with remorse as a concept than has the legal world. In Wechsler's (1981) seminal work on intelligence, he delineates the sophisticated definition of remorse as "a feeling of distress or regret caused by a sense of guilt," while a less acceptable definition is given as "a feeling of unhappiness which is not caused by a sense of guilt." (p. 99). The finer shades of the concept and its variegated implications in the literature have had repercussions in the analytic sphere as well, as evidenced by the recent devotion of an entire issue of The Psychotherapy Patient, a journal for practitioners, to the remorseful patient. The focus of this article is on remorse as a concept and a process, rather than on the remorseful patient. While some of the discussion inevitably has implications for the person who is remorseful, the patient, as such, is beyond its scope. The most comprehensive differentiation of terms relevant to our current topic is to be found in Renshaw (1985), who offers the following clinical demarcations:
The prefrontal corticotectal projection in the cat

The cells of origin and terminal distribution of the prefrontal corticotectal projection in the cat has been examined using retrograde cell-labeling with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and anterograde axon-labeling with HRP or 3H-amino acid autoradiography. All prefrontal neurons labeled from unilateral enzyme deposits in the superior colliculus are pyramidal cells scattered through the thickness of layer V. The ipsilateral prefrontotectal neurons are located most densely in the banks and fundus of the presylvian sulcus and, to a lesser extent, in the anterior and frontal polar part of the gyrus proreus. About 10% as many cells are labeled in the contralateral prefrontal cortex in a similar distribution. Injections of HRP restricted to the superficial layers of the colliculus failed to label cells in the prefrontal cortex. Injections of HRP or 3H-proline-leucine in the region of these prefrontotectal neurons results in axonlabeling mainly, but not exclusively, in the ipsilateral superior colliculus where the labeled fibers are distributed in the layers below the stratum opticum. Labeled axons are especially dense in the intermediate gray layer where, caudally, they are arranged in two horizontally arrayed dorsal and ventral sheets interconnected by periodic columns of dense fiberlabeling interposed between columns of lesser fiberlabeling. Thus, the prefrontotectal projection of the cat here reported is consistent with that described earlier for the rat, but differs markedly from the primate in that prefrontal area 8 in monkeys projects also to the superficial tectal layers.
Dissection and Immunostaining of Imaginal Discs from Drosophila melanogaster

A significant portion of post-embryonic development in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, takes place within a set of sac-like structures called imaginal discs. These discs give rise to a high percentage of adult structures that are found within the adult fly. Here we describe a protocol that has been optimized to recover these discs and prepare them for analysis with antibodies, transcriptional reporters and protein traps. This procedure is best suited for thin tissues like imaginal discs, but can be easily modified for use with thicker tissues such as the larval brain and adult ovary. The written protocol and accompanying video will guide the reader/viewer through the dissection of third instar larvae, fixation of tissue, and treatment of imaginal discs with antibodies. The protocol can be used to dissect imaginal discs from younger first and second instar larvae as well. The advantage of this protocol is that it is relatively short and it has been optimized for the high quality preservation of the dissected tissue. Another advantage is that the fixation procedure that is employed works well with the overwhelming number of antibodies that recognize Drosophila proteins. In our experience, there is a very small number of sensitive antibodies that do not work well with this procedure. In these situations, the remedy appears to be to use an alternate fixation cocktail while continuing to follow the guidelines that we have set forth for the dissection steps and antibody incubations.
The 85Rb(p, d)84Rb reaction

Abstract The spectrum seen in single neutron pickup leading to the doubly odd nucleus 84Rb is remarkably clean, with only five levels populated by l = 4 and six by l = 1 transitions. A simple 2J+1 weighting for the l = 4 data, combined with previous information on 84Rb, allowed the Jπ = 2−–7− states of the ( v g 9 2 −3 ⊗ π f 5 2 −3 ) multiplet to be identified. These data are used to determine the two-hole π f 5 2 −1 -v g 9 2 − interaction matrix elements.
Biochemical Analysis of a Mutant Tetrahymena Lacking Outer Dynein Arms

. Tetrahymena thermophila mutants homozygous for the oad mutation become nonmotile when grown at the restrictive temperature, and axonemes isolated from nonmotile mutants lack approximately 90% of their outer dynein arms. Electrophoretic analyses of axonemes isolated from nonmotile mutants (oad axonemes) indicate they contain significantly fewer of the 22 S dynein heavy chains that axonemes isolated from wild-type cells (wild-type axonemes) contain. The 22 S dynein heavy chains that remain in axonemes isolated from nonmotile, oad mutants are assembled into 22 S dynein particles that exhibit wild-type levels of ATPase activity. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of oad axonemes show that they are deficient in no proteins other than those proteins thought to be components of 22 S dynein. This report is the first formal proof that outer dynein arms in Tetrahymena cilia are composed of 22 S dynein.
ON A PROPERTY OF GRAVITATIONAL SYSTEMS

If one attributes to each component i of a gravitational system a dimensionless parameter ψi equal to the ratio of its relative mass (with respect to the mass of the system) to its relative position (with respect to a generally defined radius) and sums up the ψi values of all components outside the central core, one obtains a mass distribution index �ψ of the order of unity irrespective of the size or the type of the system. In the case of spiral galaxies (and probable other galactic systems) this property applies not only to the whole galaxy, but also to the matter inside any radius larger than the core radius. The mass distribution index in these systems has a maximum �ψ ∗ at a certain radius r∗, which strongly correlates with the surface brightness at r∗ in galaxies with similar mass to light ratio. The gravitational acceleration of all galaxies at r∗ divided by (�ψ ∗) 2 is constant and approximately equal to MOND acceleration parameter. Also, at this radius all galaxies have a surface temperature of the order of the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation.
Extrarenal adult Wilms' tumor

Extrarenal Wilms' tumor is a very rare disease, occurring mostly in children. Sixteen cases have been reported in the world medical literature. A case of a retroperitoneal extrarenal Wilms' tumor is reported in a 36-year old white male and the literature reviewed. Pathologic examination revealed both undifferentiated renal blastoma plus differentiated areas containing immature tubules and glomeruli. No evidence of extrarenal teratomatous tissue was seen. Theories for the histogenesis of this rare tumor are discussed.
Bone Mass and Muscle Strength in Female College Athletes (Runners and Swimmers)

Objective To determine whether female college athletes had increased muscle strength and bone mass in comparison with age-matched nonathletic female subjects and, if so, whether participation in weight-bearing versus non-weight-bearing exercise made a difference. Material and Methods We performed a comparative statistical analysis of the bone mineral density (BMD) of the total body, lumbar spine, and femoral neck, maximal oxygen uptake (Vo 2 max), muscle strength, and level of physical activity in 21 runners, 22 swimmers, and 20 control subjects. The study participants were female college students, 18 to 24 years old, who had had more than 8 normal menstrual cycles during the past year. Results Statistical analyses showed significantly higher Vo 2 max in the two athletic study groups than in the control subjects ( P r = 0.30; P = 0.02) and femoral neck BMD ( r = 0.39; P = 0.002) were positively correlated with weight-bearing activity but not with non-weight-bearing activity. Vo 2 max (an index of physical fitness) was positively correlated with femoral neck BMD ( r = 0.33; P = 0.009) and trochanteric BMD ( r = 0.29; P = 0.021). Shoulder muscle strength (determined by isokinetic dynamometry) was positively correlated with total body BMD (r = 0.34; P = 0.007) and lumbar spine BMD (r = 0.28; P = 0.028). Swimmers had higher muscle strength in the back and upper extremities than did runners and control subjects. Hip girdle muscle strength was not significantly different among the three groups. Total body BMD had a positive correlation with percentage of body fat and height. Lumbar spine BMD was higher in subjects who had previously used oral contraceptives. The athletes had a lower percentage of body fat, were less likely to have used oral contraceptives, and had fewer years of normal menses than did the control subjects. Conclusion Our study shows that (1) total body BMD and femoral neck BMD were significantly higher in the study group that performed weight-bearing exercises than in control subjects, (2) swimming exercise had no effect on BMD, and (3) although swimming is not a bone-building exercise, it can significantly improve shoulder, back, and grip muscle strength.
Trends in the Contemporary Irish Novel: Sex, Lies, and Gender

The 1990s Irish novel presents its own brand of uniqueness and sophistication to the contemporary Anglophone novel. In this article I divide the development of the 1990s Irish novel into three groups. The first type of novel that emerges in the 1990s concerns the presentation of a different image of Ireland, one that magnifies gender construction and sexual preference. The second group of novels concerns the act of reading itself and the difficulty in determining truth from lies. These novels impair the reader's ability to read in an effort to show that everything is a form of interpretation: memories, history, actions, evidence, facts. The third group of 1990s novels produced in the last decade of the twentieth century deterritorializes our traditional sense-making capabilities; each text utilizes different prose strategies which deterritorialize traditional sense through movement both mimetically and stylistically.
Enhanced plant growth by siderophores produced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria

Specific strains of the Pseudomonas fluorescens-putida group have recently been used as seed inoculants on crop plants to promote growth and increase yields. These pseudomonads, termed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), rapidly colonize plant roots of potato, sugar beet and radish, and cause statistically significant yield increases up to 144% in field tests1–5. These results prompted us to investigate the mechanism by which plant growth was enhanced. A previous study indicated that PGPR increase plant growth by antagonism to potentially deleterious rhizoplane fungi and bacteria, but the nature of this antagonism was not determined6. We now present evidence that PGPR exert their plant growth-promoting activity by depriving native microflora of iron. PGPR produce extracellular siderophores (microbial iron transport agents)7 which efficiently complex environmental iron, making it less available to certain native microflora.
Inappropriate Use of Symptom-Triggered Therapy for Alcohol Withdrawal in the General Hospital

OBJECTIVE To determine if hospitalized medical and surgical patients were placed inappropriately on symptom-triggered therapy (STT) for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and if certain conditions were more likely to be associated with inappropriate STT use or adverse events. PATIENTS AND METHODS We randomly selected 124 (25%) of the 495 Mayo Clinic inpatients who received STT according to the Revised Clinical Institute for Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA-Ar) protocol in 2003 and assessed them for STT appropriateness, defined as having both intact verbal communication and recent alcohol use. Adverse events, including delirium tremens, seizures, or death, were correlated with CIWA-Ar appropriateness. RESULTS Of the 124 randomly selected patients, only 60 (48%) met both inclusion criteria. Of the remaining 64 patients, 9 (14%) were drinkers but could not communicate, and 35 (55%) could communicate but had not been drinking. Twenty (31%) met neither criterion. Univariate analysis identified a significant association between inappropriate initiation and chronic heart failure, postoperative status (POS), liver disease (LD), nonmetastatic cancer, and chemical dependency consultation. On multivariate analysis, only LD ( P =.02) and POS ( P =.01) retained significance, with LD more and POS less likely to predict appropriateness. Seven of 11 patients who experienced adverse events had received STT according to the CIWA-Ar protocol ( P =.05). Univariate analysis identified a significant association between adverse events and a history of alcohol dependence or AWS. Multivariate analysis showed significance only for a history of alcohol dependence ( P =.049). CONCLUSION Fewer than half of the randomly selected patients met both of the inclusion criteria for the CIWA-Ar instrument, leading us to conclude that more stringent evaluation is needed. Particularly postoperatively, alternative explanations for putative AWS should be sought. Health care professionals should more aggressively seek information on recent alcohol use from medical records, family members, and patients themselves.
The actin binding site in the tail domain of Dictyostelium myosin 1C (myoC) resides within the glycine- and proline-rich sequence (tail homology region 2)

The majority of protozoan myosins I possess tail domains composed of three distinct and conserved regions of sequence, referred to as tail homology regions 1,2 and 3 (TH · 1, TH · 2 and TH · 3). While the N-tenninal ~ half of the tail (corresponding to TH·1 ) has been implicated in membrane binding, all or some portion of the C-terminal ~half of the tail (corresponding to TH·2 plus TH·3) has been implicated in binding to F-actin in a nucleotide-insensitive fashion. Here we show, using fusion proteins containing portions of the Dictyostelium myosin 1C (myoC) tail domain and F-actin sedimentation assays, that the ability of the myoC tail to bind to actin resides entirely within the glycine- and proline-rich TH·2 domain. The src-like TH·3 domain does not bind to actin, nor does it augment the binding properties of the TH·2 domain. In addition to defining more precisely the location of the actin binding site in the tail domain of a protozoan myosin I, these results have implications for the function of the src-like TH·3 domain in myosins I and other proteins.
A Sophisticated Gamma-Ray Data Acquisition System Based on an IBM PC/XT Computer

It is easy to assemble and program an automated gamma-ray data acquisition system consisting of an IBM PC/XT computer and several computer-controllable modules. Our system features pattern recognition to determine the energy calibration, automatic gain setting, automatic efficiency calibration, detector-positioner control, and source-changer control in addition to the more conventional operations.
A POSITIVE THEORY OF DISCRETIONARY POLICY, THE COST OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT AND THE BENEFITS OF A CONSTITUTION

We offer an explanation of government's preference for discretionary policy action. The main elements are asymmetric information and the ability and desire of governments to maximize reelection prospects. Discretionary policy imposes a social cost. We show that the cost is eliminated if all voters have the same information as the government. An optimal, state contingent policy rule that precommits government through a constitution eliminates the cost by removing government's opportunities to exploit its informational advantage. Rules of this kind, and constitutional restrictions, are difficult to enforce in the presence of uncertainty and different information available to government and the public.
High-elevation ground-layer plant community composition across environmental gradients in spruce-fir forests

We examined the influence of vegetation structure and soil chemistry on post-adelgid, ground-layer plant communities in high-elevation forests of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Specifically, we hypothesized that post-disturbance community composition and diversity would vary along a gradient of soil acidity and other soil characteristics influenced by acid deposition. Ground-layer vegetation and soils were sampled on 60 randomly located nested vegetation plots in the spruce-fir (Picea abies) zone of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN and NC, USA. To capture a range of deposition levels, plot placement was stratified based on modeled acid deposition classes. Ordination and multiple regression results showed that ground-layer composition and diversity were negatively associated with acidity of the A horizon and the presence of ericaceous shrubs (i.e., Rhododendron spp.). A strong correspondence between soil acidity and ericaceous shrub cover was also observed, suggesting that soil acidity may be, in conjunction with overstory disturbance resulting from chronic acid deposition and adelgid induced mortality, an important driver of ericaceous shrub thicket expansion. Slow-decaying, acidic ericaceous litter may also induce a positive feedback resulting in enhanced acidification.
Aniseikonia in Intraocular Lens (IOL) Implants: An Optical Analysis

OBJECTIVE: Analyze conditions leading to aniseikonia in patients with IOL implants using a simple model eye. BASIC PROBLEM: A number of different factors contribute to aniseikonia in pseudophakia. What are the optical factors that influence aniseikonia and the resultant consequences? Is it possible to predict the effects of errors in axial length and anterior chamber depth measurements? METHODS: Computer ray-trace analysis of a model eye. Aniseikonia is computed with respect to the emmetropic model eye. RESULTS: We have theoretically calculated the amount of anisekonia in eyes with a posterior chamber IOL. SIGNIFICANCE: Currently favoured posterior chamber implantation of IOLs may result in some degree of aniseikonia. Certain general trends of aniseikonia are predicted which can be used as a ‘rule-of-thumb’ by the clinician. Our theoretical results support recent clinical findings of aniseikonia in the pseudophakic patient population.
Predicting the maximum amplitude for the sunspot cycle from the rate of rise in sunspot number

Examined are associational aspects as they relate the maximum amplitude RM for the sunspot cycle to the rate of rise RΔt during the ascending phase, where RM is the smoothed sunspot number at cycle maximum and RΔt is the sum of the monthly mean sunspot numbers for selected 6-month intervals (Δt) measured from cycle onset. One finds that, prior to about 2 yr into the cycle, the rate of rise is not a reliable predictor for maximum amplitude. Only during the latter half of the ascent do the fits display strong linearity, having a coefficient of correlation r ≃ 0.9 and a standard error Syx≲ 20. During the first four intervals, the expected RM and the observed RM were found to differ by no more than 20 units of smoothed sunspot number only 25, 42, 50, and 58 % of the time; during the latter four intervals, they differed by no more than 20 units 67, 83, 92, and 100% of the time.
Rainy Season Food Behavior of Selected East Nicaraguan Miskito Indians

The availability, distribution, and consumption of food by a group of Miskito Indians during Nicaragua's rainy season were studied. Field research was conducted in July and August of 1976 in the small, east coast village of Kakabila. Field study methods included observation, participant observation, and key informant interviewing. A week each was spent with four families in home observation. The family plantation (farm) was the source of the largest percentage of total servings of food for each family observed (mean = 39%). Other frequently served foods were obtained from village grocery stores, fishing, village fruit trees, and loans, gifts, and purchases of food from other vil lagers. Cassava was identified as the core food in the diet of participating families. Other important foods in the diet were fish, green bananas, breadfruit, coconut milk, coconut water, and mangoes. The Nicaragua rainy season is made up of both rainy and non-rainy days. Because Kakabila villagers often travelled a great distance from their home to procure food each day, it was hypothe sized that the seasonal rains (rainy days) of Nicaragua's rainy season would alter the core foods consumed by the villagers by interfering with food procurement. However, the villagers adapted to seasonal shortages of food through a food sharing system. Thus, this hypothesis was not confirmed.
VIDEO GAMES AND THE TRANSHUMAN INCLINATION

Video games and virtual worlds play substantial roles in contemporary transhumanism. Many transhumanists appreciate the freedom and power that accompany these digital landscapes and recognize that they can promote transhumanist ways of thinking beyond the borders of explicitly transhumanist groups. Video games and virtual worlds enable transcendence through their design and contribute to transhumanism through the options they enable and the influence they have. Because of their significant place in transhumanism, video games and virtual worlds are thus important to the study of religion and science in the twenty-first century.
Structured Eigensolution Properties of Planetary Gears With Elastically Deformable Ring Gears

The distinctive modal properties of equally spaced planetary gears with elastic ring gears are studied through perturbation and a candidate mode method. All eigenfunctions fall into one of four mode types whose structured properties are derived analytically. Two perturbations are used to obtain closed-form expressions of all the eigenfunctions. In the Discrete Planetary Perturbation (DPP), the unperturbed system is a discrete planetary gear with a rigid ring. The stiffness of the ring is perturbed from infinite to a finite number. In the Elastic Ring Perturbation (ERP), the unperturbed system is an elastic ring supported by the ring-planet mesh springs; the sun, planet and carrier motions are treated as small perturbations. A subsequent candidate mode method analysis proves the perturbation results and removes any reliance on perturbation parameters being small. All vibration modes are classified into rotational, translational, planet and purely ring modes. The well defined properties of each type of mode are analytically determined. All modal properties are verified numerically.Copyright © 2009 by ASME