cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical Investigation of Flow and Heat Transfer Performance of Nano-Encapsulated Phase Change Material Slurry in Microchannels

Microchannels are used in applications where large amount of heat is produced. Phase change material (PCM) slurries can be used as a heat transfer fluid in microchannels as they provide increased heat capacity during the melting of phase change material. For the present numerical investigation, performance of a nano-encapsulated phase change material slurry in a manifold microchannel heat sink was analyzed. The slurry was modeled as a bulk fluid with varying specific heat. The temperature field inside the channel wall is solved three dimensionally and is coupled with the three dimensional velocity and temperature fields of the fluid. The model includes the microchannel fin or wall effect, axial conduction along the length of the channel, developing flow of the fluid and not all these features were included in previous numerical investigations. Influence of parameters such as particle concentration, inlet temperature, melting range of the PCM, and heat flux is investigated, and the results are compared with the pure single phase fluid.
Inhibition of Iron-Molybdenum Cofactor Biosynthesis by L127Δ NifH and Evidence for a Complex Formation between L127Δ NifH and NifNE

Besides serving as the obligate electron donor to dinitrogenase during nitrogenase turnover, dinitrogenase reductase (NifH) is required for the biosynthesis of the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) and for the maturation of α2β2 apo-dinitrogenase (apo-dinitrogenase maturation). In an attempt to understand the role of NifH in FeMo-co biosynthesis, a site-specific altered form of NifH in which leucine at position 127 has been deleted, L127Δ, was employed in in vitro FeMo-co synthesis assays. This altered form of NifH has been shown to inhibit substrate reduction by the wild-type nitrogenase complex, forming a tight protein complex with dinitrogenase. The L127Δ NifH was found to inhibit in vitro FeMo-co synthesis by wild-type NifH as detected by the γ gel shift assay. Increasing the concentration of NifNE and NifB-cofactor (NifB-co) relieved the inhibition of FeMo-co synthesis by L127Δ NifH. The formation of a complex of L127Δ NifH with NifNE was investigated by gel filtration chromatography. We herein report the formation of a complex between L127Δ NifH and NifNE in the presence of NifB-co. This work presents evidence for one of the possible roles for NifH in FeMo-co biosynthesis, i.e. the interaction of NifH with a NifNE·NifB-co complex.
The Annual Meeting: From Conception to Birth

The ASHG Annual Meeting is a principal activity of the Society and drives the calendar for the organization and the staff. The planning for each meeting actually starts nearly a decade in advance, with the location of the meeting currently decided by the Board of Directors through 2013 (that one will be in Boston, by the way). The scientific content and specific agenda of each meeting is determined by the Program Committee (PC), with major changes, enhancements, and fiscal matters subject to approval by the Executive Committee or the Board.
A radioiodinated MIBG-octreotate conjugate exhibiting enhanced uptake and retention in SSTR2-expressing tumor cells.

Several neuroendocrine tumors are known to express both the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2) and the norepinephrine transporter (NET), and radiopharmaceuticals directed toward both these tar...
3D shape measurement technique for multiple rapidly moving objects

Recently proposed binary defocusing techniques have led to ultrafast speed 3D shape measurement, but they are generally limited to measurement of a single object at a time. Introducing additional gray coded patterns for point-by-point phase unwrapping could permit simultaneous multiple-object measurement. However, when the objects are moving rapidly, the displacement between the first captured pattern and the last can be significant, and pose challenges related to the precisely designed gray codes. This paper presents a new phase unwrapping strategy that combines the conventional spatial phase unwrapping with the gray code to resolve motion related phase unwrapping problems. A system with a speed of 5,000 Hz was developed to verify the performance of the proposed technique.
The air emissions from broiler buildings in California

This paper reports the emission rates of gases and particulate matter (PM) from two California broiler buildings that were monitored from September 2007 to October 2009 in the National Air Emission Monitoring Study. Each of the two identical buildings housed 21,000 broilers with a 45-day growth cycle and market weight of 2.7 kg. The litter was completely cleaned out every three growth cycles. The building environment was controlled by 11 ventilation fans, 2 evaporative cooling cells, and 17 heaters. During two-years of continuous emission measurement, gas and particulate matter concentrations and ventilation rate were continuously measured. The results show that the mean emission rates of ammonia and carbon dioxide were 0.49 and 76.1 g/hd-d, and emission rates of hydrogen sulfide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ethanol were 2.89, 46.5, 4.27 and 16.3 mg/hd-d, respectively. The mean emission rates of PM2.5, PM10 and total suspended particulate were 5.35, 44.0 and 120 mg/hd-d, respectively. The emission rates increased with broiler growth.
Unimodal and Multimodal Human Perceptionof Naturalistic Non-Basic Affective Statesduring Human-Computer Interactions

The present study investigated unimodal and multimodal emotion perception by humans, with an eye for applying the findings towards automated affect detection. The focus was on assessing the reliability by which untrained human observers could detect naturalistic expressions of non-basic affective states (boredom, engagement/flow, confusion, frustration, and neutral) from previously recorded videos of learners interacting with a computer tutor. The experiment manipulated three modalities to produce seven conditions: face, speech, context, face+speech, face+context, speech+context, face+speech+context. Agreement between two observers (OO) and between an observer and a learner (LO) were computed and analyzed with mixed-effects logistic regression models. The results indicated that agreement was generally low (kappas ranged from .030 to .183), but, with one exception, was greater than chance. Comparisons of overall agreement (across affective states) between the unimodal and multimodal conditions supported redundancy effects between modalities, but there were superadditive, additive, redundant, and inhibitory effects when affective states were individually considered. There was both convergence and divergence of patterns in the OO and LO data sets; however, LO models yielded lower agreement but higher multimodal effects compared to OO models. Implications of the findings for automated affect detection are discussed.
The energetic consequences of dietary specialization in populations of the garter snake, Thamnophis elegans

We investigated the intraspecific variation in digestive energetics between dietary specialist and generalist populations of the Western Terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) in northern California. Coastal populations have a specialized diet of slugs and inland populations have a generalized diet of fish, anurans, mice and leeches. The difference in prey preference between the two populations is congenital, heritable and ontogenetically stable. To examine energetic specializations and trade-offs in these populations, we measured the net assimilation efficiency of each snake population on both slug (Ariolimax columbianus) and fish (Rhinichthys osculus) diets. The net assimilation efficiency was measured during digestion of a meal and continued until metabolic rate re-attained prefeeding levels. Coastal snakes were able to utilize 62% more of the ingested energy towards production from slug diets through both increased assimilation of nutrients and reduced digestive costs. For fish, assimilation and digestive costs were the same in both coastal and inland populations. These results support the hypothesis that snakes with specialized diets can evolve physiological traits to extract nutrients more efficiently. However, there was no apparent trade-off on the more generalized diet that was associated with this specialization.
Open trapped ion cell geometries for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry is evaluated in trapped ion cells which substitute open rectangular trapping electrodes for trapping plates positioned perpendicular to the magnetic field. Compared with closed cells, the open cell geometry offers improved access to the cell interior with obvious benefits for external ion injection. The well depth along the z-axis centerline of the open cell is about 37% of the applied potential for cubic geometry but increases to 81% for an elongated cell with aspect ratio two. Isopotential field maps are created to compare axial and radial components of trapping and excitation fields for open and closed orthorhombic cells. Radial trapping electric fields are somewhat larger in the center of the open cells but axial excitation fields are a factor of two smaller compared with the closed cell. An open elongated cell with an aspect ratio of two is constructed and compared with a closed cell of similar aspect ratio. Experimentally, a −57 Hz V−1 shift in cyclotron frequency owing to the radial trapping field is obtained for the open cell compared with a −32 Hz V−1 shift for the closed cell. However, axial ejection is significantly reduced in the open cell compared with the closed cell. Suggestions are given for generalizing the open cell to a mutisegmented electrode assembly in which excitation, detection and trapping are performed interchangeably with the same electrodes. For example, capacitive coupling of the excitation potential to the trap electrodes is suggested as a simple means of eliminating axial ejection during excitation.
Borrelia burgdorferi Requires Glycerol for Maximum Fitness During The Tick Phase of the Enzootic Cycle

Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, is a vector-borne pathogen that cycles between a mammalian host and tick vector. This complex life cycle requires that the spirochete modulate its gene expression program to facilitate growth and maintenance in these diverse milieus. B. burgdorferi contains an operon that is predicted to encode proteins that would mediate the uptake and conversion of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Previous studies indicated that expression of the operon is elevated at 23°C and is repressed in the presence of the alternative sigma factor RpoS, suggesting that glycerol utilization may play an important role during the tick phase. This possibility was further explored in the current study by expression analysis and mutagenesis of glpD, a gene predicted to encode glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Transcript levels for glpD were significantly lower in mouse joints relative to their levels in ticks. Expression of GlpD protein was repressed in an RpoS-dependent manner during growth of spirochetes within dialysis membrane chambers implanted in rat peritoneal cavities. In medium supplemented with glycerol as the principal carbohydrate, wild-type B. burgdorferi grew to a significantly higher cell density than glpD mutant spirochetes during growth in vitro at 25°C. glpD mutant spirochetes were fully infectious in mice by either needle or tick inoculation. In contrast, glpD mutants grew to significantly lower densities than wild-type B. burgdorferi in nymphal ticks and displayed a replication defect in feeding nymphs. The findings suggest that B. burgdorferi undergoes a switch in carbohydrate utilization during the mammal to tick transition. Further, the results demonstrate that the ability to utilize glycerol as a carbohydrate source for glycolysis during the tick phase of the infectious cycle is critical for maximal B. burgdorferi fitness.
Mechanism of Decarboxylation of Glycine and Glycolate by Isolated Soybean Cells

Isolated soybean leaf mesophyll cells decarboxylated exogenously added [1- 14 C]glycolate and [1- 14 C]glycine in the dark. The rate of CO 2 release from glycine was inhibited over 90% by isonicotinic acid hydrazide and about 80% by KCN, two inhibitors of the glycine to serine plus CO 2 reaction. The release of CO 2 from glycolate was inhibited by less than 50% under the same conditions. This indicates that about 50% of the CO 2 released from glycolate occurred at a site other than the glycine to serine reaction. The sensitivity of this alternative site of CO 2 release to an inhibitor of glycolate oxidase (methyl-2-hydroxy-3-butynoate) but not an inhibitor of the glutamate:glyoxylate aminotransferase (2,3-epoxypropionate) indicates that this alternative (isonicotinic acid hydrazide insensitive) site of CO 2 release involved glyoxylate. Catalase inhibited this CO 2 release. Under the conditions used it is suggested that about half of the CO 2 released from glycolate occurred at the conversion of glycine to serine plus CO 2 while the remaining half of the CO 2 loss resulted from the direct oxidation of glyoxylate by H 2 O 2 . The rate of glycine decarboxylation by the glycine to serine reaction was apparently controlled by the amount of NAD in the mitochondria. Mitochondrial electron transport inhibitors, KCN and actinomycin A, inhibited glycine decarboxylation while an uncoupler, 2,4-dinitrophenol, stimulated the reaction. Competition within the mitochondria between the enzymes of dark respiration and glycine decarboxylation for limiting NAD may force substantial amounts of the glycolate formed to be decarboxylated by the direct oxidation of glyoxylate.
Equations Governing Surface Streamlines

Kemp, N. H. and Homicz, G., "Approximate Unsteady ThinAirfoil Theory for Subsonic Flow," AIAA • Journal, Vol. 14, Aug. 1976, pp. 1083-1089. -Amiet, R. K., "High Frequency Thin Airfoil Theory for Subsonic WxwS'AIAA Journal> Vol. 14, Aug. 1976, pp. 1076-1082. Adamczyk, J. J., "The Passage of an Infinite Swept Airfoil Through an Oblique Gust," NASA CR-2395, May 1974. Amiet, R. K. and Sears, W. R., "The Aerodynamic Noise of Small-Perturbation Subsonic Flows," Journal of Fluid Mechanics ^ Vol. 44, Nov. 1970, pp. 227-235. Horlock, R. H. and Hawkings, D. L., "The Response of Nonlifting Airfoils to Stream wise Gusts," Journal of Fluids Engineering, Vol. 99, March 1977, pp. 213-216. Landahl, M. T., Unsteady Transonic Flow, Pergammon Press, London, 1961, p. 2. Bleistein, N. and Handelsman, R. A., Asymptotic Expansions of Integrals, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1975, Chap. 6.
Normativity and meaning: kripke’s skeptical paradox reconsidered

L'A. defend la these selon laquelle l'attribution par Kripke d'un paradoxe sceptique chez Wittgenstein releve d'une conception de la normativite comme relation entre le signe et le sens, qui n'est pas celle que Wittgenstein considere dans ses recherches sur les processus mentaux de la signification et de l'entendement.
Optimal Sequential Energy Allocation for Inverse Problems

This paper investigates the advantages of adaptive waveform amplitude design for estimating parameters of an unknown channel/medium under average energy constraints. We present a statistical framework for sequential design (e.g., design of waveforms in adaptive sensing) of experiments that improves parameter estimation (e.g., unknown channel parameters) performance in terms of reduction in mean-squared error (MSE). We treat an N time step design problem for a linear Gaussian model where the shape of the N input design vectors (one per time step) remains constant and their amplitudes are chosen as a function of past measurements to minimize MSE. For N=2, we derive the optimal energy allocation at the second step as a function of the first measurement. Our adaptive two-step strategy yields an MSE improvement of at least 1.65 dB relative to the optimal nonadaptive strategy, but is not implementable since it requires knowledge of the noise amplitude. We then present an implementable design for the two-step strategy which asymptotically achieves optimal performance. Motivated by the optimal two-step strategy, we propose a suboptimal adaptive N-step energy allocation strategy that can achieve an MSE improvement of more than 5 dB for N=50. We demonstrate our general approach in the context of MIMO channel estimation and inverse scattering problems
Germplasm Improvement to Develop Commercially Viable Lines of the New Oilseed Crop Lesquerella

Lesquerella (Physaria fendleri) is a new oilseed crop that is being domesticated as an alternative crop for arid regions in the United States. As a member of the Brassica family, the species exhibits a high seed-oil content that can provide a source of hydroxy fatty acids for industrial use as source of bioenergy and by-products that can be utilized in livestock production. Germplasm evaluation and breeding activities on the crop have been done by the University of Arizona and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lesquerella and other Physaria and Paysonia species have a substantial germplasm collection that is well characterized for phenotypic traits and oil profiles. There are several improved germplasm released by the USDA with higher oil content and seed yield, enhanced oil profile, abiotic stress tolerance, and harvest index which can be directly utilized for commercial production or used for crop improvement. Additional technologies that can aid breeding, such as molecular marker systems and genetic transformation systems, have been established. A few challenges remain to be surmounted for the crop to be commercialized. A continued concerted effort by public and private institutions may hasten the process of bringing this new crop to commercial production.
Race-Based Differences In Performance Measures: Implications For Diversity Management In Higher Education And The Workforce

Increased diversity representations in higher education create both opportunities and challenges for diversity management. Both in education and the workforce, one challenge has been to achieve equal access and opportunity for diverse groups because of differences in standardized measures (e.g., SAT) and other measures (e.g. GPA) used in admissions decisions and in personnel selection. This study examined race-based differences in academic measures of SAT, high school GPA, and college GPA to better understand the influence of these factors on diversity management in higher education. The implications are discussed with suggestions for future research.
Missing a romantic partner: a prototype analysis

In this study, a prototype analysis of romantic missing was conducted. College-age participants in the United States generated features of missing a partner (Study 1) and rated their centrality (Study 2). In a reaction time task, participants made category judgments for central features more quickly than for noncentral features (Study 3). In recognition and recall tasks, central features were more salient in participants’ memory, and participants evaluated individuals experiencing central features in vignettes as missing their partners more (Study 4). A prototypebased measure of missing administered to individuals in long-distance relationships (Study 5) correlated with commitment and attachment dimensions but only weakly with loneliness. Finally, level of missing differed based on whether individuals were in a geographically distant (vs. proximal) relationships (Study 6).
Evaluating the effectiveness of features and sampling in extractive meeting summarization

Feature-based approaches are widely used in the task of extractive meeting summarization. In this paper, we analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of different types of features using forward feature selection in an SVM classifier. In addition to features used in prior studies, we introduce topic related features and demonstrate that these features are helpful for meeting summarization. We also propose a new way to resample the sentences based on their salience scores for model training and testing. The experimental results on both the human transcripts and recognition output, evaluated by the ROUGE summarization metrics, show that feature selection and data resampling help improve the system performance.
Theoretical overview - Interactions among the galaxy's components

The structure and evolution of the Galaxy are reviewed in terms of interactions among various components, including its immediate surroundings. Emphasis is given to the large-scale processes responsible for star formation and chemical evolution, which are seen to be controlled by interactions between the ISM and other components and by gas flows. A model for formation of the Galaxy is outlined, in which the spheroidal component results from mergers of former small galaxies, and the disk has been accreted from outlying diffuse matter.
Historical overview of n−3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease

The first evidence that fish oil fatty acids might have a beneficial effect on coronary heart disease came from the discovery that Greenland Eskimos, who have a diet high in n-3 fatty acids, have a lower mortality from coronary heart disease than do Danes and Americans. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential in our diets and can be classified in 2 groups: n-6 fatty acids found in plant seeds and n-3 fatty acids found in marine vertebrates. Further evidence of n-3 benefits to human health include a 1989 study demonstrating a 29% reduction in fatal cardiac arrhythmias among subjects with a recent myocardial infarction who had been advised to consume fish oil. The GISSI-Prevenzione Trial found a significant reduction in relative reduction of death, cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and stroke in subjects consuming n-3 fatty acids. In a recent study, subjects with implanted cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) at high risk for fatal ventricular arrhythmias were randomly assigned to four 1-g capsules of either an ethyl ester concentrate of n-3 fatty acids or olive oil daily for 12 mo. Subjects receiving n-3 who thus had significantly higher levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in their red blood cell membranes showed a longer time to first ICD events and had a significantly lower relative risk of having an ICD event or probable event (P = 0.033). These studies demonstrate that fish oil fatty acids have beneficial effects on coronary heart disease.
PYM binds the cytoplasmic exon-junction complex and ribosomes to enhance translation of spliced mRNAs

Messenger RNAs produced by splicing are translated more efficiently than those produced from similar intronless precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs). The exon-junction complex (EJC) probably mediates this enhancement; however, the specific link between the EJC and the translation machinery has not been identified. The EJC proteins Y14 and magoh remain bound to spliced mRNAs after their export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and are removed only when these mRNAs are translated. Here we show that PYM, a 29-kDa protein that binds the Y14-magoh complex in the cytoplasm, also binds, via a separate domain, to the small (40S) ribosomal subunit and the 48S preinitiation complex. Furthermore, PYM knockdown reduces the translation efficiency of a reporter protein produced from intron-containing, but not intronless, pre-mRNA. We suggest that PYM functions as a bridge between EJC-bearing spliced mRNAs and the translation machinery to enhance translation of the mRNAs.
Adaptive control design for a supercavitating vehicle model based on fin force parameter estimation

In this paper, an adaptive control using the backstepping technique is applied for a supercavitating vehicle model to account for the unknown slope of the fin force with respect to fin angle of attack in the vehicle model. In the supercavitating-vehicle benchmark model, the fin force was modeled as a linear function with respect to the fin angle of attack, and the corresponding slope was considered to be a known constant for a fixed cavitation number. However, more realistic modeling for the fin force shows that the fin force slope is a function of the fin deflection angle, fin sweepback angle and fin immersion. In addition, noting that the cavity shape at the transom region determines immersion of the fins, the fin immersion and thus the slope of the fin force is also impacted by the so-called memory effect due to cavity–vehicle interaction. In this paper, we consider the fin effectiveness parameter relative to the cavitator, which is used to compute the slope of the fin force in the aforementioned bench...
Sports Nutrition Knowledge and Practices of Personal Trainers

Florida and 45 other states prohibit the practice of dietetics and nutrition by individuals who fail to satisfy certain minimum standards of education and training. Nonetheless, personal trainers (PTrs) in national chain gyms regularly engage in the unlicensed practice of nutrition counseling. The purpose of this study was to assess the sports nutrition knowledge and practices of personal trainers. Sixty PTrs at 14 fitness centers in South Florida, and 69 PTrs at the annual National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) conference completed the study. The questionnaire was developed by two professionals, reviewed by a panel of eight experts, and then pilot tested with 10 PTrs. Analyses were performed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences version 18. Test-retest reliability was estimated using the C Coefficient. Descriptive statistics as well as Spearman rank correlations, logistic regression models, and multiple regression models were also performed. Test-retest reliability estimates demonstrated that the questionnaire was in fair to almost perfect agreement. Approximately 91.5% of PTrs spend time on nutrition counseling with clients, and 42.6% include nutrition counseling services as part of their fees for services. The average nutrition knowledge score was 59.7% ± 21.2%. This convenience sample of South Florida PTrs and those attending the NSCA conference not only practice nutrition counseling services, but they also charge for these services. Violations of the state laws are likely to continue unless gyms are legally sanctioned.
Dress and gender in Kalabari women’s societies.

This paper provides an analysis of dress in Kalabari women's societies of Nigeria Dress is examined as a form of non-verbal communication symbolizing changing gender roles among Kalabari women. Dre...
Homogamy in Personal Values and the “Field of Eligibles”

Homogamy in personal values is indicated by a study of one hundred couples, including samples of both pre-married and married couples. To test the theory suggested by Winch that this homogamy is due to natural limitations of one's "field of eligibles," these natural couples are compared to artificial couples which are matched on the basis of similar social characteristics. It is found that such controls account for a significant amount of homogamy, but a substantial degree of homogamy remains unexplained in this manner. H OMOGAMY in social and cultural characteristics is one of the few clear and consistent empirical generalizations to come out of studies of mate-selection. There can be no doubt that persons tend to marry other persons of similar age, residence, race, religion, socio-economic status, and education.' Similarity in personality characteristics, however, is a question which is less settled. Considerable evidence has been presented by psychologists and sociologists in favor of homogamy in attitudes, interests, temperament, neurotic tendency, and a number of other characteristics.2 On the other hand, certain psychoanalysts have emphasized the importance of complementary motivation;3 and recently Winch and his associates have presented empirical evidence for viewing mate-selection in terms of the influence of complementary, rather than similar, patterns of needs.4 * Revision of a paper read at the Midwest Sociological Society, April 1959. The research reported is part of a larger study of patterns in mate-selection by the author (Personality Patterns in Mate-Selection: A Study of Complementary Needs and Homogamy, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Kansas, 1959). The writer is indebted to Dr. Lawrence S. Bee for his advice in planning and conducting the study. 1 Ernest W. Burgess, "Homogamy in Social Characteristics," American Journal of Sociology, XL (1943), 109-24; August B. Hollingshead, "Cultural Factors in the Selection of Marriage Mates," American Sociological Review, XV (1950), 619-27. For further references see Robert F. Winch, Mate-Selection: A Study of Complementary Needs (New York: Harper, 1958), pp. 5-7. 2 Helen M. Richardson, "Studies of Mental Resemblance Between Husbands and Wives and Between Friends," Psychological Bulletin, XXVI (1939), 104-20; Ernest W. Burgess and Paul Wallin, "Homogamy in Personality Characteristics," Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, XXXIX (1944), 475-81. 3 For references see Winch, op. cit., pp. 7-8. 4 Winch, op. cit. Other publications by Winch and associates include; Robert F. Winch, The Modern Family (New York: Holt, 1952), especially pp. 291-433; This content downloaded from 157.55.39.238 on Sat, 02 Jul 2016 05:25:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Stimulatory effect of lithium on glucose transport in rat adipocytes is not mediated by elevation of IP1

Lithium has been shown to increase glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and adipose tissues. The therapeutic effect of lithium on bipolar disease is thought to be mediated by its inhibitory effect onm...
Estimate of the frequency of Wilson's disease in the US Caucasian population: a mutation analysis approach

The frequency of Wilson's disease in many populations is thought to be about one in 40000 persons, based on case and autopsy studies. Although the Wilson's disease gene has been identified, there is such a large number of mutations already known that it is not currently feasible to determine disease gene frequency by mutation analysis of a population. We have used a novel approach to obtain an estimate of the number of cases of Wilson's disease expected at birth in the US Caucasian population. We used data from four studies to determine that approximately one-third of Wilson's disease mutations in US Caucasian Wilson's disease patients are due to His→Gln at the 1069 position. We then determined the frequency of this mutation in random DNA samples from 2601 US Caucasian newborns to be 0·285%. Multiplying by three gives an expected Wilson's disease heterozygote frequency of 0·855% and an allele frequency of 0·428%, or 0·00428. These data translate into a Wilson's disease frequency of about one in 55000 births. The 95% confidence interval is rather broad, ranging from about one in 18000 to one in 700000 births, but will be reduced as more data are added.
Practical considerations in protocol verification: the E-2C case study

We report on our efforts to formally specify and verify a new protocol of the E-2C Hawkeye Early Warning Aircraft. The protocol, which is currently in test at Northrop Grumman, supports communication between a mission computer (MC) and three or more tactical workstations (TWSs), connected by a single-segment LAN. We modeled the protocol in the PROMELA specification language of the SPIN verification tool, and used SPIN to analyze a number of properties of the protocol. Our investigation revealed a race condition that can lead to a disconnect of an MC/TWS connection when there is one lost UDP datagram and significant timing delays. Such delays are virtually impossible under normal E-2C operating conditions, but could be due to noise on the MC/TWS LAN. A simple modification was proposed that avoids the disconnect in many situations. Practical considerations, however, mandated that the protocol be left as it is: shutting down a noisy connection and reinitializing the TWS, with minimal delay and loss of information to the operator was deemed preferable to operating in a degraded mode.
Sex Differences in Youth-Reported Depressive Symptomatology and Unwanted Internet Sexual Solicitation

BACKGROUND: As the number of youths using the Internet regularly increase, so too does the number of youths potentially vulnerable to negative experiences online. Clinicians, policy makers, and parents need to better understand the Internet and factors related to positive and negative experiences online. OBJECTIVE: Primarily to investigate the association between youth-reported depressive symptomatology and unwanted Internet sexual solicitation and secondarily to identify sex differences in related characteristics of affected youth. METHODS: Data from the Youth Internet Safety Survey were analyzed to investigate the association between reported depressive symptomatology and unwanted Internet sexual solicitation. The Youth Internet Safety Survey was a nationally-representative, cross-sectional telephone survey. Youth participants (N = 1501) were English speakers between the ages of 10 and 17 years who had accessed the Internet at least 6 times in the previous 6 months and had resided in the household for at least 2 weeks in the previous year. Eighty-two percent of contacted households agreed to participate. Each participant was asked to indicate whether any of the 9 symptoms of major depression defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) had been present within the previous month. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of reporting an unwanted sexual solicitation online for youths with mild or major depressive symptomatology versus no symptomatology. A parsimonious, multivariate model of significant youth characteristics was identified separately for males and females. RESULTS: Youths who report major depressive-like symptoms were 3.5 times more likely (odds ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval, 2.19-5.71) to also report an unwanted sexual solicitation online compared to youths with mild/no symptomatology. After adjusting for significant Internet and psychosocial characteristics, male Internet users who report major depressive-like symptomatology were 2.5 times more likely to also indicate an unwanted Internet solicitation (adjusted odds ratio, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.15-6.40); significant differences were not observed among otherwise-similar females. Further, among youths reporting an Internet solicitation (N = 283), youths with major depressive-like symptomatology were twice as likely to report feeling emotionally distressed by the incident compared to youths with mild/no symptomatology (odds ratio, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.03-5.02). CONCLUSIONS: While the majority of youths report positive experiences online, some youths may be more vulnerable to negative experiences. Cross-sectional results indicate that the report of depressive symptomatology is significantly related to the concurrent report of an unwanted Internet sexual solicitation, especially for young males. Future research should focus on parsing out the temporality of events and identifying additional populations of vulnerable youths online. [J Med Internet Res 2004;6(1):e5]
Developing the Ethical Minds of Gifted Adolescents

In this paper, we present Gardner's conception of the ethical mind; make the case for adolescence as an important period for fostering the development of the ethical mind; and present obstacles that can thwart this development. We conclude with recommendations to parents and educators working with gifted adolescents that can be useful in surpassing these obstacles. Specifically, we suggest that parents and educators develop curriculum and discussion topics about ethical issues that make use of young adults' intense focus upon the self; offer opportunities for direct interaction with struggling fellow citizens; and present content about ethics in a variety of formats that play to differing critical thinking abilities. Each of these strategies can play an important role in fostering the ethical minds of gifted adolescents.
Characterization of Ly108 in the Thymus: Evidence for Distinct Properties of a Novel Form of Ly108

Ly108 (CD352) is a member of the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family of receptors that signals through SLAM-associated protein (SAP), an SH2 domain protein that can function by the recruitment of Src family kinases or by competition with phosphatases. Ly108 is expressed on a variety of hematopoietic cells, with especially high levels on developing thymocytes. We find that Ly108 is constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated in murine thymi in a SAP- and Fyn kinase-dependent manner. Phosphorylation of Ly108 is rapidly lost after thymocyte disaggregation, suggesting dynamic contact-mediated regulation of Ly108. Similar to recent reports, we find at least three isoforms of Ly108 mRNA and protein in the thymus, which are differentially expressed in the thymi of C57BL/6 and 129S6 mice that express the lupus-resistant and lupus-prone haplotypes of Ly108, respectively. Notably, the recently described novel isoform Ly108-H1 is not expressed in mice having the lupus-prone haplotype of Ly108, but is expressed in C57BL/6 mice. We further provide evidence for differential phosphorylation of these isoforms; the novel Ly108-H1does not undergo tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting that it functions as a decoy isoform that contributes to the reduced overall phosphorylation of Ly108 seen in C57BL/6 mice. Our study suggests that Ly108 is dynamically regulated in the thymus, shedding light on Ly108 isoform expression and phosphorylation.
Endothelial cell adhesion to the fibronectin CS5 domain in artificial extracellular matrix proteins.

This study examines the spreading and adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on artificial extracellular matrix (aECM) proteins containing sequences derived from elastin and fibronectin. Three aECM variants were studied: aECM 1 contains lysine residues periodically spaced within the protein sequence and three repeats of the CS5 domain of fibronectin, aECM 2 contains periodically spaced lysines and three repeats of a scrambled CS5 sequence, and aECM 3 contains lysines at the protein termini and five CS5 repeats. Comparative cell binding and peptide inhibition assays confirm that the tetrapeptide sequence REDV is responsible for HUVEC adhesion to aECM proteins that contain the CS5 domain. Furthermore, more than 60% of adherent HUVEC were retained on aECM 1 after exposure to physiologically relevant shear stresses (⩽100 dynes/cm^2). Finally, the levels of thrombogenic markers (tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor–1) secreted by HUVEC monolayers on aECM 1 were found to be similar to those secreted by HUVEC monolayers cultured on fibronectin. These characteristics, along with the physical strength and elasticity of crosslinked films prepared from these materials, make aECM proteins promising candidates for application in small-diameter vascular grafts.
Assessing the Support for the Switch to Automated Collection of Solid Waste With Single Stream Recycling in Madison, Wisconsin

The authors conduct a survey to estimate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the switch to automated collection of solid waste with single stream recycling in Madison, Wisconsin. Because many respondents were unwilling to vote in favor of the new program at no additional cost, the authors examine the factors leading to this result. Study results indicate the probability of supporting the new program was lower for those older than age 50 years and for those who stated that sorting recyclables in the current system was convenient; individuals who identified with either the Democratic or Green Party were more likely to support the proposal. We believe the majority of “no” responses to this voting question are not protesting bids and, therefore, represent a true zero WTP. In addition, the authors believe city officials could have done more to influence the public’s perception of the new program in their effort to facilitate this change.
Ezetimibe: efficacy and safety in clinical trials

Aims: To review clinical trials establishing the efficacy and safety of ezetimibe 10 mg once daily, as monotherapy and coadministered with statins, for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Methods and results: As monotherapy, ezetimibe produced reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of approximately 18% ( P <0 ·01 compared with placebo). As add-on therapy for patients who failed to meet target reductions with statin monotherapy, the addition of ezetimibe produced a 21·4% additional reduction in LDL-C compared with statin monotherapy ( P <0 ·001). Addition of ezetimibe to statin therapy also significantly improved high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared with statin monotherapy ( P <0 ·05, P <0 ·001, respectively). In four studies in which ezetimibe 10 mg was coadministered with simvastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin, or lovastatin at different dosages, reductions in LDL-C levels with co-administration were significantly greater than those obtained with the corresponding statin monotherapy dose. Ezetimibe plus 10 mg of simvastatin or atorvastatin produced LDL-C reductions comparable to 80 mg of the respective statin monotherapy. In all the clinical trials, ezetimibe was well tolerated, with a safety profile comparable to that of statin monotherapy and to that of placebo. Drug‐drug interactions have not been observed when ezetimibe is given concomitantly with statins, fenofibrate, oral contraceptives, or a number of other commonly administered drugs. Conclusion: In the phase II and phase III clinical trial development program, ezetimibe has been shown to be an effective and safe new option for treating hypercholesterolemia even in difficult-to-treat populations such as homozygous and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and sitosterolemia. (Eur Heart J Supplements 2002; 4 (Suppl J): J9‐J18)
Ca2+ binding to synaptotagmin: how many Ca2+ ions bind to the tip of a C2‐domain?

C2-domains are widespread protein modules with diverse Ca2+-regulatory functions. Although multiple Ca2+ ions are known to bind at the tip of several C2-domains, the exact number of Ca2+-binding sites and their functional relevance are unknown. The first C2-domain of synaptotagmin I is believed to play a key role in neurotransmitter release via its Ca2+-dependent interactions with syntaxin and phospholipids. We have studied the Ca2+-binding mode of this C2-domain as a prototypical C2-domain using NMR spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis. The C2-domain is an elliptical module composed of a beta-sandwich with a long axis of 50 A. Our results reveal that the C2-domain binds three Ca2+ ions in a tight cluster spanning only 6 A at the tip of the module. The Ca2+-binding region is formed by two loops whose conformation is stabilized by Ca2+ binding. Binding involves one serine and five aspartate residues that are conserved in numerous C2-domains. All three Ca2+ ions are required for the interactions of the C2-domain with syntaxin and phospholipids. These results support an electrostatic switch model for C2-domain function whereby the beta-sheets of the domain provide a fixed scaffold for the Ca2+-binding loops, and whereby interactions with target molecules are triggered by a Ca2+-induced switch in electrostatic potential.
Light Scattering Techniques for Investigation of Transients Produced in Electron Pulse Radiolysis

In the two decades since electron pulse radiolysis was first developed several diagnostic techniques have been employed to detect and characterise the various species which are formed during the energy absorption stage. By far the commonest technique has been optical spectrophotometry (both emission and absorption) and the spectral and dynamic features of many radiation-induced reactions have been followed in this way. However, the characteristics of high sensitivity and amenability to high time resolution which have made kinetic spectrophotometry so attractive are also shown by other physical methods such as electrical conductivity, polarography, electron spin resonance and light scattering. The spectrophotometry, conductimetric, polarographic and magnetic resonance techniques are considered in detail elsewhere in this volume (1–4); here the use of light scattering spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for pulse radiolysis studies is examined. Elastic (Rayleigh) and inelastic (Raman) scattering methods have been employed, leading to different kinds of information; both techniques are described.
Abstract 063: Impaired Myogenic Response of the Af-art Contributes to the Increased Susceptibility to Hypertension and Diabetic Induced Renal Disease in Milan Normotensive Rats

Previous studies have indicated that Milan normotensive (MNS) rats are more susceptible to the development of hypertension and diabetic induced renal injury than Milan hypertensive (MHS) rats, but the genes and pathways involved are unknown. MNS also develop proteinuria and chronic kidney disease (CKD) as they age, whereas hypertensive MHS do not. We compared the myogenic response of isolated perfused Af-Art and autoregulation of RBF and glomerular capillary pressure in 6-9 week old MNS and MHS rats. The diameter of Af-Art of MNS rats increased from 14.0 ± 0.5 to 14.2 ± 0.6 μm (n=6) when elevation in perfusion pressure from 60 to 120 mmHg. In contrast, the diameter of the Af-Art decreased significantly from 14.3 ± 0.5 to 11.5 ± 0.6 μm (n=6) in MHS rats. In vivo, RBF increased by 26% when RPP was increased from 100 to 140 mmHg in MNS rats but it remained unchanged in MHS rats. Glomerular capillary pressure rose by 11 mmHg in MNS following the elevation in RPP from 100 to 140 mm Hg but not in MHS rats. Protein excretion increased from 8.9 ± 0.7 to 158.2 ± 23.1 mg/day in MNS rats as the increased in age from 3 to 9 months of age but it did not increase in MHS rats. In com-parison to other strains susceptible and resistant to CKD, we noticed that both MNS and Fawn Hooded hypertensive (FHH) rats that do not autoregulate RBF also share the same sequence variant in the Adducin 3 gene. We performed a genetic complementation study to test whether this mutation might be responsible for the impaired myogenic response in MNS. The diameter of the Af-Art isolated from an F1 cross of MNS &FHH rats increased from 17.2 ± 0.9 to 18.5 ± 0.9 μM (n=5) in response to increase in perfusion pressure and RBF was not efficiently autoregulated in these animals. These data indicate a mutation in Adducin 3 which impairs myogenic response of the Af-Art and increased transmission of pressure to the glomerular capillaries may contribute to the development of CKD in MNS rats similar to what is seen in FHH rats.