cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ERK Positive Feedback Regulates a Widespread Network of Tyrosine Phosphorylation Sites across Canonical T Cell Signaling and Actin Cytoskeletal Proteins in Jurkat T Cells

Competing positive and negative signaling feedback pathways play a critical role in tuning the sensitivity of T cell receptor activation by creating an ultrasensitive, bistable switch to selectively enhance responses to foreign ligands while suppressing signals from self peptides. In response to T cell receptor agonist engagement, ERK is activated to positively regulate T cell receptor signaling through phosphorylation of Ser59 Lck. To obtain a wide-scale view of the role of ERK in propagating T cell receptor signaling, a quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of 322 tyrosine phosphorylation sites by mass spectrometry was performed on the human Jurkat T cell line in the presence of U0126, an inhibitor of ERK activation. Relative to controls, U0126-treated cells showed constitutive decreases in phosphorylation through a T cell receptor stimulation time course on tyrosine residues found on upstream signaling proteins (CD3 chains, Lck, ZAP-70), as well as downstream signaling proteins (VAV1, PLCγ1, Itk, NCK1). Additional constitutive decreases in phosphorylation were found on the majority of identified proteins implicated in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton pathway. Although the majority of identified sites on T cell receptor signaling proteins showed decreases in phosphorylation, Tyr598 of ZAP-70 showed elevated phosphorylation in response to U0126 treatment, suggesting differential regulation of this site via ERK feedback. These findings shed new light on ERK’s role in positive feedback in T cell receptor signaling and reveal novel signaling events that are regulated by this kinase, which may fine tune T cell receptor activation.
Probabilistic detection and tracking of motion discontinuities

We propose a Bayesian framework for representing and recognizing local image motion in terms of two primitive models: translation and motion discontinuity. Motion discontinuities are represented using a nonlinear generative model that explicitly encodes the orientation of the boundary, the velocities on either side, the motion of the occluding edge over time, and the appearance/disappearance of pixels at the boundary. We represent the posterior distribution over the model parameters given the image data using discrete samples. This distribution is propagated over time using the Condensation algorithm. To efficiently represent such a high-dimensional space we initialize samples using the responses of a low-level motion discontinuity detector.
Modeling anhydrous and aqua copper(II) amino acid complexes: a new molecular mechanics force field parametrization based on quantum chemical studies and experimental crystal data.

This paper presents the vacuum structures of aquacopper(II) bis(amino acid) complexes with glycine, sarcosine, N,N-dimethylglycine, and N-tert-butyl-N-methylglycine estimated using the B3LYP method. The differences between the B3LYP vacuum structures and experimental crystal structures suggested considerable influence of crystal lattice packing effects on the changes in the complexes' geometries. A previously developed molecular mechanics force field for modeling anhydrous copper(II) amino acidates was reoptimized to simulate these changes and predict the properties of both trans and cis anhydrous and aqua copper(II) amino acid complexes. The modeling included experimental molecular and crystal structures of 13 anhydrous and 10 aqua copper(II) amino acidates with the same atom types (Cu(II), C, H, N, and O) but various copper(II) coordination polyhedron geometries, crystal symmetries, and intermolecular interactions. The empirical parameters of the selected potential energy functions were optimized on the...
Frankincense, Myrrh, and Spices: The Oldest Global Supply Chain?

Frankincense, myrrh, and spices were highly coveted and highly expensive necessities of life in the ancient world. They were transported from distant corners of the world to their Mediterranean customers, and their routes crossed the Arabian Peninsula by camel caravan. An Arabian tribe, the Nabataeans, monopolized this trade nearly two thousand years ago. Their supply chain, with a hub-and-spoke structure, partnerships, value-added services, innovative packaging, and early adoption of technology, bears striking resemblance to those of today. It differed though, in its elaborate and painstaking security precautions. This tight security was mandated by the lawlessness of the era and the high value of the merchandise. The Nabataean supply chain maintained its competitive advantage for more than five centuries. This article compares it with those of today and examines the Nabataeans, a nomadic tribe that shaped the basic concepts of supply chain management.
Tampering with a Stable Process.

Summary This article presents a variation of the funnel experiment made famous by W. Edwards Deming. Ideally suited for classroom use, this exercise illustrates the disastrous consequences resulting from tampering with a stable process.
Osteoblast adhesion on nanophase ceramics

Osteoblast adhesion on nanophase alumina (Al2O3) and titania (TiO2) was investigated in vitro. Osteoblast adhesion to nanophase alumina and titania in the absence of serum from Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM) was significantly (P < 0.01) less than osteoblast adhesion to alumina and titania in the presence of serum. In the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum in DMEM osteoblast adhesion on nanophase alumina (23 nm grain size) and titania (32 nm grain size) was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than on conventional alumina (177 nm grain size) and titania (2.12 microm grain size), respectively, after 1, 2, and 4 h. Further investigation of the dependence of osteoblast adhesion on alumina and titania grain size indicated the presence of a critical grain size for osteoblast adhesion between 49 and 67 nm for alumina and 32 and 56 nm for titania. The present study provides evidence of the ability of nanophase alumina and titania to simulate material characteristics (such as surface grain size) of physiological bone that enhance protein interactions (such as adsorption, configuration, bioactivity, etc.) and subsequent osteoblast adhesion.
A Dynamic Approach to Detect Anomalous Queries on Relational Databases

Protecting sensitive datasets from insider and outsider attacks has been a major concern over the years. Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) has been the de facto standard to store, retrieve and manage large datasets efficiently in the last few years. However, as surprising as it seems, not a lot of works can be found in the literature which protect databases from anomalous accesses. In this paper, we present a novel Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for relational databases. Our primary objective is to protect databases from both insider and outsider threats by detecting anomalous access patterns using Hidden Markov Model (HMM). While most of the previous notable works in this area focus on query syntax to detect anomalous access, our approach takes into account the amount of sensitive information a query result contains to detect a potential intrusion. Finally, our empirical evaluation on the publicly available TPC-H dataset shows that our IDS can detect anomalous query access with a high degree of accuracy.
The pensions paradox. Part II

This is the last of a series of three columns that focus on issues that baby boomers will face in retirement. The first column reviewed the social security retirement plan (SSRP). The second column reviewed employer-provided, defined-benefit pension plans and their impracticality in an era of rapid technological change and fierce global competition. This column looks at ways in which individuals can accumulate and manage the resources needed to fund a reasonably comfortable retirement. The overall task is viewed as having three phases. These are the accumulation phase, the transition phase, and the consumption phase. The accumulation phase is conceptually straightforward. Advice that is promulgated widely by financial planners applies to almost everyone. The transition phase, in contrast, is very situation specific. It is a time when a lot of situational analysis, risk assessment, and risk abatement ought to occur. In practice, this phase is often neglected. Traditional retirement planning tends to assume that a farewell party occurs on a Friday afternoon and that regular weekday golf starts on the following Monday morning. Such an abrupt transition from employment to retirement is usually a bad idea, both financially and psychologically. The consumption phase involves monitoring the outcomes of plans that are established during the transition phase and making whatever mid-course adjustments are necessary. This column focuses primarily on the accumulation phase and the transition phase.
The effects of data collection methods on calorie–expenditure elasticity estimates: a study from the Dominican Republic

Abstract Using data from a nationally representative household survey in the Dominican Republic, we find that the estimates of calorie–expenditure elasticity vary widely depending upon the form of calorie variable used. Estimated elasticity is lower for calories purchased than for calories prepared for consumption in the home. The divergence between the estimates increases at higher income levels. There is a downward bias in the estimates obtained from purchase data due to some missing information on infrequent bulk purchases and greater memory lapse in recalling purchases. We conclude that surveys undertaken to estimate calorie–income elasticity should measure calories from consumption data. If purchase data are used, the period of recall should be flexible and defined by the respondent for each commodity so that infrequent purchases are captured. Survey methods should be standardized if elasticity estimates are to be compared across populations.
A Defined Locus Control Region Determinant Links Chromatin Domain Acetylation with Long-Range Gene Activation

Gene activation in higher eukaryotes is often under the control of regulatory elements quite distant from their target promoters. It is unclear how such long-range control is mediated. Here we show that a single determinant of the human growth hormone locus control region (hGH LCR) located 14.5 kb 5prime prime or minute to the hGH-N promoter has a critical, specific, and nonredundant role in facilitating promoter trans factor binding and activating hGH-N transcription. Significantly, this same determinant plays an essential role in establishing a 32 kb acetylated domain that encompasses the entire hGH LCR and the contiguous hGH-N promoter. These data support a model for long-range gene activation via LCR-mediated targeting and extensive spreading of core histone acetylation.
Impact of the responsibility system on women in rural China: An application of Sen's theory of entitlements

Abstract The article examines the possible adverse effects of the responsibility system on women in rural China. Despite the resultant increases in household productivity and income in the rural areas, the shift to the household as a production unit may affect the division of income among the individual members of the household. By reinforcing the traditional arrangements in the Chinese economy, women's bargaining power and hence their entitlements may decrease, affecting their development and capabilities.
Anelastic Relaxation of Protonic Defects in M3+-Doped BaCeO3

When perovskite-structured BaCeO 3 is doped with M 3+ ions (e.g., Nd 3+ , Gd 3+ , Yb 3+ ) that substitute on Ce 4+ sites, oxygen-ion vacancies are created for charge compensation. However, when treated in water vapor, the vacancies are replaced by protons, which take the form of OH ions. This treatment makes the materials a good protonic conductor. Questions about the defect structure of the protons are here investigated by means of internal friction measurements, at frequencies ∼ 6 kHz. As many as three broadened Debye peaks have been found in the temperature range from 200 - 500 K, the relaxation strengths of which vary as the square of the dopant concentration. Defect clusters considered responsible include the M(OH) pair and the M 2 (OH) triplet.
Excitotoxic Amino Acid Injections into the Medial Amygdala Facilitate Maternal Behavior in Virgin Female Rats

The inhibitory role of the medial amygdala (MA) in maternal behavior control was explored. Injections of N-methyl-D,I.-aspartic acid (NMA), an excitotoxic amino acid, into the MA resulted in a dramatic facilitation of maternal behavior in virgin female rats when pups were presented to them 12 days following the injections. This effect was specific to MA in that NMA injections into the basolateral amygdala were ineffective. The facilitatory effect of NMA injections into MA was found to be hormone dependent in that ovariectomies abolished the effect. Subsequent experiments provided evidence that NMA injections into MA induced a pseudopregnant state lasting about 13 days, and that maternal behavior was greatly facilitated only when pups were presented to such females coincident with pseudopregnancy termination. When pups were presented 24 days following injections of NMA into MA, rather than 12 days, only a modest facilitation of maternal behavior was observed. It was concluded that NMA injections into MA influence maternal behavior in two ways: By inducing an hormonal state stimulatory for maternal behavior and by removing neural inhibition over maternal behavior.
Pituitary binding sites for [3H]-labelled luteinizing hormone releasing factor (LRF)

Abstract Normal rat anterior pituitary cells in culture possess two binding sites for [ 3 H]LRF. One is a high affinity (2 × 10 −9 M), low capacity site which corresponds to the half-maximal biological potency of LRF. The second site has low affinity (2 × 10 −8 M) and an enormously higher capacity to bind LRF. This second site shows only partial specificity in that inactive LRF-analogues, although not TRF, compete for binding of [ 3 H]LRF. The high affinity site is competible by LRF, LRF-agonists and LRF-antagonists even in the presence of an excess of an inactive LRF-analogue which saturates the low affinity binding site.
Arginine metabolism in dental plaque is associated with tooth surface dental caries status.

Article title and bibliographic information Oral arginine metabolism may decrease the risk for dental caries in children. Nascimento MM, Liu Y, Kalra R, Perry S, Adewumi A, Xu X, Primosch RE, Burne RA. J Dent Res 2013;92(7):604-8. Reviewer Walter A. Bretz, DDS, PhD Purpose/Question The main purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between oral arginine metabolism in dental plaque (assayed by the activity of the arginine deiminase system [ADS]) and caries experience, tooth surface caries status, and dentition type. Source of funding This work was supported by the University of Florida College of Dentistry and by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (Grant DE10362 ). Type of study/Design Cross-sectional study Level of evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of recommendation grade Not applicable
Heart transplantation for the failing Fontan circulation

The failing Fontan circulation presents difficult treatment challenges. When Fontan revision and or intervention for treatable arrhythmias are not feasible, heart transplantation is the only therapeutic option. Particular challenges presented by these patients include limited ability to assess hemodynamics, complex anatomy, multiple prior procedures, and unique underlying pathologic states. These issues complicate the decision-making process for further surgical intervention verses transplantation. The pretransplant evaluation, transplant operation, and postoperative management are more problematic for these patients compared with most patients undergoing transplantation. Consequently, failing Fontan patients constitute one of the highest risk heart transplant subsets.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: A global scale transformative initiative

Abstract The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The role of the IPCC “is to assess on a comprehensive, open and transparent basis the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.” This paper discusses the working of the IPCC and at least five ways in which the IPCC can be viewed as an amazingly successful transformative initiative. The IPCC is a model for the futures community, for it is helping not only to transform our conceptions of time and our concerns about the future, but also the conduct, organization, and use of science around the world.
Doubly charged ion mass spectra of organophosphorus compounds

Doubly charged ion mass spectra have been obtained for 11 organophosphorus compounds. Methane has been used as a target gas to increase the probability of single electron transfer collisions in the first field-free region of an Hitachi RMU-7L mass spectrometer. In general, the spectra of organophosphorus compounds do not exhibit molecular ions but are dominated by fragment ions, many of which must be formed by rearrangement processes. A geometry-optimized self-consistent field molecular orbital method has been employed to compute energies and structural parameters for prominent ions. In addition, a diabatic curve crossing model has been used to examine the single electron transfer reactions responsible for intense ions in the doubly charged ion mass spectra. Appearance energies measured for ions prominent in the 2E spectra of organophosphorus compounds have ranged from 23 to 38 eV.
Promotion of Trimethylsilylation of Phenols by Trifluoroacetic Acid

Abstract The speed of trimethylsilylation of sterically hindered phenols was increased by promoting the reaction with a small amount of trifluoroacetic acid. Promotion was successful with hexamethyldisilazane, trimethylchlorosilane, bis-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide, bis-(trimethylsilyl)-acetamide, and trimethylsilylimidazole.
Exploring the implications of recreational disturbance on an endangered butterfly using a novel modelling approach

Site and wildlife managers globally are under increasing pressure to implement management strategies that address the negative implications of outdoor recreational activities on wildlife. For many rare and isolated species any anthropogenic activities that cause disturbance could potentially be detrimental to existing populations. Understanding how non-consumptive recreation can influence a species may therefore be critical to its preservation. We developed a novel approach to specifically address this need. Using a combination of field surveys and simulation modelling exercises, we (1) explored the responses of endangered Karner blue butterflies (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) to recreation, (2) assessed whether such responses influenced oviposition rate and/or host plant choice and (3) tested alternative management strategies that could alleviate the negative impacts of recreation. Our field surveys confirmed that Karner blues were sensitive to recreational disturbance. Butterflies flushed at similar speeds and distances from recreationists (2.2 m at 0.17 m/s), as they would from natural threats, such as predators (2.2 m at 0.19 m/s). Incorporating female response parameters into a simulation model revealed that regular disturbance could reduce egg laying potential and significantly restrict host plant choice, which in turn, could impact the butterfly’s population dynamics. However, we established that it was possible to effectively offset the implications of recreational disturbance using our simulation modelling approach. For example, extending Karner blue breeding habitat from trails and other public rights of way has the potential to alleviate such disturbance. Our study demonstrates that the potential impact of recreation on species of conservation concern should not be overlooked.
Paths to panic disorder/agoraphobia: an exploratory analysis from age 3 to 21 in an unselected birth cohort.

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate childhood temperamental traits and early illness experiences in the etiology of adult panic disorder with agoraphobia. Method Evaluated temperamental and illness experience factors, at ages 3 through 18, as predictors of panic and agoraphobia at ages 18 or 21 in an unselected sample ( N = 992). Analyses were conducted with classification trees. Results Experience with respiratory ill health predicted panic/agoraphobia relative to other anxiety disorders and healthy controls. Also, temperamental emotional reactivity at age 3 predicted panic/agoraphobia in males but did not predict other anxiety disorders, compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, temperament and ill health interacted with gender. Conclusions Results are discussed in terms of cognitive theories of fear of physical symptoms and biological models of respiratory disturbance for panic/agoraphobia.
Postnatal changes in the expression of genes located in the callipyge region in sheep skeletal muscle.

Summary The expression of five genes surrounding the callipyge (CLPG) mutation was analysed in skeletal muscles from lambs at one prenatal and two postnatal ages that coincide with the onset and establishment of muscle hypertrophy. Genotype-specific changes in transcript abundance were detected for paternal allele-specific DLK1 and PEG11 (the official symbol of the latter is RTL1) and the maternal allele-specific MEG3, PEG11AS and MEG8 when the mutation was inherited in cis. There were differences in the temporal and muscle-specific effects on expression between the maternal allele-specific genes and paternal allele-specific genes. Maternal inheritance of the CLPG allele had a significant effect on the expression of MEG3 and MEG8 at prenatal and postnatal ages, whereas paternal inheritance of DLK1 and PEG11 only affected postnatal expression. Genotype-specific changes in PEG11AS expression were detected only in prenatal muscle. Maternal inheritance of the mutation caused similar changes in MEG3 and MEG8 expression in the semimembranosus, which undergoes hypertrophy, and the supraspinatus, which does not hypertrophy. Paternal inheritance of the mutation caused changes in PEG11 expression in both muscles, although the magnitude of expression in semimembranosus was more than 100-fold greater than in supraspinatus. DLK1 expression was upregulated in callipyge animals at both postnatal ages in the semimembranosus, but there was no effect of genotype on DLK1 expression in the supraspinatus at any age. Increased DLK1 expression was likely the primary cause of muscle hypertrophy, but a contribution of PEG11 to the phenotype cannot be ruled out based on gene expression.
Role conflict and the female athlete: Preoccupations with little grounding

Abstract The potential role conflict which girls and women experience as a result of their athletic participation has been a subject of scholarly inquiry by sport social scientists for some time. Early writers discussed the types of social and psychological pressures exerted on female athletes as societal images, definitions, and expectations of being an athlete collided with those of being a woman. Role conflict has been and continues to be a popular conceptual approach used by both sport sociologists and sport psychologists to describe the apparent dilemmas which the female athlete must confront. This paper: (a) reviews sociological and psychological research findings on role conflict and the female athlete, (b) discusses conceptual and methodological problems extant in much of this research, and (c) discusses implications of this line of inquiry for both researchers and practitioners in the field of applied sport psychology.
A Bionomical Study of the Cluster Fly Pollenia Rudis (Fab.). (Diptera, Calliphoridæ)

The cluster fly, Pollenia rudis (Fab.), has been an interesting species to the entomologist for a number of years. It is a common fly in most parts of the United States and yet, until recently, very little was known about it. The species is the type of the genus Pollenia and is by far the best known species of the genus. The cluster fly is ordinarily observed in large numbers only in the autumn and spring. It is not abundant during the summer. The species becomes troublesome in houses in the autumn while seeking hibernation and again in the spring at the close of the hibernating period.
The role of microglia in amyloid clearance from the AD brain.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prominent cause of senile dementia, is clinically characterized by the extracellular deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) and the intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. It has been well accepted that AD pathogenesis arises from perturbation in the homeostasis of Aβ in the brain. Aβ is normally produced at high levels in the brain and cleared in an equivalent rate. Thus, even a moderate decrease in the clearance leads to the accumulation of Aβ and subsequent amyloid deposition. Microglia are the tissue macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS) and have been shown to play major roles in internalization and degradation of Aβ. Aβ exists in the brain both in soluble and in fibrillar forms. Microglia interact with these two forms of Aβ in different ways. They take up soluble forms of Aβ through macropinocytosis and LDL receptor-related proteins (LRPs) mediated pathway. Fibrillar forms of Aβ interact with the cell surface innate immune receptor complex, initiating intracellular signaling cascades that stimulate phagocytosis. Inflammatory responses influence the activation status of microglia and subsequently regulate their ability to take up and degrade Aβ. ApoE and its receptors have been shown to play critical roles in these processes. In this review, we will explore the mechanisms that microglia utilize to clear Aβ and the effectors that modulate the processes.
Dynamic pinch tolerance of the phalanges and interphalangeal joints.

Objectives. This article presents force and displacement tolerances for pinch loading of the bones and joints of the digits. Methods. Dynamic (54 mm/s) pinch loading was applied in a dorsal-palmar direction to all digits (fingers and thumb) on matched pairs of hands from 8 adult human cadavers. Opposed 3.1-mm thick, 1.0-mm radius of curvature aluminum pinching surfaces were used to represent the geometry of moving surfaces in an automobile, such as doors, lift gates, or window edges. Injury timing was determined using acoustic sensors. The applied force and the distance between the pinching surfaces at the time of an acoustic burst were recorded. Results. The force tolerance ranged from 245 N for the distal phalanx of the fifth digit (little finger) to 1,155 N for the middle phalanx of the second digit (index finger), with a general trend toward increasing force tolerance for more proximal anatomical structures. The distance between pinching surfaces (gap) at the time of injury ranged from 4.5 mm for the ...
A PTCH1 Homolog Transcriptionally Activated by p53 Suppresses Hedgehog Signaling

The p53-mediated responses to DNA damage and the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway are each recurrently dysregulated in many types of human cancer. Here we describe PTCH53, a p53 target gene that is homologous to the tumor suppressor gene PTCH1 and can function as a repressor of Hh pathway activation. PTCH53 (previously designated PTCHD4) was highly responsive to p53 in vitro and was among a small number of genes that were consistently expressed at reduced levels in diverse TP53 mutant cell lines and human tumors. Increased expression of PTCH53 inhibited canonical Hh signaling by the G protein-coupled receptor SMO. PTCH53 thus delineates a novel, inducible pathway by which p53 can repress tumorigenic Hh signals.
Chlamydiae (with phages), mycoplasmas, and richettsiae in Chesapeake Bay bivalves

Intracytoplasmic chlamydia-like organisms, some with phages, rickettsia-like organisms, and mycoplasma-like organisms have been found in clams and oysters from the Chesapeake Bay area by electron microscopy. None of these organisms have been previously detected in mollusks, nor have phages been previously observed in Chlamydia sp.
The loss of statistical power to distinguish populations when certain samples are ambiguous.

Abstract Case–control studies are used to map loci associated with a genetic disease. The usual case–control study tests for significant differences in frequencies of alleles at marker loci. In this paper, we consider the problem of comparing two or more marker loci simultaneously and testing for significant differences in haplotype rather than allele frequencies. We consider two situations. In the first, genotypes at marker loci are resolved into haplotypes by making use of biochemical methods or by genotyping family members. In the second, genotypes at marker loci are not resolved into haplotypes, but, by assuming random mating, haplotypes can be inferred using a likelihood method such as the expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm. We assume that a causative locus has two alleles with a multiplicative effect on the penetrance of a disease, with one allele increasing the penetrance by a factor π. We find, for small values of π−1 and large sample sizes, asymptotic results that predict the statistical power of a test for significant differences in haplotype frequencies between cases and a random sample of the population, both when haplotypes can be resolved and when haplotypes have to be inferred. The increase in power when haplotypes can be resolved can be expressed as a ratio R, which is the increase in sample size needed to achieve the same power when haplotypes are resolved over when they are not resolved. In general, R depends on the pattern of linkage disequilibrium between the causative allele and the marker haplotypes but is independent of the frequency of the causative allele and, to a first approximation, is independent of π. For the special situation of two di-allelic marker loci, we obtain a simple expression for R and its upper bound.
Osteoprotegerin Ligand Is a Cytokine that Regulates Osteoclast Differentiation and Activation

The ligand for osteoprotegerin has been identified, and it is a TNF-related cytokine that replaces the requirement for stromal cells, vitamin D3, and glucocorticoids in the coculture model of in vitro osteoclastogenesis. OPG ligand (OPGL) binds to a unique hematopoeitic progenitor cell that is committed to the osteoclast lineage and stimulates the rapid induction of genes that typify osteoclast development. OPGL directly activates isolated mature osteoclasts in vitro, and short-term administration into normal adult mice results in osteoclast activation associated with systemic hypercalcemia. These data suggest that OPGL is an osteoclast differentiation and activation factor. The effects of OPGL are blocked in vitro and in vivo by OPG, suggesting that OPGL and OPG are key extracellular regulators of osteoclast development.
Effects of environmental factors on the distribution and morphology of Victorella pavida (Ectoprocta) in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, and vicinity

Victorella pavida was studied during 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1975. Its distribution along a decreasing salinity gradient was investigated and its mean low-salinity limit was found to nearly correspond to the boundary between the oligohaline and limnetic estuarine salinity zones. Because it was abundant and uniformly distributed in low salinities, and was absent in the limnetic range, it could be used as an indicator species to determine the maximum extent of brackish-water intrusion in estuarie. In most collections there was a relationship between zooid branching and salinity; however, this relationship did not appear to be related to salinityper se but to the effect of salinity on growth rate and interspecific competition, which in turn affected colony morphology. It occurred in waters which had a wide range of physiocochemical conditions and was the predominant epifaunal species in an outfall canal which received sewage and storm-water discharge from New Orleans. Because of its dominance of the epifauna in areas with poor water quality it appears to be an important species to consider when species association and abundance are used to assess environmental quality.
Behavior of a Metabolic Cycling Population at the Single Cell Level as Visualized by Fluorescent Gene Expression Reporters

Background During continuous growth in specific chemostat cultures, budding yeast undergo robust oscillations in oxygen consumption that are accompanied by highly periodic changes in transcript abundance of a majority of genes, in a phenomenon called the Yeast Metabolic Cycle (YMC). This study uses fluorescent reporters of genes specific to different YMC phases in order to visualize this phenomenon and understand the temporal regulation of gene expression at the level of individual cells within the cycling population.
The 'question of professionalism' in the computer fields

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the "question of professionalism" became a pressing issue for the emerging commercial computer industry. just who was qualified to be a programmer? Competing visions as to the answers to these questions contributed to an ongoing debate that caused turf wars, labor shortages, and varied approaches to professional development. The author explores the many diverse attitudes and opinions on what professionalism meant in the 1950s and 1960s.
The effect of d-functions on molecular orbital energies for hydrocarbons

Abstract Ab initio molecular orbital studies including d-functions in the basis set have been made on methane, acetylene, ethylene, ethane, propyne, allene, cyclopropene, propene and cyclopropane. It is shown that the strained cyclic molecules cyclopropene and cyclopropane are preferentially stabilized by the addition of d functions. If such functions are included, relative energies are given to an accuracy of 3 kcal/mole or better.
Two-component relativistic hybrid density functional computations of nuclear spin-spin coupling tensors using Slater-type basis sets and density-fitting techniques

Computations of indirect nuclear spin-spin coupling constants using two-component relativistic density functional theory with a hybrid functional are reported. The program implementation makes use of a Slater-type orbital expansion of the molecular orbitals and the zeroth-order regular approximation for the treatment of relativistic effects. Exact exchange terms in the Kohn–Sham response kernel were computed using a fitting procedure. Computations with the PBE0 hybrid functional were carried out for heavy-atom-ligand-one-bond couplings in PbH4, Pb(CH3)2H2, Pb(CH3)3H, three platinum complexes, the interhalogen diatomics such as ClF, ClBr, ClI, BrF, BrI, IF, and the series Tl-X with X=F, Cl, Br, I. The hybrid functional computations performed very well. In particular, for the isotropic coupling and the coupling anisotropy of Tl-X, the PBE0 hybrid functional yielded considerably improved agreement with experiment.
Social Well-Being in Northern Ireland: A Longitudinal Study, 1958-1998

This paper examines the question of how social well-being, or quality of life, in Northern Ireland has changed through time from 1958 to 1998. After reviewing major economic trends and governmental policy affecting the region, we develop an overall measure of quality of life based on previous research into social well-being in Northern Ireland. We find that the ‘Troubles’ clearly impact the quality of life in Northern Ireland but not necessarily as broadly as one might suspect. The majority of the sixteen underlying indicators used for creating a measure of social well-being remain largely unaffected by the conflict and closely track increases in overall United Kingdom Gross Domestic Product. The remaining five measures of social well-being are significantly impacted by the conflict. The resulting measures of social well-being and some suggested uses for future research are then presented.
Philip Lee Phillips and the growth of the library of congress map collection, 1897-1924

Abstract Although not established until 1897, the map collection of the Library of Congress (LC) by 1924 had already become the largest in the world. Philip Lee Phillips, the first chief of the Hall of Maps and Charts was in charge during this period of rapid growth. This article presents biographical data on Phillips and explores the causes of the growth of the collection. Factors discovered to be responsible for the large numerical growth of the collection include the operation of the copyright law and LC's dual role as the de facto national library and as a federal agency in proximity with the map producing agencies of the United States government. While not primarily responsible for these factors, Phillips took advantage of the opportunities they presented. Phillips' purchases for the collection are examined, and, while small in number, are found to be important in building the historical component of the collection.
Reduced intestinal calcium and dietary calcium intake, increased aluminum absorption, and tissue concentration in the rat

To test the influence of calcium (Ca) on aluminum (Al) absorption, Ca was withheld from or added (1 mM) to the perfusate of thein situ rat gut. The rats had been maintained on Purina Rat Chow. Ca addition significantly decreased (to 70%) the rate of Al disappearance from the gut and decreased (to 55%) the area under the curve of Al appearance in portal blood. To test the influence of Ca deficiency on Al absorption, rats were maintained on a low-Ca (0.008%) or a Careplete (0.5%) diet for 1–4 wk. Thein situ gut was prepared, and a perfusate containing approximately 1 μM Ca was used. The rate of Al disappearance from the gut of low-Ca diet rats was significantly faster than from the gut of rats maintained on the Ca-replete diet, averaging 156% of the latter. Al appearance in portal blood was significantly greater (averaging 38%) in rats maintained on the low-Ca diet than in controls. To determine if Ca deficiency influences Al tissue distribution independent of gastrointestinal Al absorption, rats maintained on a low-Ca or a Ca-replete diet received 20 ip Al injections over 1 mo. Rats eating the low-Ca diet demonstrated enhanced tissue Al accumulation in all tissues studied, except for muscle and cerebral cortex. These results demonstrate enhanced Al absorption and tissue retention in the presence of reduced intestinal Ca concentration and reduced Ca intake.
Nontraditional Manifestations of Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Classical primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) was previously a multisystemic symptomatic disorder not only with overt skeletal and renal complications but also with neuropsychological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and rheumatic effects. The presentation of PHPT has evolved, and today most patients are asymptomatic. Osteitis fibrosa cystica is rarely seen today, and nephrolithiasis is less common. Gastrointestinal and rheumatic symptoms are not part of the clinical spectrum of modern PHPT. It remains unclear whether neuropsychological symptoms and cardiovascular disease, neither of which are currently indications for recommending parathyroidectomy (PTX), are part of the modern phenotype of PHPT. A number of observational studies suggest that mild PHPT is associated with depression, decreased quality of life, and changes in cognition, but limited data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not indicated consistent benefits after surgery. The increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in severe PHPT has not been definitively demonstrated in mild disease, although there is some evidence for more subtle cardiovascular abnormalities, such as increased vascular stiffness, among others. Results from observational studies that have assessed the effect of PTX on cardiovascular health have been conflicting. The single RCT in this area did not demonstrate that PTX was beneficial. Despite recent progress in these areas, more data from rigorously designed studies are needed to better inform the clinical management of patients with asymptomatic PHPT.
Improve or abandon the standardized response criteria for myelodysplastic syndromes recommended by the International Working Group.

Standardizing any aspect of a disease as clinically and biologically heterogeneous as the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs), whose natural history is not infrequently confounded by wide fluctuations in the peripheral blood (PB) indexes and where therapeutic options range from a simple watch-and-wait
Sleep disorders in children

Sleep disorders are common in childhood, and may affect multiple aspects of a child's life and the lives of other family members. A sleep disorder assessment should begin with detailed sleep history and a review of interrelated health issues. Factors contributing to disturbed sleep may be discovered or confirmed by a thorough physical examination. Thereafter, appropriate ancillary testing can provide support for a specific clinical diagnosis. The spectrum of childhood sleep disorders includes OSA, narcolepsy, RLS/PLMD, sleep onset association disorder, and parasomnias. Diagnosing sleep disorders in children remains a challenge; however, a multidisciplinary approach may provide an opportunity for productive collaboration and, thereby, more effective patient management. Centers treating pediatric sleep disorders may include providers from a variety of disciplines in pediatric healthcare, such as child psychology, pulmonology, neurology, psychiatry, nursing, and otolaryngology. Over the last decade, research in pediatric sleep disorders has expanded greatly, paralleled by an increased awareness of the importance of adequate, restorative sleep in childhood.
Lost Origins of the Third Generation of Quarks: Theory, Philosophy, and Experiment

Physicists generally attribute the introduction of a third generation of quarks (the “top” and “bottom” quarks) into the standard model of the elementary particles to a 1973 paper by Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa. I describe the historical background to that paper, emphasizing the largely forgotten role of theorists at Nagoya University and the “Nagoya model” they developed. Several of the authors of the Nagoya model embraced the philosophy of dialectical materialism, and I discuss the role that such metaphysical commitments play in physical theorizing. Both theoretical and experimental developments that generated great interest in Japan, and ultimately stimulated Kobayashi and Maskawa's 1973 work, went almost entirely unnoticed in the U.S. The episode exemplifies both the importance of untestable “themata” in developing new theories, and the difficulties that may arise when two parts of a research community work in relative isolation from one another.
Novel excimer fluorescence method for monitoring polymerization: 1. Polymerization of methyl methacrylate

Abstract An excimer is formed by the association of an excited molecule with another molecule in its ground state. Such an excimer is characterized by a broad structureless fluorescence which is shifted to longer wavelengths compared to the fluorescence spectrum of the isolated molecule. Intramolecular excimer fluorescence has been observed in solutions of pyrene-labelled alkanes such as 1,3-bis-(1-pyrene)propane and 1,10-bis-(1-pyrene)decane. We have measured the solvent-viscosity dependence of the intensity ratio F M F D for solutions of these pyrene-labelled alkanes in mixed solvents made of ethyl acetate and glycerol tripropionate. Here FM and FD are, respectively, the fluorescence intensity of the unassociated pyrene groups and that of the intramolecularly formed pyrene excimers. We have found that for each of the two pyrene-labelled alkanes, the ratio F M F D increases with the increase in solvent viscosity. Further, we have shown that by adding a trace amount of 1,3-bis-(1-pyrene)propane or 1,10-bis-(1-pyrene)decanee to a polymerizing system, we can measure the ratio F M F D to monitor in situ the polymerization reaction. polymerization;
Caricature Generator: The Dynamic Exaggeration of Faces by Computer

The author has researched and developed a theory of computation for caricature and has implemented this theory as an interactive computer graphics program. The Caricature Generator program is used to create caricatures by amplifying the differences between the face to be caricatured and a comparison face. This coninuous, paralle amplification of facial features on the computer screen simulates the visualization process in the imagination of the caricaturist. The result is a recognizable, animated caricature, generated by computer and mediated by an individual who may or may not have facility for drawing, but who, like most human beings, is expert at visualizing and recognizing faces.
Performance characteristics and model for the Mayo/IBM PACS project

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the performance aspects ofthe joint Mayo/IBM PACS project. It includes perform-ance measurements made during Phase Zero, and the early stages of Phase One. It also considers thenetwork traffic load distribution and bandwidth utilization for the final Phase One topology. Based onearlier performance measurements and projected load distributions, performance projections aremade for the completed Phase One PACS network. Finally, the paper discusses the approach beingtaken by the department of Computer Science at North Dakota State University to develop a usefulmodel of this PACS network. Phase Zero Performance Phase Zero involved the development of a simple archival network for MRI images. it's primary goalswere to prove project feasibility, and to gather performance data to guide future development work.Phase Zero began in November of 1988, and completed in September of 1989. (For more aetailed infor-mation on Phase Zero refer to Ref.(1)).Figure 1 shows a diagram ofthe Phase Zero network. The LAN is a dedicated 4 Mbps Token Ring. The
Radioautographic Study of the Deposition of Calcium45 in the Cranium, Teeth and Mandible

Jarabak, Kamins and Vehe, of Northwestern University, in a masterful study, show that there are two processes going on in bones and teeth during their formation. They were able to trace the usual processes of ossification and tooth formation through the deposition of radioactive calcium and also to determine the extent of simple ionic exchange which, as they point out, accounts for a significant amount of mineral activity in calcified structures. They also found that the saliva, as well as the blood stream, was a route by which calcium could be brought to the teeth. Their detailed studies were made possible through the use of radioactive calcium which enabled them to make ground sections, and from these, radioautographic exposures on x-ray film, thus giving them a map of the distribution of newly deposited calcium in calcified structures. They were able to conclude that the deposition of calcium is similar to that of alizarin red S, the dye which has been used for studying bone deposition and sites of bone growth.
Embracing Complexity and Uncertainty: The Potential of Agent-Based Modeling for Environmental Planning and Policy

Environmental degradation is often defined as a public goods problem, emerging when property rights are not clearly defined and costs are externalized to other parties. Proposing corrective regulation that enforces technological fixes or market-based approaches is often met with political resistance and doubts about its effectiveness. This is partly due to the complexity of interacting physical and socio-economic components that obscure the impacts of human decision-making on environmental functions. Yet, understanding the complexity of integrated human-environmental systems can help planners and stakeholders frame environmental problems, view their role in them and design effective policies to address them. This article examines the potential and limitations of agent-based models as metaphors that can contribute to the understanding of such complex systems, illustrating the argument with a hypothetical application in groundwater management.