cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association studies of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) haplotypes with lung and oral cancer risk in a Caucasian population

B123 A major cause of tobacco-induced cancer is the formation of bulky DNA adducts caused by various compounds such as the diol epoxide derivatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These DNA adducts are mutagenic if not repaired by the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system. A sub-optimal DNA repair capacity has been shown to be a risk factor for tobacco-induced lung and oral cancers. The human excision repair cross-complementation group 1 ( ERCC1 ) gene encodes an NER protein that forms a heterodimer with nuclease XPF and links it to the core NER machinery. Since the ERCC1 protein is essential for a functional NER system, genetic variation in ERCC1 may contribute to impaired DNA repair capacity and increased lung and oral cancer risk. Previous association studies involving the ERCC1 gene focused primarily on two coding polymorphisms and yielded inconsistent results in different populations. In order to comprehensively capture common genetic variation in the ERCC1 gene, we used European ancestry data from the International HapMap project (CEPH samples) to assess linkage disequlibrium (LD) and choose tagSNPs in the ERCC1 gene and 10kb promoter region. Two blocks of high LD were identified. The first block contained four haplotypes in the coding region of the ERCC1 gene, which can be distinguished by three tagSNPs (rs3212948, rs3212955, rs735482), and the second block contained two haplotypes in the promoter region, which can be distinguished by one tagSNP (rs1319052). Pre-designed Taqman genotyping assays were used to determine the genotypes of these SNPs in 452 lung cancer cases, 174 oral cancer cases, and 790 healthy controls in a Caucasian population. Five-percent of samples were repeated for duplicate genotyping and there was 99.5% concordance of these quality controls with the original genotype call. All SNPs were found to be consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Haplotypes were estimated using expectation maximization (EM) algorithm and haplotype association with cancer was investigated using Haplo.stats software, adjusting for known covariates (age, gender, and pack-years). The genotype and haplotype frequencies matched previous estimates from CEPH Caucasians. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of individual SNPs when comparing lung and oral cancer cases with controls ( p -values > 0.05). Similarly, there was no association between ERCC1 haplotypes and lung or oral cancer susceptibility in this Caucasian population ( p -values > 0.05). Lung cancer cases were also stratified by histology, sex, and smoking status in an attempt to identify any specific associations that might be present, but none were found. This study suggests that ERCC1 polymorphisms and haplotypes do not play a role in lung and oral cancer susceptibility in Caucasians.
CURRENT STATUS OF ATLAS AND PROPOSED EXPANSION TO AN EXOTIC BEAM FACILITY

Abstract The Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System (ATLAS) has been operating on a 24 hour, seven days a week schedule since the beginning of Fiscal Year 1994. Twenty-six different ion species ran during this period in 71 separate experiments. During the past year, there have been many projects undertaken to improve operation efficiency and upgrade various accelerator systems. There is also a new ECR ion source construction project underway. This paper covers, linac operation and new tuning techniques, the second generation ECR source construction project, the refrigerator system upgrade, an upgrade to the control system. Also described is a future expansion of ATLAS as an Exotic Beam Facility. (ATLAS is a world class heavy ion accelerator with an estimated value of approximately $80 million.) A concept that would utilize ATLAS as the foundation for a facility to generate and accelerate radioactive beams is briefly discussed.
Volume Weight of Reservoir Sediment in Forested Areas

Samples for the determination of the volume-weight ratio of deposited sediment were collected from small sediment-retention reservoirs in a number of forested watersheds in Idaho during 1969 and 1970. Volume weights varied considerably among the various watersheds and within a given impoundment. The percentage of organic matter by weight in the samples provided a reliable basis for estimating sediment volume weight, better than the more conventional approach of relating volume weight to sediment particle size. The organic content of sediment can result in a substantial loss of storage volume for reservoirs on forested watersheds and has important ecological implications as well.
Field Modeling for Plate-Core Inductor With Significant Fringing Using Equal-Flux Contours

An inductor with winding sandwiched between two core plates is analyzed to model the nonuniform distribution of magnetic field. The winding is placed near the edge of the core to maximize the energy within the limited footprint such that the amount of energy stored outside the core volume is not negligible. The proportional-reluctance, equal-flux model is developed to build the contours with equal amount of flux by governing the reluctance of the flux path. The shapes of the flux lines are modeled by different functions that are guided by the finite-element simulation. The field calculated from the flux lines enables calculation of inductance, winding loss, and core loss. The inductance is used as a figure of merit to evaluate the modeling accuracy. Prototypes made of flexible circuit for inductors with different layouts are measured to verify the model. The measured inductances agree with the modeled result by less than 13% error.
A versatile approach to different colored photonic films generated from block copolymers and their conversion into polymer-grafted nanoplatelets

One-dimensional photonic crystals can be formed by the self-assembly of block copolymers. However, such materials are still difficult to make due to the synthetic challenge of making high molecular weight block copolymers and the slow self-assembly characteristics of these block copolymers to form high domain spacings (d > 150 nm). Herein we report a new strategy to construct two different photonic crystals with different solvent responses and reflecting colors from the films of a single block copolymer. Initially, the films made from poly(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate)-block-poly(stearyl methacrylate) with moderate molecular weight (PTEPM666-b-PSMA553) were responsive to alcohol with an observed stop band change from 365 nm (dry film) to 458 nm (film in ethanol), displaying a blue color. After conversion of the PTEPM domain to form SiO2 nanoplatelets, the PSMA553-g-SiO2 nanoplatelet film showed a larger stop band change from 365 nm (dry film) to 591 nm (film in THF), which reflected a bright orange color.
Chronic steroid‐response pancytopenia and increased bone density due to thromboxane synthase deficiency

Diagnosis of bone marrow failure (BMF) disorders is challenging but essential for optimal patient management. Here, we report a young adult from nonconsanguineous parents with progressive pancytopenia since childhood, bone pain, increased bone density, and haphazard ossification replacing hematopoiesis within the bone marrow. Sequencing revealed two novel biallelic variants of unknown significance within the thromboxane A synthase gene, TBXAS1 (c.266T > C; c.989T > C), bioinformatically predicted to disrupt the protein. TBXAS1 mutations result in Ghosal hematodiaphyseal dysplasia (OMIM 231095), the autosomal recessive syndrome associated with abnormal bone structure and BMF. Identification of the genetic defect prompted steroid therapy leading to resolution of symptoms.
Impact of maternal death from female cancers on child mortality.

6591 Background: Cervical and breast cancers are the most common causes of cancer mortality in women of childbearing age. The impact of maternal mortality on child mortality remains an under-investigated area. Elevated mortality rates in offspring are significantly associated with maternal death in both Bangladeshi and Scandinavian cohorts (Ronsmans 2010, Li 2014). This effect is contextual: when a mother dies, a child in Bangladesh is 10 times more likely to die before 10, versus 1.5 times more for a Scandinavian child. By ignoring this impact disease mortality rates underrepresent life lost, and this underestimation affects appropriate resource allocation. We propose a country-specific model to allow for estimates of offspring death rates attributable to breast and cervical cancers in women of childbearing age. Methods: A Monte Carlo simulation model (TreeAge) analyzed a sample population of 1 million 15yo fertile girls of a specific nationality and at risk of dying from cervical and breast cancer. Info...
A Decision Support System for Integrating Real-time Manufacturing Control with a Virtual Environment

This chapter presents an approach to integrate a virtual reality (VR) environment with manufacturing control methodologies leading to enhanced visualization and control of manufacturing processes. A Petri Net-based model is used to represent the control architecture of a manufacturing system. A Decision Support System (DSS) is developed here that integrates the process control methodology designed using Petri nets with a VR-based 3D immersive environment. Process plans provide the inputs to the system in terms of operations to be performed. A web-based implementation of the DSS is shown to illustrate the interfacing of the Petri Net execution with the VR system. The real-time visualization of a process flow leads to an easy analysis of bottleneck situations and could lead to significant cost savings during process optimization.
Analyzing Teachers' Professional Interactions in a School as Social Capital: A Social Network Approach

Background/Context: Researchers have proposed a number of lenses for analyzing teacher professional communities in recent years. These lenses have been useful in describing key dynamics of professional communities; however, none provides a compelling approach to how to integrate data from the school as a whole with case study data on individual interactions to create a coherent account of the structure and dynamics of teacher professional communities. Objective: Our objective was to present and illustrate the application of social capital theory for analyzing the role of formal and informal teacher interactions in helping teachers enact changes to instruction associated with ambitious school reforms. Social capital theory posits that valued resources and expertise are embedded within social networks and that it is through social ties that one gains access to and can make use of resources to effect change. The network perspective directs researchers to focus simultaneously on the overall social structure of a school and on the expertise and resources exchanged through interactions among teachers that
Randomized Judicial Review

One of the main arguments in support of constitutional judicial review points to the need to curtail the legal and political power of majority rule instantiated by democratic legislative institutions. This article aims to challenge the counter majoritarian argument for judicial review by showing that there is very little difference, at least morally speaking, between the current structure of constitutional judicial review in the US, and a system that would impose limits on majoritarian decisions procedures by an entirely randomized mechanism. The argument is based on a hypothetical model of a randomized system of judicial review, and proceeds to show that between the actual practices of judicial review in the US, and the hypothetical randomized model, there is not much to recommend the former. The current system of constitutional judicial review is fraught with many arbitrary elements, to an extent that makes the system only marginally better, if at all, compared with an overtly and blatantly randomized system.
Optimization of Photocatalyst Excited- and Ground-State Reduction Potentials for Dye-Sensitized HBr Splitting.

Dye-sensitized bromide oxidation was investigated using a series of four ruthenium polypyridyl photocatalysts anchored to SnO2/TiO2 core/shell mesoporous thin films through 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-diphosphonic acid anchoring groups. The ground- and excited-state reduction potentials were tuned over 500 mV by the introduction of electron withdrawing groups in the 4 and 4′ positions of the ancillary bipyridine ligands. Upon light excitation of the surface-bound photocatalysts, excited-state electron injection yielded an oxidized photocatalyst that was regenerated through bromide oxidation. High injection quantum yields (Φinj) and regeneration quantum yields (Φreg) were essential to obtain efficient bromide oxidation yet required a photocatalyst that is both a potent photoreductant and a strong oxidant after excited-state injection. The four photocatalysts utilized in this manuscript ranged from unity Φinj (1.0) and minimal Φreg (0.037) to minimal Φinj (0.09) and unity Φreg (1.0). The photocatalyst that display...
CARTESIAN VECTOR AND TENSOR FIELDS

For a given Euclidean manifold, a tensor field is uniquely determined when its kind, its rank, and its representative component functions are specified in any one specified coordinate system. In particular, a rectangular Cartesian coordinate system can be chosen for specifying the component functions of any general tensor field of given kind and rank. But the same component functions also determine uniquely a Cartesian tensor field of the same rank. There is, therefore, a one-to-one correspondence between general tensor fields of specified kind and rank, and Cartesian tensor fields of the same rank. For a Euclidean manifold whose metric tensor field is independent of time, Cartesian tensors and general tensors represent two different sets of tools, either of which can be used in applications. For most purposes, Cartesian tensors are simpler to use and have been widely used in the literature on elasticity, hydrodynamics, and continuum mechanics.
Chemical footprinting and kinetic assays reveal dual functions for highly conserved eukaryotic tRNAHis guanylyltransferase residues

tRNAHis guanylyltransferase (Thg1) adds a single guanine to the −1 position of tRNAHis as part of its maturation. This seemingly modest addition of one nucleotide to tRNAHis ensures translational fidelity by providing a critical identity element for the histidyl aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (HisRS). Like HisRS, Thg1 utilizes the GUG anticodon for selective tRNAHis recognition, and Thg1-tRNA complex structures have revealed conserved residues that interact with anticodon nucleotides. Separately, kinetic analysis of alanine variants has demonstrated that many of these same residues are required for catalytic activity. A model in which loss of activity with the variants was attributed directly to loss of the critical anticodon interaction has been proposed to explain the combined biochemical and structural results. Here we used RNA chemical footprinting and binding assays to test this model and further probe the molecular basis for the requirement for two critical tRNA-interacting residues, His-152 and Lys-187, in the context of human Thg1 (hThg1). Surprisingly, we found that His-152 and Lys-187 alanine-substituted variants maintain a similar overall interaction with the anticodon region, arguing against the sufficiency of this interaction for driving catalysis. Instead, conservative mutagenesis revealed a new direct function for these residues in recognition of a non–Watson–Crick G−1:A73 bp, which had not been described previously. These results have important implications for the evolution of eukaryotic Thg1 from a family of ancestral promiscuous RNA repair enzymes to the highly selective enzymes needed for their essential function in tRNAHis maturation.
Conference report: 2018 materials and data science hackathon (MATDAT18)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) 2018 Materials and Data Science Hackathon (MATDAT18) took place at the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town/Duke Street, Alexandria, VA over the period May 30–June 1, 2018. This three-day collaborative “hackathon” or “datathon” brought together teams of materials scientists and data scientists to collaboratively engage materials science problems using data science tools. The materials scientists brought a diversity of problems ranging from inorganic material bandgap prediction to acceleration of ab initio molecular dynamics to quantification of aneurysm risk from blood hydrodynamics. The data scientists contributed tools and expertise in areas such as deep learning, Gaussian process regression, and sequential learning with which to engage these problems. Participants lived and worked together, collaboratively “hacked” for several hours per day, delivered introductory, midpoint, and final presentations and were exposed to presentations and informal interactions with NSF personnel. Social events were organized to facilitate interactions between teams. The primary outcomes of the event were to seed new collaborations between materials and data scientists and generate preliminary results. A separate competitive process enabled participants to apply for exploratory funding to continue work commenced at the hackathon. Anonymously surveyed participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the event, with 100% of respondents indicating that their team will continue to work together into the future and 91% reporting intent to submit a white paper for exploratory funding.
EXPLORING RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT

Column description. Books reviewed in the Professional Reading column will fit one or more of the following topics: reference and research services, user education, information literacy, personnel ...
A Reproductives Excluder for Subterranean Termites in Laboratory Experiments

As a social insect, termites have different castes and division of labor in a colony. Investigating the social behavior of subterranean termites is a challenge due to the cryptic nature and large colony size. Planar arenas are commonly used to study these termites under laboratory conditions, and have provided several advantages. However, there is no means to designate areas such as a royal chamber or central nest from foraging sites because reproductives can move freely across arenas. In this study, we examined the minimum passing size of different castes of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae), in order to develop a reproductive excluder and correlated minimum passing size with head widths and heights. We found that workers and soldiers of C. formosanus were able to pass through a gap greater than or equal to 0.7 mm. Our results showed that there are significant differences in the head width and height based on castes and head height was more critical than head width to determine passing size. We further confirmed feasibilities of the reproductive excluders using incipient colonies of C. formosanus. Confining reproductives using the excluder in laboratory experiments will provide more chances to study the royal chamber and central nest independently of foraging sites.
HVAC load Disaggregation using Low-resolution Smart Meter Data

Traditional non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) methods are effective for load disaggregation using high resolution smart meter data collected by power quality meters. However, smart meter data collected and stored by utilities are normally 15-, 30- or 60-minute in granularity, making most NILM methods ineffective. This paper presents a novel sequential energy disaggregation (SED) algorithm for extracting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) energy consumptions from residential and small commercial building loads using 30 min smart meter data. Large, infrequently-used loads are first detected and removed from the total building energy consumption. Then, base energy consumption curves, defined as the energy consumption without heating and cooling loads, are identified using the mild-day method. After that, the heating and cooling loads are extracted using an average value subtracting method. Simulation results with real data show that the proposed SED method is computationally efficient, simple to implement and robust in performance across different types of buildings.
Long-lived charge separation in two-dimensional ligand-perovskite heterostructures

Rational design of heterojunctions using nanostructured materials is a useful strategy for achieving efficient interfacial charge separation in photovoltaics. Heterojunctions can be constructed between the organic ligands and the inorganic layers in two-dimensional perovskites, taking advantage of their highly programmable structures. Here, we investigate charge transfer and recombination at the interface between the thiophene-based semiconducting ligands and the lead halide inorganic sublattices using time-resolved photoluminescence and transient reflection spectroscopy in single two-dimensional perovskite crystals. These measurements demonstrate the charge transfer time around 10 ps and long-lived charge-separated state over the nanosecond time scale in two-dimensional ligand-perovskite heterostructures. The efficient charge transfer processes coupled with slow charge recombination suggest the potential for improving exciton dissociation and charge transport in two-dimensional perovskite solar cells.
Trimethylchlorosilane, (CH 3 ) 3 SiCl: OH reaction kinetics and infrared spectrum

Rate coefficients for the OH + (CH3)3SiCl (trimethylchlorosilane) gas-phase reaction were measured over the temperature range 295–375 K using a pulsed laser photolysis laser-induced fluorescence technique. The room temperature rate coefficient was determined to be k1(295 K) = (2.51 ± 0.13) × 10−13 cm3 molecule–1 s–1. The Arrhenius expression k1(T) = (7.06 ± 2.15) × 10−12 exp[–(992 ± 101)/T] cm3 molecule–1 s–1, where the quoted uncertainties are 2σ fit precision, describes the measured temperature dependence very well. As part of this work, the infrared spectra of CH3)3SiCl was measured.
Developmental Trajectory of Communication Repair in Children with Fragile X Syndrome.

Background and aimsThe development of communicative competence requires both language and social skills. The ability to repair following a communication breakdown is critical for continued conversa...
Soliton-Dependent Electronic Transport across Bilayer Graphene Domain Wall

Layer-stacking domain wall in bilayer graphene is one type of topological defects that can greatly affect the electronic properties of bilayer graphene and therefore lead to nontrivial transport behaviors. An outstanding question on the layer stacking domain wall is how the electrons hop between two adjacent stacking domains. Here we report the first experimental observation of electronic transport across bilayer graphene domain walls by combining near-field infrared nanoscopy and scanning voltage microscopy techniques. We observe markedly different electron transport behaviors across the tensile- and shear-type domain walls. The tensile-type domain wall is highly reflective of low-energy incident electrons, but becomes more transparent when the electron density and the Fermi energy are increased by electrostatic gating. In contrast, the shear-type domain wall is always highly transparent at different gate voltages. Such soliton-dependent electronic transport can open up new routes to engineer novel nanoelectronic devices based on layer-stacking domain walls in bilayer graphene.
Innate immunity and alpha/gammaherpesviruses: first impressions last a lifetime

Innate immune system is considered the first line of defense during viral invasion, with the wealth of the literature demonstrating innate immune control of diverse viruses during acute infection. What is far less clear is the role of innate immune system during chronic virus infections. This short review focuses on alphaherpesviruses and gammaherpesviruses, two highly prevalent herpesvirus subfamilies that, following a brief, once in a lifetime period of acute lytic infection, establish life-long latent infection that is characterized by sporadic reactivation in an immunocompetent host. In spite of many similarities, these two viral families are characterized by distinct cellular tropism and pathogenesis. Here we focus on the published in vivo studies to review known interactions of these two viral subfamilies with the innate immunity of the intact host, both during acute and, particularly, chronic virus infection.
Analyst Coverage and Managers’ Disclosure of Forward-Looking Information

Prior research documents that managers respond to an exogenous decrease in analyst coverage by increasing the quantity of earnings forecasts, presumably to fill the information void left by a reduction in coverage. I extend this research by considering management forecast quality and an alternative form of guidance, managers’ forward-looking textual disclosures. First, although forecast quantity increases after loss of coverage and liquidity partially improves, I find forecast quality decreases (i.e., larger signed and unsigned errors) and the decrease in quality attenuates the improvement in liquidity. These results suggest analysts not only play an informational role, but also a monitoring role with respect to managers’ forward-looking disclosures. These findings are more pronounced when other monitors are less present and when managers have insider selling incentives to engage in this disclosure behavior. Second, with respect to textual disclosures, managers’ quantity and tone of forward-looking statements increase following loss of coverage. Although these results do not vary with the presence of other monitors, the increase in positive tone is concentrated in managers who engage in insider selling. Overall, my study provides a more nuanced view of analysts’ role in influencing managers’ forward-looking disclosures.
Abstract 14565: Simultaneous Heart-Kidney Transplant - Does Hospital Experience With Heart Transplant or Kidney Transplant Have a Greater Impact on Patient Outcomes?

Objective: High institutional transplant volume is known to be associated with improved outcomes in heart transplant and kidney transplant. However, little is known regarding the impact of institut...
Radiographic Assessment of Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Reservoir Location Variability in Contemporary Practice.

BACKGROUND Inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) reservoirs are typically placed into the Space of Retzius (SOR) or alternative locations including the High Submuscular (HSM) space via transinguinal (TI) or counter incision (CI) techniques. A cadaver study showed variability in reservoir location after TI-HSM placement. AIM To evaluate reservoir location using cross-sectional imaging following IPP insertion. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database and identified men who underwent virgin penoscrotal IPP insertion between 2007 and 2019. We then identified those men who subsequently underwent cross-sectional imaging prior to October 2019. Radiologists evaluated cross-sectional imaging in a blinded manner and categorized reservoir locations as follows: 1) submuscular; 2) posterior to the external oblique fascia and lateral to the rectus abdominis musculature; 3) preperitoneal; 4) retroperitoneal; 5) intraperitoneal; 6) inguinal canal; 7) subcutaneous. Patients were stratified by reservoir placement technique, transinguinal space of Retzius (TI-SOR), transinguinal high submuscular (TI-HSM), or counterincision high submuscular (CI-HSM). Clinical characteristics and outcomes were reviewed and compared. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests. OUTCOMES Variability exists in the TI placement of SOR and HSM reservoirs, CI-HSM reservoirs were associated with a low level of variability. RESULTS Among 561 men who underwent virgin IPP insertion during the 12-year study period, 114 had postoperative cross-sectional imaging (29 TI-SOR, 80 TI-HSM, and 5 CI-HSM). Among the 114 patients imaged, TI-HSM reservoirs were more likely than TI-SOR to be located anterior to the transversalis fascia (48 vs 14%, P < .01) and were less likely to be located in the preperitoneal space (18 vs 62%, P < .01). Rates of intraperitoneal reservoir location were similar between the TI-HSM and TI-SOR groups (5 vs 7%, P = .66). Among imaged CI-HSM reservoirs, 4 (80%) were anterior to the transversalis fascia and 1 (20%) was within the inguinal canal. Among all 536 transinguinal cases (131 TI-SOR and 405 TI-HSM), rates of reservoir-related complications requiring operative intervention were similar between groups (5 vs 2%, P = .24). No complications were noted among the 25 patients in the CI-HSM cohort. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The level of variability seen in this study did not seem to impact patient safety, complications were rare in all cohorts. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS This study is the first and largest of its kind in evaluating reservoir positioning in live patients with long-term follow-up. This study is limited in its retrospective and nonrandomized nature. CONCLUSIONS Despite variability with both TI-HSM and TI-SOR techniques, reservoir related complications remain rare. Kavoussi M, Cook G, Nordeck S, et al. Radiographic Assessment of Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Reservoir Location Variability in Contemporary Practice. J Sex Med 2021;18:2039-2044.
A Rejoinder by Professor Waggoner

Since the patience of the reader and the space in this issue of the Law Review are nearing their limits, I wish to publish only two points in response to what Professor Dukeminier has written.. These points further support my position that Dukeminier's proposed statute would lead almost anyone to conclude that A, not X, is the causal relationship measuring life in Example I of my article.' By implication, these points, along with the others made in my article, corroborate my overall thesis: Professor Dukeminier's proposed one-sentence statute2 cannot be counted a responsible way of identifying the measuring lives for waitand-see, if indeed measuring lives are to be used at all;3 the exact meaning of persons "who can affect the vesting of the interest" is disputable and the various subsidiary rules Dukeminier announces need rethinking, clarifying, and codifying. First. The first point relates to my conclusion that the natural meaning of the proposed statutory language-persons "who can affect the vesting of the interest"-is that it refers to persons who can produce a change in some aspect of the vesting of the interest that was not already settled at the date of the gift.4 This interpretation, which I now believe Professor Dukeminier agrees would exclude X as a causally-related measuring life,5 is not only a defensible interpretation of the language of the proposed statute.6 It is consistent with the purported linkage (attributed to the formula by Dukeminier) to the search for a validating life at common law. Since the common law Rule Against Perpetuities is not concerned about aspects of vesting that are satisfied at the date of the gift, a common law validating life must always have a causal relationship to some aspect of the vesting of the interest that was unsatisfied at the date of the gift.7
A Pan-GTPase Inhibitor as a Molecular Probe

Overactive GTPases have often been linked to human diseases. The available inhibitors are limited and have not progressed far in clinical trials. We report here a first-in-class small molecule pan-GTPase inhibitor discovered from a high throughput screening campaign. The compound CID1067700 inhibits multiple GTPases in biochemical, cellular protein and protein interaction, as well as cellular functional assays. In the biochemical and protein interaction assays, representative GTPases from Rho, Ras, and Rab, the three most generic subfamilies of the GTPases, were probed, while in the functional assays, physiological processes regulated by each of the three subfamilies of the GTPases were examined. The chemical functionalities essential for the activity of the compound were identified through structural derivatization. The compound is validated as a useful molecular probe upon which GTPase-targeting inhibitors with drug potentials might be developed.
African Politics in Comparative Perspective: The Study of Politics and Africa

What do we know about politics in Africa after more than fifty years of research on the subject? How does the accumulated knowledge fit into the rest of the discipline of political science and especially the field of comparative politics? What, if any, are the practical implications of this knowledge for Africa's development prospects? These are the three questions that this volume addresses. It is informative and analytical as well as policy-oriented. It speaks to newcomers to the subject by providing basic data about the continent and its politics. It appeals to the more informed students of politics in Africa by analyzing and discussing key issues that feature in current research. It also invites policy analysts and practitioners to examine the issues discussed in this volume by showing how politics bears directly on development on the continent. Africa in this volume refers to the region south of the Sahara Desert – usually called “sub-Saharan Africa.” It is a region of great cultural and geographic diversity. But with a few exceptions, like Botswana, Mauritius, and South Africa, countries in the region share the common fate of being among the poorest in the world. In the context of the current global economy, they are marginal. Various explanations have been provided for this miserable state of affairs: colonialism, traditional values, lack of capital – human as well as financial – and so on. This book takes a critical look at the character of African politics. It suggests that its still untamed nature is a significant part of the explanation of Africa's current predicament. The accumulated knowledge that political scientists have generated over the years, therefore, is of special significance for the issue of how to understand and deal with the continent's plight.
Plant Genes, Genomes and Genetics

Plant Genes, Genomes and Genetics provides a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of plant gene expression. Unique in explaining the subject from a plant perspective, it highlights the importance of key processes, many first discovered in plants, that impact how plants develop and interact with the environment. This text covers topics ranging from plant genome structure and the key control points in how genes are expressed, to the mechanisms by which proteins are generated and how their activities are controlled and altered by posttranslational modifications. Written by a highly respected team of specialists in plant biology with extensive experience in teaching at undergraduate and graduate level, this textbook will be invaluable for students and instructors alike. Plant Genes, Genomes and Genetics also includes: n b specific examples that highlight when and how plants operate differently from other organisms; n b special sections that provide in-depth discussions of particular issues; n b end-of-chapter problems to help students recapitulate the main concepts; n b rich, full-colour illustrations and diagrams clearly showing important processes in plant gene expression; n b a companion website with PowerPoint slides, downloadable figures, and answers to the questions posed in the book. Aimed at upper level undergraduates and graduate students in plant biology, this text is equally suited for advanced agronomy and crop science students inclined to understand molecular aspects of organismal phenomena. It is also an invaluable starting point for professionals entering the field of plant biology.
The Effectiveness of High-Dose Inhaled Budesonide Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Children

Purpose of the Study. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose inhaled budesonide, in comparison to oral methylprednisolone, in the treatment of acute asthma exacerbations in children. Study Population. Sixty children, ages 4 to 17 years, who had experienced an acute asthma exacerbation over a period of 6 months. All patients met the American Thoracic Society criteria for asthma. Methods. Children who experienced an acute asthma attack unresponsive to home management, yet not severe enough to be hospitalized, were randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received high-dose inhaled budesonide (1600 μg daily) plus dry powder terbutaline (2000 μg daily). Group 2 received oral methylprednisolone (1 mg/kg/day) plus …
The Inventory and Distribution of Baryons at Redshift z = 0

I highlight some of the major issues critical to the inventory of baryons at redshift z = 0. Through a combination of theoretical predictions and UV/X-ray observations, astronomers have discovered that a substantial fraction of this matter resides in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at temperatures ranging from 104 K to 107 K. The IGM is almost certainly a multi-phase medium, with several sources of heating and ionization. Hubble and FUSE observations of low-redshift Lyα and O VI absorbers can account for 40–50% of these low-z baryons, with perhaps 30–40% in the Lyα forest and 5–10% in gas at 105-6 K seen in O VI. X-ray studies of O VII and O VIII absorption are beginning to show promise in detecting even hotter gas (106-7 K), but their utility is hindered by weak detections, uncertain metallicities, and ionization corrections. The observed ratio, N(HI)/N(O VI), typically ranges from 0.1–10. The kinematic association of the Lyα and O VI absorption suggests that they may “double-count” a portion of the photoionized gas. Therefore, estimates of the baryon content in the IGM, in galaxies, and in higher-column density HI absorbers must be regarded as undetermined according to expectations of precision measurements.
Motions of Chromospheric Fine Structures

This review concerns itself with the measurement of the effects of chromospheric motions and the diagnosis of those motions themselves over approximately the last ten years. The different types of observational techniques are described. The different size regimes of motions are reviewed and their possible effects on observable quantities are discussed. The different types of motion in the lower chromosphere are reviewed, including microturbulence, ‘layered’ motions, and observations and interpretation of asymmetries in the core of the Can K line. The observation of motions in Ha mottles on the disk and spicules on the limb are reviewed, from the standpoint of both line profile analysis and broad-band measurements. The interpretation of these motions and attempts to construct empirical models of chromospheric fine structures are discussed.
E-Point Septal Separation Compared to Fractional Shortening Measurements of Systolic Function in Emergency Department Patients Prospective Randomized Study

Objectives Rapid bedside assessment of left ventricular (LV) function can aid in the evaluation of the critically ill patient and guide clinical management. Our primary hypothesis was that mitral valve E-point septal separation measurements would correlate with contemporaneous fractional shortening measurements of LV systolic function when performed by emergency physicians. Our secondary hypothesis was that E-point septal separation as a continuous variable would predict fractional shortening using a linear regression model. Methods We studied a prospective convenience sample of patients undergoing a sequence of LV systolic function measurements during a 3-month period at a suburban academic emergency department with a census of 114,000 patients. The sample included adult emergency department patients who were determined by the treating emergency physician to have 1 or more clinical indications for bedside LV systolic function assessment. Investigators performed bedside M-mode cardiac sonographic measurements of fractional shortening and E-point septal separation using the parasternal long-axis window. The sequence of LV systolic function measurements was randomized. Results A total of 103 patients were enrolled. The Pearson correlation coefficient for E-point septal separation and fractional shortening measurements was –0.59 (P< .0001). Linear regression analysis performed for E-point septal separation with fractional shortening as the dependent variable yielded an R2 value of 0.35. Conclusions E-point septal separation and fractional shortening measurements had a moderate negative correlation. E-point septal separation, when used as a continuous variable in a linear regression model, did not reliably predict fractional shortening.
Surviving Survivor: A Content Analysis of Antisocial Behavior and Its Context in a Popular Reality Television Show

The scope and nature of reality television has changed since researchers last conducted a content analysis of the antisocial behavior for this type of programming. This study examines the content of seven seasons of Survivor, one of America's longest running reality television programs, to determine the types, frequency, and context of antisocial behavior presented in the series as well as the possible effects of the program on longtime viewers using social learning and cultivation theories. In the 76.4 hours of programming analyzed for this study, 4,207 antisocial acts were documented in the coding database. Indirect aggression and verbal aggression were found to be the most frequently occurring types of antisocial behavior. The number (4,207) and the rate (45.7 acts per hour) of antisocial acts in the seven seasons of Survivor analyzed in this study is higher than the findings of a previous study of antisocial behavior in reality-based television conducted in 1997. This study clearly demonstrates that l...
Growth hormone in the aging male

Secretion of growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 levels decline during advancing years-of-life. These changes (somatopause) are associated with loss of vitality, muscle mass, physical function, together with the occurrence of frailty, central adiposity, cardiovascular complications, and deterioration of mental function. For GH treatment to be considered for anti-aging, improved longevity, organ-specific function, or quality of life should be demonstrable. A limited number of controlled studies suggest that GH supplementation in older men increases lean mass by ∼2 kg with similar reductions in fat mass. There is little evidence that GH treatment improves muscle strength and performance (e.g. walking speed or ability to climb stairs) or quality of life. The GHRH agonist (tesamorelin) restores normal GH pulsatility and amplitude, selectively reduces visceral fat, intima media thickness and triglycerides, and improves cognitive function in older persons. This report critically reviews the potential for GH augmentation during aging with emphasis on men since women appear more resistant to treatment.
Effects of anesthetic agents on the drift of a transcutaneous oxygen tension sensor.

Both halothane and nitrous oxide can be reduced at the cathode of a polarographic oxygen electrode, causing the electrode current to drift upward and report falsely high oxygen tension. Because transcutaneous oxygen tension is measured by a heated oxygen electrode, there is a potential for significant upward drift of these values. To examine the clinical significance of this drift, the following study was performed. Transcutaneous oxygen tension sensors were calibrated at oxygen tensions of 0 mm Hg and 157 mm Hg (room air) just before clinical use during anesthesia. This calibration was rechecked immediately upon removal of the sensor from the patient at the end of the anesthesia. The predominant anesthetic agent used and the duration of monitoring were noted from the record. Data were collected from 208 patients representing a total of 463.6 hours of anesthesia. The patients were divided into five groups based on anesthetic administered: halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, nitrous oxide-narcotic, and local/regional. The mean zero point recalibration value was 0.4 mm Hg or less for all agents except halothane, for which it was 1.8 ± 3.2 mm Hg. This halothane drift was significantly greater than that for the other agents (P<0.01). Room air recalibration was not significantly different in any of the five groups, varying from 160 ± 4.9 mm Hg for halothane to 157 ± 4.9 mm Hg for enflurane. All these drift values are within the manufacturer’s specifications. We conclude that the drift of the transcutaneous oxygen tension sensor due to anesthetic agents is not clinically significant. However, caution should be exercised when halothane is used during an extremely long period of anesthesia.
Progenitor cell therapy of ischemic heart disease: the new frontier.

The discovery of circulating cells capable of differentiating into vascular structures (endothelial progenitor cells) has both altered our understanding of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and offered the possibility of using nature's reparative mechanisms to accelerate vascular restoration and regeneration. Epidemiologic studies indicate a correlation between cardiac risk factors, the presence of coronary disease and the numbers and function of endothelial progenitor cells. Preclinical animal models have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of cellular therapies for repair of ischemic myocardial damage. Several human trials investigating either the use of progenitor cells derived from bone marrow or peripheral blood, or pharmacologic therapies aimed at increasing mobilization of such cells for the treatment of ischemic heart disease, are currently underway. Some basic tenets of progenitor cell biology, key preclinical results suggesting the utility of this therapy, and the strengths and limitatio...
Distinct inhibition of acute cocaine-stimulated motor activity following microinjection of a group III metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist into the dorsal striatum of rats.

Group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are negatively coupled to adenylate cyclase through G-proteins. Activation of this group of mGluRs shows an inhibition of dopaminergic transmission in the forebrain. To define the role of striatal group III mGluRs in the regulation of basal and dopamine-stimulated motor behavior, the recently developed agonist and antagonist relatively selective for group III mGluRs were utilized to pharmacologically enhance and reduce group III mGluR glutamatergic tone in the dorsal striatum of chronically cannulated rats. Bilateral injections of a group III agonist, L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (L-AP4), did not alter basal levels of motor activity at three doses surveyed (1, 10, and 100 nmol). Neither did intracaudate injection of a group III antagonist, alpha-methyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (MPPG), at 10, 30, and 100 nmol. However, pretreatment with L-AP4 (10 and 100 nmol) dose dependently blocked hyperlocomotion induced by acute injection of cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.), amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), or apomorphine (1 mg/kg, s.c.). The behavioral activity induced by cocaine was much more sensitive to L-AP4 than that induced by amphetamine and apomorphine. At 100 nmol, L-AP4 completely blocked cocaine effect whereas amphetamine- and apomorphine-stimulated behaviors were blocked only by 28% and 31%, respectively. The blocking effect of L-AP4 on cocaine action was reversed by pretreatment with MPPG. MPPG itself did not modify behavioral responses to cocaine, amphetamine, or apomorphine. These data indicate that the glutamatergic tone on the group III mGluRs is not active in the regulation of basal and acute dopamine-stimulated motor activity. However, enhanced group III mGluR glutamatergic transmission by an exogenous ligand is capable of suppressing behavioral responses to acute exposure of dopamine stimulants.