cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practical approach to patients presenting with multiple synchronous suspect lung lesions: A reflection on the current TNM classification based on 54 cases with complete follow-up

Abstract Objectives: To examine the survival after surgical treatment of patients presenting with two synchronous suspect lung lesions, and to reflect on the recent TNM classification, which has upgraded patients with two malignant lung lesions of the same histology into the T4 (both lesions in the same ipsilateral lobe) or M1 (different lobes or lungs) category. Methods: Retrieval of all consecutive patients with a diagnosis of two synchronous suspect lung lesions in the prospective database of the Leuven Lung Cancer Group in the interval between 1990 and 1994. Analysis of characteristics and survival of all patients, who underwent surgical resection with intention to cure for both lesions. Results: Forty-eight of 54 patients had surgical resection with curative intent. Thirty-five of these proved to have two malignant lesions, in 13 the second lesion was benign. The 5-year survival rate in the patients with two malignant lesions was 33% (95% CI: 17–49). The median survival time was 28 months. Although the number of patients in the subgroups was small, there were no obvious differences between patients with two lesions in the same or in different lobes, if a complete resection could be achieved. Conclusions: An aggressive surgical approach in carefully selected patients presenting with two suspect pulmonary lesions can be rewarding. Although some degree of upstaging is appropriate in patients with two malignant lung tumours of the same histology, their current stage IIIB or IV classification probably underestimates their prospects for long-term survival after radical resection.
The Outcome of Bladder Neck Closure in Children With Severe Urinary Incontinence

Purpose: We evaluated the outcome of children who underwent bladder neck closure for the management of severe urinary incontinence.Materials and Methods: Bladder neck closure was performed in 12 patients with bladder exstrophy, 4 with myelomeningocele and 4 with urogenital sinus anomalies for severe urinary incontinence that persisted after multiple failed bladder outlet procedures. The effectiveness of bladder neck closure and the need for subsequent surgeries were ascertained.Results: Mean followup was 5.4 years (range 1 to 12). At 3 months after surgery 40% of the patients were completely dry, 20% had leakage via the stoma and 40% had a urethral fistula. After additional surgeries 85% of the patients were completely continent 2 years following bladder neck closure (15% declined further surgeries or had an ileal conduit). Of the 15 patients with followup longer than 3 years only 40% remained completely dry, and leakage via the stoma developed in 47% after being dry for 1 year. Repeat urodynamic studies ...
New class of Son-of-sevenless (Sos) alleles highlights the complexities of Sos function.

The guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Son-of-sevenless (Sos) encodes a complex multidomain protein best known for its role in activating the small GTPase RAS in response to receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) stimulation. Much less well understood is SOS's role in modulating RAC activity via a separate GEF domain. In the course of a genetic modifier screen designed to investigate the complexities of RTK/RAS signal transduction, a complementation group of 11 alleles was isolated and mapped to the Sos locus. Molecular characterization of these alleles indicates that they specifically affect individual domains of the protein. One of these alleles, SosM98, which contains a single amino acid substitution in the RacGEF motif, functions as a dominant negative in vivo to downregulate RTK signaling. These alleles provide new tools for future investigations of SOS-mediated activation of both RAS and RAC and how these dual roles are coordinated and coregulated during development. genesis 39:263–272, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Improbable Implementation: The Pressman–Wildavsky Paradox Revisited

The Pressman–Wildavsky model of implementation finds a paradox in the success of any federal programs, based on their low probability of approval. Bowen relaxed this model's independence assumption to improve implementation. Here the model is reexamined: a. its sensitivity is tested; b. the empirical base for the probability range is reviewed; and c. its fit with implementation processes in general is checked. The conclusions are (1) the model's ‘proof’ depends on its assumptions and computations, (2) there is no empirical basis for the probability estimates, and (3) the model only fits one special case of implementation processes. Better models can be developed, and successful implementation may require organizational interdependencies.
The enzymic phosphorylation of myo-inositol

Abstract Myo-inositol is known to be an important precursor of polysaccharides and of ascorbic acid and other smaller metabolites (Loewus, 1963) . A number of workers have demonstrated in cell-free systems the direct incorporation of free myo-inositol into myo-inositol monophosphatides (Paulus and Kennedy, 1960) . Loewus and co-workers Loewus et al., 1962 , Loewus and Kelly, 1963 have obtained evidence that myo-inositol is oxidatively cleaved to yield glucuronic acid. Albersheim (1963) has presented data indicating that myo-inositol is converted into anhydrogalacturonic acid at the same rate that glucose and the methyl of methionine is incorporated into this polymeric galacturonide. He suggested that the three compounds pass through a common intermediate, presumably a methyl-galacturonate nucleotide. Loewus (1964) recently proposed that methyl ether derivatives of inositols may be formed prior to oxidative cleavage of the cyclitol ring to yield directly methylated uronic acids. He suggests that the reactions might involve phosphorylated intermediates. Hoffmann-Ostenhoff et al (1958) demonstrated that crude yeast hexokinase phosphorylates myo-inositol. This paper will present evidence that an enzyme preparation which readily phosphorylates myo-inositol has little ability to phosphorylate glucose.
Determination of cyanocobalamin in foods by high-performance liquid chromatography with visible detection after solid-phase extraction and membrane filtration for the precolumn separation of lipophilic species

Determination of trace amounts of cyanocobalamin (18 ng/g) in fatty foods was performed by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with visible detection at 550 nm using a membrane filter for the precolumn separation of particulate material. It was found that a membrane filter (HLC-Disk 25, 0.45 μm) was most suitable for the separation of oily particulates. A sample solution was applied to a solid-phase extraction cartridge and then cyanocobalamin was eluted using a 50% aqueous acetonitrile solution followed by HPLC. This method was suitable for the determination of trace amounts of cyanocobalamin in nutrient samples. The proposed method was simple, rapid (extraction time: ca. 12 min, analysis time: ca. 12 min), sensitive (detection limit: ca. 0.15 ng at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1), highly selective and reproducible (relative standard deviation: 2.67%) for cyanocobalamin. The calibration graph for cyanocobalamin was linear in the range of 0.1 to 30 ng. Recovery of cyanocobalamin was over 90% by the standard addition method.
Constitutive and Cytokine-induced Expression of the Melanoma Growth Stimulatory Activity/GROα Gene Requires Both NF-κB and Novel Constitutive Factors

Melanoma growth stimulatory activity (MGSA)/growth regulated (GRO) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) are highly related chemokines that have a causal role in melanoma progression. Expression of these chemokines is similar in that both require the NF-κB element and additional regions such as the CAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) element of the IL-8 promoter. The constitutive and cytokine IL-1-induced promoter activity of the chemokine MGSA/GROα in normal retinal pigment epithelial and the Hs294T melanoma cells is partially regulated through the NF-κB element, which binds both NF-κB p50 and RelA (NF-κB p65) homodimers and heterodimers. Mutational analysis of the MGSA/GROα promoter reveals that, in addition to the NF-κB element, the immediate upstream region (IUR) is necessary for basal expression in retinal pigment epithelial and Hs294T cells. Gel mobility shift and UV cross-linking analyses demonstrate that several constitutive DNA binding proteins interact with the IUR. Although this region has sequence similarity to the several transcription factor elements including C/EBP, the IUR includes sequences that have no similarity to previously identified enhancer regions. Furthermore, RelA transactivates through either the NF-κB element or the IUR, suggesting a putative interaction between NF-κB and this novel complex.
Observations of Deep-Spawning Kokanee on Artificially Created Spawning Habitat

Abstract Concentrated kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) spawning activity was observed in water as deep as 20 m, with no obvious depth preference exhibited by fish near shoreline areas of Coeur d'Alene Lake, Idaho, altered by road construction. The substrate in these areas consisted of angular road-fill material that was too large for fish to excavate during redd construction. Spawning appeared to be more broadcast in nature on the road-fill substrate than the typical redd construction noted for Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus). This information shows that successful kokanee spawning can occur well below the zone of water-level fluctuation in lakes with outlet control structures, and that artificial spawning habitat for shoreline-spawning stocks of kokanee can be created.
Acoustic radiation from the end of two-dimensional duct, effects of uniform flow and duct lining

A study is presented of the radiation of acoustic modes from the end of a duct immersed in a uniformly moving medium. It is shown that the uniform flow has roughly the same effect as an increase in frequency at constant mode number: the number of lobes of the radiation pattern increases, and the radiation maximum is slightly displaced towards the duct axis. When the mode is near cut-off the forward radiation for an inlet is enhanced. The acoustic radiation characteristics of ducts with soft or absorbing walls and hard, perfectly-reflecting walls are then compared. It is shown, and this is of technological interest, that the side radiation from the end of an acoustically soft duct is greatly reduced for lower-order modes.
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological smoking motives: a replication and extension

Cigarette smokers (n = 387) completed a questionnaire measure of smoking motives, and subgroups of this sample provided external validation information. Seven factors emerged from a principal components' analysis: automatic, sedative, addictive, stimulation, psychosocial, indulgent and sensorimotor manipulation. A higher-order principal components analysis revealed the presence of two second-order factors. Inspection of the pattern of correlations between factor scores and criterion variables clearly indicated that the first four factors above and their underlying second-order factor are more closely related to nicotine pharmacology and mood-altering effects of nicotine than the latter three motives and their underlying second-order factor. Moreover, the positive correlations between these pharmacological motives and age, coupled with a negative relationship between age and the non-pharmacological motives, support the description of the smoking career as a progressive transfer of reward from non-pharmacological to pharmacological factors. These findings suggest that self-reported reasons for smoking represent more than bias in verbal report.
The 3D kaleidoscope

The author presents a method for constructing platonic solids that takes advantage of their symmetry. This works well with a coordinate transform system, since symmetry is based on coordinate transformations. He treats the cube and other related shapes, using a seed-triangle element that can be rotated and reflected to generate the shape. He shows that the seed triangle can be replaced with any shape whatever, and all the replications will generate a result that also shares the symmetry of the cube. By making the seed shape rotate and move about in some random way, a changing shape that generates the 3-D kaleidoscope patterns of the title can be animated. The tetrahedron is also treated. >
The Ideal of the Educated Teacher—“Reclaiming a Conversation” with Louisa May Alcott

(1991). The Ideal of the Educated Teacher—“Reclaiming a Conversation” with Louisa May Alcott. Curriculum Inquiry: Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 271-297.
Protein Kinase Cδ Regulates Airway Mucin Secretion via Phosphorylation of MARCKS Protein

Mucin hypersecretion is a major pathological feature of many respiratory diseases, yet cellular mechanisms regulating secretion of mucin have not been fully elucidated. Previously, we reported that mucin hypersecretion induced by human neutrophil elastase involves activation of protein kinase C (PKC), specifically the δ-isoform (PKCδ). Here, we further investigated the role of PKCδ in mucin hypersecretion using both primary human bronchial epithelial cells and the human bronchial epithelial 1 cell line as in vitro model systems. Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-induced mucin hypersecretion was significantly attenuated by rottlerin, a PKCδ-selective inhibitor. Rottlerin also reduced PMA- or human neutrophil elastase-induced phosphorylation of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) protein in these cells. Both secretion and MARCKS phosphorylation were significantly enhanced by the PKCδ activator bryostatin 1. A dominant-negative PKCδ construct (pEGFP-N1/PKCδK376R) transfected into human bronchial epithelial 1 cells significantly attenuated both PMA-induced mucin secretion and phosphorylation of MARCKS, whereas transfection of a wild-type construct increased PKCδ and enhanced mucin secretion and MARCKS phosphorylation. Similar transfections of a dominant-negative or wild-type PKCe construct did not affect either mucin secretion or MARCKS phosphorylation. The results suggest that PKCδ plays an important role in mucin secretion by airway epithelium via regulation of MARCKS phosphorylation.
Tourisme de masse et identité sur les marches sino-tibétaines : réflexions d’un observateur

Cet article s’interesse a la croissance spectaculaire du tourisme de masse dans la petite ville de Lijiang sur les marches sino-tibetaines. L’auteur, anthropologue ayant cumule dix-huit annees d’experience dans la region, presente un essai sous forme de reflexion ethnographique sur les dimensions economiques et culturelles de la rencontre touristique mettant la population locale naxi en presence de l’Autre, qu’il soit han ou etranger a la Chine. En depit d’un influx massif de richesses liees au commerce touristique, une partie de la population locale n’est guere plus prospere qu’il y a vingt ans, tandis que le tourisme accentue des clivages ethniques et sociaux anciens. On note en particulier un changement dans les images de la « naxi-tude » produites a des fins de consommation touristique, ainsi que dans la maniere dont ces images deviennent importantes pour le remodelage des identites locales.
Affirmative Psychotherapy for Lesbian Women

This article explores the unique issues and concerns facing lesbian women in our culture. Theoretical issues and effective therapeutic interventions in counseling lesbians are examined. Specific content areas highlighted include lesbian identity development and management, interpersonal and couple issues, and specific problems such as substance abuse, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. The article concludes with recommendations for treatment and suggestions for research.
Influence of Free-Stall Base on Tarsal Joint Lesions and Hygiene in Dairy Cows

The objective was to quantify the incidence of tarsal lesions and level of hygiene by stall bed type. Cows were scored on 100 dairies from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, and New York in the fall and winter. Thirty-eight dairies used rubber-filled mattresses (RFM), 27 had sand beds, 29 had waterbeds, and 6 used compost packs (CPk). Stocking density, stall dimensions, bedding amount, bedding frequency, and type of bedding were recorded. One pen of early-lactation multiparous cows on each dairy was scored based on injury of the tarsal joints at the lateral and medial surfaces and tuber calcis at the dorsal, lateral, and medial surfaces. A tarsal score of 1 represented hair loss, 2 was moderate, and 3 indicated severe swelling. Differences between bed types in the percentages of cows with lesions were tested with one-way ANOVA by lesion severity and incidence, with farm as the experimental unit. Cows on sand beds or waterbeds had fewer lesion scores of 1, 2, and 3 than those on RFM. The percentages of score 1 were 54.6 +/- 4.4 (RFM), 22.5 +/- 4.7 (sand), and 29.8 +/- 4.3 (waterbed), whereas the percentages of score 2 were 14.0 +/- 1.4, 2.3 +/- 1.5, and 5.0 +/- 1.4, and of score 3 were 3.0 +/- 0.4, 0.2 +/- 0.4, and 0.4 +/- 0.4. Cows on CPk had no lesions. Hygiene scores ranged from 1 to 5, with 1 being clean and 5 soiled. The percentages of hygiene score 1 were 0 (compost), 0.4 (RFM), 0.4 (sand), and 0.4 (waterbeds); those with score 2 were 79.0, 84.0 +/- 0.01, 73.2 +/- 0.01, and 80.4 +/- 0.01; with score 3 were 20.3, 15.2 +/- 0.01, 23.8 +/- 0.01, and 18.6 +/- 0.01; with score 4 were 0.8, 0.005 +/- 0.001, 0.006 +/- 0.001, and 0.025 +/- 0.003; and with score 5 was 0 for all bed types. Cows on RFM and waterbeds had improved hygiene compared with cows on sand beds. There was no difference in somatic cell count (SCC) by bed type. The percentage of cows in fourth lactation or greater on waterbeds (19.8 +/- 1.8) was greater than those on RFM (13.3 +/- 1.6) or on sand (13.5 +/- 1.8). The percentage culled was lower for cows on waterbeds than on RFM (22.8 +/- 1.5 vs. 29.4 +/- 1.4). Score 3 tarsal lesions were correlated (r = 0.60) with SCC. The length of the sand bed was correlated with a greater percentage of mature cows. The SCC was correlated with the percentage of cows reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.45) and with neck rail height (r = -0.26). On dairies with RFM, severe lesions (r = 0.60), death losses (r = 0.52), and percentage of the herd reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.52) were all correlated with the SCC. Dairies with higher percentages of lesions had higher SCC, death losses, lameness, and culling rates. Adding bedding several times per week may reduce the incidence of lesions.
Fault tolerance for kinematically redundant manipulators: anticipating free-swinging joint failures

Fault tolerance is an important design criterion for robotic systems operating in hazardous or remote environments. This article addresses the issue of tolerating a free-swinging joint failure by focusing on how to best configure a slow-moving manipulator before a failure. Three scalar measures of fault susceptibility are defined using joint torques/forces, accelerations, and swing angles. Minimizing these measures is an approach to achieving fault tolerance, and for this, algorithms to calculate their gradients are also given. The formulas are valid for general n-link manipulators.
False-Lock Detection in Costas Demodulators

False lock occurs in Costas demodulators with sweep frequency acquisition because sideband energy is detected in the data channel. It is shown that utilizing the data and error channels to make the lock decision will prevent false lock from occurring.
The prevention of HIV infection associated with drug and alcohol use during sexual activity.

The effort to prevent further HIV infection for high risk populations has been largely limited, in practice, to health education efforts. Prevention policy must utilize techniques which, in combination with health education efforts, works to decrease behaviors which are implicated in HIV transmission. It is argued taht this approach to prevention will work best if it is designed with an understanding of the conditions under which individuals decline to comply with risk-reduction guidelines. It appears that the use of drugs and alcohol during sexual contact is one such condition. Three prevention strategies are suggested which, in addition to health education efforts, might be used to minimize HIV transmission related to the use of drugs and alcohol during sexual activity among gay men. It is hoped that the approach suggested in this paper for the prevention of further HIV infection might also be adopted to develop prevention strategies for other populations at risk of HIV infection.
Isolation and characterization of centroacinar/terminal ductal progenitor cells in adult mouse pancreas

The question of whether dedicated progenitor cells exist in adult vertebrate pancreas remains controversial. Centroacinar cells and terminal duct (CA/TD) cells lie at the junction between peripheral acinar cells and the adjacent ductal epithelium, and are frequently included among cell types proposed as candidate pancreatic progenitors. However these cells have not previously been isolated in a manner that allows formal assessment of their progenitor capacities. We have found that a subset of adult CA/TD cells are characterized by high levels of ALDH1 enzymatic activity, related to high-level expression of both Aldh1a1 and Aldh1a7. This allows their isolation by FACS using a fluorogenic ALDH1 substrate. FACS-isolated CA/TD cells are relatively depleted of transcripts associated with differentiated pancreatic cell types. In contrast, they are markedly enriched for transcripts encoding Sca1, Sdf1, c-Met, Nestin, and Sox9, markers previously associated with progenitor populations in embryonic pancreas and other tissues. FACS-sorted CA/TD cells are uniquely able to form self-renewing "pancreatospheres" in suspension culture, even when plated at clonal density. These spheres display a capacity for spontaneous endocrine and exocrine differentiation, as well as glucose-responsive insulin secretion. In addition, when injected into cultured embryonic dorsal pancreatic buds, these adult cells display a unique capacity to contribute to both the embryonic endocrine and exocrine lineages. Finally, these cells demonstrate dramatic expansion in the setting of chronic epithelial injury. These findings suggest that CA/TD cells are indeed capable of progenitor function and may contribute to the maintenance of tissue homeostasis in adult mouse pancreas.
HDL-cholesterol and physical performance: results from the ageing and longevity study in the sirente geographic area (ilSIRENTE Study)

Background high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol has been hypothesised to be a reliable marker of frailty and poor prognosis among the oldest elderly. We evaluate the relationship of HDL-cholesterol with measures of physical performance, muscle strength, and functional status in older persons aged 80 years or older. Methods data are from baseline evaluation of the ageing and longevity study in the Sirente geographic area (ilSIRENTE study) (n = 364). Physical performance was assessed using the physical performance battery score [short physical performance battery (SPPB)], which is based on three-timed tests: 4-m walking-speed, balance, and chair-stand tests. Muscle strength was measured by hand-grip strength. Analyses of covariance were performed to evaluate the relationship of different HDL-cholesterol levels with physical function. Results in the unadjusted analyses, physical function (as measured by the 4-m walking-speed, theSPPB score, the basic and instrumental activities of daily living scales scores), but not hand-grip strength, improved significantly as HDL-cholesterol tertiles increased. After adjustment for potential confounders, which included age, gender, living alone, alcohol abuse, physical activity, congestive heart failure, diabetes, cerebrovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, albumin, urea, C-reactive protein and LDL cholesterol, the association of HDL-cholesterol tertiles with the 4-m walking-speed and the SPPB score was still consistent. Conclusion the present study suggests that among very old subjects living in the community the higher levels of HDL-cholesterol are associated with better functional performance.
Incidence of Retinopathy of Prematurity in the United States: 1997 through 2005

Purpose To determine the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) based on a national database and to identify baseline characteristics, demographic information, comorbidities, and surgical interventions. Design Retrospective study based on the National Inpatient Sample from 1997 through 2005. Methods The National Inpatient Sample was queried for all newborn infants with and without ROP. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict risk factors for ROP. Results Thirty-four million live births were recorded during the study period. The total ROP incidence was 0.17% overall and 15.58% for premature infants with length of stay of more than 28 days. Our results conclusively demonstrated the importance of low birth weight as a risk for ROP development in infants with length of stay of more than 28 days, as well as association with respiratory conditions, fetal hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, and blood transfer. An interesting finding was the protective effect conferred by hypoxia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and hemolytic disease of the newborn. Infants with ROP had a higher incidence of undergoing laser photocoagulation therapy, pars plana vitrectomy, and scleral buckle surgery. Conclusions The current study represents a large, retrospective analysis of newborns with ROP. The multivariate analysis emphasizes the role of birth weight in extended-stay infants, as well as respiratory conditions, fetal hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, and blood transfer.
Many-core algorithms for statistical phylogenetics

Motivation: Statistical phylogenetics is computationally intensive, resulting in considerable attention meted on techniques for parallelization. Codon-based models allow for independent rates of synonymous and replacement substitutions and have the potential to more adequately model the process of protein-coding sequence evolution with a resulting increase in phylogenetic accuracy. Unfortunately, due to the high number of codon states, computational burden has largely thwarted phylogenetic reconstruction under codon models, particularly at the genomic-scale. Here, we describe novel algorithms and methods for evaluating phylogenies under arbitrary molecular evolutionary models on graphics processing units (GPUs), making use of the large number of processing cores to efficiently parallelize calculations even for large state-size models. Results: We implement the approach in an existing Bayesian framework and apply the algorithms to estimating the phylogeny of 62 complete mitochondrial genomes of carnivores under a 60-state codon model. We see a near 90-fold speed increase over an optimized CPU-based computation and a >140-fold increase over the currently available implementation, making this the first practical use of codon models for phylogenetic inference over whole mitochondrial or microorganism genomes. Availability and implementation: Source code provided in BEAGLE: Broad-platform Evolutionary Analysis General Likelihood Evaluator, a cross-platform/processor library for phylogenetic likelihood computation ( http://beagle-lib.googlecode.com/). We employ a BEAGLE-implementation using the Bayesian phylogenetics framework BEAST (http://beast.bio.ed.ac.uk/). Contact:msuchard@ucla.edu; a.rambaut@ed.ac.uk
RNA-Seq Analysis of Sulfur-Deprived Chlamydomonas Cells Reveals Aspects of Acclimation Critical for Cell Survival

The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii transcriptome was characterized from nutrient-replete and sulfur-depleted wild-type and snrk2.1 mutant cells. This mutant is null for the regulatory Ser-Thr kinase SNRK2.1, which is required for acclimation of the alga to sulfur deprivation. The transcriptome analyses used microarray hybridization and RNA-seq technology. Quantitative RT-PCR evaluation of the results obtained by these techniques showed that RNA-seq reports a larger dynamic range of expression levels than do microarray hybridizations. Transcripts responsive to sulfur deprivation included those encoding proteins involved in sulfur acquisition and assimilation, synthesis of sulfur-containing metabolites, Cys degradation, and sulfur recycling. Furthermore, we noted potential modifications of cellular structures during sulfur deprivation, including the cell wall and complexes associated with the photosynthetic apparatus. Moreover, the data suggest that sulfur-deprived cells accumulate proteins with fewer sulfur-containing amino acids. Most of the sulfur deprivation responses are controlled by the SNRK2.1 protein kinase. The snrk2.1 mutant exhibits a set of unique responses during both sulfur-replete and sulfur-depleted conditions that are not observed in wild-type cells; the inability of this mutant to acclimate to S deprivation probably leads to elevated levels of singlet oxygen and severe oxidative stress, which ultimately causes cell death. The transcriptome results for wild-type and mutant cells strongly suggest the occurrence of massive changes in cellular physiology and metabolism as cells become depleted for sulfur and reveal aspects of acclimation that are likely critical for cell survival.
Formulas for Liapunov Functions for Systems of Linear Difference Equations

Explicit quadratic Liapunov functions that provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the asymptotic stability of the system of linear difference equations $x (t + 1) = A x(t)$ are constructed by transforming the original systems to $y (t + 1) = G y(t)$ , where $G$ is a companion matrix associated with the characteristic polynomial of $A$. A necessary and sufficient condition for all roots of the characteristic polynomial to lie in the unit circle $|z| < 1$ on the complex plane is also derived.
The semivectorial beam propagation method

Details of an efficient semivectorial beam propagation method are presented. The propagation is determined by solving the finite-difference equation in alternating directions. Unlike the traditional split-operator beam propagation method, in the semivectorial method the index term is not separated from the spatial differentiations. Since boundary conditions at dielectric interfaces can be satisfied by two orthogonal polarizations individually, the method is semivectorial. The performance can be enhanced by using a nonuniform grid. By modifying the routine, it can also be applied to periodic structures. Numerical results for rib waveguides are presented. >
TYPE-DEFINABILITY, COMPACT LIE GROUPS, AND o-MINIMALITY

We study type-definable subgroups of small index in definable groups, and the structure on the quotient, in first order structures. We raise some conjectures in the case where the ambient structure is o-minimal. The gist is that in this o-minimal case, any definable group G should have a smallest type-definable subgroup of bounded index, and that the quotient, when equipped with the logic topology, should be a compact Lie group of the "right" dimension. I give positive answers to the conjectures in the special cases when G is 1-dimensional, and when G is definably simple.
An Approximate Numerical Scheme for the Theory of Cavity Flows Past Obstacles of Arbitrary Profile

Recently an exact theory for the cavity flow past an obstacle of arbitrary profile at an arbitrary cavitation number has been developed by adopting a free-streamline wake model. The analysis in this general case leads to a set of two functional equations for which several numerical methods have been devised; some of these methods have already been successfully carried out for several typical cases on a high speed electronic computer. In this paper an approximate numerical scheme, somewhat like an engineering principle, is introduced which greatly shortens the computation of the dual functional equations while still retaining a high degree of accuracy of the numerical result. With such drastic simplification, it becomes feasible to carry out this approximate mrmerical scheme even with a hand computing machine.
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a biomarker for acute renal injury after cardiac surgery

Summary Background The scarcity of early biomarkers for acute renal failure has hindered our ability to launch preventive and therapeutic measures for this disorder in a timely manner. We tested the hypothesis that neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is an early biomarker for ischaemic renal injury after cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods We studied 71 children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. Serial urine and blood samples were analysed by western blots and ELISA for NGAL expression. The primary outcome measure was acute renal injury, defined as a 50% increase in serum creatinine from baseline. Findings 20 children (28%) developed acute renal injury, but diagnosis with serum creatinine was only possible 1–3 days after cardiopulmonary bypass. By contrast, urine concentrations of NGAL rose from a mean of 1·6 μg/L (SE 0·3) at baseline to 147 μg/L (23) 2 h after cardiopulmonary bypass, and the amount in serum increased from a mean of 3·2 μg/L (SE 0·5) at baseline to 61 μg/L (10) 2 h after the procedure. Univariate analysis showed a significant correlation between acute renal injury and the following: urine and serum concentrations of NGAL at 2 h, and cardiopulmonary bypass time. By multivariate analysis, the amount of NGAL in urine at 2 h after cardiopulmonary bypass was the most powerful independent predictor of acute renal injury. For concentration in urine of NGAL at 2 h, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0·998, sensitivity was 1·00, and specificity was 0·98 for a cutoff value of 50 μg/L. Interpretation Concentrations in urine and serum of NGAL represent sensitive, specific, and highly predictive early biomarkers for acute renal injury after cardiac surgery.
Optimal and Efficient End-to-End Path Computation in Multi-Layer Networks

This paper addresses the problem of end-to-end path computation in a transport network with multiple switching technologies, for which the label switched path (LSP) traffic engineering (TE) in the multi-layer networks is an important application. By transforming a network graph to a channel graph, we provide a novel and general solution to find optimal paths in multi-layer networks through vertically searching across layers and horizontally searching on the same layer. The channel graph yields an explicit view of the constraints associated with the nodes and links that otherwise are hidden in the network graph. The approach can be applied to constraints such as the wavelength continuity, encoding type, and switching bandwidth granularity. The proposed solution has been implemented in software and deployed in an experimental optical network.
An erythematous disease of adult guinea pigs following transplantation of homologous lymphoid cells.

SummaryAdult, immunologically competent, non-inbred guinea pigs injected with selected homologous lymphoid cells develop a wasting, sometimes fatal illness. Termed “erythematous disease,”it is induced by spleen and lymph node cells from guinea pigs lacking heritable serum factor toward which they possess naturally occurring delayed type iso-hypersensitivity.
Impaired response to exercise intervention in the vasculature in metabolic syndrome.

Physical activity decreases risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality; however, the specific impact of exercise on the diabetic vasculature is unexamined. We hypothesized that an acute, moderate exercise intervention in diabetic and hypertensive rats would induce mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial antioxidant defence to improve vascular resilience. SHHF/Mcc-fa cp lean (hypertensive) and obese (hypertensive, insulin resistant), as well as Sprague Dawley (SD) control rats were run on a treadmill for 8 days. In aortic lysates from SD rats, we observed a significant increase in subunit proteins from oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) complexes I–III, with no changes in the lean or obese SHHF rats. Exercise also increased the expression of mitochondrial antioxidant defence uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) (p < 0.05) in SHHF lean rats, whereas no changes were observed in the SD or SHHF obese rats with exercise. We evaluated upstream signalling pathways for mitochondrial biogenesis, and only peroxisome proliferators– activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) significantly decreased in SHHF lean rats (p < 0.05) with exercise. In these experiments, we demonstrate absent mitochondrial induction with exercise exposure in models of chronic vascular disease. These findings suggest that chronic vascular stress results in decreased sensitivity of vasculature to the adaptive mitochondrial responses normally induced by exercise.
A Passive Switched-Capacitor Finite-Impulse-Response Equalizer

A passive CMOS switched-capacitor finite-impulse-response equalizer is described. A sampling rate of 200 MS/s is achieved by six time-interleaved channels. Nonlinear parasitic capacitance scales the equalized output but does not affect the zero locations of the equalizer for a binary or ternary data signal. The 4-tap equalizer prototype is fully differential. At 200 MS/s, the equalizer dissipates 19.5 mW, which is virtually all consumed by clock drivers, and occupies an active area of 1.3 mm2 in a 0.35 mum CMOS process
Taxonomy and paleoecology of Devonian rostroconch mollusks from Ohio

Rostroconchs are a common faunal component in the Devonian rocks of Ohio, particularly in the Columbus and Dundee Limestones. Hippocardia cunea (Conrad) is the most abundant species. Also present are H. monroica (Grabau), H. ohioense (Meek), H. curta n. sp., and Bransonia? sibleyense (La Rocque). Growth series of Hippocardia cunea show that the large hood and the rostrum begin to develop early in ontogeny. The rates of increase in the number of comarginal growth increments on the posterior or rostral face and radial ribs on the body of the shell are slow; most size increase of the shell occurred in the increasing widths of the ribs and the interspaces. The length/height ratio increases from young to juvenile specimens and then decreases in adult specimens. However, the length/width and height/width ratios show a general decrease from young to adult specimens. Considerable variation in shell lateral profile is present in H. cunea. Three specimens of Hippocardia cunea show borings entering the posterior rostral portion of the shell, presumably made by Trypanites, a polychaete worm. In one instance, a boring caused disfiguration of the shell material indicating that the host was alive at the time of the boring. The orientation and location of the borings and the presence of one specimen believed to be preserved in life position provides the base for interpreting H. cunea as an infaunal deposit feeder.
The Composition of State Supreme Courts, 2000

In an important study of diversity on the state high court bench, Henry R. Glick and Craig F. Emmert (1986) examined the composition of state supreme courts in 1980-1981. In this paper, I revisit their conclusions using data from 1994 and 2000. Specifically, I look at how the composition of state supreme courts has changed in the decade and a half or so since Glick and Emmert examined this crucial aspect of judicial selection. Overall, I find that women and racial minorities are still underrepresented on the state high court bench relative to their number in the general population, but much less so than they have been in the past. Also, justices have both more prosecutorial experience and more judicial experience than ever before. In sum, justices sitting in the year 2000 are more diverse, more likely to have attended a prestigious law school, less local, less Democratic, and more experienced than their earlier cohort.
Globular tail fragment of myosin-V displaces vesicle-associated motor and blocks vesicle transport in squid nerve cell extracts.

1. Matozaki, T., H. Nakanishi, and Y. Takai. 2000. Cell. Signalling 12: 515–524. 2. Kimura, K., M. Ito, M. Amano, K. Chihara, Y. Fukata, M. Nakafuku, B. Yamamori, J. Feng, T. Nakano, K. Okawa, A. Iwamatsu, and K. Kaibuchi. 1996. Science 273: 245–248. 3. Wollert, T., A. S. DePina, L. A. Sandberg, and G. M. Langford. 2001. Biol. Bull. 201: 241–243. 4. DePina, A. S., and G. M. Langford. 1999. Microsc. Res. Tech. 47: 93–106. 5. Bishop, A. L., and A. Hall. 2000. Biochem. J. 348: 241–255.
Turbulent Times: Uncovering the Origins of US Natural Gas Price Fluctuations Since 1993

In this paper, we investigate supply and demand shocks in the US natural gas market, focusing on how the effects of these shocks have changed over time. Using a sign-identified structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model that allows for both time-varying parameters and stochastic volatility, we decompose the real price of natural gas into supply shocks, aggregate demand shocks driven by changes in the US economic activity, precautionary inventory demand in anticipation of changes in future demand-and-supply conditions, and residual demand shocks not otherwise accounted for by the previous three shocks. Using quarterly data from 1976 to 2015, we find that an unanticipated supply disruption raises natural gas prices, reduces the aggregate economic demand, and lowers the precautionary inventory demand, while negative aggregate demand shocks, on the other hand, depress natural gas prices, reduce natural gas production, and increase precautionary inventory demand. We also find that following a negative precautionary inventory demand shock, aggregate demand driven by real economic activity declines marginally, and the marketed natural gas production and real prices decrease as well. Our results further suggest that such impact responses have evolved considerably over time with changing market conditions.
The Role of Semantic and Discourse Information in Learning the Structure of Surgical Procedures

Electronic Operative Notes are generated after surgical procedures for documentation and billing. These operative notes, like many other Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) have the potential of an important secondary use: they can enable surgical clinical research aimed at improving evidence-based medical practice. Recognizing surgical techniques by capturing the structure of a surgical procedure requires the semantic processing and discourse understanding of operative notes. Identifying only predicates pertaining to surgical actions does not explain the various possible surgical scripts. Similarly, recognizing all actions and observations pertaining to a surgical step cannot be performed without taking into account discourse structure. In this paper we show how combining both forms of clinical language processing leads to learning the structure of surgical procedures. Experimental results on two large sets of operative notes show promising results.
Experimental nephrotic syndrome induced in rats by aminonucleoside; renal lesions and body electrolyte composition.

SummaryThe nephrotic syndrome was regularly induced in immature male rats by 12 daily injections of an aminonucleoside. The essential renal lesions were thickening of the glomerular basement membranes and loss of mitochondria in renal convoluted tubular cells. Electrolyte composition of serum, ascitic fluid, muscle, entire skin, and carcass also was determined. Suitable corrections for collagen were used where applicable. Skin was shown to be the major tissue reservoir for accumulation of edema fluid.
Assimilation Versus Accumulation of Macro- and Micronutrients in Soils: Relations to Livestock and Poultry Feeding Operations

Nutrient management is an integral part of profitable agrisystems, but in some areas of the United States, continued applications of fertilizer and manure nutrients in excess of crop requirements have led to a buildup of nutrient concentrations that are of environmental concern. Proper use of nutrients in livestock manures is becoming more critical for sustainability of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) because new environmental regulations require that nutrients be properly applied and managed. Losses of nutrients, such as N and P can be reduced by refining the rations fed, increasing nutrient retention by livestock, moving manures from areas of surplus to deficiency, finding alternative uses for manure, using cropping and haying systems that remove excess nutrients, and using conservation practices, such as limited tillage, buffer strips, and cover crops to limit runoff and leaching. Whole farm nutrient balances are useful for educating producers about quantities of nutrients being managed and the flow of nutrients, but they can also be misleading because of spatial factors, such as uneven nutrient application that introduce environmental risks that may not be noted with a whole-farm nutrient balance. Manure utilization plans also need to deal with nutrients that potentially leave the field or production area in route to sensitive ecosystems.
Reduction of CO2 on a Tricarbonyl Rhenium(I) Complex: Modeling a Catalytic Cycle

Tricarbonyl rhenium(I) complexes, such as Re(bpy)(CO)(3)Cl where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl, have demonstrated superior activity in catalyzing CO(2) reduction in the presence of sacrificial electron donors. We have utilized density functional theory (DFT) to investigate a potential pathway for formate production via a rhenium-hydride insertion mechanism in the presence of triethylamine (TEA). On the basis of prior studies, we re-examined the role of TEA and studied a catalytic cycle for CO(2) reduction in which TEA functions as both the hydrogen atom and the electron donor for reducing CO(2) into formate. The catalytic cycle is found to be exothermic with inclusion of solvation and may be viewed as a two-electron reduction of CO(2) because the net result is a transfer of hydride from TEA to CO(2). In addition, we have identified structures of key intermediates in the CO(2)-reduction process and found that the insertion step has a very modest barrier in acetonitrile. These findings provide a molecular-level understanding to formate production via CO(2) reduction mediated by transition-metal complexes. A theoretical investigation is underway to elucidate the formation of carbon monoxide, another common product in Re-catalyzed CO(2) reduction.
Phase stability in α - and β -rhombohedral boron

Phase stability in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$- and $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{B}$ has been investigated by using first-principles quasiharmonic phonon calculations. It is found that the defect-free $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{B}$ is more stable than the defect-free $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{B}$ at lower temperatures up to the predicted $1388\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. It is revealed that the defect-free $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{B}$ is mechanically unstable at high temperatures (above $1840\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$), indicated by the appearance of imaginary phonon modes, which can be suppressed by introducing defects, e.g., the extra B atoms. This discovery is consistent with the experimental observations that defects occur commonly in $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{B}$.
Adjacent Roosts of Eptesicus and Myotis

Both the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus fuscus , and the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus lucifugus , have summer roosts in attics and barns in Ohio. The roosts of the two species are widely separated. Even within the same species, banded bats from one roost have not been found at another roost. Over most of the state roosts of the little brown bat are much more frequently found than those of the big …