cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cool H I disks in galaxies.

Because of the sensitivity and resolution, both spatial and spectral, at centimeter wavelengths and the large amounts of interstellar gas in the form of neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) in typical galaxies, the 21-cm HI line has served as a valuable tool in probing the disk component of galaxies, both structurally and dynamically. Even without spatial information, the global 21-cm profile provides three important parameters: the redshift, the total HI line flux, and line width, the latter a measure of the Doppler broadening. The use of the HI line for redshift surveys has been discussed by Giovanelli & Haynes (1990); HI redshifts remain among the most accurate determinations available to redshift surveys and have been measured for more than 12000 galaxies. The total HI line flux is used as a measure of the potential for future star formation and as an indicator of past gas removal. Spatial mapping of the HI distribution allows the intercomparison of the gas and stellar distributions. The global HI line width in rotationally dominated galaxies has been used via the Tully-Fisher relation (e.g. Rowan-Robinson 1985) as a predictor of galaxy luminosity, under the assumptions that rotation speed predicts mass and mass predicts luminosity. Mapping of the velocity field provides an indication of the distribution of mass, both luminous and dark.
Representation and Control in Vision

One of the central issues in vision is how to represent and use knowledge relevant to understanding the image. Partly because vision is so difficult, and partly because even the cheapest solutions can still be so useful, approaches to vision problems have had a tendency to be ad hoc and heuristic. Recently, however, new thrusts in computer vision are emerging, most notably in the Image Understanding community, that try to pursue more systematic and computational approaches. [1]
Design of an Expert System for Diagnosis of a Space Borne Battery Based Electric Power System

This paper describes the design of NICKEL CADMIUM BATTERY EXPERT SYSTEM-2 (NICBES-2) developed under the MSFC/NASA Grant NAG8-105. It is currently employed at the Marshall Space Flight Center on a Hubble Space Telescope Battery test bed. NICBES-2 was developed to help in evaluation of the performance of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) space-craft battery power system. It is an online, multitasking diagnostic expert system integrated with a HST telemetry data acquisition system. NICBES2 diagnoses performance of HST space-craft battery power system, and alerts personnel to its possible malfunctions. To achieve this, NICBES2 provides a reasoning system supported by appropriate battery domain knowledge. The reasoning system uses the telemetry gathered in real time by the data acquisition subsystem as factual information on which the NICBES2 rules operate. The telemetry sub-system (written in C) and the reasoning sub-system (developed in PROLOG) are assisted by a window based user interface sub-system (written in PROWINDOWS). These three sub-systems, integrated together, cooperate in execution of their tasks, and are running within a Unix multitasking environment. The choice of a multitasking environment was mandated by the need to execute the reasoning system's tasks without interrupting the data gathering functions of the data handler module.
Denying diversity: Perceptions of beauty and social comparison processes among Latina, Black, and White women

The purpose of this study was to investigate Latina, Black, and White women's conceptions of beauty and perceptions of cultural standards of beauty, as well as whether or not the participants were engaging in similar social comparison processes, specifically, the denial of personal disadvantage. One hundred and fifty-seven college women participated: 48 Latinas, 52 Black women, 51 White women, and 6 “Others.” Results indicate that there are significant differences in Latinas', Black women's, and White women's relationships with their bodies, and their relationships to dominant cultural standards of beauty. In addition, there were differences by race in the tendency to engage in the denial of personal disadvantage response. These findings contribute to the understanding of how racial identity affects, or interacts with, the experience of beauty standards among Latina, Black, and White women.
The signatures of the various regions of the outer magnetosphere in the pitch angle distributions of energetic particles

An account is given of the obervations of the pitch angle distributions of energetic particles in the near equatorial regions of the Earth's magnetosphere. The emphasis is on relating the observed distributions to the field configuration responsible for the observed effects. The observed effects relate to drift-shell splitting, to the breakdown of adiabatic guiding center motion in regions of sharp field curvature relative to partial gyro radii, to wave-particle interactions, and to moving field configurations. 39 references.
Interactive But Not Conscious; Conscious But Not Interactive: Lessons Learned From Slime Molds and Bartleby the Scrivener

In their target article, Fischer and Truog (2013) address a brace of ethical problems issuing from recent neuroimaging studies. Neuroscientists like Adrian Owen (Owen et al. 2006) and Martin Monti ...
Determinants of evolution of endplate and disc degeneration in the lumbar spine: a multifactorial perspective

Evolution and progression of disc and endplate bone marrow degeneration of the lumbar spine are thought to be multifactorial, yet, their influence and interactions are not understood. The aim of this study was to find association of potential predictors of evolution of degeneration of the lumbar spine. Patients (n = 90) who underwent two lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams with an interval of at least 4 years and without any spinal surgery were included into the longitudinal cohort study with nested case–control analysis. Disc degeneration (DD) was scored according to the Pfirrmann classification and endplate bone marrow changes (EC) according to Modic in 450 levels on both MRIs. Potential variables for degeneration such as age, gender, BMI, scoliosis and sagittal parameters were compared between patients with and without evolution or progression of degenerative changes in their lumbar spine. A multivariate analysis aimed to identify the most important variables for progression of disc and endplate degeneration, respectively. While neither age, gender, BMI, sacral slope or the presence of scoliosis could be identified as progression factor for DD, a higher lordosis was observed in subjects with no progression (49° ± 11° vs 43° ± 12°; p = 0.017). Progression or evolution of EC was only associated with a slightly higher degree of scoliosis (10° ± 10° vs 6° ± 9°; p = 0.04) and not to any of the other variables. While a coronal deformity of the lumbar spine seems associated with evolution or progression of EC, a higher lumbar lordosis is protective for radiographic progression of DD. This implies that scoliotic deformity and lesser lumbar lordosis are associated with higher overall degeneration of the lumbar spine.
Injury to the liver and spleen after diagnostic ERCP

1. Lebrec D, Benhamou JP. Ectopic varices in portal hypertension. Clin Gastroenterol 1985;14:105-21. 2. Tanaka T, Kato K, Taniguchi T, Takagi D, Takeyama N, Kitazawa Y. Acase of ruptured duodenal varices and review ofthe literature. Jpn J Surg 1988;18:595-600. 3. Weingart J, Hochter W, Ottenjann R. Varices of the entire colon: an unusual cause of recurrent intestinal bleeding. Endoscopy 1982;14:69-70. 4. Brill DR, Bolasny VA, Vix VA. Colonic varices. Am J Dig Dis 1969;14:801-4. 5. Isbister WH, Pease CW, Delahunt B. Colonic varices: report of a case. Dis Colon Rectum 1989;32:524-7. 6. Friedman E, Sydorak G. Massive gastrointestinal bleeding from varix of the jejunum. J Clin Gastroenterol 1990;12:482-3. 7. Chen YM, Wu WC, Ott DJ. Antral varices. Am J Gastroenterol 1986;81:1191-2. 8. Gudjonsson H, Zeiler D, Gamelli RL, Kaye MD. Colonic varices: report of an unusual case diagnosed by radionuclide scanning with review of the literature. Gastroenterology 1986;91: 1543-7.
Predicting adolescents initiation of intercourse and contraceptive use.

Although sexual experimentation and risk taking are normal elements of adolescence the initiation of sexual intercourse and the delayed use of contraception once someone becomes sexually active have major implications for rates of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Models to predict grade at first intercourse and the adoption of effective contraception are developed and tested with application to a sample of 3419 Wisconsin adolescents in grades 7 9 and 11. The students 87% White participated in a survey of health-related behaviors administered 3 times over the course of 6 years. The application of multiple regression methods determined that consistent with problem behavior theory sexual onset was predicted by an adolescents behavioral system perceived peer substance use and/or abuse the importance attributed to friends and the extent to which the adolescent felt under pressure and believed it was acceptable to break laws. The adoption of contraceptive use is predicted by family structure socioeconomic variables and self-esteem. Age and gender model differences were observed.
Total inversion of the appendix: Experience with incidental appendectomy in children

Abstract Incidental appendectomy is regarded by many as a worthwhile complementary procedure during laparotomy. Since the majority of cases of appendicitis occur in the childhood years, 1 incidental appendectomy seems especially desirable in pediatric patients. The fear of unnecessary contamination and possible infection has generated reluctance on the part of some surgeons to carry out complementary appendectomy. It is undoubtedly true that some bacterial contamination occurs with transection of the appendix. An ideal technic for elective appendectomy would completely eliminate contamination without increasing the dissection or prolonging the operative time. Total inversion of the appendix satisfies these criteria. Once denuded of its mesoappendix, the appendix can be turned inside out into the lumen of the cecum. If the blood supply is interrupted, the entire appendix will subsequently slough innocuously into the cecum. At no time is the lumen of the intestinal tract opened. During the past three years, 108 patients at the Children's Hospital in Washington, D. C. undergoing abdominal surgery for a variety of conditions, had incidental appendectomy by inversion of the appendix. The purpose of this paper is to report the application, technic, and results of this method of appendectomy.
Setting ambient air quality standards for particulate matter.

Ambient air particulate matter (PM), unspecified as to chemical composition, is of concern because of its health effects. Air quality standards for PM have been established in many countries. The earliest standards were based on threshold models and use of a margin of safety. Initially, standards were based on the mass of total suspended material. In the 1980s a shift to a size-specific standard, PM10, began. PM10 is the fraction of PM captured with 50% efficiency at 10 μm and greater efficiency at smaller sizes. In the late 1990s, standards were proposed for PM2.5, which is captured with 50% efficiency at 2.5 μm. The standards for PM are based almost exclusively on human epidemiological data, with laboratory animal and in vitro data used in a supporting role. During the 1990s, new statistical tools began to be used and demonstrated an association between increased PM and an increase in cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The analyses are complicated by the effects of other pollutants such as ozone. Effects have been observed down to 10–20 μg of PM10 per cubic meter, levels equal to or below background in many parts of the world. In many studies there has been no evidence of a threshold. In the absence of a threshold, a critical issue becomes how to determine how low is low enough? This paper reviews the current literature on PM health effects and suggests research avenues that may yield data which, combined with public policy considerations, may be able to address the issue of ‘how low is low enough?’
Self-interstitial clusters in radiation damage accumulation: coupled molecular dynamics and metadynamics simulations

Self-interstitial interactions causing volume expansion in bcc Fe are studied through an idealized microstructure evolution model in which only self-interstial atoms (SIAs) are inserted. Using a combination of non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and a metadynamics algorithm, meta-stable SIA clusters are observed to nucleate and grow into dislocation loops or localized amorphous phases, both contributing to swelling behavior persisting well beyond the atomistic time scale. A non-monotonic local density variation with dose rate is found and attributed to competing evolutions of different defective structures.
We've Heard This Song ... Or Have We?

An historical perspective on reform proposals for teacher education is provided. A selected group of reform proposals is used to illustrate three com mon themes that have pervaded the vari ous reform movements of the last half century. The paper concludes with a dis cussion of current reform agendas, and suggests that at least some of the reform recommendations can be viewed through a redefined framework.
The Influence of Party Systems on Citizens’ Perceptions of Corruption and Electoral Response in Latin America:

This study examines how different party systems in Latin America affect the capability of opposition parties to use public concerns about political corruption for electoral mobilization. Opposition...
The (Heterosexual) Regendering of a Modern State: Criminalizing and Implementing Domestic Violence Law in Trinidad

This paper investigates one example of a process with global implications that I describe as the “regendering” of the state. Regendering refers to the process of bringing to public and legal attention categories and activities that were formerly without name but that constituted harm to women, denied them rights, silenced them, or limited their capacity to engage in actions available to men. I examine the regendering of the Trinidadian state by focusing on one of its most salient examples, the Domestic Violence Act. I identify first the coalition of forces and events that brought the subject of violence against women to lawmakers' attention and made possible the first Domestic Violence Act in the English-speaking Caribbean. I then investigate the interplay between the global discourse about domestic violence law-the passage of which has become an important symbol of the “modern” state-and local concerns about justice, gender, and family. Finally, I consider problems in the implementation of domestic violence law.
Indirect Ultra-Pure Water Metals Analysis by Extended Ion Exchange on a Silica Surface

Water purity is not taken for granted in the Semiconductor Industry. Ultra high purity water (UPW) is analyzed continuously in-line for particles and resistivity. Routine samples are automatically taken for total organic carbon (TOC), boron, silica and dissolved oxygen. Less routine analyses, such as metals, are done off-line. Metal content of UPW water is well below the detection limits of ICP-MS even with a pre-concentration step. As a result, metals content may vary in the water without being detected. These variations may affect device performance and yield while the root cause may go undetected.
Evolution of homomorphic sporophytic self-incompatibility

A population genetic model is described for the evolution of sporophytic self-incompatibility by successive mutations to active incompatibility alleles from an ancestral compatibility, Sf, allele, homozygotes for which are capable of self-fertilisation. For spread of the active incompatibility alleles there must be strong inbreeding depression. It is shown that polymorphism for the ancestral allele and the active alleles is generated, unless the number of active alleles becomes very large. Thus, although there is selection for alleles that cause outcrossing, such polymorphic populations would not be completely outcrossing, but would have selling rates between zero and the selfiing rate of the homozygote for Sf. The equilibrium frequencies of the active alleles depend on whether dominance or independent action is assumed for the alleles in the pistil. In either case the equilibrium allele frequencies are higher than would be the case for gametophytically acting alleles.
Self polarization of quantum dots

An array of elongated quantum dots (quantum dashes) can self polarize into an antiferroelectric state. In contrast to the conventional antiferroelectricity, this spontaneous polarization does not require any ionic displacements for its establishment. We present the main arguments and proofs of this phenomenon, and discuss possible scenarios for experimental verification.
Terrorism: An Identity Theory Perspective

The present article outlines the role of personal, social, and cultural identity in religiously and ethnically motivated terrorism. It is proposed that terrorism represents the confluence of a cultural identity strongly based in collectivism and in fundamentalist adherence to religious or cultural principles, a social identity based in sharp contrasts between one's own group and groups perceived as threats, and a foreclosed and authoritarian sense of personal identity or, less often, a diffused and aimless personal identity. Examples from religious-extremist and ethnic conflicts in which terrorism has been employed are used to illustrate the tenets advanced here. Recommendations for addressing and preventing the threat of terrorism are discussed.
Increased in vitro radioresistance of bone marrow fibroblastic progenitors (CFU-F) from patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.

Abstract The proliferative potential following in vitro irradiation of bone marrow fibroblastic progenitors (CFU-F) derived from four patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) and seven nonleukemic subjects was compared. The CFU-F from the ANLL patients were significantly more radioresistant than the CFU-F from the nonleukemic subjects. The increased radioresistance in ANLL patients was evident in both the mean slope of the survival curve (control = −0.385, ANLL = −0.256) and in the D o values (control = 2.68 Gy, ANLL = 4.61 Gy). Thus CFU-F derived from ANLL patients differ from those derived from nonleukemics in both radioresistance and in granulopoietic effects as suggested from previous studies.
Metastable b.c.c. phase formation in the NbCr system

Abstract Extended metastable b.c.c. solid solutions of Nb−Xat.%Cr (X = 35, 77, 82 and 94) were synthesized by two-anvil splat-quenching. In addition, b.c.c. Nb-67at.%Cr was prepared by mechanically alloying mixtures of niobium and chromium powders. The lattice parameters were measured by X-ray diffraction and the Young's moduli by low load micro-indentation. The composition dependence of the lattice parameters and elastic moduli shows a positive deviation with respect to a rule of mixtures. During continuous heating at 15°C min−1, the metastable precursoe b.c.c. phases decomposed at temperatures above 750°C to uniformly refined microstructures.
Observation of the surface roughening transition on Ni(117)

Abstract An analysis of the temperature dependent helium diffraction lineshapes from Ni(117) has been used to show that a roughening transition takes place on this surface at 400 ± 50 K. When compared with our earlier results on Ni(001), Ni(113) and Ni(115), one can conclude that the roughening temperature is dependent on the average terrace width for vicinal surfaces, and for nickel surfaces is near 400 K for average terrace widths greater than 6 A. This result shows that vicinal surfaces are in general in the rough state at temperatures only slightly above 300 K.
Late Cretaceous extensional unroofing in the Funeral Mountains metamorphic core complex, California

New field and geochronologic data document the existence of Late Cretaceous extensional structures in the Death Valley region, California-Nevada. We have mapped two major, low-angle, ductile shear zones that omit stratigraphy in the footwall of the Funeral Mountains metamorphic core complex. Intervening strata have been strongly attenuated. Although stratigraphic offset across the shear zones is only 1.5 km, the presence of a large metamorphic discontinuity suggests that the amount of unroofing must be much greater. The timing of shear-zone formation, attenuation, and subsequent northwest-vergent folding is constrained by U-Pb geochronology on (1) prekinematic or synkinematic and (2) postkinematic pegmatites. Deformation was taking place by 72 Ma and had ended by 70 Ma. These results support earlier petrologic and geochronologic data that suggested substantial unroofing of the Funeral Mountains in Late Cretaceous time and add to a growing body of evidence for widespread Mesozoic extension in the hinterland of the Sevier thrust belt.
Geological summary of the Busidima Formation (Plio-Pleistocene) at the Hadar paleoanthropological site, Afar Depression, Ethiopia.

Abstract The Hadar paleoanthropological site in Ethiopia preserves a record of hominin evolution spanning from approximately 3.45 Ma to 0.8 Ma. An angular unconformity just above the ca. 2.95 Ma BKT-2 complex divides the sediments into the Hadar Formation (ca. 3.8–2.9 Ma) and the Busidima Formation (ca. 2.7–0.15 Ma). The unconformity is likely a response to a major tectonic reorganization in the Afar Depression, and activation of the As Duma fault near the Ethiopian Escarpment (west of Hadar) created a half-graben in which the Busidima Formation was deposited. The pattern and character of sedimentation in the region changed dramatically above the unconformity, as cut-and-fill channel conglomerates and silt-dominated paleosols that comprise the Busidima Formation stand in sharp contrast to the underlying deposits of the Hadar Formation. Conglomerate deposition has been related to both the perennial, axial paleo-Awash and ephemeral, escarpment-draining tributaries. Overbank silts have yielded fossils attributed to early Homo and Oldowan stone tools. Numerous tuffaceous deposits exist within the Busidima Formation, but they are often spatially limited, fine-grained, and reworked. Recent work on the tephrostratigraphic framework of the Busidima Formation at Hadar has identified at least 12 distinct vitric tephras and established the first geochemical-based correlations between Hadar and the neighboring project areas of Gona and Dikika. Compared to Gona and Dikika, where Busidima Formation sediments are exposed over large areas, the highly discontinuous sediments at Hadar comprise less than 40 m in composite section and are exposed over an area of
Monoterpene cyclases: use of the noncyclizable substrate analog 6,7-dihydrogeranyl pyrophosphate to uncouple the isomerization step of the coupled isomerization-cyclization reaction.

Abstract Enzymes from Salvia officinalis capable of catalyzing the isomerization and subsequent cyclization of geranyl pyrophosphate to the monoterpenes (+)-α-pinene and (+)-bornyl pyrophosphate were examined with the noncyclizable substrate analog 6,7-dihydrogeranyl pyrophosphate in an attempt to dissect the cryptic isomerization step from the normally coupled reaction sequence. The analog inhibited the cyclization of geranyl pyrophosphate and was itself catalytically active, affording acyclic terpene olefins and alcohols as products. The enzymatic products generated from 6,7-dihydrogeranyl pyrophosphate qualitatively resembled the solvolysis products of 6,7-dihydrolinalyl pyrophosphate, yet they constituted a far higher proportion of olefins, suggesting that enzymatic product formation occurs in an environment relatively inaccessible to water. Since the normal cyclization of geranyl pyrophosphate is considered to proceed via preliminary isomerization to the bound tertiary intermediate (3 R )-linalyl pyrophosphate, the results suggest that the analog undergoes the normal pyrophosphate ionization-migration step, giving rise in this case to (3 R )-6,7-dihydrolinalyl pyrophosphate which is reionized, and because the subsequent cyclizations are precluded, the resulting cation is either deprotonated or captured by water. In divalent metal ion requirement, pH optimum, and other characteristics, the enzymatic transformation of the analog resembles the normal monoterpene cyclase reaction.
Liquid chromatographic analysis of incurred amoxicillin residues in catfish muscle following oral administration of the drug.

Improper application of antibiotic chemicals to livestock and aquaculture species may lead to the occurrence of residues in food supplies. An appropriate depletion period is needed after the administration of drugs to animals for ensuring that residues in edible tissues are below established tolerance levels. This study was conducted to determine incurred amoxicillin residues in catfish muscle following oral administration. Dosed fish were harvested after four depletion periods, and muscle fillets were analyzed for amoxicillin residues using an HPLC method with precolumn derivatization and fluorescence detection. The residue levels in fish after a 6-h depletion ranged from 40 to 64 ng/g with one exception at 297 ng/g. Average residue levels decreased to 5.4 and 2.8 ng/g after 24- and 48-h depletions, respectively. Residue levels after a 72-h depletion decreased to below the method's limit of quantitation (1.2 ng/g). An LC-MS/MS confirmatory method was developed. Confirmation of the presence of amoxicillin...
Genome-wide identification of Bacillus subtilis CodY-binding sites at single-nucleotide resolution

The CodY protein is a global transcriptional regulator that controls, directly or indirectly, expression of more than 100 genes and operons in Bacillus subtilis. We used in vitro DNA affinity purification combined with massively parallel sequencing, to identify B. subtilis chromosomal DNA fragments that bind CodY in vitro. A nonstandard strand-specific analysis of the data allowed us to pinpoint CodY-binding sites at single-nucleotide resolution. By comparing the extent of binding at decreasing CodY concentrations, we were able to classify binding regions according to their relative strengths and construct a subset of the 323 strongest CodY-binding regions that included sites associated with nearly all genes reported to be direct CodY targets. Many of the identified sites were located within coding regions. At such sites within the ispA, rapA, and rapE genes CodY-dependent repression was demonstrated using lacZ fusions and mutational analysis.
Functional Identification of Incorrectly Annotated Prolidases from the Amidohydrolase Superfamily of Enzymes

The substrate profiles for two proteins from Caulobacter crescentus CB15 (Cc2672 and Cc3125) and one protein (Sgx9359b) derived from a DNA sequence ( gi|44368820 ) isolated from the Sargasso Sea were determined using combinatorial libraries of dipeptides and N-acyl derivatives of amino acids. These proteins are members of the amidohydrolase superfamily and are currently misannotated in NCBI as catalyzing the hydrolysis of l-Xaa-l-Pro dipeptides. Cc2672 was shown to catalyze the hydrolysis of l-Xaa-l-Arg/Lys dipeptides and the N-acetyl and N-formyl derivatives of lysine and arginine. This enzyme will also hydrolyze longer peptides that terminate in either lysine or arginine. The N-methyl phosphonate derivative of l-lysine was a potent competitive inhibitor of Cc2672 with a K(i) value of 120 nM. Cc3125 was shown to catalyze the hydrolysis of l-Xaa-l-Arg/Lys dipeptides but will not hydrolyze tripeptides or the N-formyl and N-acetyl derivatives of lysine or arginine. The substrate profile for Sgx9359b is similar to that of Cc2672 except that compounds with a C-terminal lysine are not recognized as substrates. The X-ray structure of Sgx9359b was determined to a resolution of 2.3 A. The protein folds as a (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel and self-associates to form a homooctamer. The active site is composed of a binuclear metal center similar to that found in phosphotriesterase and dihydroorotase. In one crystal form, arginine was bound adventitiously to the eight active sites within the octamer. The orientation of the arginine in the active site identified the structural determinants for recognition of the alpha-carboxylate and the positively charged side chains of arginine-containing substrates. This information was used to identify 18 other bacterial sequences that possess identical or similar substrate profiles.
Inbred FVB/N mice are mutant at the cp49/Bfsp2 locus and lack beaded filament proteins in the lens.

METHODS. PCR analysis of genomic DNA was used to evaluate the status of the CP49 gene in FVB/N mice procured from the four major US distributors of these animals—Harlan Laboratories, Taconic Farms, Jackson Laboratory, and the NIH/NCI/DCT production facility run by Charles River Laboratories. The structure of the CP49 transcript was evaluated by RT-PCR, and the presence of CP49 protein in the lens was evaluated by immunofluorescence. RESULTS. FVB/N mice obtained from all four US distributors were shown to harbor a 6-kb deletion of the CP49 gene identical with that previously reported in mouse strain 129; C57BL/6 mice did not have this modification. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that FVB/N mice do not have detectable CP49 or filensin protein in the lens, whereas C57BL/6 mice have the expected protein distribution. CONCLUSIONS. In humans, mutations in the CP49/BFSP2 gene have been linked to familial, congenital cataract, demonstrating an important role of this gene in lens transparency. The demonstration that FVB/N mice lack CP49 protein in the lens suggests that it may be necessary to reevaluate the mechanisms underlying lens phenotypes obtained as a result of transgenic manipulation of this strain. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006; 47:4931‐4934) DOI:10.1167/iovs.06-0423
Management of asthma in preschool children with inhaled corticosteroids and leukotriene receptor antagonists.

Purpose of review The aim of this article is to review the recently published studies addressing various treatment approaches for asthma in preschool children. Recent findings The heterogeneity of wheezing in the preschool years complicates the study of asthma in this age group. Once children at highest risk for persistence of wheezing are identified, various management strategies may be thoroughly studied. Several recent studies have confirmed the efficacy and safety of both inhaled corticosteroids and leukotriene receptor antagonists in the management of early childhood asthma. In addition to examining clinical efficacy, studies investigating the effects of these treatment modalities on the underlying airway inflammation have recently increased in number and quality and confirm the anti-inflammatory actions of these therapeutic strategies in the preschool child with asthma. Summary Evidence for the preferred treatment strategies for persistent asthma in young children remains incomplete. Based on the current body of evidence, there is rationale for further investigation of these management strategies, including direct comparisons between inhaled corticosteroids and leukotriene receptor antagonists, as well as the role of long-acting beta-agonists, potentially targeting the subpopulations of early childhood with wheezing who are at highest risk for persistence of asthma symptoms.
Alternative Adhesion Sites in Human Fibrinogen for Vascular Endothelial Cells

Fibrinogen mediates endothelial cell adhesion, spreading, and angiogenesis through integrin alphavbeta3. Previous studies by several investigators have suggested that the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) site at position 572-574 on the alpha chain of human fibrinogen can bind to alphavbeta3. However, this RGD sequence is absent in fibrinogen from most other species, including bovine, hamster, monkey, mouse, pig, and rat fibrinogen. In these species, an RGD site exists at the equivalent of position alpha252-254, which has the sequence RGG in humans. In addition, the role of an integrin binding site on the gamma chain at position 400-411 has been an issue of controversy. In the present studies, recombinant fibrinogen molecules with mutations in the potential endothelial cell binding sites have been used to test the role of these sites directly. The results show that the RGD at alpha572-574 is the primary adhesion site, and that the gamma chain site plays no significant role. Human and bovine plasma fibrinogens were also assayed for their ability to support adhesion of human and bovine vascular endothelial cells. The results show that although the two types of fibrinogen have RGD sequences at widely divergent sites, there is no significant difference in their ability to support endothelial cell adhesion. Furthermore, a chimeric human fibrinogen molecule with an RGD sequence at the bovine site, position alpha252-254, also supported adhesion. These results indicate that an RGD site in human fibrinogen at either position alpha252-254 or position alpha572-574 can mediate endothelial cell adhesion.
Policy Challenges of Population Aging in Ireland

The projected rise in age-related government spending as a share of GDP in Ireland over the next forty years is among the highest in the euro area. In the absence of reforms, public debt will increase to unsustainable levels. This paper uses the IMF's Global Fiscal Model to compare the macroeconomic effects of different fiscal strategies to accommodate the rise in age-related spending. The simulations suggest that adopting a package of measures, including an increase in the retirement age, broadening the tax base, and raising indirect taxes, would be a more growth-friendly strategy than relying exclusively on raising the social security contribution rate.
Managing the cost of emissions for durable, carbon-containing products

We recognize that carbon-containing products do not decay and release CO2 to the atmosphere instantaneously, but release that carbon over extended periods of time. For an initial production of a stock of carbon-containing product, we can treat the release as a probability distribution covering the time over which that release occurs. The probability distribution that models the carbon release predicts the amount of carbon that is released as a function of time. The use of a probability distribution in accounting for the release of carbon to the atmosphere realizes a fundamental shift from the idea that all carbon-containing products contribute to a single pool that decays in proportion to the size of the stock. Viewing the release of carbon as a continuous probabilistic process introduces some theoretical opportunities not available in the former paradigm by taking advantage of other fields where the use of probability distributions has been prevalent for many decades. In particular, theories developed in the life insurance industry can guide the development of pricing and payment structures for dealing with the costs associated with the oxidation and release of carbon. These costs can arise from a number of proposed policies (cap and trade, carbon tax, social cost of carbon, etc), but in the end they all result in there being a cost to releasing carbon to the atmosphere. If there is a cost to the emitter for CO2 emissions, payment for that cost will depend on both when the emissions actually occur and how payment is made. Here we outline some of the pricing and payment structures that are possible which result from analogous theories in the life insurance industry. This development not only provides useful constructs for valuing sequestered carbon, but highlights additional motivations for employing a probability distribution approach to unify accounting methodologies for stocks of carbon containing products.
Comparative studies on chromosome aberrations induced by polycyclic hydrocarbons in cell-mediated and microsome-mediated assay.

Abstract Studies were made on chromosome changes in Chinese hamster V79 cells induced by the polycyclic hydrocarbons, benzo[ a ]pyrene (BP), 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) and 7,12-dimethylbenz[ a ]anthracene (DMBA) in the presence and absence of cell-mediated and microsome-mediated activation systems. In cell-mediated assay, BP, MC and DMBA induced concentration-dependent chromosome aberrations in V79 cells, at concentrations of 0.5–1.0 to 20.0 μg/ml in the presence of lethally irradiated Syrian hamster embryonal feeder cells at 2.0 × 10 6 cells/60-mm dish. The highest incidences of cells with aberrant chromosomes, observed at concentrations of 20 μg/ml, were 24.0% (BP), 23.0% (MC) and 80.0% (DMBA). In the absence of feeder cells, these chemicals did not induce chromosome aberrations in V79 cells, even at the maximum concentrations tested, only background levels being observed. In microsome-mediated assay, BP, MC and DMBA at 20 μg/ml also induced chromosome aberrations when combined with microsomes. However, the highest incidences of aberrations were observed with lower amounts of microsomes than usual, the optimal amount of microsomes ranging from 1 to 10%. In this range, the highest incidences of cells with aberrant chromosomes were 10.0% (BP), 9.0% (MC) and 28.0% (DMBA), that is about half to one-third those observed in cell-mediated assay.
Tillage and Rotation Crop Effects on Weed Dynamics in Potato Production Systems

Concern over undesirable environmental impacts and low profitability of conventional potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production systems has led to efforts to reduce agrichemical use while improving yield and net returns. Weed management based on a better understanding of weed responses to tillage and other cropping practices is a key to success in these efforts. We conducted a 4-yr field experiment on a Caribou gravelly loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, frigid Typic Haplorthods) in Presque Isle, ME, in which potato was grown in alternating years with either oat (Avena sativa L.) or berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), in plots that were either moldboard plowed (MP) or chisel plowed (CP). To determine yield losses due to weed interference, potato was grown either in weed-free conditions or with weeds that survived cultivation and hilling. Seed density, plant density, and biomass of dominant weed species (Chenopodium album L. and Brassica and Raphanus spp.) were lower following MP than CP. Average loss of U.S. No. 1 tubers due to weed interference was 12% with MP, compared with 43% with CP. Weed and potato responses to rotation crops differed between years. Weed biomass production was lower in oat than in berseem clover during the 1990 rotation crop phase. In the subsequent 1991 potato crop, yield loss due to weed infestation was 13% following oat, compared with 38% following berseem clover. No difference in weed growth was evident between oat and clover rotation crops in 1992, and there were no rotation crop effects on weed-related yield loss in the subsequent 1993 potato crop. We present a conceptual model that incorporates these data, links weed life stages and crop performance, and illustrates the effects of interference between weed species. The model suggests that, if weed growth in rotation crops can be strongly suppressed, chisel plowing should result in low densities of annual weed species and minimal yield loss in subsequent potato crops.
The enigma of pX: A host-dependent cis-acting element with variable effects on tombusvirus RNA accumulation.

Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) is a small isometric virus that contains a single-stranded RNA genome with five major genes. In this study, we have analyzed the importance of an additional small sixth open reading frame (ORF) of 207 nucleotides, designated pX, which resides at the 3' end of the genome. Bioassays showed that deletions or additions of nucleotides at the 5' end of the pX gene that were designed to disrupt the ORF, or site-specific inactivation of its start codon, all gave rise to TBSV mutants which were unable to accumulate to detectable levels in cucumber or Nicotiana benthamiana protoplasts. Although these results suggested a role for the putative pX protein, introduction of a premature stop codon in the pX gene had no strong negative effect. However, a comparable mutation that affected the same nucleotides without changing the predicted amino acid sequence greatly reduced RNA accumulation. Therefore, we hypothesize that cis-acting RNA sequences within the pX gene, rather than the predicted protein influence genome accumulation. The requirement of the cis-acting pX ORF sequences appears to be host-dependent because comparisons revealed that subtle pX gene mutations that prohibited accumulation of TBSV RNA in cucumber or N. benthamiana, failed to interfere substantially with replication in Chenopodium quinoa protoplasts or plants. Irrespective of the host, the cis-acting pX gene sequences were dispensable on replicase-deficient RNAs that require helper TBSV for replication in trans. In addition, the pX gene was not essential for in vitro translation of replicase proteins from genomic RNA. These results suggest that neither translation nor polymerase activity of the replicase proteins require pX gene sequences. However, it is possible that very early in the replication cycle of genomic RNA in vivo, the pX gene cis-acting element is essential for some other unidentified function which involves interaction with one or more host components whose composition varies slightly between different plants.
A probabilistic framework for acoustic emission source localization in plate-like structures

This paper proposes a probabilistic approach for acoustic emission (AE) source localization in isotropic plate-like structures based on an extended Kalman filter (EKF). The proposed approach consists of two main stages. During the first stage, time-of-flight (TOF) measurements of Lamb waves are carried out by a continuous wavelet transform (CWT), accounting for systematic errors due to the Heisenberg uncertainty; the second stage uses an EKF to iteratively estimate the AE source location and the wave velocity. The advantages of the proposed algorithm over the traditional methods include the capability of: (1) taking into account uncertainties in TOF measurements and wave velocity and (2) efficiently fusing multi-sensor data to perform AE source localization. The performance of the proposed approach is validated through pencil-lead breaks performed on an aluminum plate at systematic grid locations. The plate was instrumented with an array of four piezoelectric transducers in two different configurations.
Dithiocarbamates inhibit hematopoiesis via a copper-dependent mechanism.

Abstract Dithiocarbamates (DTC), an important class of therapeutic and industrial chemicals, have alternatively been reported to be either beneficial or toxic to the hematopoietic and immune systems. In the present study, we investigated the potential of dimethyl- and diethyl-dithiocarbamate to alter clonogenic response of primary human CD34+ bone marrow cells in vitro. Our results demonstrate that both compounds are potent inhibitors of clonogenic response in human CD34+ bone marrow cells, suppressing cytokine-induced colony formation at concentrations between 100 and 500 nM. Pretreatment of bone marrow cells for 1 h with very high doses of DTC (30 μM) had no effect on colony formation. DTCs are known inhibitors of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); however, data presented herein demonstrate that DTC do not inhibit cytokine activation of NF-κB in CD34+ bone marrow cells. Additional experiments demonstrate that DTCs induce a dose-related increase in apoptosis, potentially acting via a cytotoxic mechanism. We further demonstrate that the addition of copper sulfate greatly potentiates the hematotoxicity of DTC and that the addition of a copper-specific chelator completely abrogates DTC clonogenic suppression. These data support a role for copper in DTC-induced hematotoxicity.
On the product of matrix exponentials

Abstract We study the family of positive definite Hermitian matrices of the form (e tB 2 e tA e tB 2 ) 1 t for t > 0, where A and B are Hermitian. In particular, we show that the above matrix family converges to a limit when t → ∞.
Mitochondrial superoxide decreases yeast survival in stationary phase.

Yeast lacking mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) display shortened stationary-phase survival and provide a good model system for studying mitochondrial oxidative damage. We observed a marked decrease in respiratory function preceding stationary-phase death of yeast lacking MnSOD (sod2Delta). Agents (mitochondrial inhibitors) that are known to increase or decrease superoxide production in submitochondrial particles affected stationary-phase survival in a manner inversely correlated with their effects on superoxide production, implicating superoxide in this mitochondrial disfunction. Similar but less-dramatic effects were observed in wild-type yeast. The activities of certain mitochondrial enzymes were particularly affected. In sod2Delta yeast the activity of aconitase, a 4Fe-4S-cluster-containing enzyme located in the matrix, was greatly and progressively decreased as the cells established stationary phase. Succinate dehydrogenase activity also decreased in MnSOD mutants; cytochrome oxidase and ATPase activities did not. Aconitase could be reactivated by addition of materials required for cluster assembly (Fe3+ and a sulfur source), both in extracts and in vivo, indicating that inactivation of the enzyme was by disassembly of the cluster. Our results support the conclusion that superoxide is generated in the mitochondria in vivo and under physiological conditions and that MnSOD is the primary defense against this toxicity. When the balance between superoxide generation and MnSOD activity is disrupted, superoxide mediates iron release from mitochondrial iron-sulfur clusters, leading first to loss of mitochondrial function and then to death, independently of mtDNA damage. These results raise the possibility that similar processes may occur in higher eukaryotes.
Reliability of Sensors Based on Nanowire Networks Operating in a Dynamic Environment

Recent advances in nanotechnology have provided the opportunity to significantly enhance the performance of hydrogen gas nanosensors. Our research focuses on the reliability of one particular nanosensor, a network of ultra small palladium nanowires, which detects hydrogen gas through a change in resistivity. The discrete random variable, representing the lifetime of the nanosensor, is defined as the number of exposures to, or cycles of, hydrogen gas that the nanosensor can withstand before it no longer functions. The nanosensor is modeled, and the reliability is analyzed under the assumption that the nanosensor is performing in an environment where the probability of a nanowire breaking changes after each cycle of hydrogen gas. Nanoscale components present unique difficulties when evaluating the reliability of any device. We attempt to resolve some of these issues by creating a flexible model that allows for the unknown characteristics of the nanosensor to be accounted for. Although this work is motivated by one particular nanosensor, our results can also be applied to assess the reliability of any nanodevice where our proposed model is a reasonable choice.
Echovirus 30 induced neuronal cell death through TRIO-RhoA signaling activation.

Background Echovirus 30 (Echo30) is one of the most frequently identified human enteroviruses (EVs) causing aseptic meningitis and encephalitis. However the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of Echo30 infection with significant clinical outcomes is not completely understood. The aim of this investigation is to illustrate molecular pathologic alteration in neuronal cells induced by Echo30 infection using clinical isolate from young patient with neurologic involvement.