cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for the presence of an unusual nitric oxide- and citrulline-producing enzyme in rat kidney.

Abstract We have found an enzymatic activity obtained from rat kidney capable of producing citrulline and NOx (nitrate and nitrite) which was resistant to inhibition by conventional arginine analogues. This enzyme activity does not require any calcium or calmodulin and was found to be induced during pregnancy. This unique enzyme was found to be tissue and species specific. Another unique feature of this enzyme is that it did not bind to 2′5′-ADP-sepharose under standard conditions. Western blot analysis of the 100,000 g kidney supernatant using monoclonal antibody for macrophage inducible nitric oxide synthase failed to produce a band for inducible nitric oxide synthase. HPLC and capillary ion analysis for nitrate and nitrite (NOx) showed clear peaks for [3H] L-citrulline and NOx, respectively, which were not changed either in the absence of calcium and calmodulin or in the presence of 300 μM S-ethylisothiourea, which has been shown to be a very potent and selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase with a Ki of about 14.7 nM. These results suggest the possible existence of another isoform of nitric oxide synthase with very distinct properties from the known isoforms.
Effect of exposure time and copper concentration on reproduction of the fathead minnow (Pimephales Promelas)

Three concurrent studies were conducted to determine the chronic effect of prespawning exposure to various concentrations of copper on fathead minnow reproduction. Copper was introduced into the three exposure systems to give 6-, 3-, and 0-months exposure prior to spawning. Prespawning exposure time had no significant effect on reproduction. Number of eggs produced per female decreased, however, with increase in copper concentrations. Egg production at copper concentrations of 37 ..mu..g l/sup -1/ and higher was significantly lower (P = 0.05) than in the control, but at concentrations of 24 ..mu..g l/sup -1/ and lower it was not different. The maximum acceptable toxicant concentrations (MATC) was estimated to be 32 ..mu..g Cu l/sup -1/, which is 0.07 of the 96 h LC/sub 50/. This application factor for copper is similar to those found in other studies.
Notes on the transportation of silt by streams

Several recent papers on the transportation of bed-load and suspended material by flowing water have included assumptions or theories which are in disagreement either with fundamental mechanical principles or with experimental results. Since a number of experimental programs are in progress, a discussion of these problems may be of some value in the interpretation of results. Gilbert has described the stages in the transportation of silt as beginning with rolling motion which develops into saltation and finally becomes suspension. Attempts to separate bedload from suspended material must depend upon an arbitrary definition and in the following notes the two phases are treated concurrently.
A technique for dynamic proportional multiaxial compression on soft materials

A novel experimental technique for imposing proportional dynamic confining pressure on specimens subjected to high strain rate compression was developed. A description of the experimental technique and experimental results on two polymeric materials are presented. The axial compression is provided by an aluminum split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The test section of the SHPB, together with the specimen, is sealed inside a small, fluid-filled pressure vessel. Upon axial loading, the shortened specimen results in a reduction in fluid volume, thereby generating lateral confining pressure on the specimen. This dynamic confining pressure is proportional to the axial loading on the specimen, with the proportionality depending on the properties and dimensions of the fluid and the specimen. Experimental results show that under dynamic confinement, the compressive strength of soft specimens increases significantly even at low strains as compared with unconfined cases at high strain rates.
A continuum damage failure model for hydraulic fracturing of porous rocks

Abstract A continuum damage mechanics (CDM) based constitutive model has been developed to describe elastic, plastic and damage behavior of porous rocks. The pressure sensitive inelastic deformation of porous rocks together with their damage mechanisms are studied for drained and undrained conditions. Fracture mechanics of microcrack and micro-void nucleation and their coalescence are incorporated into the formulation of the CDM models to accurately capture different failure modes of rocks. A fracture mechanics based failure criterion is also incorporated to accurately capture the post fracture crack advances in the case of progressive failures. The performance of the developed elastoplastic and CDM models are compared with the available experimental data and then the models are introduced into a commercial software package through user-defined subroutines. The hydraulic fractures growth in a reservoir rock is then investigated; in which the effect of injection pressure is studied and the simulations are compared with the available solutions in the literature. The developed CDM model outperforms the traditional fracture mechanics approaches by removing stress singularities at the fracture tips and simulation of progressive fractures without any essential need for remeshing. This model would provide a robust tool for modeling hydraulic fracture growth using conventional elements of FEA with a computational cost less than similar computational techniques like cohesive element methods.
Incorporating Constraints to Software System Survivability Specification and Proof

In component-based and model-driven approaches for software engineering, any software components or sub-systems acquired from external sources must meet a user's criteria to ascertain that they will not compromise the survivability properties of the existing systems. In this paper, we study survivability compliance specification and verification in a proof-carrying scenario: a user defines survivability requirements for a software system to be acquired or linked to the existing systems. The system provider compiles a proof, which is sent to the user who simply needs to check it. We present a new formalism, i.e., a constraint annotated logic in which arbitrary user requirements and constraints for system survivability features can be rep-resented and reasoned. We provide a formal design of a constraint domain and extend a proof-carrying survivability logic so that user-defined constraints can be enforced by prohibiting logical inferences that would violate these constraints. In our model, the interplay between a constraint domain and the logical reasoning process is directly supported by the logic rules. Experiments and analysis show that the proposed model is a powerful formalism in reasoning hybrid domains between users' constrained requirements and system survivability properties.
Design and Operation of Laboratory Combustion Tubes

Experimental work on the combustion oil-recovery process has consisted of both laboratory and field studies. Although field experiments are the ultimate test of any oil recovery process, they are costly, time consuming, and difficult to analyze quantitatively. Laboratory combustion tube experiments can be operated far more rapidly and cheaply, but are subject to scaling and interpretation problems. Although much has been published on results of laboratory combustion tube experiments, very little detail concerning equipment design, operation, and analysis of results is available. An analytical heat model of movement of a burning fron axially along a cylinder with heat loss through an annular insulation was developed. The result was used to identify steady-state temperature distributions both ahead of and behind the burning front, with and without heat loss from the equipment. (16 refs.)
The impact of state economic differentials on household welfare and labor force behavior

Abstract This paper calculates state-specific income expectations for low-income households, using a simultaneous model of household labor force and welfare participation decisions. A variety of simulations indicate the interlocking effects of existing state differences in welfare, wages and taxes on work/welfare choices and income. Significant differences among similar households in different states occur. Equalization of welfare benefits eliminates some but not all of these differences, but generates potentially serious policy problems for the states.
Renal Erythropoietic Factor (REF). VIII. Effect of Exogenous Erythropoietin (ESF) on the endogenous production of the ESF and REF

Abstract Large doses of erythropoietin (ESF) injected into rats inhibit the rise in endogenous ESF induced by hypoxia. No significant alterations in activity of the renal erythropoietic factor (REF) accompany this depressive action on endogenous ESF. A possibility requiring testing is that the negative feedback action of ESF is exerted on the plasma substrate for the REF.
A Feminist Critique of Rational-Choice Theories: Implications for Sociology

I consider the relationship between two currents affecting sociology, rational-choice theory and interdisciplinary feminist theory. In particular, I consider how the feminist critique of the separative model of self applies to one version of rational-choice theory, neoclassical economics. In discussing this I identify four assumptions of neoclassical economics: selfishness; interpersonal utility comparisons are impossible; tastes are exogenous and unchanging; and individuals are rational. I argue that each of these harmonizes best with a view of separate rather than connected selves, and that this imbalance distorts theories, particularly those that claim to understand women’s experience. These distorting assumptions are less prevalent in sociology than in economics, but some of them are implicit in some versions of sociological rational-choice and exchange theories. I conclude by using research on marital power to illustrate how removing distorting assumptions and bringing questions about separation/connection to center stage can help illuminate sociological research.
Relationship of phosphoenolpyruvate transport, acyl coenzyme A inhibition of adenine nucleotide translocase and calcium ion efflux in guinea pig heart mitochondria.

Abstract The transport of phosphoenolpyruvate by the adenine nucleotide translocase system of heart mitochondria may be directly involved in the mechanism of phosphoenolpyruvate-induced calcium ion efflux. In contrast to liver mitochondria, the transport of phosphoenolpyruvate via the tricarboxylate carrier system is low or absent in heart mitochondria. The translocation of phosphoenolpyruvate which catalyzed adenine nucleotide and calcium efflux from heart mitochondria was inhibited by palmitoyl-CoA as well as atractylate and ATP. These results suggest that phosphoenolpyruvate, which is preferentially transported on the tricarboxylate carrier of liver mitochondria, is transported primarily via the adenine nucleotide translocase system in heart mitochondria. As a result of its inward transport, phosphoenolpyruvate is able to catalyze calcium ion as well as adenine nucleotide efflux from the mitochondrial matrix. Although not yet proven, either or both phosphoenolpyruvate and long chain acyl-CoA esters may act as natural physiological effectors in the regulation and distribution of intracellular calcium.
Bridge condition assessment from dynamic response collected using wireless sensor networks

We propose dynamic response based condition assessment of prestressed box beam (PSBB) bridges that will be more realistic and cost-efficient. The hypothesis includes that the dynamic response is a sensitive indicator of the physical integrity and condition of a structure. We deployed two wireless sensor networks for collecting the real-time dynamic response of a 25-year old PSBB bridge under trucks with variable loads and speeds. The dynamic response of the bridge at its newest condition was collected from FE simulations of its 3-D FE models mimicking field conditions. The FE model was validated using experimental and theoretical methods. We used Fast Fourier Transform and peak-picking method to determine peak amplitudes and their corresponding fundamental frequencies at its newest and current condition. The analyses interestingly indicate a 37% reduction in its fundamental frequency over a 25-year service life. This reduction has been correlated to its current visual inspection to develop application software for quick and efficient condition assessment of PSBB bridges. The research outcome will provide an efficient and cost-effective solution for bridge inspection and maintenance.
SOLVING TANGLE EQUATIONS ARISING IN A DNA RECOMBINATION MODEL

In the tangle model for DNA site-specific recombination, one is required to solve simultaneous equations for unknown tangles which are summands of observed DNA knots and links. For 0[les ]i[les ]3, given fixed 4-plats Ki where the set {K1, K2, K3} contains at least two distinct 4-plats, let O and R denote unknown 2-string tangles such that {O, R} are the variables in the system of four tangle equations N(O+iR)=Ki, where N is the numerator construction, and nR denotes the tangle sum of n copies of R. Then there is at most one simultaneous solution {O, R} and this solution must be of the form R an integral tangle and O either a rational tangle or the sum of two rational tangles. In addition, if there exists a solution, then at least one of the 4-plats is chiral. We exhibit an algorithm for solving simultaneous tangle equations of this form.
Magnetic properties of nanosize iron clusters

Isolated, monodisperse {alpha}-Fe clusters between 1.4 and 15 nm in diameter were prepared inside inverse micelles using an oil-continuous, nonaqueous system. The magnetic properties of these clusters were studied in a SQUID magnetometer as a function of cluster size, temperature and applied magnetic field. The blocking temperature, coercive field and remanent moment of 12.5 nm Fe clusters in inverse micelles are significantly lower than those reported for clusters of similar {alpha}-Fe core size but with a surface oxide. The novel synthesis technique may yield metallic clusters with essentially intrinsic magnetic properties.
Naloxone potentiates ACTH and angiotension II but not potassium stimulated aldosterone secretion, in vitro

Abstract The effects of naloxone on basal and ACTH, Angiotensin II (AII) and [K + ] o stimulated aldosterone secretion from superfused rat adrenocortical tissue were investigated. A high dose (10 −6 M) of naloxone inhibited while a smaller dose (10 −10 M) potentiated and doses of 10 −8 or 10 −12 M naloxone were without an effect on ACTH stimulated aldosterone secretion. A potentiation of AII stimulated aldosterone secretion was observed beginning 2 hrs after 10 −6 or 10 −10 M naloxone was administered while no effect was observed with 10 −4 M naloxone. No effects of 10 −6 , 10 −8 , 10 −12 M naloxone were detected on aldosterone secretion stimulated by transiently elevating extracellular potassium. Naloxone from 10 −4 to 10 −12 M did not appear to significantly influence basal steroidogenic activity under these conditions. These findings demonstrate that the “opioid antagonist” naloxone has prominent actions on adrenocortical tissue. Both the specificity and lack of specificity of the action of this agent to influence the activity of the 3 secretagogues suggest that naloxone and possibly a naturally occurring endogenous ligand interacts with one or more membrane receptor distinct from the ACTH receptor. A naturally occurring ligand for this receptor could play a prominent role in the physiological regulation of adrenal steroid secretion.
Memory T cells.

Memory. is the diary that we all carry about with us. Oscar Wilde, ‘‘The Importance of Being Earnest’’ And so it is with the immune system. Memory T cells are a critical component of the adaptive immune system. Our ability to respond rapidly to antigens/ pathogens that we have been exposed to previously is at the heart of the adaptive immune system. In general, these memory T cells allow protection of the host to pathogens that the individual has previously encountered and/or been vaccinated against. The secondary response is rapid and more potent, leading to a rapid clearance of the offending agent. Not surprisingly, this population has also been explored in their contribution to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
Surface state and surface recombination velocity characteristics of Si-SiO 2 interfaces

A new device has been used to study the surface recombination velocity and surface state characteristics of Si-SiO 2 interfaces. The device consists of an epitaxially-formed junction diode. When the junction is forward-biased, minority carriers are injected from the heavily-doped substrate into the lightly-doped epitaxial region. The thickness of the epitaxial region is much less than the diffusion length for minority carriers. Thus, the diode current for a given junction forward bias is directly proportional to surface recombination velocity at the Si-SioO 2 interface. A gate electrode over the SiO 2 has been included to vary surface potential. Thus, this new device permits one to simultaneously study MOS capacitance-voltage characteristics as well as surface recombination velocity. The capacitance-voltage characterics indicate the surface states exhibit a quasi-continuous energy distribution. N-type surfaces exhibited donor levels lying in the range of ∼0.15 to ∼0.45 eV above the valence band; their density was found to vary from ∼5 × 1012to 5 × 1013states/cm2/eV. In contrast, p-type surfaces exhibited acceptor levels lying in the range of ∼0.15 to ∼0.45 eV below the conduction band; their density was comparable to those observed on n-type surfaces. The maximum value of surface recombination velocity was found to vary from 3 × 103to > 104cm/s. Surface recombination velocity was found to correlate directly with surface state density.
DOE geosciences research

The Department of Energy (DOE) supports research in the geosciences at 25 university campuses as well as at the national laboratories and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Funds for the program have grown sharply since 1969, when the total for university research amounted to $483,000. The last 3 years have seen major funding increases. The total was $3,026 million in 1981, $3,141 million in 1982, and $4,519 million in 1983. Grants to individual investigators ranged from a low of about $40,000 to a high of about $337,013 in fiscal year 1983, and the average grant for that year was about $130,000.
Scientific needs for accurate time‐service

Many important lines of investigation involve the accurate measurement of time and the overall precision of the work may in fact rest upon the precision with which measurement of time can he carried out. Examples are to be found in the determination of longitude, in the measurement of the rate of propagation of seismic disturbances, and in isostatic problems involving a precise determination of the acceleration of gravity at various paints over the Earth's surface. To these examples may be added the many uses of time by the physicist, which broadly speaking center around the measurement of frequencies, velocities, and accelerations.
Viability by MRI or PET would not have changed the results of the STICH trial

The assessment of myocardial viability in the Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy did not identify patients who had a survival benefit from coronary artery bypass grafting compared to medical therapy alone. Viability testing was performed with either single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), dobutamine echocardiography (DE), or both. The question has been raised as to whether the addition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET) imaging may have changed these results. Comparisons of the important similarities and differences of these viability imaging techniques, as well as of the design and limitations of the STICH viability substudy, suggest that the addition of MRI or PET imaging for viability assessment would not change the study results. The results of the STICH viability substudy are probably not a reflection of the modality of viability testing used, but rather an indication of the substantive effect of optimal medical therapy.
The Evaluation of Persons Seeking and Volunteering Information Under Cooperative and Competitive Conditions

Summary The evaluation of a person seeking or volunteering information in cooperatively or competitively oriented problem solving groups was investigated in 63 white and black, male and female, high school and college students. It was hypothesized that under cooperative conditions the seeking of information would be evaluated more positively than would the volunteering of information, while under competitive conditions the volunteering of information would be evaluated more positively than would the seeking of information. A highly trained confederate (C) engaged in either the seeking of information or the volunteering of information in four-person problem solving groups in which Ss were either cooperatively or competitively oriented. Ss rated Cs on eight bipolar scales. The results confirmed the hypothesis.
Radiative characteristics of fire fighters' coat fabrics

The implications of the results of spectral reflectance measurements reported here are considered for thermal protection and comfort of clothing worn by fire fighters.
A comparative study of neural and mesenchymal stem cell-based carriers for oncolytic adenovirus in a model of malignant glioma.

Glioblastoma multiforme is a primary malignancy of the central nervous system that is universally fatal due to its disseminated nature. Recent investigations have focused on the unique tumor-tropic properties of stem cells as a novel platform for targeted delivery of anticancer agents to the brain. Neural stem cells (NSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) both have the potential to function as cell carriers for targeted delivery of a glioma restricted oncolytic virus to disseminated tumor due to their reported tumor tropism. In this study, we evaluated NSCs and MSCs as cellular delivery vehicles for an oncolytic adenovirus in the context of human glioma. We report the first preclinical comparison of the two cell lines and show that, while both stem cell lines are able to support therapeutic adenoviral replication intracellularly, the amount of virus released from NSCs was a log higher than the MSC (p < 0.001). Moreover, only virus loaded NSCs that were administered intracranially in an orthotopic glioma ...
Directed block copolymer self-assembly for nanoelectronics fabrication

This paper provides an overview of directed self-assembly (DSA) options that exhibit potential for enabling extensible high-volume patterning of nanoelectronics devices. It describes the current set of research requirements, which a DSA technology must satisfy to warrant insertion consideration, and summarizes the state-of-the art. The primary focus is on chemical patterning and graphoepitaxial approaches to directing block copolymer (BCP) based assembly. These options exhibit the nearest-term potential, among the emerging DSA technologies, for satisfying projected International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) patterning requirements. The paper concludes with a selected set of additional challenges, which represent potential barriers to the integration of directed BCP patterning into a nanoelectronics manufacturing line, as well as a few emerging application opportunities for related functional materials. A glossary of acronyms and terms may be found at the end of this manuscript.
Books in Print: indispensable or unnecessary for academic library collection development?

Purpose – ‐‐ This article aims to determine if, given the current economic climate in higher education, academic libraries are still using the database Books in Print (BIP) as a collection development tool.Design/methodology/approach ‐‐ The article discusses a survey distributed to the Learning Times Library Online Community; Marylib, the list‐serv for the Maryland Library Association; ili‐l, the American Library Association's Information Literacy Instruction Discussion List; and Libref‐l, sponsored by Kent State for Reference Librarians. Participants responded to a series of questions about whether they use BIP as a collection development tool; whether they use other resources and, if so, what they are; and if the BIP database was dropped, why this decision was made.Findings ‐‐ Many academic libraries have dropped BIP and are using a variety of resources to find book reviews, pricing, and availability information. Only a slightly lower percentage of academic libraries have kept the database and use it as an important collection development tool.Research limitations/implications ‐‐ The sample size was relatively small.Originality/value ‐‐ This survey and subsequent article fill a gap in the literature – no other survey results could be found that addressed changes in academic libraries' perception of BIP as the “go to” source for collection development.
The Sun in Time

This book describes the Sun as it is today and in yesteryear, through several centuries of solar measurements, several past millennia of tree-ring and ice-core records, and geological time scales of a few hundred million years. The book contains thirty-six review papers from eighty-three collaborating authors who are experts in their fields. The papers are grouped into six parts: the Sun, energetic particles, isotopes, the Sun and climate, the early Sun, and solar-like stars. The Sun in Time is part of the University of Arizona's space science series and is based on a workshop held from March 6 to 10, 1989, in Tucson. Some of the workshop's contributed papers and many of the invited talks were incorporated into the book. (Some subjects, such as tree-ring research, are underrepresented.) Since space science series papers undergo extensive review, The Sun in Time is clearly more polished than most conference proceedings.
Reply to the ‘Opinion on “Worldwide health effects of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident”’ by B. Richter, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, DOI:10.1039/c2ee22658h”

We thank Dr Burton Richter (herein, BR) for his comments on our paper (herein TJ12). We would like to respond briefly to only a few of them.
Regulation of cytokine expression by Schwann cells in response to α2-macroglobulin binding to LRP1.

Schwann cells play an important role in injury to the peripheral nervous system (PNS). These cells de-differentiate, migrate, and secrete cytokines and chemokines involved in recruitment of inflammatory cells (Jessen and Mirsky, 1999; Campana, 2007). Recruited macrophages are essential to clear irreversibly damaged debris so that Schwann cells may establish extracellular scaffolds and direct regenerating axons (Stoll and Muller, 1999). Although the molecular mediators that promote macrophage recruitment remain incompletely understood, monocyte chemattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL-2) is known to play a central role (Martini et al., 2008). Shortly after PNS injury, the type-1 transmembrane protein LDL receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1) is substantially up-regulated in Schwann cells (Campana et al., 2006). LRP1 functions as a broad-spectrum endocytic receptor for diverse ligands and as a phagocytic receptor for apoptotic cells and degenerated myelin debris (Strickland et al., 2002; Kinchen and Ravichandran, 2007; Gaultier et al., 2009). In Schwann cells, LRP1 also functions as a robust cell-signaling receptor. Ligand binding to LRP1 activates ERK/MAP kinase and Akt, promoting Schwann cell survival and migration (Campana et al., 2006; Mantuano et al., 2008a,b). Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) are examples of proteases implicated in the response to PNS injury (La Fleur et al., 1996; Akassoglou et al., 2000; Kobayashi et al., 2008), which bind directly to LRP1 and activate LRP1-dependent cell signaling (Hu et al., 2006; Mantuano et al., 2008b; Shi et al., 2009). Other proteases may bind to the protease inhibitor α2-macroglobulin (α2M) and trigger α2M conformational change so that the complex becomes a high-affinity ligand for LRP1 (Barrett and Starkey, 1973; Barrett et al., 1979; Imber and Pizzo, 1981; Sottrup-Jensen, 1989; Strickland et al., 2002). By this pathway, diverse proteases, including those that do not bind directly to LRP1, may trigger LRP1-dependent Schwann cell signaling. The goal of this study was to determine whether the cell-signaling pathways activated by ligand binding to LRP1, which are known to promote cell survival and migration, also regulate expression of chemokines and cytokines by Schwann cells. We performed these studies with primary cultures of rat Schwann cells. Our results demonstrate that binding of activated α2M to LRP1 substantially increases expression of MCP-1. This response is selective, because α2M does not induce expression of the potent proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which is expressed by Schwann cells in response to other mediators in vivo and in vitro (Campana, 2007). The increase in MCP-1 expression was dependent on ERK/MAP kinase activation downstream of LRP1 (Mantuano et al., 2008a). These results support a model in which LRP1-dependent cell signaling contributes to a wide spectrum of activities demonstrated by Schwann cells in PNS injury.
Growth of Mycoplasma bovis in organ cultures of bovine foetal trachea and comparison with Mycoplasma dispar.

Abstract Inoculation of tracheal organ cultures from bovine foetuses with Mycoplasma bovis resulted in a loss of cellular structure of the lamina propria, followed 20–22 days later by lifting and detachment of overlying epithelium. The effect was associated with large numbers of M. bovis , identified by immunoperoxidase labelling and electromicroscopy, infiltrating between the epithelial cells and amassing in the lamina propria, especially in the region of the basement membrane of the epithelium. Ciliary activity was undiminished for up to 18 days following inoculation and little or no cytopathic effect on the ciliated epithelium was seen in spite of the close proximity of large numbers of organisms. In contrast, M. dispar was restricted to the margin of the ciliated epithelium where, as previously reported, it caused pyknosis, sloughing and flattening of the epithelium with consequent loss of ciliary activity. The cytopathology observed for each mycoplasma bore a close similarity to the behaviour of the two mycoplasmas in vivo and it is suggested that the organ culture system may be a useful and relevant system to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms for each mycoplasma.
Establishing public policy to protect critical infrastructure: Finding a balance between exposure and cost in Los Angeles County

Abstract This paper examines the problem of critical infrastructure protection in urban environments and provides a mechanism for evaluating the performance allocated resources on defense of the region. In the devised formulation, a bi-level mixed integer program and hypercube queuing model compose the mathematical model used to represent the concept of critical infrastructure protection between an attacker and a defender operating within the urban environment and an experimental design is used as the basis for observing salient properties and trends. Applying the model within Los Angeles County, California, results demonstrate the trade-offs observed in various protection schemes and illustrate how continuously increasing defense resources does not guarantee a safer region. The implication of detection strategy on response capability is also assessed through the case study, illustrating the importance of balance when deriving solutions. We also show how the mathematical model may be used to support research and development in defense technologies by identifying resource characteristics that strongly influence infrastructure protection.
Optimizing patient response to oral erectogenic pharmacotherapy

The treatment of erectile dysfunction is complicated and challenging by virtue of the fact that physicians are not only treating one individual, they are affecting the quality of life of the individual and his sexual partner(s). Variables affecting the outcome of treatment range from the efficacy of the treatment, social factors, patient motivation, patient and partner preconceived notions and expectations (realistic and unrealistic), and physician attitudes toward the patient, the condition, and treating the problem. This article examines these variables in order to increase physician awareness of the challenges so as to more effectively treat erectile dysfunction.
Complex path integrals and finite temperature

Abstract A general non-perturbative approach to functional integrals describing systems possessing both thermal and quantum fluctuations is presented. The partition function is evaluated in the semiclassical limit by enlarging the class of paths in the functional integral to include complex-valued solutions of the classical equations of motion. Semiclassical energy eigenvalues, including tunnelling effects associated with decay of false vacua, can be obtained in this way for all states, not just the ground state. In this approach the imaginary part of an energy eigenvalue of an unstable state is directly related to physical boundary conditions at infinity; these results are compared to earlier attempts (fate of the false vacuum) to compute decay rates of metastable systems, involving an analytic continuation prescription for a negative mode of the second-order fluctuation operator. Use of complex-valued solutions obviates the need to employ the dilute-gas approximation which is generally invalid at finite temperature. The new method is checked by one-dimensional examples, and then extended to field theory, where a general expression for the partition function of a field theory is given in terms of stability angles about a complex classical solution.
On Sandwich Beams with Laminate Facings and Honeycomb Cores Subjected to Hygrothermal Loads: Part II-Application:

The general results for the sandwich beam with laminate facings and honey comb core obtained in Part I are applied to specific problems in this paper. As an example, a simply supported beam under a uniformly distributed load is considered. In addition to a mechanical load, the beam is subjected to hygrothermal loads as well. The behavior of various stiffness coefficients, pertinent parameters, and the distribution of stresses across the laminate facings for varying core thickness and facing orientations are presented graphically.
Progestin treatment of atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated carcinoma of the endometrium in women under age 40.

Abstract Objective: To determine the efficacy of conservative management of atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated carcinoma of the endometrium in women under age 40. Methods: Pathology records were searched to identify women under age 40 diagnosed with atypical hyperplasia or well-differentiated carcinoma of the endometrium between January 1990 and January 1996. All available biopsy, curettage, and hysterectomy specimens were reviewed. Follow-up was obtained from the patients’ gynecologists. Results: Sixty-seven records were identified. Atypical hyperplasia was found in 32 patients and well-differentiated carcinoma in 35 patients. Seven patients were excluded from analysis; four declined all treatment and follow-up, and three received no further treatment or tissue sampling from their physicians. Among 27 remaining patients with atypical hyperplasia, eight underwent hysterectomy, two were treated with ovulation induction, and 17 were treated with progestins, of whom 16 had regression of their lesions, and one had a persistent lesion. Among 33 women with well-differentiated carcinoma, 19 underwent hysterectomy, one was treated with bromocriptine, one was treated with oral contraceptives, and 12 were treated with progestins, of whom nine had regression of their lesions and three had persistent lesions. The median length of treatment required for a regression was 9 months. At a mean follow-up of 40 months, all patients were alive and well without evidence of progressive disease. Twenty-five women attempted to become pregnant, and five delivered healthy, full-term infants. Conclusion: Treatment of atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated carcinoma of the endometrium with progestins appears to be a safe alternative to hysterectomy in women under age 40.
Minefield overwatch using moving target indicator radar

Traditional antipersonnel land mines are an effective military tool, but they are unable to distinguish friend from foe, or civilian from military personnel. The concept described here uses an advanced moving target indicator (MTI) radar to scan the minefield in order to detect movement towards or within the minefield, coupled with visual identification by a human operator and a communication link for command and control. Selected mines in the minefield can then be activated by means of the command link. In order to demonstrate this concept, a 3D, interactive simulation has been developed. This simulation builds on previous work by integrating a detailed analytical model of an MTI radar. This model has been tailored to the specific application of detection of slowly moving dismounted entities immersed in ground clutter. The model incorporates the effects of internal scatterer motion and antenna scanning modulation in order to provide a realistic representation of the detection problem in this environment. The angle information on the MTI target detection is then passed to a virtual 3D sight which cues a human operator to the target location. In addition, radar propagation effects and an experimental design in which the radar itself is used as a command link are explored.
Calculated energy levels for 92Mo and 94Ru

Abstract Previous energy level calculations for N = 50 nuclei have been extended to include the levels for 94 Ru and higher-lying odd-parity states in 92 Mo. The results of these calculations are compared with recent experimental data for levels in these nuclei.
Political Parties and Public Pensions: A Quantitative Analysis

This article analyses pooled time series and cross-sections data for pension expenditure in advanced industnal democracies from 1958 to 1986, and cross-sectional data for pension quality and the distributive effect of pensions for 1980. Contrary to previous studies, it demonstrates significant effects of the party political composition of governments ; both Christian democratic and social democratic incumbency are positively associated with pension expenditure Only social democratic incumbency is associated with pension quality and less inequality and poverty among the elderly Aspects of state structure which facilitate access of relatively small groups to the policy-making process are negatively associated with quality of pensions and their distributive effects. The article explains the discrepancies between this and earlier studies, and it explores the reasons for the differences in the determinants of pension expenditure and those of overall welfare state expenditure.
Delayed in vitro utilization of glucose by Leishmania tropica promastigotes.

SYNOPSIS Leishmania tropica promastigotes do not utilize glucose provided in the medium until late log phase. Rapid depletion of glucose from the medium, however, occurs during late log and stationary phases. At about the same time, the cells show maximal rates of glucose uptake as well as peak levels of phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase activities. The glucose analog, 2-deoxy-D-glucose inhibits glucose transport. Incorporation of this analog in the growth medium results in inhibition of growth. The hexokinase of L. tropica phosphorylates 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Pyruvate kinase is activated by fructose-1, 6-diphosphate and adenosine monophosphate.
Carbohydrate modifications of the NDV fusion protein heptad repeat domains influence maturation and fusion activity.

Abstract The amino acid sequence of the fusion protein (F) of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has six potential N-linked glycosylation addition sites, five in the ectodomain (at amino acids 85, 191, 366, 447, and 471) and one in the cytoplasmic domain at amino acid 542. Two of these sites, at positions 191 and 471, are within heptad repeat (HR) domains implicated in fusion activity of the protein. To determine glycosylation site usage as well as the function of added carbohydrate, each site was mutated by substituting alanine for the serine or threonine in the addition signal. The sizes of the resulting mutant proteins, expressed in Cos cells, showed that sites at amino acids 85, 191, 366, and 471 are used. This conclusion was verified by comparing sizes of mutant proteins missing all four used sites with that of unglycosylated F protein. The role of each added oligosaccharide in the structure and function of the F protein was determined by characterizing stability, proteolytic cleavage, surface expression, and fusion activity of the mutant proteins. Elimination of the site in F 2 at amino acid 85 had the most detrimental effect, decreasing cleavage, stability, and surface expression as well as fusion activity. The protein missing the site at 191, at the carboxyl terminus of the HR1 domain, also showed modestly reduced surface expression and negligible fusion activity. Proteins missing sites at 366 and 471 (within HR2) were expressed at nearly wild-type levels but had decreased fusion activity. These results suggest that all carbohydrate side chains, individually, influence the folding or activity of the NDV F protein. Importantly, carbohydrate modifications of the HR domains impact fusion activity of the protein.
The oncogenic effect of sulfatase 2 in human hepatocellular carcinoma is mediated in part by glypican 3–dependent Wnt activation

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) act as coreceptors or storage sites for growth factors and cytokines such as fibroblast growth factor and Wnts. Glypican 3 (GPC3) is the most highly expressed HSPG in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sulfatase 2 (SULF2), an enzyme with 6-O-desulfatase activity on HSPGs, is up-regulated in 60% of primary HCCs and is associated with a worse prognosis. We have previously shown that the oncogenic effect of SULF2 in HCC may be mediated in part through up-regulation of GPC3. Here we demonstrate that GPC3 stimulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and mediates the oncogenic function of SULF2 in HCC. Wnt signaling in vitro and in vivo was assessed in SULF2-negative Hep3B HCC cells transfected with SULF2 and in SULF2-expressing Huh7 cells transfected with short hairpin RNA targeting SULF2. The interaction between GPC3, SULF2, and Wnt3a was assessed by coimmunoprecipitation and flow cytometry. β-catenin–dependent transcriptional activity was assessed with the TOPFLASH (T cell factor reporter plasmid) luciferase assay. In HCC cells, SULF2 increased cell surface GPC3 and Wnt3a expression, stabilized β-catenin, and activated T cell factor transcription factor activity and expression of the Wnt/β-catenin target gene cyclin D1. Opposite effects were observed in SULF2-knockdown models. In vivo, nude mouse xenografts established from SULF2-transfected Hep3B cells showed enhanced GPC3, Wnt3a, and β-catenin levels. Conclusion: Together, these findings identify a novel mechanism mediating the oncogenic function of SULF2 in HCC that includes GPC3-mediated activation of Wnt signaling via the Wnt3a/glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta axis. (HEPATOLOGY 2010;)
State of the Art Survey of Reference Sources in Classical Music

Harold Samuel, music librarian and professor of music at Yale University, provides an excellent overview of the growth and development of musicology and the implications for library music collections in his recent article “Music and the Music Library” (Library Trends, April, 1977, pp. 833–845.). He notes that the musicologist's narrow emphasis on the “serious music” of Western Europe has broadened to include serious study of ethnomusicology, popular music, “serious” music of the United States, and musical performance. While my survey does not cover popular music, the growing importance of the other three areas is reflected in the best reference books of the past year.
On the choice of a wavelet for signal coding and processing

It is argued that a good wavelet for representing a given signal is one that leads to a compact representation of the signal up to a given scale. Unfortunately, minimizing the distance between a given signal and its approximation up to a given scale using any wavelet is a difficult optimization problem. Instead, a tight upper bound on that distance is developed. The bound is an explicit function of the discrete set of coefficients defining the wavelet. By minimizing this upper bound one then obtains a good wavelet for representing the given signal. >
The information age and the printing press: looking backward to see ahead

INTRODUCTION We are in the midst of the “Information Age.” Pundits have proclaimed it for years; articles in the popular press have plumbed its implications for every imaginable enterprise;2 businesses are enamored with it; on-line and print magazines are devoted to it; government is wrestling with it, movies have been made about it; people are talking about it--can there be any doubt? So, where will it all lead and why should we care? And what exactly is the Information Age anyway? It is my intent in this paper to describe a way to think about what the Information Age is and where it will lead. And, put succinctly, we should all care because that way of thinking suggests the Information Age is likely to have profound effects throughout society--even if the specific effects are hard to see at this point. But I'm getting ahead of myself. At this point I want to suggest that it is both important and difficult to see where the information age might lead. Important, not least, because gargantuan fortunes are there to be made for those who see the future clearly. Important also, because information is affecting a wide variety of human enterprises in significant ways (businesses are "flattening" and globalizing; people are buying faxes, cell phones and computers; schools are wiring themselves in anticipation; governments are scrambling to handle information age problems, etc.). It is difficult to see where the information age is leading primarily because the technologies fueling it are still being developed and at a furious rate. It is difficult also because of the breadth of the impact of information technologies to date. With so many areas of society being affected, many effects are transitory, many are insignificant, some are contradictory and some are even undesirable. Because or perhaps in spite of both the importance and difficulty of addressing the future of the information age, there has been no shortage of attempts to do so. These attempts break down roughly into three categories. The first contains those who would project from the capabilities generated by information technology where
Abnormalities of the fetal bladder

This review aims to outline the management of a fetus in whom a distended bladder or an absent bladder has been identified during prenatal fetal screening. The causes, pre-delivery and immediate post-delivery treatment options are discussed, as well as prognosis.