cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overview of allergic rhinitis

Background Allergic rhinitis is the most common chronic condition seen in the outpatient practice of medicine. Its incidence is rising in parallel with other IgE-mediated diseases, affecting 10 to 30% of adults and up to 40% of children. Half the patients with allergic rhinitis experience symptoms up to 4 months per year, whereas 20% are symptomatic more than 9 months of the year. This disease is often associated with asthma, sinusitis, and otitis media. Objective To review the literature concerning the evaluation and treatment of allergic rhinitis. Data Sources Epidemiologic, pathophysiologic, and clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals concerning the topic of allergic rhinitis. Results Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis is based on patient history, signs and symptoms, physical examination, and appropriate testing procedures. Management includes aggressive environmental control measures to reduce exposure to implicated allergens, immunotherapy that can change the potential clinical course of allergic rhinitis by preventing the initiation and progression of airway inflammation, and pharmacotherapeutic management, including antihistamines and topical nasal corticosteroids. Conclusions Early recognition and management of allergic rhinitis, which include allergen avoidance, immunotherapy, and pharmacologic treatment, can prevent serious complications and significantly improve the patient's quality of life.
Solution for Rational Expectation Models Free of Complex Numbers

This paper approaches the problem of the potential for complex-valued solutions within linear macroeconomic models with rational expectations. It finds that these problems are associated with a specific solution method for the underlying model. The paper establishes that the danger of complex-valued solutions always can be eliminated by forcing those solutions to fulfill additional constraints. These constraints are essentially restrictions on the degrees of freedoms in indeterminate solutions.
Improving Indoor Positioning Accuracy with Dense, Cooperating Beacons

Abstract We improve indoor positioning location accuracy by opportunistically enlisting wireless client devices to temporarily serve as unmanaged beacons (or access points). A two-phase positioning scheme is proposed; in the initial phase, a target node and its neighbors are located using managed APs with known locations. In the second phase, the target node's position is refined by neighbor nodes with uncertain locations serving as short-range wireless beacons themselves. Through simulations and analysis we explore the geographic conditions and noise models under which exploiting the availability of unmanaged beacons can improve location accuracy. We argue that as the spatial density of wireless devices grows, it is increasingly desirable to call on a preferred subset of neighbor nodes with uncorrelated anchor errors to serve as beacons to improve location accuracy.
Injuries in Women's Gymnastics The State of the Art

This article takes a three-stage approach to the topic of injuries in women's gymnastics. In the first stage, we review the literature and summarize our current knowledge of injury rates, injuries in specific events, and anatomical location of injuries. In the second, we critically evaluate the relative contributions of these studies in terms of their generalizability, methods, and conceptual approaches. Finally, we present possible directions for future research in the area of women's gymnastic injuries.
Speech interfaces for computer systems: problems and potential

Abstract Computer interfaces have followed an evolutionary course from simple key-operated devices to more sophisticated sight, sound and touch mechanisms. Speech technologies have reached the point where a range of different interfaces is now possible. However, only rather simple tasks such as the dictation of office correspondence are practical today. A discussion of some potential applications of speech interfaces and their problems is given, leading to the proposal of a layered architecture which would encompass acoustic, speech, language and dialogue processing. Specific issues concerned with speech recognition capabilities are reviewed, and experience gained with a practical office dictation machine is given as a case study of a speech interface.
Environmental exposures and mammary gland development: state of the science, public health implications, and research recommendations.

Objectives: Perturbations in mammary gland (MG) development may increase risk for later adverse effects, including lactation impairment, gynecomastia (in males), and breast cancer. Animal studies i...
The ring as a torsion-free cover

LetR be an integral domain andI a non-zero ideal ofR. The canonical mapR→R/I is called atorsion-free cover ofR/I if everyR-homomorphism from a torsion-freeR-module intoR/I can be factored throughR. The main result of this paper is thatR→R/I is a torsion-free cover if and only ifR is complete in theR-topology andI is an ideal of injective dimension 1. In this caseI is contained in the Jacobson radical ofR. And if Λ is the endomorphism ring ofI, then Λ is a quasi-local domain. IfI is a flatR-module, thenQ→Q/Λ is a torsion-free cover, whereQ is the quotient field ofR. And thenQ/Λ is an indecomposable injectiveR (and Λ) module. Special results are obtained ifR is a Noetherian domain or a Prufer domain.
Spinoffs and wealth transfers: The Marriott case☆

Abstract This paper examines changes in bondholder and shareholder wealth resulting from the 1993 Marriott spinoff. It documents a wealth transfer from bondholders to shareholders and a decline in the total value of the firm following the spinoff announcement. Subsequent modifications to the spinoff plan reduced the bondholders' loss, but the value of Marriott's notes and debentures remained $194.6 million below their pre-announcement level on the distribution date. Industry-adjusted shareholder gains during the same period were only $80.6 million. Transaction costs and inefficiencies resulting from the spinoff explain much of the decline in the total value of the firm.
Vortex Panel Calculation of Wake Rollup Behind a Large Aspect Ratio Wing

A higher-order (linear vortex) panel method is used to calculate the three-dimensional wake rollup behind large aspect ratio symmetric wings in steady inviscid incompressible flow. Triangular-shaped panels are chosen to increase the geometric flexibility of the wake sheet. The wing spanwise circulation distribution is obtained from lifting-line theory, and the wake geometry is then evaluated in an iterative fashion by satisfying conservation of circulation, flow tangency, and zero-pressure jump for all wake panel surfaces in the near-wake region (two spans in length). The far wake is modeled by straight semi-infinite vortex filaments that are in the uniform stream direction. Numerical results are shown to compare favorably with those in the literature. The capability of the method to model a rectangular wing with a deflected flap is also studied.
Impact of high pressure freezing on DH5α Escherichia coli and red blood cells

The impact of high pressure and freezing on survivability of Escherichia coli and human red blood cells was evaluated to determine the utility of high-pressure transitions for preserving living cells. Based on microscopy and survivability, high pressures did not directly impact physical damage to living cells. E. coli studies showed that increased cell death is due to indirect phenomena with decreasing survivability at increasingly high pressures and exposure times. Pressurization rates up to 1.4kbar/min had negligible effects relative to exposures of >5min at high pressures.Both glycine and control of pH near 7.0 were successful in reducing the adverse impacts of high pressure. Survivability increased from 20%. The combination of glycine and the buffer salt led to even further improvements in survivability. Pressure changes were used to traverse temperature and pressures consistent with Ice I and Ice III phase boundaries of pure water.
Local α-bungarotoxin-sensitive nicotinic receptors in the nucleus accumbens modulate nicotine-stimulated dopamine secretion in vivo

Nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the ventral tegmental area are required for the accumbal dopamine response to systemic nicotine. In contrast, the role of nicotinic receptors located within the nucleus accumbens itself has not been clarified for systemically administered nicotine. In the present study, in vivo microdialysis of accumbal dopamine secretion and receptor antagonist blockade in both the ventral striatal nucleus accumbens and the midbrain ventral tegmental area were used to evaluate this question. The nicotinic receptor antagonists methyllycaconitine or mecamylamine were delivered through the accumbal dialysis probe, followed by 0.09 mg/kg nicotine (i.v.). The α7 subunit antagonist methyllycaconitine inhibited 71% of the dopamine response (P<0.01), whereas mecamylamine was completely ineffective. In addition, the classical α7 subunit antagonist α-bungarotoxin infused into the nucleus accumbens adjacent to the microdialysis probe, significantly reduced dopamine release by 0.065 or 0.09 mg/kg nicotine (i.v.; P<0.05). Combined, these data indicate the involvement of α7 subunit-containing nicotinic receptors in the nucleus accumbens. In contrast, local infusion of mecamylamine into the ventral tegmental area effectively blocked nicotine-induced accumbal dopamine release. Simultaneous infusions of methyllycaconitine into the accumbens and mecamylamine into the ventral tegmental area induced greater blockade of nicotine-stimulated dopamine secretion than methyllycaconitine or mecamylamine alone. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that different types of nicotinic cholinergic receptors, located in the ventral striatal nucleus accumbens (α-bungarotoxin sensitive and mecamylamine insensitive) and the midbrain ventral tegmental area (mecamylamine sensitive), may be required for the full effects of nicotine on the mesostriatal dopaminergic pathway. While activation of nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the ventral tegmentum is required for the accumbal dopamine response to systemic nicotine, accumbal nicotinic receptors themselves act as modulators of this response. This fine tuning of the dopamine reward pathway through α7 nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the nucleus accumbens may amplify the secretion of dopamine, allowing a subthreshold brain concentration of nicotine to become an effective stimulus for dopamine secretion.
The Role of Economics and Ethics in Civilisation and Progress

The main purpose of this contribution lies in the attempt to show that the future of western civilisation has been placed in jeopardy as a result of the declining influence of the Christian ethic, a system of transcendental values, and the increased acceptance of moral relativism due to the zeal and diligence of the proponents of secular humanism, naturalism, pragmatism and utilitarianism.
Initial studies on a new tellurium containing organic metal: Tetratellurafulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTeF-TCNQ)

Abstract Experimental conditions for the growth of acicular crystals of the new organic conductor tetratellurafulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTeF-TCNQ) are reported. The room temperature conductivity along the needle axis was found to be 1800 ± 300 (omega-cm)−1. dc Conductivity studies down to 77 K displayed metallic behavior and microwave conductivity studies showed the compound to still be highly conducting at 5 K. EPR studies down to 8 K were performed but no measurable resonances were recorded. Preliminary x-ray scattering studies indicate a segregated stack structure with a stacking distance of 3.95 ± 0.01 A. The charge transfer was found to be 0.71 ± 0.03 e- from infrared spectroscopy data. In most respects the physical properties of TTeF-TCNQ are similar to those of HMTSF-TCNQ.
On-site comprehensive analysis of explosives using HPLC-UV-PAED

High-performance liquid chromatography with ultra violet and photo-assisted electrochemical detection (HPLC-UV-PAED) has been developed for the sensitive and selective detection of explosives in ground water and soil extracts. Fractionation and preconcentration of explosives is accomplished with on-line solid phase extraction (SPE), which minimizes sample pretreatment and enables faster and more accurate on-site assessment of a contaminated site. Detection limits are equivalent or superior (i.e., <1 part-per-trillion for HMX) to those achieved using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 8330. This approach is more broadly applicable, as it is capable of determining a wider range of organic nitro compounds. Soil samples are extracted using pressurized fluid extraction (PFE), and this technique is automatable, field-compatible, and environmentally friendly, adding to the overall efficiency of the methodology.
Bartlett's decomposition of the posterior distribution of the covariance for normal monotone ignorable missing data

Abstract This paper presents a decomposition for the posterior distribution of the covarianee matrix of normal models under a family of prior distributions when missing data are ignorable and monotone. This decomposition is an extension of Bartlett′s decomposition of the Wishart distribution to monotone missing data. It is not only theoretically interesting but also practically useful. First, with monotone missing data, it allows more efficient drawing of parameters from the posterior distribution than the factorized likelihood approach. Furthermore, with nonmonotone missing data, it allows for a very efficient monotone date augmentation algorithm and thereby multiple imputation or the missing data needed to create a monotone pattern.
Intraesophageal MnSOD-plasmid liposome enhances engraftment and self-renewal of bone marrow derived progenitors of esophageal squamous epithelium.

We evaluated whether the improved esophageal radiation tolerance following Manganese Superoxide Dismutase (MnSOD)-Plasmid Liposomes was explained by improved engraftment of bone marrow-derived progenitors. C57BL/6NHsd female mice pretreated with intraesophageal MnSOD-PL were irradiated to 29 Gy to the esophagus and intravenously transplanted with marrow from male B6. 129S7-Gt (ROSA) 26S OR/J ROSA (Lac-Z+, G418-resistant) mice. After 14 days, esophagi were removed and side population and non-side population cells evaluated for donor multilineage (endothelin/vimentin/F480) positive esophageal cells. Serial intravenous transplantability was tested in second generation 29 Gy esophagus-irradiated mice. Esophagi from recipients receiving swallowed MnSOD-PL 24 h prior to irradiation demonstrated significantly increased esophageal repopulation with donor bone marrow-derived Lac-Z+, G418+, Y-probe+ multilineage cells (37.8±1.8>50 cell Lac-Z+ foci per esophagus) compared to irradiated controls (19.8±1.8) P<0.0001. Serial transfer to second-generation irradiated C57BL/6NHsd mice of intravenously injected SP or NSP first generation recipient esophagus cells was also significantly enhanced by MnSOD-PL intraesophageal pretreatment (74.4±3.6 SP-derived Lac-Z+ foci per esophagus, 48.6±5.4 NSP-derived) compared to irradiation controls (23.4±1.8 SP, 6.0±3.0 NSP), P<0.0001. Thus, intraesophageal MnSOD-PL administration enhances engraftment of marrow-derived progenitors.
Larval stages of the crab,Pinnotheres maculatus, under laboratory conditions

The larvae ofPinnotheres maculatus, say, a small commensal crab commonly found in the scallopAequipecten irradians, have been reared from hatching to the crab stage under laboratory conditions. The zoeae were reared at 30%. 25°C and fed recently hatchedArtemia, nauplii and fertilizedArbacia eggs. The five zoeal stages and one megalops stage are described and figured. The larvae ofP. maculatus can be distinguished from all others which have been described on the basis of general morphological features.
Towards a general semi-empirical model for the aspiration efficiencies of aerosol samplers in perfectly calm air

Abstract In previous papers we have described a body of experimental work, backed up by numerical studies, to acquire a large set of new data for the aspiration efficiencies of aerosol samplers of simple geometries in perfectly calm air and for a range of orientations. The samplers studied were idealized thin-walled and spherical blunt probes, and experiments were conducted for upwards, downwards and horizontal sampling. Taken as a whole, this is believed to be the most comprehensive data set yet obtained for aerosol sampling in calm air. In this paper, we have examined this complete data set—including both experimental and numerical data—and used it to construct a set of semi-empirical models for aspiration efficiency. The starting point for these is the basic physical model of Levin (1957) for the entry of particles into a point sink in calm air. Additional terms are introduced that account for the role of the sampler having finite dimensions and defined shape. The models are expressed in terms of groups of dimensionless combinations of variables that embody the effects of particle inertia, gravitational settling, sampler bluntness and sampler orientation with respect to the vertical. They are semi-empirical in that, although they thus embody physical mechanisms and ideas, the added terms (beyond the Levin-model starting point) containing those dimensionless quantities are incorporated into mathematical constructs that are entirely empirical. The constructs are such that they may be combined together in a single universal form that reverts back to the individual specific cases when those conditions are inserted. Agreement is generally good across the whole range of conditions studied. The small number of areas where agreement is less good may be explained in terms of experimental error or technical limitations in acquiring the experimental data.
SERCA pump isoforms: their role in calcium transport and disease.

The sarcoendoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium transport ATPase (SERCA) is a pump that transports calcium ions from the cytoplasm into the SR. It is present in both animal and plant cells, although knowledge of SERCA in the latter is scant. The pump shares the catalytic properties of ion-motive ATPases of the P-type family, but has distinctive regulation properties. The SERCA pump is encoded by a family of three genes, SERCA1, 2, and 3, that are highly conserved but localized on different chromosomes. The SERCA isoform diversity is dramatically enhanced by alternative splicing of the transcripts, occurring mainly at the COOH-terminal. At present, more than 10 different SERCA isoforms have been detected at the protein level. These isoforms exhibit both tissue and developmental specificity, suggesting that they contribute to unique physiological properties of the tissue in which they are expressed. The function of the SERCA pump is modulated by the endogenous molecules phospholamban (PLB) and sarcolipin (SLN), expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscles. The mechanism of action of PLB on SERCA is well characterized, whereas that of SLN is only beginning to be understood. Because the SERCA pump plays a major role in muscle contraction, a number of investigations have focused on understanding its role in cardiac and skeletal muscle disease. These studies document that SERCA pump expression and activity are decreased in aging and in a variety of pathophysiological conditions including heart failure. Recently, SERCA pump gene transfer was shown to be effective in restoring contractile function in failing heart muscle, thus emphasizing its importance in muscle physiology and its potential use as a therapeutic agent. Muscle Nerve, 2007
Activation of hypoxanthine/guanine phosphoribosyltransferase from yeast by divalent zinc and nickel ions

Abstract We have observed previously that the reactions catalyzed by hypoxanthine/guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRTase) are activated by Mg(II), Mn(II), and Co(II), and we have defined the mechanism by which these activations proceed [ Biochemistry 22 , 3419–3424 (1983)]. A more extensive survey of the kinds of metal ions that will activate the HGPRTase catalysis now has been completed through the use of an HPLC assay procedure. Although Fe(II) and Ca(II) are unable to activate this reaction, a significant activation was achieved with the addition of spectroscopically pure Zn(II) to the assay solution. In addition some IMP synthesis resulted from the addition of Ni(II) to the assay mixture. Both the Zn(II) and Ni(II) kinetic effects on HGPRTase over a limited metal ion concentration range have been analyzed through the use of curve-fitting exercises. These results, in addition to the similar pH profiles for the activations by Mg(II), Mn(II), Co(II), and Zn(II), suggest that all of these metal ions activate the HGPRTase-catalyzed synthesis of IMP by way of the same mechanism [model II as defined by London and Steck, Biochemistry 8 , 1767–1779 (1969)], during which two divalent ions bind to the HGPRTase active site per molecule of PRibPP.
Molecular cloning and analysis of zebrafish voltage-gated sodium channel beta subunit genes: implications for the evolution of electrical signaling in vertebrates

Action potential generation in excitable cells such as myocytes and neurons critically depends on voltage-gated sodium channels. In mammals, sodium channels exist as macromolecular complexes that include a pore-forming alpha subunit and 1 or more modulatory beta subunits. Although alpha subunit genes have been cloned from diverse metazoans including flies, jellyfish, and humans, beta subunits have not previously been identified in any non-mammalian species. To gain further insight into the evolution of electrical signaling in vertebrates, we investigated beta subunit genes in the teleost Danio rerio (zebrafish). We identified and cloned single zebrafish gene homologs for beta1-beta3 (zbeta1-zbeta3) and duplicate genes for beta4 (zbeta4.1, zbeta4.2). Sodium channel beta subunit loci are similarly organized in fish and mammalian genomes. Unlike their mammalian counterparts, zbeta1 and zbeta2 subunit genes display extensive alternative splicing. Zebrafish beta subunit genes and their splice variants are differentially-expressed in excitable tissues, indicating tissue-specific regulation of zbeta1-4 expression and splicing. Co-expression of the genes encoding zbeta1 and the zebrafish sodium channel alpha subunit Nav1.5 in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells increased sodium current and altered channel gating, demonstrating functional interactions between zebrafish alpha and beta subunits. Analysis of the synteny and phylogeny of mammalian, teleost, amphibian, and avian beta subunit and related genes indicated that all extant vertebrate beta subunits are orthologous, that beta2/beta4 and beta1/beta3 share common ancestry, and that beta subunits are closely related to other proteins sharing the V-type immunoglobulin domain structure. Vertebrate sodium channel beta subunit genes were not identified in the genomes of invertebrate chordates and are unrelated to known subunits of the para sodium channel in Drosophila. The identification of conserved orthologs to all 4 voltage-gated sodium channel beta subunit genes in zebrafish and the lack of evidence for beta subunit genes in invertebrate chordates together indicate that this gene family emerged early in vertebrate evolution, prior to the divergence of teleosts and tetrapods. The evolutionary history of sodium channel beta subunits suggests that these genes may have played a key role in the diversification and specialization of electrical signaling in early vertebrates.
Model based filtered backprojection algorithm: A tutorial

Purpose People have been wandering for a long time whether a filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm is able to incorporate measurement noise in image reconstruction. The purpose of this tutorial is to develop such an FBP algorithm that is able to minimize an objective function with an embedded noise model.
Using social network analysis to examine planner involvement in environmentally oriented planning processes led by non-planning professions

Broad stakeholder involvement cannot be assumed in all environmental planning and management processes that have critical land use dimensions. This paper illustrates how concepts and techniques from social network analysis (SNA) can be used to examine and better understand the roles of one type of stakeholders, planners, in environmentally oriented planning and management processes led by other professions. Two cases of natural hazard mitigation planning led by emergency managers illustrate the usefulness of three SNA concepts of network structural characteristics in understanding how differences in planner involvement may influence incorporation of land use approaches in local natural hazard mitigation plans aimed at reducing long term risks from natural hazards.
The P300: a system for automatic patterned wafer inspection

This paper describes a machine vision technique and associated system (the P300) for automated inspection of integrated circuit chips on multi-level patterned wafers for pattern defects and particulates. This inspection has been variously referred to as “micro,” “first optical,” and just “defect inspection.” Despite the fact that this inspection is primarily performed manually today, the effectiveness of manual inspection is marginal-especially for products requiring the detection of sub-micron defects. In the future, on smaller groundrule products, manual inspection will clearly become inadequate. The system described here performs this inspection on periodic patterns such as those found in memory and CCD arrays. It has been shown effective for inspecting a broad range of production wafers. A description of the problem and a survey of previous work are presented. Following these, the P300 system and associated image analysis algorithms are described. The image analysis technique consists of a reference comparison combined with certain devices (gated operators and statistical sampling) designed to significantly reduce false alarms with minimal reduction in detection probability. The current version of the system has demonstrated the ability to reliably find 0.5 μm defects and can be extended to smaller defect sizes. The technique is especially significant because of its high detection probability achieved at an extremely low false alarm rate. High throughput and low cost have been achieved due to both the unique algorithm and a custom parallel processor, which executes the inspection algorithm at high (video frame rate) throughput.
Structure and photophysics of β-octafluoro-meso-tetraarylporphyrins

The structure of THF-coordinated [2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octafluoro-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphinato]zinc, Zn(F8TPP)·THF, and photophysical studies of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octafluoro-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin, F8TPP, Zn(F8TPP), 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octafluoro-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin, F28TPP, and [2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octafluoro-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphinato]zinc, Zn(F28TPP), in benzonitrile, are reported. A key point from these studies is that the octafluorinated F8TPP and perfluorinated F28TPP porphyrins possess similar absorption spectra, but dissimilar X-ray crystal structures and disparate photophysical characteristics. These data cannot be easily accommodated within currently accepted theories which relate macrocycle distortion and optoelectronic properties.
Creatine Is an Ergogen for Anaerobic Exercise

Throughout history, athletes have searched for performance-enhancing agents. Recently, creatine (N-[aminoiminomethyl]-N-methyl glycine) has been marketed as an ergogenic dietary supplement. There appears to be scientific merit to the claim that creatine is ergogenic when taken in large amounts. However, several issues regarding its use need to be addressed.
Metabolic analysis on fatty acid utilization by Pseudomonas oleovorans: mcl-poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) synthesis versus β-oxidation

Abstract Medium chain length (mcl) polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a type of natural elastomer with potential applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. Pseudomonas oleovorans was cultivated in a 2 l fermenter for investigation of mcl-PHAs synthesis and β-oxidation of two mcl fatty acids, nonanoic acid (NA) and octanoic acid (OA), and the regulation role of acetic acid as a co-substrate. With a maximum PHA content around 34 wt.% of cell mass, the polyesters produced were co-polymers and the composition was dependent on both mcl-fatty acids and acetic acid. Acetic acid was the major extracellular metabolic intermediate by P. oleovorans on pure NA (or OA), released at high NA consumption rate (up to 1.9 mmol g −1 h −1 ), but taken up at low NA concentration levels. The specific NA consumption rate was a sum of specific PHA synthesis rate ( r PHA ) and specific formation rate of valeryl-CoA ( r V-CoA ) due to β-oxidation. The ratio of r PHA to r V-CoA was a good indicator of PHA synthesis efficiency on NA because valeryl-CoA was not incorporated into the polymer instead exclusively for energy supply and cell mass synthesis. This ratio could be improved by adding acetic acid as a co-substrate to the mcl fatty acids, and the yield of PHA on NA was increased from 0.24 to 0.33 g g −1 . The polymer composition was also changed with more 3-hydroxynonanoate and less 3-hydroxyheptanonate in the copolymers because of the depressed β-oxidation in the presence of external acetic acid. Similar results were also obtained when P. oleovorans was fed with OA, an even-carbon-number fatty acid, with or without acetic acid as a co-substrate.
Analysis of intracellular PTEN signaling and secretion.

The tumor suppressor PTEN dephosphorylates PIP3 to inhibit PI3K signaling in cells. Altering PTEN intracellular signaling can therefore significantly affect cell behavior. Two novel mechanisms of PTEN regulation including the secretion and entry of the translational variant PTEN-L, and enzymatic inhibition by the interacting protein P-REX2, have been shown to modulate PI3K signaling, cellular proliferation and survival, and glucose metabolism. Here, we review the methods used to identify and validate the existence of both PTEN-L and the P-REX2–PTEN complex, to determine their effects on PTEN phosphatase activity, and to examine their role in cellular physiology.
High-value renewable energy from prairie grasses.

Projected economic benefits of renewable energy derived from a native prairie grass, switchgrass, include nonmarket values that can reduce net fuel costs to near zero. At a farm gate price of $44.0...
Incomparable Orients: An Anthropological Approach To Poverty Debates In Germany

This paper looks at poverty as a relevant theme for the anthropology of Europe. Focusing on reunified eastern Germany, I explore how definitions of poverty have shifted over time and in relation to different welfare state models. I suggest that, while quantitative research distinguishes between "absolute" and "relative" poverty (using the latter concept to describe social marginalization and economic hardship in wealthier countries), in daily-life this division is not always so clear. "Poverty" becomes an ambiguous and weighted word, whose double meaning is able to bring marginalized groups of the "First" and "Third" worlds into the same uncomfortable conceptual space.
Effects of a nonsteroidal ecdysone agonist, tebufenozide, on host/parasitoid interactions

Tebufenozide (RH-5992), a nonsteroidal ecdysone agonist, stimulated significant (P ≤ 0.05) growth in both testes of post-diapausing codling moth larvae and a dormant Ascogaster larva in its overwintering host's hemocoel. Tebufenozide elicited the same responses in post-diapausing testes and Ascogaster larvae as were reported earlier in insects treated with 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-OHE) [Friedlander, J Insect Physiol 35:29 (1989); Brown et al., Endocrinological Frontiers in Physiological Insect Ecology. Wroclaw: Wroclaw Technical University Press, pp 443–447 (1988)]. Only a trace (≤ 1%) of 14C-tebufenozide was recovered from gonads and exuviae of healthy larvae, or from Ascogaster larvae removed from parasitized hosts; however, the renewed growth of testes and Ascogaster larvae and apolysis of codling moth integument were an obvious response to the hormone agonist. Most of the injected 14 C-tebufenozide was recovered from host fat body, while the alimentary canal retained approximately 40% of the 14 C-tebufenozide fed in an artificial diet. Host exposure to tebufenozide did not cause apolysis in endo- or ectoparasitic hymenopterans feeding on treated codling moth larvae; however, the endoparasitoid trapped in the host's hemocoel died as its host's tissue deteriorated. Different results were observed on ectoparasitoids developing on treated hosts. Ectoparasitic Hyssopus sp. (Eulophidae) larvae feeding on tebufenozide treated hosts pupated in the normal length of time. Hyssopus adults which developed from larvae fed tebufenozide treated hosts were fertile and produced as many progeny as adults reared from solvent fed controls. There was no evidence of secondary poisoning to Hyssopussp. and codling moth exposure to tebufenozide may actually benefit the rearing of this eulophid by maintaining the host in the susceptible larval stage and preventing the host larva from spinning a cocoon. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
COHOMOLOGY OF CONGRUENCE SUBGROUPS OF SL4(Z). III

In two previous papers we computed cohomology groups H 5 (Γ 0 (N); C) for a range of levels N, where Γ 0 (N) is the congruence subgroup of SL 4 (ℤ) consisting of all matrices with bottom row congruent to (0, 0, 0, *) mod N. In this note we update this earlier work by carrying it out for prime levels up to N = 211. This requires new methods in sparse matrix reduction, which are the main focus of the paper. Our computations involve matrices with up to 20 million nonzero entries. We also make two conjectures concerning the contributions to H 5 (Γ 0 (N); ℂ) for N prime coming from Eisenstein series and Siegel modular forms.
The effects of scale and sample size on the accuracy of spatial predictions of tiger beetle (Cicindelidae) species richness

We apply geostatistical modeling techniques to investigate spatial patterns of species richness. Unlike most other statistical modeling techniques that are valid only when observations are independent, geostatistical methods are designed for applications involving spatially dependent observations. When spatial dependencies, which are sometimes called autocorrelations, exist, geostatistical techniques can be applied to produce optimal predictions in areas (typically proximate to observed data) where no observed data exist. Using tiger beetle species (Cicindelidae) data collected in western North America, we investigate the characteristics of spatial relationships in species numbers data, First, we compare the accuracy of spatial predictions of species richness when data from grid squares of two different sizes (scales) are used to form the predictions. Next we examine how prediction accuracy varies as a function of areal extent of the region under investigation. Then we explore the relationship between the number of observations used to build spatial prediction models and prediction accuracy. Our results indicate that, within the taxon of tiger beetles and for the two scales we investigate, the accuracy of spatial predictions is unrelated to scale and that prediction accuracy is not obviously related lo the areal extent of the region under investigation. We also provide information about the relationship between sample size and prediction accuracy, and, finally, we show that prediction accuracy may be substantially diminished if spatial correlations in the data are ignored.
Effects of counter-ion size on solid state structures of M2+(Nitrilotriacetate) complexes

Abstract The crystal structure of Na[Co(NC6H6O6)] · H2O is reported. The structure is compared to similar transition-metal nitrilotriacetate complexes containing different alkali cations and transition metals (Cu2+ and Zn2+). Inner-sphere coordination of the metals is similar, but the arrangement of counter-ions and water molecules in the unit cells vary with the size of the alkali cation.
Towards a new convergence between Anglo-American and Russian literary linguistics: 'mind style' and 'kartina mira'

Anglo-American and Russian stylistics influenced each other substantially in the 1960s and 1970s. From the 1980s on, however, this fruitful mutual influence came to an end. The two schools started to grow apart, but despite that, they would develop almost parallel to each other displaying many theoretical and methodological similarities. The present paper illustrates this by highlighting one such specificity - the idea of the possible reflection of one's con- ceptualization of the world in the use of literary language, and the possibility of reconstructing that conceptualization by means of a stylistic analysis ('mind style '- 'kartina mira ). By comparing the Anglo-American and Russian theories on the topic, it is shown that the separately evolved conceptions are similar and even complement each other: the differences between them clarify and help solve possible theoretical and methodological gaps. Moreover the juxtaposition of both conceptions allows us to perfect the notion of 'mind style' and its practical applications. A similar approach to other conceptions and tendencies in current seemingly mutually independent Anglo-American and Russian stylistics have the same potential, and may lead to a new convergence between the two schools.
Spore Formation and Toxin Production in Clostridium difficile Biofilms

The ability to grow as a biofilm can facilitate survival of bacteria in the environment and promote infection. To better characterize biofilm formation in the pathogen Clostridium difficile, we established a colony biofilm culture method for this organism on a polycarbonate filter, and analyzed the matrix and the cells in biofilms from a variety of clinical isolates over several days of biofilm culture. We found that biofilms readily formed in all strains analyzed, and that spores were abundant within about 6 days. We also found that extracellular DNA (eDNA), polysaccharide and protein was readily detected in the matrix of all strains, including the major toxins A and/or B, in toxigenic strains. All the strains we analyzed formed spores. Apart from strains 630 and VPI10463, which sporulated in the biofilm at relatively low frequencies, the frequencies of biofilm sporulation varied between 46 and 65%, suggesting that variations in sporulation levels among strains is unlikely to be a major factor in variation in the severity of disease. Spores in biofilms also had reduced germination efficiency compared to spores obtained by a conventional sporulation protocol. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that in 3 day-old biofilms, the outermost structure of the spore is a lightly staining coat. However, after 6 days, material that resembles cell debris in the matrix surrounds the spore, and darkly staining granules are closely associated with the spores surface. In 14 day-old biofilms, relatively few spores are surrounded by the apparent cell debris, and the surface-associated granules are present at higher density at the coat surface. Finally, we showed that biofilm cells possess 100-fold greater resistance to the antibiotic metronidazole then do cells cultured in liquid media. Taken together, our data suggest that C. difficile cells and spores in biofilms have specialized properties that may facilitate infection.
Interactive degraded document enhancement and ground truth generation

Degraded documents are frequently obtained in various situations. Examples of degraded document collections include historical document depositories, document obtained in legal and security investigations, and legal and medical archives. Degraded document images are hard to to read and are hard to analyze using computerized techniques. There is hence a need for systems that are capable of enhancing such images. We describe a language-independent semi-automated system for enhancing degraded document images that is capable of exploiting inter- and intra-document coherence. The system is capable of processing document images with high levels of degradations and can be used for ground truthing of degraded document images. Ground truthing of degraded document images is extremely important in several aspects: it enables quantitative performance measurements of enhancement systems and facilitates model estimation that can be used to improve performance. Performance evaluation is provided using the historical Frieder diaries collection.1© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Impaired coronary blood flow in nonculprit arteries in the setting of acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES AND BACKGROUND While attention has focused on coronary blood flow in the culprit artery in acute myocardial infarction (MI), flow in the nonculprit artery has not been studied widely, in part because it has been assumed to be normal. We hypothesized that slower flow in culprit arteries, larger territories infarcted and hemodynamic perturbations may be associated with slow flow in nonculprit arteries. METHODS The number of frames for dye to first reach distal landmarks (corrected TIMI [Thrombolysis in Acute Myocardial Infarction] frame count [CTFC]) were counted in 1,817 nonculprit arteries from the TIMI 4, 10A, 10B and 14 thrombolytic trials. RESULTS Nonculprit artery flow was slowed to 30.9 ± 15.0 frames at 90 min after thrombolytic administration, which is 45% slower than normal flow in the absence of acute MI (21 ± 3.1, p < 0.0001). Patients with TIMI grade 3 flow in the culprit artery had faster nonculprit artery CTFCs than those patients with TIMI grades 0, 1 or 2 flow (29.1 ± 13.7, n = 1,050 vs. 33.3 ± 16.1, n = 752, p < 0.0001). The nonculprit artery CTFC improved between 60 and 90 min (3.3 ± 17.9 frames, n = 432, p = 0.0001), and improvements were related to improved culprit artery flow (p = 0.0005). Correlates of slower nonculprit artery flow included a pulsatile flow pattern (i.e., systolic flow reversal) in the nonculprit artery (p < 0.0001) and in the culprit artery (p = 0.01), a left anterior descending artery culprit artery location (p < 0.0001), a decreased systolic blood pressure (p = 0.01), a decreased ventriculographic cardiac output (p = 0.02), a decreased double product (p = 0.0002), a greater percent diameter stenosis of the nonculprit artery (p = 0.01) and a greater percent of the culprit artery bed lying distal to the stenosis (p = 0.04). Adjunctive percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of the culprit artery restored a culprit artery CTFC (30.4 ± 22.2) that was similar to that in the nonculprit artery at 90 min (30.2 ± 13.5), but both were slower than normal CTFCs (21 ± 3.1, p < 0.0005 for both). If flow in the nonculprit artery was abnormal (CTFC ≥ 28 frames) then the CTFC after PTCA in the culprit artery was 17% slower (p = 0.01). Patients who died had slower global CTFCs (mean CTFC for the three arteries) than patients who survived (46.8 ± 21.3, n = 47 vs. 39.4 ± 16.7, n = 1,055, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Acute MI slows flow globally, and slower global flow is associated with adverse outcomes. Relief of the culprit artery stenosis by PTCA restored culprit artery flow to that in the nonculprit artery, but both were 45% slower than normal flow.
Ammonotelic teleosts and urea transporters

urea, a small molecule, is an end product of nitrogen metabolism. In fish, it is mostly used as an osmolyte or excreted as a waste product of ammonia detoxification ([22][1]). Marine elasmobranch fish (dogfish, skate, and stingray) keep their plasma osmolality (∼1,050 mosmol/kgH2O) slightly above
Parametric Cycle Analysis of a Turbofan Engine with an Interstage Turbine Burner

This study focuses on the parametric cycle analysis of a dual-spool, separate-flow turbofan engine with an interstage turbine burner (ITB). The ITB considered in this paper is a relatively new concept in modern jet engine propulsion. It serves as a secondary combustor and is located between the high-pressure and the low-pressure turbines, that is, the transition duct. The objective of this study is to use engine design parameters, such as highpressure and low-pressure turbine inlet temperatures to obtain engine performance parameters, for example, specific thrust and thrust specific fuel consumption. A turbine cooling model is also included. Results confirm the advantages of ITB, that is, higher specific thrust, less cooling air, and possibly less NOx production, provided that the main-burner exit temperature and ITB exit temperature are properly specified.
Magnetically mediated transparent conductors: In2O3 doped with Mo.

First-principles band structure investigations of the electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of Mo-doped ${\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ reveal the vital role of magnetic interactions in determining both the electrical conductivity and the Burstein-Moss shift which governs optical absorption. We demonstrate the advantages of the transition metal doping which results in smaller effective mass, larger fundamental band gap, and better overall optical transmission in the visible as compared to commercial Sn-doped ${\mathrm{In}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. Similar behavior is expected upon doping with other transition metals opening up an avenue for the family of efficient transparent conductors mediated by magnetic interactions.
A Comparison of Methodologies for Uncovering the Structure of Racial Stereotype Subgrouping

Our goal was to initiate a series of explorations of the techniques used to investigate person perception and stereotypes. More specifically, do different techniques uncover the same, and assumedly correct, underlying cognitive structure of the perceivers or is our current understanding of social cognition merely a reflection of our data collection and analytic techniques? We also hoped to draw some conclusions concerning White participants' perceptions of Blacks. Participants were given two tasks. One task involved sorting fourteen racial type labels and rating the sorted piles on four scales (e.g., respectable-not respectable). The second task involved generating attributes that described a randomly selected racial type. Both tasks provided data that could be used as input for multidimensional-scaling and hierarchical -clustering analyses. Further, the data from the adjective-generation task was used as input for a discriminant-function analysis. It was predicted that the different data collection and analysis tasks would produce results that emphasized the importance of evaluation in racialtype perception but that the sorting task would reveal more prejudice against Black targets. The results supported the hypotheses.
Effects of Written Informed Consent Requirements on HIV Testing Rates: Evidence From a Natural Experiment.

Objectives. I evaluated the effects of written informed consent requirements on HIV testing rates in New York State to determine whether such consent creates barriers that discourage HIV testing.Methods. New York streamlined its HIV testing consent procedures on June 1, 2005. If written informed consent creates barriers to HIV testing, then New York's streamlining exercise should have reduced such barriers and increased HIV testing rates. I used logistic regression to estimate the effects of New York's policy change.Results. New York's streamlined consent procedures led to a 31.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 20.9%, 41.9%) increase in the state's HIV testing rate. In absolute terms, 7% of the state's population had been tested for HIV in the preceding 6 months under the streamlined procedures, whereas only 5.3% would have been tested under the original procedures. These estimates imply that the streamlined consent procedures accounted for approximately 328 000 additional HIV tests in the 6 months after...