cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Median maxillary anterior alveolar cleft. Case reports and discussion.

Abstract Five cases of median maxillary anterior alveolar cleft have been presented, and the possible modes of development have been discussed. No family history of this cleft was found, and no cause for its development could be determined from the medical history in any of our cases. No other physical or dental developmental abnormalities were found.
Chapter IX Assay of Enzymes Representative of Metabolic Pathways

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the assay of enzymes representative of metabolic pathways. There has been continued interest in assessing the kind and relative contribution of the various pathways of carbohydrate metabolism in microorganisms. These metabolic pathways were established mainly during the 1950s and few changes have been made since that time except for embellishments, such as the steps in the modification of a variety of carbohydrates and polyols for entry into the central pathways. The necessity of preserving enzyme activity during preparation of the extract is a major problem. Another problem is the fact that such extracts are very crude and present the maximum possibility of side reactions, which can obscure the enzyme activity under test. The probability of a major role of an enzyme is strengthened when its presence is influenced by physiological conditions. The most convincing evidence involves showing the induction of an enzyme in response to the relevant growth substrate, or the predicted change in physiological behaviour of a culture due to loss of an enzyme by mutation. The chapter concludes with a discussion of glucose and gluconate dehydrogenases.
Using soil E horizon in salvaged topsoil material – effect on soil texture

Soil is a limited natural resource that needs to be efficiently salvaged during landscape construction operations for its further use as topsoil. To avoid inclusion of undesirable subsoil material (e.g. excess clay from Bt horizon), the majority of current guidelines define borrowed topsoil material as the surface layer of native soil, or the soil A horizon. Using information from over 7000 soil pedons from the 48 contiguous United States, we characterized selected topsoil properties and simulated the mixing of A and E horizons. The selected soil properties were compared among four different operationally defined topsoils: A surface layer, ASL; AP surface layer, APL; A horizon, A; and a mix of A and E horizons, AE. Average topsoil depth decreases in the order: AE > A > APL > ASL; sand content decreases in the order: ASL > AE > A > APL; clay decreases in the order: APL > A > ASL > AE; and organic carbon decreases in the order: ASL > A > APL > AE. On average, mixing of A and E horizons increases excavation depth by over 2.5 fold while having minor effects on soil texture; with AE/A ratio of 1.03, 1.00 and 1.07 for sand, silt and clay content, respectively. Yet, average soil organic matter content decreases by 38% upon mixing A and E horizons. Given the marked increase in soil volume and minor effect on soil texture, it is our suggestion that, for landscaping purposes, protocols for salvaging excavated soil material, for reuse as topsoil material include the E horizon (where it exists). Supplementing the recovered soil material with organic matter, such as compost, to overcome its dilution due to the incorporation of E horizon is recommended.
Accounting Issues: An Essay Series Part III-Inventory

The third in a series of theoretical essays intended to supplement the introductory financial accounting course, this article is dedicated to the treatment of inventory and its related conceptual connections. In addition, this paper addresses inventory measurement dilemmas, describes scandalous accounting episodes that have made the headlines, and offers both theoretical and empirical studies about inventory that might be of interest to both students and professors.
Language and the frontiers of the human: Aymara animal‐oriented interjections and the mediation of mind

In this article, I offer an analysis of Peruvian Aymara speech directed toward sheep and alpacas, children, and marbles (specifically, the use of “animal-oriented interjections”). The use of these forms positions addressees as reduced (quasi) agents and thereby mediates Aymara ideologies about the scaled or graduated character of those enminded beings that regularly act as addressees. Ultimately, the analysis reveals an Aymara human–nonhuman frontier that requires attention to both the interactional encounters sustained across perceived ontological divides (divides understood to turn on species and ethnodevelopmental difference, etc.) and the (scaled) character of the ideologies that renders these divides “ontological.”[humans, animals, childhood, materiality, semiotics, mind, Andes]
Modeling and Stochastic Control for Home Energy Management

The problem of modeling and stochastic optimization for home energy management is considered. Several different types of load classes are discussed, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and deferrable loads such as washer and dryer. A first-order thermal dynamic model is extracted and validated using real measurements collected over an eight months time span. A mixed integer multi-time scale stochastic optimization is formulated for the scheduling of loads of different characteristics. A model predictive control based heuristic is proposed. Numerical simulations coupled with real data measurements are used for performance evaluation and comparison studies.
The Texas public library trustee

Abstract Public Library trustees in Texas resemble trustees nationally in that they are appointed primarily by a public official or governing body; they see their major duties connected with decisions on policies, funding, and librarian employment; their tenures are short (the majority five years or less); and they attend monthly meetings. Differences from the national scene exist in the areas of sex distribution (the majority are women); membership in national and state trustee organizations (very low for Texas); presence of formal bylaws (94–5 percent of libraries); and education (lightly regarded for both new and continuing trustees).
An analysis of clinical activity, admission rates, length of hospital stay, and economic impact after a temporary loss of 50% of the non-operative podiatrists from a tertiary specialist foot clinic in the United Kingdom

Introduction : Podiatrists form an integral part of the multidisciplinary foot team in the treatment of diabetic footrelated complications. A set of unforeseen circumstances within our specialist diabetes foot service in the United Kingdom caused a loss of 50% of our non-operative podiatry team for almost 7 months during 2010. Some of this time was filled by non-specialist community non-operative podiatrists. Methods : We assessed the economic impact of this loss by examining data for the 5 years prior to this 7-month interruption, and for the 2 years after ‘normal service’ was resumed. Results : Our data show that the loss of the non-operative podiatrists led to a significant rise in the numbers of admissions into hospital, and hospital length of stay also increased. At our institution a single bed day cost is £275. During the time that the numbers of specialist non-operative podiatry staff were depleted, and for up to 6 months after they returned to normal activities, the extra costs increased by just less than £90,000. The number of people admitted directly from specialist vascular and orthopaedic clinics is likely to have increased due to the lack of capacity to manage them in the diabetic foot clinic. Our data were unable to assess these individuals and did not look at the costs saved from avoiding surgery. Thus the actual costs incurred are likely to be higher. Conclusions : Our data suggest that specialist non-operative podiatrists involved in the treatment of the diabetic foot may prevent unwarranted hospital admission and increased hospitalisation rates by providing skilled assessment and care in the outpatient clinical settings. Keywords : diabetes; foot clinic; podiatrist; economic value; multidisciplinary team (Published: 10 September 2013) Citation: Diabetic Foot & Ankle 2013, 4 : 21757 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v4i0.21757
Action of the loop group on the self-dual Yang-Mills equation

Recently Kac-Moody symmetry has played an important role in mathematical physics. Dolan and Chau, Ge and Wu discovered an infinitesimal action of the Kac-Moody Lie algebra on the space of solutions of SDYM. We have discovered an action of the loop group on the space of generalized solutions of SDYM, which exponentiates the Kac-Moody action. The group acts by adding a special type of source onto the solution. The action is a geometric construction using the twistor picture.
Another Look at Pedestrian Walking Speed

Pedestrians have a wide range of needs and abilities. FHWA's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways includes a walking speed of 4.0 ft/s (1.2 m/s) for calculating pedestrian clearance intervals for traffic signals. It also includes a comment that where pedestrians who walk slower than normal, or pedestrians who use wheelchairs, routinely use the crosswalk, a walking speed of less than 4.0 ft/s should be considered in determining the pedestrian clearance times. A 2005 TCRP-NCHRP study found a 15th percentile walking speed for young pedestrians of 3.77 ft/s (1.15 m/s) and a 15th percentile walking speed for older pedestrians of 3.03 ft/s (0.92 m/s). The study also determined that there is a statistical difference in walking speeds between older (older than 60 years) and younger (60 years and younger) pedestrians. Using population projections and the 15th percentile walking speeds for each population group more than 15 years old, the proportionally weighted 15th percentile walking...
The global existence of small solutions to the Oldroyd-B model

The Cauchy problem to the Oldroyd-B model is studied. In particular, it is shown that if the smooth solution (u, τ) to this system blows up at a finite time T*, then ∫0T* ‖▿u(t)‖L∞dt = ∞. Furthermore, the global existence of smooth solution to this system is given with small initial data.
Wear Rates of Resin Composites

SUMMARY A laboratory study was conducted to examine the wear of resin composite materials using a generalized wear simulation model. Ten specimens each of five resin composites (Esthet•X [EX], Filtek Supreme Plus [SP], Filtek Z250 [Z2], Tetric EvoCeram [EC], and Z100 Restorative [Z1]) were subjected to wear challenges of 100,000, 400,000, 800,000, and 1,200,000 cycles. The materials were placed in cylinder-shaped stainless-steel fixtures, and wear was generated using a flat stainless-steel antagonist in a slurry of polymethylmethacrylate beads. Wear (mean facet depth [μm] and volume loss [mm(3)]) was determined using a noncontact profilometer (Proscan 2000) with Proscan and ProForm software. Statistical analysis of the laboratory data using analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc test showed a significant difference (p<0.05) for mean wear facet depth and volume loss for both the number of cycles and resin composite material. Linear regression analysis was used to develop predictive wear rates and volume loss rates. Linear wear was demonstrated with correlation coefficients (R(2)) ranging from 0.914 to 0.995. Mean wear values (mean facet depth [μm]) and standard deviations (SD) for 1200K cycles were as follows: Z1 13.9 (2.0), Z2 26.7 (2.7), SP 30.1 (4.1), EC 31.8 (2.3), and EX 67.5 (8.2). Volume loss (mm(3)) and SDs for 1200K cycles were as follows: Z1 0.248 (0.036), Z2 0.477 (0.044), SP 0.541 (0.072), EC 0.584 (0.037), and EX 1.162 (0.139). The wear rate (μm) and volume loss rate (mm(3)) per 100,000 cycles for the five resin composites were as follows: wear rate Z1 0.58, EC 1.27, Z2 1.49, SP 1.62, and EX 4.35, and volume loss rate Z1 0.009, EC 0.024, Z2 0.028, SP 0.029, and EX 0.075. The generalized wear model appears to be an excellent method for measuring relative wear of resin composite materials.
ISSUES AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSITION TO ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION FUELS AND VEHICLES

Key issues and barriers that must be overcome for the successful introduction of alternative-fuel vehicles are summarized. A host of market and institutional barriers faced by vehicle purchasers, vehicle manufacturers, fuel suppliers, and the vehicle service industry are broadly described. Although specific estimates of the costs of overcoming these barriers are highly uncertain, an initial estimate of the general magnitude of these transition costs is presented. This is done by analyzing the transition to a specific alternative-fuel vehicle market penetration for the year 2010. Transition costs are shown to be substantial.
Evaluating the Influence of PEMFC System Contaminants on the Performance of Pt Catalyst via Cyclic Voltammetry

Using cyclic voltammetry as a quick ex situ screening tool, the impact of the extracted solution and the individual leachable constituents from prospective balance of plant component materials on the performance and recoverability of the platinum catalyst were evaluated. Taking an extract from Zytel HTN51G35HSLR (polyphthalamide) as an example, the major leachable organic components are caprolactam and 1,6-hexanediol. While these organic compounds by themselves do poison the Pt catalyst to some extent, such influence is mostly recoverable by means of potential holding and potential cycling. The extracted solution, however, shows a more drastic poisoning effect and it was not recoverable. Therefore, the non-recoverable poisoning effect observed for the extracted solution is not from the two organic species studied. This demonstrates the complexity of such a contaminant study. Inorganic compounds that are known poisons (like sulfur) even in very low concentration may have a more dominant effect on the Pt catalyst and the recoverability.
Characterization of the dissipation of elbow effects in bubbly two-phase flows

This study develops a method to characterize the elbow-region for vertical-upward-to-horizontal air–water bubbly two-phase flows through a 90° elbow with a non-dimensional centerline radius of curvature, RC/D, of three. The dissipation of the elbow-effects in the horizontal region downstream of the elbow is characterized by the change in the local void fraction distribution. To quantify the dissipation characteristics, the elbow-strength, S, is defined as the inverse of the second moment of the local void fraction distribution. It is found that the elbow-strength decreases exponentially with increasing development length in the elbow-region. The slope of decrease of the elbow-strength in the elbow-region is determined by the dissipation parameter, β. The dissipation parameter determines the development length required for the elbow-effects on the two-phase flow parameters to become negligible. It is found that the dissipation parameter is a linear function of the mixture Reynolds number for the flow conditions investigated in the present study.
Selective Adsorption of Solutes Based on Hydrogen Bonding

Abstract Current evidence suggests that adsorption of solutes from a nonpolar solvent onto a polycarboxylic ester sorbent involves the formation of a hydrogen bond. This bond appears to be formed between a hydrogen atom of the solute and the carbonyl group of the sorbent. From studies involving single solutes it was observed that the primary amine aniline adsorbed nearly twice as much as the secondary amine N-methylaniline. The tertiary amine N,N-dimethylaniline, which does not contain a nitrogen-bonded hydrogen atom, was unable to bind to the sorbent. In studies involving mixtures, solutes were observed to be selectively adsorbed based on their hydrogen bonding abilities. A simple thermodynamic model which was developed to explain this adsorption was capable of accurately predicting separation factors for the selective adsorption of solutes from solute mixtures.
MyD-88 L265P mutations are present in some cases of vitreoretinal lymphoma.

Purpose:To determine whether Myd88 L265P mutations occur in diffuse large B-cell vitreoretinal lymphomas.Methods:The formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cells from three patients with classic clinical findings of vitreoretinal lymphoma that also had histologic confirmation were evaluated using a valida
Effect of purified autoprothrombin III (Factor X) on coagulation tests applied to Factor VII, IX and X deficient plasmas☆

Abstract Purified autoprothrombin III (bovine) normalized the prothrombin time and prothrombin consumption of Factor X deficient plasma. The preparation failed to correct prothrombin consumption in Factor IX deficient plasma. Purified prothrombin also failed to do so. In contrast, both purified components were added to blood taken from a dog that was heavily anticoagulated for several days with Dicumarol, and the resulting serum corrected prothrombin consumption. Inactive purified components became the source of the needed Factor IX activity. Purified autoprothrombin III was a poor substitute for serum in the thromboplastin generation test. Autoprothrombin III only partially corrected the prothrombin time of Factor VII deficient plasma, but restored the rate of thrombin formation for this plasma in the two-stage analytical reagents.
Infrared Spectra of CH3−NbF, CH2NbHF, and CH⋮NbH2F- Formed by Reaction of Methyl Fluoride with Laser-Ablated Niobium Atoms

Simple methyl, methylidene, and anionic methylidyne niobium complexes (CH3−NbF, CH2NbHF, and CH⋮NbH2F-) are produced in reactions of laser-ablated niobium atoms and methyl fluoride and isolated in an argon matrix. All three products are formed by co-deposition of the metal atoms and methyl fluoride, but the methylidene complex is heavily favored. The methylidene concentration increases further following visible and UV irradiations, whereas the methyl and methylidyne complexes are depleted on visible and UV irradiations, respectively. This work reports the first experimental evidence for a group V anionic methylidyne complex (CH⋮NbH2F-), which is eliminated by the addition of CCl4 to capture electrons formed in the ablation process. The DFT calculations show that one of the α-hydrogen atoms in CH2NbHF is considerably bent toward the metal atom, an evidence of strong agostic interaction in the doublet ground state and provide isotopic frequencies for matching with observed values.
The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Giftedness

Although the gifted represent an enormous asset to our society, most societies worldwide neglect this very important segment of the population and their potential contribution, relegating it to a poorly tapped national resource. This neglect is manifested by the apparent lack of concern and effective tools for studying giftedness as well as identifying the gifted and creating special education programs to help them realize their potential. The disadvantaged gifted are even more difficult to identify and create educational programs for because of the impact of the disadvantageous conditions in which they live. The result of this neglect often has a negative effect on the gifted personally as well as extracts an incalculable price for society in general for failing to channel the most brilliant minds amongst us into the arts, sciences and leadership.
DGV’s Accuracy Dependence Upon Laser Beam Intensity Profile

A Doppler Global Velocimeter (DGV) system was designed for use in high speed rotating equipment at the Turbomachinery Laboratory. Due to the rapidly varying periodic nature of flows inside turbines, compressors, and pumps, it is desirable to use a pulsed laser as the light source. An ND-YAG laser was selected for use based upon the 9 ns pulse duration and the ability for the laser to operate with a 15 MHz light bandwidth which is tunable to the absorption line filter used in the DGV system. However, when applied to the system it was discovered the DGV system did not work properly. The output of a line CCD array used to monitor the laser frequency was closely scrutinized. The light intensity across the laser beam was not Gaussian in nature but contained a very large amount of “noise”. Since the DGV system measures light intensity variations to infer Doppler shifts and hence velocity distributions, the rapidly spatially varying light intensity across the laser beam was suspected as the cause of the system’s inaccuracy. An analysis to quantify how the laser beam light intensity profile noise affects a DGV system accuracy is performed and possible remedies are suggested.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Nonstructural proteins nsP3 and nsP4 of Ross River and O'Nyong-nyong viruses: Sequence and comparison with those of other alphaviruses

We have sequenced the nsP3 and nsP4 region of two alphaviruses, Ross River virus and O'Nyong-nyong virus, in order to examine these viruses for the presence or absence of an opal termination codon present between nsP3 and nsP4 in many alphaviruses. We found that Ross River virus possesses an in-phase opal termination codon between nsP3 and nsP4, whereas in O'Nyong-nyong virus this termination codon is replaced by an arginine codon. Previous studies have shown that two other alphaviruses, Sindbis virus and Middelburg virus, possess an opal termination codon separating nsP3 and nsP4 [E. G. Strauss, C. M. Rice, and J. H. Strauss (1983), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 5271-5275], whereas Semliki Forest virus possesses an arginine codon in lieu of the opal codon [K. Takkinen (1986), Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 5667-5682]. Thus, of the five alphaviruses examined to date, three possess the opal codon and two do not. Production of nsP4 requires readthrough of the opal codon in those alphaviruses that possess this termination codon and the function of the termination codon may be to regulate the amount of nsP4 produced. It is an open question then as to whether alphaviruses with no termination codon use other mechanisms to regulate the activity of this gene. The nsP4s of these five alphaviruses are highly conserved, sharing 71-76% amino acid sequence similarity, and all five contain the Gly-Asp-Asp motif found in many RNA virus replicases. The nsP3s are somewhat less conserved, sharing 52-73% amino acid sequence similarity throughout most of the protein, but each possesses a nonconserved C-terminal domain of 134 to 246 amino acids of unknown function.
Tuning NIF drive symmetry with symmetry capsules

Symmetry capsules or 'symcaps' are inertial-fusion capsules that resemble ignition capsules but lack cryogenic fuel. The shape of an imploded symcap, as revealed by images of its x-ray emission near stagnation, contains information about the degree of radiation drive asymmetry that drove its implosion. We have carried out many numerical studies of how symcaps perform, tested their response to variations in laser and target parameters, and conducted Omega experiments in 2007 to verify their operation in certain cases. Thus we are building confidence in the use of symcaps to achieve the critical goal of measuring and optimizing drive symmetry in NIF targets prior to the first ignition shots.
Viral Infection of the Myocardium in Endocardial Fibroelastosis Molecular Evidence for the Role of Mumps Virus as an Etiologic Agent

Background Endocardial fibroelastosis, previously a common disease of children, often resulted in congestive heart failure and death. Virus-induced myocarditis was the suspected first step in the pathogenesis of the disease, with enteroviruses and mumps virus considered potential causes. Direct evidence for their involvement was limited, however, and during the past two decades, a significant decline in the incidence of endocardial fibroelastosis occurred. Recently, we demonstrated polymerase chain reaction to be a rapid and sensitive method for identification of the viral genome in the myocardium of patients with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. The purpose of this study was to analyze myocardial samples of patients with endocardial fibroelastosis for the viral genome. Methods and Results Myocardial samples from 29 patients with autopsy-proven endocardial fibroelastosis were analyzed for viral genome (enterovirus, adenovirus, mumps, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus, influenza, herpes simplex virus) by ...
Effect of Ether Extracts from Condensed Wood Smokes on the Growth of Aeromonas hydrophila and Staphylococcus aureus

Ether extracts of smoke condensates (“liquid smokes”) from 20 different woods were screened for antimicrobial activity. Testing was done in trypticase soy broth of pH values in the range of 5.78–6.81 against three strains each of Aeromonas hydrophila (ATCC 7965, K1414, BW37) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12600, LP, S6) incubated at 35°C. There was variation in inhibition of growth among types of liquid smoke, species, and strains of microorganisms tested. Staphylococcus aureus was generally more sensitive to inhibition than A. hydrophila strains. The most inhibitory liquid smoke was derived from the sapwood of douglas fir. Other inhibitory liquid smokes were from birch, southern yellow pine, and aspen. The least inhibitory liquid smokes were derived from lodge pole pine and mesquite woods.
Three-Body Recombination in Atoms with Large Scattering Length

Atoms with a large scattering a have universal propertes that are insensitive to short-distance details. The universal predictions for the 3-body recombination rate are known at threshold, where they depend on a and a 3-body parameter, and in the high energy scaling limit, where they depend only on the collision energy. The universal results at threshold are particularly remarkable, exhibiting resonance peaks and interference minima. They played a significant role in recent experimental evidence for Efimov physics.
Acquisition of operant schedules by squirrel monkeys lesioned in the hippocampal area.

Abstract Squirrel monkeys who were lesioned in the hippocampal area demonstrated a higher index of curvature in response patterns over 30 training sessions as compared to a control group on a FI5 min schedule. This greater curvature was due to normal response suppression in the initial portions of the interval, but enhanced response rates in the latter part of the interval. Subsequent DRL20 sec performance was disrupted only in animals with extensive bilateral destruction (>50 per cent) of the hippocampus. It is suggested that results might best be explained by considering the increase in response rate to be a reflection of greater anticipatory arousal instead of a general impaired ability to withhold responses.
Imaging findings of neonatal herpes simplex virus type 2 encephalitis

Introduction The CT, MR, and diffusion-weighted initial and follow-up imaging findings in neonatal herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) encephalitis were assessed.
The pediatric trauma C-spine: is the 'odontoid' view necessary?

Abstract Background/Purpose: The "odontoid view" is a difficult and often hazardous film to obtain in young children. The aim of this study was to determine if the transoral roentgenogram is necessary in the evaluation of the pediatric cervical spine. Methods: A retrospective, multiinstitutional review was performed of all patients 16 years of age and under with documented cervical spine injury in a large metropolitan area during the past decade. Fifty-one children with cervical spine injury were identified from the medical records at 4 hospitals. Results: The 0- to 8-year-old age group had a significantly higher incidence of upper (occiput to C3) cervical injury than the 9- to 16-year-old age group (67% v 39%; P Conclusions: In the 0- to 8-year-old age group in whom the incidence of cervical spine injury is rare but frequently involves the upper cervical spine, the transoral odontoid roentgenogram may be of little value in the evaluation of the spine and should not be considered necessary in "clearing" the pediatric cervical spine. An alternative evaluation of these patients would include an initial lateral and AP radiograph, followed by computed tomography scan. J Pediatr Surg 35:994-997. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy with or without extended retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for periampullary adenocarcinoma: comparison of morbidity and mortality and short-term outcome.

Objective This prospective, randomized, single-institution trial was designed to evaluate the end points of mortality, morbidity, and survival in patients undergoing standard versus radical (extended) pancreaticoduodenectomy (including distal gastrectomy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy).
PM10 and asthma medication in schoolchildren.

The authors found that the use of asthma medication among elementary schoolchildren was associated with particulate pollution (particulate matter < 10 μrn in aerodynamic diameter [PM10]) in a locale where PM10 consisted primarily of coarse fraction material derived from road sanding and reentrained volcanic ash. School nurses' records in 12 neighborhood schools located close to an ambient air monitoring station were abstracted, and the numbers of oral and inhaled doses of asthma medication given daily over a period of 2.5 yr were calculated. Time-series regression models, adjusted for autocorrelation, were developed, with temperature, time trend, day of the week, and month as additional variables. Regression models were estimated, and a lagged moving average of PM10 for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days was used. All models showed positive and significant coefficients for PM10 during periods when asthma medication was administered to the schoolchildren. However, the 21-day moving average was the best fit to the model.
Activities of Transmitted/Founder and Chronic Clade B HIV-1 Vpu and a C-Terminal Polymorphism Specifically Affecting Virion Release

ABSTRACT Acute HIV-1 infection is characterized by a type I interferon response, resulting in the induction of host restriction factors. HIV-1 has evolved to counteract these factors, and one such adaptation, the ability of Vpu to counteract BST2/tetherin, is associated with the evolution of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz) into pandemic group M human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). During transmission between individuals, very few viruses or even a single virus, the “transmitted/founder” (T/F) virus, gives rise to the new infection, but in the new host the selective pressure of the immune response yields the diverse “quasispecies” of chronic infection. Here we examine the functional characteristics of Vpu proteins encoded by T/F viruses compared to acute and chronic viruses from longitudinally sampled subjects. The studied T/F Vpu proteins showed a trend toward optimized CD4 downregulation compared to chronic Vpu proteins but did not differ substantially in their ability to downregulate BST2 or enhance virion release, although individual clones from each group were impaired in these activities. Analysis of the functionally impaired clones identified a C-terminal residue, W76, as important specifically for Vpu enhancement of virion release. Primary Vpu clones encoding a W76G polymorphism, or site-directed mutants encoding a W76G substitution, were impaired in their ability to enhance virion release, but they were not defective for BST2 surface downregulation. Conversely, the virion release function of impaired primary clones was restored by creating a G76W substitution. The identification of W76 as important for virion release enhancement that is independent of BST2 surface downregulation supports the potential to mechanistically separate these functions of Vpu. IMPORTANCE To establish infection in a host, HIV-1 must evade the host9s immune response, including the production of antiviral factors. HIV-1 encodes proteins that antagonize these defenses, including Vpu. Vpu counteracts the host protein BST2, which blocks the release of progeny viruses from the host cell. To determine the importance of Vpu activity to HIV-1 transmission, this study assessed the functionality of Vpu from viruses isolated soon after transmission (“transmitted/founder” viruses) compared to isolates from chronic infection. Although the anti-BST2 activity of Vpu proteins from the tested transmitted/founder viruses did not differ from the activity of the chronic Vpu proteins, the transmitted/founder Vpu proteins trended toward having superior activity against another host protein, CD4. Further, this study identified an amino acid near the C terminus of Vpu that is specifically important for Vpu9s ability to enhance the release of progeny virus from the host cell, supporting the notion of a new mechanism for this function of Vpu.
Loss of Helicobacter pylori hemagglutination with serial laboratory passage and correlation of hemagglutination with gastric epithelial cell adherence.

Adherence of Helicobacter pylori to gastric epithelial cells is thought to be important in the pathogenesis of infection and may be essential to maintain lifelong colonization. Howe
Acute effects of inhaled SO2 plus NaCl droplet aerosol on pulmonary function in asthmatic adolescents.

Abstract Nine adolescent subjects with a diagnosis of extrinsic asthma were exposed at rest for 60 min to the following experimental modes: (a) filtered air; (b) 1 ppm of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and 1 mg/m 3 of sodium chloride (NaCl) droplet aerosol; c 1 mg/m 3 of NaCl droplet aerosol alone. All exposures were at 75% relative humidity and 22°C temperature. Functional measurements of total respiratory resistance ( R T ), maximal flow at 50 and 75% of expired vital capacity ( V _. max50 and V _. max75 ), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV 1.0 ) and functional residual capacity (FRC) were recorded before, during, and after exposures. Significant decreases in V _. max50 and V _. max75 were seen when the group was exposed to the SO 2 plus NaCl droplet aerosol. No significant changes were seen during exposure to filtered air or NaCl droplet aerosol alone. The results suggest that the site of effect of the SO 2 NaCl droplet aerosol was in small airways. The asthmatic adolescents appeared to be more sensitive to the SO 2 droplet aerosol than were healthy nonsmoking adults previously studied.
Empires of tourism: travel and rhetoric in Italian colonial Libya and Albania, 1911–1943

Abstract This article examines the constitutive relationships between tourism and colonialism in Italy's first and last Mediterranean colonies – Libya and Albania – during the early twentieth century. It attends to the ways that tourism was positioned as a colonizing strategy in each; a practice that came to fruition in Libya but remained in a nascent state in Albania due to the Second World War and fascism's end. This article also brings into relief the moment that ideology is conjured into being, or what Edward Said has described as the ‘preposterous transition’ from text to practice. I show how the trope of romanita (‘Romanness’) was actualized through the practices of Italian colonial tourists in Libya. The successes of tourism there made for the framing of Albania through ospitalita (‘hospitality’), or in the very language of tourism itself. By exploring the historical interactions between colonial rhetoric and touristic praxis, I intend to tease out the connective tissue between tourism, colonialism...
Productivity of perennial ryegrass as a function of precipitation acidity

Abstract Glasshouse-grown perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne L. plants were treated with simulated precipitation of pH 5·6, 4·0 or 3·0 (adjusted with a mixture of H 2 SO 4 , HNO 3 and HCl) twice a week for 14 weeks during which the forage (above a 20 mm cut) was sequentially harvested five times to determine the effects of precipitation acidity upon forage dry mass accumulation. Forage dry mass present during the first, second, third and fourth harvests was not affected by precipitation acidity. During the last (fourth) regrowth period, dry mass accumulation (fifth harvest) was inhibited by increased precipitation acidity. Regression analysis indicated that the relationship between precipitation acidity and forage production during the fourth regrowth period was significant if acidity was expressed as hydrogen ion concentration ( p = 0·099) or the logarithmic transformation to pH ( p = 0·063). The effect of precipitation acidity on total forage harvested throughout the experimental period was not significant. Root and stubble organic matter present following the final harvest was not a function of precipitation acidity. It is concluded that short-term responses (10 weeks in the present case) may not reflect long-term growth patterns by plants subjected to acid precipitation.
Effects of fatty acids in isolated mitochondria: implications for ischemic injury and cardioprotection.

Fatty acids accumulate during myocardial ischemia and are implicated in ischemia-reperfusion injury and mitochondrial dysfunction. Because functional recovery after ischemia-reperfusion ultimately ...
The Location and Suburbanization of Business and Professional Services in the Atlanta Area

Despite an increase of 200,000 jobs in business and professional services in the Atlanta metropolitan area between 1982 and 1997, the central city saw employment as a percentage of these services drop by approximately 20 percent. Most growth occurred in the northern suburbs, resulting in a dispersed distribution of business and professional services in Atlanta. To understand the spatial distribution and suburbanization of business and professional services in Atlanta, regression analysis was carried out for 1982 and 1992. Flexible female workers, corporate headquarters, well –educated professionals, and highway access turned out to be important location determinants, with the latter two being increasingly responsible for the suburbanization of business and professional services.
Amyloid Precursor-like Protein 2 Promotes Cell Migration toward Fibronectin and Collagen IV

Previous studies have established that in response to wounding, the expression of amyloid precursor-like protein 2 (APLP2) in the basal cells of migrating corneal epithelium is greatly up-regulated. To further our understanding of the functional significance of APLP2 in wound healing, we have measured the migratory response of transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing APLP2 isoforms to a variety of extracellular matrix components including laminin, collagen types I, IV, and VII, fibronectin, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). CHO cells overexpressing either of two APLP2 variants, differing in chondroitin sulfate (CS) attachment, exhibit a marked increase in chemotaxis toward type IV collagen and fibronectin but not to laminin, collagen types I and VII, and HSPGs. Cells overexpressing APLP2-751 (CS-modified) exhibited a greater migratory response to fibronectin and type IV collagen than their non-CS-attached counterparts (APLP2-763), suggesting that CS modification enhanced APLP2 effects on cell migration. Moreover, in the presence of chondroitin sulfate, transfectants overexpressing APLP2-751 failed to exhibit this enhanced migration toward fibronectin. The APLP2-ECM interactions were also explored by solid phase adhesion assays. While overexpression of APLP2 isoforms moderately enhanced CHO adhesion to laminin, collagen types I and VII, and HSPGs lines, especially those overexpressing APLP2-751, exhibited greatly increased adhesion to type IV collagen and fibronectin. These observations suggest that APLP2 contributes to re-epithelialization during wound healing by supporting epithelial cell adhesion to fibronectin and collagen IV, thus influencing their capacity to migrate over the wound bed. Furthermore, APLP2 interactions with fibronectin and collagen IV appear to be potentiated by the addition of a CS chain to the core proteins.
Agricultural Trade Intensity: The European Markets and the U. S.

To examine developments in agricultural trade between countries in EEC and EFTA, the U. S., and an aggregate of other countries, a measure of trading intensity is calculated for years from 1960 through 1969. Intra‐EFTA trade intensified; EEC trade did not. U. S. trade with the remainder of the world intensified.
Birth Weight Effects on Children’s Mental, Motor, and Physical Development: Evidence from Twins Data

Objective To determine the effect of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) and moderately low birth weight (MLBW; 1500–2499 g) on children’s mental and motor development and physical growth during the first 2 years of life and whether VLBW and MLBW babies catch up to normal birth weight (NBW; ≥2500 g) children by age 2. Methods We use data on dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twins and singleton births from the first two waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a nationally representative dataset of children born in the US in 2001. We estimate the effects of VLBW and MLBW on children’s mental and motor development scores, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, weight-for-height, and length-for-age z-scores at 9 months and 2 years. We examine whether differences in outcomes within twin pairs are related to differences in their birth weights. The within-twins analysis is conducted on samples of DZ and MZ twins. For comparison, we also estimate birth weight effects on child outcomes from multivariate linear regression models using the full singleton and twins’ sample. We also estimate the effect of being small-for-gestational age (SGA; birth weight <10th percentile for gestation) using the same set of models in order to separate out the effects of fetal growth restriction from prematurity. Results Evaluation of all births showed that VLBW and MLBW have large negative effects on mental development, motor development, and growth at 9 months and 2 years of age. However, results from within-twin models with DZ twins that control for shared maternal and environmental factors showed much less effect of birth weight on mental or motor development, but continued large effects on growth for the VLBW group. Within-twin models with MZ twins that control for shared maternal, environmental, and genetic factors showed statistically insignificant effects of birth weight on mental and motor development, but continued effects on growth. Similar patterns were found when examining the effects of SGA. Conclusions After controlling for the influence of maternal, environmental, and genetic factors, low birth weight has at most a small negative effect on children’s mental and motor development in their first 2 years of life. However, low birth weight is a major risk factor for children’s physical growth in the early years and there is no evidence of catch-up by age 2.
Cochlear implantation in children: Implications for the primary care provider

Purpose: To define hearing loss (HL), discuss the impact of HL on child development, and review the literature on cochlear implantation in children. The criteria for and the benefits and limitations of cochlear implantation in children, as well as the implications for the primary care provider with regard to children who have cochlear implants, are presented. Data sources: Review of published literature on the topic. Conclusions: A child’s future development depends greatly on speech and language skills. Any type of HL can impact and may even hinder speech and language acquisition. It is therefore crucial to enforce early identification of HL. For severe to profoundly hearing-impaired children, cochlear implantation serves as an avenue for hearing and language development. Implications for practice: Nurse practitioners ought to be up to date with criteria for and the benefits and risks of cochlear implantation. Health-related issues, such as vaccination, otitis media, and meningitis, must be assessed for and managed promptly.
Normality tests and transformations

Powerful univariate and multivariate normality tests are surveyed. The advantages and disadvantages of each procedure are exposed, furthermore, a few transformation methods which can be used for classification purposes in case of non-normality, are discussed.
The biogenesis of stachydrine

Abstract The amino-acids omithine and proime have been shown to serve as precursors of the alkaloid stachydrine in the mature 5 1 2 -6 month old alfalfa plant. Degradation of the alkaloid obtained from experiments with dl -ornithine-2-14C has shown that no randomization occurs and that the label is entirely located on carbon atom 2.
Physical properties of hexafluorobenzene

Abstract The critical properties of hexafluorobenzene were measured, and compared with the most reliable values reported in literature. The vapour pressure was determined from 226°C to the critical point and correlated by an equation of state.
A new in vitro model of the glial scar inhibits axon growth

Astrocytes respond to central nervous system (CNS) injury with reactive astrogliosis and participate in the formation of the glial scar, an inhibitory barrier for axonal regeneration. Little is known about the injury-induced mechanisms underlying astrocyte reactivity and subsequent development of an axon-inhibitory scar. We combined two key aspects of CNS injury, mechanical trauma and co-culture with meningeal cells, to produce an in vitro model of the scar from cultures of highly differentiated astrocytes. Our model displayed widespread morphological signs of astrocyte reactivity, increases in expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and accumulation of GFAP in astrocytic processes. Expression levels of scar-associated markers, phosphacan, neurocan, and tenascins, were also increased. Importantly, neurite growth from various CNS neuronal populations was significantly reduced when neurons were seeded on the scar-like cultures, compared with growth on cultures of mature astrocytes. Quantification of neurite growth parameters on the scar model demonstrated significant reductions in neuronal adhesion and neurite lengths. Interestingly, neurite outgrowth of postnatal neurons was reduced to a greater extent than that of embryonic neurons, and outgrowth inhibition varied among neuronal populations. Scar-like reactive sites and neurite-inhibitory patches were found throughout these cultures, creating a patchwork of growth-inhibitory areas mimicking a CNS injury site. Thus, our model showed relevant aspects of scar formation and produced widespread inhibition of axonal regeneration; it should be useful both for examining mechanisms underlying scar formation and to assess various treatments for their potential to improve regeneration after CNS injury. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Adenovirus-mediated expression of Cu/Zn- or Mn-superoxide dismutase protects against CYP2E1-dependent toxicity.

CYP2E1 induction by ethanol is one mechanism by which ethanol creates oxidative stress in the liver. The superoxide dismutases (SODs) are an important antioxidant enzyme defense system against reactive oxygen species (ROS). To investigate the protective role of SOD against CYP2E1-dependent toxicity, a transfected HepG2 cell line overexpressing CYP2E1 (E47 cells) was infected with adenoviral vectors containing Cu/Zn-SOD complementary DNA (cDNA) (Ad.SOD1) and Mn-SOD cDNA (Ad.SOD2). Forty-eight hours after infection, intracellular levels and activity of Cu/Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD were increased about 2- and 3-fold, respectively. Localization of the overexpressed Cu/Zn-SOD in the cytosol and Mn-SOD in the mitochondria was confirmed by assaying the levels and activity of SOD in the corresponding isolated fractions. Arachidonic acid (AA) plus iron-induced cell death was partially prevented in both Ad.SOD1- and Ad.SOD2-infected E47 cells. Overexpression of Cu/Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD also partially protected E47 cells from the increase in reactive oxygen production and lipid peroxidation and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential induced by AA and iron. Infection with Cu/Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD also protected the E47 cells against AA toxicity or buthionine sulfoximine (BSO)-dependent toxicity. CYP2E1 levels and catalytic activity were not altered by overexpression of Cu/Zn-SOD or Mn-SOD. Cu/Zn-SOD in the cytosol and Mn-SOD in mitochondria each are capable of protecting HepG2 cells expressing CYP2E1 against cytotoxicity induced by pro-oxidants. In conclusion, these enzymes may be useful in the prevention or improvement of liver injury produced by agents known to be metabolized by CYP2E1 to reactive intermediates and to cause oxidative stress.