cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monitoring retinal pathology and cerebral injury in sickle cell disease using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in pediatric patients.

Purpose This study aimed to confirm the correlation between sickle cell disease (SCD) genotype and retinal damage identified by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and examine a potential link between hypoxic ischemic injury in the retina and brain. Methods In this prospective, observational case series, 117 patients (56 males) aged 5-20 years with SCD (36 SC, 68 SS, eight Sβ+ thalassemia, five Sβ0 thalassemia) underwent ophthalmologic examination including funduscopy and SD-OCT imaging. Comparison of SCD genotypes and association between ocular findings and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in subjects with SS/Sβ0 genotype were investigated. Results Visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to 20/40. On funduscopic exam, 16 of 117 (13.7%) had retinopathy; 69 of 117 (59.0%) showed inner retina thinning on SD-OCT. Patients with SS/Sβ0 showed a higher frequency of sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) change (68.5% vs. 47.2%), bilateral SCR (49.9% vs. 25.0%), and foveal involvement (15.1% vs. 0) than the SC genotype. While funduscopic findings in our cohort with SS/Sβ0 genotype showed no correlation with CVD, 20 of 21 patients with CVD had abnormal SD-OCT. Elevated reticulocyte percentage and aspartate aminotransferase are associated with SD-OCT changes and CVD. Conclusions SD-OCT was better than funduscopy in detecting retinal changes, higher frequency, and more extensive retinal changes in the more severe SCD genotypes SS and Sβ0 as compared with SC. The correlation between abnormal SD-OCT and CVD strongly suggests that retinal exam using SD-OCT may aid in detection and monitoring SCD-related CVD. Retinopathy may be another component of the hemolytic subphenotype of SCD.
It Ain't Over Till It's Over?: Correlates of Post-Separation Abuse Among Unmarried Women in the Republic of Korea.

This study investigates the correlates of post-separation abuse among unmarried women in the Republic of Korea (n = 744). The study employs a logistic regression model to consider if prior intimate partner violence victimization, relationship characteristics, and separation characteristics are associated with post-separation abuse. The results showed that experiencing coercive control by the former partner during the relationship, initiating the separation, and having a lower income than her former partner's income increased the odds of post-separation abuse. The findings imply that programs designed to prevent victimization or enhance victims' safety need to consider broader relationship and separation contexts.
Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Part I

Publisher Summary Proton magnetic resonance (p.m.r.) spectroscopy is regarded as the most widely used technique for the structural, configurational, and conformational analysis of carbohydrates and their derivatives. In context to instrumentation, sensitivity is often a limiting factor in p.m.r. spectroscopy; however this problem has been tackled by the use of Fourier techniques. It is noted that considerable improvements in the design of probes for research spectrometers have been made, with emphasis on rapid changeover for operation with one nucleus to that for another by means of plug-in sample-inserts, solid-state preamplifiers, circuit boxes for different modes of field-frequency stabilization, and matching networks for tuning the probe to any measuring or decoupling frequency required. The use of field-effect transistors having low noise and high gain in the first stage of the preamplifier has resulted in significant improvement in sensitivity. The full impact of the advances in electronic technology has resulted in all-solid-state spectrometer consoles, with an emphasis on rapid conversion for observation of different nuclei, by switching of radiofrequencies (r.f.), instead of by exchange of bulky r.f. units.
Pyridinium precursors of pyridine nucleotides in perfused rat kidney and in the testis.

Abstract Nicotinic acid, at a concentration of 2.5 µm, was a more effective precursor of NAD than was nicotinamide in perfused rat kidney. NAD synthesis from nicotinic acid occurs via nicotinic acid ribonucleotide and desamido-NAD. Nicotinamide deamidase was not active but the nicotinamide, released by NAD glycohydrolase action or added to the perfusate, was incorporated into NAD via NMN. Mono- and dinucleotides as well as quinolinate entered the kidney cells slowly. The latter was converted to nicotinic acid ribonucleotide and thence to NAD. Nicotinic acid ribonucleoside served as a precursor of NAD. Urinary products from nicotinic acid included nicotinic acid, nicotinuric acid, nicotinamide, and a trace of 6-hydroxynicotinic acid. From nicotinamide no products other than the unchanged amide were detected. Nicotinamide was the preferred precursor of NAD in the testis as shown by intratesticular injection in the whole animal or by homogenate experiments. Quinolinic acid did not serve as a source of the pyridine moiety of NAD in the testis.
Professor Ebashi's impact on the study of the regulation of striated muscle contraction.

The field of striated muscle regulation has changed tremendously over the last forty years. Many of the problems solved by Dr. Ebashi and by those stimulated by him offer new challenges for future generations of scientists. Many questions remain to be solved, and it should give particular pleasure to Dr. Ebashi to see how the seeds sown by him and his colleagues have now grown into a beautiful tree that bears rich fruit at present and will continue to do so for a long time in the future. (Mol Cell Biochem 190: 5-8, 1999)
Role of the invariant aspartic acid 99 of human choriogonadotropin beta in receptor binding and biological activity.

Abstract The four human glycoprotein hormones are heterodimers that contain a common alpha subunit and a hormone-specific beta subunit. Within this hormone family, 23 amino acid sequences from 11 mammalian species are available. There are 19 invariant amino acid residues in the beta subunits, 12 of which are Cys that form six disulfide bonds. Of the remaining seven conserved amino acid residues, we have investigated the role of an Asp which occurs at position 99 in human choriogonadotropin beta (hCG beta). Site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace hCG beta Asp99 with three residues, Glu, Asn, and Arg, and to prepare an inversion double mutant protein, Arg94----Asp and Asp99----Arg. The cDNAs were placed in a eukaryotic expression vector, and the plasmids were transiently transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells containing a stably integrated gene for bovine alpha. Radioimmunoassays demonstrated that the mutant forms of hCG beta were capable of subunit assembly to the same extent as hCG beta wild type. The heterologous heterodimers were assayed in vitro using transformed mouse Leydig cells (MA-10) by competitive inhibition of 125I-hCG binding and stimulation of progesterone production. The gonadotropins containing Glu and Asn were active, although the potency was less than that associated with the hCG beta wild type-containing gonadotropin. In contrast, the Arg99-containing mutant protein and the inversion mutant protein Asp94/Arg99 were devoid of activity. Thus, in hCG beta Asp99 can be substituted with certain residues without total loss of function, although replacement with a positively charged residue leads to an inactive heterodimer. The primary role of Asp99 in hCG beta seems to involve, either directly or indirectly, receptor recognition.
Joint Segmentation of Thalamic Nuclei from a Population of Diffusion Tensor MR Images

Several recent studies explored the use of unsupervised segmentation methods for segmenting thalamic nuclei from diffusion tensor images. These methods provide a plausible segmentation on individual subjects; however, they do not address the problem of consistently identifying the same functional areas in a population. The lack of correspondence between the segmented nuclei make it more difficult to use the results from the unsupervised segmentation tools for morphometry. In this paper we present a novel segmentation algorithm to automatically segment the gray matter nuclei while ensuring consistency between subjects in a population. This new algorithm, referred to as Consistency Clustering, finds correspondence between the nuclei as the segmentation is achieved through a single model for the whole population, similar to the brain atlases experts use to identify thalamic nuclei.
Migration from traditional to web-based instruction for information assurance courses

Instructors face significant challenges when migrating a course using a traditional pedagogic approach to a web-based format. The preparation of learning modules, conduct of discussions, provision for hands-on labs to elucidate learning module concepts, and problems with student assessment must all be considered. This paper discusses how these components were brought together for information assurance courses at our university. It provides information regarding the history of these types of courses, the nature of their traditional delivery, their migration to an online format, and the outcome of this migration.
Viscusi's Risk by Choice: Regulating Health and Safety in the Workplace

would only impose large costs and red tape on employers. Did they listen to us? You can bet they didn't. Those do-gooders filled the pages of the Federal Register. They required employers to buy new toilet seats and replace 29 inch handrails with 30 inch handrails. As we predicted, they held the government up to ridicule, wasted billions of dollars, and didn't improve worker safety by one whit. When all that was painfully clear to everyone, many, many years later, we got them to let the market do most of the job." Telling the story with relish, although in less colloquial English, Viscusi scores those economically ignorant (politically savvy) do-gooders who won most of the battles when he was Deputy Director of the Council on Wage and Price Stability. Of course, the last act, giving a greater role to market forces, has yet to be written, but this book is intended to be a boost to the process. The inadequacies of OSHA * Viscusi is at his best in describing the current and past operations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the nature of its regulations, and the reason one should not have expected much of an improvement in worker safety. The chapters are crammed with facts, summaries of the relevant literature, and insightful observations. Viscusi argues that the increase in worker injury rates in the 1960s that stirred attention and led to the creation of OSHA was "a statistical artifact; job hazards actually were continuing to diminish throughout this period, as were other risk levels." The inadequacies of OSHA inspection are detailed, along with the lack of focus on serious problems and the areas where OSHA could do the most good. The level of fines has been so low that the economic incentive for improving safety is virtually zero. Viscusi summarizes analyses of how workers perceive and react to occupational hazards. Unions are seen as affecting health and safety by reflecting the average preference of workers, rather than the preferences of those workers who self-selected into the most dangerous jobs. This phenomenon might be used to explain why organized labor invested so much effort in having OSHA created and why the unions support its efforts so strongly-they are limiting competition by workers who are less risk averse and by the nonunion companies who would employ them. The differences in risk aversion are estimated to be large: The average worker (in a job of average, relatively low risk) puts a much higher premium on safety than does a worker who is employed in one of the most
Effect of Tryptophan on Growth and Morphology of Hansenula schneggii Cells

Sundhagul, Malee (Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago), and L. R. Hedrick. Effect of tryptophan on growth and morphology of Hansenula schneggii cells. J. Bacteriol. 92: 241–249. 1966.—When Hansenula schneggii cells were cultured aerobically in a tryptophan-glucose medium, 70 to 90% of the cells were elongated; no growth occurred under anaerobic conditions. The size of the elongated cells was 15 to 25 μ by 2 to 4 μ, as compared with 2.5 to 5 μ for ellipsoidal cells. Formation of elongated cells occurred essentially during the logarithmic growth period; the highest percentage of elongated cells was found soon after the end of this growth phase. In the later stationary phase, some of the cells formed spherical buds which became spherical cells. The rate of cell division during this period was greatly reduced, but the spherical cells formed decreased the percentage of elongated cells in the population. Cells cultured in a membrane-filter filtrate of a tryptophan-glucose medium (with limiting tryptophan), in which elongated cells had been grown, were ellipsoidal until nitrogenous nutrients were exhausted; thereafter the cells were elongated if tryptophan was added. Of compounds related to tryptophan, kynurenine was the only one which induced a high percentage of the cells to elongate. Some amino acids, such as cystine, histidine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and threonine, induced elongation in about 15% of the cells. Growth of cells with other amino acids, or the addition of most of the other amino acids to tryptophan-glucose medium, resulted in a population of spherical cells. Several consecutive sequential transfers of cells into tryptophan medium induced elongation in 90% of the cells, but one transfer from a culture with elongated cells into a medium with ammonium sulfate, or a mixture of amino acids, gave a culture with ellipsoidal cells. Growth in media at p H 4 or 5 favored formation of elongated cells; as the p H was increased, the percentage of elongated cells decreased. Carbon sources other than glucose did not affect the percentage of elongated cells, except for the alcohols mannitol and erythitol, which gave comparable growth but reduced the percentage of elongated cells from 70 to 50%. Cell wall analyses of the two types of cells indicated that elongated cells have 2.5 times as much mannan as cell walls of ellipsoidal cells. This suggests that tryptophan, kynurenine, and, to a limited extent, some of the other amino acids cause a diversion of polysaccharide biosynthesis to mannan in the elongated cells rather than to glucan as in ellipsoidal cells. Images
Deriving the first and the second moments of the normalized timing error of first order early-late tracking loops using linear analysis and real time simulation for wireless receivers moving away linearly from the transmitter

In this paper we provide a review for the time domain analysis of the normalized timing error dynamics of a wireless receiver Early-Late tracking loop (A loop that controls the timing of a pseudo-noise code that is locally generated in the receiver). This review shows that the timing error dynamics modelling is cumbersome and can be simplified by linearizing the tracking loop. The linearization assumption makes the use of Laplace transform to model the timing error dynamics possible. The Laplace transform is used to derive formulas for the normalized timing error first and second moments for the case of linear varying time delay inputs of first order Early-Late tracking loops. The derivation of these moments facilitates modelling the timing error dynamics by using probability density functions that implement these moments to calculate the probability that the tracking loop will fail to handle the timing error dynamics. A simulation is carried out and verified that the numerical evaluation of the proposed formulas matches the simulation output to some tolerable error. The formulas are used to assess the performance of Early-Late tracking loops when subjected to linear variable time delay. The results show that the velocity of the wireless receiver, the received signal power and the chip rate are the main factors that affect the timing error first moment (the mean). The second moment (the variance) of the timing error is affected by the received signal power and the tracking loop gain.
Patient‐Centered Care Categorization of U.S. Health Care Expenditures

The traditional method of reporting health care costs in the United States is by setting or payer, such as the National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA), produced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2009). International comparisons have predominantly focused on overall trends, financing agent, provider, and function, and often provide limited information on specific consumer encounters and spending (Anderson and Hussey 2001; Orosz and Morgan 2004;). The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development has examined person-centered categories of health spending. These methods are useful for trends overall and by setting and payer but do not predominantly focus on how consumers actually interact with the health care system. We aimed to combine traditional methods of accounting with a patient-centered viewpoint to more fully identify the underlying factors driving costs and potential levers for efficient allocation of health care resources. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) collects data on conditions, services, individual characteristics, setting, and payers (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2009). Our objective was to classify all U.S. health care expenditures into patient-centered categories that capture health events in a manner that is closer than conventional methods (e.g., by setting or payer) to how consumers experience and consider their health and health care spending. We used MEPS data to classify medical expenses in 2007 into seven “patient-centered care” categories. This method of examining expenditures can complement traditional methods to provide additional insight into spending. This categorization may better identify the drivers of health care expenditures and suggest more focused policy solutions to improve the value and efficiency of the health care system.
The role of molecule–electrode contact in single-molecule electronics

Creating complex electronic systems from individual molecular components is one of the most formidable challenges in nanotechnology today. To achieve this goal it is necessary not only to design the functionality of the molecular system to create devices, but also to control the interface between bulk contacts and molecular systems. In this brief perspective we discuss the role of molecule–electrode contact in single-molecule systems. This contact is responsible for making the system mechanically stable enough to perform measurements, and can also have profound impacts on both the contact resistance and the energy level alignment in the system. We will discuss a variety of different linker groups that have been explored, note the advantages and disadvantages of various contact chemistries, and discuss new methodologies used for understanding the impact that the molecule–electrode contact has on the energetics of single-molecule devices.
Dietary Acculturation in Latinos/Hispanics in the United States

As a person acculturates into a new culture, dietary changes may occur. This is termed dietary acculturation and is a complex process that has been observed in the Hispanic population in the United States. As acculturation occurs, traditional dietary behaviors are shed, and behaviors representative of the US diet are adopted. Many diet-related psychological and environmental factors may influence this diet change in the Hispanic population. It is important for health professionals to identify factors that may be causing unhealthy dietary behaviors and determine the most appropriate forms to address them. By identifying and addressing negative dietary change and behaviors, certain diet-related health issues commonly seen in this population, such as obesity and diabetes, may be prevented or managed.
Unsupervised classification of multiecho magnetic resonance images of the pediatric brain with implicit spatial and statistical hypotheses validation

We describe an image segmentation method applied to multi-echo MR images which is unsupervised in that the analyst need not specify prototypical tissue signatures to guide the segmentation. It is well known that different tissue types may be distinguished by their signatures in NMR parameter space (spin density and relaxation parameters T1 and T2). Also, normal tissue may be differentiated from abnormal by means of these signatures. Even though pixel intensity is proportional to weighted mixtures of these parameters in real images several researchers feel there is potential for better segmentation results by processing dual-echo images. These images are inherently registered and require no additional time to acquire the image for the second echo. Our segmentation procedure is a multi-step process in which tissue class mean vectors and covariance matrices are first determined by a clustering technique. The goal here is to achieve an intermediate segmentation which may be subject to quantitative validation.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Sirtuin 6: a review of biological effects and potential therapeutic properties.

Sirtuins, possessing either histone deacetylase or mono-ribosyltransferase activity, regulate important pathways in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. SIRT6, an enzyme highly expressed in skeletal muscles, brain, heart, liver, and thymus, affects transcriptional regulation in a tissue-specific manner. This enzyme has a two-domain structure that consists of a large Rossmann fold and a smaller and structurally more varied sequence containing a Zn2+-binding motif. The C-terminus is required for proper nuclear localization, while the N-terminus is important for chromatin association and for intrinsic catalytic activity. SIRT6 promotes resistance to DNA damage and oxidative stress, the principal defects associated with age-related diseases. The modulation of aging and other metabolic functions by SIRT6 may be indicative of previously unrecognized regulatory systems in the cell. The propensity of individual SIRT6 molecules to undergo intramolecular mono-ADP-ribosylation, suggests this auto-ribosylation may contribute to the self-regulation of SIRT6 function. Until recently, SIRT6 was an orphan enzyme whose catalytic activity and substrates were unclear. It was known that, similar to the yeast Sir2 protein, human SIRT6 deacetylates histones and regulates DNA stability and repair; however, new mechanistic insights can be derived from the discovery of the highly substrate-specific histone deacetylase activity of SIRT6. This deacetylase activity promotes proper chromatin function in several physiologic contexts, to include telomere and genome stabilization, gene expression and DNA repair. By maintaining both the integrity and the expression of the mammalian genome, SIRT6 may help prevent cellular senescence. Moreover, successful molecular modulation of SIRT6 activity may lead to the development of new chemotherapeutic modalities. The action of SIRT6 is described in this review, with an emphasis on the cellular roles of the enzyme and the relation of those enzymatic functions to human biology and disease.
Correlated-basis-functions theory of metal surfaces. Preliminary results

We report here a variational method for calculating surface energies and electronic density profiles using correlated wave functions. Preliminary results are given for the whole range of densities corresponding to simple metals. Our method provides an alternative to the density-functional method. In addition, it furnishes a basis for obtaining many-body wave functions for metal surfaces.
Interactions of RXR with Coactivators Are Differentially Mediated by Helix 11 of the Receptor's Ligand Binding Domain†

RXR is a nuclear hormone receptor that is activated by the vitamin A metabolite 9-cis-retinoic acid. Previously, it was shown that, in the absence of a cognate ligand, RXR self-associates into tetramers, thereby silencing its own transcriptional activity. It was also shown that the tetramerization region of RXR critically contains two of three consecutive phenylalanine residues found in helix 11 (H11) of the receptor's ligand binding domain. Mutation of these residues abolishes the ability of RXR to form tetramers but also results in a receptor that is defective in its ligand-induced transcriptional activity. These observations suggest that the region may be involved in the association of RXR with transcriptional coactivators. Here, it is demonstrated that mutation of the H11 phenylalanine residues diminishes the ability of RXR to associate with the p160 coactivators TIF2 and p/CIP, but has little effect on ligand-dependent interactions of the receptor with the unrelated coactivator TIF1. It is further sh...
Analysis of Nonlinear Systems with Stochastic Input and Stochastic Parameters—II

Abstract This paper gives an extension of the Volterra-functional method to the analysis of nonlinear systems with both stochastic input and stochastic parameters. In Section II, first-order linear systems with stochastic input and stochastic parameter are analyzed. Certain definitions and symbolic relations are established. A special example in which the stochastic input and the stochastic parameter are closely related is given in Appendix I. Section III deals with the analysis of first-order nonlinear systems with both stochastic input and stochastic parameter, by means of the Volterra-functional method. A simpler analysis by extension of the Transform-ensemble method is given in Appendix II. Section IV presents the detailed analysis of nonlinear stochastic systems with four illustrative examples. The analysis can be extended to a class of nonlinear stochastic systems with higher-order linear plants with constant or time-varying parameters.
ON THE TWO-BLOCK H PROBLEM FOR A CLASS OF UNSTABLE DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

This paper deals with the two-block H∞ control problem for distributed plants with finitely many unstable modes. We assume that weighting filters in the H∞ mixed-sensitivity problem are finite-dimensional. Then the corresponding optimal two-block problem can be solved by finding the Schmidt pairs of a Hankel operator whose symbol is of the form m∗2(m∗1u + u) where u ∈ R H∞, u ∈ H∞, and m2 ∈ RH∞ and m1 ∈ H∞ are inner; and the suboptimal two-block problem can be solved by finding the solutions of certain functional equations very similar to the ones satisfied by the Schmit pairs of the above-mentioned Hankel operator. In this paper a unified approach is proposed for solving both the optimal and suboptimal two-block problems. We obtain two systems of linear equations, expressed in terms of state-space realizations of u and m2, whose solutions give the Schmidt pairs of the associated Hankel operator and the functions needed for the parametrization of all the suboptimal solutions, respectively.
Effects of Dams and Impoundments on Migrations of Juvenile Chinook Salmon and Steelhead from the Snake River, 1966 to 1975

Abstract Migrations of juvenile chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and steelhead, Salmo gairdneri, from tributaries of the Snake River were monitored as far downstream as The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River in most years during the period 1966 to 1975. New dams constructed on the Snake River adversely affected survival and delayed migrations of juveniles. Significant losses of juveniles in 1972 and 1973 were directly responsible for record-low returns of adults to the Snake River in 1974 and 1975. Major causes of mortality were passage through turbines at dams, predation, and delays in migration through reservoirs in low-flow years, and prolonged exposure to lethal concentrations of dissolved gases caused by spilling at dams during high-flow years. Migrations of juvenile steelhead were generally later than those of chinook salmon and generally coincided with maximum river discharge. Lack of river runoff in 1973 caused a significant number of steelheads to stop migrating and to hold over in reservo...
Nonlinear multigrid inversion for optical diffusion tomography

A nonlinear multigrid inversion algorithm is presented for solving computationally demanding optimizations in optical diffusion tomography. Simulation results demonstrate the potential for large computational saving, better reconstruction quality, and robust convergence.
Near-Field and Far-Field Expansions for Traveling-Wave Circular Loop Antennas - Abstract

Convenient closed-form far-field expressions for thin circular loop antennas which possess a traveling-wave current distribution have been available for many years. However, a method for analytically evaluating the more complicated near-zone vector potential and corresponding electromagnetic field integrals associated with traveling-wave circular loop antennas has not been previously reported in the electromagnetics literature. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a systematic approach for finding exact series representations of these integrals which are valid not only in the far-field of the loop, but also in its near-field region. These mathematically exact solutions are general and can be shown to contain all of the well-known classical approximations as special cases.
Implementing BIM on Infrastructure: Comparison of Two Bridge Construction Projects

AbstractThis research provides comparative analysis of the impacts and benefits associated with using building information modeling (BIM) on accelerated bridge construction in the Denver metropolitan area. To date, BIM remains a relatively underutilized tool in horizontal construction. BIM has the potential, however, to significantly increase efficiencies, minimize waste, and increase sustainability across infrastructure projects throughout their life cycles. This research studies the impacts of the first implementation of BIM processes on one of two structurally similar concurrent bridge construction projects by comparing metrics related to substructure costs, requests for information, change orders, rework, and schedule. Findings suggest that negative cost impacts of approximately 70% may be associated with the first implementation of BIM during construction. However, additional findings suggest that the use of BIM may facilitate otherwise infeasible complex projects and reduce requests for information ...
Caspase-3-mediated cleavage of Rad9 during apoptosis

The activation of caspases is a critical event for the execution phase of programmed cell death. Caspases are highly specific in their ability to activate or inhibit many crucial proteins in the cell via cleavage. In this study, we report the identification of several caspase-3-like cleavage sites in the cell-cycle checkpoint protein Rad9. We demonstrate that human Rad9 can be specifically cleaved in cells induced to enter apoptosis by both DNA damage and staurosporine treatment. Indeed, we show that human Rad9 can be effectively cleaved both in vitro and in vivo, which can be inhibited by either a pan-caspase inhibitor or a caspase-3-specific inhibitor. Additionally, no cleavage of Rad9 can be seen in the caspase-3-deficient cell line MCF-7. Site-directed mutagenesis of three of the most conserved cleavage sites dramatically abrogates cleavage of Rad9 by caspase-3 in vitro, and in intact cells after DNA damage. Expression of the cleavage-resistant mutant Rad9 DDD/AAA appears to protect the cell from DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Immunofluorescence studies of Rad9 localization before and after induction of apoptosis show a translocation of Rad9 from the nucleus to the cytosol, concomitant to the appearance of apoptotic morphology. Furthermore, analysis of a truncated Rad9 mutant that corresponds to a putative N-terminal cleavage fragment shows that the N-terminal portion of Rad9 localizes in the cytosol, binds to Bcl-XL, and induces apoptosis. These results support a dual role for cleavage of Rad9: (1) the liberation and translocation of the BH3 domain-containing N-terminus of Rad9 to the cytosol, as a means of promoting apoptosis via antagonism of Bcl-XL, and (2) the disruption of the Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 DNA damage checkpoint complex.
Prioritization Model for Rehabilitation of Public School Buildings in California

The condition of the nation's kindergarten through 12th (K-12) grade public school buildings is considered to be in bad shape. To bring back the condition of the American K-12 schools to an acceptable level, it is estimated that about $320 billion may be required. As a starting effort, $40 billion was allocated by the Federal Government to improve the current condition of public school buildings. To properly manage the expenditure of this fund, a prioritization system is required. Existing school prioritization systems in the State of California are based on the subjective judgment of decision-makers and their manual interpretation and manipulation of data collected by their subordinates. This current prioritization practice lacks a structured methodology that rationalizes its outcomes. It may also lead to misleading conclusions, and accordingly, misuse of available resources, especially in challenging cases where the conditions of multiple school buildings may be very similar. This article presents a com...
THE SEXUALLY MISUSED CHILD

This paper, based on a study of pediatric emergency room records and on clinical experience, suggests that sexual misuse of children often goes unrecognized, and that this diagnosis must be considered in all children seen for genital injury, irritation, and infection. It is concluded that sexual misuse is most often a symptom of family dysfunction; preliminary guidelines for case management are offered.
Spatial and Geographical Effects in Regional Multiplier Analysis

In this paper I extend regional multiplier analysis by incorporating both spatial (neighbor) and geographical (place-contained) effects. Multipliers, taken as elasticities, are estimated by regress...
Glutamate-induced increases in intracellular Ca2+ in cultured frog tectal cells mediated by direct activation of NMDA receptor channels

Abstract Influx of Ca 2+ through NMDA channels may initiate the stabilization of coactive synapses during development of the retinotectal projection in frogs. Ca 2+ imaging techniques were applied to cultured tectal cells to investigate whether excitatory amino acids cause a rise in [Ca 2+ ] i . High [K + ], NMDA, and glutamate increase [Ca 2+ ] i in about 75% of the cells. NMDA and glutamate responses were completely blocked in the absence of extracellular Ca 2+ and by the NMDA receptor or channel blockers APV and MK-801. The NMDA response was also blocked by Mg 2+ . Quisqualate and kainate produced little or no rise in [Ca2+] i . These studies indicate that when tectal cells are exposed to the retinal ganglion cell transmitter glutamate, the prodominant means of Ca 2+ entry is through NMDA channels.
Development of an Objective Measure of Identity Achievement Status

Summary A 24-item, objectively scorable scale for assessing identity achievement status (the IAS Scale) was developed through a modification of Marcia's Ego Identity Incomplete Sentence Blank. The IAS Scale revealed a one week test-retest reliability coefficient of .76, was significantly related to interview based rating of identity crisis-plus-identity commitment, correlates positively with the n Endurance scale and negatively with the n Succorance scale of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, and is significantly related to 7 of 12 scales in Shostrom's Personal Orientation Inventory. Discussion touches on future research use as well as the relationship of the identity construct to self-actualization.
Coherent light emission from p-n junctions

Abstract A qualitative description of the operation of junction lasers is presented. Far field and near field radiation patterns show that the light emission from GaAs and GaAsxP1-x lasers comes from a thin sheet, less than a few microns in thickness, which includes the junction itself. The distribution of light intensity along the junction edge is often quite non-uniform and can account for the structure which is observed in the far field patterns. The threshold current density is calculated on the assumption that the radiative transition involves free electrons and holes. From this and other evidence, it is concluded that in heavily doped laser junctions the transitions take place between states which closely resemble the conduction and valence band states of the pure semiconductor.
Excitation of quasinormal ringing of a Schwarzschild black hole

Processes near the event horizon of a black hole excite a ringing of fields (electromagnetic, gravitational perturbation, etc.) at certain complex frequencies, called quasinormal frequencies, characteristic of the hole. Evidence for such oscillations consists almost entirely of their appearance in detailed numerical solutions of specific problems. Despite the importance of quasinormal ringing in the generation of gravitational radiation, little work has been done on clarifying the way in which the ringing is excited, or in estimating the strength of the excitation, without a detailed computer solution. We formulate here the theory of the excitation of ringing of Schwarzschild holes from Cauchy data, in which a coefficient ${C}_{q}$ seems to describe the excitation, but is given by a formally divergent integral. The meaning of ${C}_{q}$ is shown actually to be an analytic continuation of the integral in the complex frequency plane, and this idea is used as the basis of computational techniques for finding ${C}_{q}$. We then demonstrate that ${C}_{q}$ does not in general describe the astrophysically interesting quantity, the near-horizon stimulation of the ringing. We introduce two approaches to the correct description. The first uses a modified ${C}_{q}$ based on an ad hoc modification of the Cauchy data. The second is based on a series representation of ${C}_{q}$; a truncation of this series automatically selects the astrophysically interesting part of ${C}_{q}$.
Clinical and anatomical reversal of long-term hypotony maculopathy.

Abstract Purpose To report a case of clinical and anatomical reversal of long-term hypotony maculopathy after filtration surgery. Design Interventional/observational case report. Methods Case report and review of a 59-year-old woman who underwent surgical bleb revision for hypotony maculopathy. Results Over a 5-year period, progressive vision loss to 20/200 developed in the patient's right eye, with an intraocular pressure in the single digits. She underwent bleb excision, scleral patch graft, and conjunctival advancement. Five weeks later, her visual acuity had dramatically improved to 20/25 with an intraocular pressure of 16 mm Hg. The retinal thickness decreased from 423 μm to 211 μm based on ocular coherence tomography. Conclusions This case demonstrates that long-term hypotony maculopathy is reversible both functionally and structurally.
Comparative pollen morphology of Brachylena, Tarchananthus and two species of Tubulifloridites (Asteraceae) from the Eocene, Knysna Lignite of South Africa

Abstract Two fossil taxa Tubulifloridites antipodica and T. viteauensis recovered from the Eocene Knysna Lignite of South Africa were examined with scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The details of their sculpturing and wall structure are similar to the same species of fossil dispersed pollen taxa recovered from southwestern Africa and South America. Fifteen species of the woody South African taxa, Brachylaena (9 species) and Tarchonanthus (6 species) were investigated with SEM and TEM. All of the taxa are tricolporate, spherical to slightly prolate, microechinate to echinate and have a bilayered columellate infrastructure, except B. ilicifolia , which has a single columellate infrastructural level with the “granularization” of the outer portion of the infrastructural layer or the inner layer of the tectum. There is a similar distribution of plesiomorphic and derived pollen characters in a number of aster subfamilies and tribes suggesting a similar evolutionary progression of pollen, and pollen wall character evolution was occurring synchronously in a variety of aster subfamilies during the middle Tertiary and that these unique pollen features may be important to the evolution and diversification of the Asteraceae.
Paraneoplastic pemphigus and bronchiolitis obliterans associated with a mediastinal mass: A rare case of Castleman's disease with respiratory failure requiring lung transplantation.

Castleman's disease is an infrequent and usually benign lymphoproliferative disorder. Resection of the tumor usually is curative. The immunostimulatory nature of the tumor can, in rare instances, result in paraneoplastic manifestations. The authors present a case of a 14 year old with mucocutaneous ulcerations and progressive dyspnea that was found to have a large mediastinal mass and circulating autoantibodies that were responsible for his paraneoplastic pemphigus and bronchiolitis obliterans. In spite of aggressive immunotherapy to control the autoimmune mucocutaneous lesions, the pulmonary fibrosis was irreversible and progressed to pulmonary failure necessitating lung transplantation. J Pediatr Surg 36:E22.
OPTIMAL CONTAINERSHIP SIZE

The cost per container movement incurred by a containership per voyage leg on a given route is minimized under various scenarios. The principal conclusions reached from a comparative analysis of the optimal containership sizes are: (1) for a route of a given distance and the same time in port per port call, optimal containership size declines as the number of port calls increase, (2) for a route of a given distance and the same number of port calls, optimal containership size declines as the time in port increases and (3) for the same number of port calls and the same time in port per port call, optimal containership size increases as the distance of the route increases. Rationale for these conclusions are presented.
User Fees in Local Finance: Performance and Potential in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

User fees are a part of the local public finance arsenal of both the Czech and Slovak republics. To understand their use, their capacity for revenue generation, and their potential contribution to public finance in the twin republics, user fees must be considered within the context of the Czech and Slovak transition to market democracy.
Gradient estimates on manifolds using coupling

We use a coupling method to give gradient estimates for solutions to (12 Δ + Z)u = 0 on a manifold. The size of the gradient depends on a lower bound on the Ricci curvature of the manifold and bounds on the vector field Z.
Pharmacokinetic variability of anticancer agents

The translation of advances in cancer biology to drug discovery can be complicated by pharmacokinetic variation between individuals and within individuals, and this can result in unpredictable toxicity and variable antineoplastic effects. Previously unrecognized variables (such as genetic polymorphisms) are now known to have a significant impact on drug disposition. How can the pharmacokinetic variability of anticancer agents be reduced? This will require the understanding of correlations between pharmacokinetics and treatment outcomes, the identification of relevant patient parameters, mathematical modelling of individual and population pharmacokinetics, and the development of algorithms that will tailor doses to the individual patient.
Tumor promoters accentuate phosphorylation of PO: evidence for the presence of protein kinase C in purified PNS myelin

The effects of carbon tetrachloride, methylene chloride and chloroform on phosphorylation of PO was examined. The results of the dose response curve revealed that carbon tetrachloride (0.67%), methylene chloride (2%) and chloroform (1%) induced phosphorylation of PO by approximately 4, 6, and 12-fold, respectively. PO was found to be phosphorylated on the serine residue, and the phosphorylation of the serine residue was markedly increased when PO was phosphorylated in the presence of these compounds. Since tumor promoters, carbon tetrachloride and chloroform, have been shown to activate protein kinase C in platelets it is postulated that the increased phosphorylation of PO may result from the activation of myelin associated protein kinase C. The presence of phospholipid sensitive Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) in purified nerve myelin was demonstrated by increased phosphorylation of PO in the presence of Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine.
Analytic Physical Optics Solution for Bistatic, 3D Scattering From a Dihedral Corner Reflector

We derive an analytic scattering model for 3D bistatic scattering from a dihedral using geometrical optics (GO) and physical optics (PO). We use GO to trace ray reflections, and we evaluate the PO integral(s) for the field scattered by each plate of the dihedral. Multiple cases of reflection geometry are considered to account for effects of the dihedral plate size and antenna aspect angles. The complex-valued (amplitude and phase) scattering response is derived. The resulting parametric scattering model is presented in terms of the vertical and horizontal co-polarization and cross-polarization responses that correspond to the outputs of industry-standard numerical prediction codes. Comparing the derived model to available codes for method of moments (MoM), shooting and bouncing rays (SBR), and parametric models (PM), we demonstrate that the derived solution achieves the same accuracy as SBR, approximates MoM, is more accurate than PM, and does so in fast computation time comparable to a PM.
Geomorphic response of a headwater channel to augmented flow

Abstract Since 1974, flow releases from Long Draw Reservoir have increased annual peak flows on La Poudre Pass Creek, Colorado, from ~ 5.6 m3/s to > 8.4 m3/s. The creek drains 61 km2 and channel morphology varies from step–pool to pool–riffle. Comparison of five channel reaches along the creek to channel reaches along neighboring rivers without flow regulation indicates that channel width has increased by as much as a factor of three along La Poudre Pass Creek. Width-to-depth ratio has also increased, the bed material in step–pool channel reaches has coarsened, and residual pool volumes have increased in pool–riffle channel reaches. Pool–riffle channel reaches have undergone the greatest change in response to flow augmentation. Although discharge has increased consistently for all five channel reaches, morphologic response varies in relation to gradient and channel morphology, making it impractical to precisely predict a priori the magnitude of channel response to flow augmentation.
Security and preservation of the U.S. congressional serial set

Abstract Librarians are becoming increasingly concerned about the safety and physical integrity of valuable government documents such as the U.S. Congressional Serial Set. Using a questionnaire to survey 187 government documents collections, the investigators (i) determine current library security practices with regard to the Serial Set, (ii) identify those volumes within the collection that are most likely to be vandalized or stolen, and (iii) make recommendations for the security and preservation of these items. The goal of the study is to give librarians a better awareness of security problems and possible solutions.