cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advanced tools, multiple missions, flexible organizations, and education

In this new era of modern astronomy, observations across multiple wavelengths are often required. This implies understanding many different costly and complex observatories. Yet, the process for translating ideas into proposals is very similar for all of these observatories If we had a new generation of uniform, common tools, writing proposals for the various observatories would be simpler for the observer because the learning curve would not be as steep. As observatory staffs struggle to meet the demands for higher scientific productivity with fewer resources, it is important to remember that another benefit of having such universal tools is that they enable much greater flexibility within an organization. The shifting manpower needs of multiple- instrument support or multiple-mission operations may be more readily met since the expertise is built into the tools. The flexibility of an organization is critical to its ability to change, to plan ahead, and respond to various new opportunities and operating conditions on shorter time scales, and to achieve the goal of maximizing scientific returns. In this paper we will discuss the role of a new generation of tools with relation to multiple missions and observatories. We will also discuss some of the impact of how uniform, consistently familiar software tools can enhance the individual's expertise and the organization's flexibility. Finally, we will discuss the relevance of advanced tools to higher education.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Improved isolation of a 50 kDa anorexigenic protein from rat urine

Abstract In prior work, a 50 kDa protein was purified to homogeneity from rat urine. This protein reduces food intake when injected into rats and is the only natural substance other than satietin known to be effective for long (24 hour) time periods and which does not make animals ill. However, when attemptswere made to repeat the purification, contamination appeared in the 50 kDa fraction. The present contribution documents successful reisolation of the 50 kDa anorexigen by an improved method. Reisolation involved Cibacron blue-Sepharose, DEAE-Sephacel and Sephacryl S-200 chromatography, and SDS disc preparatory electrophoresis. The reisolated 50 kDa anorexigen contains no detectable carbohydrate. Partially purified preparations of the 50 kDa anorexigen were fragmented with trypsin and proteinase K without loss of anorexigenic activity. It is concluded that the 50 kDa anorexigen may be reproducibly purified to homogeneity and may contain within its amino acid sequence a peptide which is the basis of its anorexigenic activity.
Gadolinium-enhanced 3D MRA of the aortic arch vessels in the detection of atherosclerotic cerebrovascular occlusive disease.

Purpose: Our goal was to evaluate non-breath-hold Gd-enhanced 3D MR angiography (MRA) for the detection of atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the aortic arch vessels and to compare image quality with two breath-hold techniques. Method: One hundred sixty consecutive patients with known or clinically suspected atherosclerotic cerebrovascular occlusive disease underwent Gd-enhanced 3D MRA of the aortic arch and great vessels. One hundred twenty-six examinations were performed with the body coil after infusion of 40 ml of Gd-DTPA; 89 of these were performed without breath-holding and 37 were acquired during suspended respiration. Thirty-four examinations were performed in a body phased-array coil with breath-holding, a timing examination, and 20 ml of contrast agent by manual In = 17) or power In = 17) injection. Images were evaluated for the presence of blurring and ghosting artifacts and venous enhancement. Of the 27 patients who underwent non-breath-hold MRI and digital subtraction angiography (DSA), two readers blinded to the DSA results retrospectively evaluated the MRA examinations for the presence of occlusive disease of the innominate, carotid, subclavian, and vertebral arteries. DSA correlation was not evaluated for the 71 breath-hold studies. Results: Sensitivity and specificity for arch vessel occlusive disease with non-breath-hold MRA were 38 and 94% for Reader A and 38 and 95% for Reader B. Breath-holding significantly reduced blurring and ghosting artifacts (p < 0.001) when compared with non-breath-hold imaging, and use of 20 ml of contrast medium, with a timing examination, resulted in significantly less venous enhancement than seen with 40 ml (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Non-breath-hold Gd-enhanced 3D MRA is insensitive for detecting arch vessel occlusive disease. Breath-hold imaging, in conjunction with a timing examination and a lower dose of contrast agent, improves image quality, but further studies are needed to assess diagnostic accuracy.
Function and Structural Organization of Mot1 Bound to a Natural Target Promoter

Mot1 is an essential, conserved TATA-binding protein (TBP)-associated factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a member of the Snf2/Swi2 ATPase family. Mot1 uses ATP hydrolysis to displace TBP from DNA, an activity that can be readily reconciled with its global role in gene repression. Less well understood is how Mot1 directly activates gene expression. It has been suggested that Mot1-mediated activation can occur by displacement of inactive TBP-containing complexes from promoters, thereby permitting assembly of functional transcription complexes. Mot1 may also activate transcription by other mechanisms that have not yet been defined. A gap in our understanding has been the absence of biochemical information related to the activity of Mot1 on natural target genes. Using URA1 as a model Mot1-activated promoter, we show striking differences in the way that both TBP and Mot1 interact with DNA compared with other model DNA substrates analyzed previously. These differences are due at least in part to the propensity of TBP alone to bind to the URA1 promoter in the wrong orientation to direct appropriate assembly of the URA1 preinitiation complex. The results suggest that Mot1-mediated activation of URA1 transcription involves at least two steps, one of which is the removal of TBP bound to the promoter in the opposite orientation required for URA1 transcription.
The Work of Forgetting and Remembering Places

Millions of people live in 'forgotten places'. But places do not forget other places. Only thinking human beings can do so. The paper charts the conscious decision-making and ideology that create forgotten places. Forgotten places are defined as communities deprived of leadership by the actions of those present and absent. Relevant actors are delineated by class, by function and by place, showing how choices made within existing constraints impede or quicken the creation of forgotten places. An exploration is made of emerging ideological constructions: individualism, innovation, migration and the rise of community without propinquity. Whole cadres of professionals in larger cities are employed to render places and the sense of place forgettable. These tendencies may be countered by groups grounded locally and by connections forged beyond community boundaries.
A murine oral model for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection and immunomodulation with Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis) the causative agent of Johne’s disease, is one of the most serious infectious diseases in dairy cattle worldwide. Due to the chronic nature of this disease and no feasible control strategy, it is essential to have an efficient animal model which is representative of the natural route of infection as well as a viable treatment option. In this report, we evaluated the effect of different doses of M. paratuberculosis in their ability to colonize murine tissues following oral delivery and the ability of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334, a nascent probiotic, to combat paratuberculosis. Oral inoculation of mice was able to establish paratuberculosis in a dose-dependent manner. Two consecutive doses of approximately 109 CFU per mouse resulted in a disseminated infection, whereas lower doses were not efficient to establish infection. All inoculated mice were colonized with M. paratuberculosis, maintained infection for up to 24 weeks post infection and generated immune responses that reflect M. paratuberculosis infection in cattle. Notably, oral administration of L. casei ATCC 334 did not reduce the level of M. paratuberculosis colonization in treated animals. Interestingly, cytokine responses and histology indicated a trend for the immunomodulation and reduction of pathology in animals receiving L. casei ATCC 334 treatment. Overall, a reproducible oral model of paratuberculosis in mice was established that could be used for future vaccine experiments. Although the L. casei ATCC 334 was not a promising candidate for controlling paratuberculosis, we established a protocol to screen other probiotic candidates.
Visual input regulates the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its receptor.

Abstract Emerging evidence indicates that the expression of trophic factors in the brain is regulated in an activity-dependent manner, which suggests an involvement of trophic factors in events controlled by input activity. We have investigated the possibility that visual sensory input impacts the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its receptor in the brain. Rats were maintained for seven days in darkness and then re-exposed to normal illumination for 0, 1, 3 or 6 h. We assessed relative levels of basic fibroblast growth factor and fibroblast growth factor receptor messenger RNAs using nuclease protection assays, and examined possible changes in the phenotypic expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its receptor using immunohistochemistry. There was a significant decrease in levels of basic fibroblast growth factor and fibroblast growth factor receptor messenger RNAs as a result of dark rearing, and levels of messenger RNAs increased progressively with light re-exposure. Changes in messenger RNAs were observed primarily in the cerebral cortex (caudal portion) and were accompanied by alterations in the staining intensity and density of cells exhibiting basic fibroblast growth factor and fibroblast growth factor receptor phenotypes. Regulation of the basic fibroblast growth factor system by sensory input suggests that basic fibroblast growth factor, and perhaps other trophic factors, are mediators of the effects of experience on the structure and function of the CNS.
Preliminary evidence for genetic anticipation in Crohn's disease

Abstract Summary Background The term genetic anticipation is used to describe earlier onset of disease, increased severity, or both, in succeeding generations of families affected by a particular disease. This process has been linked with expanded genomic trinucleotide repeat regions in some neurological disorders. Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder, has genetic influences, which remain undefined. We studied pairs of two-generation first-degree relatives with Crohn's disease to seek evidence for genetic anticipation in this disorder. Methods Through retrospective review of the records of 552 patients treated for Crohn's disease at Johns Hopkins Hospital, we identified 27 pairs of two-generation first-degree relatives. We also studied 32 such pairs identified through a multicentre survey. After exploratory analyses by t tests, a generalised estimating equations approach was used to fit a marginal regression model. Findings The age at diagnosis was earlier in the younger member of the pair both in the Johns Hopkins Hospital dataset (18·9 [SE 6·9] vs 31·4 [12·0] years) and in the multicentre survey dataset (16·9 [7·4] vs 33·1 [11·9] years). The regression model confirmed the findings: the best-fitting model for the Johns Hopkins Hospital data showed an average 10·8 (SE 4·2) year difference in age at diagnosis between parent and child; that for the multicentre data showed an average difference of 15·1 (1·5) years. There was evidence of a further difference between the second and third generations. Disease was more extensive in the offspring than in the parent for 15 of the 27 pairs at Johns Hopkins Hospital; in 13 of these pairs the affected parent was the father. Interpretation The evidence of a lower age at diagnosis and a greater extent of disease in the younger member of two-generation pairs affected by Crohn's disease, as well as the association with paternal transmission, suggest that genetic anticipation does occur in Crohn's disease. A search for triplet repeat regions is warranted.
Ethanol-responsive gene expression in neural cell cultures.

Abstract We studied the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal adaptation to chronic ethanol exposure. NG108-15 neuroblastoma cells were used to perform a detailed analysis of ehtanol-induced changes in neuronal gene expression. High resolution, quantitative two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis of in vitro translation products showed both dose-dependent increases and decreases in specific mRNA abundance following treatment with ethanol at concentrations seen in actively drinking alcoholics (50–200 mM). Dose response curves for representative members of the increasing or decreasing response groups had very similar profiles, suggesting that similar mechanisms may regulate members of a response group. Some mRNAs that increased with ethanol treatment appeared identical to species induced by heat shock while other mRNAs were only induced by ethanol. We conclude that chronic ethanol exposure can produce specific coordinate changes in expression of neuronal mRNAs, including some members of the stress protein response. However, the overall pattern of ethanol-responsive gene expression is distinct from the classical heat shock subgroup of stress proteins response. Changes in gene expression and specifically, mechanisms regulating a subset of stress protein expression, could be an important aspect of neuronal adaptation to chronic ethanol seen in alcoholics.
Characterization of the Varicella-zoster virus ORF25 gene product: pORF25 interacts with multiple DNA encapsidation proteins

The Herpesviridae contain a group of highly conserved proteins designated the Herpes UL33 Superfamily (pfam03581). The Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) homolog, encoded by the ORF25 gene, was used to generate a GST-ORF25 fusion protein. Purified GST-ORF25 was used to generate a polyclonal rabbit antiserum that detected the 17.5 kDa ORF25 protein (pORF25) in VZV infected cells. In pull-down assays, GST-ORF25 interacted with a number of encapsidation proteins including ORF30, ORF42 (the second exon of ORF45/42) and itself. The self-interaction was confirmed via a yeast two-hybrid assay. Additionally, pORF25 and pORF30 were shown to co-immunoprecipitate from VZV infected cells. Our results suggest that pORF25 is part of the trimeric terminase complex for VZV. However, combined with data from previous studies on HSV-1 and Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSVH), we hypothesize that VZV pORF25 and the Herpes UL33 Superfamily homologs are not encapsidation proteins per se but instead work to bring viral proteins together to form functional complexes.
Posttranslational Regulation of Acid Sphingomyelinase in Niemann-Pick Type C1 Fibroblasts and Free Cholesterol-enriched Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Niemann-Pick type C disease is characterized by the accumulation of cholesterol and other lipids within the lysosomal compartment, a process that is often accompanied by a reduction in acid sphingomyelinase activity. These studies demonstrate that a CHO cell mutant (CT-60), which accumulates lysosomal cholesterol because of a defective NP-C1 protein, has approximately 5–10% of the acid sphingomyelinase activity of its parental cell line (25-RA) or wild type (CHO-K1) cells. The cholesterol-induced reduction in acid sphingomyelinase activity can be reproduced in CHO-K1 cells by incubation in the presence of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and progesterone, which impairs the normal egress of LDL-derived cholesterol from the lysosomal compartment. Kinetic analysis of sphingomyelin hydrolysis in cell extracts suggests that the CT60 cells have a reduced amount of functional acid sphingomyelinase as indicated by a 10-fold reduction in the apparent V max. Western blot analysis using antibodies generated to synthetic peptides corresponding to segments within the carboxyl-terminal region of acid sphingomyelinase demonstrate that both the CT60 and the LDL/progesterone-treated CHO-K1 cells possess near normal levels of acid sphingomyelinase protein. Likewise, Niemann-Pick type C fibroblasts also displayed normal acid sphingomyelinase protein but negligible levels of acid sphingomyelinase activity. These data suggest that cholesterol-induced inhibition is a posttranslational event, perhaps involving cofactor mediated modulation of enzymatic activity or alterations in acid sphingomyelinase protein trafficking and maturation.
Critical Role of the Isoform-Specific Region in α1-Na,K-ATPase Trafficking and Protein Kinase C-Dependent Regulation

The isoform-specific region (ISR) is a region of structural heterogeneity among the four isoforms of the catalytic α-subunit of the Na,K-ATPase and an important structural determinant for isoform-specific functions. In the present study, we examined the role of a potential dileucine clathrin adaptor recognition motif [DE]XXXL[LI] embedded within the α1-ISR. To this end, a rat α1 construct where leucine 499 was replaced by a valine (as found in the α2 isoform sequence) was compared to wild-type rat α1 after stable expression in opossum kidney cells. Total Na,K-ATPase expression, activity, or in situ 86Rb+ transport was not affected by the L499V mutation. However, surface Na,K-ATPase expression was nearly doubled. This increase was associated with a reduced rate of internalization from the cell surface of about 50% after a 4 h chase and became undetectable if clathrin-coated pit-mediated trafficking was blocked with chlorpromazine. Further, PKC-induced stimulation of Na,K-ATPase-mediated 86Rb+ uptake was do...
Abstract A7: Surveying the serum proteome for early-stage pancreatic neoplasia biomarkers using genetically engineered mouse models.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a uniformly fatal disease due to its refractory nature to conventional therapies at the time of diagnosis. In order to increase the survival for this deadly disease, an early diagnosis is needed. However, no effective diagnostic tools are currently available for precursors of PDAC termed pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). In this study, serum proteins in a tissue-specific KrasG12D knockin mouse model of pancreatic cancer at 4 months old that typically present with early mouse-PanIN (mPanIN) lesions were effectively unmasked and analyzed using two mass spectrometry techniques. Methods: Serum was collected from control and KrasG12D-knockin mice at 4 months of age. Serum was then pooled into 3 samples for each arm. The top 7 most abundant proteins were depleted from each pooled sample prior to trypsin digestion and labeling with a tandem mass tag (TMT) sixplex isobaric labeling system. Samples were then subjected to long-column MudPIT analysis. Data were searched in SEQUEST, and quantified in ProteoIQ. Candidate proteins were accepted only with 97-99% confidence, and at least 2 unique TMT tagged peptides. Only biomarkers with >2 fold change and passing 2 nonparametric statistical tests were further evaluated. In addition, a MALDI-TOF approach utilizing a novel multidimensional fractionation technique was carried out on whole-protein serum samples using spectral counting to quantify proteins. Results/Discussion: Long-column MudPIT analysis resulted in identification of 3,001 proteins with high confidence. Fifty-five of these proteins passed fold change and statistical filters, with 25 of these having known biological connections to pancreatic disease or function. Multidimensional MALDITOF analysis resulted in a total of 4,064 peaks corresponding to proteins and peptides in the low molecular weight range (2000 Da25000 Da). Statistical analysis of those peaks revealed 33 differentially abundant peaks. Proteins corresponding to several statistically significant peaks were identified using a top-down directed approach. Multiple proteins have been validated by Western blot for each mass spectrometry technique. Taken together, these mass spectrometry techniques allow for an in-depth survey of the serum proteome with accurate quantitation of potentially novel early stage pancreatic neoplasia biomarkers. Citation Format: Michael R.Lludwig, Kyoko Kojima, Nirag C. Jhala, William E. Grizzle, John D. Christein, Christopher A. Klug, James A. Mobley. Surveying the serum proteome for early-stage pancreatic neoplasia biomarkers using genetically engineered mouse models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges; Jun 18-21, 2012; Lake Tahoe, NV. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A7.
Recovery characteristics of vacuum arcs

A study has been made of the breakdown and recovery strength characteristics of experimental vacuum interrupters incorporating a variety of contact materials. Our data show that much of the breakdown strength for these devices is gained in less than a 1/8-inch gap length. Experiments using a synthetic test system indicate that these experimental switches recover nearly all of their breakdown strength in 1 to 15 ?sec (microseconds) after the cessation of peak arc current ranging from 400 to 3,200 amp (amperes).
The α‐reliable mean‐excess regret model for stochastic facility location modeling

In this paper, we study a strategic facility location problem under uncertainty. The uncertainty associated with future events is modeled by defining alternative future scenarios with probabilities. We present a new model called the α-reliable mean- excess model that minimizes the expected regret with respect to an endogenously selected subset of worst-case scenarios whose collective probability of occurrence is no more than 1 − α. Our mean-excess risk measure is coherent and computationally efficient. Computational experiments also show that the α-reliable mean-excess criterion matches the α-reliable minimax criterion closely.
Peierls instability considerations for alkali metal chains on Si(001)-2×1

Abstract Our calculations show that alkali metals at 1 2 a monolayer coverage adsorb at the quasi-hexagonal (H) pedestal sites on Si(001)-2 × 1 and form linear chains along the [110] dimer rows. To arrive at this conclusion, it is essential to incorporate the substrate relaxation because only then the H site is pulled down in energy relative to the other competing sites. The main relaxation consists of opening of the Si dimer bond length at the surface. The H site occupancy and the dimer bond opening are consistent with the conclusions of a recent LEED study. But a cluster model calculation has suggested that alkali metal chains at the H site are unstable towards a zig-zag Peierls type of distortion. It is shown that such a Peierls instability is not expected in the linear alkali metal chains on Si(001)-2 × 1. A theorem leading to gapless Peierls transitions due to zig-zag distortions is explicitly given along with an elementary proof.
The wavelength and pressure dependence of the photolysis of propionaldehyde in air

Abstract Propionaldehyde was photolyzed in air at 23 ± 1 °C at pressures up to 1 atm at several incident wavelengths: 334, 326, 313, 302, 280 and 254 nm. The two primary processes are The products measured were CO and C 2 H 6 , the former being a measure of the sum of both processes and the latter being a measure of molecular process (2). At all wavelengths Φ(CO) ≈ 1.0 in the low pressure limit. Primary process (2) is significant only with incident radiation at 254 and 280 nm. Its low pressure quantum yield is 0.39 at both wavelengths. At 254 nm there is no pressure quenching of C 2 H 6 , but at 280 nm most, but not all, of the C 2 H 6 can be pressure quenched with a half-quenching pressure of 47 Torr of air. We suggest that primary process (2) comes from upper vibrational levels of the ground and excited singlet states. Primary process (1) is pressure quenched at all wavelengths. The pressure quenching follows Sterm—Volmer quenching at 326, 302, 280 and 254 nm. However, at 334 and 313 nm, the Stern—Volmer quenching curves show a marked deviation from linearity, and two states with different decomposition rates are indicated. We interpret primary process (1) as coming from upper vibrational levels of the triplet state but with the less reactive vibrational state being more readily quenched than the more reactive vibrational states to the ground vibrational level of the triplet. The half-quenching pressures increase from about 24 Torr at 334 nm to 280 Torr at 254 nm for the fast quench and from 325 Torr at 334 nm to 610 Torr at 280 nm for the slow quench. The more reactive states appear only at 334, 313 and 280 nm and always give a low pressure quantum yield of 0.60. At atmospheric pressure the average quantum yield for all six incident wavelengths for primary process (1) is 0.20 ± 0.08. This leads to atmospheric photodissociation coefficients of about 1.3 × 10 −5 s and about 9.7 × 10 −6 s −1 for solar zenith angles of 30° and 58.18° respectively.
Generational Responses to Knowledge Management and Collaboration: Are GenX and GenY as Different As We Think?

Researchers and practitioners seem to take for granted that younger generations will be more responsive to new technologies, yet evidence to support this view is mainly anecdotal. This paper uses data from a large scale survey (n=502) given to managers at a large manufacturing firm to examine attitudes about knowledge management and collaboration. While generational cohorts do account for some differences, this study finds that well-documented inhibitors, such as lack of management support, play a more significant role in the firm's success to date in implementing KM. Relying on the intrinsic affinity for technology of GenX and GenY may prove to be a short-sighted strategy, especially in the face of impending retirements.
Utility of No Sweat Labels for Apparel Consumers: Profiling Label Users and Predicting Their Purchases

This study empirically analyzed whether consumers making apparel purchases would use a label guaranteeing certain working conditions were present during garment production. While a potential market segment for the No Sweat label was identified, evidence suggests that only a small percentage of consumers would be influenced by the label. This small market segment was profiled on its psychographic and demographic characteristics, and the extent to which the No Sweat label would influence future purchases was examined.
On the mechanism of oxidative electropolymerization and film formation for phenanthroline-containing complexes of ruthenium

Abstract New experiments involving electrochemistry, Auger spectroscopy and elemental analysis of films and film-forming compounds, as well as X-ray crystallography and electrochemistry of a key model compound, have been used to elucidate the linkage structure and probable mechanism of formation of oxidatively generated polymeric and copolymeric films of phenanthroline-containing complexes of ruthenium. Film formation evidently involves indirect electrochemical activation of coordinated 1,10-phenanthroline to nucleophilic attack by the non-coordinated pyridyl nitrogen of a dipyridyl ligand singly coordinated to a second metal center. The resulting linkage is comprised of a carbon/nitrogen bond with an excess positive charge residing on the nitrogen atom. Electrochemical oxidation of a complexed metal ion (typically Ru(II)) drives the polymerization by: (a) rendering the 4 site of phenanthroline significantly electrophilic, and (b) providing an oxidizing equivalent for eventual H atom elimination and pyridinium ion formation via an internal electron transfer sequence.
Efficient nonlinear dimension reduction for clustered data using kernel functions

We propose a nonlinear feature extraction method which is based on centroids and kernel functions. The dimension reducing nonlinear transformation is obtained by implicitly mapping the input data into a feature space using a kernel function, and then finding a linear mapping based on an orthonormal basis of centroids in the feature space that maximally separates the between-class relationship. The proposed method utilizes an efficient algorithm to compute an orthonormal basis of centroids in the feature space transformed by a kernel function and achieves dramatic computational savings. The experimental results demonstrate that our method is capable of extracting nonlinear features effectively so that competitive performance of classification can be obtained in the reduced dimensional space.
Chemotactic Signaling by an Escherichia coli CheA Mutant That Lacks the Binding Domain for Phosphoacceptor Partners

CheA is a multidomain histidine kinase for chemotaxis in Escherichia coli. CheA autophosphorylates through interaction of its N-terminal phosphorylation site domain (P1) with its central dimerization (P3) and ATP-binding (P4) domains. This activity is modulated through the C-terminal P5 domain, which couples CheA to chemoreceptor control. CheA phosphoryl groups are donated to two response regulators, CheB and CheY, to control swimming behavior. The phosphorylated forms of CheB and CheY turn over rapidly, enabling receptor signaling complexes to elicit fast behavioral responses by regulating the production and transmission of phosphoryl groups from CheA. To promote rapid phosphotransfer reactions, CheA contains a phosphoacceptor-binding domain (P2) that serves to increase CheB and CheY concentrations in the vicinity of the adjacent P1 phosphodonor domain. To determine whether the P2 domain is crucial to CheA's signaling specificity, we constructed CheAΔP2 deletion mutants and examined their signaling properties in vitro and in vivo. We found that CheAΔP2 autophosphorylated and responded to receptor control normally but had reduced rates of phosphotransfer to CheB and CheY. This defect lowered the frequency of tumbling episodes during swimming and impaired chemotactic ability. However, expression of additional P1 domains in the CheAΔP2 mutant raised tumbling frequency, presumably by buffering the irreversible loss of CheAΔP2-generated phosphoryl groups from CheB and CheY, and greatly improved its chemotactic ability. These findings suggest that P2 is not crucial for CheA signaling specificity and that the principal determinants that favor appropriate phosphoacceptor partners, or exclude inappropriate ones, most likely reside in the P1 domain.
Violence as a public health emergency.

Two heavily armed young men stormed a suburban Denver high school at midday today, and in a shooting rampage on a scale unprecedented in American schools, killed as many as 25 students and faculty members. The gunmen, whom police and fellow students described as disaffected outcasts, were found dead this afternoon in the library after what police described as their "suicide mission." The killings brought the country face to face once again with the tragic spectacle of a seemingly senseless murder in the schools, renewing a horrific chain that since 1997 has included two killed in a school in Pearl, Mississippi; three at a school in West Paducah, Kentucky; five at a school in Jonesboro, Arkansas; and two at a school in Springfield, Oregon. 8 A tragedy such as this can be seen as an isolated act of aggression and relatively removed from most Americans, but it is not. As violence becomes commoner, it begins to affect the health of everyone in this country. Neither the violent acts themselves, nor the repercussive effects of these tragedies, are limited to one geographic or social setting, and it is not just the frequency of actions that threatens the health of the nation. It is the ripple effect that occurs from each of these incidents that affects everyone. What was the effect on the town of Littleton and the Denver community at large? How many students nationwide missed school from the anxiety provoked by this attack? What are the lasting effects to the psyche of the nation after an incident such as this? Without question, violence is a public health problem. Violence threatens or denies not only the health of those who are directly affected but diminishes the whole human process. 5
THE DIRECTIVITY PROBLEM FOR A BURIED LINE SOURCE

A method based on the first motion approximation is presented for determining the radiation pattern of a buried line source. If measurements at the surface are used to obtain the P and S components of the source, the multipolar distribution of the source may be determined. The multipolar distribution is not unique since several distributions can have the same radiation pattern. Some examples are presented for simple sources. The method is applicable to real sources or virtual sources such as centers of diffraction or scattering.
Solenoidal representations and the homology of hyperbolic attractors of diffeomorphisms of surfaces

For an arbitrary connected one-dimensional hyperbolic attractor of a diffeomorphism of a closed surface (orientable or not), representations are constructed in the form of generalized solenoids generated by maps of one-dimensional complexes. The construction leads to the determination of such a representation from the union of any finite number of periodic orbits contained in the attractor. Furthermore, the number m of zero-dimensional simplexes of the complex obtained is equal to the number of periodic points chosen, and the number of one-dimensional simplexes is determined by this m and by the so-called boundary type of the attractor. As an application, the one-dimensional Alexandroff-Cech integral homology group of the attractor is computed. The rank of this group is also determined by the boundary type of the attractor.
Evaluation of Vision Screening Practices of Illinois Pediatricians

A survey of vision screening practices of American Academy of Pediatrics physicians in Illinois is described. The response rate was 42%. Sixty percent of physicians tested visual acuity of children 5 years and older, and half of this group tested children 2 to 4 years old. The most common reasons for not testing visual acuity were inadequate time (42%), children too young (18%), or screening done at school (18%). The majority (88%) refer to an ophthalmologist after a single vision screening failure, while about half perform the cover-uncover test on infants and children. The results suggest many Illinois pediatricians do not perform vision screening of preschool children, though screening does occur at other sites.
Identification of genetic loci that contribute to Campylobacter resistance to fowlicidin-1, a chicken host defense peptide

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are critical components of host defense limiting bacterial infections at the gastrointestinal mucosal surface. Bacterial pathogens have co-evolved with host innate immunity and developed means to counteract the effect of endogenous AMPs. However, molecular mechanisms of AMP resistance in Campylobacter, an important human food borne pathogen with poultry as a major reservoir, are still largely unknown. In this study, random transposon mutagenesis and targeted site-directed mutagenesis approaches were used to identify genetic loci contributing Campylobacter resistance to fowlicidin-1, a chicken AMP belonging to cathelicidin family. An efficient transposon mutagenesis approach (EZ::TNTM Transposome) in conjunction with a microtiter plate screening identified three mutants whose susceptibilities to fowlicidin-1 were significantly increased. Backcrossing of the transposon mutations into parent strain confirmed that the AMP-sensitive phenotype in each mutant was linked to the specific transposon insertion. Direct sequencing showed that these mutants have transposon inserted in the genes encoding two-component regulator CbrR, transporter CjaB, and putative trigger factor Tig. Genomic analysis also revealed an operon (Cj1580c-1584c) that is homologous to sapABCDF, an operon conferring resistance to AMP in other pathogens. Insertional inactivation of Cj1583c (sapB) significantly increased susceptibility of Campylobacter to fowlicidin-1. The sapB as well as tig and cjaB mutants were significantly impaired in their ability to compete with their wild-type strain 81-176 to colonize the chicken cecum. Together, this study identified four genetic loci in Campylobacter that will be useful for characterizing molecular basis of Campylobacter resistance to AMPs, a significant knowledge gap in Campylobacter pathogenesis.
Policy considerations for wetland wastewater treatment in the coastal zone: A case study for Louisiana

Two major environmental problems currently affecting the Louisiana coastal zone are a high rate of wetland loss and high levels of surface water pollution. The application of secondarily treated wastewater to wetlands can be a means of dealing with both of these problems. The benefits of wetland wastewater treatment include improved surface water quality, increased accretion rates to balance a high relative water level rise due mainly to subsidence, improved plant productivity and habitat quality, and decreased capital outlays for conventional engineering treatment systems. Wetland treatment systems can, therefore, be designed and operated to restore deteriorating wetlands. Hydrologically altered wetlands, which are common in the Louisiana coastal zone, are appropriate for receiving municipal and some types of industrial effluent. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined wetland wastewater treatment is effective in treating municipal effluent, it has discouraged the use of natural wet...
Randomized controlled trial assessing participation and quality of life in a supported speed treadmill training exercise program vs. a strengthening program for children with cerebral palsy.

Objective A multi-site Randomized-Controlled Trial compared a home-based Supported Speed Treadmill Training Exercise Program (SSTTEP) with a strengthening exercise program in children with cerebral palsy (CP) on the following categories; Participation, quality of life (QOL), self-concept, goal attainment, and satisfaction. Design Twenty-six children with spastic cerebral palsy were assigned by site-based block randomization to the SSTTEP (n=14) or strengthening exercise (n=12) group. Both groups participated in a two week clinic-based induction period and continued the intervention at home for ten weeks. Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention (12 weeks), and follow-up (16 weeks). Assessments included the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment Scale, Pediatric Quality of Life Cerebral Palsy Module, and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Evaluators were blinded to group assignment at two sites. Results Satisfaction and performance on individual goals, participation, and parent-reported QOL improved in both groups with improvement maintained for four weeks post intervention. Conclusion The hypothesis that the SSTTEP group would have better outcomes than the exercise group was not supported. However, both groups showed that children with CP can make gains in participation, individual goals, and satisfaction following a 12-week intensive exercise intervention, and these findings persisted for four weeks post intervention.
Context and Hierarchy in a Probabilistic Image Model

It is widely conjectured that the excellent ROC performance of biological vision systems is due in large part to the exploitation of context at each of many levels in a part/whole hierarchy. We propose a mathematical framework (a "composition machine") for constructing probabilistic hierarchical image models, designed to accommodate arbitrary contextual relationships, and we build a demonstration system for reading Massachusetts license plates in an image set collected at Logan Airport. The demonstration system detects and correctly reads more than 98% of the plates, with a negligible rate of false detection. Unlike a formal grammar, the architecture of a composition machine does not exclude the sharing of sub-parts among multiple entities, and does not limit interpretations to single trees (e.g. a scene can have multiple license plates, or no plates at all). In this sense, the architecture is more like a general Bayesian network than a formal grammar. On the other hand, unlike a Bayesian network, the distribution is non-Markovian, and therefore more like a probabilistic context-sensitive grammar. The conceptualization and construction of a composition machine is facilitated by its formulation as the result of a series of non-Markovian perturbations of a "Markov backbone."
Exploitation, Exploration, and Process Management: The Productivity Dilemma Revisited

We develop a contingency view of process management's influence on both technological innovation and organizational adaptation. We argue that while process management activities are beneficial for organizations in stable contexts, they are fundamentally inconsistent with all but incremental innovation and change. But dynamic capabilities are rooted in both exploitative and exploratory activities. We argue that process management activities must be buffered from exploratory activities and that ambidextrous organizational forms provide the complex contexts for these inconsistent activities to coexist.
Challenges of Accurately Measuring and Using BMI and Other Indicators of Obesity in Children

BMI is an important indicator of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence. When measurements are taken carefully and compared with appropriate growth charts and recommended cutoffs, BMI provides an excellent indicator of overweight and obesity that is sufficient for most clinical, screening, and surveillance purposes. Accurate measurements of height and weight requirethat adequate attention be given to data collection and management. Choosing appropriate equipment and measurement protocols and providing regular training and standardization of data collectors are critical aspects that apply to all settings in which BMI will be measured and used. Proxy measures for directly measured BMI, such as self-reports or parental reports of height and weight, are much less preferred and should only be used with caution and cognizance of the limitations, biases, and uncertainties attending these measures. There is little evidence that other measures of body fat such as skinfolds, waist circumference, or bioelectrical impedance are sufficiently practicable or provide appreciable added information to be used in the identification of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. Consequently, for most clinical, school, or community settings these measures are not recommended for routine practice. These alternative measures of fatness remain important for research and perhaps in some specialized screening situations that include a specific focus on risk factors for cardiovascular or diabetic disease. Pediatrics 2009;124:S3-S22
Positive Mood Induction and Facial Affect Recognition among Students at Risk for Mania

Previous research has suggested that bipolar disorder is characterized by a state-dependent decrease in the ability to recognize facial affect during mania. It remains unclear, though, whether people who are only vulnerable to the disorder show these changes in facial affect recognition. It is also unclear whether minor shifts in mood affect the recognition of facial emotion. Thus, this study examined the effects of positive mood induction on the facial affect recognition of undergraduates vulnerable to mania. Fifty-two undergraduates completed the Hypomanic Personality Scale, and also completed a measure of their ability to recognize affect in pictures of faces. After receiving false success feedback on another task to induce a positive mood, they completed the facial affect recognition measure again. Although we expected to find a relationship between higher Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS) scores and an impaired ability to recognize negative facial affect after a positive mood induction, this was not found. Rather, there was a significant interaction between HPS scores and happiness level, such that individuals with higher scores on the HPS who also reported higher levels of happiness were particularly adept at identifying subtle facial expressions of happiness. This finding expands a growing literature linking manic tendencies to sensitivity to positive stimuli and demonstrates that this sensitivity may have bearing on interpersonal interactions.
Relation between digitalis binding in vivo and inhibition of sodium, potassium-adenosine triphosphatase in canine kidney

Abstract Digoxin was infused into a dog renal artery, using the contralateral kidney as control. At peak diuretic effect, sodium, potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K+-ATPase) activity of both experimental cortex and medulla was significantly depressed compared to control. The inhibitory effect in vitro of ouabain on the control Na+,K+-ATPase from both medulla and cortex was time dependent; no regional difference in sensitivity was noted. The binding in vitro of 3H-ouabain to Na+, K+-ATPase from both experimental cortex and experimental medulla was significantly lower than that for control enzymes, suggesting previous occupation of drug-binding sites. The data represent further indication that digoxin-induced diuresis is related to inhibition of Na+,K+-ATPase.
Causes of Recent Increased Erosion along United States Shorelines

The presence of beach ridges extending parallel to the present shorelines of many areas along U. S. coasts indicates progradation of these areas after the last glacial stage of the Pleistocene epoch. The general trend of shoreline changes in the past 100 yrs, however, was erosion of several hundred feet of the beaches. Three major causes are considered responsible for such increased erosion. These are: (1) hurricanes and severe storms; (2) recent eustatic rise in sea level; and (3) interference by man with natural shore processes.
Gene Expression Induced in Escherichia coli O157:H7 upon Exposure to Model Apple Juice

Escherichia coli O157:H7 has caused serious outbreaks of food-borne illness via transmission in a variety of food vehicles, including unpasteurized apple juice, dried salami, and spinach. To understand how this pathogen responds to the multiple stresses of the food environment, we compared global transcription patterns before and after exposure to model apple juice. Transcriptomes of mid-exponential- and stationary-phase cells were evaluated after 10 min in model apple juice (pH 3.5) using microarrays probing 4,886 open reading frames. A total of 331 genes were significantly induced upon exposure of cells to model apple juice, including genes involved in the acid, osmotic, and oxidative stress responses as well as the envelope stress response. Acid and osmotic stress response genes, including asr, osmC, osmB, and osmY, were significantly induced in response to model apple juice. Multiple envelope stress responses were activated as evidenced by increased expression of CpxR and Rcs phosphorelay-controlled genes. Genes controlled by CpxR (cpxP, degP, and htpX) were significantly induced 2- to 15-fold upon exposure to apple juice. Inactivation of CpxRA resulted in a significant decrease in survival of O157:H7 in model apple juice compared to the isogenic parent strain. Of the 331 genes induced in model apple juice, 104 are O157-specific genes, including those encoding type three secretion effectors (espJ, espB, espM2, espL3, and espZ). Elucidating the response of O157:H7 to acidic foods provides insight into how this pathogen is able to survive in food matrices and how exposure to foods influences subsequent transmission and virulence.