cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for multiple genetic factors underlying the DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence

To determine the number of genetic factors underlying the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for alcohol dependence (AD), we conducted structural equation twin modeling for seven AD criteria, plus two summary screening questions, in 7133 personally interviewed male and female twins from the Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders, who reported lifetime alcohol consumption. The best-fit twin model required three genetic and two unique environmental common factors, and criterion-specific unique environmental factors. The first genetic factor was defined by high loadings for the probe question about quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and tolerance criterion. The second genetic factor loaded strongly on the probe question about self-recognition of alcohol-related problems and AD criteria for loss of control, desire to quit, preoccupation and activities given up. The third genetic factor had high loadings for withdrawal and continued use despite the problems criteria. Genetic factor scores derived from these three factors differentially predicted patterns of comorbidity, educational status and other historical/clinical features of AD. The DSM-IV syndrome of AD does not reflect a single dimension of genetic liability, rather, these criteria reflect three underlying dimensions that index risk for: (i) tolerance and heavy use; (ii) loss of control with alcohol associated social dysfunction and (iii) withdrawal and continued use despite problems. While tentative and in need of replication, these results, consistent with the rodent literature, were validated by examining predictions of the genetic factor scores and have implications for gene-finding efforts in AD.
Mediation of osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells on titanium surfaces by a Wnt-integrin feedback loop.

Abstract Peri-implant bone formation depends on the ability of mesenchymal cells to colonize the implant surface and differentiate into osteoblasts. Human mesenchymal stem cells (HMSCs) undergo osteoblastic differentiation on microstructured titanium (Ti) surfaces in the absence of exogenous factors, but the mechanisms are unknown. Wnt proteins are associated with an osteoblast phenotype, but how Wnt signaling regulates HMSC differentiation on microstructured Ti surfaces is not known. HMSCs were cultured on tissue culture polystyrene or Ti (PT [Sa = 0.33 μm, θ = 96°], SLA [Sa = 2.5 μm, θ = 132°], modSLA [hydrophilic-SLA]). Expression of calcium-dependent Wnt ligand WNT5A increased and canonical Wnt pathway ligands decreased on microstructured Ti in a time-dependent manner. Treatment of HMSCs with canonical ligand Wnt3a preserved the mesenchymal phenotype on smooth surfaces. Treatment with Wnt5a increased osteoblastic differentiation. Expression of integrins ITGA1, ITGA2, and ITGAV increased over time and correlated with increased WNT5A expression. Treatment of HMSCs with Wnt5a, but not Wnt3a, increased integrin expression. Regulation of integrin expression due to surface roughness and energy was ablated in WNT5A-knockdown HMSCs. This indicates that surface properties regulate stem cell fate and induce osteoblast differentiation via the Wnt calcium-dependent pathway. Wnt5a enhances osteogenesis through a positive feedback with integrins and local factor regulation, particularly though BMP signaling.
Least squares completions for nonlinear differential algebraic equations

A method has been proposed for numerically solving lower dimensional, nonlinear, higher index differential algebraic equations for which more classical methods such as backward differentiation or implicit Runge-Kutta may not be appropriate. This method is based on solving nonlinear DAE derivative arrays using nonlinear singular least squares methods. The theoretical foundations, generality, and limitations of this approach remain to be determined. This paper carefully examines several key aspects of this approach. The emphasis is on general results rather than specific results based on the structure of various applications.
Tracking sources of unsaturated zone and groundwater nitrate contamination using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes at the Hanford site, Washington.

The nitrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of nitrate in pore water extracts from unsaturated zone (UZ) core samples and groundwater samples indicate at least four potential sources of nitrate in groundwaters at the U.S. DOE Hanford Site in south-central Washington. Natural sources of nitrate identified include microbially produced nitrate from the soil column (δ15N of 4−8‰, δ18O of −9 to 2‰) and nitrate in buried caliche layers (δ15N of 0−8‰, δ18O of −6 to 42‰). Isotopically distinct industrial sources of nitrate include nitric acid in low-level disposal waters (δ15N ≈ 0‰, δ18O ≈ 23‰) and co-contaminant nitrate in high-level radioactive waste from plutonium processing (δ15N of 8−33‰, δ18O of −9 to 7‰). The isotopic compositions of nitrate from 97 groundwater wells with concentrations up to 1290 mg/L NO3- have been analyzed. Stable isotope analyses from this study site, which has natural and industrial nitrate sources, provide a tool to distinguish nitrate sources in an unconfined aquifer where concent...
A tunable, fixed-exit, monolithic X-ray monochromator for synchrotron radiation sources

Abstract A novel X-ray monochromator has recently been built and tested at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). It features all the inherent advantages of monolithic monochromators but also has a fixed exit height with respect to the incident beam. Applications and extensions of this design to other monochromating systems will be discussed.
Lumipoint: multi-user laser-based interaction on large tiled displays

Projection technology has made large tiled displays an exciting feature of advanced visualization systems. However, one challenge to using such systems effectively is the development of input technologies that comfortably allow collaborative interaction with the displayed data on these large surfaces. We have developed an input system that allows any number of users to interact simultaneously with data on a large display surface. In this system, each user utilizes a laser pointer as a pen or pointing device. Using computer vision techniques, the system determines the beginning, continuation, and end of all currently active pointer strokes. The coordinates of each stroke are available for use by applications. This system scales well with display size, display resolution, and number of users.
Factors Related to Weight Loss Attempt Among Dominican Immigrants

To assess weight loss attempt among a Latino immigrant population from the Dominican Republic we analyzed data on 585 overweight and obese Dominicans from a cross-sectional survey using Chi-square statistics, Student’s t-tests, and logistic regression models. We found 58 % of the overweight and obese tried to lose weight. Female gender (OR 2.28, CI 1.53–3.39), overweight perception (OR 2.37, CI 1.57–3.60) and weight loss advice from health professionals (OR 1.90, CI 1.24–2.91) were strongly associated with weight loss attempt. Individuals with diabetes were more likely to receive advice to lose weight (OR 2.58, CI 1.18–5.63; yet, they were more satisfied with their weight (40.5 vs. 27.8 %, p < 0.021), and no difference in their weight loss attempt (p = 0.849) was detected compared to individuals without diabetes. We conclude a significant proportion of overweight and obese Dominican immigrants do not attempt to lose weight. Overweight perception and, except among individuals with diabetes, weight loss advice were strong inducements to weight loss attempt.
Molecular Cloning of a Ripening-Specific Lipoxygenase and Its Expression during Wild-Type and Mutant Tomato Fruit Development

A 94-kD protein that accumulates predominately in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruit during ripening was purified, and antibodies specific for the purified protein were used to isolate cDNA clones from a red-ripe fruit cDNA library. A sequence analysis of these cDNAs and cross-reactivity of the 94-kD-specific antibodies to the soybean lipoxygenase (LOX) L-1, L-2, and L-3 proteins and soybean LOX L-1-specific antibodies to the 94-kD protein identified it as a member of the LOX gene family. Maximum levels of the 94-kD LOX mRNA and protein are present in breaker to ripe and red-ripe stages, respectively. Expression of 94-kD LOX in different tissues from mature green and red-ripe tomato fruits was found to be greatest in the radial walls of ripe fruit, but immunocytolocalization using tissue printing suggests that the highest accumulation of its protein occurs in locular jelly. None of 94-kD LOX is expressed in nonripening mutant fruits of any age. Never-ripe mutant fruit accumulate the 94-kD LOX mRNA to levels similar to those obtained in wild-type fruit, but fail to accumulate the 94-kD LOX protein. Collectively, the results show that expression of 94-kD LOX is regulated by the ripening process, and ethylene may play a role in its protein accumulation.
Education for library and information studies in Canada: a cross‐cultural comparison

Purpose – This paper aims to highlight the unique characteristics and homogeneity of the Canadian accredited programs in library and information studies compared with those programs in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – Each year the Association for Library and Information Science (ALISE) collects statistics from accredited graduate programs. By disaggregating the American and Canadian information and limiting the data to the accredited degree program only, comparisons could be drawn between the two data sets. The generalizations and themes were then validated by comparison with the recent history of development of Canadian schools.Findings – The history of development of Canadian graduate programs and the national context has resulted in programs that are more homogenous than diverse. The programs are housed in public research institutions, with competition for spaces. The students are full‐time, studying a curriculum with more required courses. Faculty have more time for research. Access is an issue....
Advancing Cardiovascular Research

Over the past 50 years, we have seen dramatic changes in cardiovascular science and clinical care, accompanied by marked declines in the morbidity and mortality. Nonetheless, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in the world, and its nature is changing as Americans become older, fatter, and ethnically more diverse. Instead of young or middle-aged men with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the “typical” cardiac patient now presents with acute coronary syndrome or with complications related to chronic hypertension or ischemic heart disease, including heart failure, sudden death, and atrial fibrillation. Analogously, structural heart disease is now dominated by degenerative valve or congenital disease, far more common than rheumatic disease. The changing clinical scene presents cardiovascular scientists with a number of opportunities and challenges, including taking advantage of high-throughput technologies to elucidate complex disease mechanisms, accelerating development and implementation of evidence-based strategies, assessing evolving technologies of unclear value, addressing a global epidemic of cardiovascular disease, and maintaining high levels of innovation in a time of budgetary constraint and economic turmoil.
MARFAN'S SYNDROME AND SUBACUTE BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS.

Abstract The sixth case of Marfan's syndrome complicated by subacute bacterial endocarditis is presented and the pertinent literature reviewed. All cases have involved the mitral valve. Histopathologic studies of the valves have shown old rheumatic carditis, possible congenital abnormalities of the valves or changes similar to those seen in the aorta in Marfan's syndrome. The case reported is believed to be in the latter category. It might be expected that subacute bacterial endocarditis may occur on other valves.
"Anagnôrisis", political "Recognition" and justice in Salvador Espriu's "Antígona"

Salvador Espriu's Antigona (1969) is an auto-reflexive tragic drama in which the classical concept of anagnorisis mirrors a dynamics of political recognition outside the play; that is, the contexts of the Spanish Civil War and the postwar periods. The correlation between anagnorisis and political recognition places into question the polis in the Greek tragedy and the State in the historical contexts it mirrors. In exploring the ways in which, in this Catalan Antigone, political recognition is tied to the (im)possibility of justice, as (mis)recognition, I consider (1) how anagnorisis as a form of recognition manifests itself in Espriu's Antigona; (2) how different forms of silence permeate the text: the imposed silence on the citizens of Thebes, as well as the silence that is related with distance and detachment, both of which render impossible an ethical and epistemological position associated with justice as a form of political recognition outside the rule of law; (3) the ways Antigone not only is the be...
Health surveillance of microwave hazards.

Since the early 1940's, industrial use of electronic equipment that emits electromagnetic energy in the microwave region has increased. Concurrent with this growth has been the development of data on the biological effects of this form of radiant energy and the establishment of exposure criteria. Of equal importance in protecting the health of exposed persons is the evaluation, by qualified occupational health personnel, of the electronic equipment as it is used in the workplace by reliable and accepted environmental health techniques. Various, local, state, and federal health programs and survey techniques and instrumentation are reviewed. Standardization of survey techniques is suggested, and recommendations are presented regarding future activities in establishments where persons may be potentially exposed to microwaves from ovens and other commercial and industrial sources of energy.
Neuropsychological Functioning and Quality of Life During the First Year after Completing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Objective: Research has documented modest cognitive difficulties among women treated for breast cancer. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of these subtle cognitive changes on quality of life after treatment. Methods: Data are presented from women breast cancer patients who completed neuropsychological tests and questionnaires regarding quality of life 6 and 12 months post-chemotherapy (n's=39 and 33). Neuropsychological test scores were examined for evidence of cognitive difficulties at each time point; repeated measures ANOVAs were used to identify changes over time. Regression analyses assessed relationships of quality of life outcomes with cognitive functioning, social support seeking, and fatigue. Results: Small percentages of participants (<20% across tests) evidenced deficits in delayed memory, processing speed, response inhibition, and verbal fluency (VF) at each time point. Reliable change index analyses suggested statistically reliable improvements in each cognitive domain for a modest portion of participants. Regressions revealed hesitation to seek social support and fatigue as the most consistent predictors of quality of life at 6 and 12 months post-chemotherapy. Cognitive complaints and VF difficulties were also significantly related to quality of life at 12 months. Conclusions: In addition to confirming the importance of fatigue and social support in quality of life, these data offer preliminary indications that weaker VF skills and self-reported cognitive complaints may be associated with poorer functional outcomes among cancer survivors. Further research is needed to validate these potential relationships, which suggest that cognitive difficulties among cancer survivors may warrant monitoring and possible intervention. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
First record of Osteopilus septentrionalis on Guana Island, British Virgin Islands

Cuban treefrogs are native to Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas, but are increasingly recorded from other locations (Lever, 2003). The species was first collected in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in 1990 (Owen et al., 2005) and has since spread, with about one new island record per year in the BVI (Owen et al., 2005, 2006; Perry and Gerber, 2006) and new localities in the United States Virgin Islands (Waddle et al., 2005; Platenberg and Boulon, 2006; Perry and Platenberg, 2007). Perry and Gerber (2006) mentioned that the species had been sighted on Guana Island, BVI, but did not provide any information that would allow the significance or circumstances of the event to be evaluated. Those details are provided herein. At about 2000 h on 21 October 2005, I collected an adult male (SVL = 72 mm) with small nuptial pads, foraging at a night light within the hotel complex on Guana Island. Guana Island is a private wildlife preserve. In the 12 months prior to the reported event, the small hotel on the island had imported relatively large quantities of construction materials and ornamental plants. However, hotel staff had made extensive attempts to prevent the arrival of the Cuban treefrog and other invasive species. These include manual searches of all arriving plants and other materials while still on the barges bringing them to the island, and on-island fumigation within an enclosure into which arriving materials and engine exhaust were introduced (Perry et al., 2006). No additional Cuban treefrogs have been seen on Guana since removal of that individual, despite extensive searches in 2006 and 2007. Guana Island offers RA P.1 (1-2) APHE:m v 1.24 Prn:7/01/2009; 14:03 aphe1161 by:Daiva p. 1
A simple energy-scaling scheme for fine-tuning empirical potentials for coupled quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical studies

Empirical potentials that are commonly used in molecular mechanical (MM) calculations often exhibit marked differences from quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. These differences can lead to mismatches in the mechanical properties of different subdomains in coupled QM/MM calculations that can result in artifactual behavior or low accuracy. We present a simple strain-dependent energy-scaling approach that can adjust the mechanical properties of the MM potential to better match those of the QM potential. Multiscale fracture studies of defective graphene sheets are performed and benchmarked against strictly QM calculations to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.
Pitch-dependent resonances and near-field coupling in infrared nanoantenna arrays

We investigate coupling in arrays of nanoparticles resonating as half-wave antennas on both silicon and sapphire, and find a universal behavior when scaled by antenna length and substrate index. Three distinct coupling regimes are identified and characterized by rigorous finite-difference time domain simulations. As interparticle pitch is reduced below the oft-described radiative to evanescent transition, resonances blue shift and narrow and exhibit an asymmetric band consistent with a Fano lineshape. Upon further pitch reduction, a transition to a third regime, termed here as near-field coupling, is observed in which the resonance shifts red, becomes more symmetric, and broadens dramatically. This latter regime occurs when the extension of the resonant mode beyond the physical antenna end overlaps that of its neighbor. Simulations identify a clear rearrangement of field intensity accompanying this regime, illustrating that longitudinal modal fields localize in the air gap rather than in the higher index substrate at a pitch consistent with the experimentally observed transition.
The Three Faces of “Yes”: Consent for Emergency Department Procedures

The ambulance crew rushes the ill or injured patient into the emergency department (ED) and immediately, clinicians begin their complex procedural ballet, starting intravenous lines, placing monito...
In vivo tumor characterization using both MR and optical contrast agents with a hybrid MRI-DOT system

Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) has been proven to be the most sensitive modality in detecting breast lesions. Currently available MR contrast agent, Gd-DTPA, is a low molecular weight extracellular agent and can diffuse freely from the vascular space into interstitial space. Due to this reason, DCE-MRI has low sensitivity in differentiating benign and malignant tumors. Meanwhile, diffuse optical tomography (DOT) can be used to provide enhancement kinetics of an FDA approved optical contrast agent, ICG, which behaves like a large molecular weight optical agent due to its binding to albumin. The enhancement kinetics of ICG may have a potential to distinguish between the malignant and benign tumors and hence improve the specificity. Our group has developed a high speed hybrid MRI-DOT system. The DOT is a fully automated, MR-compatible, multi-frequency and multi-spectral imaging system. Fischer-344 rats bearing subcutaneous R3230 tumor are injected simultaneously with Gd-DTPA (0.1nmol/kg) and IC-Green (2.5mg/kg). The enhancement kinetics of both contrast agents are recorded simultaneously with this hybrid MRI-DOT system and evaluated for different tumors.
Course Design and Accountability

The colleges' overseers, be they construed as the gen eral public or the specific board of control, demand their right to assess the results of the teaching-learning proc ess. There is at least financial sustenance to recommend this point of view. The students, too, lay claim to their inherent right to evaluate how well or how much they learned. They are the customers of the teaching-learning service. Accrediting agencies and public and private foundations, in one way or another, also command an important part of accountability, and there is much to commend their positions. Faculty, also, through long tradition, affirm their prerogative to assess their own worth by means of collegiality or evaluation by one's own peers. Finding any common ground here seems difficult. And yet, a commonality might exist. It seems to me that there is a universality, namely, that accountability, as it is bound up in evaluation, proceeds at different levels, through different means, and by different groups for different reasons. Total accountability, then, is the sum of all these differences. My purpose here is to look at one level of accountability, to establish one method by one group for one reason. Because I am a teacher, I think of myself as a pro fessional, and it is to myself that I wish first to be pro fessionally accountable. I am firmly convinced that one of the best avenues toward accountability is self-evalua tion,1 using the term very much in the sense of John Gardner's self-renewal. It is when a teacher establishes his own worth that he becomes genuinely accountable for what he can become. And if he can do this by taking the measure of what he wants his students to learn and of what they indeed do learn, then he takes his own measure, with the human frailty that that measure must include. Self-evaluation is thus no simple thing. To see one self clearly in a glass is unsettling. To lay bare before one's own eyes that which is at the heart of the teaching learning matter is often a soul-rending experience, but it is perhaps the only essentially human approach to the issue of accountability. Teaching, like learning, is idiosyncratic. Just as dif ferent students learn different things in different ways at different rates and under different circumstances, so do different teachers teach different things (or perhaps the same thing) in different ways under different cir cumstances (or perhaps the same circumstances). It is foolish to demand that all teachers employ lecture discussion or any other method. There is more than one way to skin a cat. There are different cats to be skinned.
Thermal evaluation of a house using a movable-insulation heating and cooling system

Abstract A full-size house utilizing a heating and cooling system composed of roof water-bags intermittently covered with insulation was designed and tested in Atascadero, California (35 N lat.). Twenty centimeters (8 in.) of water sealed in plastic bags with inflatable covers rested on the metal ceiling which covered the 102 m2 living space. The movement of the 5 cm thick polyurethane insulation panels were automatically controlled to maximize the heating and cooling potentials of the system. With family occupancy, the house remained comfortable in both the heating and cooling seasons which were typified by daily average outdoor temperatures of 8°C (47°F) and 22°C (72°F), respectively. No auxiliary heating or cooling systems were employed during the 9-month test. Operating characteristics were favorable. Design parameters and performance data are given.
The making of the economy: a phenomenology of economic science

Till Duppe, Lanham, MD, Lexington Books, 2011, 250 pp., US$65.00 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0-7391-6419-8 Just think: it was only 10 years ago that Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind was transformed into a...
Weak precompactness, strong boundedness, and weak complete continuity

Weak precompactness in spaces of vector measures and in the space of Bochner integrable functions is studied. Uniform countable additivity and uniform integrability are characterized in terms of weak precompactness. Through this, a connection between strongly bounded operators and operators having weakly precompact adjoints on abstract continuous function spaces is established. These operators are compared with weakly completely continuous operators.
Direct measurement of radiationless internal conversion rate from the second excited singlet to the first excited singlet state of laser dye molecules

Abstract Using picosecond laser pulses and an excite-and probe technique, the populatio of the first excited singlet state is interrogated after molecules are pumped to the second excited singlet state in dye solutions. This gives a direct measurement of the rate of radiationless internal conversion from the second excited singlet to the first excited singlet state. The measured characteristic time (reciprocal of the conversion rate) is 3 × 10 −11 sec for Cresyl violet in methanol and 5.6 × 10 −11 sec for Cresyl violet in ethylene glycol.
Multipulse Energy Extraction In CO2 Laser Amplifiers

With multipulse energy extraction in electric discharge excited CO2-laser amplifiers, we can convert a significantly higher fraction of the vibrational energy stored in the gas by the discharge into laser light. The time scale for efficient energy extractions is determined by the collisional transfer rates for the flow of vibrational energy into and among the various vibrational modes of the gas molecules. We briefly survey the collisional processes of interest, describe optical techniques of implementing the multi-pulse method, and give calculated results for a representative case. The results indicate that high laser efficiencies, attractive for future commercial applications, can be achieved with CO2 lasers.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Semi-supervised wavelet shrinkage

To estimate a possibly multivariate regression function g under the general regression setup, y=g+@e, one can use wavelet thresholding as an alternative to conventional nonparametric regression methods. Wavelet thresholding is a simple operation in the wavelet domain that selects a subset of coefficients corresponding to an estimator of g when back-transformed. We propose an enhancement to wavelet thresholding by selecting a subset in a semi-supervised fashion in which the neighboring structure and classification function appropriate for wavelet domains are utilized. Wavelet coefficients are classified into two types: labeled, which have either strong or weak magnitudes, and unlabeled, which have in-between magnitudes. Both are connected to neighboring coefficients and belong to a low-dimensional manifold within the set of all wavelet coefficients. The decision to include a coefficient in the model depends not only on its magnitude but also on the labeled and the unlabeled coefficients from its neighborhood. We discuss the theoretical properties of the method and demonstrate its performance in simulated examples.
On the classification of certain planar contact structures

We focus on contact structures supported by planar open book decompositions. We study right-veering diffeomorphisms to keep track of overtwistedness property of contact structures under some monodromy changes. As an application we give infinitely many examples of overtwisted contact structures supported by open books whose pages are the four-punctured sphere, and also we prove that a certain family is Stein fillable using lantern relation.
Reconfigurable Modular Computer Networks for Spacecraft On-Board Processing

Standardized fault-tolerant microcomputers in a reconfigurable distributed network promise to meet spacecraft reliability requirements at low cost.
Other-Worldly: Making Chinese Medicine through Transnational Frames

Chinese medicine can be found in many places around the world. For example, the city where I live, Nashville, Tennessee, is known both as “Music City USA” for its country music scene and as the “bu...
Membrane trafficking and the regulation of NKCC2

the apical Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter of the thick ascending limb (TAL; NKCC2) plays a critical role in the countercurrent multiplication mechanism that drives urinary concentration in response to vasopressin ([16][1]). The paper by Ortiz ([20][2]) in this issue of AJP-Renal Physiology nicely
The Toxoplasma gondii Rhoptry Protein ROP4 Is Secreted into the Parasitophorous Vacuole and Becomes Phosphorylated in Infected Cells

Many intracellular pathogens are separated from the cytosol of their host cells by a vacuole membrane. This membrane serves as a critical interface between the pathogen and the host cell, across which nutrients are imported, wastes are excreted, and communication between the two cells takes place. Very little is known about the vacuole membrane proteins mediating these processes in any host-pathogen interaction. During a screen for monoclonal antibodies against novel surface or secreted proteins of Toxoplasma gondii, we identified ROP4, a previously uncharacterized member of the ROP2 family of proteins. We report here on the sequence, posttranslational processing, and subcellular localization of ROP4, a type I transmembrane protein. Mature, processed ROP4 is localized to the rhoptries, secretory organelles at the apical end of the parasite, and is secreted from the parasite during host cell invasion. Released ROP4 associates with the vacuole membrane and becomes phosphorylated in the infected cell. Similar results are seen with ROP2. Further analysis of ROP4 showed it to be phosphorylated on multiple sites, a subset of which result from the action of either host cell protein kinase(s) or parasite kinase(s) activated by host cell factors. The localization and posttranslational modification of ROP4 and other members of the ROP2 family of proteins within the infected cell make them well situated to play important roles in vacuole membrane function.
Controlling optical properties of electrodes with stacked metallic thin films for polymeric light-emitting diodes and displays

A semi-transparent metallic film and a high optical absorbing film were constructed with stacking metallic films. Both films were used as cathodes for polymeric light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). The semi-transparent film was made of gold/aluminum/gold thin multilayers with its optical transparency of the device reaches as high as /spl sim/70% in the visible region without capping layer, and the electrical sheet resistance reduces below 10 /spl Omega//square. During illumination of the PLED, there was approximately 47% of light emitting from the top of the cathode surface, and 53% of light from the ITO side. The high optical absorbing film, also refer to as the black cathode, was constructed with four alternating layers of aluminum-silver, each aluminum or silver layer is 4 nm thick. The PLED with this black cathode demonstrated 126% enhancement of contrast under 1000 lx ambient illumination. The physical properties of these two cathodes were characterized by current-voltage measurement and atomic force microscopy. Ultraviolet-visible transmission spectroscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy were also used to characterize the semi-transparent cathode and the black cathode respectively. For polymer light-emitting device, it is believed that morphology modification at each interface of the cathode plays a crucial role in determining the optical properties and conductivity of the over cathode.
Lack of p16INK4 or retinoblastoma protein (pRb), or amplification-associated overexpression of cdk4 is observed in distinct subsets of malignant glial tumors and cell lines.

Abstract In this study the expression of p16 INK4 , retinoblastoma protein (pRb), and cdk4 proteins have been examined in 18 malignant glioma cell lines and in 45 malignant glial tumors. Loss of p16 INK4 expression associated with p16 INK4 gene homozygous deletion was evident in 12 cell lines and in 10 primary tumors. Lack of p16 INK4 expression was also evident in five tumors for which there was no evidence of p16 INK4 gene homozygous deletion. Two of the cell lines and six of the primary tumors in which p16 INK4 was present were determined to overexpress cdk4 in association with CDK4 gene amplification. Absence of pRb was determined in two of the cell lines and in ten of the tumors. In total, 16 of 18 cell lines and 25 of 45 tumors showed either a lack of p16 INK4 or pRb or amplification-associated overexpression of cdk4. Two additional tumors showed an absence of pRb and p16 INK4 , and one tumor showed a lack of pRb combined with amplification-associated overexpression of cdk4. These results suggest a common growth-regulatory mechanism that is disrupted in gliomas by either suppressing the expression of p16 INK4 or pRb or by increasing the expression of cdk4.
Transient and Persistent Helicobacter pylori Colonization in Native American Children

Helicobacter pylori is chiefly acquired in childhood, but the exact timing of acquisition is not well understood. The main goal of this study was to assess H. pylori acquisition in a pediatric population. We studied two cohorts of Native American children: a birth cohort of 50 children and 58 older children (mean age, 53 months). We measured serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA antibodies to H. pylori whole-cell antigen and IgG antibodies to CagA. Among 44 birth cohort children monitored for more than 12 months, 24 (54.5%) had seroconversions, 7 (15.9%) were transient, and 17 (38.6%) were persistent. Among the older children, 49 (84.5%) of the 58 children were monitored for 1 year; 34 (69.4%) had H. pylori antibodies at study entry. During the next year, 7 (20.6%) children seroreverted, and of 15 initially negative children, 5 (33.3%) seroconverted. In both groups, evaluation of CagA antibodies increased the sensitivity of H. pylori detection. Serum pepsinogen I (PGI) levels in H. pylori-negative children rose significantly until age 6 months and remained constant for the next 19 months. At the time of H. pylori seroconversion, PGI peaked to levels significantly higher than in the never-seroconverted (P = 0.02) and the pre-seroconverted (P = 0.03) children, but then declined to levels paralleling those of H. pylori-negative children. Thus, H. pylori acquisition, accompanied by a transient PGI increase, was frequent in this population, especially in the second and third years of life, but often was brief.
Distance-based and neural-net-based approaches for classifying satellites using spectral measurements

The purpose of space surveillance is to classify and, if possible, assess the mission and performance capabilities of space objects. Historically, imaging techniques have obtained useful results. However, with the advances achieved in microtechnologies, small but highly functional satellites (largest dimension <1 m) are emerging that are hard to identify by imaging with large ground-based telescopes. The concept of using nonimaging measurements to obtain information is relatively new. In this paper, we present and discuss the performance of two techniques for classifying satellites based on spectral measurements. A distance-based classifier and a neural-net-based classifier are used to process both calibrated spectral data and features computed using these data. Neural networks are found to give better recognition results than the distance-based classifier, and once trained, this method is also faster. The average error rates for the distance-based method are greater than 30% when the inputs are the calibrated spectra, and 70% when using the central moments and the K-nearest-neighbors method. The best results are obtained for the neural network design, with the lowest class error rate at 0% for some satellites, the highest error rate at 30%, and an average error rate at 16%.
High Politics is Low Politics: The Domestic and Systemic Sources of Israeli Security Policy, 1967–1977

The literature on international political economy explains foreign economic policies by integrating systemic, state, and societal features. Theoretical approaches to national security, however, have tended to extract the state from its societal context. An adequate conceptualization of security policy must integrate both systemic forces and the domestic political economy.One way of integrating these concerns is by examining the state's strategies for mobilizing those financial, productive, and human resources considered necessary for national security.This article examines the political economy of the state's mobilization of resources for national security, called “war preparation,” and proposes a framework for investigation that consists of three elements: (i) the objectives of state managers, (2) the constraints on the state, and (3) the policies of the state for mobilizing its required resources. Based upon these considerations, some tendencies in the government's war preparation strategies are suggested. The utility of this framework is explored through an empirical examination of Israel between 1967 and 1977. The study demonstrates how Israel's war preparation strategies were shaped by the state's domestic and security objectives, the domestic political economy, and systemic constraints and opportunities.
Adolescent inpatient girls׳ report of dependent life events predicts prospective suicide risk

Adolescents with a history of suicidal behavior are especially vulnerable for future suicide attempts, particularly following discharge from an inpatient psychiatric admission. This study is the first to test whether adolescents׳ tendency to generate stress, or report more dependent events to which they contributed, was predictive of prospective suicide events. Ninety adolescent psychiatric inpatients who were admitted for recent suicide risk, completed diagnostic interviews, assessments of history of suicidal behavior, and a self-report questionnaire of major life events at baseline. Participants were followed over the subsequent 6 months after discharge to assess stability vs. onset of suicide events. Cox proportional hazard regressions were used to predict adolescents׳ time to suicide events. Results supported hypothesis, such that only recent greater dependent events, not independent or overall events, predicted risk for prospective suicide events. This effect was specific to adolescent girls. Importantly, dependent events maintained statistical significance as a predictor of future suicide events after co-varying for the effects of several established risk factors and psychopathology. Results suggest that the tendency to generate dependent events may contribute unique additional prediction for adolescent girls׳ prospective suicide risk, and highlight the need for future work in this area.
Relapse and Acquired Rifampin Resistance in HIV-Infected Patients with Tuberculosis Treated with Rifampin- or Rifabutin-Based Regimens in New York City, 1997–2000

Background. The relationship between rifamycin use and either relapse or treatment failure with acquired rifampin resistance (ARR) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected patients with tuberculosis (TB) is not well understood. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected persons with rifampin-susceptible TB, (1) to compare relapse rates, ARR, and treatment failure, according to HIV serostatus; and (2) to examine whether and how use of rifamycin was associated with clinical outcomes of interest among HIV-infected patients with TB. Results. HIV-infected patients were more likely to have ARR than were HIV-uninfected patients (0.9% vs. 0.1%; ), and the association remained significant in multivariate analysis (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 5.5; P p .007 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4–21.5). Among HIV-infected patients with TB, none of 57 patients treated with rifabutin-based regimens alone had ARR, and only 1 of 395 patients treated with rifabutin given in combination with a rifampin-based regimen had ARR, whereas 6 of 355 patients treated with a rifampin-based regimen alone had relapse and ARR. HIV-infected patients treated with rifampin-based regimens alone had a higher risk for relapse and development of rifampin resistance if intermittent dosing of rifampin was started during the intensive phase of treatment, compared with patients who did not receive intermittent dosing (hazard ratio [HR] for relapse, 6.7 [95% CI, 1.1–40.1]; HR for ARR, 6.4 [95% CI, 1.1–38.4]). This association remained when confined to patients with a CD4 + T lymphocyte count of !100 lymphocytes/mm 3 . Intermittent dosing started only after the intensive phase of treatment did not increase the risks of relapse and ARR among HIV-infected patients with TB. Conclusion. The risk for ARR among HIV-infected persons with TB did not depend on the rifamycin used but, rather, on the rifampin dosing schedule in the intensive phase of treatment.
Deposition of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Streambeds

The transfer of Cryptosporidium oocysts from the surface water to the sediment beds of streams and rivers influences their migration in surface waters. We used controlled laboratory flume experiments to investigate the deposition of suspended Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in streambeds. The experimental results demonstrate that hydrodynamic interactions between an overlying flow and a sediment bed cause oocysts to accumulate in the sediments and reduce their concentrations in the surface water. The association of C. parvum with other suspended sediments increased both the oocysts' effective settling velocity and the rate at which oocysts were transferred to the sediment bed. A model for the stream-subsurface exchange of colloidal particles, including physical transport and physicochemical interactions with sediment grains, accurately represented the deposition of both free C. parvum oocysts and oocysts that were attached to suspended sediments. We believe that these pathogen-sediment interactions play an important role in regulating the concentrations of Cryptosporidium in streams and rivers and should be taken into consideration when predicting the fate of pathogens in the environment.
Baire Numbers, Uncountable Cohen Sets and Perfect-Set Forcing

The Baire number of the real line (see 1.1(c)) has uncountable cofinality [Mi]. This number is equal to the Baire number of the space 2 ω and also to the Baire number (1.1(d)) of every countable partial order. Our research is motivated by the following open question (1.13) (see also [BPS] and [Mi]): can the cofinality of n κ , the Baire number of the space (2 κ ) κ (1.1(b)), be less than or equal to κ ? This question is nontrivial when κ is regular and 2 κ = κ (1.3). A. Miller proved that the answer is “no” if κ is strongly inaccessible (see [Mi] and 1.11). Assuming CH, is equal to the Baire number of the Stone space of ℘(ω)/Fin. In §1 we discuss , the Baire number of the space (2 λ ) κ . If κ is regular, then , and using 1.3 and 1.5, we may rule out the easy cases and restrict ourselves to cases where κ is regular with 2 κ = κ , and κ ≤ λ 2 κ . If λ > κ , then it is consistent to have cof( )= κ ([Mi] and 1.7). We do not know whether is consistent (1.9). Next, the cardinal number e κ is defined (1.10). It is easy to see that n κ ≤ e κ and that cof( e κ ) > κ . If κ is strongly inaccessible (s.i.), then n κ = e κ ([Mil], [Bar], [MF] and 1.11). For κ accessible, the question of whether n κ = e κ is open. Another open question (Fremlin) is stated as follows: assume W ⊇ V and f ∈ ω ω ∩ W is such that, for every g ∈ ω ω ∩ V , ∣( f = g )∣ = ℵ 0 , does this imply that W contains sets which are ω-Cohen (1.1(a)) over V ? If κ is accessible regular with 2 κ = κ , then the answer to the analog of Fremlin's question for κ is “no”. In fact, any κ -closed forcing that adds new subsets of κ , also adds a new function f ∈ κ κ such that, for every g ∈ κ κ ∩ V , ( f = g ) is stationary (4.1(a)). On the other hand, perfect-set forcing on κ (see [Ka] and §5) adds a new subset of κ but produces a minimal extension (5.4(b)), and hence adds no sets which are κ -Cohen over V .
Cyclic homopentapeptides 1. Analogs of tuberactinomycins and capreomycin with activity against vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Pasteurella

Abstract A 6a-(3′,4′-dichlorophenylamino) analog of viomycin was uncovered by a high-throughput screen against the animal health pathogen Pasteurella haemolytica, and has served as a novel lead structure for our infectious disease programs. We report herein the synthesis and activity of analogs of tuberactinomycins and capreomycin that are active against Pasteurella spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This paper describes the synthesis and activity of some C-6a-substituted analogs of tuberactinomycins and capreomycin, which are active against Pasteurella spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.
TEMPERATURE ACTIVATED DEFLECTION OF A NOVEL URETEROSCOPIC LASER FIBER SHEATH

ABSTRACTPurpose: Loss of active deflection with insertion of a holmium laser fiber can significantly decrease the efficacy of intrarenal flexible ureteroscopy. We evaluated the impact of inserting a novel, temperature activated, deflectable laser sheath on active deflection and flow rates.Methods and Materials: Active deflection of 5 flexible ureteroscopes was measured with an empty channel and following separate insertions of 2, 272 μm holmium fibers. Insertion of the same fibers was then repeated through a proprietary, temperature activated, coiling nitinol sheath. Active deflection of the sheath following insertion into the working channel was achieved by a rapid flush of 10 cc hot water (60C) through the irrigation side port. Release of active deflection was obtained by repeating this maneuver with cold water (15C). Degrees of deflection were measured in triplicate. Flow rates were measured at 100 cm H2O pressure.Results: Active deflection with an empty working channel decreased significantly with ins...
The coupon subset collection problem

The coupon subset collection problem is a generalization of the classical coupon collecting problem, in that rather than collecting individual coupons we obtain, at each time point, a random subset of coupons. The problem of interest is to determine the expected number of subsets needed until each coupon is contained in at least one of these subsets. We provide bounds on this number, give efficient simulation procedures for estimating it, and then apply our results to a reliability problem.