cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aromatic metabolism in plants. I. A study of the prephenate dehydrogenase from bean plants.

Abstract Prephenate dehydrogenase (prephenate: NADP + oxidoreductase (decarboxylating)) has been isolated from cotyledons of wax bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Bountiful). The enzyme utilizes NADP + as an oxidant. The optimum pH for activity is 7.5, and the maximum stability of the enzyme at 22° is achieved in the pH range from 7 to 8. The enzyme is inhibited by sulphydryl complexing compounds. Addition of phenylalanine, tyrosine, or cinnamate did not depress the rate of formation of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate. The prephenate dehydrogenase also is present in the cotyledons and the shoots of mung bean ( Phaseolus aureus Roxb.). A study was made of the variation in the amount of prephenate dehydrogenase and aromatic amino acid transaminase in developing mung bean plants. The results show that the dehydrogenase is present in largest concentration in the cotyledons 4–5 days after germination has been initiated, and the transaminase reaches the highest level in the shoots after 12–14 days of growth.
Multi‐state international catalog exhibitions: a South America experience

This article is written to advance the idea that U.S. small and medium‐sized firms should have something more than a domestic presence and to help business owners to become aware of free or low‐cost international growth assistance. One such resource, the USDOC Commercial Service Multi‐State International Catalog Exhibition Program (ICEP), is designed to work in partnership with state offices of international business development and/or with individual client firms. Through active participation small firms can leverage their limited export promotion resources. Objectives and benefits of multistate international catalog exhibitions and participation details are discussed.
On the integral of the squared periodogram

Abstract Let X 1 , X 2 ,…, X n be a sample from a stationary Gaussian time series and let I (·) be the sample periodogram. Some researchers have either proved heuristically or claimed that under general conditions, the asymptotic behaviour of ∫ − π π η(λ)φ(I(λ)) d λ is equivalent to that of the discrete version of the integral given by (2 π /n) ∑ i=1 n−1 η(λ i )φ(I(λ i )) , where λ i are the Fourier frequencies and φ and η are suitable possibly non-linear functions. In this paper, we prove that this asymptotic equivalence is not true when φ is a non-linear function. We derive the exact finite sample variance of ∫ − π π I 2 (λ) d λ when { X t } is Gaussian white noise and show that it is asymptotically different from that of (2 π /n) ∑ i=1 n−1 I 2 (λ i ) . The asymptotic distribution of ∫ − π π I 2 (λ) d λ is also obtained in this case. The result is then extended to obtain the limiting distribution of ∫ − π π f −2 (λ)I 2 (λ) d λ when { X t } is a stationary Gaussian series with spectral density f (·). From these results, the limiting distribution of the integral version of a goodness-of-fit statistic proposed in the literature is obtained.
The filibuster and the nature of representation in the United States Senate

SUMMARY Jeremy Bentham once called the American Senate a source of ‘negative power’ that he considered an obstacle to the American democracy. With the dramatic increase of the use of the filibuster in recent years, Bentham's argument is as relevant as ever. The filibuster gives a considerable amount of power to political minorities in the Senate. Yet this is problematic from a representational perspective because the Senate is a ‘constitutional gerrymander’—it is the only legislative body in the United States to which the principle of equal representation does not apply. Owing to the fact that every state has two senators no matter what its population, the Senate represents constituencies that are more white and Republican and less urban, African-American and Hispanic than the constituencies that would exist if the ‘one person, one vote’ norm applied to the Senate elections. As a result, the filibuster enhances the power of particular groups in American society relative to others.
Enhancing Students’ Understanding of Whole Cereal Grains in a University Experimental Foods Course

Increasingly, unrefined cereal grains are being appreciated for the host of benefits they provide, including lowered risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. On average, Americans consume less than one serving of whole grains per day, yet health benefits are seen with 2 to 3 servings per day. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least half of daily grain intake to be whole grain; dietitians have a primary role in educating the public about the importance and use of these grains. Undergraduate dietetics courses can provide opportunities for students to enhance their understanding of the variety, availability, cooking methods, and taste of whole cereal grains. Until recently, many grains (such as teff and amaranth) were unknown to Americans, and some were unavailable in the United States. After reading a fascinating newspaper article on the long history, wide variety, and superb nutritional qualities of whole grains, the instructor presented a question to the class: “How many whole grains can you name?” The results of this challenge (ie, that most students were aware of very few) led to a celebratory lab event called The Whole Grain Party.
Water distribution and loss in response to acclimation at constant humidity in the smokybrown cockroach, Periplaneta fuliginosa (serville)

1. 1. The effects of insect maintenance at various relative humidities on tissue water distribution and water loss were examined in adult male smokybrown cockroaches, Periplaneta fuliginosa, held for seven days at 11, 32, 50, 75 or 98% r.h. 2. 2. No differences in total body water content and water content of gut, fat body, muscle or cuticle were detected among males. 3. 3. Faecal water content decreased at lower acclimation r.h. 4. 4. Cuticular permeability increased linearly with acclimation r.h. 5. 5. Mean haemolymph volume and osmolality were not affected by acclimation r.h.; however, the volume and osmolality of salivary gland secretions decreased with increasing r.h. indicating acclimation had occurred.
Continuous measurement of cerebrospinal fluid pressure in unrestrained rats.

Abstract A sensitive method for measuring intracranial pressure in unrestrained, unanesthetized rats has been developed. Two identically calibrated pressure transducers connected to fluid-filled polyethylene catheters were used to simultaneously monitor ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and head position. Artifacts due to changing head position were electronically subtracted from ventricular pressure, yielding a continuous dynamic record of “true” CSF pressure. A simple technique for precisely calibrating pressure transducers is also described. The mean CSF pressure obtained in 27 non-stressed freely-behaving adult rats was 64 ± 2 mm H 2 O. Handling caused a prompt increase in intracranial pressure of approximately 80–120 mm H 2 O. Moment-to-moment fluctuations in intracranial pressure closely reflect changes in central venous pressure. The techniques described are applicable to continuous measurement of CSF pressure in laboratory or clinical settings.
A Magnetorheological Vibration Isolator for Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles

This paper presents the results of vibration isolation analysis for the pump/motor component of hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHV). The hybrid subsystem can potentially improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle by recovering some of the energy that is otherwise wasted in friction brakes. High pressure hydraulic fluid “assists” the engine in the initial acceleration period. Noise and vibration are an issue with these systems due to the variable hydraulic loads that are applied to the regenerative hybrid element. This study looks into the possibility of reducing the transmitted noise and vibration to the vehicle’s chassis by using smart magnetorheological (MR) dampers. MR dampers utilize MR fluid which is made of pure iron particles suspended in a carrier fluid. MR fluids deliver variable yield stress under the effect of a controllable electromagnetic field. To this end, an MR damper is modeled and simulated. In the simulation both shock and vibration loads are considered. The simulation results are compared with the performance of regular elastomer isolators. It is shown that the MR damper can effectively reduce the vibration for different working cycles of the regenerative system.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Interleukin-10 induces transcription of the early promoter of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) through the 5'-segment of the upstream regulatory region (URR).

The effects of various proinflammatory cytokines on the transcription of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been demonstrated. On the other hand, the role of anti-inflammatory cytokines has not been elaborated, despite the fact that levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) have been found significantly elevated in cervical dysplasias or carcinomas as well as in the cervix of HIV-positive individuals. These conditions are also associated with elevated viral transcription. Thus, the impact of IL-10 on HPV transcription might be important in pathogenesis of cervical lesions in both immunocompetent or immunosuppressed individuals. In this paper we describe the effects of IL-10 on the transcription of HPV type 16. We found that treatment of HPV 16-positive cervical carcinoma cells with IL-10 increased mRNA levels of the E7 early gene at the level of transcription. Similarly, IL-10 significantly and dose-dependently induced the transcription from the HPV early promoter in a reporter system. Employing deletion mutants we determined that this induction is mapped to the 5' segment of the URR. Transient transfection of an antisense-STAT3-expression vector abolished IL-10-induced reporter activity as well as HPV 16 E7 expression. This suggests that STAT3 either directly binds to the URR and stimulates transcription or affects expression and/or binding of transcription factors that bind to the 5'-region. Our findings suggest a mechanism by which--in addition to its immunosuppressive effects--IL-10 might enhance persistence and progression of HPV-related lesions under conditions (e.g. dysplastic progression, HIV infection) when the cytokine expression in the cervical microenvironment changes.
A semi-analytical approach using artificial neural network for dielectrophoresis generated by parallel electrodes

Abstract In this paper, we present a semi-analytical approach to obtain the DEP force generated by parallel electrodes. By solving the electric potential equation using the separation of variables method, a solution was found in the form of a Fourier series with unknown coefficients. The unknown coefficients were determined by training a linear artificial neural network with the appropriate data satisfied on the boundary. This results of calculated electric field and DEP force for both planar electrode system and 3D electrode system are validated by comparison with the numerical results obtained using the commercial software CFD-ACE+.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography–assisted Treatment Planning Concepts

Computed tomography (CT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT) technology allows three-dimensional evaluation of each patient's individual anatomy. This article highlights the presurgical planning phase of dental implant procedures that benefit from lower dose CBCT technology so that educated treatment decisions can be accurately determined. Clinicians should gain an understanding of how each view can be individually significant, with unique levels of detail helping to provide a comprehensive overview of the patient's anatomic presentation. This article outlines the benefits of using CBCT technology for dental implant applications for increased accuracy and avoidance of potential surgical and restorative complications.
An eigenfunction parameterization of a time sequence of wave spectra

Abstract A variant of principal component analysis termed eigenvector analysis is shown to provide an effective parameterization of a time sequence of one-dimensional (frequency) spectra of wind-generated water waves. The analysis indicates that as few as five parameters are required to reproduce 85 percent of the variation in a climatological record of wave spectra. Reconstructed spectra reproduce spectral peaks and periods for both uni- and multimodal spectra well, particularly during high energy conditions. The potential of the functions as a universal set of functions for representation of spectra is pointed out as are applications to statistical estimation of a spectral wave climate.
Tailless and Atrophin control Drosophila aggression by regulating neuropeptide signalling in the pars intercerebralis

It is unclear whether the mechanisms giving rise to aggression in animals are conserved across the animal kingdom. Here, the authors show that knockdown of tailless, an orthologue of a mouse gene involved in aggression, leads to increased aggression in Drosophila, suggesting that the molecular mechanisms behind aggression are conserved.
Increased generalized activity following lesions of the caudal reticular formation.

Abstract Lesions were placed in the caudal giant-celled reticular formation (nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis and nucleus reticularis giganto-cellularis) of the rat. In agreement with the inhibitory functions assigned to these regions by previous neurophysiological studies, the lesions were found to greatly increase spontaneous activity of the rats in photocell cages although they did not impair rate of habituation to the test environment. It was also found that the behavioral depression produced by the cholinomimetic drug, pilocarpine, was unaffected by the lesions. It was concluded that the caudal reticular formation exerts a general inhibitory action on behavioral activity and the hypothesis was advanced that certain telencephalic structures mediate their behavioral functions via this region.
Retrospective reports of parental partner abuse: relationships to depression, trauma symptoms and self-esteem among college students

This study tested whether retrospective reports of childhood exposure to parental partner abuse were associated with internalizing aspects of adult adjustment. Participants were 550 men and women college students. Among women, childhood exposure to partner abuse was related to depression, trauma-related symptoms, and low self-esteem; among men, exposure was associated with trauma-related symptoms. These relationships were statistically independent of reported parental alcohol abuse and divorce. Relationships of parental partner abuse to low self-esteem and depression among women were also independent of variation in retrospective reports of child sexual and physical abuse. However, the relationship of partner abuse to trauma-related symptoms depended, in part, on the co-occurrence of child abuse. The discussion addressed implications of the findings for future research and for clinical practice.
Thermal Error Modelling for Real-Time Error Compensation

A modelling strategy for the prediction of both the scalar and the position-dependent thermal error components is presented. Two types of empirical modelling method based on the multiple regression analysis (MRA) and the artificial neural network (ANN) have been proposed for the reaLtime prediction of thermal errors with multiple temperature measurements. Both approaches have a systematic and computerised algorithm to search automatically for the nonlinear and interaction terms between different temperature variables. The experimental results on a machining centre show that both the MRA and the ANN can accurately predict the time-variant thermal error components under different spindle speeds and temperature fields. The accuracy of a horizontal machining centre can be improved through experiment by a factor of ten and the errors of a cut aluminium workpiece owing to thermal distortion have been reduced from 92.4 Ixm to Z2 lazn in the lateral direction. The depth difference due to the spindle thermal growth has been reduced from 196 txm to 8 ~m.
Biochemical and Serological Characteristics of Streptococci of Bovine Origin

Perhaps the two most significant results of extensive research on bovine mastitis during the past 5 or 6 years are, first, the recognition of a fairly well defined species of streptococcus as the principal cause of chronic bovine mastitis, and, second, general agreement on the biochemical characteristics of the causative agent now recognized as Streptococcus agalactiae. This information has been used in the development of control measures based on the detection and segregation of animals harboring S. agalactiae. Promising results have been reported by Minett, Stableforth and Edwards,' Stableforth, Edwards and Minett,2 Plastridge, Anderson, White and Rettger3 and Plastridge, Anderson, Weirether and Johnson.4 While carrying on the control plan described by Plastridge, Anderson, White and Rettger,3 circumstances have arisen which suggested that the results of biochemical tests are not always adequate in the identification of certain types of streptococci. Consequently, a comparative study was made of the serological and biochemical properties of streptococci of bovine origin. The results obtained are presented here.
Progesterone antagonism of neurite outgrowth depends on microglial activation via Pgrmc1/S2R.

Neuronal plasticity is regulated by the ovarian steroids estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in many normal brain functions, as well as in acute response to injury and chronic neurodegenerative disease. In a female rat model of axotomy, the E2-dependent compensatory neuronal sprouting is antagonized by P4. To resolve complex glial-neuronal cell interactions, we used the “wounding-in-a-dish” model of neurons cocultured with astrocytes or mixed glia (microglia to astrocytes, 1:3). Although both astrocytes and mixed glia supported E2-enhanced neurite outgrowth, P4 antagonized E2-induced neurite outgrowth only with mixed glia, but not astrocytes alone. We now show that P4-E2 antagonism of neurite outgrowth is mediated by microglial expression of progesterone receptor (Pgr) membrane component 1 (Pgrmc1)/S2R, a putative nonclassical Pgr mediator with multiple functions. The P4-E2 antagonism of neurite outgrowth was restored by add-back of microglia to astrocyte-neuron cocultures. Because microglia do not expre...
Implications of solar flare dynamics for reconnection in magnetospheric substorms

Evidence is adduced for the key importance of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheric substorms from observations of two-ribbon solar flares, leading to the inference that reconnection of closed field lines in the near-earth thinned plasma sheet both initiates, and is driven by, the overall MHD instability driving the tailward expulsion of the reconnected closed field. This inference is specifically drawn from observations of filament eruptions in two-ribbon flares, so that it may be concluded that the heart of the overall instability consists of reconnection and eruption of the closed magnetic field in and around the filament. The overall instability in substorms results from essentially the same combination of reconnection and eruption of the closed magnetic field.
Delay time and the Hartman effect in double-barrier tunneling

A relation between the phase time and the dwell time in double-barrier tunneling is investigated under the resonant and the off-resonant conditions. The role and physical meaning of the self-interference delay is discussed. The Hartman effect is examined in double-barrier geometry and a physical explanation for the phenomenon is developed.
Wage rigidities and jobless recoveries

Abstract Real wage rigidities cause jobless recoveries. Suppose that a one-time shock reduces the capital stock below trend. If wages are flexible, they decline and employment increases at the moment of the shock, before both revert back to normal levels as the economy grows back to trend. If wages are completely rigid and the labor market is otherwise frictionless, the shock causes a proportional and permanent decline in employment, capital, output, consumption, and investment relative to trend. In a search model with rigid wages, the shock causes a persistent but not permanent decline in these economic outcomes, a jobless recovery.
A Computer Program for the Johnson-Neyman Technique

The Johnson-Neyman technique is briefly reviewed, and a program for carrying out an analysis using the procedure is described. The program accomodates one independent and one dependent variable, up to 20 groups of observations, and an unlimited number of cases.
Laparoscopic very low anterior resection with coloanal anastomosis and intersphincteric resection

The author present the laparoscopic coloanal anastomosis and intersphincteric resection technique to treat patients with very low rectal cancer. The operative steps are: 1 - Patient positioning; 2 - Instruments and equip positioning; 3 - Insertion of the ports; 4 - Preparation of the operative field; 5 - Difining and dividing the inferior mesenteric artery and vein by the medial approach; 6 - Mobilization of splenic flexure and sigmoid colon; 7 - rectal mobilization and total mesorectum excision by Rullier technique; 8 - Rectal division and coloanal anastomosis; 9 - intersphincteric resection and coloanal anastomosis by coloplasty, J pouch or latero-to-end techniques. The technique employed is safe and have presented low rate of complication and no mortality.
Fast Maximum-Likelihood Decoding of 4X4 Full-Diversity Quasi-Orthogonal STBCs with QAM Signals

In this paper, we present the lowest-computational-complexity maximum-likelihood (ML) decoder known to-date for 4x4 full-diversity Quasi-Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes (QO-STBC) with symbols from square or rectangular quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellations. The complexity savings come from a simplified quadratic ML decoding statistic that is being presented and the utilization of the signal points of the QAM constellation. Comparative computational complexity analysis is carried out and a simulation study demonstrates the theoretical equivalence of the proposed and original ML implementation.
System Identification of a Three-Story Infilled RC Frame Tested on the UCSD-NEES Shake Table

A 2/3-scale, three-story, two-bay, infilled RC frame was dynamically tested on a shake-table. The test objectives were to assess the seismic performance of existing, non-ductile, infilled RC frames and provide data for the evaluation of newly developed analytical methods predicting the behavior of such structures. The shake-table tests were designed to induce damage on the structure progressively through scaled earthquake records of increasing intensity. Between the earthquake records, the response of the frame to low-amplitude ambient vibration and white-noise base excitation tests was measured. At these low levels of excitations, the structure can be considered as a quasi-linear system with parameters depending on the damage state. The deterministicstochastic subspace identification method based on system input and output signals has been used to estimate the modal parameters of the test structure at its various damage states. The identification is conducted considering the white-noise base excitation and the resulting structural response measured by accelerometers. The study has quantified the decrease of natural frequencies and the increase of structural damping at progressive damage states. The identified modal parameters have been used for damage identification of the infilled frame in a companion paper.
Ximelagatran: An Oral Direct Thrombin Inhibitor

OBJECTIVETo present the chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics of ximelagatran, an oral direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI), and to review available comparative clinical trial data evaluating its efficacy and safety relative to other antithrombotic agents in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism.DATA SOURCESA search of the PubMed and Cochrane databases (1995–August 2004), supplemented by a manual search of article bibliographies, conference abstracts, and data on file from the manufacturer, was conducted. Key search terms were ximelagatran, melagatran, H376/95, and direct thrombin inhibitors.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONPertinent information from available clinical trials, including study design, patient demographics, dosing regimens, anticoagulant comparators, methods for evaluating effectiveness, treatment outcomes, adverse events, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluations, was extracted.DATA SYNTHESISXimelagatran is an orally administered DTI under development for use in th...
BUILDING THE CITY OF THE FUTURE: VISIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF MODERNITY IN GHANA'S AKOSOMBO TOWNSHIP

Akosombo Township, designed by the Greek urbanist Constantinos Doxiadis, is the model city at the foot of the hydroelectric Akosombo Dam, Ghana's largest development project. The article explores different visions of high modernist planning for Akosombo and juxtaposes it with the desires for and imaginations of modernity among its residents. Officials of the Volta River Authority, the agency in charge of the township, promoted specific ideas about housing, husbandry, and hygiene, while residents engaged with and resisted this kind of social engineering. These tensions came to the fore, when the squatters of Combine struggled to remain in the township. In conversation with residents, VRA officials produced a form of ‘high modernist local knowledge’.
The Battle of the Atlantic and American Preparations for World War II in Northern Ireland, 1940-1941 (before Pearl Harbor)

In July 1940, Colonel Angus Hedley-Whyte was appointed commanding officer of the British 31st General Hospital at Musgrave Park, remaining in Belfast with his family until a month after the Hospital's handover to the U.S. The U.K. and American Officers played an important role in my1 education, as Angus’ seven-year-old son.
Three-Dimensional Flow Simulations in the Recessed Region of a Coaxial Injector

A three-dimensional, two-phase, unsteady Navier-Stokes solver has been developed to investigate fluid dynamic instabilities within the recessed region of a shear coaxial injector element. Here, the main emphasis is to study applications related to liquid rocket engine injectors using the gas/liquid shear-coaxial element in which the inner liquid cylindrical post is submerged slightly with respect to the overall exit plane of the device. Because most of the previous works focus on spray structure outside of the injector, this study provides readers with insight into unsteadiness resulting from hydrodynamic instabilities within the internal nozzle flow upstream of the combustion chamber. The present study focuses on unsteady "self-oscillations," which have been theorized by various researchers. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability mechanism as a result of velocity discontinuity between gas and liquid phase is investigated as a source of unsteadiness that could contribute to combustion roughness or instabilities. For existing liquid-rocket-engine injectors, mass-flow variations of the order of 30-40% are shown to exist as a result of this highly nonlinear process. Fundamental frequencies are also identified for a range of conditions.
Adaptive Guaranteed Cost Control for State Delayed System with Actuator Failures

This paper deals with the problem of reliable guaranteed cost control for linear time-delay systems via state feedback against actuator faults. Based on adaptive method, a delay-dependent memory controller is established, whose gains are affinely dependent on the estimations of fault parameters. In the framework of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), sufficient conditions with less conservativeness than those of the corresponding controller with fixed gains are derived such that the stability of the closed-loop systems is guaranteed and the cost function is minimized in both normal and faulty cases. A numerical example is given to illustrate the proposed method.
THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED CO2 ON NUTRIENT DISTRIBUTION IN A FIRE-ADAPTED SCRUB OAK FOREST

Elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) caused greater accumulation of carbon (C) and nutrients in both vegetation and O horizons over a 5-yr sampling period in a scrub oak ecosystem in Florida. Elevated CO2 had no effect on any measured soil property except extractable phosphorus (P), which was lower with elevated CO2 after five years. Anion and cation exchange membranes showed lower available nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) with elevated CO2. Soils in both elevated and ambient CO2 showed decreases in total C, N, sulfur (S), and cation exchange capacity, and increases in base saturation, exchangeable Ca2+, and Mg2+ over the 5-yr sampling period. We hypothesize that these soil changes were a delayed response to prescribed fire, which was applied to the site just before the initiation of the experiment. In the ambient CO2 treatment, the increases in vegetation and O horizon C, N, and S were offset by the losses of soil total C, N, and S, resulting in no statistically significant net changes in ecosystem C, N, or S over t...
160-Gb/s broadband wavelength conversion on chip using dispersion-engineered silicon waveguides

We demonstrate 160-Gb/s wavelength conversion across 21 nm in the C-band using four-wave mixing in dispersion-engineered silicon photonic waveguides. Measurements show a conversion efficiency of −15.5 dB and a pulse broadening factor of 38%.
Role of retinal mitochondria in the development of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of acquired blindness in developed countries. Prolonged hyperglycemia precipitates the oxidative stress that mediates mitochondrial dysfunctions associated with diabetic retinopathy. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are elevated in diabetic retina damaging the mitochondrial macromolecules. Membrane injury increases mitochondrial permeability driving Bax translocation into and cytochrome-c release out of the mitochondria, activating caspases and thus, apoptosis of the retinal capillary endothelial cells and pericytes. Antioxidants and superoxide dismutase mimics have shown potential in the inhibition of diabetes-induced oxidative stress, capillary cell apoptosis and histopathology characteristic of diabetic retinopathy, and overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase in mice provides protection from diabetes-induced abnormalities in the retinal mitochondria. Elucidating the role of mitochondrial dysfunctions in diabetic retinopathy is essential to the dev...
Characterization of rhizosphere fungi from selenium hyperaccumulator and nonhyperaccumulator plants along the eastern Rocky Mountain Front Range.

 Premise of study: Selenium-hyperaccumulator plants can store over 1% (dry mass) Se in their tissues, despite the toxicity of this element at high concentrations across eukaryotes. These levels of Se can have widespread effects on the plant ’ s ecological partners, including herbivores and pathogens. Still other partners seem to have coevolved Se tolerance. This is the fi rst known study addressing the rhizosphere mycofl ora of Se hyperaccumulators and aims to evaluate the rhizospheric fungal diversity and Se tolerance to further the knowledge of how these organisms interact with their host plants and survive in these extreme habitats.  Methods: Rhizosphere fungi were isolated from Se-hyperaccumulator and nonaccumulator plant species collected from fi ve sites in Colorado and Wyoming; four seleniferous sites and one nonseleniferous site. 259 isolates were identifi ed to genus or species and evaluated for Se tolerance.  Key results: Among the 24 represented genera, 11 comprised 86% of the isolates. The majority of isolates from the seleniferous sites were unaffected by 10 mg · L � 1 Se, irrespective of host plant (hyperaccumulator vs. nonaccumulator), while rhizosphere fungi from a control, nonseleniferous site were highly sensitive to Se at 10 mg · L � 1 and as a group were signifi cantly less ( α = 0.05) tolerant than the isolates from the seleniferous sites.  Conclusions: Even though Se is a commonly used antifungal agent, these results suggest that rhizosphere fungi from seleniferous habitats have widespread Se tolerance, likely an adaptive advantage in their Se-rich habitat.
The Renewable Energy Footprint

With the shift toward renewable energy comes the potential for staggering land impacts – many millions of acres may be consumed to meet demand for electricity and fuel over the next 20 years. To conservationists’ dismay, the more renewable energy we use, the more land we need. This article is concerned with two primary questions: What are the implications of renewable energy development for land use and land use law, and how might the land use context inform emerging energy policy? Siting power plants and transmission lines is notoriously difficult, and renewable energy has proved no exception. As investment in the sector has grown, so has dissatisfaction with existing siting frameworks. This perceived inadequacy has led to a flurry of siting-related law and policymaking tailored to large-scale renewable energy infrastructure. So-called NIMBYs opposing renewable projects are derided for hindering the green economy. Almost reflexively, we hear, it’s a “trade-off”: shrink the carbon footprint, grow the land use footprint. This article rejects the trade-off reflex as counterproductive for both causes – it presents an often false choice that obscures legitimate land use concerns and slows renewable development. Instead, our focus should be on deliberately crafting law that avoids needless compromise wherever we can. This perspective demands a far greater integration of energy policy and land use law. To date and across the board, regulatory apparatus for siting is almost exclusively fixated on site-specific land use. Although this remains important, it reflects a worrisome myopia given the land impacts at stake. Accordingly, I argue, cumulative land impacts should be a central consideration in the development and implementation of energy policy.
International collaboration in health research.

There has been much interest in interna-tional collaboration in health research, especially when projects involve scien-tists from developed and developing countries. It is most valuable to replace suppositions, assumptions and anecdotal accounts that often feature in these dis-cussions with well-researched objective data such as that presented by Swingler et al. in this issue (pp. 511–517).The most successful examples of international research collaboration confer clear beneﬁts to both contract-ing parties, and eventually to scientiﬁc progress in general. In an ideal case, the partnership produces a smooth dovetail-ing of skills and expertise. The partner from the developed country contributes expertise as well as sophisticated laborato-ry and other special resources that are not available in the less developed institution. Their peers in the developing country provide local clinical and other contextual knowledge. Contributions in kind from the host institution in the developing country complement the ﬁnancial dona-tion from the developed country partner.While recognizing the potential value of such collaborative projects, there is justiﬁable concern about at-tendant risks and dangers. Because of the unequal power, there is the danger that the more powerful partners from the developed country could exploit the vulnerability of the developing country scientists and institutions: perhaps by focusing research on priority interests of the sponsoring foreign institutions rather than on the urgent needs of the host country. The study by Swingler et al. indicates that a high proportion of collaborative projects researched im-portant health problems in the region and that foreign sponsorship did not signiﬁcantly divert scientists in African countries from their priority health problems, though the paper raises some concerns. The small number of projects
Accelerating the scalable city

The creation of a contemporary artwork –The Scalable City—explores the possibilities and implications of new technologies in general and the Cell processor (CP) in particular. In general, new technologies provide new methods for describing and acting in the world. Creating new forms of art can be a means of understanding and furthering this process; however, this has not been the typical relationship between the leading edges of cultural and technological experiments in the 20 th century. The approaches taken to create The Scalable City provide an example of how these goals can correlate in an effective way, as its aim is the creation of a 3D interactive graphics application, highlighting the ongoing algorithmicization of the world at large. In its creation, computational bottlenecks have been encountered, which compromised its aesthetic and conceptual goals. The core component of this work is a world depicting transforming landscapes, networks of roads and emergent structures. Within the operation of the artwork, each is transformed by interactions of the viewer, algorithms and the initial data. The computational demands of some of these transformations exceed the capability of standard methods using a single host compute environment. Sheldon Brown and the members of his Experimental Game Lab at the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts at UCSD developed means of using CP compute servers to overcome these limitations. The authors detail their encounters with Cell processing, from initial efforts, discovery of the affordances and limitations of Cell processing, and its eventual application to the project. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seismic Control of a Nonlinear Benchmark Building using Smart Dampers

This paper addresses the third-generation benchmark problem on structural control, and focuses on the control of a full-scale, nonlinear, seismically excited, 20-story building. A semiactive design is developed in which magnetorheological (MR) dampers are applied to reduce the structural responses of the benchmark building. Control input determination is based on a clipped-optimal control algorithm which employs absolute acceleration feedback. A phenomenological model of an MR damper, based on a Bouc–Wen element, is employed in the analysis. The semiactive system using the MR damper is compared to the performance of an active system and an ideal semiactive system, which are based on the same nominal controller as is used in the MR damper control algorithm. The results demonstrate that the MR damper is effective, and achieves similar performance to the active and ideal semiactive system, while requiring very little power.
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the Family, and Child Maltreatment

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in children (3% to 7% of the population) and adults (1% to 5%). When one member of a family has ADHD, it will usually be present in other members. Thus, many adults with ADHD are parents of ADHD children. ADHD in families is associated with increased stress, fewer resources, limited coping methods, and more negative perceptions. ADHD has been shown to contribute to substance abuse, depression, impulsivity, isolation, unemployment, low educational attainment, unintended pregnancy, and relationship disruption. Each of these factors has been linked to child maltreatment. Although the presence of ADHD in families is only one risk factor and does not by itself mean that a family will experience violence, it is a risk factor for which screening measures are available. In addition, most people with ADHD are responsive to treatment, and parent-training methods specifically tailored to parents of ADHD children are widely available.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Dependence in Human Tumors: More Than Just Expression?

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a rational target for antitumor strategies. EGFR signaling causes increased proliferation, decreased apoptosis, and enhanced tumor cell motility and neo-angiogenesis. The EGFR is expressed or highly expressed in a variety of human tumors of epithelial origin. ZD1839 (Iressa) is an orally active, selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which blocks signal transduction pathways implicated in proliferation and survival of cancer cells. The lack of a consistent method of evaluating levels of EGFR has caused a disparity in reports of the EGFR as a prognostic factor; however, for some tumors, EGFR is a strong prognostic indicator associated with more aggressive disease and reduced survival. So far, no clear association between EGFR levels and response to EGFR-targeted agents has been found. Preclinical studies with ZD1839 have noted a relationship between the two in some cases, but not others. EGFR signaling may be increased by a number of mechanisms in addition to high expression levels of EGFR, including receptor mutations, heterodimerization with other members of this receptor family such as HER2 (erbB2), increased expression of (autocrine/ paracrine) ligands, and alterations in molecules that control receptor signaling output. Each of these components could be assessed to give an indication of the magnitude of EGFR signal amplification. Evaluation of signaling components downstream from EGFR should provide information on the activation of the EGFR pathway. Until EGFR-based assays predictive of a response to receptor-targeted therapies are available, there is no clear justification for stratifying patients by EGFR status or excluding patients with low EGFR levels from trials with ZD1839 or other EGFR inhibitors.
Inflammation in stroke and focal cerebral ischemia

Abstract Background A growing number of recent investigations have established a critical role for leukocytes in propagating tissue damage after ischemia and reperfusion in stroke. Experimental data obtained from animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion implicate inflammatory cell adhesion molecules, chemokines, and cytokines in the pathogenesis of this ischemic damage. Methods Data from recent animal and human studies were reviewed to demonstrate that inflammatory events occurring at the blood-endothelium interface of the cerebral capillaries underlie the resultant ischemic tissue damage. Results After arterial occlusion, the up-regulated expression of cytokines including IL-1, and IL-6 act upon the vascular endothelium to increase the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule–1, P-selectin, and E-selectin, which promote leukocyte adherence and accumulation. Integrins then serve to structurally modify the basal lamina and extracellular matrix. These inflammatory signals then promote leukocyte transmigration across the endothelium and mediate inflammatory cascades leading to further cerebral infarction. Conclusions Inflammatory interactions that occur at the blood-endothelium interface, involving cytokines, adhesion molecules, chemokines and leukocytes, are critical to the pathogenesis of tissue damage in cerebral infarction. Exploring these pathophysiological mechanisms underlying ischemic tissue damage may direct rational drug design in the therapeutic treatment of stroke.
8.1 Appraisal and finance of intensive animal production schemes

It is a world-wide experience that economic growth creates an increasing demand for food of animal origin, and, once a certain income level is reached, the demand for food of vegetable origin shrinks. Therefore, the proportion of animal products in the human diet is almost an indicator of the income level achieved by certain population groups or whole countries (excluding vegetarian societies on the one hand and pastoral societies on the other). FAO's provisional food balance sheets (FAO, 1977) indicate that, in most low income countries, animal products contribute less than 10% to total energy intake, whereas in high income countries they contribute almost 50%
GSM data, telematic and supplementary services

Whilst communications traffic carried on the GSM cellular network is predominantly voice, provision is made to support a number of data, telematic and supplementary data related services. Only those services which are seen by most GSM network operators to be the most important are discussed here. Since the early 1980s data services have been available on the UK TACS (Total Access Communication System) analogue cellular network in which the number of conventional data users (excluding facsimile etc.) is estimated to be 1% to 2% of the total number of mobile subscribers. Some bold estimates put the projected figure for the GSM network at 5% for the same type of services. It is likely that standardisation will encourage the use of data on GSM whereas in the UK TACS network there was no standardisation agreed for 'data' between the network operators despite efforts to do so. One GSM supplementary service, in particular, is the Short Message Service (SMS). This is currently attracting considerable interest from potential users. For certain applications, the short message service is providing an attractive alternative to the more conventional circuit switched GSM data services.
Technical Section: A machine learning approach to automatic stroke segmentation

We present ClassySeg, a technique for segmenting hand-drawn pen strokes into lines and arcs. ClassySeg employs machine learning techniques to infer the segmentation intended by the drawer. The technique begins by identifying a set of candidate segment windows, each comprising a curvature maximum and its neighboring points. Features are computed for each point in each window based on curvature and other geometric properties. Most of these features are adapted from numerous prior segmentation approaches, effectively combining their strengths. These features are used to train a statistical classifier to identify which candidate windows contain true segment points. ClassySeg is more accurate than previous techniques for both user-independent and user-optimized training conditions. More importantly, ClassySeg represents a movement away from prior, heuristic-based approaches, toward a more general and extensible technique.
A Multidisciplinary Framework to Model Complex Team-Based Product Development

This paper investigates a multidisciplinary framework that simulates design decisions in a complex team-based product development in which engineers simultaneously work in a team project and individual projects. The proposed framework integrates cooperative and noncooperative design models with (1) equilibrium analysis, (2) uncertainty modeling based on behavioral game-theory results, and (3) decision-making using decision analysis. In the proposed framework, noncooperative design is used to simulate engineers’ decisions about team project commitment and to analyze potential free-riding; cooperative design is used to model design outcomes when engineers collaborate in the team project; equilibrium analysis and behavioral game-theory results are used to infer about other engineers’ decisions; and decision analysis is used to calculate expected values of decision alternatives. The proposed framework and the design decision-making model are illustrated using a pressure vessel design as a team project conducted by two engineers: a design engineer and a materials engineer.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Large earthquake occurrence affected by small stress changes

Abstract Many observations suggest that relatively small changes in stress may trigger or inhibit earthquakes. This result is surprising because the perturbing stress is only a small fraction of the stress drop from the affected earthquake. We investigate this phenomenon by simulating the earthquake fault with a numerical model that is physically realistic. A fault is not homogeneous, and therefore, the failure criteria will vary over the surface of the fault. We model fault heterogeneity as simple Coulomb failure on smaller but mostly uniform areas that comprise the fault. As a result of multiple (and repeated) failures over these small areas, the fault can have a very uneven stored stress. We show that it is possible for small changes in confining stress of a few tenths of a bar to advance or retard the occurrence of large earthquakes by decades. Because such stress changes can be generated by nearby earthquakes, and over much longer time scales by postseismic strain diffusion from large distant earthquakes, estimates of the probabilities of earthquake occurrence must take into account these stress perturbations in order to be reliable.