cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of Action of α-1-Antitrypsin

Comparison of the biochemical characteristics of enzymes inhibited by α-1-antitrypsin shows that thrombin, elastase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and plasmin are serine proteases with serine, histidine, and aspartic acid residues at their active center and cleave proteins at lysine and arginine or at aromatic or leucine residues. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that α-1-antitrypsin has two inhibitor sites, one containing a positively charged residue and the other containing an aromatic or leucine residue, and that both sites have a binding site for the active site of serine proteases. Experiments designed to test this hypothesis showed the following: 1. Trypsin and chymotrypsin compete for inhibitory sites on purified α-1-antitrypsin, suggesting that the inhibitor has the same or overlapping inhibitory sites for these two enzymes. 2. Trypsin inactivated by diisopropylphosphorofluoridate fails to occupy inhibiting sites on α-1-antitrypsin. 3. α-1-Antitrypsin inhibits subtilisin, a proteolytic enzyme that contains serine, histidine, and aspartic acid residues at its active site in common with mammalian serine proteases. 4. α-1-Antitrypsin fails to inactivate acetylcholinesterase, a nonproteolytic enzyme whose active site contains a reactive serine residue, suggesting that this residue alone is not sufficient for inhibition by α-1-antitrypsin. 5. Treatment of α-1-antitrypsin with phenylglyoxal hydrate blocks the action of α-1-antitrypsin on trypsin but not on chymotrypsin. The change in activity is presumptive evidence that arginine residues were modified by the treatment. Antitryptic activity can be regenerated with removal of the blocking groups. These data indicate that trypsin and chymotrypsin are inhibited at two different sites on α-1-antitrypsin and suggest that the trypsin inhibitory site contains a positively charged amino acid. While these experiments have not proved this hypothesis, they are consistent with it.
Unwinding the Vicious Loop of Aircraft Finance Leases

Airline operators in India generally fly and operate aircraft that have been taken on lease from foreign lessors. Recently, leasing companies and financiers have been facing hurdles in deregistration and repossession of aircraft leased to Kingfisher Airlines. India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, was unable to remove these aircraft from India’s fleet registry and allow them to be repossessed because of objections from other government departments that are owed money by the airline.The regulator’s refusal to deregister the aircraft is violative of the Cape Town Convention, which provides for repossession as a remedy to a chargee, in the event of a default. The Indian Government has recently appointed a consultant group from Europe to frame rules that will make it easier for international aircraft leasing companies to repossess aircraft, and would enable India to act in accordance with its international obligations.This article examines finance leasing structures in which the lease is coupled with a purchase option given to the lessee. It specifically analyzes the manner in which various jurisdictions interpret the “ownership rights” conferred under a finance lease. The article highlights that the winding-up of an Indian lessee could have adverse repercussions on – and would add to – the existing stumbling blocks in a lessor’s efforts of repossession. It studies the impact of such winding-up proceedings on existing aircraft finance leasing arrangements, which give vested ownership rights to lessees. It explores various hypothetical situations that the lessors might encounter in relation to their lease agreements with Indian lessees and discusses the possible impediments that would have to be confronted by them, as well as the options they could exercise in each of those situations.
NAFTA’s Impact on Mexico-United States Immigration

After the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into force in 1994, Mexico has seen the transformation of its economy into one based on the actual and effectual exportation of cheap labour to serve in United States production chains. The broad-based economic dependence caused by the NAFTA trade liberalization regime, in particular the growth of the low value added maquiladora industry, has effectively subordinated the Mexican economy to that of the United States and left it void of productive economic chains capable of sustainable growth. With Mexican GDP and wages accelerating more slowly than those of its chief trading partner, amplified international competition and increased dependency upon money provided by American firms, Mexican citizens have become perilously situated in the global economy. This paper provides an assessment of post-NAFTA Mexican economic growth and development as well as Mexico-United States remittance and migration flows in order to describe the need for policymakers concerned with issues of immigration to consider the topic alongside that of trade liberalization.
A REVIEW OF THE CHEMICAL RECORD IN LAKE SEDIMENT OF ENERGY RELATED AIR POLLUTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON LAKES

Inter-lake variation in accumulation rates of energy-related elements is a function of gross sedimentation rate (sediment focusing), position on pollution gradients, and water chemistry. Accumulation rates of Pb in lake sediments from profundal area cores in the Adirondack Mountains of New York and northern New England2range from 0.1 to 0.2 ug/cm2 /y (pre-1800 A.D.) to as much as 2 ug/cm2/y (recent sediment). Rates increase from the late 1800’s to nearly the present, in parallel. Accumulation) rates for V remain at background values which range up to 0.5 ug/cm2/y and increase 5 to 10 x background in Adirondack Mountain lakes. Chronically acidic lakes have a subsurface maximum. Of these three metals, only Pb has elevated deposition rates in high elevation lakes in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Mining activity is believed responsible for the implied air polIution there.
Inhibition of retinoid toxicity by rat liver S9 fraction in cultured mammalian cells.

Abstract The effects of retinol (Rol), retinyl acetate (RAc) or retinoic acid (RA) on growth of Chinese hamster V79 cells were studied. In addition, the effect of Rol on cell growth in the human lymphoid cell line RPMI no. 1788 was examined. Cultures were treated with retinoid alone, with retinoid plus S9 mix and with retinoid plus the supernatant of S9 fraction. Treatment of Rol, RAc or RA alone inhibited the growth of both cell lines as evidenced by a dose-dependent decrease of viable cell counts. Concurrent treatment of a retinoid with the well-known metabolic activation system S9 mix containing the rat liver S9 fraction plus enzyme cofactors resulted in a total elimination of the toxic effect of a retinoid. For instance, V79 cells treated with Rol, RAc or RA alone at the highest dose of 32 μg/ml, and human lymphoid cells treated with Rol at the highest dose of 24μg/ml resulted in killing of over 90% of the cells, while addition of S9 mix to the cultures treated with such high doses of a retinoid showed no reduction of viable cells as compared with the controls. The supernatant of S9 fraction after high speed centrifugation also had dose-dependent protective effects against the toxicity of retinol in V79 cells. Finally, experiments using sucrose gradient centrifugation and [ 3 H] Rol suggest that binding of a retinoid to its specific binding protein in the S9 mixture and supernatant greatly decreases or abolished the toxicity of free retinoid in cultured mammalian cells.
Preparing photon pairs entangled in any desired spatial modes via interference

This article presents a proposal for producing photon pairs in states that are entangled in their spatial modes. The method sends collinear pairs of photons to an unbalanced interferometer with diffractive optical elements, and uses coherence and timing discrimination to create entangled states.
Improving global CD uniformity by optimizing Post Exposure Bake and Develop sequences

Improvements in the final uniformity of masks can be shrouded by error contributions from many sources. The final Global CD Uniformity (GCDU) of a mask is degraded by individual contributions of the writing tool, the Post Applied Bake (PAB), the Post Exposure Bake (PEB), the Develop sequence and the Etch step. Final global uniformity will improve by isolating and minimizing the variability of the PEB and Develop. We achieved this decoupling of the PEB and Develop process from the whole process stream by using “dark loss” which is the loss of unexposed resist during the develop process. We confirmed a correspondence between Angstroms of dark loss and nanometer sized deviations in the chrome CD. A plate with a distinctive dark loss pattern was related to a nearly identical pattern in the chrome CD. This pattern was verified to have originated during the PEB process and displayed a (Final CD)/ (Dark Loss) ratio of 6 for TOK REAP200 resist. Previous papers have reported a sensitive linkage between Angstroms of dark loss and nanometers in the final uniformity of the written plate. These initial studies reported using this method to improve the PAB of resists for greater uniformity of sensitivity and contrast. Similarly, this paper demonstrates an outstanding optimization of PEB and Develop processes.
Microscale Laser Shock Processing—Modeling, Testing, and Microstructure Characterization

This paper reports modeling improvements for microscale laser shock processing (LSP), fatigue testing of laser shock processed copper and nickel, and microstructure characterization of the processed materials. Plasma expansion is modeled as laser-supported combustion wave, and radial and axial expansions are considered. Stress/strain analysis is extended to three dimensions and takes into account finite geometry, which again is important for microscale LSP. Tests are designed to demonstrate that microscale LSP can improve fatigue performance of the materials while offering a level of flexibility. The influence of LSP on the microstructures of the materials is studied quantitatively using the orientation imaging microscope (OIM) technique, and grain size, texture, and subgrain structures are analyzed.
The Al27 (p, α) Mg24 reaction with 3 to 12 MeV protons

Excitation curves and angular distributions of alphaparticle groups from the reaction Al/sup 27/(p, alpha )Mg/sup 24/ were determined between 3 and 12 Mev proton energy. Most of the results bear on the ground-state and first-excited state transitions; a few angular distributions between 10 and 12 Mev for higher excited states are included. (auth)
A simple method for quantitating ligands covalently bound to agarose beads.

Abstract Agarose derivatives, as used for affinity chromatography, can be dissolved by warming in aqueous media at suitable pH values. Dilute solutions so formed are stable and transparent in regions of the ultraviolet and visible range, depending on the method of solubilization. Covalently bound ligands which possess chromophoric groups, or functional groups which can be converted to chromophores, can be quantitated by direct spectral analysis provided a solubilizing medium is chosen which results in minimal interference by absorbing decomposition products of the matrix.
Analysis of Heat and Mass Transfer of an Adiabatic Cross-Flow Liquid Desiccant Absorber Operating at Low Temperatures

With the rising costs of electricity due to increasing demand of electric power, liquid desiccant systems have received significant attention as a way to reduce latent loads on air conditioning systems. In particular, the performance of liquid desiccant systems in humid climates has shown significant reductions in energy consumption. In general, these liquid desiccant systems are composed by an absorber or dehumidifier and a regenerator that utilizes a heat source to reject the water from the diluted liquid desiccant. As the humidity of the air is absorbed at the dehumidifier, the temperature of the liquid desiccant increases due to the addition of heat from the enthalpy of condensation of the water vapor. Thus, many designs of liquid desiccant absorbers include the flow of a cooling fluid that removes heat from the liquid desiccant. A novel application of liquid desiccant systems corresponds to the localized removal of moisture from the air inside low temperature rooms that contain relatively high levels of humidity such as refrigerated warehouses for the food industry. The purpose is to reduce the formation of ice at the surface of the evaporator. Due to the low temperature of the air inside these rooms, no cooling fluid is necessary for the removal of heat from the liquid desiccant. Thus, the designs of the absorbers differ from the designs used for ambient air temperatures. In this paper, a mathematical model of the heat and mass transfer for an adiabatic parallel-plate absorber for which a thin film of liquid desiccant flows down its walls and dehumidifies the air in cross-flow configuration is developed.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Combined multiuser detection and diversity reception for wireless CDMA systems

Code division multiple-access (CDMA) techniques using interference cancellation are being explored for the capacity increase in third-generation universal mobile telecommunications systems. However, multipath fading is a major constraint on the performance of wireless CDMA systems, with multipath propagation worsening the effects of multiple-access interference, and fading on propagation paths leading to the near far problem. Multiuser detection, exploiting the knowledge of other users to cancel multiple-access interference, has the capability of eliminating the near far problem and providing a significant capacity increase in CDMA systems. On the other hand, diversity techniques effectively combat the fading effects of the channel. This paper investigates multiuser receivers that combine explicit antenna diversity, RAKE multipath diversity, and multipath decorrelating detection. Both coherent reception with maximal-ratio combining and differentially coherent reception with equal-gain combining are analyzed. The results demonstrate a significant increase in up-link capacity over the conventional RAKE receiver, at the expense of complexity. In the case of limited receiver complexity, where the number of correlators is less than the number of resolvable paths at the RAKE front-end, antenna diversity is shown to be effective in reducing residual multiple-access interference.
Modeling a mixture of ordinal and continuous repeated measures

We study the correlation structure for a mixture of ordinal and continuous repeated measures using a Bayesian approach. We assume a multivariate probit model for the ordinal variables and a normal linear regression for the continuous variables, where latent normal variables underlying the ordinal data are correlated with continuous variables in the model. Due to the probit model assumption, we are required to sample a covariance matrix with some of the diagonal elements equal to one. The key computational idea is to use parameter-extended data augmentation, which involves applying the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to get a sample from the posterior distribution of the covariance matrix incorporating the relevant restrictions. The methodology is illustrated through a simulated example and through an application to data from the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center.
Life events and the endogenous-nonendogenous distinction in the treatment and posttreatment course of depression

Abstract While considerable empirical and theoretical attention has been focused upon the question of life events and the onset of endogenous and nonendogenous depressions, relatively little attention has been devoted to the study of the course of endogenous and nonendogenous depression in relation to life events. The present article reviews the historical and theoretical context for such an approach to studying the endogenous-nonendogenous distinction and presents preliminary findings substantiating its utility. It was found that diverse types of life events preceding treatment entry significantly predicted the course of disorder for endogenous, but not nonendogenous, depressives over a nine-month period. The implications of these results for conceptualizing interactions between the social environment and depressive disorders are discussed, along with suggestions for future work on the topic.
Symposium The Dismal (Delusional and Dangerous) “Science” of Economics and the “Capture” of Public Administration: The Challenge for Public Administration (and Public Policy) in an Era of Economic Crises . . . or the Relevance of Cognitive Politics in a Time of Political Involution

This article contends that the inherent intellectual tension of the prevailing market ethos, particularly as it relates to the current financial crisis, has situated public administration (and public policy) in the role of merely managing the implications of political involution. Given the relationship of the field to the role of the modern state, this state of affairs directly challenges public administration as to whether it is possible to foster a plurality of spheres that can delimit the pervasive market mentality on public and civic affairs.
Empowering the Voice of Youth: The Role of Youth Advisory Councils in Grant Making Focused on Youth

This article will focus on the potential role for youth evaluation advisory groups within youth grant-making organizations and networks. The main elements to be discussed include the formation of the network, the training program elements, some specific examples of efforts by young people to create and strengthen evaluation within their YACs (youth advisory councils), and the lessons learned. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Development of a bioassay for FSH using a recombinant human FSH receptor and a cAMP responsive luciferase reporter gene

FSH exerts its actions primarily by increasing cAMP levels via a G protein-linked transmembrane receptor. We report the development of a bioassay for FSH using a cell line that stably expresses the human FSH receptor and a cAMP responsive human glycoprotein hormone alpha subunit luciferase reporter construct. Receptor activation by FSH was measured by changes in luciferase activity. The cell line was shown to express 1.6 x 10(4) receptors per cell which bound FSH with high affinity (Kd 2.76 x 10[-9] M). Human pituitary FSH caused a dose-dependent increase in cAMP (ED50, 190 mIU/ml) and luciferase (ED50, 31.5 mIU/ml) activity. The sensitivity of the bioassay was less than 0.6 mIU/well. Postmenopausal serum, rat, ovine and bovine FSH elicited a dose-dependent increase in luciferase activity. There was no significant stimulation by highly purified human LH or recombinant human TSH. This cell line should be useful in the determination of bioactive FSH and characterization of serum FSH inhibitors.
Characterization of implanted and annealed vapor phase epitaxial GaAs

The electrical and optical properties of as‐grown and implanted and annealed vapor phase epitaxial GaAs have been determined and compared by photoluminescence, transient capacitance spectroscopy, and Hall measurements. The dominant electron trap level with activation energy ΔE = 0.83 eV is observed consistently in the as‐grown layers, but is not detected in the implanted layers. A second electron trap level with ΔE = 0.37±0.01 eV is also observed in some as‐grown and some implanted layers. A hole trap level with ΔE = 0.86 eV which is detected in some as‐grown layers with a low density compared to the carrier concentration and in most of the implanted layers with larger density is attributed to Cr. An electron trap level with ΔE = 0.53 eV detected in some implanted layers and a hole trap level with ΔE = 0.15 eV present in all the implanted layers are believed to be created due to the implant and anneal process. Room‐temperature Hall electron mobilities and activated surface carrier concentrations decrease ...
Perspectives on radiation effects in nickel-base alloys for applications in advanced reactors

Abstract Because of their superior high temperature strength and corrosion properties, a set of Ni-base alloys has been proposed for various in-core applications in Gen IV reactor systems. However, irradiation-performance data for these alloys is either limited or non-existent. A review is presented of the irradiation-performance of a group of Ni-base alloys based upon data from fast breeder reactor programs conducted in the 1975–1985 timeframe with emphasis on the mechanisms involved in the loss of high temperature ductility and the breakdown in swelling resistance with increasing neutron dose. The implications of these data for the performance of the Gen IV Ni-base alloys are discussed and possible pathways to mitigate the effects of irradiation on alloy performance are outlined. A radical approach to designing radiation damage-resistant Ni alloys based upon recent advances in mechanical alloying is also described.
A NUMERICAL COMPARISON OF FINITE ELEMENT METHODS FOR THE HELMHOLTZ EQUATION

Three finite element formulations for the solution of the Helmholtz equation are considered. The performance of these methods is compared by performing a discrete dispersion analysis and by solving two canonical problems on nonuniform meshes. It is found that: (1) The scaled L2 error for the Galerkin method, using linear interpolation functions, grows as k(kh)2, indicating the pollution inherent in this method; (2) The Galerkin least squares method is more accurate, but does display significant pollution error; (3) The residual-based method of Oberai & Pinsky,8 which was designed to be almost pollution-free for uniform meshes retains its accuracy on nonuniform meshes; (4) The computational cost of implementing all these formulations is approximately the same.
Abnormalities of endocardial activation pattern in patients with previous healed myocardial infarction and ventricular tachycardia

Abstract Endocardial catheter mapping was performed in 27 patients with anterior wall acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in 10 patients with inferior wall AMI. All patients had a history of ventricular tachycardia. Left ventricular breakthrough occurred at 10 ± 4 ms after the QRS complex in inferior AMI and 11 ±7 ms after the QRS complex in anterior AMI. Total electrical activity recorded during sinus rhythm was 164 ± 46 ms in inferior and 144 ± 28 ms in anterior AMI (p = 0.05). Nine of the 10 patients with inferior AMI had complete activation of the anterior wall within the initial one-half of the QRS complex, compared with only 15 of the 27 patients with anterior AMI (p = 0.05). All 10 patients with inferior AMI had activation of the ventricular septum within the initial half of the QRS complex compared with only 13 of 27 with anterior AMI (p
Arginine-vasopressin V1a receptor inhibition improves neurologic outcomes following an intracerebral hemorrhagic brain injury

Cerebral edema is a devastating consequence of brain injury leading to cerebral blood flow compromise and worsening parenchyma damage. In the present study, we investigated the effects of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) V(1a) receptor inhibition following an intracerebral hemorrhagic (ICH) brain injury in mice and closely assessed the role it played in cerebral edema formation, neurobehavioral functioning, and blood-brain-barrier (BBB) disruption. To support our investigation, SR49059, an AVP V(1a) receptor competitive antagonist, and NC1900, an arginine-vasopressin analogue, were used. Male CD1 mice (n=205) were randomly assigned to the following groups: naive, sham, ICH, ICH with SR49059 at 0.5 mg/kg, ICH with SR49059 at 2mg/kg, ICH with NC1900 at 1 ng/kg, ICH with NC1900 at 10 ng/kg, and ICH with a combination of SR49059 at 2 mg/kg and NC1900 at 10 ng/kg. ICH was induced by using the collagenase injection model and treatment was given 1h after surgery. Post assessment was conducted at 6, 12, 24, and 72 h after surgery and included brain water content, neurobehavioral testing, Evans Blue assay, western blotting, and hemoglobin assay. The study found that inhibition of the AVP V(1a) receptor significantly reduced cerebral edema at 24 and 72 h post-ICH injury and improved neurobehavioral function while reducing BBB disruption at 72 h. Western blot analysis demonstrated increased protein expression of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in vehicle, which was reduced with AVP V(1a) receptor inhibition. Our study suggests that blockage of the AVP V(1a) receptor, is a promising treatment target for improving ICH-induced brain injury. Further studies will be needed to confirm this relationship and determine future clinical direction.
G85(P) Follow up of asymptomatic microscopic haematuria/proteinuria – different perspectives of paediatric emergency medicine, general paediatrics and paediatric nephrology

Aims To examine the practice of different sub-specialists with regard to the follow up of microscopic haematuria/proteinuria as an incidental finding in febrile children. Methods Data from an online survey of responses to hypothetical scenarios of febrile children with incidental findings of microscopic haematuria/proteinuria in children with no overt signs of renal disease was collected. The survey was sent to registrars and consultants in paediatric emergency medicine, in paediatric nephrology and in general paediatrics. It asked for the doctors’ current practice in arranging follow up of children with positive urine dipstick results. Results A response to the survey was obtained from 34 paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) specialists, 10 paediatric nephrologists (PN) and 19 general paediatricians (PG). Table 1 shows the current practice of these doctors in managing children with 1+ positive urine dipstick (1+ P/H; either protein or blood) and with 3+ proteinuria and 3+ haematuria (3+P&H). Amongst consultants, PEM doctors were 3x more likely to investigate 3+ haematuria and proteinuria as inpatients when compared with renal consultants. These differences suggest a trend towards increased follow-up recommended by paediatric nephrologists but with fewer admissions which was not statistically significant (Pearson Chi squared test). Conclusions An incidental finding of haematuria/proteinuria is common in CED. Approximately 2/3 of microscopic haematuria/proteinuria in children without specific renal symptoms resolves. Ensuring resolution is important since up to 50% of children in whom it persists have renal disease. 1 Here we show a trend for nephrologists to follow up more urine dipstick results but for PEM doctors to admit more children for inpatient investigations. PEM doctors and general paediatricians tend to have similar patterns of follow up. Reference Geary DF, Schaefer F. Comprehensive Pediatric Nephrology. Philadelphia: Mosby, 2008
Evaluating YieldTracker forecasts for maize in western Kansas.

We seek to predict in-season land productivity to guide irrigation management decisions designed to optimize water utilization in the Ogallala Aquifer region. YieldTracker is a mathematical model that simulates growth and yield of graminoid crops using weather and leaf area index (LAI) as inputs, where LAI can be derived by remote sensing. We tested this model using 3 yr of maize (Zea mays L.) yield data from Colby, KS. Four replications of three treatments―rainfed and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) at 3.8 and 7.6 mm d ―1 ―were compared with simulated yields (36 model runs). Results indicated that YieldTracker has potential as a decision aid for managing irrigated maize, but has insufficient mechanistic complexity to simulate yields of water-stressed maize. YieldTracker projected canopy development well, but LAI does not necessarily correlate with canopy efficiency in capturing solar radiation and converting it to biomass and then partitioning biomass to grain under conditions of limiting soil water. Remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a surrogate for LAI, tends to saturate at LAI > 3. Using hyperspectral reflectance data, we found a total chlorophyll vegetation index (TCI) responded nearly linearly to LAI values as high as 6. Similarly, a simple ratio vegetation index, based on a narrow band of wavelengths in the red edge spectral region, responded linearly to increasing LAI. Water band indices (WBI) in the 900 to 970 nm waveband were sensitive to changes in TCI as available soil water decreased. Incorporating TCI and a WBI might improve YieldTracker performance across a range of soil water conditions.
The effect of sublethal concentration of LAS on the acute toxicity of various insecticides to the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas Rafinesque)

Abstract Simultaneous exposure of the fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas Rafinesque) to lethal concentrations of parathion and a sublethal concentration of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) resulted in a synergism in the toxic action of the two compounds. This was indicated by a drop in the 96 hr TLm value from 1410 μg/l for parathion alone to 720 μg/l when LAS was present. The mean per cent survival at duplicate 800 μg/l concentrations of parathion in the presence of 1000, 500 and 250 μg/l linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) was 5.0, 38.5 and 97.5 respectively. The mean survival at duplicate concentrations of 800 μg/l parathion alone was approximately 95 per cent. A simple analysis of variance on the above tests showed the difference between the per cent survival for fish exposed to 800 μg/l parathion in the presence of 1000 and 500 μg/l LAS respectively and the same concentration of parathion alone to be significant at the 0.05 level. The results of similar tests for DDT were inconsistant and the variability of DDT toxicity appears to be too great to accurately determine any synergistic action with LAS. Comparison of the toxicity of endrin in the presence and absence of LAS shows no synergism between the two compounds.
Human extinction risk and uncertainty: Assessing conditions for action

Abstract Under what sets of conditions ought humanity undertake actions to reduce the risk of human extinction? Though many agree that the risk of human extinction is high and intolerable, there is little research into the actions society ought to undertake if one or more methods for estimating human extinction risk indicate that the acceptable threshold is exceeded. In addition to presenting a set of patterns of lower and upper probabilities that describe human extinction risks over 1000 years, the paper presents a framework for philosophical perspectives about obligations to future generations and the actions society might undertake. The framework for philosophical perspectives links three perspectives—no regrets, fairness, maintain options—with the action framework. The framework for action details the six levels of actions societies could take to reduce the human extinction risk, ranging from doing nothing (Level I) to moving to an extreme war footing in which economies are organized around reducing human extinction risk (Level VI). The paper concludes with an assessment of the actions that could be taken to reduce human extinction risk given various patterns of upper and lower human extinction risk probabilities, the three philosophical perspectives, and the six categories of actions.
Quadratic versus Linear Models for Land-Use Plan Design:

Quadratic assignment models and linear-programming models have been proposed for land-use plan design. The models represent transportation and divisibility of production differently and have solution algorithms with very different properties, but the most important distinction is that quadratic assignment models can handle externalities whereas linear models without integer side conditions cannot. Therefore quadratic models are useful for plan-making in response to externalities problems, whereas linear models can be used only for plan-making in response to dynamics problems.
La partera profesional: articulating identity and cultural space for a new kind of midwife in Mexico.

This article documents the emergence of a new kind of midwife in Mexico, the thoroughly postmodern portera profesional. It traces the transnational conjunctures that facilitated her creation, illustrates aspects of her philosophy and praxis, and probes her ongoing articulations of identity. These women, who are of diverse sociocultural backgrounds, initially sought training from American direct‐entry midwives in the independent out‐of‐hospital midwifery model; now, they are adapting that model to the situation in Mexico. Through their own practices, through intensive liaison work with traditional midwives, and through organizing national midwifery conferences and meetings, they are creating midwifery as both incipient profession and nascent social movement. Some of them operate outside the medical system while others are carving a niche within it. The mere existence of these self‐consciously activist midwives constitutes a critique of monological Mexican medicine and its high cesarean rates; however, thes...
Justice, Difference, and the Capability to Function

Promoting occupational justice is a complex endeavor riddled with potential pitfalls. To avoid causing unintentional harm and articulate their relevance to collaborators, it is important for occupational scientists to continuously deepen their philosophical understandings of occupational justice. This paper explores challenges inherent to occupational justice work and encourages nuanced theoretical conceptualizations that encompass multiple worldviews and morals, which engender different notions of health, justice, and how to affect them. Those who intervene must critique their own worldview, to avoid imposing their ways of being onto others. The heterogeneity of groups and interconnectivity of humans complicates justice work. The risk of causing injustice in one area when promoting justice in another is heightened by the fact that situations of injustice are complex manifestations of local and global forces operating through social, cultural, political, economic and historical institutions. To mitigate c...
Temporal aspects of ovarian follicular growth and steroidogenesis following exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone in Angus heifers.

Ultrasonography and endocrine assay techniques were used to monitor structural and hormonal alterations made by the ovary in response to the biological actions of pituitary-derived follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH-P). Angus heifers (n = 36) were allotted to receive injections (twice per day) of either FSH-P (up to a total of 28 mg over a maximum of 4 days beginning on Day 10 of a synchronized estrous cycle) or saline in order to quantify temporal relationships among follicle growth and steroid hormone profiles. Transrectal ultrasonography was utilized at 12-h intervals to monitor and record follicle growth. Plasma was collected every 12 h for the first 48 h of the experiment and then every 6 h for the remainder of the experiment. At 48 and 60 h after the onset of treatments, prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha; 25 mg) was administered (i.m.). FSH-treated heifers (n = 6 at each time) were terminated at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h following the onset of treatment. Saline-treated heifers were terminated at 24 and 96 h (n = 6 at each time). After ovaries were obtained, follicular number and size were recorded and follicular fluid (FF) was collected. Plasma concentration of progesterone (P) and estradiol (E2) and FF concentration of P, E2, estrone, testosterone and androstenedione were determined by radioimmunoassays. Plasma concentration of E2 increased (P or = 10 mm diameter) increased (P 1.0) was detected in 196 of 206 follicles. The estrogen to progesterone ratio was used as an estimate of follicle viability. Eighty-five percent of the follicles were estimated to be viable (E:P ratio > 1.0). The peak E:A ratio in LF preceded by 24 h the peak concentration in FF E2 and plasma E2. In MF and SF the E:A ratio increased by 72 h. Enhancement of ovarian follicular growth (i.e. increased number and size of follicles; increased steroidogenesis) by exogenous, pituitary-derived FSH is characterized by (1) increased activity of aromatase, and (2) accumulation of FF E2, events which temporally preceded the increase in plasma concentration of E2. These observations will aid efforts to incorporate recombinant bovine FSH and somatotropin in an effort to develop more predictable superstimulation and ovulation induction protocols.
The effect of corn–soybean rotation on the NDVI-based drought indicators: a case study in Iowa, USA, using Vegetation Condition Index

Satellite remote sensing has become a popular tool to analyze agricultural drought through terrestrial vegetation health conditions using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Drought monitoring techniques using remote sensing-based drought indices assume that vegetation conditions vary year-to-year due to prevailing weather conditions (e.g., precipitation and temperature), and current conditions are evaluated based on the deviation from the long-term statistics such as mean, minimum, or maximum. However, the rotation between agricultural crops (e.g., corn and soybeans) implies that this assumption may not hold, as each crop type may have distinct phenological variability across the growing season. In this study, the effect of crop rotation between corn and soybeans on the accuracy of the NDVI-based agricultural drought monitoring was investigated in Iowa, USA. The vegetation condition index (VCI), which is derived from NDVI, was selected to demonstrate the impact of crop rotation. The standa...
XUV spectrum of C I observed from Skylab during a solar flare

A list of 193 neutral carbon lines observed in the XUV spectrum of a solar flare between 100 and 2000 A using the normal incidence spectrograph flown on Skylab is presented. Of these, 69 are newly identified lines arising from transitions from upper levels of high quantum number where the quantum number is not less than six. The new lines have allowed the determination of 63 new energy levels. Wavelengths for an additional 109 transitions were calculated by polynomial fitting using reference wavelengths of unblended neutral carbon, Si, N, and S lines emitted in the same atmospheric regions of the flare. The calculated lines falling between 1102 and 1140 A were not observed due to low instrumental efficiency at these wavelengths. The calculated wavelengths are in excellent agreement with those of Johansson (1965). It appears that in solar spectra recombination processes are dominant, enhancing the populations of the high quantum levels relative to the populations of levels with small quantum numbers.
Lead poisoning prevention, not chelation (commentary).

The Metals Issue offers the opportunity to put into writing some of the impromptu comments I made at the conclusion of Dr. Allister Vale's eloquent keynote lecture on chelation therapy for plumbism...
Pronominalization and discourse coherence, discourse structure and pronoun interpretation

Two self-paced reading-time experiments are reported that examine the time course of pronoun interpretation processes based on local discourse structure and on world knowledge. The characterization of local discourse structure is based on recent work on centering, which provides a specific formulation of how the ways in which sentences make reference to common entities determines the coherence of discourse segments and how discourse structure influences interpretation of ambiguous pronouns. The results of the first experiment show that readers generate a default interpretation of a pronoun based on features of local discourse structure, and that that default interpretation is later confirmed or overridden by knowledge-based processes. The results of the second experiment show that local discourse structure continues to influence pronoun interpretation even when the semantic information that ultimately compels interpretation occurs before the pronoun. These results support the view that processes acting on local discourse structure play a powerful role in guiding language comprehension.
How did the television get in the child's bedroom? Analysis of family interviews.

Abstract Objective Although recent research has shown associations between a television in the bedroom of children (BTV) and obesity, medical and negative societal consequences, the family decision making process supporting or opposing BTV is not yet understood. A qualitative research approach elicited rich, decision making experiences of families. Methods Structured family interviews ( n = 21) in spring 2011 in Oklahoma City captured direct quotations about family beliefs and practices related to BTV. Systematic constant comparative methods of grounded theory guided identification of patterns and themes across families to develop a model of family decision making for BTV. Results Nine themes represented family decision making processes for BTV. Supporting themes included “I didn't even think about it” and “benefit to me.” Opposing themes included: “watch a lot more TV and get less sleep,” “bedroom door would probably be closed a lot,” “everyone knows it rots your brain,” and “what the heck are they watching.” Conclusions Development of a conceptual model represented the basis for decisions opposing BTV in child concerns for development and missed opportunities while decisions supporting BTV reflected its use as a parenting tool. The emerged model could be useful in guiding strategies to modify family routines and address active and passive parenting strategies that negatively affect child health.
SOX7 is an immediate-early target of VegT and regulates Nodal-related gene expression in Xenopus.

Abstract In zebrafish, the divergent F-type SOX casanova acts downstream of Nodal signaling to specify endoderm. While no casanova orthologs have been identified in tetrapods, the F-type SOX, SOX7, is supplied maternally in Xenopus (Fawcett and Klymkowsky, 2004. GER 4, 29). Subsequent RT-PCR and section-based in situ hybridization analyses indicate that SOX7 mRNA is localized to the vegetal region of the blastula-stage embryo. Overexpression and maternal depletion studies reveal that the T-box transcription factor VegT, which initiates mesoendodermal differentiation, directly regulates SOX7 expression. SOX7, but not SOX17 (another F-type SOX), binds to sites within the Xnr5 promoter and SOX7, but not SOX17, induces expression of the Nodal-related genes Xnr1, Xnr2, Xnr4, Xnr5, and Xnr6, the homeodomain transcription factor Mixer, and the endodermal marker SOX17β; both SOX7 and SOX17 induce expression of the pan-endodermal marker endodermin. SOX7's induction of Xnr expression in animal caps is independent of Mixer and Nodal signaling. In animal caps, VegT's ability to induce Mixer and Edd appears to depend upon SOX7 activity. Whole embryo experiments suggests that vegetal factors partially compensate for the absence of SOX7. Based on the antagonistic effects of SOX7 and SOX3 (Zhang et al., 2004. Dev. Biol. 273, 23) and their common binding sites in the Xnr5 promoter, we propose a model in which competitive interactions between these two proteins are involved in refining the domain of endodermal differentiation.
Quantifying benefits of traffic information provision under stochastic demand and capacity conditions: A multi-day traffic equilibrium approach

This paper aims to systematically evaluate benefits of traveler information provision strategies in a realistic environment with stochastic traffic demand, stochastic road capacity, and different degrees of traveler knowledge and traffic information provision quality. Based on a stochastic user equilibrium modeling framework, the proposed model uses a multi-day representation scheme to describe stochastic samples of uncertain demand and capacity supply, as well as day-dependent travel time. A gap-function based optimization model is further developed to find equilibrium solutions.
Resistance to Grapevine leafroll associated virus-2 is conferred by post-transcriptional gene silencing in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana.

Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-2 (GLRaV-2) is an important component of the leafroll disease complex in grapevine. We have previously sequenced the GLRaV-2 genome and identified the coat protein (CP) gene. The objective of this study is to test the concept of pathogen-derived resistance against a closterovirus associated with grapevine leafroll disease. Because GLRaV-2 is capable of infecting Nicotiana benthamiana, we decided to test the concept on this herbaceous host. Thirty-seven T0 transgenic N. benthamiana plants expressing the GLRaV-2 CP gene were regenerated following Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Disease resistance was evaluated in greenhouse-grown T1 and T2 plants by mechanical inoculation with GLRaV-2. Although all the inoculated non-transgenic plants showed symptoms 2–4 weeks post inoculation, various numbers of transgenic plants (16–100%) in 14 of 20 T1 lines tested were not infected. In these resistant plants, GLRaV-2 was not detectable by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Although virus resistance was confirmed in T2 progenies, the percentage of resistant plants was generally lower (0–63%) than that of the corresponding T1 lines (0–100%). Northern blot and nuclear run-off results showed that virus resistance in the transgenic plants was consistently associated with the low level of transgene RNA transcript suggesting a post-transcriptional gene silencing. The success of pathogen-derived resistance to GLRaV-2 in transgenic N. benthamiana plants represents the first step towards eventual control of the leafroll disease in grapevines using this strategy.
Estimation of the equilibrium water activity of multicomponent mixtures

Abstract The equilibrium water activity (αns) of food systems, has long been a useful tool for estimating their chemical and microbiological stability. However, the experimental measurement of water vapour sorption isotherms of mixtures (relatingαw to moisture content) is a time consuming and expensive process. This review looks at the use of microcomputer methods for estimating the moisture sorption isotherms of formulations containing ingredients with known or unknown isotherms and initial moisture contents.
Reductions in size and total DNA of cerebrum and cerebellum in adult mice after corticosterone treatment in infancy

Abstract This study was designed to examine the long-term effects on the brain of intensive corticosterone treatment during the period of rapid postnatal brain growth and maturation. Mice were given a single subcutaneous implantation of a pellet of corticosterone at 2 days of age. This produced a temporary interference with growth that resulted in a 10% reduction in body weight of the adults; a slightly greater reduction in cerebral weights and a 21% reduction in cerebellar weights. Determinations of DNA, RNA and cholesterol were made, as indices of cell number and maturation. the total DNA of the normal mouse cerebrum increased 25% between 2 and 14 days of age, while cerebellar DNA increased 580%. Total cerebral DNA did not change in control mice between 14 and 350 days of age. Corticosterone given between 2 and 14 days reduced total cerebral DNA 18% at 14 days and 10% at 8 months; and reduced cerebellar DNA 25%. In the cerebrum there was a small but significant decrease in cholesterol at all ages studied. There was a transient decrease in the RNA DNA ratio. The findings indicate that corticosterone given in infancy interfered with the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein in the brain, and produced an irreversible reduction in brain size and cell numbers, which was particularly marked in the cerebellum, because of the high rate of postnatal mitosis characteristic of certain cerebellar neurons.
Growth divergence due to spatial externalities

Abstract On using household-level panel data to unpack a regional growth regression for rural China we find that aggregate divergence at the regional level is entirely due to external effects of community wealth at the household level.