cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The citrate-stimulated starch synthase of starchy maize kernels: purification and properties.

Abstract Chromatography of maize kernel extracts on DEAE-cellulose resolves two fractions of starch synthase activity, one of which (starch synthase 1) is capable of synthesizing α-glucan in the absence of exogenous primer and the presence of 0.5 m citrate (J. L. Ozbun, J. S. Hawker, and J. Preiss, Plant Physiol. (1971) 48, 765–769). This starch synthase has been purified 200-fold from developing kernels of normal maize, and shown to have no detectable activities of branching enzyme, amylase, pullulanase, phosphorylase, and D enzyme. The preparation, however, was not electrophoretically homogeneous. This preparation had a Km value of 0.033 m m for ADPglucose in the presence of 0.5 m citrate. The reaction in the presence of citrate was stimulated 10-fold by the addition of excess purified branching enzyme. This stimulation is higher than those reported previously (C. D. Boyer and J. Preiss, Plant Physiol. (1979) 64, 1039–1042) but is consistent with the predicted effects of removal of amylase activity. The effects of salts other than citrate on activity in the absence of exogenous primer were small, but the stimulation could be restored by the addition of excess purified branching enzyme. Citrate increased the affinity of the enzyme for the endogenous primer present to such a level that no effect of exogenous primer on reaction rate could be observed in the presence of 0.5 m citrate. Analysis of the glucan/iodine complex and the enzymatic breakdown products patterns from the products of the starch synthase reaction indicates a high degree of linearity. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the biosynthesis of starch in vivo.
Studies on the transition of the cristal membrane from the orthodox to the aggregated configuration. II: Determinants of the orthodox-aggregated transition in adrenal cortex mitochondria

Bovine adrenal cortex mitochondria when isolated in a medium 0·25 M in sucrose contaminated (with calcium) have tubular cristae which are periodically expanded to spherical vesicles and contracted to flattened connecting sections. This scalloped tubular form of the cristae corresponds to the nonenergized orthodox configuration—a configuration in which the matrix space is maximally expanded. When adrenal cortex mitochondria are isolated in media in which the free calcium content is relatively low, e.g., a medium 0·25 M in sucrose and 0·1 mM in EDTA, the cristae assume the aggregated configuration—a nonenergized configuration in which the matrix space is maximally contracted. The composition of the isolation medium determined the configuration. Procedures have been described for isolating bovine adrenal cortex mitochondria (a) predominantly in the orthodox configuration, (b) predominantly in the aggregated configuration, or (c) in a mixed (1∶1) population of configurations. The concentration of Ca2+ bound to the mitochondrion was found to be a determinant of the nonenergized configuration. When the level of bound Ca++ was 20–25 μmoles/mg protein, the cristae of the mitochondria were entirely in the orthodox configuration. Addition of Ca2+ could induce the transition of cristae from the aggregated to the orthodox configuration whereas addition of Mg2+ could induce the transition of cristae from the orthodox to the aggregated configuration. The configurational transition could be followed by any of several methods—a change in 90° light scattering, a change in O.D.520 mμ, a change in pH, or examination by electron microscopy. The orthodox to aggregated transition is energy-independent since it proceeds even in presence of inhibitors both of electron transfer and of ATP hydrolysis. The binding of Ca2+ is independent of the binding of Mg2+; this independent binding is consistent with the opposite effects induced by Ca2+ and Mg2+, respectively. Whereas Ca2+ induces a proton release, a decrease in 90° light scattering and a decrease in O.D.520 mμ (when the cristae are initially in the aggregated configuration), Mg2+ induces equal and opposite changes (when the cristae are initially in the orthodox configuration).
Simulation of convoy of unmanned vehicles using agent based modeling

There has been an increasing interest of unmanned vehicles keeping the importance of defense and security. A few models for a convoy of unmanned vehicle exist in literature. The objective of this paper is to exploit agent based modeling technique for a convoy of unmanned vehicles where each vehicle is an agent. Using this approach, the convoy of vehicles reaches a specified goal from a starting point. Each agent is associated with number of sensors. The agents make intelligent decisions based on sensor inputs and at the same time maintaining their group capability and behavior. The simulation is done for a battlefield environment from a single starting point to a single goal. This approach can be extended for multiple starting points to reach multiple goals. The simulation gives the time taken by the convoy to reach a goal from its initial position. In the battlefield environment, commanders make various tactical decisions depending upon the location of an enemy outpost, minefields, number of soldiers in platoons, and barriers. The simulation can help the commander to make effective decisions depending on battlefield, convoy and obstacles to reach a particular goal. The paper describes the proposed approach and gives the simulation results. The paper also gives problems for future research in this area.
Extremum Seeking-Based Optimization of High Voltage Converter Modulator Rise-Time

We digitally implement an extremum seeking (ES) algorithm, which optimizes the rise time of the output voltage of a high voltage converter modulator (HVCM) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center by iteratively, simultaneously tuning the first eight switching edges of each of the three-phase drive waveforms (24 variables total). We achieve a 50 μs rise time, which is reduction in half, compared to the 100 μs achieved at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Considering that HVCMs typically operate with an output voltage of 100 kV, with a 60-Hz repetition rate, the 50 μs rise time reduction will result in very significant energy savings. The ES algorithm will prove successful, despite the noisy measurements and cost calculations, confirming the theoretical results that the algorithm is not affected by noise whose frequency components are independent of the perturbing frequencies.
Charge centers and formation of the protein folding core.

Electrostatic interactions are important for protein folding. At low resolution, the electrostatic field of the whole molecule can be described in terms of charge center(s). To study electrostatic effects, the centers of positive and negative charge were calculated for 20 small proteins of known structure, for which hydrogen exchange cores had been determined experimentally. Two observations seem to be important. First, in all 20 proteins studied 30-100% of the residues forming hydrogen exchange core(s) were clustered around the charge centers. Moreover, in each protein more than half of the core sequences are located near the centers of charge. Second, the general architecture of all-alpha proteins from the set seems to be stabilized by interactions of residues surrounding the charge centers. In most of the alpha-beta proteins, either or both of the centers are located near a pair of consecutive strands, and this is even more characteristic for alpha/Beta and all-beta structures. Consecutive strands are very probable sites of early folding events. These two points lead to the conclusion that charge centers, defined solely from the structure of the folded protein may indicate the location of a protein's hydrogen exchange/folding core. In addition, almost all the proteins contain well-conserved continuous hydrophobic sequences of three or more residues located in the vicinity of the charge centers. These hydrophobic sequences may be primary nucleation sites for protein folding. The results suggest the following scheme for the order of events in folding: local hydrophobic nucleation, electrostatic collapse of the core, global hydrophobic collapse, and slow annealing to the native state. This analysis emphasizes the importance of treating electrostatics during protein-folding simulations.
EFFECTS OF FOOD DEPRIVATION AND METHAMPHETAMINE ON FIXED-RATIO SCHEDULES OF INTRACRANIAL SELF-STIMULATION

Six rats were implanted with electrodes in the posterior medial forebrain area and trained to bar press for crf ICSS and then shifted to FR schedule of reinforcement. It was observed that Ss had to be “primed” on crf at the beginning of each session; FRs greater than 20 to 30 were not typical, but depriving S of food for 48 hr. increased the size of the terminal ratio; with injection of .3 mgm. methamphetamine, S would hold FR-110; and the contributing influence of long exposure co FR, food starvation, and methamphetamine are consistently reversible. It was concluded that the properties of FR ICSS controlled responding are in many respects unlike the behavioral characteristics of the same response class modified and sustained by FR application of more conventional rewards.
Electrical and electrochemical measurements as predictors of corrosion at the metal—organic coating interface

Abstract Five types of electrical and electrochemical measurements are reviewed: D.C. electrical properties, A.C. resistance, capacitance, corrosion potential, and polarization curves. When the coating resistance decreases with time and falls below 10 6 to 10 7 ohms/cm 2 , corrosion beneath the coating is occurring at a significant rate. A low electrical resistance requires (a) ion and water penetration into the coating, (b) ready motion of ions through the coating, and (c) proceeding ionic/electron transfer reactions (corrosion) at the polymer—metal interface. Care must be taken when making electrical measurements that the measurement itself does not affect the corrosion rate.
Paramagnetic Relaxation at Very Low Temperatures

A series of experiments using paramagnetic resonance at microwave frequencies and in the 1-4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K temperature range on ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Mg}}_{3}$${({\mathrm{NO}}_{3})}_{12}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}24${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O, ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}$Cr${(\mathrm{CN})}_{6}$, and Cu${(\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{H}}_{4})}_{2}$${(\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})}_{2}$\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}6${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O indicate the following characteristics for their relaxation: (1) It is the lattice-bath relaxation which limits the total rate of relaxation. (2) The spin-lattice relaxation time is several orders of magnitude smaller than the normally observed values of ${T}_{1}$. (3) Breadth of the lattice modes is very much larger than the width of the resonances in diluted crystals, and in particular, for 1% paramagnetic concentration of the Cu salt, the breadth is several hundreds of megacycles/second. (4) Breadth of the lattice modes increases with increasing concentration of paramagnetic centers. (5) Two nearby resonances are rapidly brought to the same effective temperature by exchange of energy through the lattice modes. (6) The relaxation time ${T}_{1}$ is dependent on crystal size. Some consequences of these results are also discussed.
A new task-based approach for supporting distributed applications on mobile ad hoc networks

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) have received significant attention recently owing to the increasing popularity of tetherless computing and the rapid growth of wireless networking technology. In this paper, we present a novel application framework for dynamic execution of distributed tasks on potentially mobile devices which form a MANET. In this framework, logical patterns of interaction between simpler components of a distributed application are exploited for the discovery of suitable devices/resources on which the application is actually executed. Our application framework is adaptive to network partitions caused by mobility of devices as it enables users to obtain a required service from several devices (providing the same service) over the lifetime of an application. This work helps enable new applications in diverse areas such as smart offices/homes, sensor networks, distributed computing, and disaster relief. A distributed application is represented as a task comprised of smaller, less complex sub-tasks that need to be performed on different types of computing resources/devices with specialized roles. Dependencies are induced by logical patterns of data flow between different categories of devices responsible for performing the aforementioned sub-tasks. Such dependencies yield an abstract task graph (TG) representation for a given application. We focus on the problem of efficiently executing distributed tasks on a MANET by means of dynamic discovery and selection of devices/resources for completion of simpler subtasks. The discovery of devices is carried out with respect to the underlying TG representation from among a multitude of candidate devices offering similar functionality. We refer to this process as task embedding. A task graph TG = (VT , ET ) is composed of a set of nodes, VT , and a set of edges, ET . The nodes represent classes of devices, resources or services (e.g. Printer, Speaker, Camera etc.) needed for processing data related to the task, whereas the edges represent necessary logical associations between different nodes for performing the task†. The process of embedding a task graph TG onto a MANET G = (VG, EG) involves mapping or instantiation of logical TG nodes and edges onto physical devices/resources and shortest paths between them, respectively. This is equivalent to finding a pair of mappings φ : VT → VG and ψ : ET → PG, where the class of v ∈ VT is the same as that of φ(v), and PG is the set of all source-destination paths in G. The quality of a mapping (φ,ψ) can be measured by a metric called average dilation which is the average over all edges in TG
Fos Responses of Dopamine Neurons to Sociosexual Stimuli in Male Zebra Finches

Dopamine (DA) is produced in numerous brain areas and influences a wide variety of social behaviors, but very few data are available to establish the socially-relevant response properties of most DA populations, which comprise eight cell groups numbered A8-A15. Anatomically, these DA populations are evolutionarily conserved, and all have been identified in both birds and mammals. We now report the Fos responses of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir; putatively dopaminergic) neurons in the A8-A15 cell groups of male zebra finches following exposure to a control condition or one of six different social stimuli: a heterospecific male, conspecific male, fighting in a mate competition paradigm (which includes both male and female stimuli), a courtship interaction without physical contact, a courtship interaction with physical contact but no mounting, and a courtship interaction with mounting. We found that the DA cell groups exhibit distinctive profiles of responsiveness to social stimuli. Fos induction in A8, A9, A10 and midbrain A11 neurons increased significantly in response to a variety of conspecific stimuli, but not heterospecific stimuli. In contrast, Fos induction in the preoptic A14 neurons was observed specifically in response to sexual interactions, and Fos induction in hypothalamic A11 neurons appears to primarily reflect the performance of courtship singing. Infundibular A12 neurons, which may be involved in stress-related processes, showed the highest level of TH+Fos colocalization in control subjects. This colocalization decreased in response to all conspecific stimuli except fighting, and did not decrease following exposure to a heterospecific male.
Sampling alfalfa seed for clover seed chalcid damage.

A method is presented for rapidly estimating the per cent of harvested alfalfa seeds damaged by the clover seed chalcid, Bruchophagus gibbus (Boh.). The method utilizes a technique of cementing a sample of seeds on paper to permit rapid microscopic examination. Three sampling experiments were conducted to determine the variance components associated with individual steps in the process of determining the level of chalcid infestation in a particular treatment. An optimum sampling scheme was developed from these components and from the cost of conducting the experiments. Two field samples per treatment were each sub-sampled twice. Two separate estimates of infestation were made on each subsample. This scheme permitted the best estimation of a treatment mean within 15% of the true mean, 95% of the time.
A Vapor Chamber Using Graphite Foams as Wicks for Cooling High Heat Flux Electronics

A vapor chamber using high thermal conductivity and permeability graphite foam as a wick has been designed, built and tested. With ethanol as the working fluid, the vapor chamber has been demonstrated at a heat flux of 80 W/cm2 . The effects of the capillary limit, the boiling limit, and the thermal resistance in restricting the overall performance of a vapor chamber have been analyzed. Because of the high thermal conductivity of the graphite foams, the modeling results show that the performance of a vapor chamber using a graphite foam is about twice that of one using a copper wick structure. Furthermore, if water is used as the working fluid instead of ethanol, the performance of the vapor chamber will be increased further. Graphite foam vapor chambers with water as the working fluid can be made by treating the graphite foam with an oxygen plasma to improve the wetting of the graphite by the water.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Google Street View: Walking the Line of Privacy-Intrusion upon Seclusion and Publicity Given to Private Facts in the Digital Age

On a snowy evening, a man hears of a new restaurant opening in a distant suburb of his metropolis and looks for driving directions to take his significant other out for a romantic evening. He opens Google and conducts a driving direction search. As they have never been to the location, and as the weather is not optimal, they check the layout of the roads in order to alleviate safety concerns through Google's Street View Program.1 They click on the images next to the proposed turns and see a picture of a man walking with a woman at the intersection. Later it is disclosed in the news that this individual is a high-ranking government official and the woman is not his wife, but his mistress.2 In another image, a smoker is lounging in the background, hiding his addiction from his family and friends.3 With another click of the mouse he sees sunbathers sitting on top of the roof of a building, enjoying the warm summer day as well as the seeming privacy and anonymity of their rooftop abode.
Grand challenges in pediatric otolaryngology.

The field of pediatric otolaryngology has undergone significant changes over the past two decades. These changes have resulted in new areas of investigations and challenges. This article will summarize some of the more recent advances and challenges facing this field. Specific focus of this grand challenge will include: (1) Role of biofilms in infectious diseases in otolaryngology, (2) tissue engineering in pediatric airway reconstructive surgery, (3) minimally invasive surgical techniques, and (4) advances in molecular biology of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
Functional recovery of fluid drainage precedes lymphangiogenesis in acute murine foreleg lymphedema

Secondary lymphedema in humans is a common consequence of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) to treat breast cancer. It is commonly hypothesized that lymphatic growth is required to increase flu...
Analysis of doubly clamped nanotube devices in the finite deformation regime

In this paper, a nonlinear theory applicable to the design of nanotube based devices is presented. The role of finite kinematics for a doubly clamped nanotube device is investigated. In particular, we analyze the continuous deformation and instability (pull in) of a clamped-clamped nanotube suspended over an electrode from which a potential differential is imposed. The transformation of an applied voltage into a nanomechanical deformation indeed represents a key step toward the design of innovative nanodevices. Likewise, accurate prediction of pull-in/pull-out voltages is highly needed. We show that an energy-based method can be conveniently used to predict the structural behavior and instability corresponding to the ON/OFF states of the device at the so-called pull-in voltage. The analysis reveals that finite kinematics effects can result in a significant increase of the pull-in voltage. This increase results from a ropelike behavior of the nanotube as a consequence of the stretching imposed by the actuation.
514 H-cap regimen results in long term survival in ovarian cancer

Clinical trials of Hexalen ® (altretamine, hexamethylmelamine) in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and cisplatin (H-CAP) as first line therapy for patients with advanced ovarian cancer were conducted at Vanderbilt University. Patients received 6 monthly courses of Hexalen (H), 150 mg/m 2 po days 1 to 14, cyclophosphamide (C) 300 mg/m 2 iv days 1 and 8, doxorubicin (A) 20 mg/m 2 iv days 1 and 8 and cisplatin (P) 60 mg/m 2 iv day 1. The survival data from this cohort of 55 patients were compared with those of a subsequent cohort of 22 patients treated with the identical dose and schedule of C, A and P. Results demonstrate a statistically significant survival benefit for H-CAP relative to CAP despite poorer prognostic characteristics: 36% of H-CAP patients had ≤ 3 cm residual disease vs 86% of CAP patients. Median survival for H-CAP patients was 45 months vs 29 months for CAP patients ( P = 0.006). For patients with P = 0.003). The addition of Hexalen to CAP resulted in significantly improved survival but no increase in toxicity. Hexalen warrants further evaluation as part of first line combination regimens for advanced ovarian cancer.
AAV-Mediated Administration of Myostatin Pro-Peptide Mutant in Adult Ldlr Null Mice Reduces Diet-Induced Hepatosteatosis and Arteriosclerosis

Genetic disruption of myostatin or its related signaling is known to cause strong protection against diet-induced metabolic disorders. The translational value of these prior findings, however, is dependent on whether such metabolically favorable phenotype can be reproduced when myostatin blockade begins at an adult age. Here, we reported that AAV-mediated delivery of a myostatin pro-peptide D76A mutant in adult mice attenuates the development of hepatic steatosis and arteriosclerosis, two common diet-induced metabolic diseases. A single dose of AAV-D76A in adult Ldlr null mice resulted in sustained expression of myostatin pro-peptide in the liver. Compared to vehicle-treated mice, D76A-treated mice gained similar amount of lean and fat mass when fed a high fat diet. However, D76A-treated mice displayed significantly reduced aortic lesions and liver fat, in association with a reduction in hepatic expression of lipogenic genes and improvement in liver insulin sensitivity. This suggests that muscle and fat may not be the primary targets of treatment under our experimental condition. In support to this argument, we show that myostatin directly up-regulated lipogenic genes and increased fat accumulation in cultured liver cells. We also show that both myostatin and its receptor were abundantly expressed in mouse aorta. Cultured aortic endothelial cells responded to myostatin with a reduction in eNOS phosphorylation and an increase in ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression. Conclusions: AAV-mediated expression of myostatin pro-peptide D76A mutant in adult Ldlr null mice sustained metabolic protection without remarkable impacts on body lean and fat mass. Further investigations are needed to determine whether direct impact of myostatin on liver and aortic endothelium may contribute to the related metabolic phenotypes.
Electrical behavior and pore accumulation in a multicellular model for conventional and supra-electroporation

Extremely large but very short (20 kV/cm, 300 ns) electric field pulses were reported recently to non-thermally destroy melanoma tumors. The stated mechanism for field penetration into cells is pulse characteristic times faster than charge redistribution (displacement currents). Here we use a multicellular model with irregularly shaped, closely spaced cells to show that instead overwhelming pore creation (supra-electroporation) is dominant, with field penetration due to pores (ionic conduction currents) during most of the pulse. Moreover, the model's maximum membrane potential (about 1.2 V) is consistent with recent experimental observations on isolated cells. We also use the model to show that conventional electroporation resulting from 100 microsecond, 1 kV/cm pulses yields a spatially heterogeneous electroporation distribution. In contrast, the melanoma-destroying pulses cause nearly homogeneous electroporation of cells and their nuclear membranes. Electropores can persist for times much longer than the pulses, and are likely to be an important mechanism contributing to cell death.
Mental health care and health literacy.

Edited by Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud, RN, PhD, FAANUniversity of California—Los Angeles, School of Nursing, Los Angeles, California, USAHealth literacy has been identified as a major predictor of an in...
How Stigma Surrounding the Use of HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Undermines Prevention and Pleasure: A Call to Destigmatize "Truvada Whores"

Antiretroviral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP; emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [Truvada]) prevents HIV without penalizing sexual pleasure, and may even enhance pleasure (e.g., by reducing HIV-related anxiety). However, concern about sexual risk behavior increasing with PrEP use (risk compensation) and corresponding stereotypes of promiscuity may undermine PrEP's preventive potential. In this commentary, we review literature on sexual behavior change accompanying PrEP use, discuss risk compensation concerns and the "Truvada whore" stereotype as PrEP barriers, question the appropriateness of restricting PrEP access because of risk compensation, and consider sexual pleasure as a benefit of PrEP, an acceptable motive for seeking PrEP, and a core element of health. It is essential for science to trump stereotypes and sex-negative messaging in guiding decision-making affecting PrEP access and uptake.
Ultrastructural features of the verruciform xanthoma

. The verruciform xanthoma, a rare lesion of the oral cavity, was studied by light and electron microscopy. The major cell type associated with the lesion was shown to contain appreciable amounts of lipid and was characterized as a macrophage. It was characteristic of the endothelial cells associated with subepithelial capillaries to exhibit multiple basal laminae. A rather unusual observation was the migration of lipid-filled cells into the stratum germinativum of the overlying epithelium.
Insulin activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in human skeletal muscle in vivo.

Hickey, Matthew S., Charles J. Tanner, D. Sean O’Neill, Lydia J. Morgan, G. Lynis Dohm, and Joseph A. Houmard. Insulin activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in human skeletal muscle in vivo. ...
Use of contextual inquiry to understand anatomic pathology workflow: Implications for digital pathology adoption

Background: For decades anatomic pathology (AP) workflow have been a highly manual process based on the use of an optical microscope and glass slides. Recent innovations in scanning and digitizing of entire glass slides are accelerating a move toward widespread adoption and implementation of a workflow based on digital slides and their supporting information management software. To support the design of digital pathology systems and ensure their adoption into pathology practice, the needs of the main users within the AP workflow, the pathologists, should be identified. Contextual inquiry is a qualitative, user-centered, social method designed to identify and understand users' needs and is utilized for collecting, interpreting, and aggregating in-detail aspects of work. Objective: Contextual inquiry was utilized to document current AP workflow, identify processes that may benefit from the introduction of digital pathology systems, and establish design requirements for digital pathology systems that will meet pathologists' needs. Materials and Methods: Pathologists were observed and interviewed at a large academic medical center according to contextual inquiry guidelines established by Holtzblatt et al. 1998. Notes representing user-provided data were documented during observation sessions. An affinity diagram, a hierarchal organization of the notes based on common themes in the data, was created. Five graphical models were developed to help visualize the data including sequence, flow, artifact, physical, and cultural models. Results: A total of six pathologists were observed by a team of two researchers. A total of 254 affinity notes were documented and organized using a system based on topical hierarchy, including 75 third-level, 24 second-level, and five main-level categories, including technology, communication, synthesis/preparation, organization, and workflow. Current AP workflow was labor intensive and lacked scalability. A large number of processes that may possibly improve following the introduction of digital pathology systems were identified. These work processes included case management, case examination and review, and final case reporting. Furthermore, a digital slide system should integrate with the anatomic pathologic laboratory information system. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study that utilized the contextual inquiry method to document AP workflow. Findings were used to establish key requirements for the design of digital pathology systems.
Cutaneous Manifestations of Juvenile Hyaline Fibromatosis

An 11-year-old adopted male presented with deforming scalp and bilateral posterior auricular nodules, joint contractures, and gingival hypertrophy. Histopathologic examination of the skin nodules revealed a normal epidermis with areas of extracellular eosinophilic ground substance surrounding benign spindle-shaped (myo)fibroblasts in the dermis and subcutis, alternating with hyalinized, acellular zones. The spindle cells did not show cytologic atypia. A diagnosis of juvenile hyaline fibromatosis (JHF) was given. The patient had been seen multiple times in the past for similar recurring, disfiguring dermal and subcutaneous nodules. The patient had a history of osteolytic lesions of the distal radius and ulna and hyaline deposition involving the sigmoid colon and rectum. JHF is a rare autosomal recessive hyalinosis with mutations of the Capillary Morphogenesis Gene-2 (CMG-2) at chromosome 4q21, a region that encodes a binding protein that concatenates capillary collagen IV to laminin. Other genetic abnormalities include mutations in dermal collagen (types I and III). Disease onset occurs early in life. Organ involvement is an ominous sign usually resulting in death during infancy or early childhood. Surgery is the only presently available treatment.
Opinion Leaders and the Mass Media in Rural Egypt: A Reconsideration of the Two-Step Flow of Communications Hypothesis'

This study is based on a survey conducted by the author in a rural community in Egypt (a) to determine how mass media messages reach the population, (b) to identify opinion leaders, and (c) to assess the relation between mass media exposure and political awareness. The data from this survey were used to test the two-step flow of communications hypothesis of Lazarsfeld and colleagues and to compare the effects of the mass media and opinion leaders on the public. Analysis of the data did not support the two-step flow of communications hypothesis; instead it was noted that the greater the exposure to the mass media, the more direct is the flow of communications. Opinion leaders reached a smaller and less educated section of the population and were found to be the elected and official representatives of the village organizations rather than shopkeepers, teachers, and clergy. Finally, it was found that opinion leaders were specialized, each conveying policy information relevant to his role in the community. The flow of communications was found to be functional and organized rather than casual and haphazard as is usually the case in transmitting non-functional information. The last part of this article deals with the relation between exposure to the mass media and political awareness. Indices were constructed to give each respondent a score on the degree of exposure to the mass media and another on his level of political awareness. Analysis showed that mass media exposure and political awareness are directly related (r = .53). It was also found that those who had direct access to the mass media were more sensitized to political news than those who had no such access, thus underlining the politicization role of the mass media. Finally, the article compares the degree of correlation between mass media exposure and political awareness with similar correlations obtained in rural areas in Latin America.
Formation of Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds From Hexane and Cyclohexane With Water in a Liquid Film Plasma Reactor

In this paper, vaporized n-hexane in a flowing argon carrier gas was mixed with deionized liquid water and injected into a tubular plasma reactor. A liquid water film forms on the wall of the tubular reactor and plasma channels propagate along the gas-liquid interface. Gas-chromatography mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis of the major products and their relative ratios collected in the effluent of the reactor confirm the formation of 3-hexanol (26%), 2-hexanol (21%), 3-hexanone (17%), 2-hexanone (17%), 1-hexanol (11%), and hexanal (8%). The functionalization is likely due to oxidation of the organic stating material by OH radicals formed from the dissociation of water by the plasma. The functionalization of cyclohexane was achieved in the same manner where analysis showed the formation of cyclohexanone (47%), cyclohexene (20%), cyclohexanol (19%), hexanal (11%), and 2-cyclohexenone (2%). Hydrogen peroxide was also produced in the presence of either organic compound and the amount formed decreased as the amount of organic flowing into the reactor was increased. It is likely that the hydrogen peroxide is formed in the gas phase close to the gas-liquid interface by OH radical recombination. This paper demonstrates the activation of the C-H bond using low temperature plasma by combining two common chemical feedstocks (hydrocarbon and water) and transforming them into the higher value functionalized organic products via a sequence of reactions where all necessary intermediate reactants are formed in situ by the electric discharge.
Understanding Effects of Salesperson Locus of Control

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of external locus of control on different job characteristic variables – i.e. role conflict, role ambiguity and emotional exhaustion, in addition to the outcome variable, job satisfaction – in a business-to-business sales setting. Design/methodology/approach – Data from B2B salespeople were used to test the proposed model using structural equation modeling. Findings – The results indicate that a more external locus of control will be: positively related to role stress factors; indirectly and positively related to emotional exhaustion; and negatively related to job satisfaction. Originality/value – This study provides a managerially actionable foundation for influencing locus of control to increase a salesperson's satisfaction with his/her position.
Family-Supportive Work Environments: The Role of Organizational Perceptions

Abstract The present study examines global employee perceptions regarding the extent their work organization is family-supportive (FSOP). Data gathered from 522 participants employed in a variety of occupations and organizations indicated that FSOP responses related significantly to the number of family-friendly benefits offered by the organization, benefit usage, and perceived family support from supervisors. FSOP responses also explained a significant amount of unique variance associated with work–family conflict, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions above and beyond the variance explained by the number of family-friendly benefits available by the organization and supervisor support. Results indicated that FSOP mediates the relationship between family-friendly benefits available and the dependent variables of work–family conflict, affective commitment, and job satisfaction. FSOP also mediated the relationship between supervisor support and work–family conflict. The results underscore the important role that perceptions of the overall work environment play in determining employee reactions to family-friendly benefit policies.
Relationship of work schedules to gastrointestinal diagnoses, symptoms, and medication use in auto factory workers.

Background Gastrointestinal (GI) complaints are common in shift workers. This study examines the relationship between work schedules and GI symptoms, medications, and diagnoses. Methods In a cross-sectional survey of 343 US auto factory workers, four work schedule variables were examined: assigned shift, numberof hours worked, numberof night hours, and schedule variability. Multiple regression tested the relationship between GI outcomes and work schedule variables while controlling for covariates. Results The evening shift was associated with more GI symptoms and GI diagnoses. Unexpectedly, more consistent work times were associated with having a GI diagnosis. As schedule variability increased the probability of GI medication use increased in low noise exposure. Conclusion Findings suggest that evening shift and widely varying work start and end times may increase risks for GI disturbances. Am. J. Ind. Med. 46:586–598, 2004. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Activation of 5-HT2 receptors induces glycogenolysis in the rat brain.

The effect of 5-HT(2) receptor activation on brain glycogen and the extracellular concentration of glucose was investigated in the present study. An injection of 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI) (2 mg/kg, i.p.) or mescaline (10 mg/kg, i.p.) at an ambient temperature of 29 degrees C produced a 35-45% decrease in brain glycogen that persisted for at least 2 h. DOI also increased the extracellular concentration of glucose in the striatum by 60%. Maintenance of rats at 22 degrees C significantly attenuated DOI-induced glycogenolysis, as well as DOI-induced hyperthermia, and the increase in the extracellular concentration of glucose in the striatum. DOI-induced hyperthermia, glycogenolysis and increase in the extracellular concentration of glucose also were attenuated in rats treated with the 5-HT(2) receptor antagonist, 6-methyl-1-(methylethyl)-ergoline-8beta-carboxylic acid 2-hydroxy-1-methylpropyl ester maleate (LY-53,857) (3 mg/kg, ip). These results support the conclusion that 5-HT(2) receptor activation promotes glycogenolysis and that hyperthermia exerts a prominent role in this process.
Sensation-Seeking Scale scores in treated geriatric depressives and controls.

Personality traits in geriatric depressives may differ from normal controls (Abrams et al. 1987). However, evidence for such differences is limited in mixed-age depressives, and the nature of these differences could be complex (von Zerssen 1982; Akiskal et al. 1983). Moreover, major depression in the elderly may differ from that in younger adults (Alexopoulos et al. 1988). Level of preferred environments variety and complexity (Berlyne 1966; Zuckerman et al. 1978, 1980) is potentially interesting in elderly patients. Age-related social and health changes may be especially stressful for individuals with preference for high environmental stimuIation. The Sensation-Seeking Scale (Zuckerman et al. 1978, 1980) (SSS) assesses likely expressions of “high or low optimal levels of stimulation and arousal in preferences, interests, and activities.” Test-retest reliability has been documented in normals (Zucke~an et al. 1980). SSS scores have received some validation using behavioral and biological measures (Zuckerman et al. 1980). Scores are lower in older than in younger normals (Zuckennan et al. 1978, 1980); in aged animals, behavior motivated by envi-
Pedagogical agents as learning companions: the impact of agent emotion and gender

The potential of emotional interaction between human and computer has recently interested researchers in human–computer interaction. The instructional impact of this interaction in learning environments has not been established, however. This study examined the impact of emotion and gender of a pedagogical agent as a learning companion (PAL) on social judgements, interest, self-efficacy, and learning. Two experiments investigated separately the effects of a PAL’s emotional expression and empathetic response. Experiment 1 focused on emotional expression (positive vs. negative vs. neutral) and gender (male vs. female) with a sample of 142 male and female college students in a computer literacy course. Experiment 2 investigated the impact of empathetic response (responsive vs. non-responsive) and gender with 56 pre-service teachers. Overall, the results yielded main and interaction effects of PAL emotion and gender on the dependent variables. In particular, the PAL’s empathetic response had a positive impact on learner interest and self-efficacy; PAL gender had a positive impact on recall. The findings imply that the emotion and the gender of the digital learning companion could be utilized to optimize college students’ motivation and learning.
Characterization of fire hazards of aged photovoltaic balance-of-systems connectors

Three balance of systems (BOS) connector designs common to industry were investigated as a means of assessing reliability from the perspective of arc fault risk. These connectors were aged in field and laboratory environments and performance data captured for future development of a reliability model. Comparison of connector resistance measured during damp heat, mixed flowing gas and field exposure in a light industrial environment indicated disparities in performance across the three designs. Performance was, in part, linked to materials of construction. A procedure was developed to evaluate new and aged connectors for arc fault risk and tested for one of the designs. Those connectors exposed to mixed flowing gas corrosion exhibited considerable Joule heating that may enhance arcing behavior, suggesting temperature monitoring as a potential method for arc fault prognostics. These findings, together with further characterization of connector aging, can provide operators of photovoltaic installations the information necessary to develop a data-driven approach to BOS connector maintenance as well as opportunities for arc fault prognostics.
Spiral CT of the larynx.

PURPOSE To compare conventional and spiral CT studies of the larynx. METHODS Ten patients had both conventional and spiral CT studies of the neck using 5-mm section collimation and 5-mm increments. The spiral scans also were reconstructed at 2-mm increments. Five patients had two spiral CT larynx studies with 5-mm and 2-mm collimation. Two observers independently rated the visibility of laryngeal structures and absence of motion artifact in the studies and assigned values from 1 (poor) to 4 (excellent). RESULTS The spiral scan images showed less motion artifact (1.9 versus 3.6) and better anatomic detail (2.3 versus approximately 2.6). Thinner reconstruction intervals and sections gave better anatomic detail (2.3 versus approximately 3.3). Interobserver kappa was 0.65. CONCLUSION Spiral is better than conventional CT scanning when studying the larynx.
Differential expression of PDGFRB and EGFR in microvascular proliferation in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the highly malignant glioma and exhibits microvascular proliferation. PCR mRNA arrays and immunohistochemical stains on tissue microarray demonstrated that the expression level of PDGFRB in GBM microvascular proliferation was significantly higher than that in GBM tumor cells while the expression level of EGFR was lower in microvascular proliferation than in GBM tumor cells. PDGFRB protein was selectively expressed in pericytes in GBM microvascular proliferation. By analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets for GBM, it was found that genomic DNA alterations were the main reason for the high expression of EGFR in GBM tumor cells. Our miRNA microarray data showed that microRNAs (miRNAs) (miR-193b-3p, miR-518b, miR-520f-3p, and miR-506-5p) targeting PDGFRB were downregulated in microvascular proliferation, which might be the most likely reason for the high expression of PDGFRB in GBM microvascular proliferation. The increase of several miRNAs (miR-133b, miR-30b-3p, miR-145-5p, and miR-146a-5p) targeting EGFR in GBM microvascular proliferation was one of the reasons for the lack of expression of EGFR in GBM microvascular proliferation. These findings implicated that miRNAs, such as miR-506, miR-133b, miR-145, and miR-146a, that target PDGFRB or EGFR, might be potential therapeutic agents for GBM. A new generation of targeted therapeutic agents against both EGFR and PDGFRB might be developed in the future.
SUBCHONDRAL GRANULATION TISSUE IN TUBERCULOSIS OF THE KNEE JOINT

Microscopic sections through the articular surfaces of ninety-one tuberculous knee joints were studied. The complete joint was available in each instance. In forty-one and seven-tenths per cent. of the cases subchondral granulation tissue, arising from the margins of the joint, was seen to exist between the cartilage and the bone. Of the specimens in which subchondral granulations were present, there was definite evidence of tuberculosis beneath the margin and center of the cartilage in twenty-nine per cent. Several others were extremely suggestive of tuberculosis but in them definite diagnosis could not be made. Subchondral granulation is probably a tissue reaction to an infectious process, rather than to foreign material in the form of degenerated cartilage. Whether or not it presents the actual cellular characteristics of tuberculosis, it must be considered potentially tuberculous. Subchondral granulation tissue in tuberculosis of the knee joint plays an active part in erosion of bone, demarcation of sequestra, and destruction of cartilage.
Characterization of the MN(II) Binding Site of Chloroplast Coupling Factor One: Proton Magnetic Relaxation Field Dependence

The metal binding sites of chloroplast coupling factor one have been studied using paramagnetic Mn(II), an effective ATPase cofactor which can be monitored by magnetic resonance techniques (1,2). The environment of bound Mn(II) can be characterized by the magnetic field dependence of the paramagnetic contribution to the nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation rate of solvent nuclei. Values for the hydration number of the bound ion, the distance between the water protons and the ion, and the correlation times for the water-ion interaction have been deduced for several metal-enzyme complexes (3). We have examined the magnetic field dependence of proton spin-lattice relaxation induced by Mn(II) bound to latent CF1 in order to characterize the Mn(II) binding sites on CF1 in the absence and presence of added ADP.