cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A COMPARISON OF THE SIZES OF MESSENGER RNAs CODING FOR LYSOZYME (GENE 3.5) IN T7-INFECTED RNase III+ AND RNase III− STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

ABSTRACT Multiple species of lysozyme messenger RNA can be detected in dimethylsulfoxide-denatured RNA from T7-infected Escherichia coli. These range in size from 0.2-2×106 daltons. Some lysozyme messenger RNAs extracted from T7-infected RNase III− Escherichia coli are much larger, up to 4-5×106 daltons. These large RNAs probably begin in the early region near gene 1.3 and terminate at the end of gene 10. Considerable cleavage of lysozyme messenger RNA occurs in the RNase III− host.
Financial sector foreign aid and financial intermediation

Abstract The effectiveness of foreign aid is typically measured by the effect of aid on economic growth. Prior literature provides ambiguous results on this effect partly due to the aggregation of aid to different sectors and the small amount of foreign aid relative to the economy in most countries. Because growth in financial intermediation and financial markets has been shown to play a key role in spurring economic growth, in this paper we focus on aid to the financial sector and seek to identify the causal effects of foreign aid to the financial sector on financial intermediation. Using fixed effects OLS and system GMM methods for a panel of countries from 1993 to 2016, we find that foreign aid to the financial sector primarily increases claims on the government sector, and has negative or neutral effect on claims to the private sector and no effect on liquid liabilities of the banking sector and interest rate spread between borrowing and lending rates. This effect persists even after controlling for country institutional characteristics, such as trade openness and rule of law. Thus, foreign aid increases public sector borrowing but does not appear to have any benefits for financial intermediation in the private sector. We verify that the relation is not spurious by using aid to the health sector for falsification tests.
The ‘Arab Fall’: The Future of Women's Rights

This essay is based on a lecture presented at U.C. Davis School of Law on September 27, 2011 as part of the annual Speaker Series of the U.C. Davis Journal of International Law & Policy. Part I of this essay provides background and insights into several national movements that have been inspired by the Jasmine Revolution in 2011, with primary emphasis on events and social transformations taking place in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. Part II focuses on the turbulent status of women in these nations. While some women were able to speak out, organize and participate in revolutionary activities, many others may have been unable to become involved, or even harassed or arrested for their involvement. Part III proposes the need for the United States to take a more dynamic, democratically engaged role in enhancing women’s rights, and will suggest a series of both short- and long-term efforts. The essay concludes that the future of women’s rights continues to be uncertain and that 2012 may not represent a year of significant measurable advancements for women’s rights in the region. In fact, some electoral victories by more conservative, traditional Islamist parties may indicate certain political setbacks for women’s rights.
Becoming the Story: War Correspondents Since 9/11: Palmer, Lindsay Urbana: University of Illinois Press 224 pp., $99.00, ISBN 978-0-252-04156-3 Publication Date: January 2018

In this important, interesting, and perplexing book, Lindsay Palmer, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, studies the work of six correspondents reporting in dangerous, u...
Management of Complications and Vision Loss from Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes can be associated with profound visual loss due to several mechanisms. As the duration of diabetes and blood glucose levels increase, these changes become more severe. The proliferation of new blood vessels, vitreous hemorrhage, and tractional retinal detachments may ultimately result and can be devastating to visual function. New advances, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) medications and innovative microsurgical instruments, have provided additional methods for the management of diabetic retinopathy in the clinic and in the operating room, leading to improved outcomes. Advances in earlier treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, especially with anti-VEGF injections, allow for a reduction in severity, improved vision, and more controlled and successful surgery. Modern surgical techniques and instrumentation have also allowed for improved patient outcomes. Future research into sustained delivery and release of anti-VEGF, reducing the need for frequent in-office injections, may prove to be additionally beneficial. Over the last decade, anti-VEGF has become an increasingly common treatment modality for the management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, vitreous hemorrhages, and tractional retinal detachments. Further research is needed to determine the ideal method of delivery and timing of the treatment.
Donor factors and risk of primary graft dysfunction and mortality post lung transplantation: A proposed conceptual framework.

Lung transplantation remains a therapeutic option in end-stage lung disease. However, despite advances in the field, early allograft function can be compromised by the development of primary graft dysfunction (PGD); this being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality immediately following the lung transplant procedure. Several recipient factors have been associated with increased risk of PGD, but less is known about donor factors. Aging, tobacco, and chronic alcohol use are donor factors implicated, but how these factors promote PGD remains unclear. Herein, we discuss the available clinical data that link these donor factors with outcomes after lung transplantation, and how they might render the recipient susceptible to PGD through a two-hit process. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Modeling COVID-19 with Mean Field Evolutionary Dynamics: Social Distancing and Seasonality

The coronavirus pandemic has been declared a world health emergency by the World Health Organization, which has raised the importance of an accurate epidemiological model to predict the evolution of COVID-19. In this paper, we propose mean field evolutionary dynamics (MFEDs), inspired by optimal transport theory and mean field games on graphs, to model the evolution of COVID-19. In the MFEDs, we derive the payoff functions for different individual states from the commonly used replicator dynamics (RDs) and employ them to govern the evolution of epidemics. We also compare epidemic modeling based on MFEDs with that based on RDs through numerical experiments. Moreover, we show the efficiency of the proposed MFED-based model by fitting it to the COVID-19 statistics of Wuhan, China. Finally, we analyze the effects of one-time social distancing as well as the seasonality of COVID-19 through the post-pandemic period.
Defiant Behavior During Infancy and Early Childhood

In this article, we trace normative and clinically significant trends in the development of oppositional, defiant, and aggressive behavior across infancy, toddlerhood, and the preschool years. Defiant, noncompliant, and aggressive behavior is relatively common between the ages of 2–5 years. These problems decline steadily as children develop age-appropriate skills for regulating negative emotions and behavioral impulses. However, some preschool-age children manifest severe behavior problems that persist across later childhood and adolescence. We identify features of early behavior problems that signal clinical relevance and link individual differences in early behavioral adjustment to child–environment transactions that reflect risky patterns of temperament and caregiving.
Towards a Theory of VLSI Layout

As the complexity of digital systems grew, the need arose for efficient packaging of the system components. Starting in the mid 50’s, individual devices were placed on printed-circuit boards. As the size and the complexity of the modules grew — from individual devices to integrated circuits — the princed-circuit board has preserved to this day its function as a fundamental packaging level in the assembly of digital systems. However, a new layout horizon emerged, represented by the internal structure of the modules themselves (chip complexity). Today, the latter is the predominant problem in system layout: however, in spite of largely different feature sizes, the two environments — VLSI chip and printed-circuit board — are both governed by analogous sets of rules for the layout of wires on a regular grid. The highly structured layout medium and the necessity to cope with problems of increasing size motivated the development of automatic techniques and stimulated the attending research.
Comments on Von Wright’s ‘Logic and Ontology of Norms’

As Professor von Wright’s title indicates, his paper is concerned with two distinguishable questions, the first having to do with formal logic, the second with the possibility of “fruitful applications to ethics or to legal theory or to the social scientists’ study of norms”. His discussion seems to make it quite clear to me, at any rate, that the two investigations are separable, though of course they do impinge upon each other, and I agree that a study of the relations between the two is worth the effort. But I would like to make a couple of remarks at the outset about how I conceive the distinction between the two topics to be drawn.
Viral‐induced fusion of human cells. II. Heterokaryocytes between human cells from different donors, and between human cells and those from other species: Formation and properties

A simple method is described for effecting the formation of heterokaryocytes between different lines of human diploid fibroblasts, and between human diploid fibroblasts and cultured cells derived from other species. In the case of mixed monolayer cultures of human diploid fibroblasts exposed to UV-inactivated Sendai virus, the proportion of nuclei in heterokaryocytes is between 25 and 35%. The heterokaryocytes engage in de novo protein synthesis. No evidence of hybrid enzymes was found in mixed cultures of human and mouse cells which had been exposed to Sendai virus and which therefore presumably contained mouse-human heterokaryocytes. However, with the available data, it is not possible to distinguish between the absence of synthesis of hybrid enzymes and the synthesis of hybrid enzymes in amounts insufficient to permit their detection.
Analytical techniques for cell fractions. XIX. The cyclum: an automatic system for cyclic chromatography.

Abstract An automatic system, termed a Cyclum, is described which allows column chromatographic separations to be repeated precisely a large number of times. Provision is made for the adjustment during operation of parameters such as equilibration, wash, elution, and sample flow times and duration of fraction collection. The system is applicable to both analytical and preparative use in various types of column chromatography (e.g., affinity, gel filtration, ion-exchange), but has been especially developed for separations based on immunosorption.
The Role of Luminous Infrared Galaxies at z ∼ 1 as Revealed by the 15 μm Extragalactic Background Light

Deep mid-infrared sky surveys have revealed a strong excess, compared to the local universe, of faint but intrinsically bright galaxies at redshifts close to z ∼ 0.8. A preliminary study of a sample of optical counterparts with spectroscopic redshifts in the Hubble Deep Field North (HDFN) and in one of the Canada-France Redshift Survey (CFRS) fields, indicates that they are massive (M ∼ 1011 M⊙) and bright (several 1011 L⊙) galaxies. The contribution of these galaxies, brighter than 50 μJy (AB ∼ 20), to the 15 μm extragalactic background light (E.B.L.) is 2.2 ± 0.8 nW m -2 sr -1. This energy density is as high as 60% (30%) of the one produced by the 60 times more numerous galaxies detected in the HDFN in the B 450-band (I 814-band) down to AB = 29. The ratio of the energy radiated by luminous infrared galaxies at 15 μm over that radiated by all types of galaxies in the optical was therefore two orders of magnitude higher at z ∼ 0.8 than today. Depending on their spectral energy distribution, these galaxies must produce more than 30% of the 140 μm EBL, where the cosmic infrared background peaks. Hence, they produce a significant fraction of the overall energy radiated by galaxies during the hubble time, may it be due to nucleosynthesis or to accretion around a black hole.
A micromachined condenser hydrophone

A micromachined, fluid-filled condenser hydrophone has been developed for underwater acoustic sensing. This device is under 1 mm in size, yet test results have demonstrated open circuit sensitivity of -206 dB ref. 1V/ mu Pa at 2 kHz, comparable to ferroelectric sensors orders of magnitude larger. The theory, fabrication and performance of the device are discussed. >
Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science: Trust and Social Exchange

Trust and its complement, trustworthiness, are key concepts in political science. Trust is seen as critical for the existence of stable political institutions, as well as for the formation of social capital and civic engagement (Putnam 1993, 2000; Stolle 1998). It also serves as a social lubricant that reduces the cost of exchange, whether in reaching political compromise (Fenno 1978; Bianco 1994) or in daily market and nonmarket exchange (Lupia and McCubbins 1998; Sztompka 1999; Knight 2001). Researchers in this area face three key challenges. First, the concept of trust has been used in a multiplicity of ways, leaving its meaning unclear. Second, it is used to refer both to trust in government and trust among individuals (interpersonal trust). Third, it is sometimes seen as a cause and sometimes as an effect of effective political institutions, leaving the causal relationship between trust and institutions unclear. The definition of trust is muddied by the fact that two distinct research methods have been used to explore it. Early research treats trust as a perception of norms in a society, assessed using survey questions about the trustworthiness or fairness of others. For forty years, the General Social Survey (GSS), World Values Survey (WVS), and American National Election Studies (ANES) have relied on the same questions to evaluate trust. In contrast, recent research has turned to behavioral assessments of trust using incentivized, economics-style laboratory experiments; this work is the focus of this chapter.
Sobre la deducción de evidencia: estratificación en un barrio de la ciudad de México, 1777-1793

Este articulo se ocupa del problema de deducir informacion sobre cambios en la estratificacion, informacion que ilustra los patrones de competencia por los recursos en la ciudad de Mexico a fines del periodo colonial. La metodologia que aqui se examina es otro paso hacia la resolucion de las significativas interrogantes en torno a la relacion entre las reformas del siglo XVIII y los procesos politicos del XIX.
Effects of androgens on gene expression in muscle 428

The mechanism by which androgens increase muscle mass in animals and in man is unclear. We investigated the effect of androgen on expression of IGF-1, MyoD, myogenin, and androgen receptor (AR) in cultured rodent C2C12 myoblasts. Differentiation of cells was induced by changing culture medium to lower fetal bovine serum concentration after 24 hours (2% vs. standard 10%). Morphological characteristics on light microscopy served to identify differentiated cells. Undifferentiated and differentiated cells were treated with dihydrotestosterone, DHT (10-100 nM) for 48 hours. RNA was extracted and radiolabeled RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of various genes. Samples from cells not exposed to androgen served as controls, and apparent gene expression was compared by densitometry. There was no effect of androgens on expression of the myogenic factors IGF-I, MyoD1, and myogenin in either differentiated or undifferentiated myocytes with the DHT regimens used. AR was expressed in cultured muscle cells, with increased expression seen in differentiated C2C12 cells in the basal state. DHT treatment resulted in down-regulation of AR in undifferentiated cells. AR expression was also detected in adult murine skeletal muscle. Dystrophic (dy) murine muscle had approximately 3-5 fold lower AR expression compared to that of control mice, despite equal endogenous circulating testosterone levels. We speculate that deficient androgenic activity in dy muscle, contributes to muscle wasting. We conclude that androgens act via the androgen receptor to promote myoblast differentiation. The genes which mediate this process may not include IGF-1, MyoD, or myogenin.Partial grant support provided by Genentech Foundation and by E. Lilly Co.
Intellectual, Cognitive, and Academic Performance Among Sons of Alcoholics During the Early School Years: Differences Related to Subtypes of Familial Alcoholism

Background: Research on intellectual and cognitive functioning of children of alcoholics has been marked by inconsistency, with some studies unable to document deficits. This discrepancy may reflect the substantial heterogeneity found in the alcoholic population and among families of alcoholics. The current study sought to examine the effects of familial alcoholism subtypes on intellectual, cognitive, and academic performance in early school-aged sons of alcoholics. Methods: Subjects for the present study were 198 elementary-age boys who were participants in the larger MSU-UM Longitudinal Study. Familial alcoholism subtypes were determined based on fathers' alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder diagnoses. Intellectual functioning was measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R); academic achievement was measured with the Wide Range Achievement Test–Revised. In addition, Mazes and Freedom from Distractability factor scores of the WISC-R were used to assess abstract planning and attention abilities. Results: Children of antisocial alcoholics (AALs) displayed the worst IQ and academic achievement compared with children of nonantisocial alcoholics (NAALs) and controls. In addition, children of AALs displayed relatively poorer abstract planning and attention abilities compared with children from control families. Regression analyses revealed that familial alcoholism subtype continued to account for variance in child intellectual ability even when other factors were excluded. Conclusions: Findings indicate that children from AAL families are most susceptible to relative intellectual, cognitive, and academic deficits. The study further supports the proposition that familial risk characteristics (i.e., paternal alcoholism and antisociality) may serve as effective indicators of family risk for poor intellectual outcome among offspring as early as the elementary school years.
Mustard Inactivated Rabies Vaccine

SummaryThe above work shows that mustard gas added to brain suspensions from animals infected with fixed virus gives a vaccine which by the method of testing used is better than that produced when the same brains are inactivated with phenol, about equal to that when the inactivation is by ultraviolet light, and almost as good as active fixed virus. The vaccine is very stable at refrigerator temperatures, and the method of preparation is simple and requires no unusual laboratory equipment.
After motes and multihop: Mobile phones and the global mobile sensor network

Technological advances in sensing, computation, storage, and communications will turn the ubiquitous mobile phone into a global mobile sensing device carried by billions of people world-wide. Sensing will be people- centric, enabling a different way to sense, learn, visualize, and share information about ourselves, friends, communities, the way we live, and the world we live in. People-centric sensing juxtaposes the traditional view of small-scale, mote-based sensor networks with one in which people, carrying sensor-enabled mobile phones, enable opportunistic sensing coverage - ultimately, leading to the dawn of a global mobile sensor network. In the MetroSense Project's vision of people-centric sensing, users are the key architectural system component, enabling a host of new application areas such as personal, public, and social sensing.
Regulation of Thyrotropin Secretion in Rats Bearing the Walker 256 Carcinoma

Previous studies have shown that rats bearing transplantable Walker 256 carcinoma in the thigh have decreased serum total and free T4 and T3 concentrations as well as a decrease in the concentration of hepatic nuclear T3 receptors. Despite these findings, the tumor-bearing (T) rats appeared euthyroid, since the serum TSH concentration remained unchanged, and the induction of the thyroid hormone-sensitive hepatic enzymes a-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme appeared normal. To evaluate the mechanisms whereby serum TSH was maintained in the normal range in T rats in association with decreased serum T4 and T3 concentrations, we studied the regulation of TSH secretion in groups of control (C) and T rats. The pituitary TSH contents were similar in the two groups of animals, and an iv injection of TRH (5 μg/100 g BW) resulted in a 10-fold increase in plasma TSH concentrations in the control group 15 min after injection. The TSH concentrations achieved after TRH injection were significantly greater ...
Toxicity of triamcinolone acetonide on retinal neurosensory and pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE To study the toxicity of triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog; Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Princeton, NJ) on retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) and retinal neurosensory (R28) cells. METHODS ARPE-19 and R28 were grown in tissue culture in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Cells were treated with 50, 100, and 200 microg/mL concentration of triamcinolone acetonide for 2, 6, and 24 hours. The cells were also treated with the steroid without the vehicle and with the vehicle alone, in which triamcinolone acetonide was suspended. Toxicity was determined by trypan blue dye-exclusion and WST-1 mitochondrial dehydrogenase assays. RESULTS Vehicle alone did not reduce the viability of ARPE-19 or R28 cells and also did not affect the mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity of the cells. The mean cell viability of ARPE-19 and R28 cells after exposure to triamcinolone acetonide with vehicle 200 microg/mL for 24 hours was 70.7% +/- 10.61% and 75.35% +/- 12.42%, respectively compared with the untreated ARPE-19 (92.7% +/- 6.24%, P < 0.01) and R28 cells (90.63% +/- 5.62%, P < 0.001). The mean cell viability of ARPE-19 cells after exposure to triamcinolone acetonide (200 microg/mL) alone without the vehicle was 84.96% +/- 0.32%, 85.2% +/- 3.26%, and 84.73% +/- 2.71% at 2, 6, and 24 hours, respectively, compared with the untreated ARPE-19 cells (P < 0.001). The R28 cells exposed to triamcinolone acetonide (200 microg/mL) without the vehicle also had a significant reduction in the mean cell viability at 24 hours (86.42% +/- 3.87%, P < 0.001) and 6 hours (89.03% +/- 1.01%, P < 0.01). There was a significant reduction in the mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity in the ARPE-19 cells when treated with both triamcinolone acetonide, with or without the vehicle at a concentration of 200 microg/mL at all time points (P < 0.01). R28 cells did not have any significant reduction in mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity when treated with triamcinolone acetonide without the vehicle at any of the doses, but there was a significant reduction when the R28 cells were treated with triamcinolone acetonide with vehicle (200 microg/mL) for 24 hours (P < 0.05). Triamcinolone acetonide with vehicle caused a greater reduction in cell viability and mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity than did triamcinolone without vehicle, in both cell lines, although the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Triamcinolone acetonide is toxic to proliferating cells of retinal origin in vitro at doses normally used in clinical practice. The vehicle by itself appears to be nontoxic to the cells, but may have a potentiating effect on the cytotoxicity of triamcinolone acetonide. The results of this in vitro study cannot be directly extrapolated to clinical practice, but, based on these data, further studies may be warranted.
Rates of decay to equilibria for p-Laplacian type equations

Abstract The long-time asymptotics for p -Laplacian type equations ρ t = Δ p ρ m = div ( | ∇ ρ m | p − 2 ∇ ρ m ) in R n is studied for p > 1 and m ≥ n − p + 1 n ( p − 1 ) . The non-negative solutions of the equations are shown to behave asymptotically, as t → ∞ , like Barenblatt type solutions, and the explicit rates of decay are established for the convergence of the relative energy, the convergence with respect to the Wasserstein distances and the convergence with respect to the L 1 -norm. The rates are proved to be optimal for p = 2 . The method used is based on mass transportation inequalities.
On the mechanisms of flame propagation limits and extinguishment-processes at microgravity

Microgravity (μg) experiments are employed to study the behavior of freely propagating spherically expanding premixed gas flames near the flammability limit in the absence of flow induced by natural convection. Temporally and spatially resolved temperature measurements in near-limit normal flames and Self-Extinguishing Flames at μg are obtained. From comparison of these data to a simple numerical model, it is determined that the primary mechanism of heat loss from these flames is by nonluminous radiation from the burned gases. Based on comparison with existing theories of flammability limits it is found that some of the experimentally observed limits are probably cuased by these heat losses. A simple theory of nonadiabatic propagation of curved flame fronts with general Lewis number is found to describe many of the features of the μg (convection-free) flammability limits and extinguishment processes.
Home Range of Small Mammals: A Reliable Estimate

A method for estimating the probability of an animal being in a particular region of the home range is discussed. Data for Perognathus longimembris (Coues) were used to illustrate the use of this method and were transform ed with r ′ = ( r λ − 1)/λ. One-sided tolerance limits were used to assert degrees of confidence γ that given percentages of the recaptures will be within specified distances from the estimated activity center.
Transfer of Responsibility in Parent–Child Play During the Second Year

The purpose of the present study was to examine changes in parental support for play during the toddler's second year. Thirty toddlers and their parents were observed when the toddlers were 13,14,20 and 21 months of age. Parents' production of facilitating behaviours and exploratory play increased over time, whereas their production of combinatorial, symbolic and sequential play decreased. Correlational and sequential analyses indicated that, at the early visits, parents responded to their toddlers' combinatorial and symbolic play with similar types of play, whereas at the later visits, only symbolic play was followed by comparable actions. Sensitive parents ‘transfer responsibility’ for play actions as they believe their toddlers become more competent. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crystal Structures of Mixed-Conducting Oxides Present in The Sr-Fe-Co-O System

The potential applications of mixed-conducting ceramic oxides include solid-oxide fuel cells, rechargeable batteries, gas sensors and oxygen-permeable membranes. Several perovskite-derived mixed Sr-Fe-Co oxides show not only high electrical-conductivity but also appreciable oxygen-permeability at elevated temperatures. For example, dense ceramic membranes of SrFeCo{sub 0.5}O{sub 3{minus}{delta}} can be used to separate oxygen from air without the need for external electrical circuitry. The separated oxygen can be directly used for the partial oxidation of methane to produce syngas. Quantitative phase analysis of the SrFeCo{sub 0.5}O{sub 3{minus}{delta}} material has revealed that it is predominantly composed of two Sr-Fe-Co-O systems, Sr{sub 4}Fe{sub 6{minus}x}Co{sub x}O{sub 13} and SrFe{sub 1{minus}x}Co{sub x}O{sub 3{minus}{delta}}. Here we report preliminary structural findings on the SrFe{sub 1{minus}x}Co{sub x}O{sub 3{minus}{delta}} (0 {le} x {le} 0.3) system.
Scytonemin-imine, a mahogany-colored UV/Vis sunscreen of cyanobacteria exposed to intense solar radiation

Abstract We report the structure of a novel sunscreen based on the scytoneman skeleton. This pigment, scytonemin-3a-imine, was isolated from cultures of the cyanobacterium, Scytonema hoffmani , only when grown under high to intense (300–1500+ μmol quanta m −2 s −1 ) light conditions, with or without added UVR (ultraviolet radiation). It was also isolated from samples of natural cyanobacterial mats growing in shallow/short hydroperiod fresh water (Florida Everglades), soils (Loxahatchee, Florida) and saline cyanobacterial mats (Eleuthera, The Bahamas). These natural samples were all growing under intense (e.g. > 1500 μmol quanta m −2 s −1 ) light conditions. Scytonemin-3a-imine may eventually become a biomarker for such biota. Characterization included UV/Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS and MS n ), and both 1- and 2-D 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. Derivatization (NaBH 4 reduction, acetylation, deuterium exchange) were utilized to confirm structural features. The UV/Vis spectrum had maxima at 237, 366, 437 and 564 nm. The absorption of UVR is in line with other scytoneman-based pigments. The strong visible absorption bands (437 and 564 nm) indicate an alternate or additional physiological role for the pigment. We propose that it may protect both the chlorophyll reaction centers and the cytochromes from excess radiation. We speculate that excitation of the cytochromes, potentially leading to excess electron transport, or photo-oxidative destruction of the cytochromes, may enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.
Making the area agencies on aging work: the role of information.

Abstract Under Title III of the 1973 Older Americans Act over 500 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) have been established for the purpose of planning and coordinating services for the elderly. Critics claim the AAA's are doomed to failure because they do not control the budgets for services for the elderly. We show that a more crucial factor is meaningful planning information and demonstrate that AAA's can be effective as planning and coordinating agencies by operating as centers of information and analysis, either with or without budget control.
Role of macrophyte Typha latifolia in a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment and assessment of its potential as a biomass fuel.

In the last decade, constructed wetlands have been gaining in popularity as a reduced cost and low maintenance technology for treating wastewater from small urbanised areas. In these wetlands at the same time that pollutant removal from wastewater occurs, great quantities of biomass are produced. As according to some authors, plants must be harvested for the most effective removal of pollutants, large amount of biomass would be available for different uses. Although different solutions have been proposed (to transform it into compost or feed supplements for animals), the biomass potential for fuel production has been neglected. Therefore, the objectives of this work were focused to the study of the suitability of the macrophyte Typha latifolia produced in a wetland as a fuel. Main goals were: (1) to assess the role of the macrophyte, in the removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen, phosphorous and pathogens from raw municipal wastewater; and (2) to determine the thermochemical characterisation of the biomass produced in order to examine the suitability of the biomass as a fuel. The constructed wetland consisted of two beds, of 40 m 2 each with gravel as the supporting medium. The hydraulic application rate was 50 mm day −1 . One of the beds was planted with cattail ( Typha latifolia ) and the other one was used as an unplanted control bed. With regard to wastewater treatment efficacy, the results obtained agree with the important role of macrophytes for maintaining the wetlands treatment capability, particularly for systems with high organic matter and ammonia-N content. Due to the high biomass yields obtained in the planted bed, and to the thermal behaviour of both cattail biomass and their ash, the utilisation of cattail biomass as fuel in thermochemical processes could be recommended.
A mechanism for keeping mutations in check.

Abstract The two mechanisms that had been proposed to explain the production of the class of point mutations designated as transitions would appear to produce more mutations than are actually observed. It is hypothesized that the DNA polymerase enzymes may have certain special properties that reduce the number of mutations from those anticipated from the tautomerization and ionization properties of the purine and pyrimidine compounds. The special feature of the enzyme would be a separate (allosteric) site which must bind the purine-pyrimidine base pair in order for the catalytic polymerization to take place. The consequences of the model are discussed. It appears reasonable that such a mechanism would largely or completely eliminate mutations arising from ionization, and might well largely eliminate mutations resulting from spontaneous tautomerization.
Prevention of Stone Formation and Bone Loss In Absorptive Hypercalciuria by Combined Dietary and Pharmacological Interventions

ABSTRACTPurpose: We determined whether dietary restriction of calcium and oxalate, combined with thiazide and potassium citrate treatment, would prevent stone formation and avert bone loss in 18 men and 10 women with type I absorptive hypercalciuria.Materials and Methods: Patients were treated with thiazide (20) or indapamide (8) and potassium citrate (average dose 35 mEq. daily) for 1 to 11 years (mean 3.7) while maintained on low calcium oxalate diet. Serum and urinary chemistry studies and bone mineral density were measured at baseline and at the end of treatment. New stones formed were quantitated during 3 years before and during treatment.Results: During treatment urinary calcium significantly decreased (346 ± 85 to 248 ± 79 mg. daily, p <0.001) but urinary oxalate did not change. Urinary pH and citrate significantly increased, and urinary saturation of calcium oxalate significantly decreased by 46%. Stone formation rate decreased significantly from 2.94 to 0.05 per year (p <0.001). L2-L4 bone minera...
Transforming growth factor-beta signaling network regulates plasticity and lineage commitment of lung cancer cells

Identification of target cells in lung tumorigenesis and characterization of the signals that control their behavior is an important step toward improving early cancer diagnosis and predicting tumor behavior. We identified a population of cells in the adult lung that bear the EpCAM+CD104+CD49f+CD44+CD24loSCA1+ phenotype and can be clonally expanded in culture, consistent with the properties of early progenitor cells. We show that these cells, rather than being restricted to one tumor type, can give rise to several different types of cancer, including adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. We further demonstrate that these cells can be converted from one cancer type to the other, and this plasticity is determined by their responsiveness to transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling. Our data establish a mechanistic link between TGF-beta signaling and SOX2 expression, and identify the TGF-beta/SMAD/SOX2 signaling network as a key regulator of lineage commitment and differentiation of lung cancer cells.
Can radionuclide imaging predict future response to stem cell therapy

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of morbidity and death worldwide. Because the ischemic attack severely limits the ability of surviving cardiac cells to proliferate, the damaged heart becomes susceptible to unfavorable remodeling processes and morbid sequelae such as heart failure. For now, orthotopic heart transplantation and left ventricular assist devices are the only viable treatment options for end-stage heart failure patients. Given the persistent shortage of donor heart organs and the frequent infection risks associated with assist devices, stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising candidate for treating ischemic heart disease because it provides a virtually unlimited source of cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and other differentiated cell types to be used in all stages of cardiac repair.
Development of a Practical Broadband Active Vibration Control System

The goal of this work is to develop robust, lightweight, and low-power control units that can be used to suppress structural vibration in flexible aerospace structures. In particular, this paper focuses on active damping, which is implemented using compact decentralized control units distributed over the structure. Each control unit consists of a diamond-shaped piezoelectric patch actuator, three miniature accelerometers, and analog electronics. The responses from the accelerometers are added together and then integrated to give a signal proportional to velocity. The signal is then inverted, amplified, and applied to the actuator, which generates a control force that is out of phase with the measured velocity. This paper describes the development of the control system, including a detailed description of the control and power electronics. The paper also presents experimental results acquired on a Plexiglas window blank. Five identical control units installed around the perimeter of the window achieved 10 dB peak reductions and a 2.4 dB integrated reduction of the spatially averaged velocity of the window between 500 and 3000 Hz.
The protestant work ethic and type A behaviour : overlap or orthogonality?

Abstract This investigation explored the conceptual and empirical linkages between the Protestant work ethic (PWE) and the Type A behaviour pattern (TABP). Considering the apparent similarities between these work-related variables, surprisingly little is known about the relationship between them. In one sample ( N = 214), a global Type A measure correlated significantly but weakly with the PWE, while in another ( N = 136) the nature of the PWE-TABP relationship depended on the particular TABP subscale under consideration; i.e. near-zero for “impatience-irritability” but positive for “achievement strivngs”. These findings are consistent with the earlier work of Furnham ( Psychological Reports, 66 , 323–328, 1990). Additional analysis suggests, however, that the overlap between these variables is attributable to the influence of the need for achievement. When the effects of this third variable are held constant, the PWE is orthogonal to the TABP.
Balance, attention, and dual-task performance during walking after brain injury: associations with falls history.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between balance, attention, and dual-task performance in individuals with acquired brain injury. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Rehabilitation center and supported living program. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four individuals aged 18 to 58 years (mean = 39 years) with acquired brain injury who were able to ambulate 40 ft with (29%) or without an assistive device. Fifty-eight percent were independent community ambulators. Fifty-four percent had fallen in the past 6 months; and 42% reported feeling unsteady with standing or walking. INTERVENTIONS: Participants completed a battery of balance, attention, and dual-task assessments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Balance: Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Four Square Step Test (FSST), High Level Mobility Assessment Test (HiMAT); Attention: Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Moss Attention Rating Scale (MARS), modified for a single test session; and a walking dual-task assessment, the Walking and Remembering Test. RESULTS: Mean scores: BBS, 48 of 56; FSST, 19.6 seconds; HiMAT, 20 of 54; SDMT, 30 correct; and MARS, 80. Dual-task costs were observed with variable patterns across subjects: 48% demonstrated primarily motor slowing, 9% had reduced cognitive accuracy without motor slowing, and 35% demonstrated decrements in both tasks. Subjects with a falls history had more impaired balance (HiMAT, BBS, and FSST, all P Language: en
Robust improvement schemes for road networks under demand uncertainty

Abstract This paper is concerned with development of improvement schemes for road networks under future travel demand uncertainty. Three optimization models, sensitivity-based, scenario-based and min–max, are proposed for determining robust optimal improvement schemes that make system performance insensitive to realizations of uncertain demands or allow the system to perform better against the worst-case demand scenario. Numerical examples and simulation tests are presented to demonstrate and validate the proposed models.
Speaker recognition using neural networks and conventional classifiers

An evaluation of various classifiers for text-independent speaker recognition is presented. In addition, a new classifier is examined for this application. The new classifier is called the modified neural tree network (MNTN). The MNTN is a hierarchical classifier that combines the properties of decision trees and feedforward neural networks. The MNTN differs from the standard NTN in both the new learning rule used and the pruning criteria. The MNTN is evaluated for several speaker recognition experiments. These include closed- and open-set speaker identification and speaker verification. The database used is a subset of the TIMIT database consisting of 38 speakers from the same dialect region. The MNTN is compared with nearest neighbor classifiers, full-search, and tree-structured vector quantization (VQ) classifiers, multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), and decision trees. For closed-set speaker identification experiments, the full-search VQ classifier and MNTN demonstrate comparable performance. Both methods perform significantly better than the other classifiers for this task. The MNTN and full-search VQ classifiers are also compared for several speaker verification and open-set speaker-identification experiments. The MNTN is found to perform better than full-search VQ classifiers for both of these applications. In addition to matching or exceeding the performance of the VQ classifier for these applications, the MNTN also provides a logarithmic saving for retrieval. >
Get aboard the B-BOAT: (Biomechanically Based Observation and Analysis for Teachers)

(1996). Get aboard the B-BOAT: (Biomechanically Based Observation and Analysis for Teachers) Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 67, No. 8, pp. 20-23.
Inhibition of Rho pathways induces radiosensitization and oxygenation in human glioblastoma xenografts

We previously demonstrated in vitro that inhibiting the biological pathways of the small GTPase Rho radiosensitizes the human glioma U87 cell line. The aim of this study was to determine if Rho might be involved in the control of in vivo radiosensitivity altogether by controlling cellular radioresistance and by modifying tumor microenvironment. We demonstrate here that the in vivo induction of the dominant negative of Rho, RhoBN19, in U87 xenografts induces a significant decrease of tumor cell survival after irradiation more important than the one we previously observed in vitro. This in vivo increased effect of RhoBN19 expression is due to the improvement of the tumor oxygenation associated with a significant decrease of the vessel density and of the metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) expression. Moreover, in vitro RhoBN19 expression in U87 cells leads to the inhibition of MMP2 activity. Our results demonstrate for the first time that inhibiting Rho pathways modifies the in vivo radiosensitivity of human glioma cells by controlling intrinsic radioresistance, hypoxia and angiogenesis. These data strongly suggest that Rho should be a major determinant of cellular resistance to ionizing radiation.
Excess Mortality in Critically III Patients with Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections

To determine the excess mortality attributable to hospital-acquired bloodstream infections, we applied the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II classification to 34 critically ill patients with this complication. The study included primary bloodstream infections, defined by a positive blood culture at least three days after hospitalization, in the absence of any other apparent source of infection. The most frequent blood isolates included Staphylococcus aureus (39 percent), Gram-negative rods (24 percent), and Candida albicans (15 percent); the spectrum of blood isolates suggested that most infections were related to intravascular catheters. In a control group of intensive care unit patients (n=384), the death rate predicted by APACHE II was similar to the observed death rate (35.3 vs 37.8 percent). In a subgroup of control patients (n=34), chosen for APACHE II scores that matched the patients with bloodstream infections, predicted and observed death rates were also similar (53.1 vs 52.9 percent). For patients with bloodstream infections, however, observed mortality (82.4 percent) significantly exceeded the predicted value (54.1 percent, p=0.025). We conclude that critically ill patients who develop nosocomial bloodstream infections are at greater risk of death than patients with comparable severity of illness without this complication. The difference between the observed and predicted death rates, 28 percent, represents the excess mortality associated with bloodstream infection in critically ill patients.
Spectral analyses of high-frequency pn and sn phases observed at great distances in the Western pacific.

Both Pn, and Sn, phases recorded at distances greater than 3000 kilometers in the western Pacific have substantial amounts of energy at high frequencies, in sorne instances as high as 12 hertz for Pn and 15 hertz for Sn, A comparison of Pn and Sn spectra reveals generally higher energy levels and higher proportions of high-frequency to low-frequency energy for Sn than for Pn. Estimates of the effective quality factor, Q, indicate that the efficiency of Sn propagation may be two or three times that of Pn. First arrivals of Pn and Sn have apparent velocities in agreement with values for the uppermost mantle, whereas maximum-energy arrivals have apparent velocities in agreement with values for the lower crust.
Strain energy release rate calculation for a moving delamination front of arbitrary shape based on the virtual crack closure technique. Part I: Formulation and validation

This paper proposes a simple, efficient algorithm to trace a moving delamination front with an arbitrary and changing shape so that delamination growth can be analyzed by using stationary meshes. Based on the algorithm, a delamination front can be defined by two vectors that pass through any point on the front. The normal vector and the tangent vector for the local coordinate system can then be obtained based on the two delamination front vectors. An important feature of this approach is that it does not require the use of meshes that are orthogonal to the delaminations front. Therefore, the approach avoids adaptive re-meshing techniques that may create a large computational burden in delamination growth analysis. An interface element that can trace the instantaneous delamination front, determine the local coordinate system, approximate strain energy release rate components and apply fracture mechanics criteria has been developed and implemented into ABAQUS® with its user-defined element (UEL) feature. In this Part I of a two-part paper, the approach and its implementation are described and validated by comparison to results from existing cases having analytical solutions or other established FEA predictions.