cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of testing DNA repair inhibitors for mutagenicity by a simple method.

Abstract A simple screening methodology for the determination of mutagenicity of DNA repair inhibitors has been tested in this laboratory. Radiation-resistant E. coli B/r and WP2 hcr + and hcr − are suitable strains for mutagenicity testing. In these strains irradiated with 40–60 ergs/mm 2 , chemicals which interfere with repair of ultraviolet-induced pre-mutational lesions can be shown to enhance significantly the frequency of mutations to streptomycin resistance. This phenomenon is termed “mutational synergism” [18,20]. We have attempted to apply the procedure for securing data for “mutational synergism” between ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a number of antimalarial drugs including quinine hydrochloride (50 μg/ml), quinine hydrobromide (50 μg/ml), primaquine diphosphate (50 μg/ml), chloroquine (50 μg/ml), quinine (50 μg/ml) and quinacrine dihydrochloride (25 μg/ml). All drugs tested give synergistic effects with UV light. The synergistic activity ranges from 3- to 35-fold. Quinine and quinacrine dihydrochloride have been found to be much more efficient enhancers of the mutagenic effect of UV than caffeine. In general, we have found that the expression of synergistic action occurs at a concentration well below the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) with the drugs tested. The implication of these observations in the establishment of a screening method for the evaluation of the mutagenicity of DNA repair inhibitors is discussed.
Use of the discrete maximum principle in finite-element analysis of combined conduction and radiation in nonparticipating media

Since closed-form solutions are virtually nonexistent, the finite-element method (FEM) is frequently used to solve the combined conduction and radiation problem in nonparticipating media. In this article a Gakerkin finite-element formulation is developed for the problem. However, under certain conditions, usually when the radiative component dominates the conduction component, the finite-element solutions generated by this formulation display anomalous behaviors associated with a violation of the discrete maximum principle (DMP). In this article the DMP is used as a guideline to improve the finite-element results, and the effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through some examples.
Soil CO2 production in upland tundra where permafrost is thawing

[1] Permafrost soils store nearly half of global soil carbon (C), and therefore permafrost thawing could lead to large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions via decomposition of soil organic matter. When ice-rich permafrost thaws, it creates a localized surface subsidence called thermokarst terrain, which changes the soil microenvironment. We used soil profile CO2 measurements to understand the response of belowground C emissions for different soil depths from upland tundra as a result of permafrost thaw and thermokarst development. We established sites in central Alaska, where permafrost thaw and thermokarst development had been monitored for the past 2 decades. Cumulative growing season CO2 production averaged for 3 years (2005–2007) ranged from 177 to 270 g CO2-C m−2 and was lowest in the least disturbed moist acidic tundra and highest where thawing of permafrost and thermokarst was most pronounced. We were able to explain 55% of variability in growing season soil CO2 production using surface subsidence, soil temperature, and site differences. This was likely a direct effect of permafrost thaw and thermokarst development and an indirect effect of changes in microsite soil temperature and surface moisture content, which stimulated soil organic matter decomposition and root respiration. We also observed unusually high CO2 concentrations in the early growing season, which may be attributable to trapped CO2 within air pockets in the frozen soil. Taken together, these results supported the projection that permafrost thaw and thermokarst development will increase belowground carbon emissions in the upland tundra.
Precise wavelength measurements and optical phase shifts. I. General theory

The measurement of wavelengths is subject to systematic errors caused by phase shifts on reflection. This paper gives methods for calculating these phase shifts for metallic and dielectric mirrors from knowledge of the easily obtained reflectivity or transmission spectrum. The Kramers–Kronig relations, as originated by H. W. Bode [ Network Analysis and Feedback Amplifier Design ( Van Nostrand, Princeton, N.J., 1945)], apply to dielectric and metallic-mirrors in many cases. The success of metallic surfaces for interferometry is a direct consequence of the Kramers–Kronig relations. A specific example of a phase-shift calculation for a multilayer-dielectric-coated mirror is given.
Solution [Cu(amm)]2+ is a strongly solvated square pyramid: a full account of the copper K-edge XAS spectrum within single-electron theory.

The solution structure of Cu(II) in 4 M aqueous ammonia, [Cu(amm)]2+, was assessed using copper K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and Minuit XANes (MXAN) analyses. Tested structures included trigonal planar, planar and D2d-tetragonal, regular and distorted square pyramids, trigonal bipyramids, and Jahn−Teller distorted octahedra. Each approach converged to the same axially elongated square pyramid, 4 × Cu−Neq = 2.00 ± 0.02 A and 1 × Cu−Nax=2.16 ± 0.02 A (EXAFS) or 2.20 ± 0.07 A (MXAN), with strongly localized solvation shells. In the MXAN model, four equatorial ammonias averaged 13° below the Cu(II) xy-plane, which was 0.45 ± 0.1 A above the mean N4 plane. When the axial ligand equilibrium partial occupancies of about 0.65 ammonia and 0.35 water were included, EXAFS modeling found Cu−Lax distances of 2.16 and 2.31 A, respectively, reproducing the distances found in the crystal structures of [Cu(NH3)5]2+ and [Cu(NH3)4(H2O)]2+. A transverse axially localized solvent molecule was found ...
Agranulocytose als Vergiftungsfolge. (Pyramidon, Cibalgin, Veramon, Allonal, Novalgin.)

Es wurde ausfuhrlich uber einen Fall von Agr. resp. agranulocytarem Syndrom nach Pyramidonmedikation berichtet, bei dem im Stadium der Heilung durch zweimalige Pyramidonverabreichung, eine deutliche Granulocytopenie experimentell verursacht werden konnte. Ferner wurde uber funf Agranulocytosen berichtet, bei denen mit groster Wahrscheinlichkeit pyramidonhaltige Medikamente resp. Novalgin als Ursache angesehen werden mussen.
The Contribution of Couple Leisure Involvement, Leisure Time, and Leisure Satisfaction to Marital Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to further clarify the relationship between couple leisure patterns and marital satisfaction by examining the contribution of joint couple leisure involvement, leisure time, and leisure satisfaction to couples' satisfaction with married life. The sample consisted of 48 married couples (N = 96). The Marital Activity Profile (MAP), a modified version of the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) was used to determine couple leisure involvement in core and balance leisure activities and leisure satisfaction. The Satisfaction With Married Life (SWML), a modified version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was used to measure marital satisfaction. Blocked multiple regression analyses indicated a positive relationship between satisfaction with couple leisure and marital satisfaction, specifically satisfaction with core leisure activity patterns. Implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.
Study of artificial interfaces in undoped and phosphorus doped a-Si:H

Abstract The effect of artificial interfaces, produced by interrupting the glow discharge deposition of a-Si:H films, on the electrical characteristics of doped and undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon(a-Si:H) has been studied. No differences in H content, electrical characteristics, and defect density between solid films and multilayers having interfaces have been observed contrary to reports by others. Possible connection of the plasma reactor with the absence of plasma transients is discussed.
Seasonal Occurrence of Cownose Rays ( Rhinoptera bonasus ) in North Carolina’s Estuarine and Coastal Waters

The seasonal occurrence of cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) within North Carolina’s estuarine and coastal waters was examined from aerial surveys conducted during 2004–2006. Generalized linear models were used to assess the influence of several variables (month, year, habitat type, sea surface temperature, and turbidity) on predicted counts of cownose rays. The spatial distributions of rays were compared by season, and differences in group size were tested as a function of season and habitat. Cownose ray data associated with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) fishery independent gill net sampling program in Pamlico Sound was also examined as a function of season and year, and compared with aerial observations. Rays immigrated into the region in mid-spring (April), dispersed throughout the estuary in the summer (June–August), and emigrated by late autumn (November). Predicted counts were highest in the spring (April, May) and autumn (September–November) for coastal habitats and highest in the summer for estuarine habitats. Predicted counts were also higher in the coastal region than estuarine and higher when sea surface temperatures were above average. Comparison of group size by habitat type revealed substantially larger group sizes in the coastal habitat than the estuarine. In addition, for the estuary, spring surveys had larger group sizes than summer surveys; for the coastal habitat, autumn group sizes were significantly larger than spring or summer group sizes. The NCDMF gill net sampling surveys indicated similar trends in monthly migration patterns as well as increased ray abundance in 2008 and 2009 compared with 2003–2007. These results suggest that North Carolina’s waters serve as important habitat during the seasonal migration of cownose rays, as well as during the summer when the species may utilize the estuarine region as a nursery and/or for foraging.
Photon production from hot hadronic matter

Thermal photon emission rates from hot hadronic matter are studied to order e2g4, where g indicates a strong-interaction coupling constant. Such mechanisms as radiative decay of mesons, Compton and annihilation processes for hadrons and bremsstrahlung reactions are all considered. Compared to the standard rates from the literature, one finds two orders of magnitude increase for low photon energies stemming mainly from bremsstrahlung and then a modest increase (factor of two) for intermediate and high energy photons owing to radiative decays of a variety of mesons and from other reactions involving strangeness. These results could have important consequences for electromagnetic radiation studies at RHIC.
In the comfort of secrecy

(1999). In the comfort of secrecy. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 55, No. 6, pp. 52-57.
A multifunctional amphiphilic polymer as a platform for surface-functionalizing metallic and other inorganic nanostructures

We designed a new set of polymer ligands that combine multiple metal-coordinating groups and short polyethylene glycol (PEG) moieties in the same structure. The ligand design relies on the controlled grafting of a large number of amine-terminated histamines and PEG short chains onto a poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) backbone, via a one-step nucleophilic addition reaction. This addition reaction is highly efficient, can be carried out in organic media and does not require additional reagents. We show that when imidazole groups are used the resulting polymer ligand can strongly ligate onto metal nanostructures such as nanoparticles (NPs) and nanorods (NRs) made of gold cores. The resulting polymer-coated NPs and NRs exhibit good colloidal stability to pH changes and added electrolytes. This constitutes a departure from the use of thiol-based ligands to coordinate on Au surfaces. The present chemical approach also opens up additional opportunities for designing hydrophilic and reactive platforms where the polymer coating can be adjusted to various metal and metal oxide surfaces by simply modifying or combining the addition reaction with other metal coordinating groups. These could include iron oxide NPs and semiconductor QDs. These polymer-capped NPs and NRs can be used to develop biologically-active platforms with potential use for drug delivery and sensing.
Location of 3-hydroxyproline residues in collagen types I, II, III, and V/XI implies a role in fibril supramolecular assembly.

Collagen triple helices are stabilized by 4-hydroxyproline residues. No function is known for the much less common 3-hydroxyproline (3Hyp), although genetic defects inhibiting its formation cause recessive osteogenesis imperfecta. To help understand the pathogenesis, we used mass spectrometry to identify the sites and local sequence motifs of 3Hyp residues in fibril-forming collagens from normal human and bovine tissues. The results confirm a single, essentially fully occupied 3Hyp site (A1) at Pro986 in A-clade chains α1(I), α1(II), and α2(V). Two partially modified sites (A2 and A3) were found at Pro944 in α1(II) and α2(V) and Pro707 in α2(I) and α2(V), which differed from A1 in sequence motif. Significantly, the distance between sites 2 and 3, 237 residues, is close to the collagen D-period (234 residues). A search for additional D-periodic 3Hyp sites revealed a fourth site (A4) at Pro470 in α2(V), 237 residues N-terminal to site 3. In contrast, human and bovine type III collagen contained no 3Hyp at any site, despite a candidate proline residue and recognizable A1 sequence motif. A conserved histidine in mammalian α1(III) at A1 may have prevented 3-hydroxylation because this site in chicken type III was fully hydroxylated, and tyrosine replaced histidine. All three B-clade type V/XI collagen chains revealed the same three sites of 3Hyp but at different loci and sequence contexts from those in A-clade collagen chains. Two of these B-clade sites were spaced apart by 231 residues. From these and other observations we propose a fundamental role for 3Hyp residues in the ordered self-assembly of collagen supramolecular structures.
Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Fuchsia (Onagraceae) based on noncoding nuclear and chloroplast DNA data.

To examine relationships and test previous sectional delimitations within Fuchsia, this study used parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses with nuclear ITS and chloroplast trnL-F and rpl16 sequence data for 37 taxa representing all sections of Fuchsia and four outgroup taxa. Results support previous sectional delimitations, except for F. verrucosa, which is related to a Central American clade rather than to section Fuchsia and is described here as a new section Verrucosa. The basal relationships within Fuchsia are poorly resolved, suggesting an initial rapid diversification of the genus. Among the species sampled, there is strong support for a single South Pacific lineage, a southern South American/southern Brazilian lineage, a tropical Andean lineage, and one or two Central American and Mexican lineages. There is no clear support for an austral origin of the genus, as previously proposed, which is more consistent with Fuchsia’s sister group relationship with the boreal Circaea. An ultrametric molecular clock analysis (all minimal dates) places the split between Fuchsia and Circaea at 41 million years ago (mya), with the diversification of the modern-day lineages of Fuchsia beginning at 31 mya. The South Pacific Fuchsia lineage branches off around 30 mya, consistent with fossil records from Australia and New Zealand. The large Andean section Fuchsia began to diversify around 22 mya, preceded by the divergence of the Caribbean F. triphylla at 25 mya. The Brazilian members of section Quelusia separated from the southern Andean F. magellanica around 13 mya, and the ancestor of the Tahitian F. cyrtandroides split off from the New Zealand species of section Skinnera approximately 8 mya.
Government Surveillance and Political Participation on the Internet

Although more is probably known about the causes of political participation than any other political behavior, the research program suffers in that it generally assumes citizens operate within an unproblematic surveillance context. This article argues that the growing use of the Internet for political participation and the government's expanded electronic surveillance capacities make this assumption increasingly dubious. Drawing on Michel Foucault's insights concerning surveillance and resistance, this article develops empirical hypotheses related to surveillance and Internet political participation. Testing these hypotheses using data derived from a unique probability sample survey of U.S. Internet users, surveillance is shown to influence online political activity. Those who oppose the current administration, and who perceive the government monitors their Internet behavior, participate in politics online at the highest rates. Finally, the implications of these results are discussed.
The ER-Golgi v-SNARE Bet1p is required for cross-linking alpha-agglutinin to the cell wall in yeast.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell wall mannoproteins, including α-agglutinin, are secreted to the cell surface through vesicular transport pathways. At the cell surface the GPI anchors are cleaved within the glycan, then transglycosylated to form a covalent cross-link to 1,6-β-glucan. Among mutants that were temperature-sensitive for growth and for ability to cross-link the mannoprotein α-agglutinin to the cell wall, one strain was complemented by BET1, which encodes an ER-Golgi v-SNARE. Temperature-sensitive mutations in BET1 caused aberrations in cell wall structure, including excretion of α-agglutinin into the medium, sensitivity to lysis with Zymolyase and hypersensitivity to Calcofluor White. At restrictive temperatures, bet1 mutations block secretion of invertase and other proteins, but α-agglutinin was excreted into the extracellular medium. In wild-type parental or bet1 cells, secretion of α-agglutinin also continued after protein synthesis was blocked with cycloheximide. This secretion was due to continued export of a significant amount of α-agglutinin from compartments distal to the BET1-dependent secretion step. Thus, in bet1 cells the ER-Golgi block allowed secretion to continue, but prevented cell wall incorporation of the α-agglutinin. Therefore, a mutation early in the secretion pathway caused aberrant cell wall synthesis by preventing localization of key components required in wall cross-links.
Towards a control theory model of human target-directed movements

A stochastic multivariable closed-loop control model is presented to account for trends in the response trajectories of human target-directed movements. The stochastic model described is based on the optimal control model, which has been used successfully in modeling human tracking performance. Trends in the response trajectories of human movements are determined by a model representing the human's internal estimate of the target location. This representation is modeled as a Kalman estimator in which the target width and target distance determine the variances of the state and observation noise terms. Through model-matching exercises, agreement was found between the trends exhibited by subjects in mouse-positioning experiments and those produced by the model. >
Molecular Diagnosis of Hypercoagulable States

Several techniques exist for the molecular diagnosis of hypercoagulable states, included but not limited to these techniques are restricted fragment length polymorphism, polymerase chain reaction, and array technology. Due to the heterogeneity of mutations, it is currently not practical to test all genes that are responsible for defects in the coagulation pathway. This article gives a brief background on hypercoagulable states and the laboratory’s role in diagnosing them.
A functional approach to evaluating content knowledge and language development in ESL students’ science classification texts

This article investigates the use of a functional approach to discourse analysis – knowledge structure analysis, which focuses on meaning, form, and function simultaneously – to evaluate both writing development and content learning. The study examined written texts in science, produced by 35 ESL students in Canada in grades 8 to 10 with limited to intermediate English language proficiency, in which they constructed scientific classifications. By examining and comparing two pieces of writing produced by the same students on the same topic at different learning stages, the study reveals the progress they made in integrating language and content at the discourse level. It also raises new questions about the integration of language and content teaching in all subject areas.
Web‐Based Readiness Assessment Quizzes

Student readiness to fully participate in designed educational activities is often impeded by a lack of individual preparation through assigned readings or study. However, student preparation is rarely treated as an integral part of course design. Consequently, web-based readiness assessment quizzes were developed for three courses in biological/biosystems engineering, at the freshman and junior levels. The overall goal was to improve student preparatory reading by assessing lower-level knowledge just prior to the class period when that knowledge is needed for higher-level learning activities. In this way, a web-based educational tool was utilized as an integral, rather than just supplemental, part of the course design. The quizzes were designed to simultaneously ensure/assess student preparation and guide the students toward the highest priority topics within a given unit. The quizzes were graded automatically with the results reported electronically to the instructor. Student likelihood to read assigned materials was significantly improved (P < 0.0001), based on ratings from students in three different courses over four years of using these quizzes.
Optimization of a high-throughput whole blood expression profiling methodology and its application to assess the pharmacodynamics of interferon (IFN) beta-1a or polyethylene glycol-conjugated IFN beta-1a in healthy clinical trial subjects

Clinical trials offer a unique opportunity to study human disease and response to therapy in a highly controlled setting. The application of high-throughput expression profiling to peripheral blood from clinical trial subjects could facilitate the identification of transcripts that function as prognostic or diagnostic markers of disease or treatment. The paramount issue for these methods is the ability to produce robust, reproducible, and timely mRNA expression profiles from peripheral blood. Single-stranded complementary DNA (sscDNA) targets derived from whole blood exhibit improved detection of transcripts and reduced variance as compared to their complementary RNA counterparts and therefore provide a better option for interrogation of peripheral blood on oligonucleotide arrays. High-throughput microarray technologies such as the high-throughput plate array platform offer several advantages compared with slide- or cartridge-based arrays; however, manufacturer’s protocols do not support the use of sscDNA targets. We have developed a highly reproducible, high-through put, whole blood expression profiling methodology based on sscDNA and used it to analyze human brain reference RNA and universal human reference RNA samples to identify experimental conditions that most highly correlated with a gold standard quantitative polymerase chain reaction reference dataset. We then utilized the optimized method to analyze whole blood samples from healthy clinical trial subjects treated with different versions of interferon (IFN) beta-1a. Analysis of whole blood samples before and after treatment with intramuscular [IM] IFN beta-1a or polyethylene glycol-conjugated IFN (PEG-IFN) beta-1a under optimized experimental conditions demonstrated that PEG-IFN beta-1a induced a more sustained and prolonged pharmacodynamic response than unmodified IM IFN beta-1a. These results provide validation of the utility of this new methodology and suggest the potential therapeutic benefit of a sustained pharmacodynamic response to PEG-IFN beta-1a. This novel microarray methodology is ideally suited for utilization in large clinical studies to identify expressed transcripts for the elucidation of disease mechanisms of action and as prognostic, diagnostic, or toxicity markers.
Temperature and blood pressure following amlodipine overdose

The cardiovascular system participates in both blood pressure (BP) and temperature regulation. As a result, salt ingestion creates conflict between BP and temperature homeostasis, as vasodilatation that would promptly lower the BP would simultaneously increase cutaneous blood flow, thereby accelerating heat loss. If temperature homeostasis has precedence over blood pressure homeostasis, as postulated by the thermoregulatory-vascular remodeling (TVR) hypothesis, then in order to minimize heat loss, BP remains elevated following salt ingestion until the kidneys excrete the excess salt. A case of amlodipine overdose offered an opportunity to test a corollary of the TVR hypothesis: vasodilators should cause a drop in body temperature and/or an increase in the metabolic rate. Following the ingestion of 1000 mg of amlodipine, the temperature and BP of a single patient were monitored during the initial 36 hours and during the 13th day of hospitalization. The BP dropped markedly between the fifth and seventh hours postingestion, but then rose steadily and normalized by 28 hours postingestion. The temperature was normal at 7 hours postingestion, declined gradually between the seventh and 26th hours postingestion, stabilized between the 26th and 31st hours postingestion, then began to rise. During this case of amlodipine overdose, a modest temperature decline lagged behind a marked BP decline. As the BP rose, the temperature also rose, but lagged behind the BP increases. These findings suggest that there is a relationship between BP and temperature and are consistent with the TVR hypothesis.
Financial Reporting versus Tax Incentives and Repatriation under the 2004 Tax Holiday

ABSTRACT: We analyze the repatriation behavior of U.S. multinational corporations under the tax holiday implemented as part of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Our results suggest that tax incentives, as reflected in differences between firms' effective foreign tax rates, do not appear to be significant predictors of either participation in the tax holiday or the amounts repatriated by firms that chose to participate. In contrast, differences in financial reporting incentives were significant predictors of both participation in the holiday and the amounts repatriated. Not surprisingly, we find that firms appear to have chosen between repatriation of permanently versus temporarily deferred foreign earnings based on how the source of repatriation impacted their GAAP financial statements. Moreover, our results suggest that many firms chose to participate in the holiday only to the extent necessary to achieve financial reporting goals. Overall, our results suggest that financial reporting incentives ap...
Do Hospitals With Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) Provide Higher Quality Care? An Examination of Three Clinical Conditions

This study investigates how hospital electronic medical record (EMR) use influences quality performance. Data include nonfederal acute care hospitals in the United States. Sources of the data include the American Hospital Association, Hospital Quality Alliance, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services case-mix index sets. The authors use a retrospective cross-sectional format with linear regression to assess the relationship between hospital EMR use and quality performance. Quality performance is measured using 10 process indicators related to 3 clinical conditions: acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. The authors also use a propensity score adjustment to control for possible selection bias. After this adjustment, the authors identify a positive significant relationship between EMR use and 4 of the 10 quality indicators. They conclude that there is limited evidence of the relationship between hospital EMR use and quality.
On the use of SoS methods for analysis of connection-level stability in the Internet

We study connection-level models of file transfer requests in the Internet, where connection arrivals to each route occur according to Poisson processes and the file-sizes have phase-type distributions. We investigate the use of the sum-of-squares technique to construct Lyapunov functions that satisfy Foster's condition for stochastic stability.
The reactive states of ions: Dimethyl-hexadienes and tetramethylcyclobutenes

The principal decomposition routes of molecular ions of cis, cis-3,4-dimethyl-2-4-hexadiene, cis, trans-3,4-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene, cis-1,2,3,4-tetramethylcyclobutene and trans-1,2,3,4-tetramethylcyclobutene were studied using ion kinetic energy spectroscopy. Evidence indecates that loss of radicals from [M]+· appears to proceed via an electronically excited state, while loss of a neutral molecule appears to involve complete equilibration of structure within the system, or may involve both ground state and excited state pathways.
Towards Full Integration Of XML And Advanced Database Concepts

Most advanced database systems courses focus on core aspects of relational design, data modeling, transaction processing, and distributed database issues. Given the ever increasing importance of web enabled databases generally but particularly the influence of XML (eXtensible Markup Language), an alternative approach would be to teach the traditional core principles while integrating an XML module into the course. The focus of this paper is to elaborate on how such an integration would be accomplished in an advanced database course.
Construction of a low-cost surface scanner for medical studies: a feasibility study

This article describes the assembly of a cost-efficient system to enable contact-free volumetric measurement of facial volumes. The system was built from low-cost standard equipment, including Lego bricks, standard CCD camera, laser module, USB board, and stepper motor. The total cost was less than 200 €. At different time intervals, depth data were captured with a sweeping laser line to subsequently determine volumetric models of the object under investigation. The obtained volumetric data were imported in the open-source software ParaView (Kitware Inc., New York, NY, USA) as standard comma-separated files. The absolute errors of the obtained depth values increased from 0.5 to 3.52 mm between 30 and 90 cm of defined object distance, respectively. The relative errors increased from 0.3 to 0.76 %, respectively. This study proves that applicable volume scanners can be built using low-cost components.
A Comprehensive and Additive System for Child-Focused Assessment and Evaluation in EI/ECSE

One of the more serious problems facing the field of early intervention/early childhood special education is the disconnect between the community programs that offer screening, eligibility determination, curricular assessment (i.e., programmatic assessment), and progress monitoring services. First, we provide definitions of these service components to ensure clarity. Second, the substantial disconnect found between the screening, eligibility determination, curricular assessment, and progress monitoring components in most communities is discussed. Third, an alternative conceptual framework and its rationale are offered. This framework is designed to ensure that information collected is comprehensive, and that information/data gathered during each component serves as the platform for the next component. An example clarifies the application of the framework.
Ring-Hydroxylating Dioxygenases: Biocatalysts with Remarkable Substrate Specificity and Exquisite Product Stereochemistry

Any researcher in the field of biocatalysts will be aware of the significant advantages associated with the use of enzymes in organic synthesis: Product stereo- and regio- specificity, exceptional substrate specificity, application to green synthesis and, significantly, amenability to modification through application of protein engineering techniques such as directed evolution.Many biocatalysts are now more widely used in industry, and representatives from diverse enzyme classes are evident. The oxygenase enzymes are an important biocatalyst group – the cytochrome P450 enzymes that catalyze alkene epoxidations, being especially well known.
A FANCD2/FANCI-Associated Nuclease 1-Knockout Model Develops Karyomegalic Interstitial Nephritis

Karyomegalic interstitial nephritis (KIN) is a chronic interstitial nephropathy characterized by tubulointerstitial nephritis and formation of enlarged nuclei in the kidneys and other tissues. We recently reported that recessive mutations in the gene encoding FANCD2/FANCI-associated nuclease 1 (FAN1) cause KIN in humans. FAN1 is a major component of the Fanconi anemia-related pathway of DNA damage response (DDR) signaling. To study the pathogenesis of KIN, we generated a Fan1 knockout mouse model, with abrogation of Fan1 expression confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. Challenging Fan1-/- and wild-type mice with 20 mg/kg cisplatin caused AKI in both genotypes. In contrast, chronic injection of cisplatin at 2 mg/kg induced KIN that led to renal failure within 5 weeks in Fan1-/- mice but not in wild-type mice. Cell culture studies showed decreased survival and reduced colony formation of Fan1-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells compared with wild-type counterparts in response to treatment with genotoxic agents, suggesting that FAN1 mutations cause chemosensitivity and bone marrow failure. Our data show that Fan1 is involved in the physiologic response of kidney tubular cells to DNA damage, which contributes to the pathogenesis of CKD. Moreover, Fan1-/- mice provide a new model with which to study the pathomechanisms of CKD.
Distribution of Diapheromera femorata(Orthoptera: Phasmatidae)

The walkingstick, Diapheromera femorata (Say), the most common and widely distributed phasmid in the United States, was reported by Blatchley (1920) to occur from Afaine to the Rocky Mountains, north to central Ontario and Selkirk, Manitoba, and south and southwest to northern Florida, northern Texas, and the Organ Alountains, N. Mex. Hebard (1943) stated that the distribution of D. femorata becomes discontinuous in the western and southern portions of its range, being limited to the forested areas in the southwestern mountains. He speculated that under different climatic conditions this species may have moved south through the Rocky Mountains, spread to widely separated localities, and subsequently disappeared over the northern portions of the region.
The National Resources Planning Board; A Chapter in American Planning Experience

In its 1933 report, President Hoover's Committee on Recent Social Trends suggested that there might in time emerge a “National Advisory Council” to consider fundamental questions of the social, economic, and governmental order, in their interrelation and in the light of the trends and possibilities of modern science. This would involve neither “economic planning” nor “governmental planning” primarily, but a comprehensive consideration of all the social factors involved in the formation of national policy.In July, 1933, the National Planning Board was set up by Administrator Ickes as a part of the Public Works Administration of that time. The membership consisted of Frederic A. Delano, chairman; Wesley C. Mitchell (chairman of President Hoover's Committee above mentioned); and Charles E. Merriam (vice-chairman of the same committee).In 1934, this agency was made a presidential board by executive order and was composed of the Secretary of the Interior as chairman, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor, the Federal Emergency Relief Administrator, and the three members of the old Board. An Advisory Committee consisting of Messrs. Delano, Mitchell, and Merriam were placed in active charge of the work.
Case report: single coronary artery with ischemia and sudden cardiac arrest

Single coronary artery (SCA) is a very rare finding. Although most cases of SCA are found incidentally on coronary angiography, it can potentially lead to different clinical repercussions.1, 2 Herein we describe a patient with SCA who had unstable angina with subsequent sudden cardiac arrest, and we provide a brief review of the recent literature.
Chronotropic effect of angiotensin II via type 2 receptors in rat brain neurons.

Previously, we determined that angiotensin II (Ang II) elicits an Ang II type 2 (AT2) receptor–mediated increase of neuronal delayed rectifier K+(I KV) current in neuronal cultures from newborn rat...
311 FAMILIAL RISK OF END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED KIDNEY VOLUME.

Family history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a strong risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Kidney mass may also be a risk factor. Increased kidney size is associated with albuminuria in diabetes and with poorer prognosis in polycystic kidney disease. We investigated whether renal parenchymal volume (RPV) in adults is a risk factor for CKD by comparing RPV in potential living related and unrelated kidney donors. RPV was measured by tracing the kidneys, excluding sinus fat, calyces, and vessels on sequential transverse images from CT scans of 106 related and 51 unrelated potential kidney donors. Unrelated donors were more likely to be female and Caucasian, but there was no difference in age, body surface area (BSA), and body mass index (BMI). In a multivariate analysis that accounted for age, gender, BSA, and race, relatedness correlated strongly with RPV (p = .0034). After correction for BSA and gender, RPV was 6.3% larger in related donors. The increase was 7.3% in first-degree relatives and 2.7% in second-degree relatives. The increase was apparent when the end-stage diagnosis in the recipient was glomerulonephritis (7.3%), hypertension (6.6%), and other/unknown (7.8%) but not diabetes (1%). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured as the plasma clearance of iohexol given as a contrast agent for CT scan. Five blood plasma samples were obtained at 30-minute intervals starting 2 hours after the CT scan in 39 subjects. The dose of iohexol was determined by weighing the bottle and syringe before and after injection and iohexol concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). GFR was derived from a single-pool model with a Brochner-Mortensen correction. The increase in RPV was not associated with a higher GFR, suggesting that there is a decrease in renal functional density. Therefore, we conclude that a family history of ESRD is associated with an increase in renal parenchymal volume that correlates with the degree of genetic similarity and may be disease specific; nevertheless more studies are needed to confirm these preliminary data.
A nomogram of exercise capacity for age predicted mortality in women with cardiovascular symptoms.

Source Citation Gulati M, Black HR, Shaw LJ, et al. The prognostic value of a nomogram for exercise capacity in women. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:468-75. 16079370
Fusion Protein TM-TM Interactions: Modulators of Pre-Fusion Protein Stability

Membrane associated domains of proteins are often under-studied because of their lipid environment, however recent studies suggest that protein transmembrane domains (TMDs) are important for cell signaling events, and protein oligomerization. Enveloped viruses utilize fusion proteins (F) studding the envelope of the virus to promote fusion of the viral envelope with a target cell membrane. To drive fusion, the F proteins undergo large conformational changes, transitioning from a meta-stable pre-fusion conformation to a more thermodynamically stable post-fusion conformation; understanding the elements which control stability of the pre-fusion state and triggering to the post-fusion conformation is important for understanding F protein function. Mutations in F protein TMDs have implicated the TMD in the fusion process, but the structural and molecular details of the role of TMDs in fusion remains unclear. We previously utilized analytical ultracentrifugation to demonstrate that isolated TMDs of Hendra virus F associate in a monomer-trimer equilibrium. To determine elements critical for this association, we examined the Hendra virus F sequence. Directly upstream of the TMDs is a heptad repeat domain that contains a leucine-isoleucine zipper (LIZ) which continues in frame into the TMD. We found that a TMD replacing four L/I residues with alanine dramatically reduced TM-TM association, implicating the LIZ in TM-TM interactions. Studies with the LIZ mutations in the whole protein indicate decreased protein stability, suggesting TM-TM interactions promoted by the LIZ may be critical for pre-fusion stability. Previous studies demonstrated that the pre-fusion conformation of F can be thermally triggered to its post-fusion conformation. We used this characteristic of F to demonstrate that reduced TM-TM association in the LIZ F mutant results in reduced stability of F in its pre-fusion conformation. Together our data indicate that the TMD is important in F protein stability and triggering.
Treatment of advanced prostatic cancer.

SUMMARY Many treatment modalities are available to patients with disseminated adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Although no single therapeutic approach can be advocated for all patients at the present time, delay of endocrine manipulation until the onset of symptoms is the recommended approach because it maintains the most normal lifestyle in these patients. With the onset of symptoms such as bone pain or urinary retention, or perhaps as disease progression becomes apparent, orchiectomy is recommended to patients with increased cardiovascular risks as well as to those patients who are judged irresponsible in taking oral estrogens. A dose of 1 mg of diethylstilbestrol three times daily achieves a castrate level of serum testosterone and may not increase cardiovascular mortality. Because of the relative safety and lack of side effects, GnRH analogues represent an alternative treatment in selected patients, particularly in those who refuse orchiectomy or have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Hormonal manipulation with androgen deprivation remains the cornerstone of treatment and provides clinical remission in the majority of patients with advanced prostate cancer. The prognosis is poor once tumor has recurred. Several secondary forms of endocrine therapy are available, but it would help to be able to select those patients with hormonally sensitive tumors that would respond favorably to these modalities. Transurethral surgery and radiotherapy are effective in palliating patients with bladder outlet obstruction and bony metastases unresponsive to hormonal therapy. Nonhormonal cytotoxic agents are available, but well-controlled studies are required to determine the value of specific agents, whether used alone or in combination.
Ballistic and snake imaging in biomedical media using a picosecond double-stage optical Kerr gate

The picosecond optical Kerr gate1–3 (OKG) has been used as a simple ultrafast shutter to measure ultrafast events and relaxation processes. This gate can be used for imaging, communication, and digital computation. For a single-stage optical Kerr gate (SOKG), the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of −2×103 and. the gate opening time of ~10 ps have been commonly achieved using a 10-ps pulse from a mode-locked glass laser. In time-gated optical imaging in biological and medical samples, higher SNR (>1010) and shorter opening time (−1 ps) are needed to remove the diffusive noise for better spatial resolution. In this paper, the operation of a cascaded double-stage optical Kerr gate (DOKG) system to improve the SNR and the gating time is described. An improvement of −5011 times in SNR was achieved over that of a SOKG system. The transient gating time of a DOKG can be 10 times faster. Images of test bar chart behind modeled systems and tissues are discussed.
2-D Magnetic Phase Transitions in Graphite Intercalation Compounds

A model Hamiltonian is proposed to explain the magnetic susceptibility anomaly observed in CoCl2-intercalated graphite. Theoretical analysis of the model Hamiltonian is summarized, and comparison with susceptibility data on stage 1, 2, and 3 samples is made. The model shows two phase transitions: a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition modified by finite size effects at a temperature of ≈ 10 K and a metamagnetic transition at ≈ 8 K which shows 2D-3D crossover effects with a dependence on stage.
Pattern and Variation in Northern San Juan Village Histories

ABSTRACTCrow Canyon's early excavations in the Sand Canyon locality suggested that late Pueblo III canyon-rim villages formed rapidly and according to a consistent pattern. The Village Testing Project was designed to test this and other settlement pattern models through surface mapping and test excavations at large, late sites in the central Mesa Verde area of the Northern San Juan region. Based on new data from Woods Canyon Pueblo, Yellow Jacket Pueblo, and the Hediey Site Complex, combined with existing data from Sand Canyon and Castle Rock pueblos, it is now apparent that the occupational histories of canyon-oriented villages were highly variable. But even though the history of each village was unique, all five came to possess similar architectural characteristics by the mid-A.D. 1200s, suggesting that both large-scale socioculturai developments and individual community histories are reconstructible from the regional archaeological record.
Innate Host Defense Mechanisms and Adaptive Immune Responses

Plants and animals live in environments teeming with potential pathogens. Despite this, infectious diseases are uncommon due to defense strategies that enable a healthy, relatively disease-free life. Vertebrates have evolved two independent but interdependent defense mechanisms to protect the individual against potential pathogens: innate host defense mechanisms and adaptive immune responses. Both systems consist of anatomical structures, cells, and molecules that function to eliminate pathogens. Anecdotal observations by Chinese, Indian, Arabian, and Greek physicians among others provide a historical underpinning for our contemporary understanding of immunology. Investigations during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries revealed the anatomy of the organs, tissues, and cells of these defense mechanisms. More recently, the pioneering work of Louis Pasteur, Ilya Metchnikov, Paul Ehrlich, and others provide an experimental basis for appreciating the functioning of these systems in health and disease. Studies being designed and executed by current investigators continue to build on the work of these early immunologists.
Ritmo Negro: Visions of Afro-Latin America

This photo essay features four photographs from Cuba and Brazil. Vaughn’s aim with this essay is to highlight “Africa’s legacy in Latin America” in ways that “invite reflection on the historical exchanges between Afro-Latin and African American (U.S.) people and culture.”