cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Geography of Deregulation in the U.S. Airline Industry

The U.S. domestic airline industry was deregulated in 1978 as part of a regulatory reform movement that has transformed the banking, telecommunications, energy, and transportation industries. A geography of deregulation has emerged conforming to a core-periphery structure in which industries are increasingly controlled by fewer firms through their major headquarters and operations centers. As a consequence of industry consolidation and the shift to“hub-and-spoke” network service structures, strong domestic“hubs” (e.g., Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta) and international gateway cities (e.g., Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco) have emerged as the core control centers of the air-transport system, while“spoke” cities have become peripheralized in the process. The group of core centers has benefited more than the periphery from increased air transportation employment, frequency of service, passenger flow, and lower fares, except in cases where hubs were dominated by one or two airlines, where fares rose. The latte...
Uberpower: The Imperial Temptation of America – By Josef Joffe

This author's favorite analogy for America's travails is Gulliver. The end of the Cold War, he writes, released Gulliver from previous restraints. There were good and bad consequences. The good was...
Redder Than Red

A chromophore is the part of a molecule that imparts its color. Arguably the most common chromophores in biology are carotenoids such as retinoids. Their absorption spectra can be tuned across a wide range of light energy by modulating the electronic environment within the protein to which they are attached. On page 1340 of this issue, Wang et al. ( 1 ) report a systematic study of the spectral tuning of an engineered all- trans -retinal pigment within a protein environment. Using protein engineering and x-ray crystallography, they create a palette of retinal-based pigments that reveal how electrostatics dominates spectral tuning (see the figure).
Holomorphic curves into algebraic varieties

This paper establishes a defect relation for algebraically nondegenerate holomorphic mappings into an arbitrary nonsingular complex projective variety V (rather than just the projective space) intersecting possible nonlinear hypersurfaces, extending the result of H. Cartan.
Finite-size effect in the Schwinger particle-production mechanism.

The Schwinger mechanism of particle production in a strong and uniform electric field for an infinite system is generalized to the case where the strong field is confined between two condenser plates separated by a finite distance. The production rates, for both bosons and fermions, are obtained by solving the Klein-Gordon equation and the Dirac equation in a linear vector potential. They are expressed in terms of parabolic cylinder functions for bosons, and in terms of the confluent hypergeometric functions for fermions. Numerical evaluation of these results shows large deviations of the production rate from what one deduces with the Schwinger formula, indicating a large finite-size effect in particle production.
Community planning for industrial risk: a Title III research agenda

Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) mandates a nationwide local government effort to plan for industrial risk and crisis response. Title III planning is primarily defined by its requirements for public participation, but the law is somewhat vague on that criterion as well as on expected planning outcomes. Title III is misconstrued in some quarters as risk communication, yet that is only one part of planning. An evaluative frame work is presented in this paper for analyzing the performance of this planning mandate, drawing on both planning theory in general and lessons from disaster planning research in particular.
Free stream cooling of a stack of parallel plates

Abstract This paper addresses the fundamental heat transfer augmentation question of how to arrange a stack of parallel plates (e.g. fins of heat sink, printed circuit boards) in a free stream such that the thermal resistance between the stack and the stream is minimum. It is shown that the best way of positioning the plates relative to one another is by spacing them equidistantly. When the overall dimensions of the stack are specified, there is an optimal number of plates for minimum thermal resistance. The optimal number and minimum resistance are anticipated theoretically and correlated into compact formulas that agree with numerical and experimental results in the ReL range 102-104. Finally, it is shown that a stack with more plates than the optimal number can be modeled more expediently as a porous block immersed in a free stream.
Extending the Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma Examination in Children

Across the United States, injuries from trauma are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in children aged 19 years and younger. Over the past 2 decades, the “focused assessment with sonography for trauma” (FAST) examination has become a core application of emergency department ultrasound. In the last decade, the FAST examination has been “extended” to include evaluation of thoracic and extremity trauma. Use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in pediatric abdominal trauma has been investigated in Europe with promising results that may further extend the capabilities of FAST. This article will review the evidence base for the FAST and extended FAST examinations as applied to pediatric trauma patients.
Onset of transcription in bovine oocytes and preimplantation embryos

The transition from the maternal to embryonic control of early embryonic development (MET) in mammals is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine the amount of transcriptional activity in immature oocytes containing germinal vesicle (GV), mature metaphase II arrested oocytes (MII), 2-, 4- and 8-cell bovine embryos by labeling with 35S-UTP followed by isolation of total RNA and autoradiography. Expression of counts per minute (CPM) per cell showed that incorporation of 35S-UTP in GV oocytes was significantly higher than the background (P 0.05) with the highest variability observed during the 2-cell stage. When CPM were expressed per oocyte or embryo incorporation remained high at the GV stage, decreased to the background levels at the time of MII and increased again at the 2-cell stage. It remained at the same level during the 4-cell stage but increased significantly for the second time during the 8-cell stage. Uptake remained at the same level until the 8-cell stage when a significant increase was observed. The negative controls showed a significantly lower amount of incorporation compared to the positive control (P < 0.05). Similar results were observed by autoradiography. Our observations suggest that MET starts as early as the 2-cell stage in bovine embryos.
One-loop-induced fermion masses and exotic interactions in a standard-model context.

The standard SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1) electroweak gauge model is extended to include a fourth generation of quarks and leptons as well as four extra Higgs-boson doublets. With the implementation of a ${Z}_{4}$ discrete symmetry, which is softly broken down to ${Z}_{2}$, realistic radiative quark and lepton masses for the first two generations can be obtained. Assuming that the third and fourth lepton generations are odd under the unbroken ${Z}_{2}$, we discuss a number of interesting phenomenological consequences such as a longer $\ensuremath{\tau}$ lifetime and some possible anomalous $\ensuremath{\tau}$ interactions. We also single out some processes involving fourth-generation quarks and leptons which cannot be confused experimentally with those of the standard model.
Deformation mechanisms of an Ω precipitate in a high-strength aluminum alloy subjected to high strain rates

The objective of this study was to identify the microstructural mechanisms controlling Ω precipitates’ contribution to the high strength and ductility of Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloys subjected to high impact loading conditions. Three interrelated approaches were used: (i) HRTEM imaging of deformed Ω precipitates in ballistically impacted Al–Cu–Mg–Ag plates, (ii) microstructurally based finite element (FE) analysis based on specialized crystalline plasticity formulations, and (iii) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dislocation nucleation and emission. The FE and MD simulations detail the evolution of dislocation densities and dislocations at the Al/Ω interface, which are consistent with the experimentally observed multiplicity of shear cutting of thin Ω precipitates. Furthermore, the FE results indicate that unrelaxed tensile strains at the Al/Ω interface can inhibit localized deformation in the alloy.
Role of nerve growth factor in the adult dorsal root ganglia neuron and its response to injury

The response of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons to NGF deprivation and to axotomy was examined in adult guinea pigs. The success of NGF deprivation by means of an autoimmune approach was monitored by the measurement of serum antibody titer levels against guinea pig NGF with the standard bioassay for NGF activity. That the antibody produced NGF deprivation was confirmed by histologic evidence of neuronal atrophy and apparent cell loss in sections of the superior cervical ganglia (SCG) and by marked decreases (65–80%) of SCG neurotransmitter-synthesizing enzyme activity levels. By using the autoimmune approach a new source of guinea pigs was found which consistently produced high titers of cross-reacting anti-NGF antibodies. Experiments were designed to examine the response of the sensory neuron to injury while chronically deprived of NGF. Total neuronal counts in the sixth lumbar DRG 98 days after sciatic nerve crush showed no difference between NGF-deprived and control ganglia. Measurement of the size spectrum of DRG neurons showed evidence of atrophy of the NGF-deprived neurons in both the uninjured and axotomized side compared to respective controls. The mean volume of uninjured sensory neurons measured in the NGF-deprived guinea pigs was decreased 27.7% (P <0.05) compared with that of control guinea pigs. The degree of regeneration 6 days following a nerve crush was the same in NGF-deprived sensory neurons and in controls when measured by the “pinch test” and by isotope-labeled axonal transport studies. The long-term regenerative response was analyzed with various histologic and morphometric techniques studying the sural nerve 98 days after sciatic nerve crush. No differences between control and NGF-deprived guinea pig sural nerves were noted at the light microscopic and ultrastructural levels. These studies demonstrated an unimpaired regenerative capability of sensory neurons deprived of NGF compared with controls.
Black American Females as Geniuses

This paper makes the claim and argument that Black American females are geniuses. The paper presents education and income data to substantiate this claim. The paper also puts the claim of Black American females as geniuses in historical context to show that they have earned their achievements despite extraordinary difficulties for almost 400 years (since 1619). The paper concludes, however, that despite their extraordinary talents, Black American females as a group continue to experience serious exclusion from positions of national leadership in their own country.
The anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and protective effect of S100A8 in endotoxemic mice

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) produce and release copious amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which target potential bacterial invaders but also contribute to the inflammation-associated organ injuries seen in sepsis. Calprotectin is an immune regulatory protein complex made of S100A8 and S100A9 that inhibits the oxidative metabolism of PMNs in vitro, an effect that can be potentiated by the controlled activation of the protease activated receptor-2 (PAR2). The aim of this study was to test the use of a dual strategy of calprotectin and PAR2 administration to mitigate the deleterious inflammation seen in sepsis. We hypothesized that exogenous calprotectin would protect against the injuries produced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced endotoxemia and that the controlled activation of PAR2 would potentiate this beneficial effect. Exogenous S100A8 and/or a PAR2 activating peptide (PAR2 AP) were administered in a mouse model of LPS induced endotoxemia. The survival rates as well as markers of inflammation and oxidative damage were measured in the lungs, kidneys, and livers of endotoxemic mice. Mice treated with S100A8 following LPS had less PMN infiltration and less severe histological changes in their lungs, kidneys, and livers. A significantly lower score of oxidative damage in the livers and lungs of S100A8/LPS treated mice was also noted when compared to mice treated with LPS alone. This protective and anti-inflammatory effect of S100A8 was potentiated by the controlled activation of PAR2. Finally, in further support to our hypothesis, the survival rate was almost doubled from 33% to 65% and 63% in mice treated by, respectively, S100A8 and PAR2 AP, whereas 85% of the mice treated with both PAR2 AP and S100A8 survived, a statistically significant higher rate. These results support an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and protective effect of S100A8 in sepsis, and warrant further studies on the role of PAR2.
Visual evoked potential stimulus intensity modulation and sensation seeking in thrill-seekers

Abstract Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) to stimuli of four intensities of 4, 18, 75, and 320 footcandles (ft-c) were recorded and Zuckerman's sensation seeking scale (SSS) was administered to 59 thrill-seekers and 59 non-thrill-seeker control subjects. The thrill-seekers were a heterogeneous group composed of skydivers, hang-gliders, rock climbers, ultralight flyers, scuba divers, motorcycle racers, and ocean kayakers. Amplitude/intensity function slopes were computed P1N1 and N1P2 components on lead Cz. Thrill-seekers had significantly lower slope on N1P2 but were not significantly different from controls on P1N1. The only significant correlation between VEP and SSS was for the disinhibition scale (Dis) on P1N1 (0.29). Thrill-seekers were significantly higher than controls on all of the SSS subscales. Thrill-seekers' highest mean score was reported on the thrill and adventure seeking scale (TAS). TAS also discriminated the best between the groups. Female thrill-seekers less than 30 years old had mean scores higher than their male counterparts on all SSS scales except Dis.
Heterotypic cell pair co-culturing on patterned microarrays

We present a pair-wise co-culturing technique that creates large numbers of heterotypic cell pairs in patterned arrays. Lithographic patterning produces arrays with thousands of traps, each designed to accommodate only two cells and confine them at these sites for co-culturing. Two variants are introduced: a random seeding method that sediments a mixture of two cell types onto the array, and an approach that incorporates ferromagnetic thin films into the arrays and attracts cells that have been attached to ferromagnetic nanowires to the array sites through dipole interactions. The array technique includes the utilization of custom image analysis software that extracts data from multi-channel fluorescence images and records information about the cells in every trap, enabling the acquisition of accurate, high-statistics data. The applicability of the technique was demonstrated in experiments examining proliferation rates in pairs of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Results demonstrated that heterotypic interactions favored smooth muscle cell proliferation while disfavoring endothelial cell proliferation. This is one example of a variety of cell-cell interactions that could be probed with this method.
The Role of the Sca‐1+/CD31− Cardiac Progenitor Cell Population in Postinfarction Left Ventricular Remodeling

Cardiac stem cell-like populations exist in adult hearts, and their roles in cardiac repair remain to be defined. Sca-1 is an important surface marker for cardiac and other somatic stem cells. We hypothesized that heart-derived Sca-1(+)/CD31(-) cells may play a role in myocardial infarction-induced cardiac repair/remodeling. Mouse heart-derived Sca-1(+)/CD31(-) cells cultured in vitro could be induced to express both endothelial cell and cardiomyocyte markers. Immunofluorescence staining and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis indicated that endogenous Sca-1(+)/CD31(-) cells were significantly increased in the mouse heart 7 days after myocardial infarction (MI). Western blotting confirmed elevated Sca-1 protein expression in myocardium 7 days after MI. Transplantation of Sca-1(+)/CD31(-) cells into the acutely infarcted mouse heart attenuated the functional decline and adverse structural remodeling initiated by MI as evidenced by an increased left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, a decreased LV end-diastolic dimension, a decreased LV end-systolic dimension, a significant increase of myocardial neovascularization, and modest cardiomyocyte regeneration. Attenuation of LV remodeling was accompanied by remarkably improved myocardial bioenergetic characteristics. The beneficial effects of cell transplantation appear to primarily depend on paracrine effects of the transplanted cells on new vessel formation and native cardiomyocyte function. Sca-1(+)/CD31(-) cells may hold therapeutic possibilities with regard to the treatment of ischemic heart disease.
Sexually and physically abused adolescents: an empirical search for PTSD

Recently, clinical manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents have been investigated, yet little is known about its assessment or diagnosis. Few empirically based studies appear in the PTSD literature on non-adult populations. Data were collected from 19 physically and sexually abused adolescents (aged 13-18 years) who were living in a group home setting. Subjects were administered the MMPI, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results suggest that the subjects were moderately depressed and anxious, but that these adolescents did not manifest significant symptomatology of PTSD similar to that seen in adult, civilian PTSD populations using comparable MMPI measures. Implications of these findings for assessment purposes are discussed. Language: en
FACTORS AFFECTING LUNG VOLUME IN POST EXTUBATED NEONATES

Extubated neonates previously treated with endotracheal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) maintain arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) and functional residual capacity (FRC) equivalent to values at 2-3 cm CPAP without alteration in inspired oxygen concentration. To determine the factors that maintain PaO2 and FRC after extubation we studied arterial blood gases, lung mechanics, and FRC in 15 neonates weighing 1.4 to 4.4 kg. Intraesophageal pressure, air flow, and tidal volume provided for calculation of lung compliance (CL), and lung inspiratory (RI) and expiratory (RE) resistance. Following extubation at zero CPAP, increases occurred in mean (± SEM) PaO2 from 59.3 (± 5.8) to 79.5 (± 4.0) mm Hg (P<0.05); FRC from 53.9 (± 6.0) to 67.3 (± 10.0) ml; RE from 148.0 (± 17.3) to 167.5 (± 25.7) cm H2O/L/second, and CL from 1.70 (± 0.33) to 2.09 (± 0.4) ml/cm H2O. I:E ratio decreased from 0.95 (± 0.05) at zero CPAP to 0.83 (± 0.07) after extubation (P<0.05). A significant correlation existed between FRC and expiratory resistance for all patients (P<0.01). No significant alterations occurred in PaCO2, base excess, minute ventilation, tidal volume, respiratory rate and heart rate. The changes in FRC with changes in expiratory resistance after extubation indicate that upper airway resistance, possibly at the laryngeal level may have a major role in maintenance of an adequate FRC after extubation.
2-SPHERE BUNDLES OVER COMPACT SURFACES

Closed 4-manifolds which fiber over a compact surface with fiber a sphere are classified, and the fibration is shown to be unique (up to diffeomorphism). It is well known that there are at most two orientable 4-manifolds which fiber over a given compact surface with fiber the 2-sphere S2. (There is exactly one if the surface has nonempty boundary, and two if it is closed.) If the orientability condition is dropped, then the situation becomes more involved. In particular the (mod 2) intersection pairing is no longer sufficient to distinguish among the mani- folds that arise. One must also consider the ?Tl-action on g2 and the peripheral structure. The purpose of this note is to classify all 4-manifolds (orientable or not) which are total spaces of S2-bundles over compact surfaces. We shall work in the smooth category. Since Diff(S2) deformation retracts to 0(3), we may assume that all bundles that arise have 0(3) as structure group. Along the way it is shown that the bundle structures are unique. That is, if any two 4-manifolds, fibered as above, are diffeomorphic, then there is a fiber preserving diffeomorphism between them which is orthogonal on fibers. Our interest in S2-bundles arose in the study of Lie group actions (in particular of S0(3)) on 4-manifolds. The results obtained here are used in the equivariant classification of such actions (MP).
The stem-II regional-scale acid deposition and photochemical oxidant model. III: A study of mesoscale acid deposition in the lower Ohio river Valley

Abstract The STEM-II pollutant transport, transformation, and deposition numerical model has been used to simulate a mesoscale deposition episode that occurred in the lower Ohio River Valley from 29 April to 3 May 1985. Simulations have been carried out for both simplified and detailed meteorological input data sets. Comparisons are presented between STEM-II predictions of SO 4 2− , NO 4 − , NH 4 + , and H + wet depositions and actual measurements of these species from two precipitation chemistry networks. STEM-II predictions of SO 4 2− and NO 3 − deposition are found to agree well with network measurements, with SO 4 2− deposition being predicted more accurately than NO 3 − deposition. NH 4 + deposition is significantly underpredicted, possibly due to recognized uncertainties in NH 3 emission inventories. Deposited acidity predicted by STEM-II in these simulations is generally overestimated; poorly known NH 3 emissions and the lack of alkaline soil dust emissions contribute to this overestimation. It is found for this mesoscale region during the 29 April–3 May 1985 time period that representative precipation rates and accurate meteorological data are crucial for the accurate prediction of chemical species wet deposition.
Impact of Chloramination on the Development of Laboratory-Grown Biofilms Fed with Filter-Pretreated Groundwater

This study evaluated the continuous impact of monochloramine disinfection on laboratory-grown biofilms through the characterization of biofilm architecture and microbial community structure. Biofilm development and disinfection were achieved using CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) biofilm reactor systems with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coupons as the substratum and sand filter-pretreated groundwater as the source of microbial seeding and growth nutrient. After 2 weeks of growth, the biofilms were subjected to chloramination for 8 more weeks at concentrations of 7.5±1.4 to 9.1±0.4 mg Cl2 L−1. Control reactors received no disinfection during the development of biofilms. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and image analysis indicated that chloramination could lead to 81.4–83.5% and 86.3–95.6% reduction in biofilm biomass and thickness, respectively, but could not eliminate biofilm growth. 16S rRNA gene terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis indicated that microbial community structures between chloraminated and non-chloraminated biofilms exhibited different successional trends. 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analysis further revealed that chloramination could select members of Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria as the dominant populations, whereas natural development leads to the selection of members of Nitrospira and Bacteroidetes as dominant biofilm populations. Overall, chloramination treatment could alter the growth of multi-species biofilms on the PVC surface, shape the biofilm architecture, and select a certain microbial community that can survive or proliferate under chloramination.
Polarization discrimination of complex surfaces by laser light : theory

Abstract Remote discrimination of the local electronic conductivity σ (material discrimination) and coordinate function of a conducting surface Z( x,y ) (geometry discrimination) based on polarization-dependent scattering of laser light is investigated numerically and its limitation and utility are assessed. In the far-field region and under certain conditions of target distance and undulation and light wavelength and diffraction limit, our study singles out a unique set of two orthogonal polarizations (φ+;π/2), strongly correlates incident light for which the spatial distribution of the “ratio” of backscattered intensities, P s / P s (φ+π/2), strongly correlates with 〈Z〉, averaged on the illuminated area of Z. The “absolute” distributions, P s and P s (φ+π/2), do not correlate with 〈Z〉. Determination of φ, with polarization rotator at the laser source for a representative number of points on Z, enables the remote determination of the orientation of the surface normal 〈 n (Z)〉 and, under the conditions studied, provides a measure of the third dimension that cannot be inferred from intensity-dependent imaging of a remote surface.
A randomized controlled pilot study of motivational interviewing for patients with psychotic and drug use disorders.

Aims This pilot study examined the efficacy of a two-session motivational interview adapted for dually diagnosed psychotic and drug-related disordered patients (DDMI) in comparison to a two-session standard psychiatric interview (SI). Design The study used a randomized controlled trial design. Participants received either DDMI or SI and were assessed at baseline, 4-, 8- and 12-week follow-up points. The principal analysis for examination of treatment effects across time was a random effects regression model. Setting Both DDMI and SI interviews served as pre-admission intake interventions to an ambulatory specialty dual diagnosis intensive out-patient and partial hospital program. Participants Forty-four treatment-seeking participants (DDMI = 24; SI = 20) who had co-occurring psychotic and drug-related disorders were assigned randomly to the treatment conditions. Measurements Primary outcomes were days of primary drug use, secondary drug use, alcohol use and psychotropic medication adherence, proportion of participants admitted into the program and days of attendance. Findings and conclusions DDMI and SI resulted in improved treatment outcomes, but there were no main effects for the sample as a whole. Separate examination of primary cocaine and primary marijuana using subsamples, however, suggested that DDMI resulted in significantly better primary drug treatment outcomes for the cocaine-using group, whereas SI resulted in significantly better primary drug treatment outcomes for the marijuana-using group. These findings indicate that MI may not work equally well for all types of psychotic disordered dually diagnosed patients and that alternative approaches may be as effective in fostering improved substance use treatment outcomes for subgroups of these individuals.
Communicative functions of laughter in aphasia

Abstract A comparison of communicative functions of laughter between five aphasic and five nonaphasic adults was made using four linguistic contexts. Overall, laughter occurred relatively more often during the conversation of aphasic than nonaphasic adults. Aphasic adults used laughter significantly more often when they protested/rejected or when they initiated a conversation. Also, single words accompanied aphasic laughter significantly more often. During conversation, both aphasic and nonaphasic adults laughed significantly more often when they assumed the roles of speakers. Relative to linguistic contexts, both groups laughed more often during the listening/telling of a joke than during the description of a comic strip or discussion of a hobby. These findings have clinical implications for evaluating aphasic communication.
Information capacity of the Hopfield model

The information capacity of general forms of memory is formalized. The number of bits of information that can be stored in the Hopfield model of associative memory is estimated. It is found that the asymptotic information capacity of a Hopfield network of N neurons is of the order N^{3} b. The number of arbitrary state vectors that can be made stable in a Hopfield network of N neurons is proved to be bounded above by N .
Dwarf galaxies as the source of X-ray-emitting gas in clusters

RICH clusters of galaxies contain more hot gas by mass than stars1–3. This gas is not associated with individual galaxies, but instead is smoothly distributed, like the dark matter that is inferred to reside in the clusters. Identifying the origin of this gas will allow us to constrain theories of galaxy formation by placing limits on the efficiency with which gas is converted into stars and on the fraction of the cluster mass that is comprised of normal baryonic matter. Here we suggest that this gas was originally condensed into dwarf galaxies, precursors to the low-surface-brightness dwarf spheroidal galaxies now observed. The condensed gas would have fuelled a burst of star formation, leading to supernova-driven winds4 which could have expelled the gas back into the intracluster-medium. We show that this model can easily account for most of the present X-ray-emitting cluster gas.
Thermodynamics of (2+1)-flavor QCD

We report on the status of our QCD thermodynamics project. It is performed on the QCDOC machine at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the APEnext machine at Bielefeld University. Using a 2+1 flavor formulation of QCD at almost realistic quark masses we calculated several thermodynamical quantities. In this proceeding we show the susceptibilites of the chiral condensate and the Polyakov loop, the static quark potential and the spatial string tension.
High dynamic range low-noise focal plane readout for VLWIR applications implemented with current mode background subtraction

Design and operation of a low noise CMOS focal pa;ne readout circuit with ultra-high charge handling capacity is presented. Designed for high-background, VLWIR detector readout, each readout unit cell use an accurate dynamic current memory for automatic subtraction of the dark pedestal in current domain enabling measurement of small signals 85 dB below the dark level. The redout circuit operates with low-power dissipation, high linearity, and is capable of handling pedestal currents up to 300 nA. Measurements indicate an effective charge handling capacity of over 5 X 109 charges/pixel with less than 105 electrons of input referred noise.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pediatric laparoscopic biliary tract surgery

Abstract Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is being performed with increasing frequency in children. The authors discuss the presentation, surgical technique, overall results, and potential complications associated with pediatric laparoscopic biliary tract surgery, citing a large personal experience as well as that reported in the literature. (Semin Pediatr Surg 1998 Nov;7(4):202-6)
Allocation of Scarce Resources to Agricultural Research: Review of Methodology

With an increasing stress on research budgets, the impetus for investigation of alternative models for managing research is growing. Much work has been invested already in technique development. To precede additional research, the current state-of-the-art in resource allocation methodology pertinent to agricultural research management is presented. The focus is on quantitative approaches for improving internal consistency of subjective judgments. The marginal principle is applicable to the selection of an optimal investment in management, and a rudimentary framework for implementing that principle is suggested.
Vulnerability of nearest neighbor graphs

Abstract We study several measures of vulnerability of nearest neighbor graphs. We obtain estimates on the toughness, the tenacity, the scattering number, and the rupture degree of nearest neighbor graphs. The method is to recursively apply a certain separator theorem an appropriate number of times, depending on the particular measure studied. We also apply these methods to obtain estimates of these measures for several other classes of graphs.
Endogenous skeletal muscle antioxidants

Skeletal muscle is susceptible to oxidative deterioration due to a combination of lipid oxidation catalysts and membrane lipid systems that are high in unsaturated fatty acids. To prevent or delay oxidation reactions, several endogenous antioxidant systems are found in muscle tissue. These include alpha-tocopherol, histidine-containing dipeptides, and antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. The contribution of alpha-tocopherol to the oxidative stability of skeletal muscle is largely influenced by diet. Dietary supplementation of tocopherol has been shown to increase muscle alpha-tocopherol concentrations and inhibit both lipid oxidation and color deterioration. Dietary selenium supplementation has also been shown to increase the oxidative stability of muscle presumably by increasing the activity of glutathione peroxidase. The oxidative stability of skeletal muscle is also influenced by the histidine-containing dipeptides, carnosine and anserine. Whereas carnosine and anserine are affected by diet less than alpha-tocopherol and glutathione peroxidase, their concentrations vary widely with species and muscle type. In pigs, beef, and turkey muscle, carnosine concentrations are greater than anserine, while the opposite is true in rabbit, salmon, and chicken muscle. Anserine and carnosine are found in greater concentrations in muscle high in white fibers, with chicken white muscle containing over fivefold more anserine and carnosine than red muscle. Anserine and carnosine are thought to inhibit lipid oxidation by a combination of free radical scavenging and metal chelation.
Young Children's Understanding of Thinking and Consciousness:

opened the box think is in it, the ex perimenter now inquires. "Candy!" says the child, grinning at the trick. The researcher repeats the proce dure with a 3-year-old. The response to the first question is the expected "candy," but the response to the second is surprising: "crayons." Even more surprising, the child also says he himself had initially thought crayons would be in the box. Unlike the 5-year-old, the 3-year-old shows no evidence of understanding that either he or other people could hold a belief that is false. Findings such as this stud a new and exciting area of cognitive developmental research concerning the ontogenesis of our knowledge and beliefs about the mental world?our folk psychology or naive theory of mind. More than was true of earlier metacognitive and social cognitive approaches to the same general problem, this new approach probes children's developing con ceptions of the most basic compo nents of the mind, such as beliefs and desires, and children's knowl edge of how these components af feet and are affected by perceptual inputs and behavioral outputs. In just a few short years, this fast growing area has spawned scores of research articles and a number of bookand monograph-length treat ments.1
Defective mismatch repair in the pathogenesis of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms and adenocarcinomas

Defective DNA mismatch repair has been proposed as a second pathway for colonic carcinogenesis, particularly in tumors arising in the right colon. We investigated whether tumors arising in the appendix are associated with defective DNA mismatch repair using immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair enzymes hMLH-1, hMSH-2, hMSH-6, and hPMS-2. These immunoassays have been shown to be highly sensitive and specific for defective DNA mismatch repair in sporadic and familial adenocarcinomas. Sporadic adenocarcinomas with defective DNA mismatch repair essentially always show loss of hMLH-1, while loss of hMSH-2, hMSH-6, or hPMS-2 is almost always due to germline mutation. In all, 35 cases of appendiceal epithelial neoplasms were evaluated, comprising 18 low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms confined to the appendix; eight low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms with extra-appendiceal spread (five peritoneum and ovaries, two peritoneum, one ovaries only); and nine invasive adenocarcinomas (three with metastatic disease). All immunohistochemical slides were reviewed by two pathologists. One (11%) invasive adenocarcinoma showed absent expression of hMSH-2 and hMSH-6, but preserved hMLH-1 and hPMS-2 expression. This case was a 26-year-old female with a history of synovial sarcoma who presented with acute appendicitis and appendiceal perforation (median age for other invasive carcinomas, 62 years; range 38-76 years). The appendiceal tumor was a moderately differentiated, colonic-type adenocarcinoma without significant extracellular mucin or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The remaining invasive carcinomas and low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms demonstrated preserved expression of all mismatch repair enzymes, including the seven cases in which extra-appendiceal tumor was also evaluated. We conclude that defective DNA mismatch repair does not play a role in the pathogenesis of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms. Defective DNA mismatch was found in 11% of invasive carcinomas, likely due to a germline mutation. These findings suggest that sporadic appendiceal neoplasia rarely arises through the defective DNA mismatch repair (mutator) pathway.
The Structural Basis of Actin Organization by Vinculin and Metavinculin

Vinculin is an essential adhesion protein that links membrane-bound integrin and cadherin receptors through their intracellular binding partners to filamentous actin, facilitating mechanotransduction. Here we present an 8.5-A-resolution cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction and pseudo-atomic model of the vinculin tail (Vt) domain bound to F-actin. Upon actin engagement, the N-terminal “strap” and helix 1 are displaced from the Vt helical bundle to mediate actin bundling. We find that an analogous conformational change also occurs in the H1′ helix of the tail domain of metavinculin (MVt) upon actin binding, a muscle-specific splice isoform that suppresses actin bundling by Vt. These data support a model in which metavinculin tunes the actin bundling activity of vinculin in a tissue-specific manner, providing a mechanistic framework for understanding metavinculin mutations associated with hereditary cardiomyopathies.
Lead, Zinc, and Manganese, in Dredge-spoil Pond Ecosystems

Pb, Zn, and Mn, levels in sediment and common estuarine plants and animals colonizing dredge-spoil disposal areas were compared with levels occurring in the same materials from a natural salt-marsh. Finegrained dredge-spoil had considerabily higher levels of all three metals than did natural salt-marsh sediment, and large differences in the metals content of the spoil were observed, depending on sediment type.Pb levels in the Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio), Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), Common Reed (Phragmites communis), Saltmarsh Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), and Saltmeadow Hay (Spartina patens), from dredge-spoil areas, were significantly higher at the 0.01 confidence level than in these species from the natural salt-marsh. Zn concentrations were significantly higher at this confidence level in the three plant species growing in dredge-spoil compared with those from the natural marsh. Mn content in Grass Shrimp from ponds in dredge-spoil disposal areas was significantly higher (0.05 confidence level) than in those from the natural marsh. Thus, dredge-spoil containing heavy metals, even though disposed of in specially designed diked containment areas, may act as a source of certain heavy metals that are potentially toxic to the biota.Data on the transfer of Pb and Mn in simple foodchains of the dredge-spoil pond ecosystem are presented and discussed in relation to feeding behaviour. Decreasing concentrations with increasing tropic level were observed for Pb and Mn, but no consistent pattern was noted with Zn.
Discovery of a substrate selectivity switch in tyrosine ammonia-lyase, a member of the aromatic amino acid lyase family

Tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) is a recently described member of the aromatic amino acid lyase family, which also includes phenylalanine (PAL) and histidine ammonia-lyases (HAL). TAL is highly selective for L-tyrosine, and synthesizes 4-coumaric acid as a protein cofactor or antibiotic precursor in microorganisms. In this report, we identify a single active site residue important for substrate selection in this enzyme family. Replacing the active site residue His89 with Phe in TAL completely switched its substrate selectivity from tyrosine to phenylalanine, thereby converting it into a highly active PAL. When a corresponding mutation was made in PAL, the enzyme lost PAL activity and gained TAL activity. The discovered substrate selectivity switch is a rare example of a complete alteration of substrate specificity by a single point mutation. We also show that the identity of the amino acid at the switch position can serve as a guide to predict substrate specificities of annotated aromatic amino acid lyases in genome sequences.
Mice deficient in phosphodiesterase-4A display anxiogenic-like behavior

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a super family of enzymes responsible for the halting of intracellular cyclic nucleotide signaling and may represent novel therapeutic targets for treatment of cognitive disorders. PDE4 is of considerable interest to cognitive research because it is highly expressed in the brain, particularly in the cognition-related brain regions. Recently, the functional role of PDE4B and PDE4D, two of the four PDE4 subtypes (PDE4A, B, C, and D), in behavior has begun to be identified; however, the role of PDE4A in the regulation of behavior is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to characterize the functional role of PDE4A in behavior. The role of PDE4A in behavior was evaluated through a battery of behavioral tests using PDE4A knockout (KO) mice; urine corticosterone levels were also measured. PDE4A KO mice exhibited improved memory in the step-through-passive-avoidance test. They also displayed anxiogenic-like behavior in elevated-plus maze, holeboard, light–dark transition, and novelty suppressed feeding tests. Consistent with the anxiety profile, PDE4A KO mice had elevated corticosterone levels compared with wild-type controls post-stress. Interestingly, PDE4A KO mice displayed no change in object recognition, Morris water maze, forced swim, tail suspension, and duration of anesthesia induced by co-administration of xylazine and ketamine (suggesting that PDE4A KO may not be emetic). These results suggest that PDE4A may be important in the regulation of emotional memory and anxiety-like behavior, but not emesis. PDE4A could possibly represent a novel therapeutic target in the future for anxiety or disorders affecting memory.
Leu-574 of HIF-1α Is Essential for the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-mediated Degradation Pathway

Oxygen homeostasis is crucial for a myriad of developmental, physiological, and pathophysiological processes. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) plays a pivotal role in response to hypoxia by transcriptionally activating target genes involving oxygen uptake, transport, delivery, and consumption. HIF-1α activity is regulated primarily through the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway, which targets the oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODD) of HIF-1α. In particular, the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein complex, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, binds to the ODD upon hydroxylation of HIF-1α Pro-564. Here, we show that in vivo VHL interacts with the N-terminal as well as the C-terminal ODD independently, supporting the notion of functional redundancy within the ODD. Moreover, we demonstrate that Leu-574 of HIF-1α is essential for VHL binding to the C-terminal ODD. Despite the presence of Pro-564, deletion or mutation of Leu-574 resulted in a loss of VHL binding and a gain of protein stability. Furthermore, the identification of Leu-574 redefines the N-terminal activation domain of HIF-1α to be constitutively active. Taken together, this study provides new insight into the mechanisms underlying VHL-mediated HIF-1α degradation and transcriptional activation, and a molecular basis for drug targeting.
Guidelines for the use of immunosuppressive drugs in patients with ocular inflammatory disorders: recommendations of an expert panel

Abstract PURPOSE: To provide recommendations for the use of immunosuppressive drugs in the treatment of patients with ocular inflammatory disorders. PARTICIPANTS: A 12-person panel of physicians with expertise in ophthalmologic, pediatric, and rheumatologic disease, in research, and in the use of immunosuppressive drugs in patient care. EVIDENCE: Published clinical study results. Recommendations were rated according to the quality and strength of available evidence. PROCESS: The panel was convened in September of 1999 and met regularly through May 2000. Subgroups of the panel summarized and presented available information on specific topics to the full panel; recommendations and ratings were determined by group consensus. CONCLUSIONS: Although corticosteroids represent one of the mainstays in the management of patients with ocular inflammation, in many patients, the severity of the disease, the presence of corticosteroid side effects, or the requirement for doses of systemic corticosteroids highly likely to result in corticosteroid complications supports the rationale for immunosuppressive drugs (for example, antimetabolites, T-cell inhibitors, and alkylating agents) being used in the management of these patients. Because of the potential for side effects, treatment must be individualized and regular monitoring performed. With careful use of immunosuppressive drugs for treatment of ocular inflammatory disorders, many patients will benefit from them either with better control of the ocular inflammation or with a decrease in corticosteroid side effects.
Privacy in VoIP Networks: A k-Anonymity Approach

Peer-to-peer VoIP (voice over IP) networks, exemplified by Skype, are becoming increasingly popular due to their significant cost advantage and richer call forwarding features than traditional public switched telephone networks. One of the most important features of a VoIP network is privacy (for VoIP clients). Unfortunately, most peer-to-peer VoIP networks neither provide personalization nor guarantee a quantifiable privacy level. In this paper we propose novel flow analysis attacks that demonstrate the vulnerabilities of peer-to-peer VoIP networks to privacy attacks. We present detailed experimental evaluation that demonstrates these attacks quantifying performance and scalability degradation.
Global reproduction and transformation of science education

Neoliberalism has spread globally and operates hegemonically in many fields, including science education. I use historical auto/ethnography to examine global referents that have mediated the production of contemporary science education to explore how the roles of teachers and learners are related to macrostructures such as neoliberalism and derivative sensibilities, including standards, competition, and accountability systems, that mediate enacted curricula. I investigate these referents in relation to science education in two geographically and temporally discrete contexts Western Australia in the 1960s and 1970s and more recently in an inner city high school in the US. In so doing I problematize some of the taken for granted aspects of science education, including holding teachers responsible for establishing and maintaining control over students, emphasizing competition between individuals and between collectives such as schools, school districts and countries, and holding teachers and school leaders accountable for student achievement.