cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal and Radiolytic Decomposition of Lipids

Radiation preservation of food is a relatively new process, the advantages of which have been recognized for many years. Its practical application, however, has been hindered by regulatory, technical, and economic problems. In the past few years a phenomenal progress toward the solution of these difficulties has taken place. In 1980, the joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/International Atomic Energy Agency Expert Committee on wholesomeness of irradiated food concluded that “the irradiation of any food commodity up to an overall average dose of 10 kilogray (kGy) (1 Mrad) causes no toxicological hazard and hence toxicological testing of foods so treated is no longer required.” In February of 1984, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed regulations to permit the treatment by ionizing radiation to inhibit growth and maturation of fruits and vegetables, at doses up to 1 kGy (100 krad), and to control infestation of spices at doses not exceeding 30 kGy (3 Mrad). Indeed, a number of irradiated foods are already on the market in several countries, and there is every reason to believe that in the near future, this treatment will become a significant process in food technology.
Friction evaluation of concrete paver blocks for airport pavement applications

The development and use of concrete paver blocks is reviewed and some general specifications for application of this type of pavement surface at airport facilities are given. Two different shapes of interlocking concrete paver blocks installed in the track surface at NASA Langley's Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility (ALDF) are described. Preliminary cornering performance results from testing of 40 x 14 radial-belted and bias-ply aircraft tires are reviewed. These tire tests are part of a larger, ongoing joint NASA/FAA/Industry Surface Traction and Radial Tire (START) Program involving several different tire sizes. Both dry and wet surface conditions were evaluated on the two concrete paver block test surfaces and a conventional, nongrooved Portland cement concrete surface. Future test plans involving evaluation of other concrete paver block designs at the ALDF are indicated.
The Stability of Magnetized Rotating Plasmas with Strong Toroidal Fields

It is widely accepted that the magnetorotational instability offers a viable mechanism for enhanced angular momentum transport in weakly magnetized accretion disks around compact objects. Here, we show that, contrary to the results of most previous studies, the presence of a strong azimuthal component in the magnetic field plays a crucial role not only in the growth rates of the unstable modes but also in determining which modes are subject to instabilities.
FridgeNet: A Nutrition and Social Activity Promotion Platform for Aging Populations

A society in which older people have fewer offspring or have children who live far away increases the number of people living alone. Inevitably, these isolated adults gradually lose their connection with society, and their social skills worsen. FridgeNet promotes social activities for these people. By automating and encouraging the sharing of diet information, it establishes mutual support in a virtual community. Continual communication and discussion further promote physical social activities such as grocery shopping with peers.
Mechanisms of tacit knowing: pattern recognition and synthesis

Purpose – The paper sets out to integrate what is known about the concept of tacit knowledge and proposes a pattern recognition and synthesis (PRS) framework as an explanation of how tacit knowledge is created.Design/methodology/approach – In this conceptual piece it is argued that knowledge is monistic and that the dichotic distinction between tacit and explicit is an artifact of analytic treatment. The PRS framework models the development of personal knowledge via the process of tacit knowing within the individual, who is within an organizational setting.Findings – The PRS model complements extant models of organizational learning by providing possible mechanisms for tacit knowing that have not yet been elucidated. Specifically, as a perception‐based model its main conclusion is that all tacit knowledge must be built up within individuals, which has major implications for the time and energy invested in knowledge creation activities.Research limitations/implications – Future research can test the propos...
Solar trainer for laboratory photovoltaic systems education

This paper presents the development of a solar trainer to be used as a photovoltaic systems educational instrument in a laboratory environment. It allows various balance of system components to be investigated and the impact of environmental conditions when generating power with solar photovoltaic panels to be studied. The stimuli tested include tilt of the panel, light intensity, and temperature. The trainer also includes the ability to test the effect of different types of solar pv panels, charge controllers, inverters, and battery types. The entire design is contained within a self-powered, easily portable rolling cart.
Characterizing the sphingolipid signaling pathway that remediates defects associated with loss of the yeast amphiphysin-like orthologs, Rvs161p and Rvs167p

Loss of function of either the RVS161 or RVS167 Saccharomyces cerevisiae amphiphysin-like gene confers similar growth phenotypes that can be suppressed by mutations in sphingolipid biosynthesis. We performed a yeast two-hybrid screen using Rvs161p as bait to uncover proteins involved in this sphingolipid-dependent suppressor pathway. In the process, we have demonstrated a direct physical interaction between Rvs167p and the two-hybrid interacting proteins, Acf2p, Gdh3p, and Ybr108wp, while also elucidating the Rvs167p amino acid domains to which these proteins bind. By using subcellular fractionation, we demonstrate that Rvs167p, Ybr108wp, Gdh3p, and Acf2p all localize to Rvs161p-containing lipid rafts, thus placing them within a single compartment that should facilitate their interactions. Moreover, our results suggest that Acf2p and Gdh3p functions are needed for suppressor pathway activity. To determine pathway mechanisms further, we examined the localization of Rvs167p in suppressor mutants. These studies reveal roles for Rvs161p and the very long chain fatty acid elongase, Sur4p, in the localization and/or stability of Rvs167p. Previous yeast studies showed that rvs defects could be suppressed by changes in sphingolipid metabolism brought about by deleting SUR4 (Desfarges, L., Durrens, P., Juguelin, H., Cassagne, C., Bonneu, M., and Aigle, M. (1993) Yeast 9, 267–277). Using rvs167 sur4 and rvs161 sur4 double null cells as models to study suppressor pathway activity, we demonstrate that loss of SUR4 does not remediate the steady-state actin cytoskeletal defects of rvs167 or rvs161 cells. Moreover, suppressor activity does not require the function of the actin-binding protein, Abp1p, or Sla1p, a protein that is thought to regulate assembly of the cortical actin cytoskeleton. Based on our results, we suggest that sphingolipid-dependent suppression of rvs defects may not work entirely through regulating changes in actin organization.
Resource distribution drives the adoption of migratory, partially migratory, or residential strategies

Organismal movement can take on a variety of spatial and temporal forms. These forms depend in part on the type and scale of environment experienced as well as the internal state of the individual. However, individuals experiencing seemingly the same environment on the same time scale can display different movement strategies. While theorists have mathematically analyzed patch models and simulated spatially-explicit models, few studies have provided a mathematical analysis of migration in spatially-explicit models. Here, we consider a spatially explicit one-dimensional model where movement is costly and individuals must return to a common breeding ground annually to reproduce. We derive the optimal movement strategy, given specific movement costs and environmental resource distributions, obtaining closed-form solutions and results in several important special cases. We find, intuitively, that steep resource clines favor migratory behavior and shallow resource clines favor residential behavior, while lower movement efficiencies and shorter breeding cycles favor residency. However, we also show that when resource clines are sharp, migrants and residents can coinvade with each exploiting a locally optimal behavior. This can be interpreted as an example of partial migration (if migrants and residents are members of the same species). Alternatively, this can also be interpreted as two recently divergent species coinvading on a single resource, using different movement strategies to share the niche. We conclude with a discussion of density-dependent pressures on movement, including local resource depletion, and show that the density-independent results are relevant to density-dependent situations by calculating some stable strategy allocations analogous to ideal free distributions.
A rapid fluorescence assay for FtsZ assembly indicates cooperative assembly with a dimer nucleus

FtsZ is the major cytoskeletal protein operating in bacterial cell division. FtsZ assembles into protofilaments in vitro, and there has been some controversy over whether the assembly is isodesmic or cooperative. Assembly has been assayed previously by sedimentation and light scattering. However, these techniques will under-report small polymers. We have now produced a mutant of Escherichia coli FtsZ, L68W, which gives a 250% increase in tryptophan fluorescence upon polymerization. This provides a real-time assay of polymer that is directly proportional to the concentration of subunit interfaces. FtsZ-L68W is functional for cell division, and should therefore be a valid model for studying the thermodynamics and kinetics of FtsZ assembly. We assayed assembly at pH 7.7 and pH 6.5, in 2.5 mM EDTA. EDTA blocks GTP hydrolysis and should give an assembly reaction that is not complicated by the irreversible hydrolysis step. Assembly kinetics was determined with a stopped-flow device for a range of FtsZ concentrations. When assembly was initiated by adding 0.2 mM GTP, fluorescence increase showed a lag, followed by nucleation, elongation, and a plateau. The assembly curves were fit to a cooperative mechanism that included a monomer activation step, a weak dimer nucleus, and elongation. Fragmentation was absent in the model, another characteristic of cooperative assembly. We are left with an enigma: how can the FtsZ protofilament, which appears to be one-subunit thick, assemble with apparent cooperativity?
The life cycle of crime guns: A description based on guns recovered from young people in california

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We describe the life cycle of crime guns recovered from young people-the movement of those guns from manufacture to criminal use-and identify associations between the characteristics of those guns and their possessors, purchasers, sellers, and places of origin. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of data from gun ownership tracing records compiled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for 2,121 crime guns recovered in California from persons younger than 25 years and traced in 1999. Purchaser and seller data for handguns were updated when possible by linking to California handgun sales records. RESULTS: The 2,121 traced guns were recovered from 1,717 young people. Guns recovered from persons aged 21 to 24 years were most frequently also purchased by persons aged 21 to 24 years; those recovered from persons younger than 18 years were most often purchased by persons aged 45 years or older. Small-caliber handguns made up 41.0% of handguns recovered from persons younger than 18 years but 25.2% of handguns recovered from persons aged 21 to 24 years. The median time from sale to recovery (commonly called time to crime) for all guns was 6.4 years (interquartile range 2.7 to 12.4 years). A time to crime of less than 3 years, suggesting deliberate gun trafficking, was observed for 17.3% of guns recovered from persons younger than 18 years but 34.6% of guns recovered from persons aged 21 to 24 years. Ten retailers who sold 10 or more traced guns accounted for 13.1% of all guns traced to a retailer. Handguns whose purchaser and possessor were the same person were more likely than others to be large-caliber semiautomatic pistols (29.3% and 11.7%, respectively); their median time to crime was 0.2 years (69 days). CONCLUSION: Analysis of crime-gun ownership traces reveals patterns that may help refine gun violence prevention efforts and render them more effective.
Nalmefene for Elective Reversal of Procedural Sedation in Children: Results of an Open-Label Clinical Trial

Nalmefene for Elective Reversal of Procedural Sedation in Children: Results of an Open-Label Clinical Trial
Molecular Targets of Vertebrate Segmentation: Two Mechanisms Control Segmental Expression of Xenopus hairy2 during Somite Formation

Abstract Vertebrate hairy genes are expressed in patterns thought to be readouts of a "segmentation clock" in the presomitic mesoderm. Here we use transgenic Xenopus embryos to show that two types of regulatory elements are required to reconstitute the segmental pattern of Xenopus hairy2 . The first is a promoter element containing two binding sites for Xenopus Su(H), a transcriptional activator of Notch target genes. The second is a short sequence in the hairy2 3′ untranslated region (UTR), which most likely functions posttranscriptionally to modulate hairy2 RNA levels. 3′ UTRs of other hairy -related, segmentally expressed genes can substitute for that of hairy2 . Our results demonstrate a novel mechanism regulating the segmental patterns of Notch target genes and suggest that vertebrate segmentation requires the intersection of two regulatory pathways.
On the Validity of Popular Masculinity Rating Scales with Gay Men

During the past decade, greater quantitative attention has been given to how gay men’s lives are affected by traditional notions of masculinity. Consequently, it is important that masculinity-related measures that are often used in research are valid for use with gay men. This study examined the factor structures, loadings, and psychometric properties of three commonly used masculinity-related measures: the Gender Role Conflict Scale, the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, and the Reference Group Identity Dependence Scale. Data were collected via an online survey of 920 self-identified gay men (M age = 32.48 years, SD = 11.73). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that while the goodness of fit statistics did not always indicate the model fit, there were similar endorsements of items across the three masculinity scales and subscale factor loadings consistent with published studies using mostly heterosexual male samples. Implications for future masculinity scale research on gay men are discussed.
Alternative splicing of the mouse amelogenin primary RNA transcript.

A heterogeneous mixture of amelogenins can be extracted from developing tooth enamel matrix. In an attempt to discover the extent to which alternative splicing of the amelogenin primary RNA transcript can generate unique isoforms, we have conducted a thorough search for cDNAs amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Over 2400 colonies were screened by colony hybridization. Seven different alternatively spliced amelogenin mRNAs were isolated. The predicted translation products of the messages are 194, 180, 156, 141, 74, 59, and 44 amino acids in length. RT-PCR amplification products not predicted by these seven amelogenin cDNAs were characterized. The intron separating exons 5 and 6 was cloned and sequenced. Using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques, the 5′ ends of the amelogenin mRNAs were cloned and characterized. The finding that the same exon 1 is common to all of the cloned mRNAs indicates that mouse amelogenin is transcribed from a single promoter. The mouse amelogenin transcription and translation initiation sites, the 5′ untranslated leader, and the segment encoding the signal peptide were determined. The distinctly nonamelogenin-like exon 4, first observed in human amelogenin cDNAs, has also been found in mice. Antibodies were raised to synthetic exon 4-encoded polypeptides and used to immunostain Western transfers and histologic tooth sections.
ROC study of screen-film mammography and storage phosphor digital mammography: analysis of nonconcordant classifications and implications for the approval of digital mammography systems

A recently completed ROC study of digital mammography using a 100 micron pixel storage phosphor receptor showed that digital mammography and conventional screen film mammography were essentially equivalent in areas under the ROC curve. In this study, there were 24 biopsy proven breast cancer cases, 25 benign biopsy cases and 48 clinically normal breast images each with matched screen film and storage phosphor images. Fifteen of the 24 cancer cases were 10 mm or less in size. Of these 10 presented with microcalcifications as the sign of disease. Six radiologists not involved with the research program and without prior experience with digital mammography and who met qualification criteria under the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 served as readers. This poster looks at the cases in which there was variance between the radiologists ROC classification system for the digital and screen film system in order to analyze case specific discrepancies that may indicate benefits or deficits of the digital system. Aspects of the ROC ratings are also analyzed including an evaluation of the different thresholds used by radiologists on the digital and screen film systems, the distribution of ROC ratings in normal and abnormal cases, the effect of using different gold standards of proof on the results and the effect of substituting an ACR BIRADS category agreement study as proposed by the FDA compared to the ROC study outcome.
Similarity solutions for the converging or diverging steady flow of non-newtonian elastic power law fluids with wall suction or injection. Part I: Two-dimensional channel flow

Similarity solutions are determined for the steady flow of an incompressible elastic power law fluid in a two-dimensional channel with nonparallel walls. The possibility of wall suction or injection is considered. Solutions are found to exist only for power law indices of unity. A method is developed for estimating the pressure drop in the naturally converging flow field before the entrance to a capillary. In diverging flows a singularity is found to arise due to the elasticity of the fluid. The singularity corresponds to a Deborah number of unity. It is postulated that the singularity is, for the constitutive equation used here, a possible source of the flow instability commonly referred to as melt fracture.
OXIDE FUEL IN-REACTOR CREEP - LMFBR DESIGN ASPECTS

Abstract Evaluations have been conducted to determine operational regimes of importance for specification of experiments focused on mixed-oxide fuel in-reactor creep. A review of recent data and analyses indicates that actual steady state creep rates may be significantly lower than those predicted by the current design correlation. Additional data are required for an improved steady state creep correlation. There are very few data on mixed-oxide primary creep, for which a design correlation is needed. Conditions of major importance for primary creep include: nominal fission rates to evaluate fuel rod response to normal power changes and higher deformation rates applicable to transient overpower events.
Kinesin I-dependent cortical exclusion restricts pole plasm to the oocyte posterior

Microtubules and the plus-end-directed microtubule motor Kinesin I are required for the selective accumulation of oskar mRNA at the posterior cortex of the Drosophila melanogaster oocyte, which is essential to posterior patterning and pole plasm assembly. We present evidence that microtubule minus ends associate with the entire cortex, and that Kinesin and microtubules are not required for oskar mRNA association with the posterior pole, but prevent ectopic localization of this transcript and the pole plasm proteins Oskar and Vasa to other cortical regions. Cortical binding of oskar mRNA seems to be dependent on the actin cytoskeleton. We conclude that most of the actin-rich oocyte cortex can support pole plasm assembly, and propose that Kinesin restricts pole plasm formation to the posterior by moving oskar mRNA away from microtubule-rich lateral and anterior cortical regions.
Ultrafiltration: A mechanism for removal of intermediate molecular weight substances in coil dialyzers

Ultrafiltration: A mechanism for removal of intermediate molecular weight substances in coil dialyzers. The present studies were undertaken to 1) evaluate independently the effects of intracoil hydrostatic pressure and ultrafiltration rate on dialysance in coils, 2) determine the relationship of intracoil hydrostatic pressure to dialysance in newer Ultra-Flo II coils and 3) compare the dialysance changes for a small, highly diffusible solute with those of a solute in the middle molecular range during all studies. The results show that dialysance values in UF-II coils increase directly with ultrafiltration and decrease with negative ultrafiltration. Dialysance changes were proportionally greater for the larger solute. Changes were highly correlated with ultrafiltration rate in all experiments and were not significantly correlated with intracoil hydrostatic pressure when the pressure was varied independently of ultrafiltration rate. Ultrafiltration rate markedly influences the dialysance of larger molecular weight solutes in coil dialysis. Ultrafiltration: Un mecanisme de soustraction des substances de poids moleculaires intermediaires dans les dialyseurs a bobines. Ce travail a ete entrepris pour: 1) evaluer separement les consequences de la pression hydrostatique a l'interieur de la bobine et du debit d'ultrafiltration sur la dialysance des bobines, 2) determiner la relation entre la pression hydrostatique a l'interieur de la bobine et la dialysance dans les nouvelles bobines Ultra-Flo II et 3) comparer les modifications de la dialysance d'un solute de faible poids moleculaires tres diffusible avec un solute de poids moleculaire moyen dans toutes les circonstances decrites plus haut. Les resultats montrent que les valeurs de la dialysance dans les bobines UF II augmentent directement avec l'ultrafiltration et diminuent avec l'ultrafiltration negative. Les modifications de la dialysance sont proportionnellement plus grandes pour le solute de poids moleculaire plus grand. Les modifications sont significativement correlees avec le debit d'ultrafiltration dans toutes les experiences et ne sont pas correlees avec la pression hydrostatique quand la pression est modifiee independamment du debit d'ultrafiltration. Le debit d'ultrafiltration influence la dialysance des solutes de poids moleculaires moyens au cours des dialyses au moyen de bobines.
Effect of Surface Treatment on Titania-Modified PET Fiber Using Polyethylene Nanoparticles

Polyethylene (PE) nanoparticles were newly prepared by a combination of ultrasonication and low-temperature-induced crystallization in poly(ethylene glycol). These PE particles were formulated into spin finishes and applied to the surface of titania-modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers that had a higher relative concentration of titania (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles at the fiber surface than in the interior core as evidenced by SEM/EDX mapping studies. Aggregations of TiO 2 nanoparticles were found to appear on the surface of such fibers, which led to a decreased contact area and, thus, an increased contact pressure between the sliding fiber and its encountered surface. The effect of plowing by the sliding fiber on its counterpart was observed and studied as a function of the PE nanoparticle size, and the corresponding data on the friction force among three values of fiber fineness were also obtained. We found that the fiber friction force decreased and the plowing effect on its counterpart increased when the fiber fineness decreased. In addition, we found that the minimum plowing effect was obtained when the size of the PE nanoparticles was comparable to the size of the TiO 2 aggregations that appeared on the surface of the titania-modified PET fibers.
Growing Old in Utopia

Growing old was far more probable in Thomas More's (1516) Utopia than in any actual realm of the time. A skilled, educated, and physically fit citizenry enjoyed longevity along with the other benefits of a commonwealth with a rare blend of enduring moral values and energetic pursuit of material progress. From childhood's hour, citizens were programmed for a lifecourse procession through a just and rational society. Generations therefore differed little in attitude and lifestyle, therefore contributing to the social integration of the aged. Security did not come cheap, however. It came at the price of individual expression, intimate relationships, idle leisure, self-reflection, and the free play of mind. The grateful citizen's final affirmation was to die the good, approved Utopian death.
Selection of DNA aptamers for ovarian cancer biomarker HE4 using CE-SELEX and high-throughput sequencing

The development of novel affinity probes for cancer biomarkers may enable powerful improvements in analytical methods for detecting and treating cancer. In this report, we describe our use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) as the separation mechanism in the process of selecting DNA aptamers with affinity for the ovarian cancer biomarker HE4. Rather than the conventional use of cloning and sequencing as the last step in the aptamer selection process, we used high-throughput sequencing on an Illumina platform. This data-rich approach, combined with a bioinformatics pipeline based on freely available computational tools, enabled the entirety of the selection process-and not only its endpoint-to be characterized. Affinity probe CE and fluorescence anisotropy assays demonstrate the binding affinity of a set of aptamer candidates identified through this bioinformatics approach. Graphical Abstract A population of candidate aptamers is sequenced on an Illumina platform, enabling the process by which aptamers are selected over multiple SELEX rounds to be characterized. Bioinformatics tools are used to identify enrichment of selected aptamers and groupings into clusters based on sequence and structural similarity. A subset of sequenced aptamers may be intelligently chosen for in vitro testing.
Microbial Fe(III) reduction in a minerotrophic wetland - geochemical controls and involvement in organic matter decomposition

Abstract This paper presents the results of a study on the geochemistry of Fe in a minerotrophic wetland in Central New York. Fine-scale geochemical trends in the peat and peat porewater were investigated to evaluate detailed vertical profiles of Fe in solution. Two sites within the wetland were examined: one site adjacent to an agricultural field receiving nutrient inputs and another (pristine) site in the middle of the wetland. Results revealed that Fe(II) was produced in situ in the wetland, most probably as a result of microbial Fe(III) reduction. Iron(II) concentration profiles suggested the existence of Fe(III) reduction in the zone adjacent to the agricultural field, whereas no significant evidence for Fe(III) reduction occurred in the pristine zone. Theoretical equilibrium modeling predicted that the difference in soluble Fe concentrations between the two zones was probably caused by abiotic reactions, such as pyrite precipitation. Geochemically, a correlation between Fe(II) and bulk density showed the importance of Fe reduction in the decomposition of organic matter in the organic rich peat and demonstrated the importance of the mineralogical composition for the reduction of Fe(III). Finally, a unique reversal of Fe and SO 4 2 - reduction was discovered in the zone adjacent to the agricultural field.
Association Ambiguity in Brand Extension

A research method is developed to effectively identify associations that significantly influence the perceived fit of brand extensions. Contrary to extant brand extension studies that mainly focus on the fit of associations, the current study considers the ambiguity of associations. The proposed measure of association ambiguity, defined as the level of uncertainty based on the perceived conflict of a particular association in a brand extension indicated by the similarity and intensity level of perceived association distance to the parent brand and extension category, was tested and validated using several brand extension cases. Identifying an association's level of ambiguity and the magnitude of its impact on the perceived fit will allow advertisers to adjust their advertising messages and increase consumer receptiveness toward brand extensions. Implications for advertising practitioners and future research are discussed.
Lipid droplets as ubiquitous fat storage organelles in C. elegans

Lipid droplets are a class of eukaryotic cell organelles for storage of neutral fat such as triacylglycerol (TAG) and cholesterol ester (CE). We and others have recently reported that lysosome-related organelles (LROs) are not fat storage structures in the nematode C. elegans. We also reported the formation of enlarged lipid droplets in a class of peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation mutants. In the present study, we seek to provide further evidence on the organelle nature and biophysical properties of fat storage structures in wild-type and mutant C. elegans. In this study, we provide biochemical, histological and ultrastructural evidence of lipid droplets in wild-type and mutant C. elegans that lack lysosome related organelles (LROs). The formation of lipid droplets and the targeting of BODIPY fatty acid analogs to lipid droplets in live animals are not dependent on lysosomal trafficking or peroxisome dysfunction. However, the targeting of Nile Red to lipid droplets in live animals occurs only in mutants with defective peroxisomes. Nile Red labelled-lipid droplets are characterized by a fluorescence emission spectrum distinct from that of Nile Red labelled-LROs. Moreover, we show that the recently developed post-fix Nile Red staining method labels lipid droplets exclusively. Our results demonstrate lipid droplets as ubiquitous fat storage organelles and provide a unified explanation for previous studies on fat labelling methods in C. elegans. These results have important applications to the studies of fat storage and lipid droplet regulation in the powerful genetic system, C. elegans.
Isolation and properties of 5'-mononucleotidase from a membrane fraction of bovine cerebral cortex.

Abstract 1. 1. From a membrane fraction of bovine cerebral cotex 5′-mononucleotidase (5′-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolyase, EC 3.1.3.5) was prepared and its properties were described. 2. 2. A particulate enzyme which was prepared by deoxycholate treatment and gradient centrifugation showed a 240-fold higher specific activity than that of the original membrane fraction. The enzyme hydrolyzed exclusively nucleoside 5′-monophosphates; and the hydrolysis rates of pyrimidine-ribose nucleotides were 2-fold larger than those of purine-ribose nucleotides. K m values for AMP and CMP were 2.9·10 −4 and 4.8·10 −4 M, respectively, in the presence of 2 mM MgCl 2 . 3. 3. The particulate preparation was active in the absence of extraneous divalent metal ions. Both Mg 2+ and Mn 2+ stimulated the activity, but other tested divalent cations were inhibitory. Among nucleosides, adenosine was the most potent inhibitor regardless of the base type of the substrate. 4. 4. Although the particulate enzyme contained phospholipids (33% of total protein), they did not seem to be involved in the activity. 5. 5. A soluble 5′-mononucleotidase was also prepared from acetone powder of the same source, using detergent treatment and gel-filtration chromatography. The enzyme appeared to be an acidic protein possessing a strong tendency to aggregate. The apparent particle weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 190 000 by gel-filtration chromatography.
A Window in the Venetian Mint and the Libreria di San Marco

The lively, decades-long scholarly debate about the length that Jacopo Sansovino originally planned for his Libreria di San Marco in Venice (begun 1537) is the subject of A Window in the Venetian Mint and the Libreria di San Marco . Did Sansovino intend the building to have seventeen bays, or the present twenty-one? The question is important, because the Libreria plays a crucial role in the city9s famous central urban space, Piazza San Marco. Eugene J. Johnson brings new evidence to the discussion, having discovered inside the Libreria a walled-up window that once opened into the east wall of the Sansovino9s contemporaneous Venetian Mint, or Zecca. The window offers an opportunity to reconsider the arguments, and Johnson concludes that Sansovino had envisioned the longer, twenty-one bay building from the outset.
Inventory budget optimization: meeting system-wide service levels in practice

The work described in the literature on inventory and supply chain management has advanced greatly over the last few decades and now covers many aspects and challenges of applied supply chain management. In this paper we describe an approach that combines many of these academic aspects in a practical way to manage the spare parts logistics at a German automobile manufacturer. The basic problem is a single-echelon inventor), problem with a system-wide service-level requirement and the possibility of issuing emergency orders. There exist two related optimization problems: One is to maximize the system-wide service level under the constraint of a given budget; the other is to minimize the budget for a given system-wide service level. The most important requirements and constraints considered are a detailed cost structure, different packaging sizes, capacity constraints, several storage zones, the decision whether or not to stock a product, stochastic lead times, highly sporadic demands, and the stability of the optimization result over time. Our approach has been implemented successfully in an automotive spare parts planning environment. The complete solution package integrates into the mySAP ERP®, the SAP Enterprise Resource Planning system, and APO 4.0, the SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization system. A detailed description of the model is given and results are presented.
Prolonged attenuation of cold-induced hypertension by adenoviral delivery of renin antisense

Prolonged attenuation of cold-induced hypertension by adenoviral delivery of renin antisense. Background Renin has been linked to the pathogenesis of some forms of hypertension, including cold-induced hypertension (CIH). Although several antihypertensive drugs that inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT 1 ) receptors are available, they are short-lasting and have side effects. Inhibition of renin [the first and rate-limiting step of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS)] would provide an inhibition of the entire RAS. Thus, we developed an antisense approach for specific inhibition of renin based on the genetic design. The objective of this study was to test our hypothesis that adenoviral delivery of renin antisense inhibits renin and attenuates CIH. Methods Recombinant adenoviruses carrying rat renin antisense (rAdv.RRA) and LacZ reporter gene (rAdv.LacZ) were constructed and used for in vivo gene transfer via intravenous injection. Four groups of rats were used (six rats/group). Blood pressure did not differ among the four groups during the control period at room temperature (25°C). Two groups of rats received rAdv.RRA (2.5 × 10 9 pfu/rat, intravenously), while the other two groups received the same dose of rAdv.LacZ and served as controls. After gene delivery, one rAdv.LacZ-treated and one rAdv.RRA-treated group were exposed to cold (5°C), while the remaining groups were kept at 25°C. Blood pressure was monitored weekly during cold exposure. A 24-hour urine sample was collected during weeks 1, 3, and 5 for measuring urinary aldosterone excretion. At the end of week 5, all animals were killed and blood was collected for measurement of plasma renin activity (PRA), total plasma renin, plasma active renin, and plasma aldosterone. Vascular Ang II contents were measured in all rats. Results Blood pressure of the rAdv.LacZ-treated group rose significantly within 2 weeks of exposure to cold and reached 158.2 ± 6.4 mm Hg by week 5. In contrast, blood pressure (117.1 ± 5.3 mm Hg) of the cold-exposed group treated with rAdv.RRA did not increase until 5 weeks after exposure to cold. Thus, a single dose of rAdv.RRA prevented CIH for at least 5 weeks. rAdv.RRA abolished the cold-induced increases in PRA, total plasma renin, plasma active renin, vascular Ang II, and plasma and urine aldosterone, indicating effective inhibition of the entire RAS. Conclusion rAdv.RRA effectively inhibited the entire RAS and produced prolonged attenuation of CIH. Antisense inhibition of renin may be a novel and ideal approach for long-term control of hypertension.
Effective logic analysis techniques for increased design productivity

Over the past ten years, electronic product designs have gradually shifted from an analog to a digital emphasis. The impact of this shift has been significant. It has changed both the way products are designed and the tools used to design them. Specifically, logic analysis has become one of the most effective tools for digital design. As logic analyzers evolved, designers became more familiar with their use and more productive when using them. It is this concept of higher productivity that forms the basis for this discussion of the logic analyzer evolution and the role it has played in increasing designer productivity and efficiency.
Age at diagnosis, gender, and metabolic control in children with type 1 diabetes

Ojective: To examine whether age at diagnosis and gender affect early metabolic control in children with type 1 diabetes. Design and methods: Data on age at diagnosis, gender, pubertal status, and metabolic control were gathered by a retrospective chart review of children diagnosed between 1992 and 2005. Mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values were compared at five time points: at diagnosis and at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after diagnosis. Results: At diagnosis, girls aged 6–12 years presented with significantly higher HbA1c levels than girls diagnosed at older or younger ages. Their HbA1c at diagnosis was also significantly higher than that in boys of the same age. There was no gender difference among children diagnosed at ages 0–5 or 13+ yr. At 6 months after diagnosis, only age at diagnosis was associated with metabolic control, with children diagnosed when older presenting with lower HbA1c levels. At 12, 24, and 36 months after diagnosis, there were no significant effects of age at diagnosis or gender on glycemic status. Conclusion: At initial diagnosis, girls in the 6–12 age group presented with higher HbA1c levels compared with boys and girls of other age groups. Although endocrine changes associated with puberty may partly explain the findings, more investigation to elucidate mechanisms accounting for the interaction of age and gender with glycemic status is needed.
Chaos via quasiperiodicity: Universal scaling laws in the chaotic regime.

The chaotic regime of systems which go to chaos via quasiperiodicity is studied, with the aim of establishing universal scaling laws for the invariants like the Lyapunov exponents, fractal dimensions, etc. Despite the complicated interventions of periodic windows, the envelopes of these quantities appear to agree extremely well with the theoretical predictions. This agreement is tied to the smooth development of the underlying invariant manifold.
Long- and short-range magnetic order in the spinel Co2Ru1−xMnxO4

Abstract Neutron scattering measurements were performed on the x=0, 0.5, and 0.7 concentrations of the insulating spinel Co2Ru1−xMnxO4. The experiments show that the x=0.7 system orders as a long-range ferrimagnet, the x=0.5 system has a ground state that is a mix of long-range ferrimagnetic order and short-range order, and the x=0 system only possesses short-range order.
Isolation and Characterization of idsA: The Gene for the Short Chain Isoprenyl Diphosphate Synthase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum

The gene that encodes the bifunctional short chain isoprenyl diphosphate synthase (idsA) for synthesis of farnesyl diphosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate in Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, a strict archaebacterial anaerobe, was isolated from a genomic DNA library by colony-lift hybridization and sequenced. Amino acid sequences were obtained for the N-terminus of the enzyme and for internal peptide fragments generated by proteolysis and treatment with cyanogen bromide. Degenerate primers based on the amino acid sequences were used in PCR to synthesize a 220-bp probe from genomic DNA. The probe was radiolabeled and used to isolate idsA. DNA sequencing revealed a 975-bp open reading frame located within an operon. The encoded 325-amino-acid protein contained five conserved regions found in eubacterial and eukaryotic farnesyl diphosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases, including aspartate-rich motifs commonly found in prenyltransferases.
Stress and Moisture Effects on Thin Film Buckling Delamination

Deposition processes control the properties of thin films; they can also introduce high residual stresses, which can be relieved by delamination and fracture. Tungsten films with high 1–2 GPa compressive residual stresses were sputter deposited on top of thin (below 100 nm) copper and diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. Highly stressed films store large amounts of strain energy. When the strain energy release rate exceeds the films' interfacial toughness, delamination occurs. Compressive residual stresses cause film buckling and debonding, forming open channels. Profiles of the buckling delaminations were used to calculate the films' interfacial toughness and then were compared to the adhesion results obtained from the superlayer indentation test. Tests were conducted in both dry and wet environments and a significant drop in film adhesion, up to 100 times was noticed due to the presence of moisture at the film/substrate interface.
To Hospitalize or Not: Making Difficult Decisions in Clinical Practice:

Working with clients in psychological crisis can be overwhelming. Clinicians may feel solely responsible for the safety of everyone involved, and making the right decision about whether or not to h...
Obstetrical risks of pregnancy and childbirth after age 35

Up until 1975 peak fertility rates occurred in the age range 20-29 (Fig. 1) [ 11. The birth rate in the United States had demonstrated a downward trend which began at the height of the baby boom in 1957. The greatest decline was among married women. The declining birth rate in women aged 35-44 depicted in Fig. 2 is for the years up to 1975. The birth rate in women aged 35-39 had declined by 1979 to levels comparable to these in women aged 40-44 in the 1950s and 1960s. The major factor accounting for the decline in fertility was the change in contraceptive practices. Higher proportions of married women of childbearing age were using contraception in 1973 than in 1965. However, married women aged 35-44 years were less frequent users than younger wives, and when using contraception they tended toward either permanent termination of fertility through sterilization or reliance on non-medical methods [I]. However, for the time being at least, the downward trend in fertility rates has ended. Projections from the U.S. Bureau of the Census show that as the large ‘baby boom’ cohort ages in the 198Os, the percentage of births among women aged 35 yr or over will increase by 37% (Fig. 3) [2]. Slight increases are projected for fertility rates in women aged 35-40 (Table I) [2]. In 1983 the overall fertility rate in the USA was 65.8 live births/thousand women in the 1544 age group. The rate has remained at about this level since the mid 1970s [3]. Even if age-specific fertility rates do not increase as projected, the above prediction is likely to be accurate because the change will depend to a major extent on developments in the number of women in this age group [2,4]. It is estimated that the female population aged 35-49 will increase by 61% between 1982 and 1995, i.e. from 19 962 000 to 32 165 000 [5]. The question addressed in this paper is whether there is an increased risk associated with pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium for this increasing group of women aged over 35. As emphasized by Hansen, despite a plethora of reports
Enabling Real-Time In-Situ Processing of Ubiquitous Mobile-Application Workflows

The heterogeneous sensing and computing capabilities of sensor nodes, mobile handhelds, as well as computing and storage servers in remote data centers can be harnessed to enable innovative mobile applications that rely on real-time in-situ processing of data generated in the field. There is, however, uncertainty associated with the quality and quantity of data from mobile sensors as well as with the availability and capabilities of mobile computing resources on the field. Data and computing-resource uncertainty, if unchecked, may propagate up the "raw-data→information→knowledge" chain and have an adverse effect on the relevance of the generated results. A unified uncertainty-aware framework for data and computing-resource management is proposed to enable in-situ processing of application workflows on mobile sensing and computing platforms and, hence, to generate actionable knowledge from raw data within realistic time bounds. A two-phase solution that captures the propagation of data-uncertainty up the data-processing chain using interval arithmetic in the first phase and that employs multi-objective optimization for task allocation in the second phase is presented and evaluated in detail.
Radium-228 profile at the second Geosecs intercalibration station, 1970, in the North Atlantic

Abstract 228Ra concentrations were measured in 12 subsurface water samples collected during August–September 1970 in the North Atlantic at the Second Geosecs Intercalibration Station.228Ra concentrations ranged from 1.5 to 2.1 dpm/100 kg in the water layer between 100 and 600 m depth, above the main thermocline, but decreased with increasing depth to less than 0.5 dpm/100 kg at 1.5 km, below the main thermocline. The two deepest samples, collected below 4 km depth, indicated that the228Ra concentration increased again to at least 1.2 dpm/100 kg as the interface with the sea floor sediments was approached. Above the 4 km level, the228Ra profile was roughly similar to the tritium profile measured by Roether and Munnich.
Optical design of Cranz-Schardin cameras

Cranz-Schardin cameras are low-cost, high-speed cameras. Although developed over 70 yr ago and available commercially, the de- sign principles are not found in standard texts. Geometric optics are used to develop the design of a Cranz-Schardin camera. The design reveals the tight coupling between the light sources and the rest of the optics. The design of a light power gathering system is also described. The implementation of the design principles is illustrated by an actual camera capable of capturing four frames at a maximum rate of 1,000,000/s. © 1997 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(97)02507-5)