cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accurate measurements of small charges collected on junctions from alpha particle strikes using an accelerator-produced microbeam

We describe an accelerator-based system for accurate experiments of alpha particle strikes on integrated circuits. It produces a high-flux, micron-dimensioned collimated beam in air. High speed blanking controls the arrival time and number of alphas. We accurately measure the small alpha-generated charges that collect on junctions using novel test structures and measure SRAM soft error rates. The test structure results are compared to results from our fast alpha-strike simulator.
INSTITUTIONALIZED INEFFICIENCY: THE UNFORTUNATE STRUCTURE OF COLORADO'S WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ABSTRACT: This analysis identifies two basic structural features of Colorado's water management system which inhibit constructive reform and perpetuate inefficiencies in water use and distribution patterns. These features are: (1) the fragmentation of authority and influence over water, and (2) the estrangement of interest in reform from formal control over water policy. These interrelated features have continued to produce: sporadic, high conflict battles over proposed changes in the status quo; decision making which tends to exaggerate the importance of narrow, special interests while virtually ignoring legitimate interests of major sectors of the public; an inertia which discourages innovation; and an agglomeration of rules and water rights that are predicated on obsolete social and economic needs. Two radical proposals for reforming the state's water resource management system in order to overcome these problems and to enhance the probability that wise water policy will result are offered. These proposals are: (1) the abolition of the present system of water rights founded on the doctrine of prior appropriation, and (2) the consolidation of authority over water allocation in a single board of governors.
Lower Extremity Weakness After Childbirth: A Case of Preserved Nerve Conduction Studies, Axonal Involvement, and Good Recovery

Although uncommon, the prompt and definitive identification of obstetric-related neuropathies poses a challenge to clinicians. Benefits of early identification include etiologic determination, interventions to limit functional impairment, and prognostication for recovery. A postpartum lumbosacral root and lower extremity nerve injury incidence of 0.92% has been described [1]. The complex innervation of the pelvic musculature and the umerous neural structures traversing the pelvis often complicate the clinical picture. This linical pearl highlights that, even in the setting of diagnostic uncertainty, early physiatric ntervention can minimize functional impairments and provide prognostic perspective.
How can city planners improve health and reduce mortality in Alameda County, California? A cross-sectional analysis

Abstract Background Dramatic disparities in a range of health outcomes persist in Alameda County, California. Age-standardised mortality rates range from 300 to 1300 deaths per 100 000 across census tracts in this county, with life expectancies lagging by 10 years in the most disadvantaged census tracts. Finding factors at the community level that affect neighbourhood health levels is a key step towards addressing these inequalities. Walking to work may be one of these factors, and is something that local policy makers could effectively act upon through city planning and maintenance initiatives. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of walking to work on mortality at the census tract level, and to quantify the change in health inequalities that would result from increases in walking in high-mortality-risk neighbourhoods. Methods We analysed data from the American Community Survey at the census tract level using a linear regression model. We investigated the relation between walking to work and age-standardised all-cause mortality rates, after controlling for known determinants of health such as race, income, and occupation. We also conducted a counterfactual and risk assessment analysis to assess the expected health benefits if commuting behaviours were modified, and to determine the effect of various levels of walking on health inequalities. Findings Walking to work was significantly and negatively associated with both cardiovascular mortality rates and all-cause mortality rates. Neighbourhoods with the highest walk-commuting percentages also had some of the lowest incomes of the available census tracts. We found that even a moderate increase in walk commuting (25% increase) can lead to measurable gains in health, with five deaths averted per 1000 deaths. Interpretation Improved neighbourhood walkability through the inclusion and maintenance of continuous sidewalks and mixed land use could play an important role in reducing existing health disparities and improving overall health outcomes. Funding None.
Doppler evaluation of fetal hemodynamics

Human umbilical hemodynamics was investigated in 27 pregnant patients with gestational ages from 29 to 43 weeks using a pulsed Doppler flowmeter. The signals were analyzed by Fast Fourier Transform using a minicomputer. Coherent averaging of the signals, along with the computation of maximum velocity, mean velocity and the first moment of Fourier spectra about the zero frequency axis were performed. Hemodynamic indices were measured utilizing a comprehensive feature characterization technique of the blood flow velocity waveform. It was observed that coherent averaging reduced spectral variance thus relatively simplifying the analyses. The Pulsatility Index based on the first moment of the Fourier spectra indicated a higher umbilical flow change during the fetal cardiac cycle, than that predicted by the peak velocity Pulsatility Index. We also observed a high Pulsatility Index in association with three cases of oligohydramnios indicating the possibility of an elevated placental circulatory impedance. Variation in the peak velocity up to 20% was also noted with fetal breathing movements. Further studies are necessary to determine the clinical relevance of these findings.
Results of a Randomized Hail Suppression Experiment in Northeast Colorado. Part VIII: The Representative Draw Analysis

Abstract A detailed analysis is made of the environmental conditions existing on each of the declared hail days during the randomized seeding experiment. From the many soundings available each day, the one most representative of the near-storm environment is carefully selected. This sounding is then used to compute several parameters known to influence hailfall. It is found that two parameters, both indicative of the thermodynamic instability, have a more instable mean value on the seed days than on the control days that in one case is statistically significant at the 10% level. Correcting for this draw would result in reducing the actual ratios of seed to control hail mass found in the primary statistical evaluation of the experiment. However, the reduction would not be sufficient in relation to the very wide 90% confidence limits to affect the statistical conclusions that the ratios were not significantly different from 1.0. An analysis of the sequences of declared hail days showed that, in spite of the...
Vibration-vibration energy transfer between diatomic molecules

Abstract A general formula of the probability of vibrational transitions in diatomic molecules is formulated with specific consideration of vibration-vibration energy transfer for nonresonant cases. An application toH 2 -H 2 collisions shows an excellent agreement of the present formulation with exact quantum mechanical calculations.
Molecular chaperones and protein kinase quality control

The Hsp90–Cdc37 chaperone pair has special responsibility for folding of protein kinases. This function has made Hsp90 a target for new chemotherapeutic approaches, and several compounds are currently being tested for their ability to inhibit many different kinases simultaneously. Not all kinases are sensitive to these inhibitors, however, and this difference might depend on how each kinase interacts with Hsp90 and Cdc37 during folding of the nascent chain and thereafter. Indeed, several kinases require the persistent presence of both chaperones after initial folding and some of these kinases seem to be particularly sensitive to Hsp90 inhibitors. This requirement might relate to conformational changes that take place during the protein kinase activity cycle.
Tightrope (in the Manner of Antonio Lauria-Perricelli)

In this article, I note the importance of Antonio Lauria-Perricelli's work where Lauria-Perricelli assesses the seminal work led by Julian Steward on Puerto Rico. Lauria-Perricelli has interrogated the political labor that produced The People of Puerto-Rico while he has recognized and acknowledged the importance of the work for anthropology. Although this dialectic is a challenging one, I maintain that it is equally fertile. It is a dialectic, however, that is absent from the field of modern Greek studies, where no ethnographic work has been carried out on the Cold War by anthropologists who worked in and on Greece during that time with the result that the anthropological material that could have been gathered, considered, and analyzed, is forever lost.
Youth Engaging in Online Harassment: Associations with Caregiver-Child Relationships, Internet Use, and Personal Characteristics.

To date, research focused on ‘‘traditional’’ (i.e. in-person) youth bullying behaviour has documented serious psychosocial challenges for those involved. Howthis literature translates to youth engaging in aggressive behaviours online has yet to be examined. Using the largest US sample of youth Internet users to date, psychosocial characteristics of youth engaging in Internet harassment were examined. Results from the nationally representative survey suggested that Internet harassment is a significant public health issue, with aggressors facing multiple psychosocial challenges including poor parent–child relationships, substance use, and delinquency. Comparisons to traditional bullies were made, with similarities and differences noted. r 2004 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neurons and behavior: the same rules of multisensory integration apply

Combinations of different sensory cues (e.g. auditory and visual) that are coincident in space enhance the responses of multisensory superior colliculus neurons, while the responses of these same neurons are depressed if the stimuli are separated in space. Using a behavioral paradigm modeled after that used in physiological studies, the present experiments demonstrate that the rules governing multisensory integration at the level of the single neuron also predict the responses to these stimuli in the intact behaving animal.
The Effect of Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate on the Oxygen Consumption of Juvenile Pink Shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) (Crustacea: Decapoda)

The pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis is native in southern Brazil and is potentially suited for aquaculture. Under intensive culture, the accumulation of nitrogenous compounds results from excretion by the shrimp and from the processes of feed decomposition and nitrification. The objective of this study was to evaluate ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate toxicity effects on oxygen consumption of juvenile pink shrimp. Shrimps (initial weight 0.7 ± 0.15 g) were exposed over a period of 30 days to 50%, 100%, and 200% of the safe levels of total ammonia (TAN = 0.88 mg/L), nitrite (NO2− = 10.59 mg/L), and nitrate (NO3− = 91.20 mg/L) for the species. The specimens were individually collected and placed in respirometry chambers, where the oxygen consumption was measured over a period of two hours. Throughout the experiment there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) among treatments in terms of survival and growth. The pink shrimp juveniles exposed to nitrogen concentrations of 200% of the nitrite and nitra...
N-Acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase activity and somatic cells in goat milk.

N-Acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase activity, somatic cell count, and udder infection status were determined in milk of nine Saanen goats. Plasma enzyme activity was also measured. Individual half udder milk samples were taken for 12 d over a 3-wk period and animals were bled weekly. Three of the 18 udder halves were infected with coagulase-negative staphylococci over all 12 sampling d. The N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase and somatic cells in milk were significantly elevated in samples where minor pathogens were isolated. Plasma enzyme was variable among goats but not within goats or across weeks. Greater daily variation was seen in somatic cell count as compared to milk enzyme activity. Correlation between milk N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase and somatic cell count was .54.
Decision-making in percutaneous coronary intervention: a survey.

Background Few researchers have examined the perceptions of physicians referring cases for angiography regarding the degree to which collaboration occurs during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) decision-making. We sought to determine perceptions of physicians concerning their involvement in PCI decisions in cases they had referred to the cardiac catheterization laboratory at a major academic medical center.
Comparative effects of TCDD, endrin, naphthalene and chromium (VI) on oxidative stress and tissue damage in the liver and brain tissues of mice

The mechanism of toxicity of structurally diverse environmental toxicants including heavy metals and polyhalogenated and polycyclic hydrocarbons may involve a common cascade of events which entails an oxidative stress and production of reactive oxygen species. We have determined the comparative effects of single 0.01, 0.10 and 0.50 LD(50) doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), endrin, naphthalene and sodium dichromate (chromium VI) on lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation and enhanced production of superoxide anion (cytochrome c reduction) in liver and brain tissues of C57BL/6NTac mice. The effects of a single acute oral 0.50 LD(50) dose of these xenobiotics on hepatic and brain lipid peroxidation were investigated at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 96 h after treatment, while the effects of 0.10 LD(50) and 0.01 LD(50) doses of these xenobiotics were at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after treatment. Dose- and time-dependent effects were observed with all four xenobiotics. At a 0.50 LD(50) dose of TCDD, endrin, naphthalene and chromium VI, maximum increases in cytochrome c reduction (superoxide anion production) of approximately 5.7-, 5.4-, 5.3- and 4.1-fold, respectively, were observed in hepatic tissues. TCDD showed an increasing effect through 96 h. Endrin and naphthalene demonstrated a maximum effect at 12-24 h, while chromium VI exhibited a maximum effect at 48 h. With respect to lipid peroxidation, at a 0.50 LD(50) dose both endrin and chromium VI induced the maximum effect at 48 h of treatment, while naphthalene demonstrated the maximum effect after 24 h of treatment. TCDD demonstrated a continued effect through 96 h of treatment. At a 0.50 LD(50) dose TCDD, endrin, naphthalene and chromium VI produced maximum increases in hepatic lipid peroxidation of approximately 3.5-, 3.1-, 3.7- and 3.3-fold in hepatic tissues, respectively. Similar results were obtained in hepatic and brain DNA fragmentation at 0.50 LD(50) doses. Lesser effects were observed with 0.10 and 0.01 LD(50) doses of these xenobiotics as compared to the 0.50 LD(50) dose. The results clearly demonstrate that these diverse xenobiotics induce dose- and time-dependent oxidative stress and tissue damage in the liver and brain tissues of mice.
On the asymptotic distribution of multivariate M-estimates

The asymptotic distribution of multivariate M-estimates is studied. It is shown that, in general, consistency leads to asymptotic normality and a Law of the Iterated Logarithm. The results are used to compute via matrix derivatives the asymptotic distribution of a class of estimates due to Maronna.
Error monitoring in college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Recent error-related event-related potential (ERP) studies suggest that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display deficits in error monitoring compared to control children. Information regarding error monitoring deficit in adults with ADHD, however, is scarce. We investigated error monitoring in a sample of college students with ADHD and compared them to their control peers. In addition to error (-related) negativity (Ne/ERN) and error positivity (Pe), we examined behavioral performance such as reaction time (RT) as well as self-reported monitoring behaviors in daily-life situations. Thirty-two college students with no known disorders and 36 college students with ADHD between 18 and 30 years of age participated in this study. Results showed that college students with ADHD were slower in their RT and displayed more RT variability. College students with ADHD also demonstrated significantly smaller Ne/ERN amplitude and shorter Ne/ERN latency compared to control students. There wer...
Risk assessment and avoidance in juvenile golden hamsters exposed to repeated stress

Juvenile hamsters are typically less vulnerable to social subjugation than adults, although they will avoid aggressive individuals in some situations. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which social subjugation stimulates fear- or anxiety-like behavior in juvenile hamsters in both social and non-social contexts. Social context testing was conducted in a Y-maze while the non-social context apparatus consisted of an open field arena and a lat-maze. In the Y-maze, subjects were exposed to an unfamiliar aggressive adult hamster. Compared with non-subjugated controls, subjugated juveniles spent significantly more time in the area furthest from the aggressive adult stimulus. In addition, socially stressed animals were more likely to avoid the arm of the maze containing the social stimulus. When they did walk in the arm containing the social stimulus, subjugated individuals were more likely to ambulate slowly. Subjugated hamsters also performed fewer olfactory investigations in the proximity of the unfamiliar aggressive individual. Despite these behavioral differences detected between groups during testing in a social context, we observed no differences between groups in the open field and lat-maze. This suggests that the effects of subjugation observed in the Y-maze are specific to exposure to a social context and that social subjugation in juvenile hamsters does not result in a generalized state of fear. Instead, subjugated juveniles learned to avoid adult males and were otherwise behaviorally similar to non-subjugated controls.
Reconceptualizing the role of habit: A new model of television audience activity

This paper explores the role played by habit in shaping audience behavior through an analysis of Nielsen audience data. Through the use of a structural equation model, comparisons, are made between individuals’ weekday and weekend viewing patterns to determine if similarities persist despite the structural and programmatic differences in those time periods. Results indicate that habit plays a significant role in viewing behavior.
Project juggling: the evolution of a process

What do you do when an enterprise project management system is too much and a list of projects is too little? Our solution was to create a simple Access database with a web interface using ColdFusion. Our objective was to facilitate the CIO's (and other managers') coordination and understanding of the full range of projects (about 75-100 active), organize periodic status reports for all projects, and automate the flow of detailed effort data which was required by the CEO. (The status reports, themselves, are stored in a free document database system.) Our "quick prototype" turned into a useable system for tracking -- on a "medium grade" scale -- what was being done, by whom, when, and why. And, in the end, answering the big question. How much effort is this costing us?
Effect of solvation on the vertical ionization energy of thymine: from microhydration to bulk.

The effect of hydration on the vertical ionization energy (VIE) of thymine was characterized using equation-of- motion ionization potential coupled-cluster (EOM-IP-CCSD) and effective fragment potential (EFP) methods. We consid- ered several microsolvated clusters as well as thymine solvated inbulkwater.TheVIEinbulkwaterwascomputedbyaveraging over solventsolute configurations obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics trajectories at 300 K. The effect of micro- solvation was analyzed and contrasted against the combined effect of the first solvation shell in bulk water. Microsolvation reduces the ionization energy (IE) by about 0.1 eV per water molecule, while the first solvation shell increases the IE by 0.1 eV. The subsequent solvation lowers the IE, and the bulk value of the solvent-induced shift of thymine's VIE is approximately � 0.9 eV. The combined effect of the first solvation shell was explained in terms of specific solutesolvent interactions, which were investigated using model structures. The convergence of IE to the bulk value requires the hydration sphere of approximately 13.5 A radius. The performance of the EOM-IP-CCSD/EFP scheme was benchmarkedagainstfullEOM-IP-CCSDusingmicrohydratedstructures.Theerrorswerefoundtobelessthan0.01� 0.02eV.The relative importance of the polarization and higher multipole moments in EFP model was also investigated.
Electrical properties of cultured heart cell reaggregates from newborn rat ventricles: comparison with intact non-cultured ventricles.

Abstract The electrophysiological properties of cultured rat heart cells were investigated and compared with those of cells in intact hearts of the same age rats. Reaggregates (100 to 200 μm diameter) from newborn rat hearts (ventricles) were prepared from collagenase-hyaluronidase-dissociated cells and cultured for periods up to 7 days. Intracellular micro-electrode recordings were made using standard techniques. Ventricular reaggregates cultured under standard conditions had a low resting potential (−67 ± 1.5 mV) and the action potentials had a slow rate of rise (18 ± 1.4 V/s). Tetrodotoxin (5 × 10−6 m ) decreased only slightly the rate of rise and verapamil (10−6 m ) inhibited completely the action potentials. In contrast the ventricular action potentials recorded from isolated ventricles were characterized by a high resting potential (−77 ± 0.7 mV) and a fast rate of rise (80 to 193 V/s). Tetrodotoxin (5 × 10−6 m ) decreased the rate of rise and verapamil (10−6 m ) only depressed the plateau level of the action potentials. In cultured reaggregates hyperpolarizing current pulses increased the rate of rise. This effect was prevented by tetrodotoxin. Reducing the amount of fibroblasts in the reaggregates by using the differential attachment technique, caused the AP parameters to become similar to those found in non-cultured cells. We conclude that, under certain conditions (e.g. removal of fibroblasts) fully differentiated properties can be maintained in reaggregate cell cultures. Thus, as in the case of cultured chick heart cells, cultured rat heart cells can be maintained in vitro in a highly differentiated state.
Making Trash into Treasure: Struggles for Autonomy on a Brazilian Garbage Dump

In recent years, the expansion of types of work that fall outside the category of formal waged employment challenge many of our anthropological conceptions of labor, class politics and contemporary capitalism. This paper addresses the need to rethink the meaning of work in the context of neoliberal capitalism by exploring the formation of new worker subjectivities and practices among catadores: informal workers who collect and sell recyclable materials on a garbage dump in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Based on ethnographic research conducted among catadores from June through August of 2005 and in January 2007, this paper provides an analysis of the labor conditions, social relations, and forms of political organizing that have emerged on the garbage dump and which differ in significant ways from those found in situations of formal wage labor. Ultimately, this paper argues that while neoliberal capitalism has led to increased unemployment and underemployment among vulnerable populations in cities worldwide, the practices of those struggling to earn a living in urban informal economies are creating new spaces for alternative economic practices, social relations, and class politics today.
Generating rate equations for complex enzyme systems by a computer-assisted systematic method.

While the theory of enzyme kinetics is fundamental to analyzing and simulating biochemical systems, the derivation of rate equations for complex mechanisms for enzyme-catalyzed reactions is cumbersome and error prone. Therefore, a number of algorithms and related computer programs have been developed to assist in such derivations. Yet although a number of algorithms, programs, and software packages are reported in the literature, one or more significant limitation is associated with each of these tools. Furthermore, none is freely available for download and use by the community. We have implemented an algorithm based on the schematic method of King and Altman (KA) that employs the topological theory of linear graphs for systematic generation of valid reaction patterns in a GUI-based stand-alone computer program called KAPattern. The underlying algorithm allows for the assumption steady-state, rapid equilibrium-binding, and/or irreversibility for individual steps in catalytic mechanisms. The program can automatically generate MathML and MATLAB output files that users can easily incorporate into simulation programs. A computer program, called KAPattern, for generating rate equations for complex enzyme system is a freely available and can be accessed at http://www.biocoda.org .
A Tunable Miniaturized RF MEMS Resonator With Simultaneous High $Q$ (500–735) and Fast Response Speed $(

This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and measurement of a novel radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tunable all-silicon evanescent-mode cavity-based resonator that simultaneously achieves high quality factor and fast response speed. The resonator is based on a 1.5-mm-deep silicon-etched cavity attached to a gold-coated silicon substrate with an array of 75 185-μm-long 20-μm-wide 1- μm-thick gold beams. The 54- mm3 resonator is tunable from 15.2 GHz up to 16.5 GHz (analog tuning range) and up to 17.8-GHz range (digital tuning range) with an array of 75 MEMS fixed-fixed beams. The MEMS beams are biased against their own silicon substrate. This helps keep RF leakage at a minimum and permits high quality factors of 500-735 for the all-silicon configuration. By applying dynamic biasing waveforms, the MEMS tuners respond within 9 μs (actuation time) and 60 μs (release including settling time). To the best of the authors' knowledge, the presented resonator is more than 3 × smaller, achieves nearly 30% higher average quality factor, and is at least 10-100 × faster than state-of-the-art resonators based on similar technology, implemented in similar frequency ranges.
Ahead and behind: a small, small RNA world.

A normally referenced version of this note is available: mcdb.colorado.edu/labs/yarus/index.html Article and publication date are at http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/doi/10.1261/rna.051086.115. Freely available online through the RNA Open Access option.
Wireless MEMS - Sensor Networks for Monitoring and Condition Assessment of Lifeline Systems

This paper summarizes and combines the recent papers by two of the authors and demonstrates a potential use of a sensor-based real-time monitoring and condition assessment system for urban lifeline infrastructure. Rapid detection of damage caused by natural and manmade hazards enables an efficient and effective emergency response minimizing human and property losses as well as societal disruption. In this paper, using a small scale model of water pipeline network as an example, we demonstrate a monitoring system consisting of a wireless network of power-efficient sensors for a rapid identification of the extent and location of pipe damage immediately after a disastrous event. In this particular example, we take advantage of sharp transient change in the water head due to the damage. The result suggests that a simple inverse analysis can locate the damage in a pipe segment between two neighboring sensors among the pervasively installed along a pipeline at which the absolute values of water head are observed to be local maxima. Separate experiment and analysis show that the sharp transient change in water head in the pipe flow induces a correspondingly sharp change in the acceleration of pipe vibration on the pipe surface. This fact is conventionally used for damage identification in this study.
Chronic hypoxia-induced upregulation of Ca2+-activated Cl− channel in pulmonary arterial myocytes: a mechanism contributing to enhanced vasoreactivity

Chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (CHPH) is associated with altered expression and function of cation channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), but little is known for anion channels. The Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channel (CaCC), recently identified as TMEM16A, plays important roles in pulmonary vascular function. The present study sought to determine the effects of chronic hypoxia (CH) on the expression and function of CaCCs in PASMCs, and their contributions to the vascular hyperreactivity in CHPH. Male Wistar rats were exposed to room air or 10% O(2) for 3–4 weeks to generate CHPH. CaCC current (I(CI.Ca)) elicited by caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release or by depolarization at a constant high [Ca(2+)](i) (500 or 750 nm) was significantly larger in PASMCs of CH rats compared to controls. The enhanced I(CI.Ca)) density in CH PASMCs was unrelated to changes in amplitude of Ca(2+) release, Ca(2+)-dependent activation, voltage-dependent properties or calcineurin-dependent modulation of CaCCs, but was associated with increased TMEM16A mRNA and protein expression. Maximal contraction induced by serotonin, an important mediator of CHPH, was potentiated in endothelium-denuded pulmonary arteries of CH rats. The enhanced contractile response was prevented by the CaCC blockers niflumic acid and T16A(inh)-A01, or by the L-type Ca(2+) channel antagonist nifedipine. The effects of niflumic acid and nifedipine were non-additive. Our results demonstrate for the first time that CH increases I(CI.Ca) density, which is attributable to an upregulation of TMEM16A expression in PASMCs. The augmented CaCC activity in PASMCs may potentiate membrane depolarization and L-type channel activation in response to vasoconstrictors and enhance pulmonary vasoreactivity in CHPH.
Rehabilitating Duverger’s Theory: Testing the Mechanical and Strategic Modifying Effects of Electoral Laws

Although Duverger is traditionally seen as synonymous with the institution-list approach to party systems, this article shows that he believed social pressures were the driving force behind the multiplication of parties. Electoral institutions are important, but only because they determine the extent to which social forces are translated into political parties. Although the literature has finally come to realize that social and institutional forces interact to shape party systems, scholars still do not seem to fully understood the implications of Duverger’s theory. This article shows that existing research employs flawed statistical specifications, makes inferential errors, and does not calculate desired quantities of interest. Using a new data set that includes elections since 1946, the authors reexamine Duverger’s theory and find that modern tests largely bear out his expectations when properly specified and interpreted. This analysis also extends current research by specifically estimating the mechanic...
Resilience, reflection, and residual stress in ovarian cancer survivorship : a gynecologic oncology group study

Ovarian cancer is a life-threatening diagnosis which poses multiple challenges. The purpose of this study is to describe the quality of life (QOL) concerns and survivorship sequelae of long-term (>5 yr) early-stage ovarian cancer survivors accrued through the clinical cooperative Gynecologic Oncology Group. Forty-nine ovarian cancer survivors with a mean age at diagnosis of 55.9 yr (range 30–76) completed a telephone interview assessing QOL, psychosocial status, sexual functioning and late-effects of treatment. Results indicate that this disease-free early-stage sample enjoys a good QOL, with physical, emotional, and social well-being comparable to other survivors and same-aged noncancer cohorts. However, 20% of survivors indicated the presence of long-term treatment side effects, with a subset reporting problems related to abdominal and gynecologic symptoms, and neurotoxicity. Spiritual well-being was significantly positively associated with personal growth and mental health, and negatively associated with a declining health status. Lingering psychological survivorship sequelae included fear of follow-up diagnostic tests and fear of recurrence. Forty-three percent of respondents expressed that they would likely participate in a counseling program today to discuss psychosocial issues raised by having had ovarian cancer, and 56% stated that they would have attended a support program during the initial treatment if it had been offered. This information provides some insight into the complex survivorship relationships between quality of life, long-term physical and sexual sequelae, and factors of resilience and growth which appear to promote a sense of well-being as a result of the cancer experience. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Association of catalytic and regulatory subunits of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase requires a negatively charged side group at a conserved threonine

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as in higher eucaryotes, cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase is a tetramer composed of two catalytic (C) subunits and two regulatory (R) subunits. In the absence of cAMP, the phosphotransferase activity of the C subunit is inhibited by the tight association with R. Mutation of Thr-241 to Ala in the C1 subunit of S. cerevisiae reduces the affinity of this subunit for the R subunit approximately 30-fold and results in a monomeric cAMP-independent C subunit. The analogous residue in the mammalian C subunit is known to be phosphorylated. Peptide maps of in vivo 32P-labeled wild-type C1 and mutant C1(Ala241) suggest that Thr-241 is phosphorylated in yeast cells. Substituting Thr-241 with either aspartate or glutamate partially restored affinity for the R subunit. Uncharged and positively charged residues substituted at this site resulted in C subunits that failed to associate with the R subunit. Replacement with the phosphorylatable residue serine resulted in a C subunit with wild-type affinity for the R subunit. Analysis of this protein revealed that it appears to be phosphorylated on Ser-241 in vivo. These data suggest that the interaction between R and C involves a negatively charged phosphothreonine at position 241 of yeast C1, which can be mimicked by either aspartate, glutamate, or phosphoserine.
CHARACTER VARIATION AND ADAPTATION IN EUROPEAN SPARROWS

The phenetics of European sparrows, Passer domesticus, P. hispaniolensis, and their hybrids, are here examined by univariate and multivariate statistics to determine the nature and direction of phenetic variation and the possible adaptive significance of this variation. There seems to be a close relationship of dimensional and color characters with climatic and other environmental variables; most instances of character variation are strictly clinal, with longer individuals occuring in southerly localities and shorter individuals at northerly localities. Thicknesses of bony elements tend not to vary geographically, so longer-limbed individuals are relatively thinner. Regression analyses suggest a persistent positive relationship between summer temperature and bone lengths, such as is subsumed by Allen's "ecogeographic rule." There is sexual dimorphism in the size of wing and sternal elements, but not of other dimensional characters, meaning that females are proportionally larger in the head and legs than males. Probable causes for this complex dimorphism lie in (1) selection for large body size in males as advantageous in display and fighting, (2) selection for small body size in females for thermoregulatory advantage in closed nests, and (3) common use by both sexes of a single food resource. Results of multivariate cluster analyses are such that specimen localities show regularity in clustering occurrence when grouped by 33 male specimen characters, by 27 female specimen characters, or by 37 mean monthly climatic characters. Such coincidence suggests that at least part of the character variation used to construct infraspecific classifications of these sparrows is elaborated by finely-graded climatic differences.
Optically-induced “photonic bandgap fiber” with a low refractive index core

We demonstrate a ring-shaped Bessel-like photonic lattice akin to a photonic bandgap fiber with a low-index core. While the lattice is optically induced with self-defocusing nonlinearity, bandgap guidance of a probe beam is clearly observed.
But can she cook? Women's education and housework productivity

Previous inquiries into the relationship between education and housework productivity reveal that expectations differ along disciplinary (i.e., economics vs. non-economics) lines and empirical results from the economics literature are mixed. Expectations of a positive sign between education and housework productivity in the economics literature may be a function of misinterpretations of [J. Polit. Economy 81 (1973) 306] original theory pertaining to all non-market production, which is far more general than just housework. Mixed empirical results may be a function of incomplete or overly assumption-reliant econometric models derived previously. We streamline the procedures for estimating the parameters of a one-person, one-period housework production function such that the system of equations may be specified with a single, literature-based assumption. Our estimation of the production function parameter that measures the effect of education on housework productivity suggests that authors in the non-economics literature may have a point; the relationship between education and housework productivity may be negative due to “morale” effects.
Graph theory and electric networks

In this discussion, we mention the following topics concerning electric networks in graph theoretic terms: Kirch. hoff's Laws, mesh and node equations, and matrix tree theorem; flow problems and Menger's theorem; boolean functions and enumeration and synthesis problems; information theory and Markov chains; cut sets and incidence matrices; the "crummy relay" results of Moore and Shannon; and the treatment using electrical concepts of the dissections of rectangles into squares by Brooks, Smith, Stone, and Tuttle. The treatment is expository, but introduces the unifying framework of graph theory for these various considerations.
Effect of ferric chloride additions on the solubility of ferric ion in a near‐neutral soil

Abstract The concentration of ferric ion and the ion product of ferric hydroxide in the Weld loam (Aridic Paleustoll) were estimated from equilibria of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) chelates. Additions of ferric chloride to the Weld loam raised the solubility of soil iron at least seven‐fold. The (Fe3+)(OH‐)3 ion product increased from approximately 10‐39.2 to at least 10‐38.4 after ferric chloride was added. The solubility of soil iron decreased slowly with time after fertilization. After one month the (Fe3+)(OH‐)3 ion product had fallen to 10‐39.1, virtually the same level as in the unamended soil. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that iron oxides of high specific surface or poor crystalinity control the solubility of ferric ion in soil solution. 1. This paper was presented, edited, and accepted as part of the International Symposium on Iron Nutrition and Interactions in Plants, which was published in the Journal of Plant Nutrition 5 (4 to 7), 1982. Due to error in editorial handl...
A new path to magnetic reversals

When the Earth's magnetic field undergoes periodic reversals, does it retain the dipolar (north-south) character of its stable periods, or does it develop a more complex magnetic character? And during the transition from normal to reverse polarity, or the opposite, does the field show a mysterious “preference” for certain paths to its new state? Fresh evidence gathered from paleomagnetic fossils across the globe, to be aired in sessions at AGU's 1991 Fall Meeting, suggests a possible “yes” to both questions. The Earth's magnetic field has regularly flip-flopped from normal to reverse polarity and back again throughout the planet's history. The switches, which take a few thousand years to occur, are abundantly recorded in the fossil magnetism of rocks, both sedimentary and volcanic, formed during the times of reversal.
Functional MRI at 1.5 T

Human studies were conducted to determine the feasibility of functional MRI during auditory stimulation using conventional hardware (i.e., without echo-planar imaging) in a Philips 1.5 T Gyroscan system. A gradient-echo pulse sequence was optimized to minimize the effect of gradient sound. Simple tonal stimulation and linguistic stimuli designed to activate regions responsible for comprehension were investigated. Also, functional images in response to visual and somatosensory stimulation were generated, albeit with a different gradient-echo sequence to optimize contrast and temporal resolution. A registration technique was developed to reduce head motion artifacts. Cerebrospinal fluid pulsation artifacts however, were not removable even with flow compensating gradient pulses. A phase-shift imaging technique was investigated which has the potential to separate the relatively large blood vessels from the microvasculature. Results of functional imaging indicate a 2-9% increase in signal intensity localized to the corresponding auditory, visual or somatosensory brain regions during stimulation. >
Study of Developmental Stages of Methylosinus trichosporium with the Aid of Fluorescent-Antibody Staining Techniques.

Abstract When stained by using an indirect fluorescent-antibody technique, Methylosinus trichosporium displayed an uneven fluorescence. Exospores and the polar tips of some vegetative cells displayed a more intense fluorescence than the other cells. Cross-absorption of the specific anti-M. trichosporium immunoglobulin G with exospores resulted in no fluorescence of exospores or exospore regions of sporulating vegetative cells. This demonstrated that antigens were present on exospores and exospore regions of vegetative cells that are different from vegetative cell antigens. Taking advantage of this phenomenon, three fluorescentantibody staining techniques were developed which were used to study the life cycle of M. trichosporium.
Endoplasmic Reticulum: An Interface Between the Immune System and Metabolism

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a busy cell organelle that participates in many important cellular tasks. It has been established that ER is involved in protein and lipid biosynthesis, calcium regulation, redox regulation, cell signaling, and cell death. Given the many vital and complex functions of ER, there is little wonder that its failure can trigger a range of diseases. Recent genetic and clinical evidence indicates that inherited or acquired dysregulation of ER homeostasis can give rise to genetic diseases, including Wolfram syndrome (which is characterized by juvenile-onset diabetes and neurodegeneration) and a number of common metabolic diseases including diabetes and atherosclerosis. Accelerating interest in the role of ER in metabolic disease has been fueled by recent reports showing pathways that link ER to inflammation. The role of ER as an interface between the immune system and metabolism is an emerging concept (Fig. 1). However, …
Purification and Preliminary Characterization of a Cardiac Kv1.5 Repressor Element Binding Factor

Abstract—We have previously demonstrated that the cell-specific expression of Kv1.5 promoter is regulated by a silencer (Kv1.5 repressor element; KRE) containing a dinucleotide-repetitive element, (GT)19(GA)1(CA) 15(GA)16. Electromobility gel shift assays (EMSAs) of KRE with GH3 nuclear extracts detected a unique DNA-protein complex, which was not detectable in Chinese hamster ovary or COS-7 cells. We further delineated KRE and determined that a 52-bp fragment that contained a (GT)10(GA)1(CA)10 dinucleotide-repetitive element was sufficient for silencer activity. EMSAs using nuclear extracts isolated from the heart and from GH3 cells demonstrated that the 52-bp element formed specific and identical gel shift effects. These complexes were not detectable in EMSA experiments with liver nuclear extracts. Magnetic DNA affinity purification and UV cross-linking experiments identified a 27-kDa KRE binding factor (KBF) in GH3 cell nuclear extracts. Purified KBF reacted specifically with double-stranded KRE, aboli...
Monte Carlo Simulation of Fluids in Curved Three-dimensional Space

Abstract This work describes the methods required to perform computer simulations of three-dimensional fluids confined to the surface of a four-dimensional hypersphere. The use of such non-Euclidian spaces, or spherical boundary conditions, is convenient in cases where spatial inhomogeneities occur over length-scales comparable to that of the entire system. The form of the pressure equation in curved space is discussed, and the results of Monte Carlo simulations of hard spheres confined to the surface of a hypersphere are presented. Comparison of the simulation results to the Carnahan-Starling equation of state in flat space provides a basis for determining when curvature effects can be neglected.
BUBBLE GROWTH FROM DISSOLVED OXYGEN NEAR THE SEA SURFACE

Calculation shows that an extremely high degree of oxygen-supersaturation is necessary to cause growth of existing invisible bubbles in the sea at depths exceeding a few feet. Data on the distribution of dissolved oxygen in shallow water off San Diego, California, are presented and are related to the possible growth of bubbles. Oxygen contents up to 170% of the saturation value in the upper 10 ft were recorded during July and August at the measurement site. The average depth above which bubble growth would occur as a result of oxygen tension was found to range from 1.9 to 3.6 ft. Internal waves introduce vertical motion and turbulence at the depths where bubble growth might take place. The rising to the surface of bubbles whose growth is initiated by oxygen supersaturation may account for the escape of a significant amount of dissolved gas from the upper part of the water column.
A micromethod for the determination of plasma amylase.

A micromethod for the determination of serum amylase has been presented, which is useful in pediatric practice and in experimental work on small animals. The optimum conditions for the procedure have been studied and the data obtained recorded.