cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toeprint analysis of the positioning of translation apparatus components at initiation and termination codons of fungal mRNAs

The ability to map the position of ribosomes and their associated factors on mRNAs is critical for an understanding of translation mechanisms. Earlier approaches to monitoring these important cellular events characterized nucleotide sequences rendered nuclease-resistant by ribosome binding. While these approaches furthered our understanding of translation initiation and ribosome pausing, the pertinent techniques were technically challenging and not widely applied. Here we describe an alternative assay for determining the mRNA sites at which ribosomes or other factors are bound. This approach uses primer extension inhibition, or "toeprinting," to map the 3' boundaries of mRNA-associated complexes. This methodology, previously used to characterize initiation mechanisms in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, is used here to gain an understanding of two interesting translational regulatory phenomena in the fungi Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: (a) regulation of translation in response to arginine concentration by an evolutionarily conserved upstream open reading frame, and (b) atypical termination events that occur as a consequence of the presence of premature stop codons.
The new COBOL standard

COBOL language has undergone three major revisions since its inception in 1959. The first revision came in 1968, the second in 1974, and the third in 1985. These revisions have enabled the language to keep up with the demands of the changing times. The major impact of the new standard is to enhance structured design capabilities of the language and eliminate aspects of the language that gave room for poor design. In this paper we concentrate on the enhancements of the language. We also look into the commonality of features in COBOL with other high-level languages. Several features of the language are tested on simulated problem areas. The programs are then run using three different compilers. These are the IBM COBOL OS/VS 2--4 compiler on an IBM mainframe computer, the VAX COBOL 4. 0 compiler, and the RM COBOL compiler on a micro. the IBM COBOL is based on the 1974 standard and the other two are based on the 1985 standard. This approach enables us to see the extra effort that is needed for the '74 compiler to simulate an '85 compiler feature. This study also measures the program length, program readability, and the speed of execution.
2008 Special Issue: Iterative multi-channel coherence analysis with applications

An iterative learning algorithm for performing Multi-Channel Coherence Analysis (MCCA) is developed in this paper. MCCA is an extension of the well-known Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) that allows for more than two data channels to be analyzed. This paper discusses a standard method for performing MCCA and compares it to a newly developed data-driven and iterative approach. The proposed algorithm is then tested on two examples and its performance is evaluated in terms of estimation errors with respect to the values obtained using the standard MCCA algorithm. The first example uses a synthesized data set while the second example uses a real data set based on multi-spectral satellite imagery of the Earth's surface.
Qualitative Communication Theory and Rhetorical Studies in the 1980s.

Recent rhetorical scholarship suggests a new focus on qualitative theories of human communication. This essay explores the implications of three general emphases for future inquiry: (1) rules research, (2) constructivism, and (3) constructionism.
Electrophoretic control of concentration polarization in membrane plasmapheresis.

Abstract: Membrane plasmapheresis is the separation of plasma from whole blood using microfiltration membranes. A major operating problem of membrane plasmapheresis is concentration polarization, the buildup of retained cells or solutes on the membrane surface. In this study, an electric field was used to control concentration polarization by transporting the negatively charged cells and solutes away from the membrane surface. Plasma flux and protein concentrations were measured before and after an electric field was applied. The electric field strength ranged from 0.32 to 1.50 V/cm, and the process conditions of blood hematocrit, transmembrane pressure drop, and average shear rate at the membrane surface were kept constant at 30%, 63.5 mm Hg, and 550 s-1, respectively. The plasma flux increased (10–50%) linearly with the increases in electric field strength, but the plasma protein concentrations in the ultrafiltrate decreased. The electric field dispersed the concentration polarization layer only enough to allow solvent (electrolytes and water) to pass, thus diluting the plasma and decreasing the protein concentration.
Abdominal segment formation in Spirorbis moerchi (Polychaeta)

The development of abdominal segments in Spirorbis moerchi (Polychaeta: Annelida) was studied by light and electron microscopy. Abdominal segments develop in strict succession from anterior to posterior. Segmentation is initiated in the mesoderm and is followed by segmentation of the ectoderm. The mesoderm of the abdominal segments arises entirely from pygidial residual mesoderm; inward migration of cells from the pygidial ectoderm to give rise to mesoderm does not occur. The primordial germ cells remain distinct from the residual mesoderm of the pygidial growth region. After several abdominal segments have developed, the primordial germ cells “migrate” posteriorly from the achaetous region, invade the abdominal segments, and give rise to the retroperitoneal gonads. Abdominal segment formation is discussed in terms of heteronomy, primordial germ cell origin, gonad formation, and development of the circulatory system.
Emergent timescales in entangled quantum dynamics of ultracold molecules in optical lattices

We derive a novel lattice Hamiltonian, the molecular Hubbard Hamiltonian (MHH), which describes the essential many-body physics of closed-shell ultracold heteronuclear molecules in their absolute ground state in a quasi-one-dimensional optical lattice. The MHH is explicitly time dependent, making a dynamic generalization of the concept of quantum phase transitions necessary. Using the time-evolving block decimation (TEBD) algorithm to study entangled dynamics, we demonstrate that, in the case of hard-core bosonic molecules at half-filling, the MHH exhibits emergent timescales over which spatial entanglement grows, crystalline order appears and oscillations between rotational states self-damp into an asymptotic superposition. We show that these timescales are non-monotonic functions of the physical parameters describing the lattice.
Exchangeable processes need not be mixtures of independent, identically distributed random variables

According to a theorem of de Finetti's, an exchangeable stochastic process with values in a compact metric space can be represented as a mixture of sequences of independent, identically distributed random variables. This paper demonstrates the existence of a separable metric space for which the conclusion fails. In the opposite direction, an example is given of a nonstandard space for which the representation necessarily holds.
Lineup administrator influences on eyewitness identification and eyewitness confidence.

Abstract Lineup administrators were trained to respond to witnesses in such a way as to redirect them from making non-identifications or foil identification responses toward making identifications of the suspect. Compared to a no-influence control condition, suspect identification rates in the influence condition increased substantially and proportionally for guilty and innocent suspects. Administrators steered witnesses more specifically toward the suspect when the suspect was guilty than when the suspect was innocent. Post-identification confidence for correct identifications of the guilty suspect did not differ significantly across the influence and no-influence groups. However, post-identification confidence for false identifications of the innocent suspect was significantly lower for the influence group than for the no-influence group because witnesses who were influenced to make false identifications tended to be those who were less confident prior to the lineup, and also because those witnesses became less confident from pre- to post-identification.
Synthesis of the carbocyclic analogs of uracil nucleosides

Treatment of the required hydroxyl derivatives of cis-3-aminocyclopentanemethanol with 3-ethoxyacryloyl isocyanate gave N-(3-ethoxyacryloyl)-N′-[hydroxy- or dihydroxy(hydroxy-methyl)cyclopentyl]ureas. Cyclization of the ureas in dilute sulfuric acid afforded high yields of the carbocyclic analogs of uridine, 2′-deoxyuridine, and 3′-deoxyuridine. The uridine and 3′-deoxyuridine analogs were also obtained in good yields by cyclizing the ureas in concentrated aqueous ammonia. None of the three analogs showed activity in tests versus KB cells in culture or L1210 leukemia in vivo.
Neighborhood influences on recreational physical activity and survival after breast cancer.

Higher levels of physical activity have been associated with improved survival after breast cancer diagnosis. However, no previous studies have considered the influence of the social and built environment on physical activity and survival among breast cancer patients. Our study included 4,345 women diagnosed with breast cancer (1995–2008) from two population-based studies conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area. We examined questionnaire-based moderate/strenuous recreational physical activity during the 3 years before diagnosis. Neighborhood characteristics were based on data from the 2000 US Census, business listings, parks, farmers’ markets, and Department of Transportation. Survival was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, with follow-up through 2009. Women residing in neighborhoods with no fast-food restaurants (vs. fewer fast-food restaurants) to other restaurants, high traffic density, and a high percentage of foreign-born residents were less likely to meet physical activity recommendations set by the American Cancer Society. Women who were not recreationally physically active had a 22 % higher risk of death from any cause than women that were the most active. Poorer overall survival was associated with lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) (p trend = 0.02), whereas better breast cancer-specific survival was associated with a lack of parks, especially among women in high-SES neighborhoods. Certain aspects of the neighborhood have independent associations with recreational physical activity among breast cancer patients and their survival. Considering neighborhood factors may aide in the design of more effective, tailored physical activity programs for breast cancer survivors.
Separation and Purification of Hydroxycinnamic Acid Derivatives in Cranberries

Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives have been shown to be a complex mixture of closely related compounds. A procedure has been described for their isolation and purification from cranberries. The hydroxycinnamates were extracted from the plant tissue with aqueous alcohol, followed by pre-separation on a polyamide CC-6 column. For easier sample concentration, the eluted compounds were extracted in alcohol. Final separations were made on a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph. Recycling was used to purify the individual compounds. A total of 15 compounds was purified. The method can be used for the separation and purification of individual phenollc compounds from mixtures.
The post-Soviet wars: rebellion, ethnic conflict, and nationhood in the Caucasus

The post-Soviet wars: rebellion, ethnic conflict, and nationhood in the Caucasus by Christoph Zurcher, New York and London, New York University Press, 2007, xii+289 pp., US$48.00, ISBN-13 978-0-814...
A multidisciplinary process to improve the efficiency of cardiac operating rooms

Abstract Objective: To alter the approach to cardiac operating room services in an attempt to remain competitive in a cost-driven market. Design: Study of processes and strategies for tracking and decreasing the times required for the multiple components of the operating room period. Setting: Cardiac operating rooms in a tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital. Participants: All patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting during December 1996 (baseline) and the following year (1997). Interventions: After participation in cost-containment meetings, site visits, and development of a working group, data collection was begun detailing the times of the various components of the operating room period. Changes of process were made to reduce operating room times. Most of these changes involved multitasking care: multiple people performing various tasks at the same time. All measured operating room intervals were decreased. There was no difference in morbidity and mortality over this time period. Conclusion: Development of a working group, with support from the hospital administration, can significantly decrease the time of tasks in a cardiac surgery operating room without adversely affecting morbidity and mortality.
Outcomes of transmetatarsal amputations in patients with diabetes mellitus

The purpose of this study was to report on the long-term outcomes of transmetatarsal amputations secondary to sequelae of diabetes mellitus. We abstracted data from 35 diabetic patients receiving a transmetatarsal amputation over a 6-month period in 1992. Patients were followed for a mean 15.1 +/- 10.1 months. The results indicated that the most predictive factor determining higher level amputation (transfemoral or transtibial) appeared to be the actual indication for surgery (90.0% ischemia versus 4.0% infection, chi 2 = 21.7, odds ratio = 220, 95% confidence interval = 12.5-3885.0, p < 0.05). Those with a diagnosis of infection without underlying critical ischemia were significantly more likely to heal at the level of the foot. While all patients presenting for care had dramatically impaired nutritional values and elevated glucose, albumin was significantly lower in subjects receiving a transfemoral or transtibial revision. High-level amputees were also significantly less likely to have been prescribed depth-inlay shoe gear prior to their amputation (48.0% vs. 10.0%, chi 2 = 4.4, odds ratio = 8.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.0-75.7, p < 0.05). Those with a diagnosis of infection without underlying critical ischemia were significantly more likely to heal at the level of the foot. Though revision rates are high, the success rates are also high if that is defined as retaining the foot and providing a prosthesis-free normal gait.
A theoretical approach to the analysis of arbitrary pulses in magnetic resonance

Abstract We introduce split Hamiltonian theory (SHT) to analyze arbitrary pulses in magnetic resonance, i.e. pulses substantial in magnitude but not non-selective. The range of validity of the lower order approximations is discussed, and the method is illustrated by applying it to the consideration of pulse adjustable spectroscopies in time domain ESR that are utilized to study nuclear modulation. A virtue of SHT is that, whereas the approximate analytic solutions can provide useful insights, it can also be iterated numerically to achieve quantitatively accurate solutions.
Comorbid depressive disorders in anxiety-disordered youth: demographic, clinical, and family characteristics.

Research indicates that depression and anxiety are highly comorbid in youth. Little is known, however, about the clinical and family characteristics of youth with principal anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive diagnoses. The present study examined the demographic, clinical, and family characteristics of 200 anxiety-disordered children and adolescents (aged 7–17) with and without comorbid depressive disorders (major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder), seeking treatment at a university-based anxiety clinic. All participants met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for a principal anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, or social phobia). Of these, twelve percent (n = 24) also met criteria for a comorbid depressive disorder. Results suggest that anxiety-disordered youth with comorbid depressive disorders (AD-DD) were older at intake, had more severe anxious and depressive symptomotology, and were more impaired than anxiety-disordered youth without comorbid depressive disorders (AD-NDD). AD-DD youth also reported significantly more family dysfunction than AD-NDD youth. Future research should examine how this diagnostic and family profile may impact treatment for AD-DD youth.
Treatment of tattoo allergy with ablative fractional resurfacing: A novel paradigm for tattoo removal

Background Q-switched lasers are the gold standard for tattoo treatment. Allergic tattoo reactions present a treatment dilemma. We present the application of ablative fractional resurfacing (AFR) as a novel method for tattoo removal. Objective We describe two patients with tattoo allergies, referred to us for treatment. Methods AFR was used in a series of treatments to remove the allergic-ink portion of a multicolored tattoo on the upper extremity of a 52-year-old man. In a 31-year-old woman with a red and black tattoo on her lower extremity, AFR was combined with a Q-switched neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. Results After a series of treatments, both patients experienced significant to complete removal of the offending tattoo inks with substantial or complete resolution of their symptoms. Limitations This uncontrolled observational series is based on two patients. Conclusions AFR appears to be safe and effective for removal of allergic tattoos. AFR can be combined with other treatments such as Q-switched lasers. The potential for a series of AFR treatments to remove tattoos, including allergic tattoos and inks of any color, merits further study.
Coupled-Wave Analysis Of Two-Dimensional Dielectric Gratings

Diffraction by two-dimensional surface-relief dielectric gratings are analyzed using rigorous three-dimensional vector coupled-wave approach. The method applies to arbitrary plane wave angle of incidence, wavelength, and polarization. In the resulting conical diffraction, the input TE and TM polarization are coupled and the diffracted orders are, in general, elliptically polarized. Diffraction characteristics of two-dimensional binary gratings are presented. Ultrahigh spatial-frequency gratings (grating period less light wavelength) are shown to exhibit polarization independent antireflection behavior (zero-reflectivity).
Identification of Domains of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase for Protein Binding and Self-association

Cellular proteins extracted from normal and cancer cells bind polymerizing ADP-ribose transferase (pADPRT) on nitrocellulose membrane transblots. Histones at 1 mg/ml concentration completely prevent the binding of pADPRT to cellular proteins, indicating that the binding of histones to pADPRT sites competitively blocks the association of pADPRT to proteins other than histones. The direct binding of pADPRT to histones is shown by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The COOH-terminal basic histone H1 tail binds to the basic polypeptide domain of pADPRT. The basic domain present in the NH2-terminal part of core histones is the probable common structural feature of all core histones that accounts for their binding to pADPRT. Two polypeptide domains of pADPRT were identified, by way of CNBr fragments, to bind histones. These two domains are located within the 64-kDa fragment of pADPRT and are contiguous with the polypeptide domains that were shown to participate in self-association of pADPRT, ending at the 606th amino acid residue. The polypeptide domains of pADPRT which participate in DNA binding are thus shown to associate also with other proteins. Intact pADPRT binds to both the zinc-free or zinc-reconstituted basic polypeptide fragments of pADPRT. Histones activate auto-poly(ADP)-ribosylation of pADPRT by increasing the number of short oligomers on pADPRT. This reaction is also dependent in a biphasic manner on the concentration of pADPRT. Histones in solution are only marginally poly(ADP)-ribosylated but are good polymer acceptors when incorporated into artificial nucleosome structures.
The Glyoxylate Cycle in an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus. Carbon Flux and Gene Expression

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is responsible for huge fluxes of photosynthetically fixed carbon from plants to the soil. Lipid, which is the dominant form of stored carbon in the fungal partner and which fuels spore germination, is made by the fungus within the root and is exported to the extraradical mycelium. We tested the hypothesis that the glyoxylate cycle is central to the flow of carbon in the AM symbiosis. The results of (13)C labeling of germinating spores and extraradical mycelium with (13)C(2)-acetate and (13)C(2)-glycerol and analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicate that there are very substantial fluxes through the glyoxylate cycle in the fungal partner. Full-length sequences obtained by polymerase chain reaction from a cDNA library from germinating spores of the AM fungus Glomus intraradices showed strong homology to gene sequences for isocitrate lyase and malate synthase from plants and other fungal species. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction measurements show that these genes are expressed at significant levels during the symbiosis. Glyoxysome-like bodies were observed by electron microscopy in fungal structures where the glyoxylate cycle is expected to be active, which is consistent with the presence in both enzyme sequences of motifs associated with glyoxysomal targeting. We also identified among several hundred expressed sequence tags several enzymes of primary metabolism whose expression during spore germination is consistent with previous labeling studies and with fluxes into and out of the glyoxylate cycle.
SEDIMENTOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF A STEADY‐STATE OCEAN‐ATMOSPHERE

SUMMARY Analysis of influx and efflux of sediment and water to and from the ocean and of residence times of the elements indicates that the oceans and atmosphere are in a steady state with respect to erosion and sedimentation. A detailed examination of the ocean-atmosphere model is needed to see how the system worked in the geological past. Weathering is characterized primarily by the absorption of H+ by silicates and secondarily by liberation of SiO2, alkalies and HCO3—to the oceans. The H+ is supplied mainly by the H2O-CO2 system via the ionization of H2CO3 but some is supplied by HCI from volcanic emanations. Weathering of carbonate rocks results in the same absorption of H+, releasing Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3—. Sedimentation, silicate reconstitution, and diagenesis are seen as the reverse of weathering in that H+ is released and SiO2 and alkalies are precipitated from solution. Thus a constant H+ release is necessary to keep constant the CO2 pressure of the atmosphere by transforming the HCO3—of the ocean into CO2+ H2O. The sedimentary products that are part of the steady-state model are reconstituted silicates (degraded clay minerals that become diagenetically altered to less hydrous, more siliceous illites and chlorites), limestone (precipitation reverses limestone weathering), salt (uses up alkalies), and chert (uses op free SiO2). It is concluded that the major site of silicate reconstitution is not on the open sea floor but in coastal subsiding sedimentation belts in which high-grade diagenesis takes place and whose formation waters are ultimately connected with the ocean and so can buffer it. The obvious consequences of the model are that the global amounts of carbonate, reconstituted silicate, salt, and chert must be related in a systematic way for any time interval in which the system is steady. To keep CO2 constant, the total of carbonate precipitation and silicate reconstitution must be conserved. Similarly, salt precipitation and silicate reconstitution must be related to keep alkali removal constant. Finally, chert must be related to silicate reconstitution so that all silica released by weathering is removed from the ocean. A careful examination of the stratigraphic record is needed to objectively determine from such parameters whether the steady-state system has always been operating much as today or whether there have been major secular changes or periodic perturbations.
The wedged transducer--a transducer design for broad band characteristics.

Abstract This paper presents a method of increasing the bandwidth of transducers feeding low acoustic impedance loads such as fluids and of electrically matching them over the full bandwidth. It consists of interposing between the transducer and the actual load, a wedge made out of a material having the desired acoustic impedance. The wedge angle is chosen such that no reflected wave from the wedge-load interface can return to the transducer. In this manner, the effective load seen by the transducer is that of the wedge itself, regardless of the actual load. The appropriate electrical matching is achieved by means of a hybrid band pass filter containing both electrical and mechanical components, with the transducer as an integral part. Experimental results on a 4-inch diameter PZT-4 transducer, coupled to water through a brass wedge, demonstrate a bandwidth of 75 percent and an insertion loss of 8.5 dB, well in accordance with theory, Without the wedge, the bandwidth would be only 3.2 percent.
Enhancing social support in weight loss management groups

This review draws on the literature in nutrition and dietetics and in the behavioral sciences to explore the association of social support and weight management and to identify effective means of enhancing support. Social support, the resources provided by other people, has been demonstrated to correlate directly with weight loss maintenance. Programs have attempted to increase the level of support experienced by clients by teaching them to elicit support through activities such as self-exploration, modeling, and skill-building exercises. Another approach, teaching significant others how to be more supportive, is limited by the willingness of the others to become involved. Most commonly, weight management programs rely on the group itself to provide support. The effectiveness of group support, however, has not been evaluated apart from other aspects of a program. Most efforts to enhance social support are hampered by lack of knowledge about what types of support are most effective, failure to monitor perceived levels of support, and the brevity of the program. Nevertheless, the potential value and minimal risk of improved social support justify continued attention to this aspect of weight management programs.
Design validation of RTL circuits using evolutionary swarm intelligence

In this paper, we present BEACON, a Branch-oriented Evolutionary Ant Colony OptimizatioN method which is a bio-inspired meta-heuristic for design validation and functional test generation. BEACON combines an evolutionary search technique with Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) for improved search capability. BEACON first cross-compiles the Verilog circuit source to a C++ base for fast simulation. Then, it profiles the code, keeping track of each branch and the number of times it has been visited in a database. Branch coverage provides a very useful metric for exploring the design, especially visiting the most critical states, including corner states, in the design. At 100% branch coverage, we can conclude that every control state described in the RTL has been visited. Thus, during execution, BEACON trims highly visited branches from the search and focuses the search on rarely occurring branches and paths. This approach gives a significant performance boost while maintaining a high level of coverage. Experimental results show that BEACON is able to achieve very high branch coverages with a fraction of computational cost. In addition, previous hard-to-reach corner states in the ITC99 benchmarks have now been reached by BEACON. New states can also be discovered from the RTL descriptions. For many circuits, one to two orders of magnitude speedups over existing methods have been achieved.
An Application of Category-Theoretic Design Methods to the Control of a Simulated Robot

The use of neural network architectures has historically presented a challenge to engineers. Problem domains could be "learned", but the acquired knowledge could be extracted only under limited circumstances. Healy and Caudell's application of category theory has been shown to improve both architecture design and performance. This paper reports on the application of category theory to the design of a simulated robot control system, where the neural network controller is constructed based upon a desired conceptual ontology. Three experiments then explore the implications of this approach on the prediction and improvement of robot performance.
Variations in sedimentary carbon remineralization rates in the White Oak River estuary, North Carolina

Rates of microbially mediated sedimentary organic carbon remineralization vary along the salinity gradient of the White Oak River estuary, N.C. A direct comparison of two sites, one upriver dominated by methanogenesis and one downriver dominated by sulfate reduction, indicates a more rapid rate of remineralization upriver. Measurements of diffusive ∑CO2 flux plus CH4 diffusive (56%) and bubble (44%) fluxes at the upriver, freshwater site from June 1986 to March 1988 yield an average yearly flux of 1.35 ± 0.35 mmol m−2 h−1. At the downriver midestuarine site, the dominant ∑CO2 flux for the same period is 0.46±0.02 mmol m−2 h−1. The uncertainties in these yearly fluxes are calculated from observed ranges in duplicate flux measurements. About 43% of the incoming organic C is remineralized at both sites. The greater remineralization upriver, of which 47% can be attributed to methanogenesis, appears to be supported by rapid decomposition of detritus derived from freshwater, emergent and submersed macrophytes, including Pontederia, Ceratophyllum, and Najas in surficial sediments. The high organic C content of these upriver sediments may, however, result from the long-term storage of slower degrading plants, such as Typha and Taxodium.
Physiology of a Microgravity Environment Invited Review: Microgravity and skeletal muscle

Spaceflight (SF) has been shown to cause skeletal muscle atrophy; a loss in force and power; and, in the first few weeks, a preferential atrophy of extensors over flexors. The atrophy primarily results from a reduced protein synthesis that is likely triggered by the removal of the antigravity load. Contractile proteins are lost out of proportion to other cellular proteins, and the actin thin filament is lost disproportionately to the myosin thick filament. The decline in contractile protein explains the decrease in force per cross-sectional area, whereas the thin-filament loss may explain the observed postflight increase in the maximal velocity of shortening in the type I and IIa fiber types. Importantly, the microgravity-induced decline in peak power is partially offset by the increased fiber velocity. Muscle velocity is further increased by the microgravity-induced expression of fast-type myosin isozymes in slow fibers (hybrid I/II fibers) and by the increased expression of fast type II fiber types. SF increases the susceptibility of skeletal muscle to damage, with the actual damage elicited during postflight reloading. Evidence in rats indicates that SF increases fatigability and reduces the capacity for fat oxidation in skeletal muscles. Future studies will be required to establish the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the SF-induced muscle atrophy and functional loss and to develop effective exercise countermeasures.
Novel method for real time overhead power line segments high frequency impedance measurement based on signal injection

The overhead power line plays a vital role in transmission and distribution networks. Continuous operation of the overhead power line is a necessity for a reliable power grid. The condition of the power line such as failure and aging can be monitored through its high frequency impedance characteristics. Continuous measurement of power line impedance at high frequencies is quite challenging. The high frequency impedance model of the overhead power line requires variety of network behaviors and parameters. Existing high frequency impedance measurement techniques cannot measure the impedance of specific segment of the energized overhead power line. In this paper, a novel real time impedance measurement technique to measure a desired segment of overhead power line impedance at high frequencies is presented. The new method is based on the high frequency signal injection into the middle section of the desired segment with one unit and blocking the injected signal with two other units at opposing ends of the segment. The proposed blocking topology is based on the non-intrusive active clamp filter (NIACF), which is capable of blocking a specific frequency in the power line using control techniques. The proposed blocking and impedance measurement methods are tested and validated through experimental studies.
Isotropic turbulent mixing with boundary sources

A type of turbulent mixing, ubiquitous in occurrence as a limiting case, is defined and given analytical treatment. By combining the Kolmogoroff and Corrsin concepts of inertial subrange with consistent application of the divergence theorem of Gauss, predictions are made for statistical turbulence and mixing parameters in uniformly mixed regions into which fluid streams are introduced of arbitrary number, concentration and speed. On definit et analyse une genre de melange turbulent qu'on rencontre partout comme cas limitatif. En combinant les concepts de sous-portee d'inertie de Kolmogoroff et Corrsin avec l'application constante du theoreme de divergence de Gauss, on fait des predictions sur la turbulence statistique et les parametres de melange dans les parties a melange homogene ou l'on introduit des courants fluides en nombre, concentration et vitesse arbitraires.
Oviposition-site preference in Drosophila following interspecific gene transfer of the Alcohol dehydrogenase locus

The preference of Drosophila females to lay eggs on substrates that do or do not contain alcohol is an excellent system to study the evolutionary genetics of behavior, because (1) there is variation in this behavior within and among species, (2) the behavior is amenable to laboratory investigation, and (3) the behavior presumably has a direct relationship to reproductive fitness. Moreover, a key genetic component of the system, the Alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) locus, is arguably the most well characterized gene known. However, because the Adh gene and its genetic background are inseparable in reproductively isolated species, it is difficult to establish its role in behavioral divergence. By transgene coplacement, we created pairs of strains of D. melanogaster expressing an Adh allele from either D. melanogaster or D. affinidisjuncta, a Hawaiian species with very low levels of ADH in adults. When raised on ethanol-containing medium, the affinidisjuncta–Adh strains experience high mortality relative to the melanogaster–Adh strains. However, affinidisjuncta–Adh females show the same preference for oviposition on ethanol-containing medium as melanogaster–Adh females. Thus, preference for ethanol in these strains is not determined primarily by Adh genotype.
Magnetic Properties of Ilmenite‐Hematite Solid Solutions

The magnetic and dielectric properties of some ilmenite-hematite solid solutions are reported. These properties resemble those of the ferrites. Compositions possessing high electrical resistivities and low dielectric losses were prepared. The introduction of manganese into the system (1 - x)Ni1-vMnvTiO3+ xFe2O3 increases the room temperature magnetic moments and decreases the resistivities.
Quantitative Analysis of Intercellular Changes in the Short-Term Partially Obstructed Rabbit Detrusor

In a previous qualitative ultrastructural study, we developed the impression that muscle cell changes following partial outlet obstruction of the rabbit bladder are associated with an increase in the width of intercellular spaces [Elbadawi et al., 1989]. In the present study, we tested that impression by direct measurement of intercellular distances using a simple method that we devised for that purpose. The material for study was obtained from 25 New Zealand White male rabbits, including three normal controls, 15 with partial bladder outlet obstruction, and seven with 7-day obstruction followed by deobstruction. Specimens from the body detrusor were obtained from each animal and processed for electron microscopy by standard methods. Multiple sections from each sample were studied. A total of 3,889 individual measurements made in 163 electron photomicrographic prints were evaluated statistically. A statistically significant progressive increase in the width of intercellular spaces was observed over the 14-day period of obstruction, confirming our previous qualitative impression. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the width of spaces between the deobstructed and the 7-day obstructed detrusor. Our observations underscore the fact that evaluation of the intercellular compartment by measuring its volume density does not reflect the true width of spaces between muscle cells of the pathologically altered detrusor. The herein verified progressively wider separation of detrusor muscle cells following partial bladder outlet obstruction probably hampers both electrotonic and mechanical coupling of muscle cells, thus preventing efficient and coordinated detrusor muscular responses to neural stimuli.
Use of a colonoscope instead of a sigmoidoscope to screen asymptomatic adults for colorectal cancer

Abstract Background Colonoscopic screening can detect neoplasms in asymptomatic adults, many of which would not be detected by sigmoidoscopy. However, because of cost and resource factors, many adults still undergo flexible sigmoidoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. In asymptomatic adults over age 50 undergoing unsedated flexible sigmoidoscopy screening, use of a colonoscope instead of a sigmoidoscope was studied to determine the feasibility, safety, tolerability, and yield. Methods Over an 18-month period, asymptomatic adults referred for colorectal cancer screening by sigmoidoscopy were enrolled. Two experienced nurses attempted to reach the cecum by using a pediatric colonoscope but stopped if significant discomfort was experienced, if the preparation was suboptimal, or if polyps were found. Results A total of 672 adults (652 men, 20 women) underwent screening. The colonoscope was advanced beyond the level attainable with a sigmoidoscope (70-cm mark) in 240 cases. The cecum was reached in 110 (16.4%) of these patients, with a mean pain intensity for patients of 2.6 (scale 1-10) and a mean time for completion of the procedure of 17 minutes. Colonoscopy to the cecum was not feasible because of patient discomfort in 280 patients (41.7%), poor preparation in 179 (26.7%), left-sided polyps or cancer in 69, and/or severe diverticulosis and tortuosity in 34 cases. Twenty patients had polyps proximal to the 70-cm mark (65% adenomas, no cancer). There was no complication. Conclusions The use of a colonoscope instead of a sigmoidoscope by nurses performing unsedated screening sigmoidoscopy is feasible, safe, and well-tolerated, and may improve the yield for screening by at least 16.4% in patients who would otherwise have had only the left colon examined.
Role of CU in TDDB of Low-K Dielectrics

The role of Cu in the time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) performance of Cu/low-k integrated systems was studied. Interdigitated comb capacitors with and without Cu incorporated in the structure were temperature bias stressed (BTS). The Cu containing structures failed in a fraction of the time of the Cu-free samples. Annealing for 1200+ hours without bias did not change the failure times as compared to a 5 minute anneal, indicating that diffusion of neutral Cu does not play a role in TDDB. The results can be attributed to field enhanced Cu diffusion in the framework of an "impact damage" TDDB failure model
Solving three-dimensional layout optimization problems using fixed scale wavelets

The layout optimization problem in three- dimensional elasticity is solved with a meshless, wavelet-based solution scheme. A fictitious domain approach is used to embed the design domain into a simple regular domain. The material distribution and displacement field are discretized over the fictitious domain using fixed-scale, shift-invariant wavelet expansions. A discrete form of the elasticity problem is solved using a wavelet-Galerkin technique during each iteration of the layout optimization sequence. Approximate solutions are found with an efficient preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) solver using non-diagonal preconditioners which lead to convergence rates that are insensitive to the level of resolution. The convergence and memory management properties of the PCG algorithm make the analysis of large-scale problems possible. Several wavelet-based layout optimization examples are included.
Power over Profits The Political Economy of Workers and Wages

Contemporary political economy debates tend to assume that an increase in productivity automatically leads to an equal increase in workers’ wages. This assumption shapes the way that many scholars think about economic globalization, as well as domestic policy reforms. This assumption is particularly widespread in the field of international political economy, where it is implicitly incorporated through the use of neoclassical economic models. Rather than explore the distributional struggle between capital and labor, these models use the assumption of full employment to predict that policies that increases worker productivity automatically leads to an equal increase in workers’ wages. In contrast, this article argues that the degree to which wages increase along with productivity depends on the domestic institutions that protect workers’ rights to act collectively. This article tests the relationship between worker productivity and wages by analyzing data from twenty-eight manufacturing industries, in 117 c...
Colonic necrosis with Kayexalate-sorbitol enemas after renal transplantation

Excerpt Gastrointestinal complications are common in uremia and after renal transplantation. Why intestinal necrosis, a catastrophic event in renal transplantation, occurs is unclear. In many insta...
Sonnenschein als Grenzobjekt

Als ich 1976 nach San Diego zog, um Ethnomethodologie zu studieren, kaufte ich mir fur 1000 Dollar einen roten 69er Camaro (und mit ihm die besondere Aufmerksamkeit der California Highway Patrol). Als meine Mutter mich ein Jahr spater besuchte, stolz, mit fast 70 erstmals nach Amerika gefl ogen zu sein, schenkte sie mir ein car stereo fur die gemeinsame Reise, und ich kaufte ein paar Tapes, auser Coltrane und Miles auch drei Kassetten von Roy Ayers Ubiquity.
Soil, Sustainability and Security

These are disquieting times, as the nations of the world attempt to adjust to the new political, economic and cultural realities of a post-Soviet Union world. This is especially true in Russia, other former Soviet Republics, and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) where change since 1989 has been truly revolutionary. The people of this region have seen the demise of Communism as the definer of social, economic, and political order and its abrupt replacement by democracy movements, capitalism and market economies. Gone are the centralized, top--down bureaucracies that restricted participation in decision making and constrained dissent. Gone are repressive controls on speech, movement and assembly. Gone is the “Cold War” with all of its uncertainties and insecurities. Former enemies are now friends. Former Soviet Republics are now independent, free, and equal, and the countries of the former Warsaw Pact are setting their own courses in international affairs.
Vascular Dysfunction in Pneumocystis-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension Is Related to Endothelin Response and Adrenomedullin Concentration.

Pulmonary hypertension subsequent to an infectious disease can be due to vascular structural remodeling or to functional alterations within various vascular cell types. In our previous mouse model of Pneumocystis-associated pulmonary hypertension, we found that vascular remodeling was not responsible for observed increases in right ventricular pressures. Here, we report that the vascular dysfunction we observed could be explained by an enhanced response to endothelin-1 (20% greater reduction in lumen diameter, P ≤ 0.05), corresponding to an up-regulation of similar magnitude (P ≤ 0.05) of the endothelin A receptor in the lung tissue. This effect was potentially augmented by a decrease in production of the pulmonary vasodilator adrenomedullin of almost 70% (P ≤ 0.05). These changes did not occur in interferon-γ knockout mice similarly treated, which do not develop pulmonary hypertension under these circumstances. Surprisingly, we did not observe any relevant changes in the vascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase vasodilatory response, which is a common potential site of inflammatory alterations to pulmonary vascular function. Our results indicate the diverse mechanisms by which inflammatory responses to prior infections can cause functionally relevant changes in vascular responses in the lung, promoting the development of pulmonary hypertension.
Contention Over Space And Place

Final examinations in my courses test me as well as my students. Unless I have intentionally inserted an easy question for reassurance or as an inside joke, everyone’s getting an answer right means that I’ve underestimated the class. An array of answers from brilliant to inadequate provides more satisfaction, but makes me wonder whether I have simply created an intelligence test. A question that everyone flunks, however, clearly indicts my failure as a teacher. By such a standard, the teachers who set the problems for this issue―McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly―might squeak through with a B-. Contributors to the issue all report outstanding research. They all make their research relevant to geographic analysis and the study of contentious politics. But they neither integrate the analysis of space and place closely with the explanation of contention nor show how the program McAdam, Tarrow, and Tilly laid out in Dynamics of Contention (DOC) applies to geographic questions. It’s not their fault. DOC certainly has implications for the treatment of space and place, but the book doesn’t spell them out. In an earlier survey (Tilly 2000), I offered five arguments concerning spatial aspects of contention:
Abstract T P213: Post-stroke Administration of Ethanol and Normobaric Oxygen Preserves Oxidative Metabolism by Modulating Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex in Transient and Permanent Ischemic Stroke

Background: Ischemic stroke induces metabolic disarray where the entire framework of cellular metabolism is altered. A central regulatory site, Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex (PDHC) sits at the cross-roads of two fundamental metabolic systems: the citric acid cycle and glycolysis. Down regulation of PDHC has been proposed to explain impaired brain catabolism after ischemic injury. In this study, we combined ethanol and normobaric oxygen (NBO) to develop a powerful non-drug treatment to modulate PDHC and its regulatory proteins, namely PDPhosphatase and PDKinase, leading to improved metabolism and reduced oxidative damage. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to transient (4h) or permanent (24h) middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 24 hours reperfusion or no reperfusion. Rats received IP injections of saline, two doses of Ethanol (EtOH, 1.5 at onset of reperfusion followed by 1.0 g/kg in 2 hours) for transient stroke or EtOH+95%NBO (for 6 hours) for permanent stroke. Infract volume and the p...