cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mycosporine-like amino acids provide protection against ultraviolet radiation in eggs of the green sea urchin strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

A photoprotective role of ultraviolet radiation-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in eggs of the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis was demonstrated by comparing UV-induced delays in the first division of embryos having either high or low concentrations of MAAs. Embryos from adult urchins fed Laminaria saccharina (no MAAs) had low concentrations of MAAs and experienced a significantly longer UV-induced delay in cleavage (25.1%) than MAA-rich embryos from adults fed Mastocarpus stellatus (12.8% delay) or a combination diet of both macroalgae (12.3% delay). Collectively, these embryos displayed a significant inverse logarithmic relationship between MAA concentration and percentage cleavage delay, so that the greater the MAA concentration in the eggs, the less they were affected by UV radiation. This is the first study to examine such MAA manipulation of cellular MAA concentrations with no prior UV exposure of the experimental subjects. Concentrations of MAAs were also measured in unfertilized eggs, blastulae, gastrulae and early pluteus larvae, providing the first documentation of changes in MAAs during embryological and larval development. The concentration of shinorine (the principal MAA in the eggs) did not change during short-term UV exposure in vivo or long-term exposure in vitro; such photostability is a useful attribute of a natural sunscreen.
Intratympanic Dexamethasone for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss ; Clinical and Laboratory Evaluation

ObjectiveTo discuss the value of intratympanic dexamethasone (IT-DEX) perfusion for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), clinically and in an animal model.Study DesignRetrospective case review of 10 patients with SSNHL treated with IT-DEX. The findings are correlated with this institution's pr
Evidence to Incorporate Inclusive Reproductive Health Measures in Guidelines for Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survivors

Objective Female childhood cancer survivors are at an increased risk of reproductive health impairment. We compared reproductive health outcomes with the recommended standard in a cohort of childhood cancer survivors.
Brain region-dependent effects of dexamethasone on counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia in conscious rats.

The aim of this study was to determine whether activation of central type II glucocorticoid receptors can blunt autonomic nervous system counterregulatory responses to subsequent hypoglycemia. Sixt...
Examining the influence of caregiver ethnicity on youth placed in out of home care: Ethnicity matters – for some

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine behavioral outcomes in an out of home placement depending on whether youth's ethnicity was congruent with the ethnicity of the caregiver (family teacher). It was hypothesized that African American children in transracial out of home placements would exhibit significantly more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems compared to either Caucasian children in transracial out of home placements, or African American or Caucasian children placed with the same race caregivers. Results provide support for hypotheses related to some youth externalizing behaviors, while hypotheses regarding youth internalizing behaviors were not supported. We discuss the need to consider the ethnicity congruence between out of home placement caregivers and youth. Additionally, the results of this study reflect the need for caregiver training in multicultural competence.
Existence of global attractor for the three-dimensional modified Navier-Stokes equations

The existence of the global attractor for the solutions to the three-dimensional modified Navier-Stokes equations is studied. The new result improves previous result by Ladyzhenskaya (1994 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 346 173-90) in that the existence of a global compact attractor is confirmed with the same conditions under which the existing well posedness theory provided in a previous paper by Ladyzhenskaya (1968 Zap. Nauchn. Sem LOMI 7 126-54) holds. This closes the gap between the two, thus relaxing substantially the further conditions imposed by Ladyzhenskaya (1994 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 346 173-90). A different and simpler proof is provided. The result is further extended to the case of unbounded channel-like domains.
IDDQ and AC scan: the war against unmodelled defects

This paper investigates the relative effectiveness of scan-based AC tests, IDDQ tests and functional tests for the detection of defective chips, particularly those exhibiting delay faults. Data are presented from an experiment in which a production ASIC was tested with a number of scan and functional tests, together with IDDQ. Results show that all tests detect unique failures, indicating the presence of additional unmodelled faults. The effectiveness of the AC tests shows that targeting additional faults produces better quality than relying on peripheral coverage of existing tests.
The user‐centered design of a non‐specialist metadata tool and interface for the Internet Public Library

Good quality metadata are key in supporting user interactions with a repository. Poor quality metadata hide resources, produce poor search results, and negatively affect user satisfaction (Barton et al. 2004; Beall 2005; Geisler et al. 2002). Good quality metadata can be resource-intensive to produce, and as a result there is a ‘metadata generation bottleneck’ between the growing numbers of digital resources requiring description and the limited numbers of metadata specialists who can create such descriptions (Liddy et al., 2001). This can restrict metadata production and reduce the utility of repositories (Wilson, 2007). Approaches to addressing this bottleneck include training more metadata specialists; automatic metadata generation (Liddy et al., 2001; Ochoa & Duval n.d.); and also the solution discussed in this poster, the user-centered design and development of a tool to support student volunteers and interns to engage in the creation and quality control of Dublin Core metadata records for the Internet Public Library (IPL: http://www.ipl.org/).
Microwave Thermal Mapping of the Stealth Region on Mars

Abstract Mars was observed at 1.35 cm (22 GHz) with the Very Large Array (VLA) on February 19, 1995. We mapped the thermal emission from the martian surface in the Tharsis and Amazonis regions. Observed variations of microwave brightness temperature were compared with the results of a subsurface thermal model to derive the emissivity and dielectric constant of the soil. The results revealed a region with anomalously high values of emissivity (ϵ = 0.99 ± 0.01), which is approximately inversely proportional to the density of the material. We interpret this region as having a low density (ρ = 0.5 ± 0.3 gm cm−3) near the surface. It lies within the boundaries of Stealth—the echoless radar feature discovered by Muhleman's radar group in 1991 (Science253, 1508–1513). We suggest two hypotheses for the formation of Stealth. It may consist of ash flows from the nearby Tharsis volcanoes, or it might be an eolian deposit.
Solution structure of (rGGCAGGCC)2 by two-dimensional NMR and the iterative relaxation matrix approach

The three-dimensional solution structure of the RNA self-complementary duplex was derived from two-dimensional NMR and the iterative relaxation matrix approach. Each GA mismatch forms two hydrogen ...
Application of a Novel Differential XAFS Approach for Determination of Coordination Geometries.

A novel differential XAFS approach has been developed which allows the determination of small distortions in coordination geometry (distortions in bond lengths and angles) about the absorber. The approach requires taking the difference, Δ X , between the XAFS of the sample and a reference material. The Fourier transform of Δ X directly reveals the average of the altered path lengths between the sample and the reference. More importantly, the amplitude of Δ X directly reflects the magnitude of the changes in the bond lengths or angles. FEFF6 calculations verify this approach, and help to interpret the data. Application of this technique has been made to the zincate ion in an alkaline Zn battery, where small distortions from the Td geometry resulting from ion pair interactions can be determined directly.
The Role of Cholecystokinin in Interleukin-1 Induced Anorexia

Anorexia is a common response to infection which is thought to be mediated, at least in part, by interleukin (IL-1), an immunoregulatory peptide secreted by activated monocytes. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a neuropeptide that suppresses food intake and gastric emptying when injected into healthy animals. There is increasing evidence of bidirectional interactions between neuropeptides, immune cell function, and secretion of immunoregulatory cytokines. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine if administration of L364,718 (L364), a CCK receptor antagonist, might block the anorexigenic effects of recombinant human IL-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) in rats. We report that injection of IL-1 alpha significantly increased plasma CCK 1 h after injection, and decreased food intake and emptying of gastric contents. Pretreatment with 1 mg/kg L364 partially blocked the decrease in food intake and gastric stasis induced by IL-1 alpha. We conclude CCK may mediate, at least in part, IL-1 alpha-induced anorexia.
The evolution of intergenerational discounting in offspring quality.

Abstract: Intergenerational effects occur when an individual’s actions affect not only its own survivorship and reproduction but also those of its offspring and possibly later descendants. In the presence of intergenerational effects, short‐term and long‐term measures of success (such as the expected numbers of surviving offspring and of farther descendants, respectively) may be in conflict. When such conflicts occur, life‐history theory normally takes long‐term measures to predict the outcome of selection. This ignores the fact that, because traits change in time—through mutation, sex, and recombination—long‐term relations disintegrate. We study this issue with numerical simulations and analytical models combining intergenerational effects and evolutionary change. In the models, the parental investment per offspring, as well as the total reproductive effort, stand for investments in future generations. The models show that the rate of evolutionary change determines the level of those investments. Higher ...
Microglial activation and increased microglial density observed in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in autism.

Background In the neurodevelopmental disorder autism, several neuroimmune abnormalities have been reported. However, it is unknown whether microglial somal volume or density are altered in the cortex and whether any alteration is associated with age or other potential covariates. Methods Microglia in sections from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of nonmacrencephalic male cases with autism ( n = 13) and control cases ( n = 9) were visualized via ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 immunohistochemistry. In addition to a neuropathological assessment, microglial cell density was stereologically estimated via optical fractionator and average somal volume was quantified via isotropic nucleator. Results Microglia appeared markedly activated in 5 of 13 cases with autism, including 2 of 3 under age 6, and marginally activated in an additional 4 of 13 cases. Morphological alterations included somal enlargement, process retraction and thickening, and extension of filopodia from processes. Average microglial somal volume was significantly increased in white matter ( p = .013), with a trend in gray matter ( p = .098). Microglial cell density was increased in gray matter ( p = .002). Seizure history did not influence any activation measure. Conclusions The activation profile described represents a neuropathological alteration in a sizeable fraction of cases with autism. Given its early presence, microglial activation may play a central role in the pathogenesis of autism in a substantial proportion of patients. Alternatively, activation may represent a response of the innate neuroimmune system to synaptic, neuronal, or neuronal network disturbances, or reflect genetic and/or environmental abnormalities impacting multiple cellular populations.
Interactions of p62 dok with p210 bcr-abl and Bcr-Abl-associated Proteins

A 62-kDa Ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP)-associated protein is tyrosine-phosphorylated under a variety of circumstances including growth factor stimulation and in cells transformed by activated tyrosine kinases. A cDNA for p62(dok), reported to be the RasGAP-associated 62-kDa protein, was recently cloned from Abl-transformed cells. In this study, the interactions of p62(dok) with Bcr-Abl and associated proteins were examined. In 32D myeloid cells and Rat-1 fibroblasts transformed by p210(bcr-abl), p62(dok) is tyrosine-phosphorylated and co-immunoprecipitates with Bcr-Abl, RasGAP, and CrkL, a Src homology 2 (SH2) and SH3 domain-containing adaptor protein. Tyrosine-phosphorylated p62(dok) from cells expressing p210(bcr-abl) bound directly to the SH2 domains of Abl and CrkL in a gel overlay assay. Previous work has shown that an SH2 domain deletion mutant of Bcr-Abl is defective in transforming fibroblasts but remains capable of inducing myeloid growth factor independence. In both fibroblasts and myeloid cells expressing this mutant, p62(dok) is underphosphorylated as compared with cells expressing full-length p210(bcr-abl) but remains capable of associating with Bcr-Abl. However, in a gel overlay assay, p62(dok) from cells expressing the SH2 domain deletion was incapable of associating directly with SH2 domains of Abl and CrkL. Interestingly, no direct binding between Bcr-Abl and p62(dok) could be demonstrated in a yeast two-hybrid assay. These data suggest that indirect interactions mediate the interaction between Bcr-Abl and p62(dok) and that the SH2 domain of Bcr-Abl is required for hyperphosphorylation of p62(dok). Further, hyperphosphorylation of p62(dok) correlates with the ability of Bcr-Abl to transform fibroblasts but not with the induction of growth factor independence in myeloid cells.
Temperature-Dependent Kinetics of the Gas-Phase Reactions of OH with Cl2, CH4, and C3H8

The reactions of OH with molecular chlorine (reaction 1), methane (reaction 2), and propane (reaction 3) have been studied experimentally using a pulsed laser photolysis/pulsed-laser-induced fluore...
The NCI-H295 cell line: a pluripotent model for human adrenocortical studies.

The human adrenal cortex is a complex endocrine organ that secretes mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and adrenal androgens. These steroids arise from morphologically and biochemically distinct zones of the adrenal gland. Studying secretion of these distinct steroid hormones has, in the past, required the isolation of cells from each of the adrenocortical zones. Indeed, the lack of a human adrenocortical cell line retaining the ability to produce any of the major adrenal steroid products has slowed studies on normal and abnormal adrenal function. This obstacle has now been largely overcome with the availability of H295 cells, which represents the first adrenocortical cell line to maintain the ability, under specified conditions, to produce all the adrenocortical steroids (i.e., mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, and adrenal androgens). Thus, H295 cells appear to act as pluripotent adrenocortical cells capable of being directed to produce each of the zone-specific steroids. The H295 cell line should prove to be of value in studying the molecular and biochemical mechanisms controlling adrenal steroidogenesis.
Public Libraries Participating in Community Health Initiatives

Baystate Medical Center (BMC), based in Hampden County, Massachusetts, is committed to creating healthier communities by working with community partners to meet identified health needs. Hampden Cou...
Herpes Simplex Retinopathy in an Infant

The present paper concerns the retinal pathology in a case of herpes simplex infection of the newborn. The patient was an infant, who, along with the eye disease, had a severe encephalitis that caused profound dementia and eventually death. The reason for indicting herpes simplex was a 32-fold rise in the herpes simplex titer during the course of the disease. The clinical symptoms and neuropathologic abnormalities in this patient are being described in the neurologic literature (Young et al 1 ) and will be reviewed only briefly in this paper. Report of Case The patient was an infant girl with an uneventful gestational and neonatal history. At the age of 3 weeks she developed fever (101.5 F [38.6 C]), irritability, and clonic seizures. No vesicles or other evidence of herpes simplex were seen in the patient's skin or mucous membranes. Study on the Neuropediatric Service of the Massachusetts General Hospital revealed:
On the chromaticity of certain subgraphs of a q-tree

We show that a graph G on n ≥ q + 1 vertices (where q ≥ 2) has the chromatic polynomial P(G; λ)=λ(λ − 1)...(λ − q + 2)(λ − q + 1) 2 (λ − q) n−q−1 if and only if G can be obtained from a q-tree T on n vertices by deleting and edge contained in exactly q − 1 triangles of T. Furthermore, we prove that these graphs are triangulated
Territorial Defense in Parking Lots: Retaliation Against Waiting Drivers

Three studies showed that drivers leaving a public parking space are territorial even when such behavior is contrary to their goal of leaving. In Study 1 (observations of 200 departing cars), intruded-upon drivers took longer to leave than nonintruded-upon drivers. In Study 2, an experiment involving 240 drivers in which level of intrusion and status of intruder were manipulated, drivers took longer to leave when another car was present and when the intruder honked. Males left significantly sooner when intruded upon by a higher rather than lower status car, whereas females' departure times did not differ as a function of the status of the car. There was evidence that distraction might explain some of this effect. In Study 3, individuals who had parked at a mall were asked about how they would react to intruders. Compared to what they believed other people would do, respondents said they would leave faster if the car were just waiting for them to leave but they would take longer to leave if the driver in the car honked at them.
Chronic Toxicity and Carcinogenicity Studies of Gentian Violet in Mice

Gentian violet is a dye belonging to a chemical class known as the di- and triaminophenylmethanes. Although it has been used for many years for the control of fungal and intestinal parasites, for various uses in veterinary medicine, and as an additive to the feed of chickens to inhibit propagation of mold and fungus, very few long-term toxicity data are available. A life span dosing study of gentian violet in the diet of 720 males and 720 females of B6C3F1 mice (C57BL/6 X C3H) at dose levels of 0, 100, 300, and 600 ppm was done to determine its toxicity and carcinogenicity. Sacrifices were conducted after 12, 18, and 24 months of continuous dosing. There was no effect on food consumption or body weight gain; however, a dose effect was noted for mortality rates. Mortality (adjusted for sacrifices) in the controls of both sexes was less than 15% at 24 months, but was approximately 64% in the females and 23% in the males given the high dose. Females appeared to be more susceptible than males. A positive dose response for hepatocellular carcinoma was noted in males at 24 months and in females at 18 and 24 months. Statistical tests for dose-related trends with respect to mortality due to liver neoplasms, prevalence of liver neoplasms, and time to onset of liver neoplasms showed positive trends in both males and females. Other dose-related toxicological responses, particularly in the female mice, included erythropoiesis in the spleen, atrophy of the ovaries, adenoma of the Harderian gland, and the presence of type A reticulum cell sarcomas in the urinary bladder, uterus, ovaries, and vagina. The estimation of risk of 10(-6) over background for malignant liver neoplasms using linear extrapolations showed a lower bound on the virtually safe dose (VSD) to be 2 ppb for the female mice and 1 ppb for the male mice. For benign and malignant liver tumors together, the lower bound on the VSD was essentially the same as for malignant liver neoplasm alone. Under the conditions of the experiment described above, gentian violet appears to be a carcinogen in mice at several different organ sites.
Chiral fermions, orbifolds, scalars, and fat branes

We note that orbifold boundary conditions that produce chiral fermion zero modes in compactified higher dimensional theories may distort scalar field vacuum expectation values, giving rise to nontrivial dependence on the extra dimensions. We illustrate this in a simple five-dimensional model, which has chiral fermion zero modes stuck to fat branes. The model could provide a simple and explicit realization of the separation of quarks and leptons in the fifth dimension. We discuss the Kaluza-Klein expansion in some detail. We find that there are, in general, non-zero-mode states stuck to the brane, just as the chiral zero mode is. We see explicitly the transition from the states dominated by the internal structure of the fat brane to those dominated by the compactification.
Choosing an Optimal Pedagogy: A Design Approach

New or experienced engineering educators may have a sincere desire to enhance student learning but not be sure how to approach this, even if they have done their homework and reviewed the myriad of pedagogies presented in the literature. Indeed one may choose from a wide array of well promoted, learning enhancing pedagogies, such as active learning, cooperative learning, and problem-based learning, but, in practice, a basic question of how and what teaching method to choose still remains unclear. In this paper, we address this question and consider the problem of choosing an optimal pedagogy as an open-ended design task. By casting the ambiguous selection process as that of design, the feasibility of applying common design analysis techniques (e.g., pairwise comparison chart and decision matrix) becomes apparent. By having a prescribed set of assessment factors, an optimal pedagogy may be arrived at in the same way as how existing analysis techniques can be applied to arrived at a `best' design out of a number of potentially viable options.
Service Performance—Loyalty Intentions Link in a Business-to-Business Context: The Role of Relational Exchange Outcomes and Customer Characteristics:

This study evaluates the relationship between service performance and customer loyalty intentions in a business-to-business context. Specifically, the third-party logistics industry is used as a co...
MicroRNAs in Development and Disease

Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are small RNAs responsible for selective repression and degradation of mRNAs. Regulation by miRNAs during development facilitates the transition from one stage to the next and can control specialized characteristics of mature cells. When this regulation is disrupted, cancer can result through increases in proliferation and defects in differentiation. Keywords: microRNA; Dicer; development; developmental transition
Resistance to Pyraclostrobin and Boscalid in Botrytis cinerea Isolates from Strawberry Fields in the Carolinas

Abstract Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mold disease, is one of the most important plant-pathogenic fungi affecting strawberry. During the last decade, control of gray mold disease in the southeastern United States has largely been dependent on captan and the use of at-risk fungicides with single-site modes of action, including a combination of the quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide pyraclostrobin and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide boscalid formulated as Pristine 38WG. Reports about loss of efficacy of Pristine in experimental fields in North Carolina prompted us to collect and examine 216 single-spore isolates from 10 conventional fields and 1 organic field in North Carolina and South Carolina in early summer 2011. Sensitivity to pyraclostrobin or boscalid was determined using a conidial germination assay with previously published discriminatory doses. Pyraclostrobin- and pyraclostrobin+boscalid-resistant isolates were found in all conventional fields (with some pop...
The Butterfly Did It: The Aberrant Vote for Buchanan in Palm Beach County, Florida

We show that the butterfly ballot used in Palm Beach County, Florida, in the 2000 presidential election caused more than 2,000 Democratic voters to vote by mistake for Reform candidate Pat Buchanan, a number larger than George W. Bush's certified margin of victory in Florida. We use multiple methods and several kinds of data to rule out alternative explanations for the votes Buchanan received in Palm Beach County. Among 3,053 U.S. counties where Buchanan was on the ballot, Palm Beach County has the most anomalous excess of votes for him. In Palm Beach County, Buchanan's proportion of the vote on election-day ballots is four times larger than his proportion on absentee (nonbutterfly) ballots, but Buchanan's proportion does not differ significantly between election-day and absentee ballots in any other Florida county. Unlike other Reform candidates in Palm Beach County, Buchanan tended to receive election-day votes in Democratic precincts and from individuals who voted for the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. Robust estimation of overdispersed binomial regression models undernins much of the analysis.
The Brn-3 family of POU-domain factors: Primary structure, binding specificity, and expression in subsets of retinal ganglion cells and somatosensory neurons

A search for POU domain sequences expressed in the human retina has led to the identification of three closely related genes: Brn-3a, Brn-3b, and Brn-3c. The structure and expression pattern of Brn-3b was reported earlier (Xiang et al., 1993); we report here the structures and expression patterns of Brn-3a and Brn-3c. Antibodies specific for each Brn-3 protein were generated and shown to label only ganglion cells in a variety of vertebrate retinas. A complex pattern of strongly and weakly immunolabeled ganglion cells was observed in mouse, cat, and monkey retinae. In mouse and cat retinae, Brn-3a and Brn-3b proteins are found in a large fraction of ganglion cells, whereas Brn-3c is present in fewer ganglion cells. In the cat retina, anti-Brn-3a immunoreactivity was strong in the small ganglion cells (gamma cells) and weak in the remaining ganglion cells (alpha and beta cells); anti- Brn-3b immunoreactivity was present in all ganglion cells; and anti- Brn3c immunoreactivity was confined to the small ganglion cells. Immunolabeling of macaque retinae following retrograde labeling from the lateral geniculate nucleus revealed strong anti-Brn-3a immunoreactivity in a minority of retrogradely labeled P-type ganglion cells, and weak Brn-3a immunoreactivity in all of the remaining P- and M-type ganglion cells. In the same retinae, strong anti-Brn-3b immunoreactivity was seen in nearly all P-type ganglion cells and weak immunoreactivity in nearly all M-type ganglion cells. Each of the Brn-3- specific antibodies also labeled subsets of neurons in the dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia, suggesting that primary somatosensory neurons and retinal ganglion cells share genetic regulatory hierarchies. In vitro selection of an optimal DNA binding site using the Brn-3b POU domain has revealed a consensus [(A/G)CTCATTAA(T/C)] that is recognized by each of the Brn-3 POU domains and is distinct from binding sites previously described for other POU domain proteins.
Metaplastic breast carcinoma with components of undifferentiated sarcomatous carcinoma and invasive ductal carcinoma: a case report with review of the literature

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare type of breast carcinoma that includes a heterogeneous group of tumors that tend to have mixed and often mesenchymal differentiation. Several variants have been described; however in terms of prognosis, these different variants are referred to as a single entity of MBC. Awareness of this tumor is important as treatment options for patients with MBC differ from those of typical breast carcinomas. In this report, a 58-year-old female presented with a rapidly enlarging breast mass of three-month duration, which was diagnosed as MBC. This case illustrates important points in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with MBC. Clinicopathologic and radiologic features are discussed with review of the literature.
Differential thermoregulation of two highly homologous cold-shock genes, cspA and cspB, of Escherichia coli.

Background The major cold-shock protein in Escherichia coli is CspA, a 7.4 kDa protein. A CspA family has been found which consists of four additional proteins, CspB, CspC, CspD and CspE. The expression of cspB, unlike the other homologues, is cold-shock inducible like cspA Results: We examined the cold-shock induction of CspA and CspB at various temperatures. The cspA induction is observed by temperature shift from 37 to 30 °C and high levels of CspA production are observed between 24 and 10 °C. In contrast, CspB production occurs only by temperature shift to below 20 °C, with maximum induction at 15 °C. Both cspA and cspB expressions were found to be induced at the level of transcription as determined by primer extension. Conclusions: These results show that cspA and cspB expressions are differentially regulated at low temperature indicating that E. coli contains at least two different biothermostats or thermoregulators that are likely to play important roles in cellular adaptation to low temperature. The cspB promoter shows sequence similarity to the cspA promoter. Furthermore, both cspA and cspB mRNAs have unusually long 5′ untranslated regions (159 and 161 bases, respectively), both of which are able to form similar extensive secondary structures. These features are considered to contribute to the nature of the thermostats for cspA and cspB
OSM1/SYP61: A Syntaxin Protein in Arabidopsis Controls Abscisic Acid–Mediated and Non-Abscisic Acid–Mediated Responses to Abiotic Stress

To identify the genetic loci that control salt tolerance in higher plants, a large-scale screen was conducted with a bial- aphos marker-based T-DNA insertional collection of Arabidopsis ecotype C24 mutants. One line, osm1 (for osmotic stress-sensitive mutant), exhibited increased sensitivity to both ionic (NaCl) and nonionic (mannitol) osmotic stress in a root-bending assay. The osm1 mutant displayed a more branched root pattern with or without stress and was hyper- sensitive to inhibition by Na � , K � , and Libut not Cs � . Plants of the osm1 mutant also were more prone to wilting when grown with limited soil moisture compared with wild-type plants. The stomata of osm1 plants were insensitive to both ABA-induced closing and inhibition of opening compared with wild-type plants. The T-DNA insertion appeared in the first exon of an open reading frame on chromosome 1 ( F3M18.7 , which is the same as AtSYP61 ). This insertion muta- tion cosegregated closely with the osm1 phenotype and was the only functional T-DNA in the mutant genome. Expres- sion of the OSM1 gene was disrupted in mutant plants, and abnormal transcripts accumulated. Gene complementation with the native gene from the wild-type genome completely restored the mutant phenotype to the wild type. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of the affected gene revealed that OSM1 is related most closely to mammalian syn- taxins 6 and 10, which are members of the SNARE superfamily of proteins required for vesicular/target membrane fu- sions. Expression of the OSM1 promoter:: � -glucuronidase gene in transformants indicated that OSM1 is expressed in all tissues except hypocotyls and young leaves and is hyperexpressed in epidermal guard cells. Together, our results dem- onstrate important roles of OSM1/SYP61 in osmotic stress tolerance and in the ABA regulation of stomatal responses.
Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policy: Lessons from the U.S. Foreign Policy Arena

This essay extends John Kingdon's work on predecision policy processes in US domestic policy to the foreign policy domain. While Kingdon's insights have significantly improved our understanding of predecision processes, further development is necessary for extension across both domestic and foreign policy domains. Kingdon's incremental evolutionary metaphor for alternative specification has to be revamped to include both gradualist and nonincremental policy types. Scholars must also make more explicit, elaborate, and thorough use of Cohen, March and Olsen's ‘garbage can’ model of decision making. To these ends, we offer a typology of policy alternatives that incorporates alternative metaphors premised on recent developments in evolutionary theory. The essay concludes by suggesting a research agenda amenable to pursuit in both national and cross-national contexts.
Asymmetric brain function, affective style, and psychopathology: The role of early experience and plasticity

A model of asymmetric contributions to the control of different subcomponents of approach- and withdrawal-related emotion and psychopathology is presented. Two major forms of positive affect are distinguished. An approach-related form arises prior to goal attainment, and another form follows goal attainment. The former is hypothesized to be associated with activation of the left prefrontal cortex. Individual differences in patterns of prefrontal activation are stable over time. Hypoactivation in this region is proposed to result in approach-related deficits and increase an individual's vulnerability to depression. Data in support of these proposals are presented. The issue of plasticity is then considered from several perspectives. Contextual factors are superimposed upon tonic individual differences and modulate the magnitude of asymmetry. Pharmacological challenges also alter patterns of frontal asymmetry. A diverse array of evidence was then reviewed that lends support to the notion that these patterns of asymmetry may be importantly influenced by early environmental factors that result in enduring changes in brain function and structure.
An Autonomy Architecture for Aerobot Exploration of the Saturnian Moon Titan

The Huygens probe arrived at Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005, unveiling a world that is radically different from any other in the Solar system. The data obtained, complemented by continuing observations from the Cassini spacecraft, show methane lakes, river channels and drainage basins, sand dunes, cryovolcanos and sierras. This has lead to an enormous scientific interest in a follow-up mission to Titan, using a robotic lighter-than-air vehicle (or aerobot). Aerobots have modest power requirements, can fly missions with extended durations, and have very long distance traverse capabilities. They can execute regional surveys, transport and deploy scientific instruments and in-situ laboratory facilities over vast distances, and also provide surface sampling at strategic science sites. This paper describes our progress in the development of the autonomy technologies that will be required for exploration of Titan. We provide an overview of the autonomy architecture and some of its key components. We also show results obtained from autonomous flight tests conducted in the Mojave desert.
Eosinophilic cellulitis in a family.

: Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome) is characterized by recurrent episodes of nonpruritic, indurative. cutaneous swellings. Three cases of this syndrome occurred in two male siblings and their mother. In all three family members, skin lesions appeared early in infancy. Unusual clinical manifestations included eosinophilic pleural effusions and pericarditis.
Molecular Targets for Green Tea in Prostate Cancer Prevention

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American males. For these reasons, it is necessary to intensify our efforts for better understanding and development of novel treatment and chemopreventive approaches for this disease. In recent years, green tea has gained considerable attention as an agent that could reduce the risk of several cancer types. The cancer-chemopreventive effects of green tea appear to be mediated by the polyphenolic constituents present therein. Based on geographical observations that suggest that the incidence of PCa is lower in Japanese and Chinese populations that consume green tea on a regular basis, we hypothesized that green tea and/or its constituents could be effective for chemoprevention of PCa. To investigate this hypothesis, we initiated a program for the chemoprevention of PCa by green tea. In cell-culture systems that employ human PCa cells DU145 (androgen insensitive) and LNCaP (androgen sensitive), we found that the major polyphenolic constituent (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) of green tea induces 1) apoptosis, 2) cell-growth inhibition, and 3) cyclin kinase inhibitor WAF-1/p21-mediated cell-cycle dysregulation. More recently, using a cDNA microarray, we found that EGCG treatment of LNCaP cells results in 1) induction of genes that functionally exhibit growth-inhibitory effects, and 2) repression of genes that belong to the G-protein signaling network. In animal studies that employ a transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP), which is a model that mimics progressive forms of human prostatic disease, we observed that oral infusion of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) at a human achievable dose (equivalent to 6 cups of green tea/d) significantly inhibits PCa development and metastasis. We extended these studies and more recently observed increased expression of genes related to angiogenesis such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and those related to metastasis such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in prostate cancer of TRAMP mice. Oral feeding of GTP as the sole source of drinking fluid to TRAMP mice results in significant inhibition of VEGF, MMP-2 and MMP-9. These data suggest that there are multiple targets for PCa chemoprevention by green tea and highlight the need for further studies to identify novel pathways that may be modulated by green tea or its polyphenolic constituents that could be further exploited for prevention and/or treatment of PCa.
Helicobacter pylori Biomarkers and Risk of Colorectal Oncogenesis--Response.

We thank Kountouras and colleagues ([1][1]) for their interest in our work describing an association between antibodies to the Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) virulence factor VacA and risk of colorectal cancer among 188 colorectal cancer cases and 370 matched controls in the prospective study,
Transient analysis of an adaptive system for optimization of design parameters

Averaging methods are applied to analyzing and optimizing the transient response associated with the direct adaptive control of an oscillatory second-order minimum-phase system. In order to implement the optimal adaptive design, it is necessary to have knowledge of certain parameters well beyond what needs to be known for adaptive stability, and this may or may not be feasible, depending on the application. However, even if the optimal design cannot by implemented exactly, partial knowledge of the system dominant mode may suffice to improve performance in practical implementations. >
Energy-Momentum Algorithms for the Nonlinear Dynamics of Elastoplastic Solids

This paper presents the formulation of energy-dissipative momentum-conserving time-stepping algorithms for finite strain dynamic plasticity. These methods require special return mapping algorithms for the integration of the plastic evolution equations, as well as the proper assumed strain treatment to arrive at fully conserving, locking-free assumed strain B-bar finite element methods.
Effective Use of Collaborative IT Tools: Nature, Antecedents, and Consequences

A fundamental issue for IS academics and practitioners is how collaborative IT tools can be effectively used to improve group work. Collaborative IT tools are integrated sets of IT functionalities that facilitate communication and information sharing among interconnected entities. Integrating the literature on group support systems with recent work on IT capabilities, this paper introduces the construct of collaborative IT tools leveraging capability. It is defined as the ability of groups to effectively use a set of IT functionalities - workspace sharing, conferencing, file sharing, scheduling, chat, email - available in collaborative IT tools to facilitate group work. Collaborative IT tools leveraging capability is proposed to impact group performance. To enhance the group's effectiveness in leveraging collaborative IT tools, we propose a set of antecedents: customization of collaborative IT tools, the group's habit in using collaborative IT tools, the group's perceived usefulness and ease of use of collaborative IT tools, the group member's trust, and environmental uncertainty. Data from 365 group managers support the study's structural model with the antecedents and outcomes of collaborative IT tools leveraging capability at different levels of environmental uncertainty. The paper discusses the study's contributions to understanding the nature of collaborative IT tools leveraging capability, its impact on group work, and how it can be enhanced to facilitate group work. Implications for enhancing group work with the aid of collaborative IT tools are also discussed.
CATSAT’s Soft X-Ray Detection System: An Innovative and Cost Effective Approach

This paper describes an innovative and cost effective approach to detecting low energy x-ray emissions from gamma-ray bursts. This data will assist scientists in solving the important problem of locating the source of these bursts. The approach makes the low energy measurements using an array of avalanche photodiodes (APDs). APDs are a proven, inexpensive technology that will enable the system to be flown aboard a small satellite, CATSAT.
The Ideological Relationship Between Elected Officials and Supreme Court Justices, 1946-2012: Reframing the 'Activism' Debate to Incorporate Issue-Specific Analysis and Intra-Court Controls

To assess whether Supreme Court justices are more "independent" — or as some might contend, more "activist" — in certain issue areas, this article uses time series regression to examine the impact of legislative and executive preferences on justice voting behavior from 1946-2012. Dependent variables are term-by-term, issue-specific voting scores for 36 justices, as drawn from The Supreme Court Database. Primary independent variables are DW-NOMINATE scores for presidents and legislators. This article also includes a unique control variable related to the Court median in order to account for the possibility that justices have an influence on one another during the decision-making process. Results demonstrate that influences from the political branches are particularly apparent in economic cases (where congressional ideology is statistically significant) and criminal procedure cases (where executive ideology is statistically significant) — but are absent in non-criminal civil rights/civil liberties cases, a domain where justices seem to retain a greater degree of independence. The ultimate importance of these findings becomes apparent in two ways: 1) by situating them in the context of Justice Stone’s famous "Footnote Four" — which implored justices to protect against legislative encroachment on individual liberties (while conceding that justices may not be competent architects of policy in other areas); and 2) by considering the "pro-government" frameworks that the Court has established for addressing criminal procedure matters than emanate from the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments.
Vision in a phase 3 trial of natalizumab for multiple sclerosis: relation to disability and quality of life.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a variety of symptoms that can affect quality of life (QOL) and contribute to disability (1,2). Visual impairment is a common symptom in MS with up to 50% of patients developing optic neuritis and up to 77% of patients manifesting subclinical changes in visual function (3–7). To that extent, visual function, specifically low-contrast visual acuity (LCVA), has emerged as an important candidate in MS that captures aspects of the disease not routinely quantified by disability or QOL measures (3,8,9). The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the leading disability measure in MS (10,11). The EDSS includes high-contrast visual acuity (HCVA) but does not capture all aspects of visual dysfunction and, at higher disability levels, is geared more towards physical dysfunction (10,11). Similarly, generic QOL measures, such as Short Form-36 (SF-36) capture overall but not vision-specific, decline in QOL (1,2). Furthermore, the influence of visual dysfunction on these QOL measures is not well studied (1,2). Despite the prevalent use of visual function testing (VFT), EDSS and QOL metrics, neurologists, and neuro-ophthalmologists continue to face the challenge of incorporating these outcome measures when evaluating for disease progression (4,5,12). Exploring associations between LCVA, disability, QOL, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help bridge this gap in our knowledge and provides further support for a multidimensional approach to MS symptoms. In the Phase III, placebo-controlled AFFIRM trial of natalizumab (Biogen Idec Inc, Weston, MA) (13), LCVA detected treatment effects on sustained visual loss and visual improvement in patients with MS (12,14). Treatment with natalizumab also was associated with improved QOL (1,13), MRI outcomes (13,15–17) and disability (18). In these post-hoc analyses of AFFIRM data, we provide a novel approach to evaluating LCVA and its association to global disease metrics, including QOL, disability, and MRI outcomes in a large standardized clinical trial setting.
Urticaria as a Sign of Internal Disease

Urticaria is an important sign of the rheumatic and connective tissue diseases, is often the diagnostic feature of Still's disease, or may be associated with a malignancy. Chronic urticaria may be the presenting sign of lupus erythematosus. The adult form of urticaria pigmentosa is associated with systemic involvement in 30 to 50 percent of cases. Urticaria and arthralgias in a patient with fever of unknown origin should alert one to the possibility of serum hepatitis.