cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ATP-induced myosin subfragment-1 fluorescence intensity increase is due to one tryptophan.

The irradiation of skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1 (S1) in the presence of 2,2,2-trichloroethanol (TCE) reduces S1 fluorescence intensity in two phases. In the first phase, there is an increase in MgATPase activity, and no significant change in the fluorescence intensity increase upon ATP binding. In the second phase, the activity remains elevated, but there is a complete loss of the ATP-induced intensity increase. Measurements on denatured S1 indicate that fluorescence intensity reductions of one fifth of the total occur during each of the two phases, consistent with the fluorescence intensity increase upon forming S1 · MgADP · Pi being due to one of the five heavy-chain tryptophans.
Perturbation analysis is exact for the M/G/1/ queue

The perturbation analysis technique has recently been developed as an effective method for sensitivity analysis of complex discrete event systems. It enables the sensitivity of a performance measure to be calculated while observing a single sample path of the system. It therefore offers computational savings for computer simulations, and it also has the ability to be applied directly on actual systems. Thus far, much of the research on perturbation analysis has focused on experimental results demonstrating its accuracy for various complex systems. It is clear that for a practically useful new approach such as this, it is also important to study its theoretical properties. As a step in this direction we study here perturbation analysis applied to an M/G/1 queue. While this is a simple and analytically well understood system from the point of queueing theory, it nevertheless is nontrivial, and provides a good test case for perturbation analysis techniques. Only by understanding the behavior of perturbation analysis for simpler systems can we hope to study its properties for more complex cases.
Significance of histologic patterns of glomerular injury upon long-term prognosis in severe lupus glomerulonephritis

Significance of histologic patterns of glomerular injury upon long-term prognosis in severe lupus glomerulonephritis. Background Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have a spectrum of glomerular disease, but the different patterns of glomerular injury identified within the general category of "severe" lupus glomerulonephritis are responsible for much of the morbidity and mortality in this disease. The glomerular injury patterns seen with severe lupus glomerulonephritis have been separated into distinct histopathologic groups to determine whether they can predict long-term patient outcome. Methods We analyzed the clinical follow-up of 85 patients participating in a controlled prospective therapeutic trial for the treatment of severe lupus glomerulonephritis conducted from April 1981 to December 1988, with an average follow-up of 10 years. Patients were classified according to the 1982 World Health Organization classification for lupus glomerulonephritis. Results During the course of follow-up [120 ± 65 (SD) months], 60% of patients with category IV (diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis) lesions entered a remission compared with only 38% of patients with category III (≥50%, focal and segmental glomerulonephritis) lesions and 27% of patients with category Vc (≥50%) and Vd ( P P P P = 0.0001). Conclusion The histopathologic categorization among patients with severe lupus glomerulonephritis provides information relevant to their long-term outcome.
Ordering Effects on the Photopolymerization of a Lyotropic Liquid Crystal

The synthesis of polymers bearing the highly ordered nanostructure of lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) phases has recently been of great interest. This work describes the polymerization behavior and structural evolution of a cationic amphiphile in various LLC phases. The type and degree of LLC phases formed from this monomer depend strongly on the composition and temperature. By adding a nonpolymerizable surfactant a variety of LLC phases are formed including hexagonal, bicontinuous cubic, and lamellar morphologies while maintaining a constant monomer concentration. The highly ordered lamellar LLC phase exhibits the fastest polymerization rate with the slowest occurring in the hexagonal phase. The polymerization rates of the bicontinuous morphology were intermediate to the lamellar and hexagonal phases. The faster polymerization kinetics is due to diffusional limitations imposed on the propagating polymer by the highly ordered lamellar LLC phase. Also, the order of this LLC system has a strong dependence on temperature. At higher temperatures, the degree of LLC order and correspondingly the polymerization rate decrease. The original LLC phase morphology appears to be retained to the greatest extent in the faster polymerizing lamellar phase. The original nanostructure is also retained in the hexagonal and cubic LLC phases but with some slight changes in structure. This LLC structure is preserved at temperatures well exceeding the thermal phase transitions of the unpolymerized LLC samples.
Plasma volume changes in ground squirrels during water deprivation

Abstract 1. 1. Desert-dwelling antelope ground squirrels and high altitude-dwelling Belding ground squirrels were subjected to water deprivation. Plasma volumes, hematocrits, blood volumes and serum potassium and sodium levels were measured during water ad lib. and at 10, 20 and 30 per cent body weight loss following dehydration. 2. 2. Mean plasma volumes declined with water deprivation, but the percentage of plasma volume lost was significantly less than the resulting 30 per cent body weight loss in both species. The desert species demonstrated a greater ability to conserve plasma volume during water deprivation than the high altitude species. 3. 3. Possible factors related to superior plasma volume maintenance in antelope ground squirrels are discussed.
The Political Education of Vietnam Christian Service, 1954–1975

From Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s to Guenter Lewy in the 1980s, a number of ethicists and scholars have called pacifists to engage only in apolitical service ventures divorced from any attempt to address systemic causes of injustice. Attempts to address political questions from a pacifist position, Niebuhr charged, amounted to “heresy.” This analysis of the Protestant relief effort called Vietnam Christian Service from 1954 to 1975 reveals the inadequacy of Niebuhr’s formulation. Even as they tried to remain apolitical, many Christian relief workers in Vietnam gradually discovered that any efforts to serve the poor in a context of guerilla war inexorably drew them into work with an undeniably political nature. In the end the educational process undergone by Vietnam Christian Service rendered it impossible to imagine that anyone could offer up simple acts of service without fully entering the ambiguous and compromised world of politics.
Domain Wall Coupling-Based STT-MRAM for On-Chip Cache Applications

This paper proposes a domain-wall-coupling-based magnetic device for high-speed and robust on-chip cache applications. The read and write current paths are magnetically coupled and electrically isolated, which significantly improves the reliability of the read and write operations. Our proposed device makes use of fast and energy-efficient domain wall motion for write operation. A complementary polarizer structure is used to achieve low-power, high-speed, and high-sensing margin read operations. A device-to-circuits simulation framework was also developed to evaluate our proposed multiterminal domain-wall-coupling-based spin-transfer torque (DWCSTT) magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell. Compared with the conventional 1T-1MTJ STT-MRAM bit cell, the proposed DWCSTT bit cell achieves ${>}3.5\times $ improvement in write power under iso-area and iso-write margin conditions, and $>\!\!3\times $ better sensing margin with low read power consumption and higher read disturb margin.
Genome-wide association study of acute post-surgical pain in humans.

Aims: Testing a relatively small genomic region with a few hundred SNPs provides limited information. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide an opportunity to overcome the limitation of candidate gene association studies. Here, we report the results of a GWAS for the responses to an NSAID analgesic. Materials & methods: European Americans (60 females and 52 males) undergoing oral surgery were genotyped with Affymetrix 500K SNP assay. Additional SNP genotyping was performed from the gene in linkage disequilibrium with the candidate SNP revealed by the GWAS. Results: GWAS revealed a candidate SNP (rs2562456) associated with analgesic onset, which is in linkage disequilibrium with a gene encoding a zinc finger protein. Additional SNP genotyping of ZNF429 confirmed the association with analgesic onset in humans (p = 1.8 × 10-10, degrees of freedom = 103, F = 28.3). We also found candidate loci for the maximum post-operative pain rating (rs17122021, p = 6.9 × 10-7) and post-operative pain onset time (r...
Effects of ambient pressure and burner scaling on the flame geometry and structure of hydrogen jet flames in cross-flow

Abstract The effects of ambient pressure and burner scaling on flame geometry and structure of a hydrogen jet flame in a cross-flow are presented. To delineate the effects of buoyancy, the fuel was injected horizontally into a vertically moving air stream, thus, buoyancy was aligned with the direction of the cross-flow. The combustion chamber pressure was varied from 1 to 1.45 bar, and the jet-to-cross-flow velocity ratio from 25 to 240. For flow visualization, Rainbow Schlieren Deflectometry (RSD) along with conventional flame photography was used. The centerline flame trajectory showed three distinct regions which were different from the previously reported findings where buoyancy acted along the jet axis. The dimensionless coordinate of the jet centerline in the jet direction varied with 0.5, 0.3, 0 power of the coordinate in the vertical cross-flow direction, and was correlated with 0.15 power of the burner diameter. The effect of pressure on flame trajectories was not significant. Flame chord length varied with −0.38 power of the jet-to-cross-flow velocity ratio.
Pedagogies from Nepantla: Testimonio, Chicana/Latina Feminisms and Teacher Education Classrooms

This article describes a process of testimonial co-creation between two teacher educators. We created testimonios in dialogue to examine who we are, how we “know,” and how we teach as Chicana/Latina educators of prospective teachers in predominantly white institutions (PWIs). An active exploration of our lived experiences growing up as racialized, gendered, and classed Chicanas/Latinas reveal both “the theory of our practice and the practice of our theory” (Latina Feminist Group, 2001, p. 19). As teacher educators engaged in contradictory and transformative ways of knowing, teaching, and learning, our testimonios revealed fruitful tensions for mining the liminal and relational moments across difference and privilege with our prospective teachers. We develop the themes of cultural dissonance, conciencia con compromiso (consciousness with commitment) and carino (authentic care) as Chicana feminist pedagogies. We close by sharing how Latina/Chicana feminist testimonios articulate nepantla—a space of frustrat...
Transcendence, Power and Regeneration in Tamang Shamanic Practice:

This article analyzes (1) the production of magical or symbolic power and (2) symbolic processes of transcendence in the rituals of Tamang shamans of highland Nepal, rituals that seek to transform the afflicted from abject subjects to active agents. In convergence with Terence Turner’s theoretical contributions to the study of ritual, this article argues that magical power produced by Tamang shamans in curative soundings as well as collective pilgrimages is a form of ‘alienated consciousness’ made possible through ritual processes of symbolic transcendence. I argue that shamans or bombo, through their transcendent moves, deconstruct orders produced elsewhere in socio-ritual life and, in the process, expose the constructedness or arbitrariness of those orders, laying the groundwork for transformation of afflicted subjects from abject to agential states both individually and collectively.
In-furnace capture of cadmium and other semi-volatile metals by sorbents

Abstract An 18 kW, cylindrical (inside diameter = 15-cm), 6-m high, laminar, downflow furnace was used to investigate the mechanisms governing reactive scavenging of cadmium vapors from combustion environments, by hydrated lime and kaolinite powder sorbents. Two major physical mechanisms dominate the reaction rate and sorbent utilization during the capture of semi-volatile metal by kaolinite, temperature-activated eutectic-melting-enhanced capture and excessive-melt deactivation, initiated at a higher temperature than the enhancement. However, cadmium forms higher temperature eutectics than other semi-volatile metals such as lead and sodium, which have a transition to a deactivating melt below 1100 °C. The network modifier responsible for the reaction enhancement is the metal/sorbent reaction product itself, which forms a eutectic with the remaining, unreacted sorbent. Global rate models were developed to describe the reaction of kaolinite with lead, sodium, and cadmium metal vapors. The following reaction scheme was valid for all three metal vapors, Na/Pb/Cd: Na 2 O / PbO / CdO + 1 2 ( Al 2 O 3 · 2 SiO 2 ) ⇒ P Na / Pb / Cd . Followed by the substrate (melting) deactivation step for Na and Pb, but not for Cd: P Na / Pb + 1 2 ( Al 2 O 3 · 2 SiO 2 ) ⇒ D + P Na / Pb . Eutectic-melting enhancement of cadmium capture by both kaolinite and hydrated lime was initiated between 1160 and 1280 °C. Cadmium is more effectively captured at higher temperatures (i.e., ∼1300 °C) than other semi-volatile metals, such as lead and sodium, and requires even higher temperatures to cause sorbent deactivation by excessive melting. Unlike cadmium, lead and sodium were poorly scavenged by hydrated lime.
Systems of Social Exchange

This paper develops a formal model for exchange within a system of action. The system of action is defined by actors, events, control of actors over events, and interests of actors in the outcomes of events. The system is designed to deal with divisible events (best exemplified by private goods) or indivisible events (such as a bill on which a vote is taken), and events with or without externalities. This paper considers mostly divisible events, but some steps are taken toward analysis of indivisible events on which there are opposing interests.
Zur Axiomatik der absoluten Geometrie des Raumes

Einleitung. Die bisher bekannten Ansi~tze zum Aufbau der Geometrie des Raumes verwenden entweder die Anordnung (HILBERT [3], SCHU~ [7]) oder Axiome fiber die Existenz r~umlicher Bewegungen (wie Spiegelungen an Ebenen, Punkten und Geraden, vgl. AH~]~NS [1]). Bei genauer Betrachtung der klassischen absolutcn Geometrie fiillt nun auf, dab die Existenz r~iumlicher Bewegungen nirgends in den Axiomen gefordert wird, sondern aus den Kongruenzaxiomen bewiesen werden kann. Die Kongruenzaxiome sind im wesentlichen i~quivalent mit der freien Beweglichkeit der Halbebenen mit eincr ausgezeichneten orientierten Geraden und einem darauf liegenden ausgezeichneten Punkt (der sogen, ebenen Fahnen). Es liegt nahe, diesen Aufbau anordnungsfrei durchzuffihren. ])as soll im folgenden geschchen, allerdings unter Beschrhnkung auf die dreidimensionale Geometrie, unter Ausschlul3 der elliptischen Qeometrie. Ffir die Auswahl der Axiome gibt es natfirlich verschiedene M6glichkeiten. Hier sollen solche Axiome fiber die Bewegungen der Ebenen auf sich gewi~hlt werden, die sich m6glichst eng an mein Hochschultaschenbuch iiber Nichteuklidische Geometrie [6] anschliel~en, in dem nur die ebene Geomet, rie aus Axiomen aufgebaut wird. Natfirlich entfernt man sich so etwas yon der gruppcntheoretischen Betrachtungsweisc, wie sie BACH~ANN [2] ffir die Ebene und AHRENS [1] fiir den Raum durchgeffihrt hat. I)as ist aber unvcrmeidlich, wenn man die Existenz der r~umlichen Bewegungen nicht postulieren, sondern nach dem Vorbild yon EUKLID und HILBERT aus scheinbar schwhcheren Forderungen beweisen will.
Reapportionment and partisan competition: When does reapportionment matter?

This research considers the effects of reapportionment on partisan competition. More precisely, this study develops a set of specifications under which we might expect varying effects of reapportionment on electoral patterns. By considering the history of political competition in the state, the geographic distribution of partisans, the history and methods of previous apportionments, and the political nature of the reapportionment, a set of specific hypotheses regarding the effects can be deduced. The theory is tested by application of it to the state of Oklahoma. Utilizing an interrupted time-series analysis of election results, we conclude that the 1964 reapportionment in Oklahoma had immediate electoral consequences. The 1971 reapportionment had virtually no effect. These findings are consistent with the expectations based on the theory developed in the paper.
Inhibition of hepatic hexobarbital metabolism by dextro amphetamine.

In mice, d-amphetamine injected intraperitoneally (10 mg/kg, 1 hr before sacrifice) decreased in vitro hepatic metabolism of hexobarbital. Since the addition of d-amphetamine to liver homogenates in vitro also inhibited the hexobarbital metabolism, the in vivo effect of amphetamine was not due to its pharmacodynamic action.
Self Heating Distribution in Arrayed Power Devices as a Function of External Package Temperature

Thermoreflectance thermal images of a biased high power silicon transistor array reveal nonuniform self heating patterns with strong dependence on external die temperature. Good correlation is shown between the measured self heating distribution and simulations of the power and temperature distribution throughout the arrayed power device at three different external die temperatures: TE = 296, 333, and 373K. Methods that rely on purely electrical measurements to extract device thermal parameters generally assume uniform temperature and bias across the full device. Two-dimension temperature and power distribution maps provide important information about spatial self heating nonuniformity throughout the device, which can lead to more accurate assessment of device thermal parameters.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Autoimmunity and the immunotherapy of cancer: Targeting the "self" to destroy the "other"

It is increasingly clear that immunity to "self"-antigens may result in tumor destruction in mouse and man. But which antigens should be targeted with therapeutic cancer vaccines? In the case of melanoma, recognition of melanocyte differentiation antigens (MDA) can be associated with autoimmune depigmentation (vitiligo). We propose that intersection of protein transport to melanosomes and endosomes allows for the loading of MDA-derived peptides on MHC class II molecules, resulting in the activation of MDA-specific CD4+ "helper" T cells that aid the induction of melanoma-specific CD8+ T cells. Thus, the immunogenicity of MDA may be a consequence of their unique cell biology. Studies of MDA-based vaccines can provide new insight into the development of more effective cancer vaccines.
Acidosis inhibits 1,25-(OH)2D3 but not cAMP production in response to parathyroid hormone in the rat.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a major activator of renal proximal tubule 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1-hydroxylase (1-OHase). Chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA) inhibits 1-OHase and reduces circulating 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] levels in rats fed a low-Ca diet (LCD, 0.002% Ca). To examine the cellular mechanism whereby CMA inhibits 1-OHase, PTH-dependent renal 1-OHase activity and cAMP were measured in proximal tubules isolated from rats fed LCD for 14 days and made acidotic by the addition of 1.5% ammonium chloride to the drinking water. Serum 1,25-(OH)2D3 and proximal tubule 1-OHase activity and cAMP content were lower in acidotic rats. hPTH-(1–34) (10−7 M) in vitro increased cAMP content to equivalent concentrations in tubules from rats with CMA and from nonacidotic controls; however, PTH increased 1-OHase activity only in tubules from nonacidotic animals. Although forskolin increased tubule cAMP content to equivalent levels in tubules from acidotic and nonacidotic rats, 1-OHase activity declined in tubules from nonacidotic rats and remained suppressed in acidotic tubules. The results suggest that chronic metabolic acidosis inhibits the PTH activation of 1-OHase through alteration of one or more steps in a cAMP-independent messenger system. PTH and forskolin can increase cAMP production by acidotic and nonacidotic proximal tubules; however, 1-OHase activity is not restored to normal in acidotic tubules and nonacidotic tubule 1-OHase may be inhibited.
Retrorectal tumors: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Tumors occurring in the retrorectal space are heterogeneous and uncommon. The utility of newer imaging techniques has not been extensively described, and operative approach is variable. This study examined the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of retrorectal tumors at a tertiary referral center. Patients with primary, extramucosal neoplasms occurring in the retrorectal space were identified using a prospectively maintained, procedural database of all adult colorectal surgical patients (1981–2003). Patients also were incorporated from the gynecologic oncology service. Exclusion criteria included inflammatory processes, locally advanced colorectal cancer, and metastatic malignancy. Medical records, radiology, and pathology reports were reviewed retrospectively. Thirty-four patients with retrorectal tumors were treated. Malignant tumors comprised 21 percent. Older age, male gender, and pain were predictive of malignancy (P < 0.05). Sensitivity of proctoscopy was 53 percent; this increased to 100 percent with the use of transrectal ultrasound. Accuracy of magnetic resonance vs. computed tomographic imaging for specific histologic tumor type was 28 vs. 18 percent, respectively. Surgical approach was anterior (n = 14), posterior (n = 11), and combined abdominoperineal (n = 9). Eleven patients required en bloc proctectomy. Patients undergoing posterior resection had lower blood loss and required fewer transfusions (P < 0.05). All benign tumors were resected with normal histologic margins and none recurred (median follow-up, 22 months). All patients with malignancy had recurrence/recrudescence of their disease. For these patients, median disease-free and overall survivals were 38 and 61 months, respectively. Retrorectal tumors remain a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Pain, male gender, and advanced age increase the likelihood of malignancy. Various imaging modalities are useful for planning resection but cannot establish a definitive diagnosis. Whereas benign retrorectal tumors can be completely resected, curative resection of malignant retrorectal tumors remains difficult.
Reducing the Cost of Demand Uncertainty Through Accurate Response to Early Sales

Traditionally, fashion products have incurred high losses due to stockouts and inventory obsolence because long lead times coupled with a concentrated selling season force all or at least most production to be committed before demand information is available. Under a Quick Response system, lead times are shortened sufficiently to allow a greater portion of production to be scheduled in response to initial demand. We model and analyze the decisions required under Quick Response and give a method for estimating the demand probability distributions needed in our model. We applied these procedures with a major fashion skiwear firm and found that cost relative to the current informal response system was reduced by enough to increase profits by 60%. Relative to the cost that would have been incurred if no response were used, optimized response reduces cost by enough to roughly quadruple profits.
Exposures to Airborne Particulate Matter and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes: A Biologically Plausible Mechanistic Framework for Exploring Potential Effect Modification by Nutrition

ObjectivesThe specific objectives are threefold: to describe the biologically plausible mechanistic pathways by which exposure to particulate matter (PM) may lead to the adverse perinatal outcomes ...
The growth of rhenium (VI) oxide single crystals by a vapor transport mechanism

Abstract Large, well-formed, homogeneous crystals of rhenium trioxide have been grown by a chemical-vapor transport reaction using iodine as the transporting agent. The conditions necessary for single crystal formation as well as measured structural and physical properties are described.
The Schwarzschild Distribution and Stellar Disks

Exact radially-dependent particular solutions to the hydrodynamic equations for a disk galaxy are found. The mass density is calculated for a known Schwarzschild distribution function and also a distribution function is calculated from a known mass density.
Monitoring the perennial martian northern polar cap with MGS MOC

Abstract We have used the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera Wide Angle (MGS MOC WA) dataset to study albedo trends on the martian northern residual cap. Six study regions were selected, the Chasma Boreale source region, three regions near the center of the cap (“fish hook” region, latitude = 87°; “bottle opener” region, latitude = 87°, “steep-shallow” region, latitude = 85°), and two lower latitude regions (crater, latitude = 77°, and polar outlier, latitude = 82°), and the albedos of these six regions were examined. These regions were chosen due to their good temporal coverage in the MOC dataset, as well as having been studied by other researchers (Bass et al., 2000, Icarus 144, 382–396; Calvin and Titus, 2004, Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXV, Abstract 1455). The picture which emerges is complex. Most areas experience a combination of darkening and brightening through the northern summer; only one area consistently brightens (the polar outlier region). A good deal of interannual repeatability in each region's albedo behavior is seen, however. Possible causes for the observed complex behaviors include dust deposition from late summer storms, sintering of frost grains over the course of the summer, and cold trapping of volatiles on bright, cold surfaces.
Examining the stability of Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric (ANAM) baseline test scores

Computerized neuropsychological (NP) testing has evolved into an important tool for clinicians in the assessment of sport-related concussions. The importance of having a reliable baseline test score for comparison post concussion is critical; yet, the stability of these baseline measurements has not been well established. The purpose of this study was to examine the consistency of the measurements derived from the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metric (ANAM) test battery over a series of repeated trials, in an attempt to determine at what point the test scores stabilized. A cohort of 25 recreationally active collegiate students, free from mild head injury, volunteered for the study. Throughput score (measures of performance efficiency) stability was assessed for the computerized NP tests using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Average throughput scores for all five test trials were simple reaction time (SRT) = 235, matching to sample (MSP) = 41, continuous performance test (CPT) = 108, ...
SEVERE ULCERONECROTIC DERMATITIS ASSOCIATED WITH MITE INFESTATION IN THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED AMARGOSA VOLE (MICROTUS CALIFORNICUS SCIRPENSIS)

Abstract: The entire range of the critically endangered Amargosa vole (Microtus californicus scirpensis) consists of less than 20 km2 of riparian habitat in the Amargosa River drainage of the Mojave Desert in southern California. In September 2010, deformities on ears and chiggers on the ears and genitalia were detected, with some individuals so severely affected that they were missing ear pinnae altogether. Follow-up trapping was performed to document the presence of mites and mite-associated disease, and molecular characterization was performed on the mites. Of 151 Amargosa voles sampled from February to April of 2011, 60 (39.7%) voles had hard orange mites adhered to some part of their bodies, on ears of 46 (76.7%), on genitalia of 11 (18.3%), and near mammary tissue of 13 (21.7%) voles. Gross lesions were not detected on genitalia, but 47% of all individuals examined showed pinnal lesions and deformities, which included alopecia, swelling, marginal necrosis, and ulceration, as well as scarring, scabb...
The Role of Phylogenies in Comparative Biology: An Introduction to the Symposium1

Reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships can be an arduous and prolonged task. Large numbers of specimens must be examined to produce even larger numbers of potentially informative traits. These descriptive data are scored and fed into phylogenetic analysis routines to determine which of the myriad possible phylogenies are supported by the data. Often, these analyses are repeated several times, exploring various options, in the hope that one of them will produce a reasonably well resolved and strongly supported tree. Why do systematists go through so much effort to produce a single picture with a few dozen branching lines? One answer to this question is that the answers to many of the other questions in comparative biology depend on the arrangement of those branching lines. Several biologists have pointed out the tremendous potential for comparative analyses to reach erroneous conclusions when …
Morphology and taphonomy of an exceptional trackway from the Flathead Sandstone (Middle Cambrian) of Wyoming

Two sandstone slabs from the Cambrian Flathead Sandstone of Wyoming exhibit different preservational modes of an exceptionally large and unusual trackway. On the smaller slab, the trackway is a depression on the top of the bed (concave epirelief). A greater length of the trackway is preserved on the larger slab, where it is a raised feature on the bottom of the bed (convex hyporelief). The latter trace is a cast of the original trackway made on a now-missing mud layer, whereas the epirelief trace likely represents an undertrack. The original trackway consisted of two parallel pockmarked furrows separated by a broad ridge. Individual depressions in furrows cannot be matched across the ridge and do not contain discrete scratch marks. At one place the linear succession of imprints comprising one furrow changes to a scattering of discrete pits. Although taxonomic identity of the trackway’s maker is uncertain, the animal was bilaterally symmetrical and had paired appendages like an arthropod or an onychophoran. The sole of the large slab exhibits several unilobate traces that intersect the major trackway as well as one another. Their smooth surfaces, lack of marginal ridges, and discontinuous nature suggest that they were made by burrowers or furrowers following the sand/mud interface subsequent to casting of the major trackway. Their origin remains problematic.
A cysteine-rich motif in poliovirus protein 2C(ATPase) is involved in RNA replication and binds zinc in vitro.

Protein 2CATPase of picornaviruses is involved in the rearrangement of host cell organelles, viral RNA replication, and encapsidation. However, the biochemical and molecular mechanisms by which 2CATPase engages in these processes are not known. To characterize functional domains of 2CATPase, we have focused on a cysteine-rich motif near the carboxy terminus of poliovirus 2CATPase. This region, which is well conserved among enteroviruses and rhinoviruses displaying an amino acid arrangement resembling zinc finger motifs, was studied by genetic and biochemical analyses. A mutation that replaced the first cysteine residue of the motif with a serine was lethal. A mutant virus which lacked the second of four potential coordination sites for zinc was temperature sensitive. At the restrictive temperature, RNA replication was inhibited whereas translation and polyprotein processing, assayed in vitro and in vivo, appeared to be normal. An intragenomic second-site revertant which reinserted the missing coordination site for zinc and recovered RNA replication at the restrictive temperature was isolated. The cysteine-rich motif was sufficient to bind zinc in vitro, as assessed in the presence of 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol by a colorimetric assay. Zinc binding, however, was not required for hydrolysis of ATP. 2CATPase as well as its precursors 2BC and P2 were found to exist in a reduced form in poliovirus-infected cells.
Crash recovery in client-server EXODUS

In this paper, we address the correctness and performance issues that arise when implementing logging and crash recovery in a page-server environment. The issues result from two characteristics of page-server systems: 1) the fact that data is modified and cached in client database buffers that are not accessible by the server, and 2) the performance and cost trade-offs that are inherent in a client-server environment. We describe a recovery system that we have implemented for the client-server version of the EXODUS storage manager. The implementation supports efficient buffer management policies, allows flexibility in the interaction between clients and the server, and reduces the server load by generating log records at clients. We also present a preliminary performance analysis of the implementation.
A Proxy Method for Real-Time 3-DOF Haptic Rendering of Streaming Point Cloud Data

This paper presents a new haptic rendering method for streaming point cloud data. It provides haptic rendering of moving physical objects using data obtained from RGB-D cameras. Thus, real-time haptic interaction with moving objects can be achieved using noncontact sensors. This method extends "virtual coupling"-based proxy methods in a way that does not require preprocessing of points and allows for spatial point cloud discontinuities. The key ideas of the algorithm are iterative motion of the proxy with respect to the points, and the use of a variable proxy step size that results in better accuracy for short proxy movements and faster convergence for longer movements. This method provides highly accurate haptic interaction for geometries in which the proxy can physically fit. Another advantage is a significant reduction in the risk of "pop through" during haptic interaction with dynamic point clouds, even in the presence of noise. This haptic rendering method is computationally efficient; it can run in real time on available personal computers without the need for downsampling of point clouds from commercially available depth cameras.
A Measurement of Spatial Disparity: The Case of Income Inequality

Traditionally, inequality measurements have been designed only for non-spatial applications, despite the argument that inequality is manifested in social space (and may be perceived spatially). Presented here is an approach to understanding urban inequality in terms of the spatial distribution of population and income. This is done with a general definition of spatial disparity (implying significant differences between neighbouring parcels); spatial disparity exists between contiguous parcels even when similar values are spatially clustered (as in the case of income). A family of spatial disparity measures is proposed: the basic measure of 'neighbourhood disparity' uses information on contiguity to arrive at individual disparity values for individual parcels, and an indexed value for an area. The process of neighbour identification is made simpler by using topologically structured spatial databases used in vector-based GIS. This methodology is used on 1990 census data to analyse disparities in the spatial...
Seismology and the geological exploration of ocean basins

In terms of description and speculation, the suboceanic lithosphere, or some 70.80 per cent of the area or the Earth, is still a “state of mind rather than a place.” This statement is equally true both from the geological and geophysical points of view, even if in the minds of some students of Earth science there still remains a subtle, if not practical, distinction between the relative value and importance of the various theoretical and exploratory methods, and the meager data which they have, as yet, produced. Until quite recently geologists have had to confine their study of the Earth to immergent areas of the continents which, in themselves, constitute only some 29.20 per cent of the surface of the Earth, not including large and important areas covered by ice. Of particular significance nave been the stratigraphic and structural studies of the immerged area of the “Atlantic Province,” and the effect which these studies have made in the formulation of paleogeographic hypothesis, or the distribution of land and water through geologic time.
In Vitro Flow Analysis of a Patient-Specific Intraatrial Total Cavopulmonary Connection

Background. Understanding the hemodynamics of the total cavopulmonary connection may lead to further optimization of the connection design and surgical planning, which in turn may lead to improved surgical outcome. Although most experimental and numerical investigations have mainly focused on somewhat simplified geometries, investigation of the flow field of true anatomic configurations is necessary for a true understanding. Methods. An intraatrial connection was reconstructed from patient magnetic resonance images and manufactured using transparent stereolithography. Power loss, flow visualization, and digital particle image velocimetry as well as computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed to characterize the anatomic flow structure. Given the complexity of the anatomic flow, two simplified versions of the geometry were manufactured and run through power loss and flow visualization studies. Results. Experimental measurements revealed complex, unsteady, and highly three-dimensional flow structures within the anatomic model, leading to high pressure drops and power losses. The small vessel diameters were the primary cause of these losses. Numerical simulations demonstrated that most of the dissipation occurred in the pulmonary arteries. Finally, asymmetric pulmonary diameters together with the bulgy intraatrial connection favored the rise of flow unsteadiness and unbalanced lung perfusion. Conclusions. The technique developed in this study enabled a deeper understanding of the hemodynamics behind an intraatrial connection. Future endeavors would be to study variation among differing surgical techniques, comparing intraatrial and extracardiac approaches.
Thinking outside the curve, part I: modeling birthweight distribution

Background Greater epidemiologic understanding of the relationships among fetal-infant mortality and its prognostic factors, including birthweight, could have vast public health implications. A key step toward that understanding is a realistic and tractable framework for analyzing birthweight distributions and fetal-infant mortality. The present paper is the first of a two-part series that introduces such a framework.
Arrangement of domains, and amino acid residues required for binding of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 to its counter-receptor VLA-4 (alpha 4 beta 1)

Interaction of the vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) with its counter-receptor very late antigen-4 (VLA-4) (integrin alpha 4 beta 1) is important for a number of developmental pathways and inflammatory functions. We are investigating the molecular mechanism of this binding, in the interest of developing new anti-inflammatory drugs that block it. In a previous report, we showed that the predominant form of VCAM-1 on stimulated endothelial cells, seven-domain VCAM (VCAM-7D), is a functionally bivalent molecule. One binding site requires the first and the other requires the homologous immunoglobulin-like domain. Rotary shadowing and electron microscopy of recombinant soluble VCAM-7D molecules suggests that the seven Ig-like domains are extended in a slightly bent linear array, rather than compactly folded together. We have systematically mutagenized the first domain of VCAM-6D (a monovalent, alternately spliced version mission domain 4) by replacing 3-4 amino acids of the VCAM sequence with corresponding portions of the related ICAM-1 molecule. Specific amino acids, important for binding VLA-4 include aspartate 40 (D40), which corresponds to the acidic ICAM-1 residue glutamate 34 (E34) previously reported to be essential for binding of ICAM-1 to its integrin counter-receptor LFA-1. A small region of VCAM including D40, QIDS, can be replaced by the similar ICAM-1 sequence, GIET, without affecting function or epitopes, indicating that this region is part of a general integrin-binding structure rather than a determinant of binding specificity for a particular integrin. The VCAM-1 sequence G65NEH also appears to be involved in binding VLA-4.
Aggressive compiler optimization and parallelization with thread-level speculation

We present a technique that exploits close collaboration between the compiler and the speculative multithreaded hardware to explore aggressive optimizations and parallelization for scalar programs. The compiler aggressively optimizes the frequently executed code in user programs by predicting an execution path or the values of long-latency instructions. Based on the predicted hot execution path, the compiler forms regions of greatly simplified data and control flow graphs and then performs aggressive optimizations on the formed regions. Thread level speculation (TLS) helps expose program parallelism and guarantees program correctness when the prediction is incorrect. With the collaboration of compilers and speculative multithreaded support, the program performance can be significantly improved. The preliminary results with simple trace regions demonstrate that the performance gain on dynamic compiler schedule cycles can be 33% for some benchmark and about 10%, on the average, for all the eight SpecInt95 benchmarks. For SpecInt2k, the performance gain is up to 23% with the conservative execution model. With a cycle accurate simulator with the conservative execution model, the overall performance gain by considering runtime factors (e.g., cache misses and branch misprediction) for vortex and m88ksim is 12% and 14.7%, respectively. The performance gain can be higher with more sophisticated region formation and region-based optimizations
The surgical correction of congenital aplasia of the vagina

A LTHOIJGH congenital absence of the vagina has been recognized since earliest antiquity, its surgical correction began only a little over a century ago. Since the first reported attempt at surgical correction by Dupuytrenl in 1817, there have been many hectic years of trial and error, of weighing -the psychological evils of the anomaly against the risks of operation. Today, fortunately, all this has changed. There no longer appears to be any valid reason why girls with congenital aplasia of the vagina should not receive the benefit of modern surgical correction, and at a sufficiently early age to minimize psychological trauma. For these young women there are today satisfactory methods of treatment, but this was not always so. Indeed, the cycle through which their wheel of fortune has revolved represents a small, but interesting phase in gynecologic history. Steinmetz2 presented an interesting historical review of the subject in 1940. The incidence of vaginal aplasia is not definitely known, but Engstadt considers one in five thousand births a fair figure. Probably the condition is more common than was formerly believed because some afflicted individuals fail t.o seek treatment and many treated cases remain unreported. While the condition must have been recognized since earliest times, Burrage* states that the first reported case was described by Realdo Columbus in 1752. By 1895, however, Neugebauer had knowledge of one thousand collected cases. The condition represents an embryonal or developmental defect and may reveal itself as a partial OP complete absence of the vagina. Since the genital and urinary organs have a close embryonic origin, developmental anomalies of a,djacent urinary organs may also be encountered. This is an important point to remember since a pelvic mass found in connection with aplasia of the vagina may mean a pelvic kidney. One of our patients had only one kidney (Fig. 1). Counseller a.nd Sluder, Jr.,3 investigated 15 of their patients urologically and found only 6 had normal kidneys. Of the remaining 9, the left kidney was congenitally absent in 6. Two had ectopic pelvic left kidneys and one had a d.uplication of the left ureter.
Discrete verification of necessary conditions for switched nonlinear optimal control systems

We consider a fairly general class of state-constrained nonlinear hybrid optimal control problems that are based on coordinatizing Sussmann's model. An event set generalizes the notion of a guard set, reset map, endpoint set as well as the switching set. We present a pseudospectral (PS) knotting method that discretizes the continuous-time variables of the problem. The discrete event conditions are imposed over the PS knots leading to a large, sparse, mixed-variable programming (MVP) problem. The Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions for the MVP are transformed in a manner that makes them closely resemble the discretized necessary conditions obtained from the hybrid minimum principle. A set of closure conditions are introduced to facilitate commuting the operations of dualization and discretization. An immediate consequence of this is a hybrid covector mapping theorem that provides an order-preserving transformation of the Lagrange multipliers associated with the discretized problem to the discretized covectors associated with the hybrid optimal control problem.
Trans-pubic abdominal flap for reconstruction of the labia majora

A flap is described for recreation of the labia majora. The flap was designed for a young woman who developed vulvar squamous cell carcinoma in-situ after immunosuppression for treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The patient underwent removal of the labia majora, and was reconstructed with a bi-lobed abdominal flap tunneled through the mons pubis. The flap produced a normal genital contour and has functioned well to seven years follow-up.
Pramipexole-Induced Increased Probabilistic Discounting: Comparison Between a Rodent Model of Parkinson's Disease and Controls

The dopamine agonist pramipexole (PPX) can increase impulsiveness, and PPX therapy for neurological diseases (Parkinson's disease (PD) and restless leg syndrome) is associated with impulse control disorders (ICDs) in subpopulations of treated patients. A commonly reported ICD is pathological gambling of which risk taking is a prominent feature. Probability discounting is a measurable aspect of risk taking. We recently developed a probability discounting paradigm wherein intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) serves as the positive reinforcer. Here we used this paradigm to determine the effects of PPX on discounting. We included assessments of a rodent model of PD, wherein 6-OHDA was injected into the dorsolateral striatum of both hemispheres, which produced persistent PD-like deficits in posture adjustment. Rats were trained to perform ICSS-mediated probability discounting, in which PD-like and control groups exhibited similar profiles. Rats were treated twice daily for 2 weeks with 2 mg/kg (±)PPX (ie, 1 mg/kg of the active form), a dose that improved lesion-induced motor deficits. In both groups, (±)PPX increased discounting; preference for the large reinforcer was enhanced 30–45% at the most uncertain probabilities. Tolerance did not develop with repeated treatments. Increased discounting subsided within 2 weeks of (±)PPX cessation, and re-exposure to (±)PPX reinstated heightened discounting. Such findings emulate the clinical scenario; therefore, ICSS for discounting assessments in rats exhibited high face validity. This model should prove useful in medication development where assessment of the propensity of a putative therapy to induce risk-taking behaviors is of interest.